
Candace sits down with Ben and Corley Spell, founders of Good Ranchers, to talk about entrepreneurship, marriage, parenting through hardship, and the unseen spiritual battles we all face.
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Candace Cameron Bure
She says to me, what was it like when God spoke to you? That's random.
Ben Spell
Yeah.
Candace Cameron Bure
Random question. Yeah. I mean, I don't know. She said, what was it like? And I said, I just knew it was God. Why do you ask? And she said, because last week or two weeks ago, I just really believed that I heard God tell me that my cancer was dead.
Ben Spell
I don't know about you, but I love to colorfully highlight my Bible. Mr. Pen is the brand of Bible highlighters that I use. Mr. Pen is a company dedicated to creating pens and highlighters specifically to be used in your Bible. With over 1 million 5 star reviews on Amazon, they are the most popular Bible highlighters and pens on the market. To get 10% off your first Mr. Pen order, go to canvaspens.com Join me in diving into the Word in 2025. Life is like a roller coaster, but it's so much better when we go through it together. Welcome to the Candace Cameron bury podcast. Season 10 is coming this week and it is going to be a deep dive with my guest co host, Jonathan Paluda. And you'll get to meet my son who missed the parenting season because he got sick, Lev Bure for the very first time. The series is called you'd Story has a villain. And if you have questions about angels, demons and things that kind of bump you in the night, you don't want to miss this season. I have had so many incredible guests over the last couple of years and each season has a specific theme. You know, some people's podcasts cover current hot topics or news, but here we share deep conversations about life's challenges, celebrations, and everything in between. And you can binge and re watch an entire season and you'll learn something new every time. Today I get to interview some very special guests. Ben and Carly Spell have four kids. They are business owners who are shaking up the industry. They started their business in 2018 focused on being a sustainable and reliable bridge between American farmers and tens of thousands of customers. And you'll get to hear more about that. But today we're really going to focus and talk about their journey as parents and as a couple fighting to have a healthy marriage and family. And just as a reminder, if you're watching on YouTube, would you hit the subscribe button and click the bell icon so you don't miss any episodes? Come join us. Ben and Corlee, welcome to the show.
Candace Cameron Bure
Hi.
Corlee Spell
Hello. Thanks for having us. We're so excited to be here.
Ben Spell
Yeah, you're so welcome. We tried to do this a While ago, and the LA fires broke out in Pacific Palisades and Altadena, and we were kind of all here and ready to go. And then that happened. And so I feel like this has been a long time in the making.
Candace Cameron Bure
I was really trying to make it happen. I kept saying, baby, I think it's you.
Corlee Spell
Really.
Candace Cameron Bure
I think it's going to be okay. We should just at least fly. She was like, are you not watching the news?
Corlee Spell
Yeah.
Ben Spell
Yeah, it was kind of.
Candace Cameron Bure
I was full of faith.
Corlee Spell
Yes.
Candace Cameron Bure
I was wrong.
Ben Spell
It's good. I know it's. I mean, not. I know, but it's good to have faith. But it was one of those things. We were. We were all kind of waiting on the day. I could see that fire out my window. And we're like, something's going on. And it just kept getting bigger and bigger. And then the phone calls start happening, like, are we actually going to work today? Because, you know, my studio wasn't directly affected. We weren't in a. An area that we had to. To leave. But still, it's like a whole lot of people are affected driving in. What are we going to do? So anyway, it obviously got way bigger and was massive, and so everything got pushed for several months, but here we are.
Corlee Spell
Yeah, we're here.
Candace Cameron Bure
Yeah. We were on the way to the airport this morning to fly out here. It was. It started storming out of nowhere. I mean, the skies turned just black. And we thought, if our flight gets delayed, we're never doing that podcast because God is trying to tell us. Just. Just don't.
Ben Spell
You know, interestingly enough, this whole season that we're about to go into is on spiritual warfare.
Candace Cameron Bure
Yeah.
Ben Spell
And, you know, if that had happened, I absolutely would have said there's some.
Candace Cameron Bure
Spiritual warfare going on.
Ben Spell
If you guys.
Corlee Spell
I mean, I'm sitting here today, I felt like it was the enemy trying to keep it, because I feel like it's going to be great. I feel like people are going to be encouraged and their faith and all of that. So I think it's going to be a good one.
Ben Spell
Yeah.
Candace Cameron Bure
We made it.
Ben Spell
You made it. And we're here. We get to talk about it. What I didn't realize. So we have a few friends in common that I didn't know. But you guys know Dr. Josh and Christy Straub?
Corlee Spell
Yeah. Oh, yeah.
Candace Cameron Bure
Well, I'm in a men's group with Josh.
Ben Spell
You're in a men's group with Josh. Okay, great. Because they were on a full season of the podcast, and we talked about parenting and which we're going to talk about that today.
Candace Cameron Bure
But he makes me slightly insecure about parenting.
Ben Spell
Because he just knows so much.
Candace Cameron Bure
And he's a wealth of knowledge.
Ben Spell
Yeah, he is. He was. So. Yeah, they are. We. That's a. It's such a great season. And for all of our listeners, if you haven't heard that season, I really encourage you to go back and listen to it. But it's so. It's fun when you meet new friends and then you have friends in common.
Candace Cameron Bure
Yeah, absolutely.
Ben Spell
It's really great. And we, we actually got to meet at Ali Bestuckey's conference. That was the first time.
Corlee Spell
Yeah, that was amazing.
Ben Spell
This year, the Arrows conference, which is really cool.
Corlee Spell
Yeah. I'm so glad that you ended up being a part of that because in the beginning, I don't think it was certain that you were. Or maybe she was keeping it from the public. But whenever they announced it, I was like, oh, this is going to be a good one. And it was. Everyone, everyone left so encouraged. It was a really, really awesome event.
Ben Spell
Yeah, it really was. And I was laughing because when you showed up today, you were like, I knew not to wear high heels because you realized how short I was in person when we met.
Corlee Spell
I know I didn't even wear my cow. My cowboy boots because that's what I had on at the event. And we took her picture. I was like, oh, my.
Ben Spell
How tall are you?
Corlee Spell
5, 10? I mean, yeah, it's tall, but 6ft.
Ben Spell
With your boots on.
Corlee Spell
Yeah, I know.
Ben Spell
Yeah, I know. A little shorty over here, but I own it.
Candace Cameron Bure
Yeah.
Ben Spell
I want to hear all about you guys. I want you to really tell all of our listeners and watchers, you know, like, who you are. Tell me first of all how you fell in love. Like, what's your love story? How many years have you been married?
Candace Cameron Bure
10 years.
Corlee Spell
10 this year.
Ben Spell
Congrats.
Corlee Spell
Yeah. In July, we were just talking about what we should do for 10 years, but 10 years.
Candace Cameron Bure
10 years, two businesses, four kids.
Ben Spell
So how did you meet? How did it all start?
Candace Cameron Bure
We met a church. Yeah. I was on staff. I was a worship pastor at a church in Houston. And her and her family started coming there. And we met at a friendsgiving at someone's house mutually invited to. And it was actually like a wear your pajamas. And she wore this leopard onesie. Wow.
Corlee Spell
It was a zip up like footed pajama. Like what children wear. The way you say it.
Candace Cameron Bure
Hey.
Ben Spell
So scandalous. I'm assuming that it was going to be scandalous.
Candace Cameron Bure
And you know what?
Corlee Spell
You're doing.
Candace Cameron Bure
The rest is history. Yeah.
Corlee Spell
Yeah. We had a whirlwind romance. From like meeting to marriage was like six months.
Ben Spell
Oh, wow.
Corlee Spell
Yeah. I came from the wedding planning industry at a wedding planning company and I just saw, you know, big extravagant weddings all the time and I could never see my family in a ballroom. We're from Louisiana, and just very simple. And so whenever we met and we fell in love so fast, I was like, you know what? Let's just say lope. So we eloped.
Ben Spell
We just went to wow the wedding Planner alone.
Corlee Spell
I did. I totally did. And he was, he was so on board. I was so glad. Went to Punta Cana and got married and came back and had like a small gathering with our close friends and family at my parents house. But it was awesome.
Ben Spell
That's really cool. I feel like most men, if given the choice to elope, would happily say yes.
Corlee Spell
Oh, totally.
Ben Spell
Like, my husband Val, does not enjoy weddings and I only make him come to one if it's like a really, you know, it's like family. I'm like, babe, you suck it up. You gotta go. Yeah, with me. But otherwise I grab a friend or I just go. So solo.
Corlee Spell
Yeah.
Ben Spell
I don't know a lot of guys that love weddings.
Corlee Spell
Yeah. But now for our tenure, I'm like, I kind of want to have the reception we never had now. Kind of want to get the live band and have all of our now friends that we've made together since being married. I think it could be fun.
Ben Spell
That sounds great.
Corlee Spell
Would you be on board with that?
Candace Cameron Bure
You're planting the seed.
Ben Spell
Okay, we'll see right here on the podcast. You heard it, people.
Corlee Spell
Yeah. We have three months to plan.
Candace Cameron Bure
Yeah. We met, fell in love, and just wanted to start our life together. And we moved to Chicago. I took a job at a church there. And then we. Maybe three, four months of being there. We had a miscarriage and it just really shook us of. Oh, man. All of our family is back home, which was Houston, and we felt how alone we were during that time. And we said, you know what? It just made us realize the importance of family and friends and that we didn't have that. And so we said, you know what, we don't want to try to put roots down here. Let's go back to Texas. And so she started her wedding planning business and. And then I was still. I was a worship pastor. And so coming back from Chicago, I was just kind of leading at different places on the weekends and kind of. I wasn't trying to find a Place to land, but nothing was really landing. And over. Over the course of a year or a couple years, really, we were watching a lot of Shark Tank and started having this idea of the meat company. And when I first had the idea, I actually told somebody, I told early that somebody should do this because it was the last thing that I would have thought that I never wanted to.
Ben Spell
Be an entrepreneur and say what the idea is. Like. Like, what was the idea?
Candace Cameron Bure
Well, early. Early on, it was just. It was just starting a meat company that would rival Omaha Steaks because I was. I remember thinking, man, no one is delivering meat to. To people and doing it really well. Omaha Steaks, like, owns that category and has for a hundred years or had for 100 years. This was back in 2016, 2017. And. And so that was the idea that started really planting was, man, somebody should. They need competition. That's. That's kind of what it was. And, and, and I remember talking about it, but it was the last thing that we thought we would ever do. And then over. Over the course of a year or so, one morning, I was getting ready for the church that I was working at at the time, and I started having this idea of a meat company again. And I heard God's voice crystal clear, as loud as day in. In my head. It's so funny when we say we, We. We say we hear God. But it's just. But, you know, but you're.
Ben Spell
It's. It's. It. You do. You. It's impressed upon you in a way that, you know, it's not just you thinking about it and you're like, that. That's the voice of God.
Candace Cameron Bure
Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Because it. And what I heard was, I'm having these ideas of this meat company again. And what I heard was, you do it. And it shook me to my core. And so I came out of the bathroom from getting ready and I walked up to Corlee and I said, I think God just told me to start a meat company, thinking she was going to give me the list of reasons of why we shouldn't do that. We don't have any money. We don't know anything about agriculture. You don't even cook meat. I eat.
Ben Spell
Really?
Candace Cameron Bure
Yeah.
Ben Spell
Okay. But you don't.
Candace Cameron Bure
People think, well, if you. Maybe you were really into grilling or really into.
Ben Spell
And you weren't?
Candace Cameron Bure
No, I was. I'd never cooked a steak in my life. I'd never. I wasn't like, I wasn't that guy. I was a musician. Like, wow, piano. I play guitar.
Corlee Spell
I sing right where Good Ranchers is now. It's just like, wow, this really came from. This had to have come from God, the way that it's just been blessed the whole time. So.
Candace Cameron Bure
Yeah. And so she looked.
Ben Spell
Yeah. What was your reaction when he said.
Candace Cameron Bure
She looks back at me and says, if you heard God, then I trust you.
Ben Spell
That's awesome.
Candace Cameron Bure
And it was.
Corlee Spell
Yeah.
Candace Cameron Bure
Yeah, it was the most empowering thing that. The most empowering moment of my life.
Ben Spell
And so, yeah, it's a supportive wife.
Candace Cameron Bure
Yeah. And. And so went and talked to the church I was working at. I went and talked to the pastor and told him that we were going to start a new company. And, yeah, a few months later, I'm selling meat out of the back of a truck in a parking lot in Waco, Texas. But we were so blessed just early on, and I had no idea what we were doing, but as we began to just dive into it and just trust God, so, so many people don't realize, like, the way God works. Disclaimer. I don't know really the way God works. But I do know one thing. When he says go, you go.
Ben Spell
Yeah.
Candace Cameron Bure
And if he calls you, he's going to equip you. You're probably already equipped when he calls you. But. But even further, he's going to continue to equip you. He's not going to give you the whole plan. He's not going to give you all of the steps. So. But when he says go, you need to go and you need to keep listening.
Corlee Spell
Yeah. Yeah.
Candace Cameron Bure
And. And so we, we just went. And I remember after about the, the first year, we were really, we were really blessed the first year we did, we did really well.
Ben Spell
You said, you said you were selling meat out of the back of the truck in Waco. Do you guys know Jonathan Pakluda? Had you ever met him or know him?
Candace Cameron Bure
I've never met him, but.
Ben Spell
Interesting.
Candace Cameron Bure
Okay, well, met him earlier today.
Ben Spell
Yeah. Yeah.
Candace Cameron Bure
And when he Waco, I was like, oh, man, that's.
Ben Spell
Yeah. So I was thinking, yeah, that's where.
Candace Cameron Bure
Our journey with good ranchers actually began. And, but yeah, we were just, we were really blessed. And again, just following God, selling meat, thinking that it was part of. Thinking that it was part of a, of a, of a. Of a bigger plan to not really have a successful meat company. What we really thought was, okay, we're going to, we're going to start a church. We're going to do something in ministry, because that's what we, that's just what my life has Been. And then with her being a planner and when we first got married, I originally was telling her that we'll probably start a church one day. We want to plan a church one day. And then so starting a meat company is far left field. And so about a year in, she's like, okay, when we start in the church and I'm thinking, I don't know, God said start a meat company. So.
Ben Spell
And you're like, how is. How does meat ministry. How do we make meat ministry?
Candace Cameron Bure
So then we go into year. You get at the end of year two, which is 2019 at this time, she says the same thing. She's like, hey, what's happened? You know, so when are we starting the church? And. And, and I was like, I really think that God's saying, he said start a meat company. That's what we're doing. I'm still listening, but I just feel like this is what he wants us to do right now. And then that next year in 2020. Covid. Covid hit hits. The world goes bonkers.
Corlee Spell
Yeah. All the while we had three children under the age of three.
Candace Cameron Bure
Oh yeah, I forgot about that.
Ben Spell
So I was good. I know. To hear the story, but I wanted to. Where the kids fit in because.
Corlee Spell
Oh, they're there.
Ben Spell
Yeah. Okay.
Candace Cameron Bure
Oh yeah. That's the part I left out when. When I said.
Ben Spell
Cuz you said you miscarried the first. Your first baby.
Corlee Spell
Correct.
Ben Spell
But then you did get pregnant and had.
Candace Cameron Bure
Yes.
Ben Spell
3. Now at this point, when you've started this point.
Candace Cameron Bure
Yes, the marriage, the miscarriage was in 2016. And then in 2017, we got pregnant with Bear.
Corlee Spell
A rainbow baby.
Candace Cameron Bure
Yeah. And. And so the part I left out of the story when I said, I think God, so I want to start a meat company. Our oldest at the time, that was. He was probably 2 months old, 8 weeks, 12 weeks, somewhere around there. So we had just had to.
Ben Spell
So that's even more than you were like you had a newborn and you're like, if that's what God told you, I'm all in.
Candace Cameron Bure
Which could have been Mommy Fogg.
Corlee Spell
I could have been. I do feel like God prepared my heart for that moment before I even realized that I did not see that coming. Like, that was a shock for him to say that to me. And so the fact that I did say that, I know it came from God because it was an easy yes. And I look back and I'm like, I've already started a company. My. My parents had their own company. My sister, my brother, we're all. We've all been entrepreneurs. And so, yeah, it just felt like an easy yes. Like, sure. Like, yes, we could start a business. I wasn't, you know, just boxed into the.
Ben Spell
Yes.
Corlee Spell
Nine to five regular corporate world or whatever.
Ben Spell
So I relate to that very much because I am an entrepreneur. So is my husband.
Corlee Spell
Yeah.
Ben Spell
And it's. I love when to encourage people that are thinking of starting their business. I'm like, do it, do it, do it.
Corlee Spell
Just.
Ben Spell
See, even to be your own boss is just life changing.
Corlee Spell
Yeah.
Ben Spell
And. Yeah. And I, you know, but so many people get really nervous just to take the first step, but it's great. And having to have a spouse, that's like, yeah, we'll do it. I'm not scared of this for sure. Even though it's completely unknown in terms of, like, were not really related to meat products or farmers or anything like that. I mean, that's, I think, the scariest part. But so good for you.
Candace Cameron Bure
Yeah. Last year we realized, hey, this was the first year that you're not. We don't either. That we don't either have a newborn or you're pregnant. And.
Ben Spell
Yeah.
Candace Cameron Bure
And we. We went into 24. 2024, saying that. And because we're. We're done with, you know, four was the number. It was actually the number that we. We prayed about and felt like we would have before we ever. Like, right when we got married. So we felt that completion of four. And so we went into 2024 going, all right, this is like, this is going to be easy.
Ben Spell
Right.
Candace Cameron Bure
And then. Except Whirly had a real relapse of cancer that we found in. In January of last year. 2024.
Ben Spell
Okay. And can you back up, though? So when did you have cancer the first time?
Corlee Spell
It was in 21 when I was just six weeks pregnant with our fourth baby. I got a diagnosis of skin cancer. It was melanoma, which I didn't know anything one about cancer or about skin cancer. And I just. It was kind of a random dermatologist appointment. Hadn't been in years. But he had a spot on him that I thought looked funny.
Candace Cameron Bure
And turns out I was fine.
Corlee Spell
She had cancer.
Ben Spell
It was me.
Corlee Spell
So, yeah, I got the call a few days later after they did a biopsy in the office. And, you know, they're like, it's melanoma. We need to send you to MD Anderson for further testing to see if it's spread. Of course I'm pregnant, so options are limited and super scary. But I was. I was shook for, like, two nights. I was devastated. And, you know, just crying and crying out to God. And then after that, I was just full of faith, and I went. I had surgery in my second trimester, and they removed everything else and didn't find anything else except a lymph node, but it was so small that they weren't concerned, didn't think I needed to do any kind of treatment or anything. So we waited, had the baby. She's healthy and huge and full of life, which is amazing. But then, yeah, last year, in January, 24, I felt another swollen lymph node near the one that they removed, and sure enough, they did a biopsy, and it was back. So last year, I was on a whole healing journey. It was crazy, but it was. 24 was a ride.
Candace Cameron Bure
Yeah, we thought it was. We went into it going, it's going to be easier.
Ben Spell
Right.
Candace Cameron Bure
But.
Ben Spell
And. And then. And where does. Where does it stand? Today?
Corlee Spell
I healed. Am healed. I received my healing. Praise the Lord. And I started out super strong. I had no symptoms, which is just crazy. If you haven't gotten your skin checked, please go get it checked, because this is very preventable if you catch it early. Because I knew that I wanted to do an integrated approach. I didn't want to just do strictly conventional or strictly juicing. You know, I wanted to kind of throw everything at it. And so with a lot of prayer, we. We figured out this would be the best approach, so we did that. And then I went back to MD Anderson in Houston and did two rounds of immunotherapy, and I was feeling great. And then when I did that in March of last year, I mean, I was so sick. I was bedridden. I was running high fever every night, sweating, just waking up in, like, puddles of sweat, in so much pain. It was. Yeah, it was bad.
Candace Cameron Bure
Yeah, it was rough.
Corlee Spell
Couldn't pick up my kids. I mean, I was in the home, but I wasn't there.
Ben Spell
Right.
Corlee Spell
You know.
Ben Spell
Right.
Candace Cameron Bure
Yeah. You know, when you're your. Your babies. Because what. Daisy was one and a half at that point, and. Or no, two. She was. She just turned two in February, so. And she's just crying. You know, they want mommy, but she can't get out of bed, you know, and that was. Was rough. It was really, really rough. And. And so we go after the 60 days of immunotherapy, we go to the hospital, back to MD Anderson for them to do the ultrasound and all the tests to see what they need to do for surgery. And by this point, I mean her entire side, where it was all I mean, it was black and swollen and it was like what started out as maybe a marble was now the size of a grapefruit. And the doctor came out and said that. She said, your cancer laughed at the therapy that we threw at it.
Corlee Spell
Oh, wow.
Candace Cameron Bure
It progressed.
Ben Spell
That's hard news to hear.
Candace Cameron Bure
So they gave her this heavy chemotherapy, drugs, pills. And she was like, this is not curative, but we want you to take this because we hope it can shrink it so we can to make surgery easier. And we left from there and we were just devastated. She couldn't again. She was. I was wheeling her in a wheelchair.
Ben Spell
What did your faith look like at this point? Because people listening, you know, they handle these kind of diagnosis in a different way, whether you're a believer or not a believer. But what did it, what was it like for you?
Corlee Spell
So I'll back up to January, and that's when I. I was just full of faith from the beginning. I mean, he would even. I remember telling like our pastors, and I'm just sharing. I'm like, no, I'm gonna be fine. Like, God's gonna heal me. And you're like, corly puts on a brave face. This is hard. And yes, it was hard, but I mean, I was full of faith and not scared at all. But I was also like, seeking God. I mean, we did a churchwide fast in January last year. That was actually my first time to fast. I didn't grow up doing fasting as a spiritual discipline. And so we. I jumped in all in on that. And it was. I mean, already I could just see miracles, signs and wonders happening, even in like my test from then and fasting.
Ben Spell
Can you just explain? Because you can fast in all different ways. Would you share with us how you fasted or how long or throughout the day?
Corlee Spell
Yeah. So the church wide fast that we do, I think it's 49 hours. But I kind of combine it with like some health stuff too. So from what I've read, I'm not a doctor. Okay. But I'm a learner.
Ben Spell
Right.
Corlee Spell
And so 72 hours is kind of when your body starts cleaning out the bad cells and all the good things start happening in your body. And so that was kind of our like, starting point was 72 hours.
Candace Cameron Bure
Yeah. And water only.
Corlee Spell
Yeah, water only. Okay. And coffee. I do coffee. Everyone has their own best anyways. And it was powerful. I mean, I've just never just been that intimate with God before in my life. And it was just. I love, I love it. And so now it is a regular Spiritual discipline that we practice, and we're teaching it to our kids. And they're so cute because they're.
Ben Spell
How old are your kids now?
Corlee Spell
So my old. Our oldest is seven. The boys are seven and six, and the girls are three and four.
Ben Spell
Okay.
Corlee Spell
Yeah.
Candace Cameron Bure
Yeah.
Corlee Spell
And so our oldest, the boys are so curious, like, what can I fast? What can I fast? I'm like, you know, do you guys.
Ben Spell
Do, like, a day for them or is it a few meals or one meal a day?
Candace Cameron Bure
We don't do any food fast.
Corlee Spell
Yeah, I think. Or sweets. We've done, like, no cookies or whatever.
Ben Spell
You do other things for fasting with the kids.
Corlee Spell
Yeah, got it. But I'm. I'm hoping that they see mom and dad doing it, and so it'll just be something that incredible for them.
Candace Cameron Bure
Yeah. And now if they don't want to eat something, they say they're fasting.
Ben Spell
I'm fasting from the green beans tonight.
Corlee Spell
Exactly, exactly. So anyways, you asked, like, where my faith was. It was so strong. And the part that Ben didn't know during that appointment, when they came to me and told me the horrible news, just terrible news, and I.
Candace Cameron Bure
What was. So what happened was when we left the. The doctor's office, we went to the pharmacy there at MD Anderson to get the chemo pills, and. And she almost fell out of a wheelchair because she. Again, she was so sick. So we actually took her straight to the emergency room there at MD Anderson, and they checked her in, and. And they. They. They believed that the area was infected because it was. The. The main tumor was so big, it.
Corlee Spell
Outgrew its blood supply.
Candace Cameron Bure
There it is.
Corlee Spell
Oh, wow. Yeah.
Ben Spell
Wow.
Corlee Spell
That's what they believe.
Candace Cameron Bure
And so then dying inside of her, it started getting infected. And so they were like, hey, I think this. I think there's. I think this infection happened. So they put her on antibiotics, and. And then I don't know if it was middle of the night or the next morning or whenever. It was all kind of a blur, but she started feeling better. We were driving home, and she says to me, what was it like when God spoke to you to start a meat company? I'm like, that's random. Yeah, random question. I was like, I mean, I don't know. She's like, what was it like? And I said. I was like. I just. I just know. I just knew it was God. Like, why do you ask? And she said, because. She said, because I. Last week or two weeks ago, like.
Corlee Spell
Before all those appointments.
Candace Cameron Bure
Yeah, before they. Like, last week. Two weeks ago. Or so she said. I just really believe that I heard God tell me that my cancer was dead.
Ben Spell
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Candace Cameron Bure
And, you know, but the doctors were saying that it's thriving and it's spreading and laughed at the treatment. And you know, and I said, if God told you, if God said it was dead, then we're going to believe that, that it's dead. And, and so she didn't take the chemo pills that they, they prescribed her. She, she didn't, she didn't want to do it. She was too.
Corlee Spell
I mean, this was a faith based decision. Like this was going against any recommendation from the doctors, from my family, my mom, my sister. I mean, everyone's like, take the pills they told you to. Yeah, you know, do it. I said, I don't need to. I don't need to. I, it's dead. God told me that I don't need to take these because the number one side effect for these pills was more cancer. More cancer.
Candace Cameron Bure
And it says it right on the box.
Corlee Spell
I know. And so, and I'm not saying that people shouldn't absolutely take chemo or whatever they need to do that God tells them they need to do. But God didn't, He didn't tell me that I needed to take that. And so that's why I didn't.
Ben Spell
So then. Yeah, so then what happened? Like, how many, how many days or weeks was it until you saw them again?
Corlee Spell
They wanted me to wait six weeks to take those for six weeks before surgery and then have surgery.
Candace Cameron Bure
We called and asked for a rescan. They said, we don't need to. We've seen everything. We know what's in there, we've done scans. And we're like, no, but I'm feeling better, I want to rescan. And so reluctantly, they said, well, we'll do an Ultrasound. And they. So we went in, and this was four weeks later. Go in, they do an ultrasound, and they notice that it's different. So then they did a.
Corlee Spell
It was over 50% smaller already.
Candace Cameron Bure
So they did another scan. Yeah.
Ben Spell
Wow.
Candace Cameron Bure
They're like, hey, the chemo's working. It's massively shrunk, and this is way better. The. You know, the surgery is not going to have to be as.
Ben Spell
Did you tell the doctors at this point that you weren't taking the chemo?
Candace Cameron Bure
Okay, not yet. And so we go to the surgery, she comes out of the surgery, they have to do a biopsy on everything after it's removed. And the.
Corlee Spell
I was so full of faith, Candace. I remember telling him. I'm like, I don't even need the results from the surgery. I just know it's dead.
Ben Spell
Wow.
Candace Cameron Bure
The biopsy came back, and everything was completely dead. Everything they removed was completely dead. No. No living cancer in her body.
Corlee Spell
And the other lymph nodes that they thought it had spread to, they removed some of those two to test. There was no cancer in them ever, though it hadn't spread. They were wrong, and it was already dead. So praise God. Yes. Total miracle. And so the oncologist comes in.
Ben Spell
For those of you not. Not watching this podcast, but listening to it. Like, my mouth is just open. It's just on the floor.
Corlee Spell
Yes. So my oncologist comes in after my surgery, and we go over the results together, and. And she's. She's not a believer, and she thinks I'm crazy already. And so she's kind of. She's not excited, but she's not sad. And she's like, okay, since this was a response from the chemo pills, and those aren't curative, it's good, but it's not the best. You know, you need to take these for another year, and we need to monitor you closely. And I looked at her, And I said, Dr. Marja, I didn't take the chemo pills. And her jaw just dropped.
Ben Spell
Yeah.
Corlee Spell
I mean, she just.
Ben Spell
Like deer in a headlight. Okay.
Corlee Spell
You didn't take the chemo pills? What are you talking about? I was like, I. I didn't need to take them. God told me that it was dead. And so she's looking at her notes. She's, like, thumbing through her paperwork. She's like, well, did he also say anything about radiation? And I'm like, who? God?
Candace Cameron Bure
She is no surgeon.
Corlee Spell
Your surgeon? Because I just met with my surgeon. And so she's not even really listening to me at this point, you know? And I'm like, no, he didn't say anything about radiation. And she said, okay. And so I said, well, let's back up. If this was an immunotherapy response, like, it seems to be, what would you be telling me? And she's like, well, I would be telling you, okay, let's just do scans every three months for a little bit, and then, you know, phase out after that and just monitor you. I'm like, okay. And so that's it. I mean, I'm healed. God healed me.
Ben Spell
That's incredible.
Corlee Spell
Yeah.
Ben Spell
I mean, that's. What a miracle story.
Corlee Spell
Yes. Truly a miracle. And the whole time, I was just like, God, who is this for? Use me. Bring you glory. And it was for a lot of people. I feel like I'm supposed to share this with everyone. But it was also for me, like, I healed not just physically, but spiritually, emotionally. Like, so much healing happened. And, Yeah, I don't. I don't wish cancer on anyone, but I think there are beauty from ashes. There's in the valley. Like, that's where your faith is grown, and that's what happened to me. I mean, my. The roots of my faith are just so deep now. It's incredible.
Ben Spell
Have you always had that faith since you were young, or is it something that became your own later?
Corlee Spell
I. I've always been. I grew up in church, so I've always had a relationship with Jesus and walked with Jesus, but never to this level. And, you know, as you. You get married and then you have children, like, it kind of goes deeper, but this. I mean, being that close to eternity, I mean. And that's why I love fasting, because I feel like it helps me, like, take a step more into the supernatural and see things that way more than just, like, the natural that we're living in. Yeah. So it's just. It's just gotten better and better as I've gotten older.
Ben Spell
It's. Yeah. Praise the Lord.
Corlee Spell
Yeah.
Ben Spell
Tell me about parenting and your kids. I'd actually love to know what, like. Yeah. How it was being a parent through the process of the cancer and then having it again.
Corlee Spell
Yeah. Community was huge. I feel like God just totally teed us up for this because the year before I was diagnosed, my parents moved into our pool house, so my mom was helping full time with the kids, and then my sister and her family and her four kids moved onto our street. His best friend and wife, they. They now work for us, but they've been friends for over 20 years, and they live on our street. So. And then we got involved in a community at church, too, that just surrounded us and felt God's love through people, which was really beautiful.
Ben Spell
Yeah.
Corlee Spell
That is so parenting. Like, I mean, we had friends that would just be like, hey, we're gonna come pick up the kids today and bring them over to our house to swim and play. Because I was so sick having friends.
Candace Cameron Bure
That don't ask that. That don't ask you if there's any. Or don't say if there's anything I can do, just let me know. Yeah. When you're going through those moments, you won't ask us. Yeah, you're not going to ask. So having. Having amazing people to just. To just show up and not say, what do you need? Like, recognize what we need to recognize what we need and just come and do it.
Ben Spell
Yeah.
Candace Cameron Bure
Was. Was amazing.
Corlee Spell
Yeah. Yeah. We were fed. We were loved on. The kids were loved on. I mean, I don't even think it was a blip in their radar and people radar. And people ask me that, they're like, well, how did you explain this to your kids? Or like, what did they know the extent? And we haven't had a cancer talk with them at all because again, my oldest just turned 7, and so them being so little, they just knew mommy was sick. We were believing for healing that God was going to heal her. And we're just gonna pray and believe for that. And they saw it. They got to witness it.
Candace Cameron Bure
Yeah, it was. I mean. I mean, it was very hard.
Ben Spell
Yeah.
Corlee Spell
I mean, again, I was out of it. You were solo parenting. You were carrying the load.
Candace Cameron Bure
It was really hard hearing, especially Daisy, our youngest, and she was 2, just crying every single night, I want mommy. I want Mommy. I want Mommy. And she couldn't, you know, because she. Every single night before you got sick, like you would. We do bedtime together. And so apparently I'm not enough. But that's okay. As Ali. That's Stacky would say.
Ben Spell
So tell me now. You're. You've. You've gone through. You have four kids, you are going through cancer treatment, healing, like, massive faith and trust in God, even remission. And all during this, you're growing a business, you're growing good ranchers.
Candace Cameron Bure
Yeah, it's. You know, again, if God calls you, He's. He's either going to equip you or most likely already has. And yeah, we just. We never lost faith. Like, it wasn't. I say this. I say this pretty regularly. It's never been easy, but it's also Never really been that hard. And doesn't mean it's not. There's. I mean, there's lots of challenges. It's not. It's not easy. But I don't know. I think when God's with you, when God goes before you, when you have your faith and your trust in that, and I say this all the time, it's gonna work out, and it's gonna be for our good. It's gonna work out. It looks one way, but I know that God is for us. And if God's for us, who could be against us? And it's not just trite words. It's the truth. And we have the ability to either accept that or not to accept it or to believe it or to not believe it. And. But, you know, growth is never. Growth is not, you know, it's not a straight line. It's peaks and valleys. And that's. You know, that. That is life.
Ben Spell
It's.
Candace Cameron Bure
We're never. It's never good all the time. But it's the combination of the good and the bad that causes to grow, which is the same thing with, like. I've really been into trees lately.
Ben Spell
Trees? What do you mean?
Corlee Spell
Yeah, what do you mean?
Candace Cameron Bure
The. The Bible talks so much about trees, and we should be like trees and likens us to trees. You should be like a tree planted by the water. Right? And. And, you know, trees, you know, they. They start in the ground, you don't even see it. And all this inner workings and. And, you know, there's so many analogies of if you don't have deep roots and you grow too fast, you're going to topple over. And. Yeah, I've just been just thinking a lot about that lately, and even how trees begin to grow. You know, God saw Adam in the garden, and God was with Adam in the garden and said, it's not good for man to be alone. So me and God's not enough. I need my spouse, and I need community. And that's. It's one of the things that we preach with our business all the time, is that we need. There's fundamental human needs, and we need. We need air, we need water, we need food, and we need each other. And that's what I love about food, is because food brings people together.
Ben Spell
Oh, it sure does. We kind of have. Or I would say my husband in our. In our business, in our family business, we're kind of like, you have everything when you have family, food, and faith. Like, those are the three F words that we love.
Corlee Spell
Yeah.
Candace Cameron Bure
Oh, Gosh, yeah.
Ben Spell
But food's. Food's a big one for us in our household. We. We really do love. I guess hospitality is. That's right word for us. And what my husband thrives in is entertaining with food. He's an incredible chef.
Candace Cameron Bure
Love it.
Ben Spell
And he cooks pretty much at least two meals of the day for our whole family, and he always has. And then, you know, he's gotten to the point where he. I mean, he. He could go on one of these Top Chef programs and give everyone a run for his money, for their money, because it's like he's. He's very, very good. He cares about high quality and. And things that are really tasty. He's not. Not just a guy on the, on the grill, you know, but we so appreciate good ranchers so very much because we do look for quality and taste like it's. Want it to be good. So we love everything that you guys are doing.
Corlee Spell
Yeah.
Ben Spell
And then as entrepreneurs, I. I kind of want like a whole nother podcast episode with you guys just to talk about, like, the business, because those things are really exciting to me about growing businesses. And especially I'm fascinated at the fact that you guys went into meat and not having this history. It's not like you were, you know, dealing. You were dealing with cattle or you were a farmer in some other capacity. And that's really what. What I mean, we farm. You know, we. We have a wine vineyard. We have a. Yeah, we have a vineyard, and we have a wine brand that we've had for 20 years. And that's all our family business. And that's awesome. And our boys work for. For the business, but it's all agriculture, and it's such a beautiful. It's a beautiful place to be. And I've learned so much over the years and talk about likening what we do biblically in the sense with. Because we were talking about the vine and the branches. I mean, just, you know, right out of the Bible, right out of John John or First John. And, and so when. When we actually see that, the tending to the grapes and all through the year and, and growing them and nurturing them and pruning it and making sure everything. It just brings the Bible to life, you know, it's incredible. But. But anyway, we just. We love what you guys are doing. When we first met, I had order. I had ordered some of good ranchers, and you were like, how did you guys like it? And I said, I like, we really eat big in our house, and I need the cuts to be Bigger the cuts of meat. And then you were like, well, we.
Corlee Spell
Have, we have that too. I was like, girl, I got what you need.
Ben Spell
I was like, I didn't see it on the website. I have to go back and order. So now we've gotten the larger cuts of meat and like the filet and the ribeyes, they're just, they're incredible.
Candace Cameron Bure
It's. Yeah, it's better. And because people so many times people go that, that'll have it for the first time and they'll say, man, that was really good. And I'm like, well yes, that's what it's supposed to be.
Ben Spell
It's supposed to be good.
Candace Cameron Bure
Like did you expect it to not be? Yeah, not be good. But yeah, we, and you know, we, we just corly and I, our brand strategy early on was we want to, we want to sell something. We're only going to sell. And this goes through every ingredient, every product line. We're only going to sell what we would eat ourselves and feed to our friends and family. Like we're not gonna. And, and we've stayed true to that even still as we can continue to get into further processed things and you know, things with more ingredients and stuff like that.
Ben Spell
Like yeah, chicken nuggets are so good. And I don't have little kids anymore, so you're kind of like, okay, little chicken nuggets.
Corlee Spell
No, they're good.
Ben Spell
They went in the freezer and then I was shooting a movie when they came, so I did not have first dibs on them. But Val called me and he was like, what are the chicken nuggets that you ordered? Because I, I think I ate all of them. They're so good.
Candace Cameron Bure
Yeah.
Ben Spell
So when I, we got some more and, and I tried them, like, I was like, what are we cooking for dinner? And we were both a little lazy. And I was like, you know what we have, we have the chicken in the, in the freezer and I'm just going to pop it in the oven. We did. And I was like, that was the first time I tried it. And I, it. They're so good. I mean I just, I ate more than I needed to, but I'm like, okay, I got it, it's fine. But yeah, we love that and very much appreciate the ingredients that are not in it.
Candace Cameron Bure
Yes, it's the first seed oil free chicken nugget on the market.
Ben Spell
Yeah.
Candace Cameron Bure
Because. And for a year and a half of trying to find a manufacturer, we kept hit, getting hit with no, everyone, everyone fries them in either canola oil or vegetable oil or soybean oil. Like, yeah, that's. That's just what you do. You can't. It's. And. And we just kept saying, no, no, no, no, no. And. And then finally. Finally I got to the point where I said. I said, if. If we're. Well, I said this through the mouth of Corley just because I knew what she would want. And. And it was, if we can't make them without seed oils, and we're just not going to do it. And so that's when. That's when we got serious. And they said, well, you know what we can do? Avocado oil. Because here's the thing. Every other. You don't have to list the ingredients it's fried in. Every USDA facility is different. And so there's a lot of organic chicken nuggets on the market that are fried in soybean oil or canola oil. They're fried in seed oils. Well, they. I forget how many seconds, but as long as it's not, there's a certain amount of seconds that it can be under. So they can kind of blanch it in the oils and then finish it in the oven. And then you don't have to list. List that it was fried.
Ben Spell
That's so.
Candace Cameron Bure
In seed oil. That's what they were telling us to do. They're like, well, we can just set. We can set it in canola oil and finish them in the oven and no one will ever know. And we were. We said, absolutely not.
Ben Spell
Yeah. Thanks for your integrity on that.
Corlee Spell
Yes.
Candace Cameron Bure
Yeah. Again, because we set out to only sell what we would eat and feed to our family and friends, and it was harder to stay true to. Than we. Than we thought, but in the sense of being able to have those things done.
Ben Spell
Sure.
Candace Cameron Bure
And. Yeah. But we intend to. To keep it that way.
Corlee Spell
Yeah. People should just rest assured. The crunchiest mom in the world is behind good ranchers. I'm already thinking through it. I just know when you, like, find in, like, a category, you're like, who's. Who's leading this and going the healthy way, that I can just trust them. And they're just doing it the right way. Right. I don't have to dive into this black hole of, like, learning about.
Ben Spell
Right.
Corlee Spell
Skin care or whatever it is.
Ben Spell
Yeah.
Corlee Spell
That's it. Like, that's what we're doing.
Ben Spell
I'm just. I'm, like, slowly walking into my. My, My. I'm calling it my scrunchie era. I'm not totally crunchy yet, but I'm walking into it and I like it because I really care about what goes into my body. And I think I'm. I've been. I've been that way for a long time when it comes to my health and the foods that I eat. But now it's rolling into. I'm like, well, I need to care about what I put on top of my skin or what makeup I use, and I'm not totally there yet. There's lots of brands I love and they're. I know they're not great for me, but. But I always think, you know, little baby steps and everything. And for me, it's always started with food. So I so appreciate what you guys are doing and just, you know, love that you love our country and support farmer. Our farmers and. And put good ingredients in the foods that need extra ingredient. Otherwise, it's just meat. It's just meat and it's good. It's tasty. So thanks. Yeah, I loved having you guys. Thanks for coming on the podcast. We actually take a listener question at the end of everyone. So I'm gonna ask this, and each of us can answer or one of us can answer.
Candace Cameron Bure
Paper X is for it.
Corlee Spell
Nose goes.
Ben Spell
This is from Lorraine. Okay. This is a kid question. So fitting. Oh, how can I discipline my kids better? They don't want to listen when I ask them to do things around the house or they ignore me or they laugh. It gets very frustrating and makes me angry. I've taken the electronic devices away and it still doesn't work. What should I do? Oh, well, Lorraine, I feel you.
Corlee Spell
I know.
Ben Spell
I feel you so angry before and so frustrated when my kids don't listen to me. And, and we had a saying in our home when my kids were young, growing up, which, I mean, still applies today, but we always said slow obedience is no obedience. So when mommy Papa asks you to do something the first time we have, you have to obey. Otherwise there's consequences. And of course, that didn't work every time, but that was the consistent verbiage with a fitting consequence for something if they didn't obey what we were asking. And I always think, you know, the discipline heart part is like, it's never fun. No parent wants to do it, and yet we have to do it to teach our kids boundaries and what being a good person is like, being. And. And being a good citizen and. And we put up guardrails. And so I always enc. Especially with younger kids, that when there are things that aren't fun to do, try to make it fun. Like like, cleaning up your room is not fun. And if you're like, go clean your room. And they're like, I don't. I don't want to clean the room. And they're kicking and screaming and whatever, but go in there with them and make a game out of things when you can. So that might be, like, a fun tip that you could try if you haven't already.
Candace Cameron Bure
Yeah.
Ben Spell
What do you guys think? What's your advice?
Candace Cameron Bure
I think it's important what you just said, though. It's like, and age range matters, but if you can start doing those things with your kids when they're young and.
Ben Spell
Yeah.
Candace Cameron Bure
And doing them with them, and I'll be the. You said you're not a doctor. I'm not. I'm not Josh.
Ben Spell
But this is just good old parents. I mean, we're all in the trenches together, so we all encourage each other.
Candace Cameron Bure
Absolutely. And. But. But for me, especially with the boys, because they're. They are, you know, getting. Getting a little bit older, and I tried to do. I tried to do things and let them see me doing those things. So, yeah, they, like. The other. The other night I went to take out the trash where you. You said. You said, babe, can you take out the trash? And Bear said, daddy, I'll do it. Just jumped over there. And. Yeah. And. And he's not big enough to get him out of the bag. But I said, yeah, come on over here and let him help me with it. It's really easy a lot of times to just say, no, no, no, you're not big enough yet. So it's like, I think it's important to start. I know the question is about discipline, but teaching disciplines of cleaning and helping and doing those things. We were with Lisa Bevere last week.
Corlee Spell
And I love Lisa.
Candace Cameron Bure
She's fire parent, her and John both. And she said that that was advice that she got very early on was make your boys clean. She has four boys. Make your kids clean up. You cook, they clean. And I don't know what age she started that, but she said, even to this day, when the kids come over, I cook, they clean. And so I think the earlier you can start those practices, the better. Again, I know this was about discipline.
Ben Spell
Absolutely.
Candace Cameron Bure
What's the announce of prevention is better than a pound of cure? Wait. Oh, yes. Yeah.
Ben Spell
What is it?
Candace Cameron Bure
An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.
Corlee Spell
Yeah.
Ben Spell
Oh, yeah.
Candace Cameron Bure
Starting early to prevent those things.
Corlee Spell
We also have a wooden spanking spin, so we do not spare the rod.
Ben Spell
I know. Depending on the ages, there's yes. Yeah, we definitely. There were times we disciplined in that way, too.
Corlee Spell
Yeah.
Ben Spell
Or I pinch little. I pinch the wrist when they were little, and it was just enough to go, what? And I'm like, okay, listen to Mom.
Candace Cameron Bure
And just to finish this thought on the discipline with the spoon. This was advice that was given to us very early on, and I thought it was great when we use the spoon and we gave it a name that way, it's not our hand. So we're not raising our hand to our child or hitting them. But so they. They fear this boon more than they fear us.
Corlee Spell
Yes.
Candace Cameron Bure
And it's just a little.
Corlee Spell
Yeah, yeah. And also just as much as you react to those moments when they're not listening, give that same amount of reaction to the moment where they do when they're doing something good.
Ben Spell
Yeah, that's great advice.
Corlee Spell
You know, just, like, celebrate that really big. Just as big as you would with the former.
Ben Spell
I'm going to add one more thing, Lorraine, to your question, because you said you've taken electronic devices away and it still hasn't worked. So if your kids are maybe a little older, maybe they do have cell phones. I don't know what age. Another practice. And you could actually go back and listen to the podcast season on Parenting, because there's so. There's so much good stuff in there. I would, actually, because I think electronic devices today are a big proponent in kids being distract and not listening and just being, you know, glued to those things. And instead of only taking away the electronic devices as. As a discipline action, I would try incorporating times when you just don't have the electronic devices in your home. So it's not always a punishment, but you're like, hey, at the dinner table, we don't have electronic devices. For us, we didn't let our kids be on the phone. If we were driving in the car, that was a time for us to talk. So we're like, there's no phones in the car. And don't let me catch you with a phone in the car. I mean, you can. You can have it. You can't be on it. And no. No putting headphones in to listen to your own music. Like, no. Either we're having a conversation or we're silent. If you don't want to talk, I love that. But those are ways that it doesn't feel like discipline. But they're also getting used to being without their electronic devices.
Corlee Spell
Yeah.
Ben Spell
So I hope that helps. Thanks for answering the questions. And it was so great having you on the show.
Corlee Spell
Yeah.
Candace Cameron Bure
Thank you so much for having us.
Ben Spell
If you want to get involved in Ben and Corley's business, just go to goodranchers.com I've had their 100American grown meat in my freezer and on my plate and I can tell you they know what they're doing. If you've been listening for a while, you've heard me say life is like a roller coaster and it's so true. Life can be messy. Messy, it can be confusing. But we get to go through the ups and downs together. And that's why I love getting your questions. They help me know how to bring the kind of guests that will help you the Most. Go to Candice.com to ask questions and find the free downloads from every season, including the parenting guide from season seven. Join me next week for my series with Pastor Jonathan. Until next time, be grateful all day, every day. Candy Rock Entertainment. All rights reserved.
Podcast Summary: The Candace Cameron Bure Podcast
Episode: Faith Over Fear: How Ben and Corley Spell Built Good Ranchers and Witnessed a Miracle
Release Date: April 29, 2025
In this heartfelt episode of The Candace Cameron Bure Podcast, host Candace welcomes special guests Ben and Corley Spell, a dynamic married couple and parents of four. The episode, titled "Faith Over Fear: How Ben and Corley Spell Built Good Ranchers and Witnessed a Miracle," delves into their inspiring journey of entrepreneurship, parenting, and unwavering faith amidst personal trials.
Ben and Corley Spell share their enchanting love story, which blossomed rapidly after meeting at a friendsgiving event organized by their church in Houston. Their whirlwind romance led to an elopement in Punta Cana, highlighting their commitment and shared values.
Corley Spell [07:35]: "We had a whirlwind romance. From like meeting to marriage was like six months."
The couple discusses the challenges of establishing their lives together, including a stint in Chicago where they faced the emotional turmoil of a miscarriage. This difficult period underscored the importance of family and community, prompting their return to Texas.
In 2018, driven by a shared entrepreneurial spirit and a divine calling, Ben and Corley founded Good Ranchers—a sustainable meat company aimed at providing high-quality, American-grown meat to customers. Their mission was not only business-oriented but also rooted in serving the community by supporting American farmers.
Candace probes deeper into Corley's spiritual journey, particularly her profound experience of hearing God's directive to start a meat company. This pivotal moment reaffirmed their path despite initial uncertainties and lack of experience in the agriculture sector.
Corley Spell [12:30]: "I think God just told me to start a meat company... It shook me to my core."
Candace emphasizes the significance of Corley's faith and Corley acknowledges the divine orchestration behind their success:
Corley Spell [12:54]: "It's just like, wow, this really came from. This had to have come from God, the way that it's just been blessed the whole time."
Their commitment to faith-based entrepreneurship shaped Good Ranchers' ethos, emphasizing quality, integrity, and community support.
The conversation takes a profound turn as Corley opens up about her battle with melanoma, a form of skin cancer she was diagnosed with in 2021 while six weeks pregnant with their fourth child. The diagnosis was a life-altering event that tested the family's faith and resilience.
Corley Spell [19:37]: "It was melanoma, which I didn't know anything about cancer... I was devastated."
Throughout her treatment, Corley maintained a steadfast belief in God's healing power. She recounts how her faith was her anchor, leading her to make unconventional decisions, such as foregoing prescribed chemotherapy based on her divine assurance of healing.
Corley Spell [29:46]: "God told me that my cancer was dead."
Despite medical skepticism, Corley's unwavering faith led to miraculous remission after surgery confirmed the complete eradication of cancer cells.
Corley Spell [31:43]: "The biopsy came back, and everything was completely dead. Everything they removed was completely dead. No living cancer in her body."
Her healing journey was not only physical but also deeply spiritual and emotional, solidifying her relationship with God and inspiring those around her.
Ben and Corley discuss the challenges of parenting four young children during Corley's illness. The couple highlights the importance of community support, with extended family and friends stepping in to help care for the kids, allowing Ben to focus on supporting Corley through her treatment.
Corley Spell [35:21]: "Community was huge. God just totally teed us up for this... We were fed. We were loved on."
They share how their faith and the support system around them not only sustained them through tough times but also reinforced their commitment to raising their children in a loving, faith-centered environment.
Shifting focus to their business, Ben and Corley elaborate on the inception and growth of Good Ranchers. Starting with selling meat from the back of a truck in Waco, Texas, their venture has grown into a respected brand known for quality and integrity.
Corley Spell [44:20]: "We want to sell only what we would eat ourselves and feed to our friends and family."
They discuss the challenges of establishing a new meat company in a market dominated by established players like Omaha Steaks. Their dedication to using only the best ingredients and avoiding seed oils in their products sets them apart.
Corley Spell [47:07]: "That's the first seed oil free chicken nugget on the market."
Ben reflects on the entrepreneurial spirit, emphasizing the importance of integrity and quality in building a successful business.
Ben Spell [41:25]: "We really do love that you guys are doing."
Towards the end of the episode, Ben, Corley, and Candace address a listener question about disciplining children who are unresponsive to parental requests. They offer practical advice grounded in their experiences as parents, emphasizing consistency, making tasks fun, and modeling good behavior.
Ben Spell [50:00]: "Especially with younger kids, try to make it fun. Like, cleaning up your room is not fun. Go in there with them and make a game out of it."
Corley adds insights on reinforcing positive behavior and maintaining a balanced approach to discipline.
Corley Spell [54:33]: "Just celebrate when they're doing something good, just as much as you react when they're not."
The episode concludes with a heartfelt thank you from Ben and Corley to Candace and listeners. They encourage the audience to support their business, Good Ranchers, and to embrace faith and community in overcoming life's challenges.
Candace Cameron Bure [56:00]: "Thanks for coming on the podcast. We actually take a listener question at the end of every episode."
Ben wraps up by reiterating the podcast's message of navigating life's ups and downs together through faith and support.
Ben Spell [56:00]: "Life is like a roller coaster and it's so true. Life can be messy. But we get to go through the ups and downs together."
This episode of The Candace Cameron Bure Podcast is a testament to the power of faith, resilience, and community. Ben and Corley Spell's journey from a rapid romance to building a successful family and business, all while overcoming personal health challenges, offers profound insights and inspiration for listeners navigating their own life's rollercoasters.