The world knows Candace Payne as “Chewbacca Mom,” the wife and mother of two from Dallas who captured the hearts of nearly 200 million people around the world with nothing but a toy Chewbacca mask, a smartphone, and 4 minutes of infectious laughter.
Candace’s viral moment of simple joy became Facebook Live’s top video. But what the video doesn’t show is Candace’s storied journey of daunting obstacles on the way to the joy-filled life — extreme poverty, past trauma, and struggles with self-worth. She recently wrote a book called, Laugh It Up!, where she tells the rest of the story behind the woman in the mask.
In this conversation, Branden and Candace chat about the unlimited positivity and possibility that each day holds if we choose to move toward defiant joy.
“Something in me calls and says something in this day has unlimited positivity and possibility. And I want it.” — Candace Payne
