Episode 52 - The Radical Joy of Not Waiting for Permission (Interview with Candice Marie of @ShyGirlsFly)

In this week’s Interview Episode of We Are Out of Office, your co-hosts Veteran Television Executive Producer (The Night Agent) Nikki T and Bestselling Author Jayne Allen (Black Girls Must...trilogy) welcome their first-ever guest, Candice Smith (Candice Marie)—the creator behind the wildly popular vertical solo series: “Your Type is the Korean Barista Who Don’t Speak English.” If you’ve been on the timeline, you’ve seen the slow-burn, real-life K-drama unfolding in public—and yes, we’re just as seated as you are. (“If you know, you know.”)

But this conversation goes beyond the café.

Candice takes us all the way back—sharing how she first moved to Korea in 2005, what it was like to build a life overseas, and how she’s turned her lived experience into a platform and business helping others move abroad through Shy Girls Fly. She breaks down the difference between leaving to escape and leaving to choose joy, and why many of us don’t realize how much freedom is available on the other side of fear.

A major theme lands with clarity: permission isn’t something you receive—it’s something you decide. Candice shares a line that stopped us in our tracks:

“No one gave me permission… they just didn’t give me limits. So I allowed myself.” (00:41:48–00:42:32)

The conversation moves through community, dating, self-trust, and cultural contrast—especially what it feels like as a Black woman to be in environments where you’re not required to constantly prove your worth. Candice reflects on how energy changes when you’re not spending your life convincing people you’re capable—how that frees you to create, build, and live expansively.

This episode is about:

1. Not waiting to be chosen—choosing yourself
2. The courage it takes to move without consensus
3. Why transition can hurt even when it’s your dream
4. Building community abroad (especially among Black women)
5. A real-time reminder that Black women deserve soft, intentional love—and full lives

They close with a powerful image: when you stop waiting for permission and take the leap anyway, you may find yourself on the other side in “a whole garden” of freedom, acceptance, and possibility. (01:07:27–01:08:39)

Find Candice on Social Media:

@ShyGirlsFly on TikTok

@ShyGirlsFly on Instagram

And on the Web:

www.ShyGirlsFly.com

Questions? Comments? Email us at: [e-mail] or Follow us on TikTok and Instagram at: @weareoutofofficepod