❤️🩹 My heart is heavy for our city – for so many friends who have lost their homes, for those who are unsure if their homes remain, and for the utter devastation to our community. I’m full of gratitude and in awe of our first responders. 🙏🏻 Thank you everyone who has expressed their concerns – My family and I are safe! In times like these when we all feel helpless, lean into doing whatever you can. At @pizzana, we are going to donate profits from all LA stores on Saturday and Sunday to the @cafirefound. And there are so many amazing organizations that need funds – If you’d like to help, I’ve collected some donation links and aid resources in my bio. 🔗
Safe to say we accomplished a lot in 2024 💪🍕 #pizzana #2024 #entrepreneur #candacenelson #pizzalover #pizzanalove
Safe to say we accomplished a lot in 2024 💪🍕 #pizzana #2024 #entrepreneur #candacenelson #pizzalover #pizzanalove
Safe to say we accomplished a lot in 2024 💪🍕 #pizzana #2024 #entrepreneur #candacenelson #pizzalover #pizzanalove
Safe to say we accomplished a lot in 2024 💪🍕 #pizzana #2024 #entrepreneur #candacenelson #pizzalover #pizzanalove
Safe to say we accomplished a lot in 2024 💪🍕 #pizzana #2024 #entrepreneur #candacenelson #pizzalover #pizzanalove
Safe to say we accomplished a lot in 2024 💪🍕 #pizzana #2024 #entrepreneur #candacenelson #pizzalover #pizzanalove
Safe to say we accomplished a lot in 2024 💪🍕 #pizzana #2024 #entrepreneur #candacenelson #pizzalover #pizzanalove
Safe to say we accomplished a lot in 2024 💪🍕 #pizzana #2024 #entrepreneur #candacenelson #pizzalover #pizzanalove
At age 25, I thought my career was over. I had done everything I thought I was supposed to do: I went to college, chose a lucrative career path, and landed prestigious investment banking and then tech jobs. Even though I wasn’t passionate about these jobs, at least it was a stable path. Or at least, I thought it was stable. Turns out, that wasn’t the case—I got laid off. BUT here’s the deal about “reinventing yourself”… 👇🏻 ✨ Vera Wang decided to become a designer at age 40. ✨ Arianna Huffington founded The Huffington Post at age 55. ✨ Suzanne Collins was 46 years old when The Hunger Games came out. ✨ Martha Stewart published her first hosting book at age 41. Whether you’re fresh out of college or 60 years old, you can ALWAYS change your path in life. After being laid off, I picked up an old passion and started baking again. Eventually, I thought, “Why not?” and went to pastry school. After that, I continued to pursue my passion and opened the world’s first-ever cupcake bakery, @sprinklescupcakes. And it didn’t stop there! I became a NYT and WSJ bestselling author, starred on Cupcake Wars, produced Netflix’s Sugar Rush, invested in businesses as a Guest Shark on Shark Tank, and inspired entrepreneurs on stages across the country. My journey took yet ANOTHER twist as I went all-in on @pizzana, my modern Neapolitan pizza concept! 🍕 The moral of the story is 👇🏻 Unexpected challenges won’t kill you (or your career). In fact, they may be the very thing that push you to become a new version of yourself! Your story is never set in stone—you have the power to change it at ANY TIME. Who agrees with me? Share your story with me in the comments! #passionpreneur #candacenelson #sharktank #sharktankabc #abcsharktank #sprinklescupcakes #pizzana #sprinkles #womenentrepreneurship #entrepreneurjourney #entrepreneurinspo
It’s cuter and tastier over here anyways 🤷🏼♀️🥂 I teamed up with @ruffinmitchener, founder of @brydgeclub to host this incredible Female Founder and Funder dinner at @pizzana. 🍕 @brydgeclub is a community bridging the gap between female founders and women in venture capital… a whopping $1.7 TRILLION funding gap!!!💸 We gathered to eat, drink, talk business, and remind ourselves of the power of community and collaboration. 💫 Remember – If you’re not invited to take a seat at someone else’s table, build your own. (Or in our case, create your own networking events and funding opportunities!) Thank you to our sponsors @hsbc, @dlapiper, and @escalon.services 🙌🏻 #femalefoundersunite #femalefunders #candacenelson #womenentrepreneurship #womensnetworking #womenbusinessleaders
It’s not safe to hide anymore… 👀 Hiding behind your brand might feel safe, but in 2025, your personal brand is your BIGGEST asset. The most successful founders/entrepreneurs/side hustlers aren’t just running companies – they’re leading conversations. If you’re ready to do the same, I’ve got something for you… ✨ Introducing the FIND YOUR SWEET SPOT ONLINE Challenge! ✨ Starting on March 3rd, I’ll be sharing weekly content prompts to help you build YOUR personal brand. Don’t worry, you won’t be alone. I, along with a community of like-minded entrepreneurs, will be right there with you, cheering each other on every step of the way! 👏🏻🥰 Are you ready to join the challenge? 💌 Comment “SWEET SPOT” to join my newsletter and get all the challenge details. 📲 Follow me to see weekly prompts in your feed. This is your moment to step up, be seen, and build a brand that opens doors. Who’s in? 🩷👇🏼 #SweetSpotChallenge #personalbrandingexpert #candacenelson #sprinkles #sharktank #pizzana #buildyourpersonalbrand #brandbuilder
It’s not safe to hide anymore… 👀 Hiding behind your brand might feel safe, but in 2025, your personal brand is your BIGGEST asset. The most successful founders/entrepreneurs/side hustlers aren’t just running companies – they’re leading conversations. If you’re ready to do the same, I’ve got something for you… ✨ Introducing the FIND YOUR SWEET SPOT ONLINE Challenge! ✨ Starting on March 3rd, I’ll be sharing weekly content prompts to help you build YOUR personal brand. Don’t worry, you won’t be alone. I, along with a community of like-minded entrepreneurs, will be right there with you, cheering each other on every step of the way! 👏🏻🥰 Are you ready to join the challenge? 💌 Comment “SWEET SPOT” to join my newsletter and get all the challenge details. 📲 Follow me to see weekly prompts in your feed. This is your moment to step up, be seen, and build a brand that opens doors. Who’s in? 🩷👇🏼 #SweetSpotChallenge #personalbrandingexpert #candacenelson #sprinkles #sharktank #pizzana #buildyourpersonalbrand #brandbuilder
It’s not safe to hide anymore… 👀 Hiding behind your brand might feel safe, but in 2025, your personal brand is your BIGGEST asset. The most successful founders/entrepreneurs/side hustlers aren’t just running companies – they’re leading conversations. If you’re ready to do the same, I’ve got something for you… ✨ Introducing the FIND YOUR SWEET SPOT ONLINE Challenge! ✨ Starting on March 3rd, I’ll be sharing weekly content prompts to help you build YOUR personal brand. Don’t worry, you won’t be alone. I, along with a community of like-minded entrepreneurs, will be right there with you, cheering each other on every step of the way! 👏🏻🥰 Are you ready to join the challenge? 💌 Comment “SWEET SPOT” to join my newsletter and get all the challenge details. 📲 Follow me to see weekly prompts in your feed. This is your moment to step up, be seen, and build a brand that opens doors. Who’s in? 🩷👇🏼 #SweetSpotChallenge #personalbrandingexpert #candacenelson #sprinkles #sharktank #pizzana #buildyourpersonalbrand #brandbuilder
It’s not safe to hide anymore… 👀 Hiding behind your brand might feel safe, but in 2025, your personal brand is your BIGGEST asset. The most successful founders/entrepreneurs/side hustlers aren’t just running companies – they’re leading conversations. If you’re ready to do the same, I’ve got something for you… ✨ Introducing the FIND YOUR SWEET SPOT ONLINE Challenge! ✨ Starting on March 3rd, I’ll be sharing weekly content prompts to help you build YOUR personal brand. Don’t worry, you won’t be alone. I, along with a community of like-minded entrepreneurs, will be right there with you, cheering each other on every step of the way! 👏🏻🥰 Are you ready to join the challenge? 💌 Comment “SWEET SPOT” to join my newsletter and get all the challenge details. 📲 Follow me to see weekly prompts in your feed. This is your moment to step up, be seen, and build a brand that opens doors. Who’s in? 🩷👇🏼 #SweetSpotChallenge #personalbrandingexpert #candacenelson #sprinkles #sharktank #pizzana #buildyourpersonalbrand #brandbuilder
It’s not safe to hide anymore… 👀 Hiding behind your brand might feel safe, but in 2025, your personal brand is your BIGGEST asset. The most successful founders/entrepreneurs/side hustlers aren’t just running companies – they’re leading conversations. If you’re ready to do the same, I’ve got something for you… ✨ Introducing the FIND YOUR SWEET SPOT ONLINE Challenge! ✨ Starting on March 3rd, I’ll be sharing weekly content prompts to help you build YOUR personal brand. Don’t worry, you won’t be alone. I, along with a community of like-minded entrepreneurs, will be right there with you, cheering each other on every step of the way! 👏🏻🥰 Are you ready to join the challenge? 💌 Comment “SWEET SPOT” to join my newsletter and get all the challenge details. 📲 Follow me to see weekly prompts in your feed. This is your moment to step up, be seen, and build a brand that opens doors. Who’s in? 🩷👇🏼 #SweetSpotChallenge #personalbrandingexpert #candacenelson #sprinkles #sharktank #pizzana #buildyourpersonalbrand #brandbuilder
It’s not safe to hide anymore… 👀 Hiding behind your brand might feel safe, but in 2025, your personal brand is your BIGGEST asset. The most successful founders/entrepreneurs/side hustlers aren’t just running companies – they’re leading conversations. If you’re ready to do the same, I’ve got something for you… ✨ Introducing the FIND YOUR SWEET SPOT ONLINE Challenge! ✨ Starting on March 3rd, I’ll be sharing weekly content prompts to help you build YOUR personal brand. Don’t worry, you won’t be alone. I, along with a community of like-minded entrepreneurs, will be right there with you, cheering each other on every step of the way! 👏🏻🥰 Are you ready to join the challenge? 💌 Comment “SWEET SPOT” to join my newsletter and get all the challenge details. 📲 Follow me to see weekly prompts in your feed. This is your moment to step up, be seen, and build a brand that opens doors. Who’s in? 🩷👇🏼 #SweetSpotChallenge #personalbrandingexpert #candacenelson #sprinkles #sharktank #pizzana #buildyourpersonalbrand #brandbuilder
It’s not safe to hide anymore… 👀 Hiding behind your brand might feel safe, but in 2025, your personal brand is your BIGGEST asset. The most successful founders/entrepreneurs/side hustlers aren’t just running companies – they’re leading conversations. If you’re ready to do the same, I’ve got something for you… ✨ Introducing the FIND YOUR SWEET SPOT ONLINE Challenge! ✨ Starting on March 3rd, I’ll be sharing weekly content prompts to help you build YOUR personal brand. Don’t worry, you won’t be alone. I, along with a community of like-minded entrepreneurs, will be right there with you, cheering each other on every step of the way! 👏🏻🥰 Are you ready to join the challenge? 💌 Comment “SWEET SPOT” to join my newsletter and get all the challenge details. 📲 Follow me to see weekly prompts in your feed. This is your moment to step up, be seen, and build a brand that opens doors. Who’s in? 🩷👇🏼 #SweetSpotChallenge #personalbrandingexpert #candacenelson #sprinkles #sharktank #pizzana #buildyourpersonalbrand #brandbuilder
After selling Sprinkles Cupcakes, my career could have stalled. I mean, cupcakes were my ENTIRE identity. Here’s the secret behind how I was able to evolve my career… 👇🏻 I built my personal brand! 💫📲👏🏻 Because I let people get to know the face BEHIND the brand, I had an audience that was invested in ME – A businesswoman, a mentor, and a thought leader. (Not JUST “the cupcake lady” 🧁) Personal brands are essentially just your online reputation. Don’t you want to have control over that? 🤔 If so, you’re in luck! 🍀 I’m kicking off a personal branding challenge right here on Instagram (and LinkedIn!) to help founders, dreamers, creators, and aspiring professionals kickstart their personal brands! 👉🏻 Welcome to… the FIND YOUR SWEET SPOT ONLINE CHALLENGE. ❤️‼️ Starting next week on 3/3, I’ll share weekly content prompts to help you level-up your personal brand and find your unique space on social media. If you’re ready to attract new opportunities and become a thought leader in your industry, this challenge is for YOU! Comment “SWEET SPOT” to sign up for my newsletter, where I’ll be sharing challenge details, and follow along online with #SweetSpotChallenge! Let’s do this 🔥 #candacenelson #sprinklescupcakes #sprinkles #pizzana #sharktankabc #abcsharktank #founderjourney #personalbrandbuilding #buildyourbrand
#ad Scaling your side hustle? 🚀 Don’t let bad advice hold you back. I’ve heard *all* the bad business advice but check out what actually worked for me. Click the link in my bio to read my article on Hiscox.com/blog and discover the resources that can help take your business to the next level. 🚀 #HiscoxPartner #SmallBusiness
Most people aren’t going to connect with your business… They’re going to connect with YOU. 👀 Sharing your story online isn’t just about visibility – it’s about: ✅ Building trust & credibility without having to spell it out ✅ Attracting opportunities beyond your business ✅ Turning followers into loyal fans & customers EVERY SINGLE TIME I share my story – whether in a reel, on stage, or in a post, I see: 🔥 More engagement 📈 Higher reach 🫱🏽🫲🏼 Growing trust and connection The best part? I don’t have to “sell” myself – my story does it for me! Your story isn’t just background noise – it’s what makes you memorable. It’s what turns followers into fans and opportunities into reality. And if you’re not sharing it? You’re leaving a HUGE part of your brand (and potential growth) on the table. 💥 So here’s your sign: Tell your story. And then tell it again. The right people will always be listening. Week 1 of the #SweetSpotChallenge is here! 🚀 ⭐️ This week’s prompt is: Share an introduction video that tells your story! Record yourself sharing your founder story or edit a video that visually takes the audience through your journey. How do you join the challenge? 💌 Sign up to my newsletter for weekly prompts straight to your inbox each week! 📲 Follow me for weekly prompts in your feed. 📢 Use #SweetSpotChallenge so I can find & share your posts! It’s time to step into the spotlight and tell your story! Who’s in? 🩷👇🏻 #SweetSpotChallenge
Fun fact: Those Girl Scout cookies you can’t resist? They’re actually powering the world’s largest girl-led business empire! 🍪 Beyond honored to speak at Western OK’s biggest Girl Scout fundraiser, where they’re breaking down barriers and building up future CEOs 💪🏻 The best part? These young leaders aren’t just learning about STEAM and success – they’re learning how to fail forward (my favorite lesson!) in the most supportive squad ever ✨ And since we’re talking fails… who else remembers that wild Cupcake Wars episode where someone thought adding BEER to a Girl Scout-inspired cupcake was the move? 🤦🏼♀️ (Spoiler: It wasn’t!) What’s your favorite Girl Scout cookie? (mine’s Thin Mint) #GirlScouts #FutureLeaders #CupcakeWars #STEAMEducation #WomenInLeadership
Fun fact: Those Girl Scout cookies you can’t resist? They’re actually powering the world’s largest girl-led business empire! 🍪 Beyond honored to speak at Western OK’s biggest Girl Scout fundraiser, where they’re breaking down barriers and building up future CEOs 💪🏻 The best part? These young leaders aren’t just learning about STEAM and success – they’re learning how to fail forward (my favorite lesson!) in the most supportive squad ever ✨ And since we’re talking fails… who else remembers that wild Cupcake Wars episode where someone thought adding BEER to a Girl Scout-inspired cupcake was the move? 🤦🏼♀️ (Spoiler: It wasn’t!) What’s your favorite Girl Scout cookie? (mine’s Thin Mint) #GirlScouts #FutureLeaders #CupcakeWars #STEAMEducation #WomenInLeadership
THANK YOU to our brave firefighters battling the LA fires! ❤️ And a special thanks to my incredible @pizzana team who’ve been nourishing these heroes all week. In times of crisis, even small acts of kindness create ripples of hope. Whether it’s volunteering time, sharing resources, or simply checking on a neighbor – every gesture matters. Want to help? Check my latest Substack (link in bio) for ways to support our community through donations and volunteering. #lastrong #lafirefighters #wildfirerelief #firstresponders
