Meet Shar Martinez | Beauty Queen & Crowns of Impact Founder

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

Hi Shar, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
I was crowned Miss Erwin Denim Days 2023 on September 23rd at the Erwin Denim Days Pageant. This pageant is a festival pageant to celebrate and represent our town’s heritage. I am my own brand, however throughout this year, as I do with all of my pageant titles, I will be advocating for my platform which is Crowns of Impact. Crowns of Impact is my initiative to help and to touch many hearts as possible. It goes hand in hand with every queen’s job, which is being the face of the community in all community service aspects. Many people see beauty queens and it’s hard for them to look beyond the shiny crown and pretty pictures, however what you see on the outside is just surface level. Winning a crown is always fantastic, but the real work starts after you win. It’s important to be a working queen, a queen that actively works with individuals and various organizations while reigning. My crown is a microphone to amplify everything I’m already doing. My sash is an opportunity to physically wear my title on my heart. I’ve worn a few titles across my chest over the past few years, but the title of Miss Erwin Denim Days means so much to me because it’s my town!

Beneath the hair and makeup there’s a symbolic tapestry woven together consisting of volunteerism, charity, kindness, dedication to your community, community involvement, connections and conversations, planning out your year and being well versed in your values and what you stand on. I absolutely love wearing makeup and getting dolled up, but pageants are so much more than that. Being a beauty queen isn’t always as glamorous as movies and the media makes it out to be. We clean up cemeteries, participate in roadside cleanups, stand outside in extremely cold weather to serve meals to others, spend countless hours advocating for our platforms, we have many late night and early morning conversations with our spouses and families about what it is that we want to do next and so much more.

Pageantry has allowed me to network and make connections with many individuals and businesses through appearances and volunteer work. Pageantry has also led to some of the most amazing friendships that I have, built on a solid foundation of sisterhood and genuine encouragement. Crowns of Impact allows me to help my community and others by doing my best to make a positive impact in the lives of others.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
The majority of my work for pageantry consists of volunteering and charity work, in-person as well as virtually. In addition to being more active in my community, my main goal this year as Miss Erwin Denim Days 2023 is to reach all 100 counties in North Carolina through the Color A Smile initiative. I’ve been working on this initiative for several months now with several hours of community service under my crown. Everyone can join the Color A Smile initiative, by simply sending cheerful drawings to anyone who could use a smile, my main focus are homebound individuals that rely on delivery services such as Meals on Wheels, nursing homes and hospitals. I’m really excited about the Color A Smile x Crowns of Impact initiative!

Outside of pageantry, I have a family and I work full time, mainly overnight shifts, so it’s not always easy balancing out my schedule. Getting to where I am hasn’t been easy in the least, although after a while it just came naturally. I believe that if there’s something that you really want to do or achieve in life, you’ll be granted the access to do it as long you stay determined and make the most of every opportunity that you have. People may not always approach you to ask if you can help, sometimes you have to take the initiative and ask, “Do you need help with this?” Or state, “I would love to help, I’m available on this day at this time.” In the words of Dolly Parton, “You’ll never do a whole lot unless you’re brave enough to try.”

If you really want to make a difference in your community or the world you are just going to have the accept the fact that sometimes you will have a huge lack of sleep. This was the biggest hurdle I had to get over when stepping into pageantry because anyone who truly knows me knows that I treasure my sleep. It’s undoubtedly one of my favorite hobbies! However, we only have one life, make the most of it! Pageantry has blessed my life so much, and to any woman who is contemplating the idea of pageantry: go for it!

A lesson that I’d like to leave everyone with is to support others and their successes because one day, those same people and even more will be doing the same for you. Support those in your community, support people you’ve probably never met in real life but through social media, support people who are working for the greater good— everyone can use support and encouragement!

And lastly, one conversation can save a life. Encourage others! Support others! Most importantly, listen to others! Many of the people that I’ve had the opportunity to meet and talk with are just looking for a listening ear, everyone has a story to share and some people simply just want to be heard, even if it’s just for a moment in time. They’ll always remember you for your kindness and purely taking the time out to listen to their story.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in a small town but there’s plenty of fun to have in the area! If you’re looking for the best pizza around, Pizza House should be on the top of your list. It’s a town favorite (I not only have their menu on my refrigerator, but saved in my phone too!) and they have a variety of items on their menu in addition to pizza, such as burgers, pasta, hot subs, delicious appetizers and more! My favorite Mexican restaurant is Ay Wey Mexican Kitchen which is a short drive from Erwin to the next city over, Dunn. They have the best drinks and a huge menu. Perfect for family gatherings, date nights, girls nights and just to have a yummy meal. If you’re looking for some sweet treats, Burney’s Sweets and More is the place for you! They have the best variety of glazed croissants and other tasty treats you’ll ever taste, not to mention the absolute friendliest staff around!

There’s bowling year round at Buffaloe Lanes and during the warmer months you’ll do yourself the ultimate favor by playing some mini golf and cooling off with some flavored shaved ice at Pelican’s SnoBalls. They are located beside the bowling alley. To learn more about the history of Erwin, I definitely recommend stopping by The Erwin History Museum or just simply engaging in a conversation with some of our residents.

This is Erwin, a small town with a whole lot of charm! We have so many great people and small businesses, all working together for the greater good of our community!

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?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to my family, they always support me in everything that I do! I would also like to recognize the Erwin Area Chamber of Commerce. They did a huge amount of planning to make the Denim Days Festival Pageant possible!

Instagram: shar.in.wonderland

Facebook: Shar Martinez

Image Credits
Robert Martinez, Shara McNeill, Godwin Productions, Avery Martinez