Brook Candland : Podcast Interview w/ Kaelynn
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​[00:00:00]
@brook.candland: I had a text from my bishop.
And he said, "Can I come visit you tonight?" And I was like, "Sure." I was the greeter at the chapel doors at the time. And he came over, and he started talking to me, and we chatted a little bit, and he extended the call to be a Relief Society president And he said, "Did you know this was coming?" And I said, "No.
No, I'm like chopping other warts. I'm kind of..." And we laughed, and he said, "Also, I've heard that you want to serve Diet Coke in Relief Society." I said, "Oh, yeah, I do." And he said, "I will buy a mini fridge for your Relief Society if that's what you want."
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Kaelynn Priest: A few weeks ago, I saw a reel floating around about Diet Cokes being handed out in Relief Society. And at first I laughed 'cause I thought, "That's hilarious. That's actually so funny," 'cause I thought it was a joke. And then I realized, "Oh, [00:01:00] this is serious." And then I realized, "Wait, why haven't we been doing this in my ward?
I wanna have a Diet Coke in Relief Society." And so in the craziest, weirdest, funniest way, I ended up being connected with the creator of one of these reels, Brooke Candlin, who also happens to be an amazing realtor in Arizona. So I invited her to come on the show. I wanted to hear first her backstory about becoming a realtor and how her realtor, her experience as a realtor has been impacted by her faith.
She tells the amazing story of being a empty nester mom and becoming a realtor pretty much overnight, which is so cool. She's one of those people who does the thing that God asks her to do, and she does it quickly. And then we talked about Diet Coke in Relief Society, which goes so much deeper than it sounds on the surface.
Brooke's testimony of Relief Society seriously almost knocked me over, and [00:02:00] showed me some ways that I can strengthen my testimony of Relief Society. You may have been feeling the way that a lot of us have been feeling about Relief Society, which is maybe feeling a little bit disconnected, maybe feeling a little bit lonely or lost or unsure about what it looks like for you to participate in the largest women's organization in the world, as Brooke and I refer to it on multiple occasions.
So you're really gonna want to make sure to not miss this episode. And I also asked Brooke for some of her tips and logistically what she's doing to make this work, handing out Diet Coke and treats every single Sunday, except for fast Sunday, in her ward, and what she's found makes this work really well and what kind of limitations and, um, focuses that she's made sure that it still retains the focus of bringing souls to Christ and help strengthen the unity inside her ward.
And to be honest, I just left this conversation feeling completely inspired [00:03:00] about my role inside the Relief Society organization, and I hope that you feel the same way, too. Here's Brooke
But before we get into the good stuff, tell me your backstory. How did you get into real estate? What landed you in Arizona? Catch us up to speed
@brook.candland: Yes, for sure. So I am a seventh Arizona native. I'm a seventh generation Arizona native. I've lived here my whole life, with the exception of going to college and business school with my husband, where we lived in South Side Chicago and got an MBA at the Mas- at the University of Chicago. So we lived out there for two years, then we came back to Arizona, and our family has a restaurant.
And David ran the restaurants, and yeah, and is also working now as a fractional CFO.
Uh, we have five children, and they are all grown and have left the house as of recently. This last summer, our youngest went to college. [00:04:00] And I don't know, a couple of years ago, I just kind of saw this coming on the horizon, and I've always enjoyed having, like, a part-time something.
I was a part-time volunteer for the cheer team at Mountain View High School. My daughter was a cheerleader there. So I was, like, a cheer mom, and I would go help at practices and games and do that. And I was like, "Oh, I, I really like having a little part-time something." And I've also been, like, a group fitness instructor and, like, a personal trainer, and just kind of had some p- my...
just some part-time things. And then I be- just after cheer team volunteering, I was like, "I wanna be a seminary teacher." So I worked part-time as a seminary teacher at all the high schools around, and that was really fun 'cause my son was also at Mountain View, and I got to be his teacher, which I think was probably embarrassing for him, but I really loved it.
And we did fun classes. I- it was when we were studying church history, and I was like, "Do we wanna study, like, doctrine covenants today, [00:05:00] or do you wanna have a dating class?" And it was like, "Dating class." I'm like, "Yes, okay." So then after that I really wanted to do something just a little bit, like, meatier.
You know, like, not that teaching seminary's not meaty, but I think I wanted a little more... I knew I wasn't gonna do that, like, for a very long time, so I did seminary teaching for a year, and then I just decided, I, I think I wanna work, and like really get a job and, and go to work. And so, I had a prompting at that point, and it was the Holy Ghost, like, gave me two names.
I said a prayer and was like, "Heavenly Father, I wanna work," and two names came to my mind. And I was like, "Okay, I'm gonna call each of those people." And one of them was my girlfriend that lives down the street. We've been friends for 20 years, and she works. And I was like, "Okay, I'll call her. It's gonna be random, but I'll call her."
And the other one was my second daughter Lily Jane Candlin Craig. And so, I didn't say anything to anybody, and I decided I was gonna call my friend, Lachelle. [00:06:00] So I called her up, and I was like, "Lachelle, it's Brooke Candlin. I know this is so random, but I wanna work, and so I'm just, I'm calling you."
And she's like, "Okay, well, my company is not hiring, but I will be thinking of something for you." And I was like, "Great, you're... I have no expectations for your company to hire." Also, it took me a lot of courage to call her, like randomly out of the blue, and be like, "I wanna work." Like, who does that? Nobody. So, she said, "But I will be thinking."
And I said, "Okay, great." And then I was so nervous, and then I had to sit in that for just a minute 'cause I had to regain courage to, like, call my kid. But before I did, Lachelle called me back, and she said "I have an idea for you." And I said, "Okay. She had two ideas. She said, "I want you to go apply at Anthropology.
My friend is a manager there, and I think you'd be amazing at, m- amazing there." And I was like, "Okay." She goes, "And the second thing is, I think you should be a real estate agent." And I was like, "You think I could sell a house, Lachelle?" And she's like, "Oh, [00:07:00] yeah. I have friends that do it all the time, and they make a ton of money."
And I was like, "Okay, okay. I'll be thinking about that." She's like, "Great." So I called my daughter, Lily, and I was like, "Lily, I wanna work, and I'm just calling you to let you know that." And she's like, "Okay. Well, I think you should work at Anthropology. I think you should work there and you should work with me."
She worked there at the time. And I go, "Would that be so embarrassing if you worked with your mom?" She's like, "No, not at all." And I'm like, "Okay." And she's like, "And you'd be great." I'm like, "Okay. All right." I go, "I'm gonna think about that." She said, "Okay." So I got off the phone and then she called me back and she said, "I just told Nate," my husband, "that you called and you're looking for work, and he said he thinks you should be a real estate agent."
What in the world?
Kaelynn Priest: random.
@brook.candland: So random. So that's what I did. So I was prayerful about those things and signed up for school, and I went to s- oh, I went to [00:08:00] Anthropology. I got hired on the spot. I was a stylist there.
Kaelynn Priest: So fun
@brook.candland: that is the, that, that was the most amazing job in the world. Also, like, when it's payday, I'm, like, cutting them a check because,
Kaelynn Priest: For sure. For sure.
@brook.candland: So I went to school. I got up early in the morning and I did my classes. I had two kids at home at the time. And then took my school test, and then I studied for my boards. I passed the first time, and then I had a job interview that same day. I finished my boards at 3:00 and I had a job interview at 4:00 to be a realtor, and I got the job.
And so that's how I got started. So I'm in, I'm beginning my fourth year in real estate as a real estate agent, and I really, really enjoy it. Love working with people, love helping dreams come true, love being a whole part of that process. It's been so amazing.
Kaelynn Priest: It seems like the, like all the things kind of blend together for you. Your amazing d- taste in like what [00:09:00] looks beautiful visually, clothes-wise, anthropology, in a home. Like your taste, it's like the two are kind of gifts of yours. So it makes sense to me why it's like this path worked out beautifully and you're still loving it. Do you feel like... Did you feel any hesitation or I guess imposter syndrome is what's coming to my mind
about being a real estate agent in the, in the beginning, or were you like, got this"?
@brook.candland: Well, thank you for those nice words about my, my taste and everything. I appreciate that. Absolutely. When I started, I worked for a builder, a home builder. So I sat in a model home, and I sold his inventory. That world is, was completely foreign to me. I've never lived in a new construction home. I didn't know anything about new construction homes.
That world has its own vocabulary. It has its own [00:10:00] timetable. It has its own there's contractors, there's construction. I mean, it's just multiple worlds that collide. There's interior design elements. There are city codes and zoning. There are clients that come in that are building a house.
You're working, like, in marriages, right? I didn't know anything about anything, and I remember talking to s- some of the first people that came into my home, and I had a script. And I would say the script, and I was like, "I don't know what I'm talking about. These people, it's like I feel like they believe me, and I don't know, I don't know any-" So I did feel very insecure.
I felt totally out of place. I felt like a fish out of water. I felt like, "What am I doing?" And also, I was really committed to doing my very best work and helping people. Like, you walk through model homes with people. Like, you start [00:11:00] conversations with strangers all day, every day. They literally walk into your model home, and you have to start talking.
And I am very secure in my people skills and my abilities to talk with people, but when they would say to me, like, "So is this construction a two by two, or is it, like, two by four?" Okay, what are you talking about? It's just a house, guys, that's beautiful and built for you, you know? So, I would be like, "You know, let me go work on that," and then I'd be, like, texting my my director, like, my guy, and be like, "What is happening?
Like, what is this construction?" And they would tell me. But I slowly learned over time everything about new construction, and it is a fascinating, wonderful process. So I stayed in that job for one year and felt like there was something more for me. And so, and I had so many tender mercies in that one year.
I worked an hour away. I commuted literally an hour away [00:12:00] in a town called Buckeye in Verrado. I loved it there. It was beautiful. And a side note, I drove an Escalade at the time, a big old fat Escalade that was, like, $100 for gas, okay? And it was, like, my pretty mom car, and I had to fill it with gas about every four days.
And I remember saying to my husband, David, "I gotta get a Prius. I don't wanna drive a Prius, but this is ridiculous. I cannot drive this big, fat Escalade out there." And he came home from work the next day, and he said, "I found you a Prius." And I said, "What are you talking about?" And he said "Our friend has an extra Prius at his business, and he said we could just have it."
And I drove that thing. It had 320,000 miles on it, and I drove that thing back and forth. It was amazing. It was amazing. So I got to have a Prius. But the Lord gave me that. He just literally just was like, "Here's a Prius for you." So I had a lot of tender mercies, a lot of really spiritual experiences out there letting me know that was the right place for me to be at that [00:13:00] time, even though I knew it was a temporary...
get your feet wet, learn some business, get some real estate under your belt, and then you're gonna go hit the big market, and that's what I did.
Kaelynn Priest: I love that. How has it been transitioning? 'Cause y-
@brook.candland: Mm-hmm.
Kaelynn Priest: you basically turned into your own entrepreneur at that point, right? It's like you
@brook.candland: Mhm
Kaelynn Priest: your own leads, you were doing your
@brook.candland: Yes.
Kaelynn Priest: Yeah.
@brook.candland: Yes.
Kaelynn Priest: me through how that's
@brook.candland: Yes. So after I decided to... It was time for something different, I had sold... There were 21 homes in that neighborhood and I'd sold 18, so, the inventory was kind of all gone, and I was like, "I did not get my real estate license to work 50 hours a week, you know, an hour away."
Kaelynn Priest: Yep
@brook.candland: . my thing is, like, I wanna work part-time. And there was there's a realtor that lives by me, she's one of my besties, and she has a whole business that's, like, real t- be a real estate agent part-time. But I was like, "I need to go work for a really great brokerage and learn the business before I join her brokerage."
Her brokerage [00:14:00] is eXp Realty. It's a cl- iCloud business, so there isn't, like, an office that you go into and get training. You can get training on the web. Like, they have, you know, their university, you can do all that. But I was like, "All the best agents I met in my model home were Keller Williams, so I'm gonna go to Keller Williams, I'm gonna get all the training, I'm gonna do all the things."
I put in my two weeks notice at the model home, and my last day was gonna be, like, Wednesday. And one Monday afternoon, I was getting my nails done because, yes, girl. And I was getting my nails done and my friend walked in, my realtor friend, and she was like, "Brooke, how are you? How's it going? How's it going in Verrado?
Like, tell me all the things." I was like, "Well, I'm actually... I put in my two weeks notice. My last day is Wednesday, and I'm gonna go..." And she's like, "Okay, what are you gonna do after that?" I said, "I'm gonna... I have an interview on Friday at Keller Williams, and I'm probably gonna sign up with them and get all the training and learn how to be, like, a resale real estate agent."
There's you work for home [00:15:00] builders, which is like you're a new construction agent, or you work in what's called resale, which is just regular agent. It's just nobody really calls it resale unless you're, like, new construction. Right. "So I'm just gonna go be, like, a regular agent." And she's like, "Why would you do that?
Just come work for me." And I go, "Well, I want to, I just don't think I know anything about real estate." She goes, "Stop it. Everything you need to be a successful realtor you already have. You have the people skills, you have the drive. You have everything you need, and I will teach you everything else that you need to learn.
Let's go to lunch." She's like, "When's your last day?" I'm like, "In 48 hours." She goes, "Let's go to lunch on Thursday." We go to lunch on Thursday. Now, I have this Keller Williams appointment for Friday. We go to lunch on Thursday. We go over the contract, the ideas, all the things. She's gonna mentor me, blah, blah, blah.
I'm thrilled because she's fabulous and she's my friend. And anyway, so I was like, "All right." I go, "It's fast Sunday coming up. I'm gonna fast and [00:16:00] pray about it, and then we'll talk Sunday night." She's like, "Okay." So I called Keller Williams and I just postponed that And on Sunday I was fasting and praying about it, and she called me and she said Sat- Sunday afternoon, "I ha-" She said, "I just wanna call and let you know I have a house, I have a client for us.
They wanna sell their home right here in our neighborhood, and then they wanna buy a new home. And the new home they wanna buy is a Capital West Homes out in Eastmark. Do you wanna do the deal with me?" Now, Capital West Homes was the builder that I had worked for in Verrado.
Kaelynn Priest: Oh, no kidding
@brook.candland: And they had a neighborhood out in East Mesa, and she said, "They wanna sell this home, and then they wanna go buy a Capital West Homes out in Eastmark.
Do you wanna do the deal with me?" And I said, "Signed."
Kaelynn Priest: Hard to
@brook.candland: I signed the deal, and the very first home I ever sold in resale was a [00:17:00] Capital West Home. And on that closing day I had a home in Verrado, m- my last home in Verrado. I closed on the last home in Verrado as the buyer, as the builder's agent, and closed on a resale house as the buyer's agent on the same day for the same builder.
You cannot tell me that is not a sign from God. And I have not looked back. And I signed with her, and I've been with her for three years. So it's been great. Loved it. I've loved it.
Kaelynn Priest: that?
@brook.candland: It's amazing. And I was talking to the own- the builder and I'm like, "Can you even believe this is this is amazing. You brought us a buyer, like you just closed a house out in Verrado."
Like it was so fun. So fun. And of all the homes, like literally all the homes... There were like 19,000 something homes on the market at the time. I looked it up. And they literally chose my builder to move into. They're like, "There's no other home we want." And it was the biggest, best [00:18:00] floor plan that builder had.
And I went over there and I walked in the door. I knew the whole floor plan. I knew everything about the home. I knew how to, where to turn left. We have our beautiful en suite over here. We have our 12-foot ceilings. You've got your new AC. Like the whole thing. So fun. They bought it.
Kaelynn Priest: cool
@brook.candland: It was great. It was really great.
So
Kaelynn Priest: I really love about you is how seamlessly you blend together your work life and your spiritual life. I didn't have to ask you, "Did you have any, like, spiritual experiences let you know that was true?" The two are one and the same
@brook.candland: Yes
Kaelynn Priest: Do you have any other experiences like that?
Or walk me through your feelings about your work life and your spiritual life and blending the two together for you
@brook.candland: Yeah. So that's the only reason I even have a work life
Kaelynn Priest: Mm.
@brook.candland: It is the only reason it even exists, is because I am co-creating my business [00:19:00] every single phase, every single step of the way with God. I have been a stay-at-home m- mom essentially, you know, with the exception of cheer work or, like, a few seminary teaching hours and, like, 10 hours a week in anthro for 30 years.
I do not have a college degree. What do you mean you're gonna go get a job in the workforce and, like, get a paycheck? No, that doesn't just do that. So I know that I can only be successful if I co-create with God. And for some reason, He shows up for me. And for some reason, He helps me. And I think it's important to note that.
Nothing is more important to me as a woman than [00:20:00] being a mother and a nurturer and a homemaker. There's nothing that brings me more joy. I talk about it in my Instagram, like, there's nothing that brings me more joy than that role of, like, a mother, a wife, a homemaker, a nurturer. And yet this is important to me, too.
And the Lord sees that part of me and lets me have both. And I feel so grateful for His presence in my life. I don't know what I'm doing a lot of the time, right? I- I know what I'm doing in transactions. I know what I'm doing with clients. But my business I don't know where it's going. I didn't expect to go work in a model home for a year.
And what that taught me and the training that gave me, I came out into resale as a new construction specialist. I mean, [00:21:00] I sold 18 homes my first year of real estate. I can speak new construction to any buyers that wanna buy new construction,
Kaelynn Priest: Totally
@brook.candland: right? I met people. I- I had spiritual experiences, like God showed up for me out there in the desert.
And just back to my step one, like, I- Heavenly Father, I wanna work. Well, here are two names. That was my next step. What do you mean I have to call these people? That's so random and awkward
Kaelynn Priest: Yeah
@brook.candland: So I, I have not been a business mind. I like, I love you where you're like, we sat at dinner tables and talked about gross net sales sheets, and we had spreadsheets, and, like, all my brothers are businessmen, and my family we just...
I just grew up in a business family. I did not.
Kaelynn Priest: Yeah
@brook.candland: So my business partner is God
Kaelynn Priest: Hmm.
@brook.candland: And through him I can do all things. Through Christ I can [00:22:00] do all things. So with that comes a lot of uncertainty and a lot of faith-based decisions that bring me faith-based results where you're still like guys, is this gonna work out?"
You know? But I am a firm believer of, you know, the faith precedes the miracle and I do take action. I am somebody who is decisive. I'm somebody who doesn't overthink a lot of... I don't get in the depths of overthinking.
Kaelynn Priest: Yep
@brook.candland: It just is so paralyzing, right? I'm sure you have felt that too.
Kaelynn Priest: Yep
@brook.candland: You just kinda can get stuck in the fear and all the things, and you're just like, "I'm just gonna do it."
Kaelynn Priest: Ja
@brook.candland: Elder Bednar talked about sitting in a parked car and asking the Lord, "Where am I gonna go?" And you just keep sitting there, and then you're like, "God's not telling me where to go." And he's like, "You have to start moving your [00:23:00] parked car. Start driving it. Start turning left or turning right. Start driving and He will guide you," and that's what I find, one little step of the way.
And my Diet Coke reel kind of turned... That was... That felt something a little like that.
Kaelynn Priest: Yes.
Tell us more
about this.
@brook.candland: right? And now tell me more about this. Like, what even, what even happened? So I have been on Instagram every day for three years literally marketing my real estate business, and it's fine. It's a good business.
I've gotten transactions and closed deals through my Instagram. Not in 2026. And so... And I had a, a... You know, my, my reels did fine. They did good. I had some... a little bit of traction. And, But something we've done in our relief society for the last year and a half is we have served treats and cold sodas every single relief society Sunday.[00:24:00]
And I'm serious. One Sunday we had a ward council, and I came home, and I had, like, extra time. And I was like, "Well, I have my dress on." This is literally my, my process of thinking. There was no heavy premeditation murder happening here. There was none of that. Nothing really premeditated or like, "Oh, today's the day I'm gonna film a..."
None of that. It was like, "Oh, you know what? I have a little extra time. I've gotta load up all my stuff. I'll just prop up my camera." And so that's what I did. And then I'm like, I still have extra time to take it down to the church. I'll just set up my camera, and I'm gonna walk into the kitchen, which is so grody, but it's the church kitchen.
We don't care, you know? Everybody's church kitchen is the same. It's fine. And so I just did it. I just made this little r- video, and then I go into my Relief Society room before the women come in, and I prep my room. And there is a why behind [00:25:00] all of these things that we can talk about. And I just set up my camera to, like, set up my treats.
This is literally the behind-the-scenes. And I just like, I'll just save this video for a rainy day. I don't know. So, like, a week or two goes by and I was kind of drawing a blank for my real estate videos. And I was like, you know what? I'll just put together a quick video of my Relief Society, 'cause I don't know what to post today.
So I did, and it didn't take me very long, I mean, maybe 20 minutes, which is very, like, short, relatively speaking for me.
Then the voiceover added a few more minutes. It's fine. And then I posted it, oh, when I was getting Avery ready to go to BYU, and we were packing her, and I got in the car, and we drove away.
Anyway, I didn't even look at it till the next day. I was so busy. And I looked at it the next day and it had gone viral. It was literally going bananas, and I [00:26:00] was f- floored out of my mind because what do you mean? I've been talking about real estate for three years, and this is what the people wanna talk about.
What do you mean? Okay. So it made me really happy because- I have a really strong why as to what this is all about. And to get to talk on Instagram about it was so exciting to me. It's such an important part of our gospel, and what I believe to be successful worshiping of God in general. And so I was like, "Oh, I'm here for it.
I am here for this." And the general consensus was we are lonely. We are lonely in our wards. We [00:27:00] want connection. We want friends. We wanna feel seen and heard, and we don't feel that way. And I was just floored at the overwhelming responses that were in that conversation. And I didn't realize, because I thought it was just me that felt that way,
Kaelynn Priest: Yeah
@brook.candland: and my presidency.
Kaelynn Priest: Yeah
@brook.candland: But it's not
Kaelynn Priest: Can you walk me through So I have two questions. I wanna hear the logistics of how you guys do this and what
you've learned about it. So what's so funny is I, I swear I've talked about your reel, or at least you know, I've seen a couple of them about bringing Diet Coke to Relief Society, and it's
@brook.candland: हं?
Kaelynn Priest: I've talked to so many of my friends about this.
We're all like f- at first I was like, "Is this a spoof? Is
@brook.candland: No
it, I know, no, that everyone asks that. No, it,
this this is it. [00:28:00] You're looking at the real thing
Kaelynn Priest: And then my next thought is, "Why haven't we been doing this in my ward? Duh." This would be so easy
and so fun.
@brook.candland: Yeah
Kaelynn Priest: okay, my f- first let me ask this. Do you feel like there's a connection between the two for you, between your hopes and dreams with real estate and your hopes and goals about what you're trying to create in your Relief Society?
@brook.candland: Absolutely not. I cannot find a connector anywhere, Kayln. No. I cannot, which is why I'm like, "What is even happening?" Literally, this is my volunteer church service versus me trying to earn a living and help people buy homes and make dreams come true. No. This is the part of co-creating with God.
I have to believe, s- there's something somewhere down the road, shruggy emoji. I have no idea. But what I do [00:29:00] know is that this, this part of my world, this relief society, my testimony, the gospel, church, co-creating with God just this part of it has c- brought so much meaning to my, to me personally in my posting on social media.
Like, my Instagram w- is fine, but also it's boring to me. I wanna talk... I mean, I love my real estate, but also I wanna talk about other things, too.
Kaelynn Priest: Yeah
@brook.candland: And I have had people say to me in a very gentle, loving way, "Is... Are are you only gonna post real estate ins- content? We miss you." And I'm like, "I know.
This is my business account." But to be able to post that Diet Coke reel gave me permission to be like, "Oh, I'm gonna talk about other stuff."
Kaelynn Priest: Mm-hmm.
@brook.candland: And I'm not closing transactions in 2026 from my Instagram. Let me rethink my strategy. [00:30:00] Let me take my marketing off of my Instagram. Let me get a new marketing strategy with farming my neighborhood with mailers,
Kaelynn Priest: Yep
@brook.candland: maybe a community event in the fall.
Kaelynn Priest: Yep
@brook.candland: me get some sponsors going around of Brooke Kamlyn Realtor sponsorships and stuff, and let me just change up my Instagram where I can talk about what matters to me most, which is church, family, real estate. Also outfits from Anthro. I do love a good Anthro outfit. But also hair and makeup if I feel like it.
You know, all the fun things. But also I do wanna be taken seriously as a realtor. Also, I have a very strong testimony of relief society,
Kaelynn Priest: उहम्।
@brook.candland: the gospel and our savior, Jesus Christ. So I'm enjoying the mixed up content, and I have received comments both in person and in my DMs of people saying, "We're [00:31:00] loving the new content."
So I don't see... It's making my job as a realtor harder, I'll just say that. It's making it a little bit harder. Also, at the same time- My life feels more fulfilling,
Kaelynn Priest: Hmm.
@brook.candland: and I'm grateful, and I acknowledge God's hand in that.
Kaelynn Priest: Hmm. Wow.
@brook.candland: Mm-hmm.
Kaelynn Priest: There's so much I could ask you about that. Tell me about your testimony of Relief Society, and I wanna hear also what you've learned. If there's someone listening, talking about myself, who wants to do this in their Relief
@brook.candland: Yeah.
Kaelynn Priest: have you learned works really well,
@brook.candland: Yes.
Kaelynn Priest: don't do it that way?
@brook.candland: Yes. And we have 25 minutes coming up. So, sorry, what was your first question?
Kaelynn Priest: What
was my first
question? Oh, what do you, what do you love about... Relief Society Okay. So there's Relief Society in general, like the Relief Society organization. I have had... I, th- I have a lot of pe- I, okay. [00:32:00] Wow, Brooke, I need you to just lock in here.
@brook.candland: The Relief Society organization is the largest women's organization in the world. I cannot ever say that statement honestly without feeling so proud of who we are as a Relief Society, and the things that we have accomplished since Emma Smith's days.
Kaelynn Priest: Hmm.
@brook.candland: Think about the good that we do, think about the service that we render, the lives that we change, the families that are blessed, including our own, through the works of the Relief Society, which has been authorized through a prophet of God as the Lord's Relief Society women's organization.
We're taught in the handbook that the church was not fully organized until the Relief Society was formed under the direction of Joseph Smith. We are a complete part of the gospel, [00:33:00] and it's run through the power of God. And when we have young women come into Relief Society and introduce them, I say to them, "Welcome to the greatest women's organization in the whole world, where we can accomplish anything because we have the power of God with us.
And watch us change our lives and the lives of our families and friends and community, because we are the hands of the Savior." I mean, if that does not feel empowering as a woman, I don't know what does. And to have people outside of our religion claim that women are oppressed or suppressed,
Kaelynn Priest: Mm.
@brook.candland: just want to stand and bear testimony of what the Relief Society is and [00:34:00] does, because there is nothing oppressing about the work that we do.
It gives us purpose and meaning. It helps us be like the Savior, become closer to the Savior, and we are literally bringing souls to Christ and changing lives. Can you think of a more powerful way to live as a woman? I cannot. So I have loved being able to stand as a beacon and stand as a voice for the Relief Society, because I've had this in my heart since I was 18 years old, and I share it with the women as much as I can.
So that is my testimony
Kaelynn Priest: Wow. By the way, I'm like speechless over here. I don't know. I'm genuinely saying this. I don't know if I've felt someone's testimony about thoroughly, citing as strongly as I did from you just now. I really want you to [00:35:00] hear that. I'm not just saying that.
@brook.candland: Thank you
Kaelynn Priest: So amazing. I'm so glad we're sharing this with the world.
@brook.candland: Thank you
Kaelynn Priest: with that being said, what have you found works for helping
@brook.candland: जी
Kaelynn Priest: get unlonely,
@brook.candland: Yes. Well, you first have to, you first have to recognize that there is a lonely. You have to first acknowledge, like is what are we feeling? So I was called to be the Relief Society president like a little over a year and a half ago, and a little quick backstory I have been, I've been in Relief Society, like attending Relief Society classes, okay?
And at the time, and I was feeling really like unsettled in Relief Society. I was kind of unhappy in there. I wasn't... It's not fun. It is, has just kind of a little older vibe. And it's a little boring, okay? I'm not gonna lie, everyone. Sometimes it can just feel a little boring. [00:36:00] We do amazing work, and Sunday class can feel a little boring.
And I was walking with my girlfriends on the canal, and I had a lot of feelings that I was getting off my chest that day about how I felt about the Relief Society. And I said, "I wanna... I... There are other wards nearby that tend to have a little more energy and pep and feel like there's a little more camaraderie, and I kind of am looking at those other wards."
And I said, "But if I was in the Relief Society presidency, here's what I would do. I would serve cold Diet Cokes, and we would have treats, and we would do it every single Relief Society. And I think it'd be really fun because that's what I would want. And I don't know if other women would, but I'm gonna find out."
And they were like, "Hey, that's a, that's an amazing idea." Fast-forward a couple weeks, I am in my scripture study. I'd had a [00:37:00] particularly hard day on Instagram where... And I don't normally have that. I don't... i'm really able to keep myself pretty balanced with my Instagram and looking on Instagram. And this one day I had just seen so many beautiful blonde realtors kind of right around in my area, and I was feeling very insecure in my abilities and in my business and, like, comparison and really struggling this one day.
And I had felt it all day, all day long, and I could not shake it. And I was in my scripture study kind of that night, and I was like I'm gonna feel better after I read my scriptures." And I read my scriptures, and I did not feel better. And I thought, I'm gonna read a conference talk, and I'm gonna feel better, and I didn't.
And I thought, you know what? I have not read the Relief Society declaration, which is something I had been prompted to do from General Conference in October. And I had been reading the Relief Society declaration every single day out loud [00:38:00] since General Conference. So it'd been about six weeks of reading this declaration every day.
And I was like, you know what? I haven't read my Relief Society declaration, which is another thing that I do in my Relief Society.
Kaelynn Priest: Yep
@brook.candland: And I began to read the Relief Society declaration out loud. And in it there's a statement that says, "We are women of faith, virtue, vision, and charity." And in that one line, I received a confirmation that The women that I'm looking at are also women in my, in our faith, and I'm like, "You know what?
They are women of faith, virtue, vision, and charity, and if I were to s- ask every single one of them what is most important to you, they would say God. They would say my testimony." And that's what I would say, too. And immediately the comparison left, and I felt amazing, and I thought, "If I am ever a Relief Society president someday, we're gonna read that declaration."
And I said a prayer at the end of my [00:39:00] scripture study. I said a prayer. I thanked the Lord for helping me recognize my own individual worth and divine nature, and thanked him for being a part of my scripture study, and basically curing me. And I got up from my prayer, and I turned my phone off do not disturb to go do stuff, and I had a text from my bishop.
And he said, "Can I come visit you tonight?" And I was like, "Sure." I was the greeter at the chapel doors at the time. And he came over, and he started talking to me, and we chatted a little bit, and he extended the call to be a Relief Society president And he said, "Did you know this was coming?" And I said, "No.
No, I'm like chopping other warts. I'm kind of..." And we laughed, and he said, "Also, I've heard that you want to serve Diet Coke in Relief Society." I said, "Oh, yeah, I do." And he said, [00:40:00] "I will buy a mini fridge for your Relief Society if that's what you want."
Mm-hmm. Yeah. And then I got called. So I got my counselors.
This is a longer story than it needs to be, but I, then I sat down with my counselors at our first presidency meeting, and I asked them these questions: "Do you ladies enjoy going to Relief Society?" They kind of looked at each other, and I go, "There are no wrong answers. I only wanna hear the truth." And they go, "No, we don't really..."
I go, "Do you try to get into the class as quickly as possible, or are you kind of dragging your feet?" And they're like, "We're dragging our feet." And I go, "Okay, me too." I go, "When you walk into Relief Society, do you feel welcome?" They're like, "Not really." I go, "I don't." I said, "Do you feel special?" They're like, "No."
I go, "I don't." I said, "Do you feel [00:41:00] loved?" They're like, "Nope." I go, "I don't either." I go, "Do you feel like you are part of the world's greatest women's organization?" They're like, "No." I go, "I don't either, and I am not okay with that." And all of us were unif- unilaterally agreeing that that was missing in our Relief Society, and I thought, "Let's figure out a way to make that better."
And so we came up with that idea, and we agreed we were gonna do that. And so we did. We just did. So there are logistics behind it. There's a whole thing about it I mean, we have older women in our relief society. There was a lot of eyebrow raising. There was a lot of chatter.
I mean, we have caffeine in the building?
What are you talking about? [00:42:00] What? You know?
Kaelynn Priest: Ja
@brook.candland: How are we gonna get it to young women? How are we gonna get it to primary?
Kaelynn Priest: Mm.
@brook.candland: It was a lot of stuff.
Kaelynn Priest: Yeah
@brook.candland: I didn't care We figured it out. So
Kaelynn Priest: Can you give us like a couple quick tips of things that you're like, "Okay, for sure don't do this," or, "This is something that's helped a lot"?
@brook.candland: Yeah. So, I only know the system that I do and that works for me. And there are ways where you can do it. Like, you can get like a roller ice chest. You can do that and reel it in there. The problem for me is like I, I'm not strong enough to like carry a big ice, a cooler ice chest. So here are the logistics of it.
I buy all the drinks with my own money. We own a restaurant. Our restaurant, Mi Amigos Mexican Grill, [00:43:00] sponsors those drinks. I do not use the word budget. I don't use anybody's money but my own. Somebody was like, "Tithes and offerings going to..." No. Okay, my good sir, no tithes and offerings going to any of that.
I buy all my own sodas and drinks. We have caffeinated, we have non-caffeinated, we have carbonated and non-carbonated. We've done 'em, we've done 'em all. My women, all the Diet Cokes are gone every single time. The Diet A&W Root Beers, those are leftovers. Okay? That is a leftover drink on the counter. I put them in a bin on Saturday in my back refrigerator.
They chill overnight into Sunday. I bring about 36 drinks. I have it kind of down to a science.
Kaelynn Priest: got it down
@brook.candland: Yeah, I bring about 36 drinks or more, and there's m- there's a little bit leftover. And we change it up. One day one of my girlfriends was on [00:44:00] the back row, and you hear this like p- p- shoo, and I look at her and she's grinning and she goes, "I cannot believe I'm drinking a Diet Baja Mountain Dew Bla- a Diet Mountain Dew Baja Blast in my Release Society."
I go, "Oh, I got you, girl. That's one of my favorite drinks. You just drink up and enjoy your Sabbath day. Amen." And we were dying. Like, it's so fun. So anyway, Saturday I also do the treats. We do the treats. They're all kinds of treats. We've done yogurt parfaits. We've done fresh fruit with, like, little Nutella cookies.
We do homemade cookies. We do cookie bars. We do chips and salsa and guacamole. We have done, like, Hostess treats in a basket that aren't even homemade. We have done like a, a variety of popcorn. We just do any treats that we wanna do. We've done, like, regular chips. We've done, like, all kinds of stuff.
Strawberries and dip and [00:45:00] just all... Not a whole lot of veggies going on, but we do- I mean, I, we are in the restaurant business. I do look at the inventory at the end of the hour to be like, "Oh, the women aren't gonna... They don't want that again. They don't want that again." Anyway, so, Sunday, l- in my video, I literally pack everything up, I drive it to the kitchen, and I put my drinks in the fridge in the kitchen.
And again, there's no ice involved at all, and I put my treats on the counter. I usually have a presidency member come, and they will help me plate the treats. I stand up at the closing song of sacrament meeting. I walk to the kitchen, usually a presidency member meets me there, and we walk together down to the Relief Society room.
I have to find two tables. I round up two tables and drag them down the hall out of a classroom, I don't know where, and I set up the two tables. I [00:46:00] open the curtain so we actually have natural light in there. I'm not kidding you when I tell you this, okay, everyone? I have anthropology room spray. I spray that in my Relief Society room I like it to smell like girls are in there.
I turn on my r- like Bluetooth speaker, and I put on classical Reverend Paul Cardall hymns. There is music playing when you walk into our Relief Society room. There is sunlight. There is a beautiful smell of anthropology happening in there. Then there are drinks and treats on the table for you. There's usually a question written on the whiteboard so we can be prepared for our counseling session, which we do every single Sunday because we love it and have good participation, but that will be ending.
We stand at the door. We greet our women. We hug each of them. "Welcome. How are you? We love you. Grab a cold drink and a treat." Now, [00:47:00] for reliefs, for r- young women and Primary, here's the logistics. A lot of those women also leave sacrament me- meeting a little bit early to prep their classrooms. So you do have women kind of in the hallways, in the libraries, kind of in and out of their classrooms, kind of around.
That's when they come into my Relief Society room and grab a drink or a treat, right? And I have had women come in in that little prep hour and they're, or that little prep time, and they peek their head in and they'll be like, "Do you have your drinks and treats and out?" And this one day I go, "Well, it's fast Sunday, and so no, I don't.
The day we need them the most, we don't have them. I, not today."
Kaelynn Priest: So
@brook.candland: And then we laugh. So we don't do them on fast Sunday. That is the logistics. And then I do, will sneak out of the lesson and go to Primary and be like, "Just so you know," but a lot of them come right after, and they just, you, they're right by the door.
So you just literally stick your arm in. You don't have to even [00:48:00] walk into my classroom. And you grab a drink, and you take off. But the Diet Cokes are always gone. The Dr Pepper Zeros are always gone. I also have sugar drinks. We have full sugar drink. You want a Orange Sunkist? I'll get you that. You want a full Cherry Coke?
I'll get you that. I'll get you whatever you want. So th- that's the logistics. Then you have kids... Then it's a kid stampede at the end of the hour. And we have statements for those children, and we say, "Oh, I'm sorry, these are for the moms. These are for the Relief Society sisters. And when you get to Relief Society, you're gonna get to have this.
But today, this is for the Relief Society sisters." And we're packing it up. We are packing it up. I just, if I, if I have k- some kids walking around with a big old s'more and a big old soda, and other kids don't, like it just, it's, so we just, we do shut it down. We shut down all of that as best as we can.
So
Kaelynn Priest: This is amazing. I'm like [00:49:00] scribbling notes over here.
@brook.candland: You don't have to scribble notes. You just literally watched my video. That's literally how I do it. Anyway
Kaelynn Priest: How cool is that?
@brook.candland: Yeah
Kaelynn Priest: What have you, since doing this, what have you learned or what feels different for you, or what's your favorite thing about it?
@brook.candland: Oh, I love this question so much
I was having a hard time feeling loved in my relief society. I was having a hard time feeling welcomed. And it, that's not anybody's fault. You know what I mean? I'm not, I'm not casting any blame or, or pointing any fingers. It's just, we just kind of get into our routines of our church And what I've learned Is that I am very loved in my Relief Society, and I am important in my Relief Society because of who I am, and I [00:50:00] am God's daughter.
We are all daughters of Heavenly Father, and I want us all to feel that. And so I decided that as part of this effort, I would be able to minister to the women in this ward, and hopefully share my love for them and God's love for them by this small act of service. Help them feel seen and loved and special.
Help them feel God's love for them in a way that they n- would never do for themselves. They would never get a home-baked cinnamon roll. I baked all the cinnamon rolls on Mother's Day.
Kaelynn Priest: Mm.
@brook.candland: have to bake it. I'll bake it for you. I... You are somebody in here, and you belong to somebody in here.
And it has helped my love for the women increase. It has helped my enthusiasm for Relief Society increase. It has [00:51:00] brought an energy to our classroom, a desire for women to show up. We don't... We have women in their seats within minutes from sacrament meeting ending. I've had women say to me that visit, they have
They're leaving with an arm full of c- of sodas and a napkin with fruit and treats on it. "What is this in this room? We've never felt this before. This is amazing in here." But mostly what it has done is it has built unity in our Relief Society, which in the handbook is one of the purposes of the Relief Society in meeting together on Sundays.
It is to build unity, and that's what we were missing when I got called, and that's the part I craved the most. Our ward, I'm sure many wards, we're solid in the doctrine. We're solid in the teachings. We're solid in the participation, [00:52:00] hopefully. We're solid in sharing testimonies. But that unity is gone.
COVID thrashed it.
Kaelynn Priest: Yeah.
@brook.candland: And that's what women have talked about on Instagram. That's what women have mentioned to me in the hallways, in my DMs, at the store when they see me, in my breakout room with you. I'm a divorced woman. I, I love my ward. I love my people. I would never leave the church. My ward loves me, but it's hard to feel like I belong as a divorced member.
I saw your reel, and I felt seen by you when I watched it and I heard your words." Through tears she told us that.
Kaelynn Priest: Yeah. Yep
@brook.candland: That is what I have learned the most is that God wants us to build unity in our relief societies. However that is. However you do that. And for my women, and for right now, my purpose as a president is to [00:53:00] fill their cup, and that means building unity.
And so it looks like cold Diet Cokes and treats. And we're not mad about it, okay, guys?
We're not, we're not mad about it. That's my testimony. That's what I've learned. That's what I've learned about it.
Kaelynn Priest: Mm.
@brook.candland: It's very important. I had a member of the stake presidency on just Sunday. I've been very prayerful about these 25 minutes coming up.
Kaelynn Priest: I was gonna ask what the game plan is
@brook.candland: I've been very prayerful about that. Always the, always the focus is Jesus Christ. Our time with drinks and treats does not ever impede the, the lesson time, and it's not gonna start. But I did go back to the Lord and say, "What do you want for the women of the Hermosa Vista Relief Society? Here's what we do.
We can add or subtract whatever you want, and we are gonna [00:54:00] subtract some things, quite a few things, but we will not be subtracting drinks and treats." And I had many confirmations on Sunday during state conference. We had training on the second hour. I had the Holy Ghost confirm to me many times during that, and at the very end of our actual state conference meeting when I was feeling very confident the Lord wants us to continue, I had a member of the state presidency pull me aside and give me a hug and say, "Brooke we are so impressed with what you are doing in your ward."
He's like, "You're doing so much good, and the Lord has called Brooke Candlin to be the Relief Society president, and you are bringing your strengths, your talents, your abilities to that Relief Society and making a change. Keep going." And that was the final confirmation I needed. So, we're gonna meet as a presidency tomorrow night, and we're gonna do it.
We're just gonna figure it out. We're [00:55:00] just gonna do it. But we're gonna be fast, and we do have some obstacles, so we're gonna need a follow-up on how to... what's going down. But also, we're gonna be flexible to changing it, right? We're gonna start it, and then we're gonna do it. But we have a five-minute transition in the handbook, and we're gonna be fast, and we're gonna sit down and start.
Like I said, you walk in the door, you can take your soda and your treat and sit down.
But we're gonna have our scriptures open, and we're gonna have a lesson, and we're gonna be into the doctrine.
Kaelynn Priest: Yeah
@brook.candland: So that's all I know for that right now.
Kaelynn Priest: Yeah.
@brook.candland: It's important. It is important. That is what I know. The Lord wants that for our ward right now, and we will continue to fill the cup of the women.
And on a little final note on that, one of my purposes as the Relief Society president for this time, w- is to talk to the women about them. And I said in the beginning when I got called, I said, "We [00:56:00] as the Relief Society will always care for others. We will always be outward facing, outward serving, always looking for ways to bless lives of people around us, always."
But for this time, the Lord wants o- our women to focus on them. Y- we need to be turning inward and strengthening our own faith in Jesus Christ. We need to be strengthening our own testimonies. We need to be filling our own cups. Who takes care of the women of the church, Kaelynn? Who? Who takes care of the women?
Nobody, nobody does. We have to do that ourselves. We do that, and we can and we will. And what that looks like for now, and what I believe for moving forward, is strengthen your own faith in Jesus Christ. Get your lamp filled with oil. Let the Relief Society be a place where you [00:57:00] dive into the scriptures together with your friends, where you go to monthly temple sessions and look around at other covenant keepers and gain strength from that.
Come to se- to Relief Society lessons and be edified by the words of the brethren and the prophet, and testimonies of the women around you. Lean on other women to build your faith and testimony in Jesus Christ, and let me as a president help in that physically, temporally, spiritually, so that at the end of my three years, you come out a stronger member of the church.
You come out a better mother, a better saint, a better disciple. You come out a stronger member of the Lord's kingdom to go out and continue to serve and build everyone around you. We have to do that, 'cause we're tired,
Kaelynn Priest: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm
@brook.candland: and [00:58:00] we're torn down, and we're looking for reasons to leave 'cause it's hard.
And I'm here to champion any woman that wants to stay. And doggone it, I'm gonna give you a Diet Coke while you're at it, so. 'Cause I wanna drink one, okay? There, I said it. I wanna drink one, Kay Lynn.
Anyway that's my spiel
Kaelynn Priest: Wow, Brooke. I was so excited to have you on here 'cause I could just tell you're a light and you bring light into any room even though people may be watching this, maybe listening to it virtually. I had no idea I was going to be, like, washed over by the spirit reminding me that I have work to do on my own testimony of the Relief Society and the privilege that it is to be part of the largest women's organization in the world, and s- probably silencing some of my complaints [00:59:00] and frustrations about it. And instead of whining and complaining about it, doing something
@brook.candland: Yes.
Kaelynn Priest: it in
@brook.candland: Yes
Kaelynn Priest: That is what I'm taking away from this. If I have to say, then I have things to do,
@brook.candland: Mm-hmm.
Kaelynn Priest: I've gotta go figure out what that looks like for me. I'm not in the Relief Society right now. I actually teach primary.
@brook.candland: Yes。OK
Kaelynn Priest: but I am still a part of the organization and
@brook.candland: right
Kaelynn Priest: to participate, and I have work to do.
@brook.candland: The Relief Society needs you, Kaelynn. The Relief Society needs all the women. Relief Society, we need each other. We need you. We need your voice. We need your light. We need your testimony. We need you at activities. We need you saying hello. We need more unity. We need more.
Kaelynn Priest: Hey, it's kaelynn here. I hope you loved this episode of the By Their Fruits podcast. Thank you so much for listening. And I also wanna let you know that if you did love this episode, you might also love my weekly email series [01:00:00] that I call Book of Mormon Business. Every week, I write a little insight about something that I either have learned or am learning from the Book of Mormon or the Bible about how to run a business with God's help, how to make God the co-founder of my business.
And if that sounds like something up your alley, go to kaelynnpriest.com/bookofmormon. The link is also below in the show notes. And get on the email list, and I hope these little weekly insights lift your spirits and help you feel the spirit and hear Him more easily in your business
