“There’s something about turning 40 that makes women want to make a change,” says Candice White Parker, founder of Yes For Wellness. You’re busy with work, kids, and other responsibilities, and you stop taking care of yourself. Your health starts to change, and maybe you don’t bounce back as quickly as you once did. “It just hits you in the face,” says White-Parker. “When you’re busy, you don’t have time to think about yourself as much because you have things to do.”
While some people manage their health and wellness on their own, she understands that others may be more successful when they have support. Whether it’s guidance or accountability, she’s there to help them on their journey. “Some ladies are very brave and they manage to do that by themselves,” says White-Parker. “And I admire them so much because I couldn’t myself. It’s great to have a support system like a coach or friends to rely on.”
That was certainly her experience. It was her journey with health and wellness that pushed her to start Yes For Wellness. “When I turned 40, I had health issues and stuff I wasn’t happy with. And you’re thinking either I do something for myself right now, or I’m going to age really badly,” she says. Women who want to improve their health and don’t know where to start are White-Parker’s ideal clients. The goal of her holistic wellness program is to help “put you back together.”– focusing on mobility, flexibility, nutrition, and emotional wellness.
Before coming to America, White-Parker worked as a physical therapist and manipulative osteopath for 15 years in France. When she came to the U.S., she worked in retail and didn’t feel the same passion she did working in the medical field. Now, helping people achieve wellness as a coach gives her a similar purpose. Her favorite part about running Yes For Wellness is helping people. She feels a sense of fulfillment when a client improves their lives in a meaningful way with her help. “It’s my purpose. It just gives me joy to give advice to people,” she says.
White-Parker learned a lot about running a business since starting Yes For Wellness. One of her best lessons was to plan and set achievable goals. “Sometimes you think that it’s going to be easy and things are going to happen overnight, and that’s something you must kill in your head,” she says. “We would all love to have everything done in two months and then have a successful, thriving business, but it doesn’t work like that.”
Much like other businesses in the pandemic, her business had to adapt. Offering virtual sessions was one of the changes she made to adjust to the new normal. While the pandemic challenged plenty of businesses, she saw it as a time to make positive changes in her business. “I suddenly had time to sit down and look at all the things I could do for my business, like joining IAW and being part of the leadership team. I don’t know if I would have had the time otherwise,” says White-Parker.
Her purpose for working with women doesn’t end with her business. As a member of the IAW leadership team, she gives back to other women starting businesses like herself. Being able to impart the knowledge and support she received has been fulfilling. “I got so much support, especially during the confinement months, and so many tips and ways to launch my business. It went beyond my expectations.” And although running a business can be challenging at times, having a purpose-driven business and a community other women who support her has made it easier.
