Candace Owens on Family, Success, and Defying Western Messaging During First Visit to Russia
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Candace Owens on Family, Success, and Defying Western Messaging During First Visit to Russia
Candace Owens shares her perspective on balancing family and success during a panel discussion in Russia. She challenges the toxic Western narrative that women must choose between career achievement and raising children, explaining how motherhood transformed her podcast and gave her real-life perspective. Owens reveals how society defines success differently for men and women, discusses her book "Make Him a Sandwich," and emphasizes that building big families creates better people and a more productive society.
Candace Owens opened her remarks by expressing gratitude for the opportunity to speak in Russia for the first time. Visiting with her husband and children, she found the country beautiful and wonderful, defying all her expectations. The honor of sitting on a panel discussing what matters most to her—family—made the trip even more meaningful.
The Controversial Debate Over Family and Success in America
Owens explained that the question of whether women can have both family and career success has become highly controversial in America. This messaging became prevalent in government institutions and public schools during her upbringing. The prevailing narrative insisted women had to make a choice: climb the corporate ladder and find success, or stay home raising children. This binary choice placed enormous pressure on women for a very long time.
The messaging became increasingly toxic, reaching a point where the idea of a woman making a sandwich—whether for her husband or children—became an ideological symbol of oppression. Owens was stunned by this development and authored a book titled "Make Him a Sandwich" to combat the notion that domestic acts constitute a new age form of enslavement.
Redefining Success: Men Versus Women
In her book, Owens tackles a fundamental question: what is success? She argues that defining the terms of the debate is essential. Through her research, she discovered that even the definition of success differs when speaking to men versus women, rooted in biological differences.
When people are asked who the most successful man in the world is, responses consistently include Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos—men who have been among the top 10 richest in the world. Success for men is defined by financial achievement and empire building.
When the same question is posed about women, the answers are completely different. Most people cannot even name women in the top 50 financially successful women in the world. Instead, responses typically include Taylor Swift and Oprah. Owens noted that Russia might be the only country where people would know that the richest self-starting female entrepreneur in the world is actually Russian—Tatiana Bakalchuk of Wildberries. This name is virtually unknown in the United States.
Examining these differences reveals that success is measured differently for women. The women who define success are those leaning into their biological instincts to nurture and communicate. Even though Taylor Swift doesn't have a family, she found success speaking about the idea of finding love and family, painting a picture people could understand. Similarly, Oprah communicated effectively to the suburban housewife. Men, by contrast, are envied for building empires.
How Family Transformed Her Personal Success
Owens shared her personal experience with this dynamic. Before having a family, she had a podcast, but it was not as successful as it is today. Starting a family and having children is the biggest event in a woman's life and a man's life, she explained. It completely changes who you are as a person and reveals a bigger purpose—the biggest purpose, actually. There is nothing more defining.
The ways husbands and wives respond to this event differ. For Owens, the day-to-day experience with her children has made her a much happier person. She does her podcast from home, which she considers a massive blessing. She starts her mornings homeschooling her children, which has given her real-life perspective and something worth communicating about.
Owens realized the conversations are not just political or theoretical. She is actively trying to nurture the female instinct and the morals she wants her children to grow up with. When you see society moving in a way that terrifies you and realize your kids are the inheritors of that society, you want to do something about it. When her podcast became that space where she could bring that focus, energy, and purpose, it grew into the success it is today.
The Male Instinct to Build
For her husband, Owens explained, the instinct was to build. She referenced hearing gentlemen at the panel speaking about going out and building empires. She noted that at times there has been conflict between governments and this messaging, with some thinking perhaps they don't want people out building big families because it won't help.
Owens believes this perspective has been disproved. Governments and institutions should encourage big families because it encourages better people—people that build with purpose and people that nurture with purpose. She expressed appreciation for hearing about the policies being put into place in Russia to encourage big families. She stated that any nation supporting that dynamic, whether in the West or East, or hopefully both hemispheres, will have a much more whole and productive society.
Similarities Between West and East
Owens' main conclusion from the panel was that the West and East are grappling with the same issues. The discussion touched on media messaging and the constant attempts to create division between what's happening in Russia and America. Her entire trip revealed just how similar the two peoples are. The shared motivation as a people and society—understanding that family encourages in a positive way—was tremendously encouraging. She expressed excitement to return to her podcast and share this perspective with the American people.
The Life-Changing Power of Parenthood
When asked about parenthood, Owens said both she and her husband were startled at how much they enjoyed being parents. This gets back to the pursuit of happiness, she explained. You realize you have a purpose. Prior to having children, people work toward building their financial accounts, but having children is such a cataclysmic event in a good way. You suddenly realize there's something so much bigger, something so much more in life.
She and her husband didn't think they would enjoy being parents as much as they do. It's positively life changing. When dealing with difficult issues in the world—the deaths and despair that make up headlines—it all becomes minimized when you come home. No matter what you have going on, a toddler can say something simple and funny and all the stress is removed. You realize that this is what actually matters.
