08/10/2026
Allow me to reintroduce myself. I’m Candice Holloway, owner of Soul Secrets.
We’ve been in business since 2018 and opened our brick-and-mortar in September 2021—after 3CDC reached out to us in 2020.
I have a Bachelor’s degree from Wilmington College, an MBA from IWU, and I own another consulting business for the past 16 years, helping families navigate Medicaid.
But here’s what makes Soul Secrets different:
I had never operated a restaurant before.
Because this was never just a business to me.
Soul Secrets is a God assignment.
And for five years, God has given me the instruction, wisdom, and discernment to keep this thing moving.
Today, we have 22 people on payroll. TWENTY-TWO.
That’s 22 people with bills to pay, families to feed, and lives depending on the success of this business.
And we’ve done it with ZERO BANK LOANS.
But let me tell you what you don’t always see behind the scenes.
We’ve helped staff members find housing.
We have staff members who are now sober.
We have staff members who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
We have six staff members who have been baptized.
And there have been SO many other God moments that never made it to social media.
That’s why I know this is bigger than food.
This is ministry.
This is purpose.
This is an assignment.
And part of protecting that assignment is having STRUCTURE.
So let’s be clear:
Us saying NO does not make us unprofessional.
It means we have policies.
It means we have boundaries.
It means we understand our capacity.
It means we’re thinking beyond one transaction and protecting the longevity of the entire business.
A business without structure will eventually become a business controlled by everybody except the owner.
And that’s not how we operate.
Sometimes what God tells you to build will look foolish to people who were never given the blueprint. I get my instructions from ABOVE.
God gave Noah specific instructions to build the ark. Imagine if Noah had listened to everyone else’s opinions instead of following the instructions God gave him. Humanity would have been in trouble.
God gave the assignment.
I said YES.
And we’re still building. 🙏🏽
