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

Hi Dez, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Although sports, basketball primarily, is the key to my heart – simply being that you can apply sports to many aspects of life, being creative allows me to think outside the box. More importantly it helps connect us. We’re able to learn, share ideas, collaborate, and tap into a zone that can’t be touched. The feeling you get when you the see the results or see how the audience responds is unimaginable. Essentially there’s no right or wrong when it comes to being an artist or creator. How you connect with someone may be different from the next. That’s what makes us unique.

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.
Initially my professionalism started within the household growing up in Tulsa, Ok and Fort Bragg, NC. Mom, Pop, and my grandparents played no games. Being on time was late, and being 10-15min early always set the tone. In addition, the Coaches I had to the opportunity to play for all the way through college also honed in on how to present yourself on and off the court. “You never know who you’re going to run into, be prepared.”

The corporate life after college was key. Starting at the bottom with General Motors Financial and working my way up to go through a Strategic Account Management Program taught the essence of business etiquette. Learning how to turn a no into a yes, communicate correctly, ask the right questions, have thick skin, and patience. Also, wearing slim fit suits only Lol.

If it was easy, we as creators and leaders wouldn’t be where we are today. Definitely faced many challenges but those challenges I wouldn’t trade for anything. The challenges we face only prepare us for what’s next and allows us to share those stories to inspire the next person. Keep going.

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?
The arts district, downtown area, and Frisco.

Outside of me chef’ing at the house and showing that hospitality, I’d take them to Hattie B’s, Yolk for brunch, some day party vibes, and just sort of explore around the city. There’s quite a few food spots I haven’t touched yet so it would be an experience for both of us.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Big shout out to God, my family, closest friends, and the team. The crazy gift of playing piano, enjoying things that don’t make sense, producing, engineering, hard work, and now being behind the lens is all an attest to them. The inspiration behind the lens came from my cousin Landon Smoote who also is someone you’ll be hearing and seeing more of. He’s been instrumental during this whole process.

The support is unmatched. When you have a vision, not everyone is going to have the same passion or energy as you behind your end goals. However, when you come across those who give you constructive criticism, tough love, and genuinely want to see you take that next step, it’s a blessing.

To the artists I’ve had the opportunity to work with, huge thank you. I’ve been able to grow in many areas, make mistakes, and enhance the sound and vision by them allowing me to touch their craft.

When it comes to books or reading in general, it’s always good to take at least 30min outside of your day to just read. An author specifically that has helped me is John Maxwell who focuses on leadership, tone, and thinking outside the box. Being an artist comes with leadership and when you can balance the two with your surrounding team, sky’s the limit.

Website: WeThatSound.com

Instagram: @_dezward @wethatsound_wts

Youtube: Wethatsound

Other: Tik Tok: @_dezward The website is under construction but viewers can still check it out.

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutDFW is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.