Meet Sharde Ward | Content Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sharde Ward and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sharde, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
After I graduated college, I went on to work in Human Resources as a tech company. I never understood the importance and true meaning behind “work-life balance” until then; that term was not even something I truly knew about to be honest. I did not realize how detrimental this was, until my mental health was impacted more than anything. I had no way out at the time because I agreed to working for the company for a year. This was the hardest season of my life – I began having anxiety which I hadn’t felt in years at the time, thoughts that were not healthy and I would go home crying to my husband everyday because this job was so toxic and stressful. Because of this, that is a top priority for any company I work for and I know that I just demand it. Work-life balance ensures that you are healthy, have time for other things outside of a job that you spend most of your time at, and also, so that you can show up for your family which is most important!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Though I am not a full time content creator, I know that my brand is MINE, and as a long as I continue to work at it, it can become even something greater. My brand is BecomingSharde. After life came falling down on me, all of the things I had gone through, I realized that I had never truly been able to be myself. Once I realized that though, was the moment I knew that I was “Becoming”. I discovered what that looked like. It simply looked like me becoming who I was never allowed to be in the past in certain relationships. It looked like me reintroducing myself to others, even if they could not/do not accept it. It also looked like me being all of me, the good, bad, and the ugly in order to flourish into the true, authentic Sharde’. I see my brand as a story that is true for many people. Some of us are trying so hard to find ourselves, and become something after experiencing trauma, a life’s altering moment and whatever have you. This is how I began, “BecomingSharde”.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Okay, so this isn’t hard for me, but it is because I’m a simple person. Take me to brunch, lunch and I’ll cook dinner or go out with my husband at night, lol. If my best friend were in town, because we have similarities, I’d take them this place called Milk and Honey. OMG, they have this breakfast that has hot biscuits with fried chicken on too smothered in a Cajun sauce and eggs – it’s legit the best! I love hanging out at the beltline near Piedmont park or Ponce city Market; I’d definitely take them there.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
This is easy, my husband. He pushes me more than anyone because he sees the battle I fight every single day; even the ones that are unknown that I fight silently. He knows my strengths and weaknesses and reminds me of my potential. I lost my grit and confidence after my first job out of college. Actually, it started while I was in college. I truly saw no purpose in going to school after a while and I just went with the motions of each day. My husband knew all of this and everything up until now. He doesn’t let me quit or settle. His background in the Army definitely shines sometimes when I’m down because he’s the type of person that will see a roadblock and will keep going instead of being down about it for a long time or if at all. For me, that means just shaking it off and continuing on.

Instagram: Instagram.com/becomingsharde

Youtube: YouTube.com/becomingsharde

Image Credits
3rd Photo: Jakari Ward