Create by Faith
Season 1
by Candice D. Madrid
Your portfolio is your evidence. It's the proof of what you can do as a creative. But here's the thing most people get wrong: they build a portfolio that shows everything they've done instead of building one that positions them for where they want to go. In this episode, I'm sharing the real story of how one creative director's honest feedback completely shifted the way I approached my portfolio and ultimately helped me land my first industry job. I'm also breaking down the difference between a portfolio and a creative service website, why you might need more than one, and how to structure your work so the right people see the right things. Whether you're just starting out or you've been in the game for years and your portfolio needs a refresh, this one's for you. Anchored in 1 Peter 4:10. https://linkin.bio/candicedmadrid
In this final episode of the Psalm 33 series, we're diving into Psalm 33:18 through 22 and talking about what it really looks like to wait on God with confident hope. Spoiler: kingdom waiting is not passive. It's action. It's moving toward the vision even when you don't know how it's all going to work out. I'm sharing some real, personal moments from my journey, including what happened when I was let go from my second corporate job, how I had to release my attachment to titles and career identity, and the moment I truly surrendered it all to the Lord. I'm also sharing a recent testimony about how God provided during my trip to speak at a university media conference when the expected funding didn't come through. We're covering how God sees those who hope in Him, how He sustains even in famine, and why joy is connected to trust, not to breakthrough. If you've been in a dry season, a slow season, or an "I don't know how this is going to work out" season, this one is for you. This episode also wraps up our full Psalm 33 series. If you missed Parts 1 through 3, go back and listen to those first: Part 1 on worship and excellence, Part 2 on the faithfulness of God's Word, and Part 3 on why our own plans and strength aren't enough. People Pleasing Series CandiceDMadrid.com YouTube Channel with Candice D. Madrid
In part 3 of this Psalm 33 series, I'm talking about what happens when human plans, pressure, and strategy are not enough on their own. Walking through Psalm 33:10-17, this episode is a reminder that God is not against planning, but He does not want our plans to replace dependence on Him. This conversation covers the difference between human counsel and God’s counsel, why false foundations eventually fail, and how pressure can reveal what we are truly trusting in. I also shares real reflection from her own business journey, what it looks like to seek God in building, and why stronger dependence matters more than a better plan. If you have been carrying pressure, trying to force results, or questioning what to do next in your brand or calling, this episode will encourage you to pause, refocus, and come back to the true foundation. In this episode: Psalm 33:10-17 Human plans vs. God’s counsel False foundations and misplaced trust Why pressure reveals foundation Depending on God in business and life Encouragement for brand builders and creators website: https://www.candicedmadrid.com
If your foundation is built on whatever is trending, it will always feel unstable. So what do you build on when every voice online is promising you the next big strategy? In this episode, we are continuing the Psalms 33 Series and breaking down why God's Word is not advice... it is authority. And the same Word that spoke everything into existence is the same Word you are building on. Here is what we are getting into: Why God's Word is the standard, not an option How faithfulness is already attached to what He has called you to build Discernment in business and knowing when partnerships are not aligned The difference between a pyramid mindset and a Kingdom mindset How to stop letting Monday at 3:30 steal your perspective If you are ready to build on something that will not shift, this one is for you. Part 3 is coming next week: When Your Best Strategy Is Not Enough. Find community, resources, and support at www.candicedmadrid.com
Have you ever poured everything into a brand launch, a partnership, or a strategy and watched it fall apart? Before you rebrand for the third time or overhaul your entire plan, the real question might be simpler than you think: what's the foundation underneath it? In this episode, Candice breaks down what it actually looks like to build a brand with excellence and integrity using Psalms 33 as the foundation. This is Part 1 of a four-part series walking through what Scripture reveals about the way we create, build, and show up in our businesses. In this episode, you'll hear about: Why most brand failures trace back to a foundation problem, not a strategy problem What it means to treat your creative work as worship, even in the exhausting seasons Why God calls us to play skillfully, and what that means for investing in your actual craft How to stop building your brand from a collage of other people's highlights and start creating something original What old-school marketing like classified ads and infomercials can teach you about building something that lasts today This one is for the creative entrepreneur who feels stuck between copying what's working and trusting what's calling them. Your brand was meant to be a new song, not a cover of someone else's. Resources mentioned: www.candicedmadrid.com Design with Confidence course Creative Director Consult Free Creative Foundation Blueprint: candicedmadrid.com/encourage Connect with Candice: Instagram: @candicedmadrid
How is AI showing up in creative workflows right now? In this episode, I'm getting real about how I use AI as a creative director and agency owner. I walk you through the three tools I use and why I use each one differently, what AI cannot replace no matter how good it gets, and why output without foundation is just noise with speed. If you've been feeling the tension between staying current and protecting your craft, this one's for you. Visit candicedmadrid.com to join the Creative Foundation Community.
You know it is there. But knowing it and breaking free from it are two completely different things. In Part 2 of the People Pleasing series, Candice gets honest about what it actually took to walk out of people pleasing and start building from alignment. She shares how the Word of God transformed this in her without years of sitting in it, the two scriptures that stopped feeling like advice and started feeling like confrontation, and the three practical things that shifted how she runs her business and shows up in every room. If Part 1 was the mirror, this is the road. Grab the free Encouragement Series at candicedmadrid.com/encourage
We think the thing holding us back is fear. But sometimes it is people pleasing. And in leadership and business, people pleasing is not kindness. It is misalignment. In this episode, Candice gets real about how people pleasing disguised itself as grace in her career and how it was quietly producing overextension, burnout, and blurred boundaries. She shares two scriptures that shifted everything: Colossians 3:23 through 24 that got her through a heated corporate moment, and Jeremiah 17:5 through 8, the one that actually broke it off. If you have ever needed someone's approval to feel settled, if you have been calling it service when it was really fear, this one is for you. Grab the free Encouragement Series at candicedmadrid.com/encourage and send Candice a note at candice@cdm-creative.com. She would love to hear from you.
Struggling to find your business niche? Everyone says "identify the gap," but nobody tells you HOW to actually do it. In this raw episode, I share the brain dump that changed everything, how I discovered my unique market position through frustration, not market research. If you're a creative entrepreneur or service provider trying to figure out what makes you different, this honest conversation is for you. You'll learn why you should write a "business memo" before touching ChatGPT, how to spot predatory business coaches (including a $5,000 scam story), and my framework for turning your painful experiences into your unique value proposition. The truth? Your frustration might just be your foundation. Those pain points you've experienced aren't setbacks, they're showing you exactly where you can build a business that matters. Resources: → Website: candicedmadrid.com → Work with me: candicedmadrid.com/work-with-me Perfect for creative entrepreneurs, service business owners, and anyone transitioning from corporate to entrepreneurship.
Feeling burnt out from constantly creating new content? In this raw, behind-the-scenes episode, I'm sharing the strategy that helped my client's YouTube channel explode, and it had nothing to do with making more videos. You're sitting on a gold mine of content you've already created. Videos from last year, photos on your phone, books that need refreshing, it's all there, waiting to be repurposed and reshared. We're throwing seeds everywhere but forgetting to water them. This episode is messy, unscripted, and exactly what you need to hear if perfectionism has been keeping you stuck. We're talking about: Why "done is better than perfect" actually works The content repurposing strategy that's working for my clients right now How to use what you've already built instead of chasing new content Breaking through the "it has to be perfect" trap Biblical foundation for taking action with what's in your hands The Lord rejoices to see the work begin. Let's stop waiting and start building. Ready to stop making excuses and start building? Join the Creative Lounge where you get direct access to me, practical design and content strategy, and a community of creatives who are actually taking action. Let's help each other grow. Join here: https://www.candicedmadrid.com/creative-lounge