Just to clarify, there are at least 3 different uses of profile. Colour profile as in ICC profiles, RT profile as in workflow steps and sidecar, and camera profile as in calibration (actually profile is a more accurate term but I am using calibration to help clarify the term).
The order of workflow is to profile your camera, use it as an input profile, use an ICC profile as a working profile and use the normal RT workflow to get the colours and look you want. The first two steps are technical. The last one is artistic. I.e. the default Canon aesthetic is actually an artistic one. In open source raw developers, you aren’t limited to one look. E.g. you can take photos using a Canon 5dmk4 and give it the appearance of a Leica ('sup L haters).