April 5, 2026

Culture Isn't A Buzzword: The Difference Between Talking It & Living It with Tracy Ward

Culture Isn't A Buzzword: The Difference Between Talking It & Living It with Tracy Ward
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In this episode, Candice sits down with Tracy Ward, founder and president of Forward Talent Strategies, a boutique HR consulting firm that helps businesses strengthen their people strategy, build strong workplace cultures, and create environments where employees can truly thrive. With a background in HR leadership, organizational development, and talent strategy, Tracy brings deep insight into what it takes to align people, purpose, and performance.

In this episode, they discuss:

  • Why company culture must be intentional and clearly defined from the top down
  • How misalignment in values leads to hiring and retention challenges
  • The role leadership plays in modeling and reinforcing culture daily
  • How onboarding experiences shape an employee’s long-term engagement
  • Why employees want to feel part of something bigger than just a job
  • How feedback, communication, and listening improve retention and morale
  • The impact of purpose-driven work and philanthropy on team connection

This episode is a powerful reminder that culture is not just something you talk about. It’s something you live, build, and reinforce through every action, every hire, and every conversation!

About Tracy Ward:

Tracy Ward is Founder & President of Forward Talent Strategies, a boutique HR consulting company that partners with businesses to strengthen their HR strategy and HR practices, develop their organizational vision, and build programs to attract, engage and retain top talent. Tracy previously held HR executive roles with oversight of Human Resources, Organizational Development and Risk Management, and is passionate about helping companies cultivate positive workplace cultures and environments for employees to thrive.

Tracy has a degree in Sociology with minor in Law & Society from the University of California, San Diego, and holds the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), California (PHRca) and Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR) certifications. Tracy serves on the Board for SDHR Forum, is active in ProVisors, serving on the Executive Committee for the Human Capital group and Diversity & Inclusion Committee, and volunteers as a resume coach for the Veterans Career Transition Assistance Program.

https://forwardtalentstrategies.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracy-ward-shrm-scp/

https://www.instagram.com/forwardtalentstrategies

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