The Spa Queen Her King

Candace & Anthony

The SpaQueen and Her King," highlights Candace's multifaceted career and the supportive dynamic with her life partner, AP. The couple, originally from Memphis, shares their journey from meeting at a birthday party to building a blended family. AP, not just in the background, expresses how Candace caught his eye and shares the story of their evolving relationship. This interview delves into challenges of a long-distance relationship, the transition to living together, and the recent changes in their careers. Despite facing financial setbacks in 2023, they credit faith, prayer, and mutual support for overcoming challenges and strengthening their relationship. AP emphasizes the power of a mother's prayer and his deep, personal connection with God. The couple reflects on their yin-yang balance and the transformative journey that led to appreciating each other's strengths and qualities.

Katrina Marie: So this is the cover is called The SpaQueen and Her King. And I thought it was so fitting because you are such a boss in your own realm. You do so many things. You carry so many titles and you've done so much. But at the same time, that support that you have to have to do those things is important. So I want to talk about not only what you're doing, but how you guys are a power couple, even if AP is playing the background or if he's even playing the background. So let's talk about, first of all, how you met. Everybody's going to want to know how you guys met.

Candace: AP is definitely not playing in the background. He is my life partner. He is my everything. Because I am the influencer, I'm the one out in front of the camera. I definitely don't consider him to be playing in the background. He's my life partner. We side by side on everything. I'm just out in the front more than him. We actually are both from Memphis, Tennessee, but we didn't even know each other. I knew his brother, but I never knew him. And one of my friends called me and asked me to go to his birthday party. I didn't want to go. I'm like, I don't want to go to that club. She's like, "let's just stop by there". It ended up being his birthday party. And we were at the party. He was having a good time. And when I got ready to go, he came and asked me for my phone number. And that's how we end up talking.

Katrina Marie: So, AP, what did you see in Miss Candace that made you want to pull up on her and ask for the phone number?

AP: Baby caught my eye. You know, I saw something I liked and I just approached her.

Katrina Marie: Was it strictly physical or was it something about her that you saw?

AP: But she was beautiful. I know she was beautiful. Like, you know what? I need to get to know her. I didn't know her. I knew her friends. But I didn't know her.

Candace: Oh, well. He knew of me.

AP: And it's just shocking. Like, we never crossed paths with each other. Because where we come from is very small. And I never met her a day in my life until she came to my birthday party. And, you know, I just saw something in my life. She was looking good that night, you know?

Candace: So everybody, AP was a player, OK?

AP: Baby. I was a bachelor.

Candace: AP tried to talk to everybody. I wasn't nothing special. He just saw me and tried to talk to me. He didn't find out I was special until we got into a real relationship. I don't want the people looking and thinking like, oh, you saw me. Try to talk to everybody.

Katrina Marie: AP, I don't believe it. I believe you saw something in Candace. I don't think you were just out there playing like that, were are you now?

AP: I was living like a single man, so yeah. I was out there playing, for sure. But, you know, as time went along, we locked in.

Katrina Marie: Let's talk about that. Let's talk about as time went along. You locked in, maybe not in the beginning, but what was it that made you want to really partner up or become her life partner, be her husband? What was it about her that made you think “you know what, she is different from all the people I've been out here playing with”?

AP: I'm like, first off, when we met, she used to come to Memphis all the time. You know, we did a long-distance relationship.

Candace: Yeah, I was already living in Atlanta.

AP: She was already living in Atlanta. And she used to come to see me. Like, she really, really liked me. She coming down and going to see me like this, you know. So that was the first sign in the beginning. I'm like, "she must be into me". It's something because ain't nobody gonna get in the car and drive four hours, five hours to come see somebody for a weekend and go back home. That means something, you know.

Candace: Katrina, he didn't come see me for two years. That's how I knew I wasn't special. He didn't start coming to see me for two years. It was TWO years.

AP: It was about a year.

Candace: No, it was about two years.

AP: I thought it was a year.

Candace: It was like 2000. It had to be 2018 for sure.

Katrina Marie: So what made you get on that flight, though? What made... AP, get on the flight?

AP: You know, one time she told me, if you don't come, we gonna break up.

And I still didn't come.

Candace:

I gave him an ultimatum and I broke up with him on his birthday. I met him on his birthday and I broke up with him on his birthday. We weren't broke up for long. This is how I knew he liked me. I broke up with him. I went to Memphis for his birthday. I was like, I ain't going to his party. I ain't even going to his party because I still have my spot in Memphis so I used to go When I started dating him, I just went more often because I was dating him and I wanted to have sex. He was my man. So I was just going more often than I normally would go to go see all my clients in Memphis. So I went to Memphis. It was his birthday. This was the next year. It was his birthday. And I did not go to the party. And that's that surprised him because he knew I was in the city. And he called me. He was like, my family was looking for you and You ain't come to my party. I had to show him fat meat was greasy. That's when he started taking me serious when broke up with him on his birthday and I was in the city and I didn't come to his party. So he knew right then it wasn't playing.

He still was playing a little bit, but he got a little better after the breakup. We broke up about four times.

Katrina Marie: Well, you know, look, that happens. That stuff type of happens. That's how it was with me and my fiance. We broke up a few times before we got it right, too, though.

You both had children, right?

Candace: Correct.

Katrina Marie: Let's talk about how you guys were able to do the blended family because that in itself can be a challenge.

AP: Man, when I tell you that was a blessing and it happened naturally. We weren't forced or nothing like that. We all got along real good. I'm just so thankful that our kids get along like this. I treat all of them the same, all of my children.

Candace: AP always had custody of his kids. So when we started dating, he had custody of his kids. That was one of the things that I when I asked my friend about him, she told me he had a city job. He had custody of his kids. I didn't have to hear nothing else. He was a stand-up guy if he had custody of his kids. We did back and forth for a really long time. He moved to Atlanta, but he always was a truck driver. He started his truck driving company, brought his kids to Atlanta, and I just had to make it happen with the kids and we had to get used to each other and all that because he was on the road for two, three years of our relationship. Once we finally moved together, he was on the road for two, three years of the relationship. We just officially lived together last year in 2023. That was our first full year living together every day in 2023.

Katrina Marie: Was that a challenge after living apart for so long or did it just kind of happen naturally?

AP: That's something that I wanted to do. I wanted to be at home. My wife, my children, sleep in my own bed every day. Living out on the road, that's a lifestyle. I wanted to change up my lifestyle and be at home.

Katrina Marie: So now come the changes, right? Now you coming home, there's an income change. These are a lot of things that had to change in order for you guys to start to live together for you to come off the road. What were those challenges like and how did you guys get through those challenges?

Candace: Yeah, so...He had his own truck driving company. He was making multi-six figures. When we first started dating, I hadn't made a million dollars yet. I started making millions of dollars, but I was already making multi-six figures. I went to the million-dollar status while we were dating. Um, and so he got his company, he was doing good. And then he wasn't an entrepreneur. I kind of pushed him to be an entrepreneur. And so he was just, he just did it. And he finally just put his foot down, you know, and said, Hey, I don't want to be an entrepreneur. He still drives trucks. He still got an amazing job. When he decided to quit his company last year, that was the same time I decided to quit my multi-seven-figure company. And so last year was our worst year together, um, as a couple. And I, I just told him maybe a month ago, that I feel like everything happened last year to make me see him. Cause I always had the money. He like a homebody, you know. He's a cool dude and I'm in the spotlight and it's this and that. And so I feel like last year, God made us be equal. Like, Hey, I will take every single thing you got. And I think he did. I didn't know what was going on at the time when everything was happening, but we had a conversation recently and I said, everything happened because God wanted me to see you. He wanted me to know how blessed I am. Cause my business is my life. Him quitting his company, me quitting my company so that I could see him like it was a win for him.

And so myself personally, I lost over a million dollars last year from just quitting my company. And I was just burnt out. I was making so much money. I was tired. And he decided to quit. If I'm making millions of dollars, of course, he can quit and figure out what he want to do. But I had quit my company, too. And so it was this horrible last year. And then I would say in September, everything started just turning around. In September, I started back working, started back taking clients, started back running my company. He got a raise at his job. He was doing good. And I just realized what God was doing. And that's when our relationship took this new turn. We always been good. We've only had one argument in nine years.  We don't argue with each other. We get along very well. And so this new place that we were in... he always go to church, pray. Like I was mad at God. I wasn't praying. I was mad. I was pissed. Like I was pissed. I'm like. Ain't no way this happened to me and I'd have made all these millions of dollars and I'd have done this... what's going on. And God sat me down and made me be still. And he was the one praying. I was crying. He was praying. I was talking crazy. He'll pray longer. And so that's why I say he's DEFINITELY not in the background. Wherever I'm weak, he's strong. Where he's weak, I'm strong. And so we have a good yin-yang balance. He's very family-oriented. I'm not, I didn't grow up very family-oriented. So he's making me be more, family-oriented, making me be a better mom, more just loving because I've been in survival mode my whole life.

He doesn't have to be in survival mode. He got an amazing family and they are really close. They all help out and I'm over here in survival mode my whole life. I put up a beautiful post on my social media on our anniversary and I said "Your God bank is always full and mine is always empty. And your love bank is always on overflow and mine is always in the negative". And so we just got a really good balance.

But last year was our year to really just see each other. Like I told you, it took me eight years to get the man of my dreams. I got the man of my dreams, and I'm so thankful. But it was eight years in the making. But he's here now, and he's everything that I have ever dreamed and wanted for in a man.

Katrina Marie: Baby, let's talk about this power of prayer that you have hey your your prayer life your your life and your belief in God and where that stems from, and how you were able to stand on that through all the adversity and the change and the challenges?

AP: Talking to my mama you know. I have my own relationship with God I got my own personal relationship with God, you know what I mean? The way I talk to my wife, I talk to God like this. Praying is talking to Him. If I could just talk to him regularly, He'd listen to me. My mama wired me up like this. It took me a long 40 years to figure that out. She always tried to drill it in me and then she always said she's praying for me. I believe in a mother's prayer. Oh, absolutely. A mother's prayer is very strong. That's just me and my own personal relationship with God. I'm going to continue to do this. That's just how I am. That prayer life, that support that you know God got your back, it goes a long way.

Katrina Marie: It goes a long way. It goes where money ends. It goes where you know there's no faith anymore. It just goes when you're empty and being able to have that prayer life is so important. Candace, it's so good that you have a husband who is foundation his foundation is in  God.

Candace: When we had first started dating we had spent the night together, right.  He called his mom on the phone. He was like, “hey, mom, get dressed. I'm going to church with you and take you to breakfast”. I was like, oh, this is going to be my man. Girl, he did that on the first date. You know you got to judge your man by how he treats his mom.

Katrina Marie: Did you feel a way, Candace? Because you know how people will say, women don't choose, let the man choose. But right in that moment, you were like, oh, no, I'm going to make this one mine.

Candace: Well, no. I had already sealed the deal that night when we had sex. I only had sex with one person at a time. Once you hit this, we go together. Girl, we're together.

That night, when we were doing grown-up stuff, I was like, "Hold up now!". Because he had already did something one little time or whatever. So he wanted some more. And I was like, "Hold up. You know, we go together?". He was like, "OK, we go together.". And that's literally how our relationship started. That's how it started when he wanted a second round. And I told him, "We're going to talk about what it is. Is you my man? Because I ain't just out here having casual sex.".

Katrina: But you knew you wanted him.

Candace: I let it be known.

Katrina Marie: And it wasn't no problems, right?

Candace (Laughs) Nope. I just thought he was a good dude. He got a good family. He got custody of his kids. He got a government job. I'm going to make this my man.

Katrina Marie: I know that's right. I'm with that too. Like if I see something and I'm going to put myself in the path to get that, you know, and I know in this day and age, you know, where it's like, let the man chase us. But if you see something, put yourself in that path because if that's what you want, you need to go ahead and get it.

Candace:  Well, yeah, he was dating me. So we was like going on like I'll come to Memphis and we'll go out to eat. We'll go look at bands. So we was going on dates and stuff. But once we had the sex, that's when I was like "You know, we together.".

Katrina Marie: Let's talk about in a marriage, what the secret sauce to your, to you guys' relationship. Because there always has to be something that helps a marriage thrive. What in your marriage has been the secret sauce to keeping you guys together?

AP: First off, God is the head of our marriage. If He ain't in the forefront, it ain't going to work out. Even though we're going to have some good days and some bad days, but that's the main priority in our marriage. Because I pray for our marriage. So that's the first thing.

Katrina Marie: What's the second thing?

Candace: Say it. (5 second pause) I already know the answer. What is it?... The second thing is sex. Duh!! Duh, everybody. It's sex.

In my first ... This is my second marriage. In my first marriage, I wasn't giving my husband enough sex. I was building up my company. I was working all day and night. We didn't have Instagram Live. We didn't have TikTok. When I started building my company... 14 years ago, we didn't have all the technology we got now. So I had to literally hit the ground and work to be at my company. So I wasn't giving him enough sex. And I know my first marriage, that was part of our breakup, I wasn't giving him the sex that he wanted. So he went and got it somewhere else. So I always said that that first marriage prepped me for my forever marriage. I said, if I ever get married again it got to be forever.

And in this marriage, if he wants sex, I'm giving it to him.

AP: Another secret sauce is communication. Like we talk about everything. We don't hold no secrets.

Candance: that's why we only had one argument, our whole relationship. And then another thing I tell everybody, I really think that I was supposed to be a man but he made me a girl.

So I think like a man thinks. I operate like a man. I'm not really emotional. You know, some women are very emotional. Like, I am a real alpha female. And so I can be empathetic now, before, I wasn't empathetic with him at all. I wasn't empathetic about anything. When you asked me another time, and I told you I had to learn how to start mature dating. When I learned how to mature date, that's why we got a good marriage. Like, I know everything. Even though I think the world revolves around me, I know that in my marriage, everything can't revolve around me. It's got to be about my husband as well. So me just not being conceited and thinking about my husband, thinking about his feelings... I was like, you okay? How you feeling? How was your day? It's like some real Bill Cosby stuff.

I'm so thankful. We got a five-bedroom house. You know, we did this and we got this and cars paid for it. Airbnb, we got land and I got stock accounts. And I'm like, I just never saw this for myself.

It is like the modern-day Bill Cosby Show… The Huxtables!! Like we used to admire those type of families on TV. I was going to say to have my own reality and real life for my family. Like, I just never saw that for myself.

And it just makes me even more thankful for my husband, for the relationship. I know God kept me with him. I wanted to break up with him so many times. And God gave me a sign. Like, he'll do something amazing. Like, not regular, like, monetary. It'll just be something.

God will be like, 'this is who you need to be with'. And so... I just know it's just my forever husband. And this is who God wanted me to be with. This is my perfect man. I love this dynamic and I love it so much.

Katrina Marie: The Part that really bothers me when it comes to relationships is that we have to feel like this is a fantasy. Like this shouldn't be how it should be anyway. That having this dynamic seems so unreal that when somebody has it, that it feels like a fantasy, that it feels like the Huxtables, that it feels like TV. And it's just crazy how we are right now. These battles between men and women. It's just crazy that in this particular time now, that we don't see this as normal.

Candace: the reason why we don't see it as normal, it's based on who we do see. It's based on how he was raised. It's based on what we saw our mama go through and our parents. we think that's normal. I just always wanted to be a wife… ALWAYS!!  Like people who follow me on Facebook, I'm always honoring my husband every chance I get. It just took me time to find my husband. I always want to be a wife.

Katrina Marie: When we were at the photo shoot, I watched you admire your husband. I watched you honor your husband. I watched you speak life to your husband. I watched you cheer your husband on. I watched you be his biggest cheerleader. I watched you be everything that he probably needed to be supported.

So...AP, how does that make you feel to have somebody like that in your corner? What is that like to have a woman that's literally got your back in every way possible?

AP: I feel real good. I'm thankful. We were talking one day. We got our kids and all this.

I said, the only love I feel that comes from this house is from my wife. I know my kids love me because I'm their dad. But sometimes you don't feel it. You know…Because they bad. (We all laughed and agreed) But I feel the love for my wife, though. She just shows it to me. And I don't have to ask or second guess. I know what it is with my wife. I know what's up with her. I love that.

Katrina Marie: So what has being in a relationship taught you, both of you individually? What has that taught you as a person?

Candace: I know for me, I remember, you know, even before I had a baby, you know, I remember my other baby dad. And I was just like, "if they can just help me. If I can just get somebody to meet me halfway and just help me.". That's why I was going to be a wife. I'm like, I need a mate.

That was before all of these kids and money and influence. I always knew that I just needed a mate. I didn't want to be the girl out here independent with my kids, by myself. I just never wanted that. I had to be that because I hadn't found my forever person yet. So I had to go through my three baby dads to get him and to prepare me for what you guys seeing. What he has taught me is just how to love. I was so broken. Even though I had all that money and all that stuff, I didn't have any of the stuff he had. I didn't have none of the stuff that he had. And I remember when it was just my birthday. And I was like, you don't have to go out and spend a whole bunch of money on me. We passed this stage. You done bought me designer stuff and all that before. And, You know, you helped me when I needed something and gave me $10,000. So, for me, he just fixed me. I was so broken inside and out. And so, he just fixed it for me. he just fixed me and taught me that love is a real thing. So he just taught me love.

And I don't see nothing else from him But love. And he actually makes me nicer to other people, nicer to the kids. Because I'm mean. I'm not a mean girl. I'm a mean woman. I'm a mean girl...petty. I've just always been mean because I've always been a survival mode and a defense mechanism. For me to be who I am. And so he makes me more, more soft.

Like I'm taking off the whole month of April. I can't wait I got a man. So we talked about it. I said, I want to take off for April. I'm tired. We got our life back together. You on track. My business back booming. So for me to have a man and a husband, a whole month and don't have to worry about anything. Like, that's what being in a relationship, it's a beneficial relationship for both parties involved.

Katrina Marie: AP, What has it taught you?

AP: Well, for me, this is the longest I've ever been with somebody in my whole life. I ain't never been with nobody this long. You know, like I said, I just know, I know Candace. I know she worked hard I respect her hustle. You know, I stay out the way, you know what I mean? Because I know what she's trying to do. I don't try to be on her back and nothing like that. Like I say, I respect what she do.

What she say? "Thankful for giving me to the world.". I always say, "Thank you for sharing me with the world". People walk up to me and tell me that too. People just walk up to me and tell me that. I know she good at what she do. She's an amazing lady. I don't want to be in the way of that. I don't want to be a distraction to nothing she got going on. That's why I support her I'm rocking with her. However she want to do it, I'm fine with it.

Katrina Marie: That's a big deal for you to be able to share your wife.

AP: Like she say, I'm her forever husband. So I know that. So I ain't insecure in no type of way. I don't feel like I'm that guy.

Katrina Marrie: You know who you are. You know, you know where you stand.

AP: Straight up, straight up.

Candace: I was on another interview and they were saying that, um, because I make millions of dollars,they was like, do I pay the bills? I was like, I have paid them before when he was in a transition. I said, my husband pay all the bills. It doesn't matter if I make more money. That's his job to take care of me.

Katrina Marie: I was going to ask you about that.

Let's talk about that. There is no 50-50 because you make all the money. Is that right?

Candace: Like I said, he has done the multi-six-figure thing. Even if my company makes more money, I still want him to pay all the bills. I still want him to wind and dime me. I still want him to take me out of town. I still want him to buy me stuff. I still want it and I still expect it. It doesn't matter if I make more money. I still expect those things and so he does those things very well, hold down his household, um, support me. So it's like a real, real… it's just so beautiful. And that's why I'm just so thankful that I'm in a position finally, to be at this place in my life and in my marriage.

Katrina Marie: And AP, you never even thought about 50/50?

AP: 50, huh? No, no, no. I have, you know, it makes me feel good as a man. I love it! It makes me feel real good.

Candace: You know, when they pay out of bills, they be trying to talk a little spicy to you. I'm like, heyyou're talking a little spicy to me. You're paying out of bills. You're talking a little spicy to me.

AP: I'm laying out these dollars, okay? Yeah, I'm a man of few words now, so I'm going to speak my piece and there's that on there, so.

When he want to say something, he say it.

Katrina Marie: And that's good that you give him the space to be able to say it because sometimes you know, when women make the money, regardless, we feel like that we don't have to listen.

Candace: No, I be listening. Like, I really listen, I think about his feelings. Even when I'm out of town a lot, I be like, I got to go out of town for seven days. I'm going to miss you. In the beginning, he was like, seven days. Now he used to be gone. I was just gone for seven days. I'm leaving again for seven days. I think about his feelings going.

I think about when my cycle is going to come on. Do you know when I first got with AP, I used to do a  v steam so I could change up my cycle so he can have sex with me when he's coming to town.

Katrina Marie: Oh, wow!! That's love. That's a thing?  I've been a woman for a long time. I never knew that was a thing.

Candace. Yeah. I can change my period. It's with herbs. I was heavy in these things in the beginning of our relationship and I used to change my cycle so I wouldn't be on when I see him... so he could have sex.

Katrina Marie: Now listen, when you changing your cycle for your boo, that's love, honey.

Candace: So even right now with my travel schedule, like I try to plan stuff around my travel schedule and my cycle. I plan everything around my cycle.

Katrina Marie: That's because you want to make sure that your man is taken care of. There's nothing wrong with that. That should be something we should strive for as women in our relationships anyway.

Candace: Especially when y'all got a good man, ladies. Especially when he's good, you need to make sure that he's getting what he needs. That's just my job, just to make sure he feels loved. I tell him all the time, I just want you to feel loved and know you are loved because he had bad relationships as well. He went through things as well, but he a man, so he going to handle it differently. And I just want him to know that he's loved because he has always worked so hard our entire relationship. He's always been a very, very hard worker. He's an amazing best man I know on the planet when it comes to his kids. I don't know a man better. I always want to big him up on that because that's a really, really big deal, especially where we come from. I got my own struggles I went through with my baby daddy. I always try to honor him on his parenting and him being a father and just being a family man. He's hands down the best when it comes to those things.

Katrina Marie: AP, we're going to talk about that. Let's talk about you having those bad relationships. What did you do to be able to heal to become a great husband? There were things that I'm sure that you had to get over with your own experiences in past relationships. What did you do to heal to be able to become this amazing husband that Candace is married to?

AP: You know, I just let things go. You know, I don't hold no grudges or nothing like that. You know, I don't have nothing bad to say about my children's mother. You know, I can have a, I can talk to her on the phone about my kids without, you know, arguing, you know, on that type of time. So, I just let everything go. Boy, what I'm going to be bitter for?? If I'm going to be bitter, I ain't going to be good for my wife.

Katrina Marie: That's an inner peace. That's a level of maturity that a lot of people don't have and a lot of people don't get to.

AP: You know, when I was growing up, my mother and my dad they broke up and had a real bad, but they were always friends though. You know, they all, you know, they were never together, but they were friends. He could always come to the house. come to family functions things like this. So I saw that as a kid, you know what I mean? So when I got my kids, unfortunately, it didn't work out that way for me like this. But, you know, like I say, I'm not bitter toward my kids' mom because I got this with a beautiful wife. So, you know, I pray for my children Mom, I hope they have a good life, you know what I mean?

Katrina Marie: Candace, I want to put to rest the one thing that women or men or both actually say about being feminine or in your soft era, like it's your responsibility and that the man plays no part in it.  I'm like you I have a very masculine side, very much so. But do you feel like his presence, his being in your life has allowed you to be more of a feminine woman, more of a soft woman?

Candace: So that's what makes our story so amazing. It took eight years for that to happen. Me and AP started dating in 2016. So we've been living separate, you know, trying to find this balance in our marriage. So that's what I'm saying. September was, that was the start of this harmony. I always beat them up but now it's just a real thing. It's real life. So now, yeah, I can be more soft. I can be more feminine. I can take a month off and don't have to go run my business and don't have to worry about no income. So that's what it has become over time. But it wasn't that before. But it's definitely that now. And so I'm just thankful. But he definitely plays a big part in me being soft because it lessens up my responsibilities. Between my Airbnbs, my payroll, this house, my bills was $30,000 a month. So even though he's in a position where he's paying out of bills, I still make sure I got every dollar I need with or without him. I still make sure I have it myself. But I just want to be soft. I do want to be feminine. I've never wanted to be a kept woman. Like one of my good, good friends was always kept.Our whole friendship, she was kept. And God just never gave me that. He never gave me nobody to come take care of me. So finally, he has given me somebody to take care of me. And I am so thankful. And when I tell you I'm going to run it up till it ain't no more left. I ain't paying no bills. I'm soft.

Can you do this? Can you do that? I'm running it up, okay? Because it took me forever to get here. And so for God to see fit for me finally to just be in that position where I could be soft, be feminine, I am so thankful that it finally happened for me. And it just took forever. But it's here now, and I'm running until the wheels fall off.

Katrina Marie: I want to talk about, you being who you are, being the spa queen, doing all the things that you’re doing and, having AP by, by your side. Can we talk about that whole journey from getting there to getting with him to becoming a whole other side of that journey?

Candace: Yeah And that's so ironic because I just had a meeting with two of my kids and my oldest daughter said she wants to be an influencer. I was like you should do it because I'm already an influencer. So influencers are going to follow your family. They're going to follow everybody.

Even like for AP, I was trying to get him to do some things. It just not meant him to do the influencer and entrepreneur. He ain't going to do it. I let it go. But like my oldest daughter wants to do it. I'm like, let's do it. My youngest daughter, she don't want to do it. Like she the most popular, but she don't. My youngest daughter, 11 years old, because I'm an influencer. She made like she got like five thousand dollars cash for her birthday because of her mama.

So with AP, I had my company. I was living in Memphis. He didn't know I had all this stuff when I met him. He didn't know I had all this stuff.  He didn't know I was that amazing when we first met. So we met. We did all of that. And then I went into a depression. He was in Memphis. I was in Atlanta. And I went into a depression. He didn't know. And we didn't talk for like nine months. And one thing about me, if I got some situation going on, I ain't having no sex. I need to get myself together. And I just worked on my business in Atlanta I got my business going. I went and got me a spa location. I had celebrity clients. And when I got myself back to six figures, I called him back.

And that's when we started dating in 2017. That's when I started going to Memphis a lot, working on my clients, seeing him. We were together. He wasn't studying me, though. He was a player, girl.

Katrina Marie: He was for the streets at that time.

Candace: Yeah, he was definitely for the streets. We were just playing around. All 2017. And then I remember I broke up with him on his birthday. And that's when he got more serious about me. And during that time, mind you, I'm still working. I'm still building my business. And then I end up becoming Six Figure Spa Chick in 2018. That's when I quit my job and was like, I'm going to go full fledged Six Figure Spa Chick.

And so 2018, I just went hard with Six Figure Spa Chick. And that's when everything started to like, blow up for me and making millions of dollars in partnership deals. I had something I was trying I don't remember what it was and I was like short on some money or something I remember he had got some money from his job or something and he had to send me the ten thousand. Everybody thinks I do everything for AP and I'm like AP does so much stuff for me. I don't gotta validate who my husband is. I don't gotta validate that to nobody. This is my man! Whatever I choose this is my business. I don't have to try to validate people who don't understand what's going on. That's really how I started blowing up... when I quit my spa. Now I'm even a bigger deal! Like I got contracts with billion dollar companies as an influencer and I can wake up and say, hey let's put a plan together to make $100K today, and I make $100K today.

 So I'm just thankful to be back in a good mental state myself. That's why I'm thankful for April because I feel myself getting burnt out again. So I can thank and help everybody else make money. And then when it comes to me, if I'm burnt out, I can't try to help myself. That's why I got to take out the month of April. So I'm thankful that we have grown to the place where he understands who I am and what I do. I'm thankful that he's in a place where he can pay all the bills and just fully take care of me. So I can just have a better balance because I've just been in survival mode for the last four times. And so this is my first year, 2024, I'm not in survival mode.

Katrina Marie: And people think that you would think that it's been longer than that because of the way you've been able to make money and help other people make money. And with this being the first time, it's crazy how people would believe differently. Don't you agree with that?

Candace: So it definitely should have been sooner. But again, I didn't have my forever husband yet. I didn't have this harmony yet. I still was like, I got to go work every day, all day. Yeah. I ain't got nobody. And that's what I did. I did that for 14 years straight. So my therapist had to help me with this to understand like, Candace why do you work like this? And why do you take on these projects? And why you don't do this? And my therapist had to help me with it. Like, girl, you're not in survival mode. You built a real company that still standing from a million dollar loss, and still hit quota. Like you've got a real company. So that was interpersonal work that I had to do within myself to not be in survival mode... to make sure my husband is in a position and I'm allowing him. I could have been soft if I wanted to. I could have been soft over a year ago. But I didn't. I told him I feel so safe with him. I'm all I got and I'm all I had forever. It's just been me and I'm eating. So I can't put my livelihood in nobody else's hands. I just can't do it.

Even if I'm taking off, I'm making sure money still coming in passively, even while I'm physically out, even though he's in control, I still got my company set up to where I can make some money. Cause I just never put my life in nobody's hands. Every time I've ever done that, it's been an epic fail for me. Everything I have put my life in somebody. But that's another part of survival mode.

Katrina Marie: So, AP, how will Candace know? What can you say to her to let her know she doesn't have to do that? Like, she can rest. She can come out of survival mode.

AP: Oh, she more definitely coming up out of survival mode. She coming up out of there. That's my goal.

Candace: So how I knew that I could risk is when he took over the whole house.We got three kids in this house. When we go grocery shopping, it's $300 a week just for groceries. So for months and months, he was paying every bill. He getting the groceries. He just started doing everything Because before, he had about two weeks of groceries. I had about two weeks of groceries. It was stuff like this. he just started doing everything.

And that was my first sign of like, you know, he got his stuff back together. It's amazing for him. I had to see the consistency though, for me to take a break. I gotta see it happen a lot of times. For me to be like, I can chill a little bit.

Katrina Marie: I love y'all's dynamic. I love the fact that this is a love that feels like a love story, but it is reality. And that you're showing people that this is actually a reality. You guys are a true example for people that are on social media right now and all these people that are going back and forth that don't believe that this exists. I love that, so I appreciate you guys again being on the cover representing my magazine. It's a great way to jump start and I'm excited. I just want to say thank you. Leave couples singles with a word of encouragement about relationships and what they really look like, what they really feel like.

AP: Well, for me, it's cool to listen to your woman, bro. It's okay! You still king, bro! Listen to your woman sometimes. Sometimes you got your best interest… especially if you got you a real one she got you it took me a minute…

Candace: it took AP three years three to four years to listen!  He wouldn't listen to me.

AP: okay listen! I still came!!

Candace: So my relationship advice, is you got a mature date. I just had a conversation with somebody Like when we make these lists and we want a man to have boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. What I did and how I got my husband… he didn't have everything in the beginning, but I saw that he could have it and I gave him time to get it. And that's how I, so I still have my list. I still have my list. And I can see here today, 2024, and say the man is every single thing that I wanted on my list. But it took eight years for me to get that. And so that's what I would say. Just mature date, definitely If he has a lot of qualities that you do like and if you see the potential of him getting the other quality that you want. And me, I'm real big on timeline. That's why we broke up that time. I'm like, "look, you've been knocking my socks off. You're doing all this. What's up? What are we doing?"  So I'm just real big on timelines. So, you know, and I like to see consistency. I like him paying everything and taking care of everything. I want to make sure you can really do that. I don't want you stressed out because I got some big girl bills. I had them when we first got together. I brought him into that world. That wasn't his world. He came into that world with an entrepreneur, a lot of overhead. I got employees. I got staff. I got to do all this and that. I'm a hotel snob. I eat out every day. That's the world I brought him into. When we're dating people, everybody ain't used to that life. He's accustomed to it now. We've been together all this time, but I brought him into that. Then he brought me into loving and being more family. That's what I would say. And we just have such an amazing balance. And I wanted to tell everybody  You can't have it all. A lot of people don't think I can have a successful business. Do y'all know all the kids got all A's? You really can have it all! I just really want people to know ... I want this to be a new norm. Because everybody got these sad stories. I want to see more good stories of this so people can know that somebody for you is out there who won't dog you out, who won't do this and that, who won't break your heart over and over, and all those types of things. I want people to see this and if they want it, I feel like it can happen for them.

Katrina Marie: I love it. I know it can and that's the reason why we're doing Love and Lifestyle because I believe the same thing. This has to be the new norm. We have to get back to this. We have to get back to being filled and, and having love again.

Candace: Like you said, this is normal. This is not a fantasy, but it's actually normal. It's my normal forever. Please, please pay all the bills, whining down me, love me, pray for me. That's my favorite thing about our relationship. How he prayed for me. That's my favorite. That's one of my favorite qualities about him, the way that he can pray. Like he can pray like we

from the real hood, the real project. You would think this man, baby this man can pray so good. It is phenomenal So he taught me how to pray better, and have a stronger faith in God. So that's really our favorite part about our relationship.

Katrina Marie: Y'all gave me hope!!  Not that I never didn't have hope, but I have always believed, I'm telling you, you're going to open the doors for many hearts and many minds with this interview. So thank you so much again.  What’s next thing is coming for you.

Candace: Thank you so much. And everybody, don't let it take eight years now. That's the one thing I say.

Don't be, not eight years, that's a long time.

Katrina Marie: I hope the people that's listening and looking at you guys get inspired by the interview as well. And thank y'all so much. Thank you so much. AP, thank you for letting us have your wife. We appreciate it.

AP: It's all love. It's all good.