By Tiffany Merlo Phelps
mail@floridanewsline.com
Jess Chard has always been attracted to helping people. While in college at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, Chard ended up following that instinct and switching from an art history/business degree (with plans to become an art curator since she is fluent in Italian) to nursing. Not long after she graduated, Chard noticed that there were openings on Mayo Clinic’s Florida campus. She got a job as a surgical nurse in the operating room at the age of 22, moving to Florida in 2012 sight unseen. She moved with her now husband Brad Chard. Her altruistic side felt fulfilled. “I really liked working in surgery. You are helping patients when they are at their most vulnerable. You have to be their advocate,” said Chard, 35. The Chards, who moved to Nocatee in 2014, got married in 2015. The couple had twins, Calla and Rynn, in 2017 at which time Jess Chard became a stay-at-home mom. Their third daughter, Murphy, was born at the start of the pandemic in 2020. Soon, Chard felt a need to connect with the community in a meaningful way. That’s when she recalled watching her mom and sister work at a balloon company in Minnesota. While she had never created any balloon art before, Chard tapped into her past art education and gave it a try. She posted in a Nocatee Facebook group, offering to make displays for cost to build up her portfolio. “It really blew up, no pun intended,” said Chard. She worked while her children slept, watched a lot of videos and invested in classes to learn more, slowly developing her own personal style and technique (all the while filling her house with balloons and supplies). In August 2020, she officially started To The Moon Party Designs, a bespoke balloon company.
Q: Why do you think balloons are so popular?
A: Balloons are a timeless staple for a birthday or really any event. It is appropriate at any age. My demographic is everyone. I love being a part of these special precious moments and memories. That is very rewarding.
Q: Share about the balloon display you made for the community to use for free on the first day of school.
A: I started setting up at 4 a.m. at the Greenleaf Village park and made a balloon display with a chalkboard, disco balls, and a vintage desk for people to use all day for pictures. With the help of friends, we were able to man the area all day. There is something exciting about the first day of school. Everything is fresh and new. This was another opportunity to be a part of those precious memories.
Q: Where are you from?
A: I was born in Boise, Idaho, and I lived there until I was five years old. My dad, who was a banker, moved us to Minnesota, and I grew up there until the seventh grade. Then I returned to Boise and was able to spend my junior year as an exchange student in Italy. I ultimately ended up moving back to Minnesota and graduating from high school in Monticello.
Q: Share something about your family and how you like to spend your time.
A: The girls are in dance and tumbling. We do a lot of pool time and play around the neighborhood. We love going on golf cart rides and going to get ice cream. Nocatee offers so much, so we are always around town. Also, I enjoy working out at the Nocatee YMCA. I just like feeling good, empowered and strong.
Q: What is your approach to life?
A: I had this awesome choir instructor in high school, and he had this saying up on the wall that always stuck with me. It is a Hindu proverb: “Nobility is not being superior to other people. True nobility is being superior to your former self.” I really feel like that is my goal, to be a better version of myself every day.
Photo courtesy Jess Chard
Jess Chard
