Heather Candy
Episode 87

Narrator: Welcome, friends, to another episode of The Story & Experience Podcast. Join your host, Japhet De Oliveira, with his guest today, and discover the moments that shape us, our families and communities.

Japhet De Oliveira: Hey, welcome, friends, to another episode of The Story & Experience Podcast. I am excited about our guest today and you will see later why I'm cautious about our guest today. Just because when you find out what her profession is, you'll understand why.

All right, so if you're brand new to the podcast, it's very, very simple. We have 100 questions and we progressively become more vulnerable and more open as we get closer to 100. I will ask the first 10, and then our guest, who's looking at me right now, they'll be able to choose where they want to go between 11 and 100.

So without any delay, we'll dive straight in to the very first one. Delighted you're here. Could you share with everyone your name? And does anybody ever mispronounce it?

Heather Candy: So my name is Heather Candy. And no-one mispronounces it, but everyone calls me Candy. That's the thing that happens, is they'll always see my name and want to call me Candy.

Japhet De Oliveira: I have never thought of that. Does that work around here?

Heather Candy: It happens all the time because of the way our emails are set up.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh yeah, that's right.

Heather Candy: So almost everyone always automatically defaults to Candy.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right. So Heather, what do you do for work?

Heather Candy: I am an attorney. I'm in-house counsel for Adventist Health. And I've been an attorney for 23 years.

Japhet De Oliveira: Now you know why I'm cautious.

Heather Candy: I'm a nice attorney though.

Japhet De Oliveira: You are a very nice attorney. And you help us out with crisis communication and I mean a whole range of things. So you've been doing this for how long again?

Heather Candy: 23 years.

Japhet De Oliveira: 23 years.

Heather Candy: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: My goodness. What did you do before

Heather Candy: Before Adventist Health?

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Heather Candy: I was in-house counsel for a vision service plan, VSP, which is an eye insurance company. And then before that, for 12 years I was in private practice.

Japhet De Oliveira: So you've been a lawyer for like 500 years?

Heather Candy: Yeah, a really long time.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right. I think that's fantastic. You enjoy it?

Heather Candy: I do. It's really interesting. It's challenging, especially working for a health system. The things that happen in a health system, you just can't make it up.

Japhet De Oliveira: You can't, no. That's true, that's true. All right, that's fantastic. So in the morning... A really simple question. In the morning, drink of choice, do you start the day off with water, coffee, a liquid green smoothie?

Heather Candy: Tea. I'm a tea drinker.

Japhet De Oliveira: Really?

Heather Candy: So I make myself a big pot tea.

Japhet De Oliveira: Really? What kind of tea?

Heather Candy: Loose tea as well.

Japhet De Oliveira: Really?

Heather Candy: Typically, I like just a mix. Earl Gray, I have a [inaudible 00:02:43], something, I don't know how to say it. And then... So any whatever kind of variation of a black tea.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh. Do you add any milk or sugar to it or just have black tea?

Heather Candy: As white as I can make it.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, okay.

Heather Candy: A lot of milk.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's really good. That's really good. That's fantastic. All right, Heather, where were you born?

Heather Candy: Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Japhet De Oliveira: Really?

Heather Candy: Mm-hmm.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, fantastic. So do you do the hand to describe...?

Heather Candy: No. I left when I was a little baby, but my parents were going to University of Michigan.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right. And so when you were a child, what did you imagine you were grow up to be?

Heather Candy: I never imagined, I couldn't imagine. I still am thinking, "What am I going to be when I grow up?" So I just sort of, as life has unfolded, I just am where I am.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, hey, that's good. That's good. If people had to describe your personality, would they describe you as introvert, extrovert? And would you agree?

Heather Candy: I think most people would describe me as an extrovert. I think I would've described me as an extrovert. But after the pandemic, I think I'm one of those introvert extroverts where I really don't want to be around people a lot of times and I'm very happy to be by myself, but I also am a-

Japhet De Oliveira: You can become an extrovert if needed?

Heather Candy: Yes.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay, all right. Hey, that's fair. That's fair. Habits. Are you an early riser or a late night owl?

Heather Candy: Early riser. I'm up at four or five.

Japhet De Oliveira: Really?

Heather Candy: I go to bed so early, I'm like the oldest person you know.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's great. And what's the first thing, this morning when you woke up four or five this morning, what was the first thought that went through your mind?

Heather Candy: What are my dogs doing? What do I have to deal with with my dogs? But that's it.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. How many dogs-

Heather Candy: And usually work.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, yeah. Yeah, sure.

Heather Candy: Sort of like, "What's my day?"

Japhet De Oliveira: Sure. How many dogs do you have?

Heather Candy: Three.

Japhet De Oliveira: Three?

Heather Candy: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay, all right.

Heather Candy: Rescues.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, hey, that's fantastic. That's beautiful. I only have one, it's enough for me.

Heather Candy: You can... More, come on.

Japhet De Oliveira: I know, I know. It's difficult. A leadership question here, are you a backseat driver?

Heather Candy: I do not think so.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay.

Heather Candy: How would you describe it? What is a backseat driver?

Japhet De Oliveira: Well, this is what the opportunity for you to define it.

Heather Candy: A backseat driver? To me, sounds like a negative connotation. I don't think I'm that. I know I'm bossy, so...

Japhet De Oliveira: That's okay.

Heather Candy: And I'm direct.

Japhet De Oliveira: Hey, that's good. That's good. That's really good. All right, so first 10 done, the floor is open and now it's your opportunity to choose a number between 11 and 100. Where would you like to go first?

Heather Candy: 11.

Japhet De Oliveira: 11. All right, here it is. Tell us about the most adventurous food or meal you've ever eaten.

Heather Candy: Adventurous food? Well, I like to eat. And I'll eat pretty much anything. Adventurous?

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah.

Heather Candy: I can't really think of anything because, to me, just I love food. So if I'm anywhere and there's anything and it's a local... Whatever the local thing is, I'll eat the local thing.

Japhet De Oliveira: When you go to a restaurant, do you try something new each time? Or do you like, "Oh, that was my favorite. I'll go back to that"?

Heather Candy: Depending on where I am and depending on how often I go. But if I'm at especially a really nice restaurant, if there's a particular venison or a rabbit or something that you won't get anywhere else, I'll order that.

Japhet De Oliveira: Hey, that's good. That's good. All right, that was 11. So up then.

Heather Candy: I'm going to be right down the road, right down the list.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay. So you want to just go to number 12?

Heather Candy: Yep.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay, all right.

Heather Candy: It'll be too much thought for me to have to pick and choose.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, really? Okay, all right. We'll do that. We'll see how many we can get through. All right, here we go. 12. What is your favorite movie or book of all time? And why?

Heather Candy: So, I read a lot. I like to read, but I like to kind of read fantasy and science fiction. One of my favorite books though, I was an English major, I love The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison. That was really impactful. And you know, you can just read certain books that just sort of hit you in your soul. But then I have ridiculous fantasy stuff that I really enjoy to read. But if I were to pick a book that stood out, it's The Bluest Eye.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's really good.

Heather Candy: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's really good. And how old were you when you read that?

Heather Candy: College.

Japhet De Oliveira: College, okay. Wow.

Heather Candy: So whatever age that is.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, yeah. Hey, that's awesome. All right, I'll just continue going down then. So 13, what-

Heather Candy: I think my goal is to make all 100 within the timeframe that we have.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, seriously?

Heather Candy: Yeah. How many do you normally get through?

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, that's a good question. Somewhere around 20 or so.

Heather Candy: Yeah, all right.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. So we'll see. All right, here we go. 13. Walk us through the ideal end of your day.

Heather Candy: Just relaxing. Jump in the pool, hang out with the dogs. Just easy.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. You swim every day?

Heather Candy: I don't swim every day, but... You know.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay. Hey, that's good. That's good. All right, so outside of work, what do you enjoy doing?

Heather Candy: I read, I garden. I hike. I like the outdoors, so.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. Are you a hiker like into the mountains, or?

Heather Candy: Hiker like in the... I used to trail run. I don't do it so much anymore, but I love trail running.

Japhet De Oliveira: Mm-hmm. Good for you. All right, what's the one thing that you always misplace?

Heather Candy: Nothing. I know where all my stuff is.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay, that's good. That's good. All right, tell us about one of the places you've traveled and why you want to go back.

Heather Candy: My sister lives in Switzerland, so I travel there all the time. I call it my summer home. And when I grew up we lived in England, so I've kind of traveled around. I was an exchange student in Denmark, I've gone a lot to Europe because that's where my family is. And I should go other places more would be what...

I love the Grand Canyon. I did a rafting trip down the Grand Canyon, which was one of my bucket list things, and that was one of the most amazing experiences. And I'd like to do that again, just because it's just so spectacular.

Japhet De Oliveira: Do you speak a second language?

Heather Candy: I don't.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay, all right. So you just-

Heather Candy: No, she speaks five, so I figure-

Japhet De Oliveira: That's enough.

Heather Candy: ... she's got it covered. Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right. Hey, that's fair enough. All right, tell us about one of the places you traveled and why you want to go back.

Heather Candy: I did that one.

Japhet De Oliveira: Switzerland?

Heather Candy: Right.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right, okay. I guess so. All right, then share what day is the most special on the calendar and why?

Heather Candy: I don't really... I'm not that sentimental about days.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay, all right. That's fine, that's fine. If you had to eat just one meal for an entire month, what would you choose?

Heather Candy: Something Mexican. I love Mexican food.

Japhet De Oliveira: Really?

Heather Candy: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay, all right. All right, all right. And then exercise routine. What's your exercise routine?

Heather Candy: I do spin and then I go work out at the gym. And if I can, when I was trail running, I would usually trail run at least once a week, just because where I live I have to drive at least 45 minutes to get somewhere, to get to a good trail.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right, all right. If you had to rate something 10 out of 10, what would it be?

Heather Candy: I don't know, I don't have an answer for that.

Japhet De Oliveira: Well, that's okay.

Heather Candy: I mean, a beautiful day that has the perfect weather. That you get to spend with the people you care about the most.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right. Are you more-

Heather Candy: With a good meal.

Japhet De Oliveira: With a good meal. Are you more of a winter person or a summer person?

Heather Candy: I'm both. I like seasons.

Japhet De Oliveira: You like the seasons?

Heather Candy: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right, all right. Okay, here's an interesting one. Share the best compliment you've ever received.

Heather Candy: Best compliment? I have gotten feedback of things that I've said or done that has made an impression on someone, that they still will tell to this day. So those are good compliments that... In a positive way.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. It is nice to be able to be part of somebody else's life.

Heather Candy: Right.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. That's great.

Heather Candy: That you don't even know.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, yeah. No, that's great. If you could be anywhere right now, where would it be?

Heather Candy: I don't know, maybe visiting my sister. The house that she lives in in Switzerland is just such a stupidly beautiful place that, yeah, I love that place.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's awesome, that's fantastic. Switzerland is really beautiful.

Heather Candy: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's fantastic. All right, tell us about the most outdated piece of technology that you still regularly use and you can't let go of.

Heather Candy: I tend to be as much analog as I possibly can. So what I would say is the technology that I do have, I use it to the barest minimum. So I don't really know my phone, I can use it, just the most basic things, but I don't know how to do all the extra stuff.

Japhet De Oliveira: So do you use a record player for music?

Heather Candy: No. No, no, no. Not...

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay. All right, all right. No cassettes, no tape?

Heather Candy: No. I do have a couple cassette players that I still have that... But yeah, I'm not that in love with technology. I get it, but...

Japhet De Oliveira: That's okay. Tell us about a time you were over or underdressed for an occasion.

Heather Candy: I don't know if you can ever be overdressed. And underdressed, I went to a friend's house thinking it was just going to be a pool party and it was actually their... It was like a surprise they're getting married party. So I was in very pool attire, not that attire-

Japhet De Oliveira: Not engagement?

Heather Candy: Yeah, not engagement attire. So that was the most underdressed.

Japhet De Oliveira: Hey, that's good. That's really good. All right, share the most beautiful thing you've ever seen.

Heather Candy: I don't know, nature, just in general. How do you quantify that? There's many times that you can just see a place and just think, "Ah, god."

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, hat's true. That's true. All right, tell us about one thing that you love that most people do not.

Heather Candy: I need to stop repeating what you're saying.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's okay. No, it's good. It's a good way to process it.

Heather Candy: Ask it again. What was it?

Japhet De Oliveira: Tell us about one thing that you love that most people do not.

Heather Candy: The fair. I love the fair.

Japhet De Oliveira: Really?

Heather Candy: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: You mean like the fair in the town?

Heather Candy: State fair.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah.

Heather Candy: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: You're not worried about the Ferris wheel falling over or anything like that?

Heather Candy: No, I don't do that. No. The fair food, I love everything about the fair.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay. That is kind of crazy [inaudible 00:13:04].

Heather Candy: With a love, I love the fair.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, yeah?

Heather Candy: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's awesome. That's awesome. All right, bring us into your kitchen now. And for a special meal, what would you be making?

Heather Candy: I mean, I do love to cook, so I cook a lot. So anything that I'm cooking, I love doing. So it's also really meditative for me to cook. And I got a ton of cookbooks, I cook different things. I loved the pandemic for that, I just started cooking all sorts of things that I'd never cooked before, so Middle Eastern food, Asian food, so, yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, yeah. That's good, that's good. Do you experiment or you follow a menu?

Heather Candy: I do.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay.

Heather Candy: Oh, well, no, I'll follow a recipe, but if I've made it a few times then I can-

Japhet De Oliveira: You're like-

Heather Candy: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: You'll expand. All right, if you had to give an impromptu 30 minute presentation, what topic would it be?

Heather Candy: Employment law, that's easy.

Japhet De Oliveira: Employment law. Okay, sounds riveting.

Heather Candy: I can make it riveting.

Japhet De Oliveira: I think you could. All right, all right. Share three things that make you instantly happy.

Heather Candy: Instantly happy?

Japhet De Oliveira: Mm-hmm.

Heather Candy: A nap. I'll go back to nature again, I do love nature.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, that's good.

Heather Candy: And funny people, just being around my friends who are really witty and funny and...

Japhet De Oliveira: That's good.

Heather Candy: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. It does make a difference. I was just coming back from a meeting last night and had incredibly funny moment and, yeah, it makes a big difference. All right, tell us about someone you'd love to eat dinner with. The sky's the limit, anyone, past, present, future. Well, not future.

Heather Candy: I don't know, someone like Cleopatra or someone who was a ruler of... But a woman who just... So anyone like that.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's true, that's true. This is not one of the questions, but I'm going to ask it anyway. Have you seen the movie, Barbie?

Heather Candy: I haven't yet.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay. All right, all right.

Heather Candy: I probably won't see it in the theater, but I'll definitely see it.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. It's definitely worth it. All right, if you were featured on the local news, what would the news story likely be?

Heather Candy: Probably a witness of something, just happened to be there.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. That's good. All right. And what's the best gift you've ever given someone else?

Heather Candy: Oh, I give terrible gifts, I really do.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, no.

Heather Candy: Because I'm a practical person, so I always provide someone a practical gift. So don't ask me to... Oh no, I'm terrible. So I give money, that's my...

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. That's what-

Heather Candy: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: It's a good go-to. All right, tell us about a moment that a person's kindness made a huge difference in your life.

Heather Candy: I don't know if I can think of a particular person, but I remember I really got some great advice when I first started practicing law. And she was a female attorney and... And I've told this story before. But I was always really self-deprecating about my abilities, and I tend to be very sarcastic.

And so it was probably like my first year in practice, and we were talking about a case that I was working on and I was just being very self-deprecating. She just told me, "Don't you ever talk about yourself in that way. You've earned the position you are, you're a good attorney." And I just always carried that forward.

And so to me that was a kindness because she just gave me that advice that I held with me, especially as a female attorney. And there is nothing... No-one can intimidate me, because I just know that I've earned the place that I am, I'm good at my job and I have confidence in it. So that was the kindness.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. You know your job well.

Heather Candy: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's good. All right, that's great. All right, share a special interest or unique talent that you have.

Heather Candy: I have no unique talents. I really don't.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay.

Heather Candy: I don't. I mean, I do normal things that normal people do, so I wouldn't say... You know, I got-

Japhet De Oliveira: We'll have to meet some not so normal people, apparently.

Heather Candy: Yeah. I mean, I can keep all my houseplants alive, so I think that's a-

Japhet De Oliveira: That's good, that's good. I cannot. All right, that's good. All right. All right, then tell us about one thing you hope never changes.

Heather Candy: That the world doesn't burn up to a crisp, that the world can-

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, no kidding. Yeah, I hope so too.

Heather Candy: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right. What do you love most about your family?

Heather Candy: Just they're... I mean, they're family, right? So everyone is... They're good people, they're smart people, they are engaged in the world. They care about things, they care about each other. We all are really close. And they're also funny, we're all funny together. Again, that's important.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's really good. If you needed encouragement, then who would you call?

Heather Candy: I don't generally need encouragement.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay.

Heather Candy: I have a lot of self-confidence, so.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. Hey, that's good. That's good, that's good. All right, if you didn't need to sleep, what would you do with all the extra time?

Heather Candy: Probably the same stuff that I'm already doing. Probably putter around my house and garden more, I don't know. But I love sleeping, who doesn't want to sleep?

Japhet De Oliveira: That's true, sleep is good. All right then, here's an interesting question. Tell us about a time that you failed.

Heather Candy: I don't know if I can think of something like that, where I would feel failure, because I think everything's sort of a learning experience. In that, I mean, as a litigator or in your work, yeah, you didn't get the result that you wanted, but I would never attribute it to failing.

Japhet De Oliveira: So what would be an example of a moment where you learned something new?

Heather Candy: I think, to me, it's... I don't even know if I could identify a single thing. But I think as you grow and as you learn and as you get older, especially, I definitely see that me as a person has changed. And so I don't know if I could pinpoint one exact thing, but I just think-

Japhet De Oliveira: A bit cumulative?

Heather Candy: Yeah, yeah. I mean, for me it's just next thing I know, I'm like, "Oh, I used to be this and now I'm that. Okay, I like it."

Japhet De Oliveira: That's fair. That's fair. All right, here, tell us about the best gift that you've ever received. Since you don't like to give gifts, I would be interested to know.

Heather Candy: Well, and you're also asking me things that I... And I don't remember things, so that's another thing. That's why it's struggling, we keep saying a specific thing and I'm like, "I don't remember a lot of stuff."

I'm sure I have been... Yeah, I can't think of anything. My cousin, she's an artist and she's given me a bunch of her art, so.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, that's nice.

Heather Candy: Yeah. My aunt as well. So I've got really some nice art from my aunt and my cousin, so those are really nice.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, hey, that's fantastic.

Heather Candy: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right. What is something that you are proud to have created?

Heather Candy: I think my house and my living space and my... It's really-

Japhet De Oliveira: A lot of thought into it?

Heather Candy: Yeah. And I've been there for about 23 years and so it's just, it's very me.

Japhet De Oliveira: Hey, that's really good. That's really good. When people come to you for help, what are they usually asking for?

Heather Candy: Right. Advice.

Japhet De Oliveira: Advice, yeah. Yeah. You enjoy it?

Heather Candy: I do, I do. I'm a problem solver, I think. If there is a problem or an issue, my mind immediately goes to how do you solve it? How can we make it better? Even if something else comes up within that problem, I'll move on to that one as well. So, yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: You've already answered this one here about the best book you've ever read, so I'm going to skip that one. But you just met someone, right, someone new. What would you want them to know about you?

Heather Candy: That I'm direct. So that when I'm being direct they don't get freaked out by it.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right, that's good. What's your best personality trait?

Heather Candy: That I'm direct.

Japhet De Oliveira: That you're... All right. Fair enough.

Heather Candy: No, no, no, I-

Japhet De Oliveira: No, no, I like that. I love it.

Heather Candy: And I think my humor. I'm direct, I can think... Although if my friends ever heard this they would not agree, because I would describe myself as easygoing, they probably would not. But I feel like I'm pretty easygoing, but maybe others wouldn't.

Japhet De Oliveira: Well, it kind of depends on what is not easygoing, right?

Heather Candy: Mm-hmm.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. And how you define that. What are you currently learning about and why?

Heather Candy: I don't think I am learning about anything right now. But, I mean, you're always learning about things, right?

Japhet De Oliveira: You are, that's true.

Heather Candy: Just every-

Japhet De Oliveira: Not something specific?

Heather Candy: Not something... Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay, all right.

Heather Candy: So if I'm gardening, "Oh, should I be doing this better or that better?" So I just started growing potatoes and it's my favorite thing I've been-

Japhet De Oliveira: Really?

Heather Candy: Yeah, the last couple years. It's the best.

Japhet De Oliveira: Wow, okay.

Heather Candy: Can't recommend it enough, grow potatoes.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay, all right. I'll try. I'll try someday, we'll see. Share about who has influenced you professionally.

Heather Candy: The woman that I talked about, Noël Ferris, who unfortunately passed away from ALS several years ago. She was really just such a cool, tough, just smart and just... Yeah, she was really-

Japhet De Oliveira: Were you able to stay in contact with her, or?

Heather Candy: I would see her more professionally. I wasn't close with her, but just anytime I would see her, she-

Japhet De Oliveira: Did she ever know?

Heather Candy: Yeah. I actually was able to tell... I told her that story and how it-

Japhet De Oliveira: Really?

Heather Candy: And years later, maybe 15 years after. So yeah, I did. I actually was able to tell her that story. So, yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's really good.

Heather Candy: Mm-hmm.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's really good. All right, what motivates you?

Heather Candy: Doing the right thing.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah?

Heather Candy: Yeah. I have a pretty strong-

Japhet De Oliveira: Moral compass?

Heather Candy: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah.

Heather Candy: Integrity.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. Integrity is really pretty critical, yeah. All right, can you tell us about at least one important person in your life?

Heather Candy: I think my mom. And my father, when my father was alive. I mean, my parents are really just...

Japhet De Oliveira: What made your mom so unique?

Heather Candy: She's probably the nicest person you'll ever meet.

Japhet De Oliveira: Really?

Heather Candy: Yeah. She's just the most empathetic, the most generous. She's really smart. She speaks Russian, Italian. And yeah, she's just, she's great. And my dad was equally as... But he's his own unique, very eccentric person, so yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Mm-hmm. That's really beautiful. If your life were a book, what chapter would this be and what it would be called?

Heather Candy: The Good Years.

Japhet De Oliveira: The Good Years. I like that, I like that. All right, share something that frightens you.

Heather Candy: All right. So I think just existential-

Japhet De Oliveira: The fire?

Heather Candy: Yeah, the impending end of the world. But it does, I mean, I'm politically interested, I always have been. When I actually went to law school, I thought I'd go work for the legislature. So what's been happening in our country really-

Japhet De Oliveira: Globally.

Heather Candy: Globally, so... Yeah. Our slip into authoritarianism.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. No, it's true. It's true. And yeah, it's happening around the world.

Heather Candy: Right.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. It's interesting times. What's an activity that you just lose track of time?

Heather Candy: Reading, gardening. Cooking, I can do that for hours and hours and not... And then the next thing I know I've been at it for four hours.

Japhet De Oliveira: Cooking is really good, I'm with you on that.

Heather Candy: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, yeah. I'm just learning, so I'm with you on that. If you had to endorse a brand, what would it be? And why?

Heather Candy: Not really a brand person, but I do love my Jeep. But I need to stop loving my Jeep because also the end of the world. But if there was a brand that I... I always buy a Jeep, but I don't necessarily know if I'd necessarily endorse it. But, yeah, I'm not-

Japhet De Oliveira: I think that they have a hybrid one now as well.

Heather Candy: Yeah, I'm going to have to check that out. You made me feel better about it.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right. What is something small that you're really passionate about?

Heather Candy: That's small? I can't think of anything. Passion, yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay, all right. When in life have you felt most alone?

Heather Candy: I am a very self-sufficient person. And so I loved the pandemic, I loved being alone.

Japhet De Oliveira: Sorry, "I loved the pandemic." I don't know if that's the quote we...

Heather Candy: Yeah, maybe that sounds worse than it...

Japhet De Oliveira: No, I understand what you mean though.

Heather Candy: But yeah, I mean, I really did... I love that kind of quiet time that it created. I mean, obviously bad.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. No, I know. I understand.

Heather Candy: Obviously pandemic bad.

Japhet De Oliveira: I know.

Heather Candy: But for certain things I liked it, so. Loneliness is not a word that I would ever use to describe me.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, all right. Tell us about a time in your life where you felt like you needed incredible courage.

Heather Candy: Again, I think I have a healthy dose of self-confidence. So I think once I get into something, I'm usually pretty okay. But, I don't know, I've skied off the side of a mountain one time with a paraponting, so it's like with a parachute, that was you need a little bit of courage there.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. Mission Impossible.

Heather Candy: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: I with you. Okay, all right, all right. Hey, that's awesome. If you had to describe a sense of community, how would you do that? And what does it mean to you?

Heather Candy: A sense of... I don't know, I think kindness. I think to have a sense of community I think what's important, which I think that we're missing now, is kindness towards others. Because I think if you had kindness and empathy and acceptance of people around you, then that creates community. And when you don't...

Japhet De Oliveira: It's true. And actually, I mean, honestly, it can transform the world and can transform any kind of conversation we have.

Heather Candy: Right. I mean, it seems sort of trite and sort of cliche, but it really is the nicest people... You know whenever you interact with someone who is kind and who is kind to you, or even when... I think what people don't pay attention to, like when you are kind to someone and how that makes you feel. And then you may not even know how it makes them feel, but it doesn't even matter. So I think that it is transformative, but also slightly cliche.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. It's good, it's good. All right, tell us about a time in the past where you thought, "What was I thinking?"

Heather Candy: I mean, I had really bad fashion in the '80s, so...

Japhet De Oliveira: I'm trying to think of anybody who could say, "I had great fashion." Yeah, okay. No, that's fair. That's fair. All right, hey, look, we've got time for two more. You did not make it through all 100, but so we were-

Heather Candy: Give me 99 and 100.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay, all right. All right. Well, actually this is a really apropos for you then. 99. What is the most difficult truth that you ever told?

Heather Candy: I have to give so much advice all the time, so it's kind of hard to pinpoint anything. I mean, I know that's more work related, but I think for me it's sort of something that I do all the time and sometimes that can... how people take it, sometimes not well, because I'm the voice of the thing you don't want to hear. Because there's a problem and they're coming to me for the answer to the problem.

So I would say that I do that all the time. And maybe that's not exactly how the question is being asked, but that's sort of my reality, is I'm constantly having to-

Japhet De Oliveira: Have difficult conversations?

Heather Candy: Right, right.

Japhet De Oliveira: So if you were to help someone who is thinking of a career in this space, or actually just needs to have some difficult conversations with people, what would be your advice? Do you have any tips or techniques, or?

Heather Candy: No, I mean, I think you have to have the courage to tell the person, give the bad advice or the bad news. I don't know. And be able to... I think the other thing, especially in my position, is there's never a lot of times... I mean, yes, there can be a right or wrong answer, but there's always a spectrum of... So being able to give the options of...

And I think that's another thing that you have to, especially being a lawyer, is if you just were saying, "It's either yes or no," that's difficult for people, because the world is gray. So I think that it's the ability to not be entrenched in my own belief about something and be able to figure out, "Okay, well that's not the answer they don't... I mean, obviously they're not going to like the answer, but maybe there's a way that we can get there without..." So the compromise.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. That's fair, that's fair. All right, question 100.

Heather Candy: Okay.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right. Could you tell us about one question that you don't want to answer?

Heather Candy: All of them. I don't know, I'm a pretty honest person, so I think that if I'm asked a question... I think when we were talking about this, I don't generally like people asking me questions like this, so I think just in general the whole process was not my favorite.

Japhet De Oliveira: This is not your regular?

Heather Candy: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah.

Heather Candy: So although I think I'm an open book on the one hand, I don't like to actually talk about myself that much.

Japhet De Oliveira: No kidding.

Heather Candy: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: No kidding. But I appreciate that you were willing to do this though, right? Because there is this, obviously, you know, you have to deal with some of the most difficult and hard things all the time. And yet there is this softer side that actually is part of the same person that you are as well, which I think you're trying to share a little bit by being able to come on here and share a little bit about the staff.

Part of this question of 100, how do you marry those two things together?

Heather Candy: It's a struggle.

Japhet De Oliveira: Well, yeah.

Heather Candy: Well, I mean, you have to kind of work at it and you have to... I am also one of those people that if I don't want to do something, I will not do it. And everyone who knows me, it's like I like to go to bed early. So if I'm out doing something social and it's seven o'clock, I'm going to get up and leave. And so if I don't want to do something, I won't do it. So, yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Sure, sure. You have some strong routines, that help give you the stability to be able to be the force to be reckoned with. Is that fair?

Heather Candy: Yeah. I get a good eight hours sleep every night. So yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Hey, that is good. That is good. Well, Heather, it has been a privilege. Thank you so much for taking the time to share with us just a few of the stories and experiences that shaped your life into the leader that you are today and the inspiration you are to others as well.

If there was one thing that you wish, like others have done for you and spoken to your life, that you wish you could pass on to next generation or other leaders, thinking about, what would it be?

Heather Candy: I would say be encouraging and also be available to help that next generation come up. Be, I don't even necessarily know it's a mentor. But I know in my position now, I really try to encourage my folks if they want to progress in their career or...

And try to open those doors for them, because it's hard. I mean, a lot of people... Some people have it easy, some people have the connections, some people don't know how to get there. And don't be judgmental about folks, and if someone is expressing an interest in something, encourage it.

I mean, I think my dad always treated me as if I was just another person, not a girl, not a boy, not a... So I think that some, not some, I think a lot of my self-confidence comes from that because he never, "Oh, you can't do that, Heather," I never had that as a child. And that impacts people, and so to be encouraging and to say, "Absolutely..." I mean, sometimes people maybe aren't qualified or maybe really don't have it, but I think allow them to figure that out.

Japhet De Oliveira: That is wonderful. Heather, thank you so much again for being part of this. I want to encourage everybody who's listening to do the same thing. Sit down with a friend, hopefully have a cup of tea with them, and share through that and ask good questions, and listen and share good stories. And we will all be better for it. So God bless everybody. And until we have another episode, you take care.

Heather Candy: Thank you, Japhet. Appreciate it.

Narrator: Thank you for joining us for The Story & Experience Podcast. We invite you to read, watch, and submit your story and experience at AdventisHealth.org/story. The Story & Experience Podcast was brought to you by Adventist Health through the Office of Culture.