How has your life changed since Design Star?
Besides being recognized and having fans of the show come up and talk with me, I would say with running my own design business, my life hasn’t varied too much from before the show. My design business is flourishing and I am now working on more commercial projects, which I love. One of the commercial projects took me back to Tennessee of all places. My life has continued as CEO of my household and dedicated business owner. I recently left my home state of Michigan and moved to Florida. I am looking forward to the new adventure. I will say the memories of the show and its experience are with me everyday and because of that it always makes me look for new and exciting things to do and get involved with.
I have done a few appearances in Detroit and one out in LA. I was asked to participate in a Q&A column in the opening issue of Style Line, a new magazine in the Metro Detroit Area. I also hosted a holiday decorating segment for our local TV station. I created a design show for the local station called Refined Design. I have worked on several projects with sheknows.com, appearing on seasons 3-5 of Homestretch: Battle of the Media Makeovers, Messy Garages and Closet Makeover. I also was the host for ten sheknows how-to videos for Glidden Paint. In August 2013, I became a first time fiction author, releasing a Suspenseful Erotic Romance titled Deception By Design. In 2017 with the renovations of my new home in Florida, I was asked to do a feature story and cover photo for the Lighthouse Point Magazine.
I have kept in touch with Matt and Mikey. I am friends with all the cast through social media. I have traveled out to LA several times to see Matt, and now with my current move to Florida, I do see Mikey more often around town.
I am very thankful that I was given the opportunity to be a part of Design Star and feel blessed to have been chosen out of more than 10,000 applicants. For me, that really solidified the fact that I am on the right path following my passion for design. It also gave me the opportunity to discover the hidden talent I have for hosting, allowing a new passion to form. I feel being a part of Design Star really made me aware of my creative nature and has given me more of a drive to share that with others.
I’ve always considered myself a strong and determined individual. Being on Design Star taught me that I could push myself to limits I didn’t think possible and that I could take on more then I thought I could handle. I’ve learned a lot about myself and how I design. I’m always thinking outside the box now, trying to inject that unexpected element. For all this, I am grateful.