Nicole Curtis on Rehab Addict Grabs my Wife’s Attention - Response to TV Show Viewers: Post 9

Response to TV Show Viewers: Post 8 - (February 9, 2026)

In 2011, I began hearing about HGTV/DIY’s series Rehab Addict. For people visiting my jobsites in the West Ashley part of Charleston, it was as if I was an up-close real-life example of the type of hands-on renovator they were seeing on the popular TV show. I wasn’t exactly the same, but they saw me as more similar than teams flipping houses at high speed.  

The first time I saw Rehab Addict, I liked it. And even if I didn’t have time to stop and sit and watch, it was one of those shows that I could have on and listen to as I did things around the house or took care of our kiddos. It was fun—jazzy music, positive vibe, and a fast pace—and I liked the moments where I’d be nodding along as I thought that’s how I do this or that if I was Nicole Curtis. The show just made sense to me.

The host took a cost-effective approach to the tasks with a find-a-way, make it happen sort of attitude I felt sure would help aspiring renovators. And rather than tossing good stuff in the dumpster and then spending time and money bringing in new, the enthusiastic rehabber was salvaging the savable. This was a biggie for me. And along with that she seemed quick enough without hurrying while commanding an out-of-the-box problem solving style that I appreciated.

By 2012, Rehab Addict had become insanely popular, and it was running in hourly marathon form at all hours and days. We had it on around our house a lot there for a while and one night, the Minneapolis based renovator said something that grabbed my wife’s attention, with Diann responding, "She sounds like you. That sounds like something you'd say!"

Diann and I have teamed up on our own home, painting hallways or furniture, staining a fence, and certainly plenty of yardwork. I'm sure that if we'd been able to take on an entire house together, from scouring the market for a prospect and then the steps in between leading up to closing day, we could have had wonderful results as co-rehabbers.

Although she watched some of the videos I recorded of the Hurricane House, my wife didn’t really understand what I was doing each day. But watching or listening to Rehab Addict, helped her get a taste of the enjoyment I tried to describe, what I felt in bringing my own unwanted properties back to life. And that was more significant than strangers seeing the similarities.

(Response to TV Show Viewers: Post 9a - February 13, 2026)

Response to TV Show Viewers: Post 1

I appreciate the time viewers have taken to reach out in response to watching me renovate one of my houses on television or on-line. People have asked about my background leading up to these projects in front of cameras. This is the beginning of a longer answer that I will share as I search for the best words.

Building has always been something I’ve enjoyed, and I came from a family that built and renovated their own homes. Playing in the sandbox as a boy was one of my favorite things to do in the backyard and LEGOS, or houses of cards were indoor go-tos. So, I spent a lot of time imagining how it might be fun to build things for real when I grew up.

In college I majored in international affairs and years later picked up an associate degree in construction engineering. Jobs during these years stoked this passion for building. I spent three summers working at a hometown lumber yard, loading and delivering supplies and materials throughout Darke County, Ohio, regularly peppering local homebuilders with my questions. And I spent five other breaks traveling as the low man on foundation and erection crews building glass and steel water tanks.

But during this decade, I was finding time to watch This Old House on Saturday mornings. And week after week, my dream to buy and renovate a home of my own, something that I would know needed to be renovated from the start, began to really grow.

I was thirty-one before I was able to call myself a homeowner, and because of student loans, I didn’t qualify for much. A bank was willing to partner with me as I took on a house condemned by local officials due to a devastating fire in the laundry room. To some, I’d made a big mistake and was wasting my time. However, twelve months later I received the certificate of occupancy, having overseen the transformation of the worst house on the block into the most valuable. And my career as a home renovator grew from there.

The Lifestyle of Rehabbing - Response to TV Show Viewers: Post 2 (January 26, 2026)

Salute of Appreciation for Notes and Messages

It’s been a decade since I was in the TV phase of my career. Back then, I had no way of knowing what was around the corner, how the shows would be received or considered, and then in what ways they would pop up beyond HGTV and the DIY network. Even now, the reach of American Rehab Charleston and Restoring Charleston is surprising. And yet, since I still receive notes and messages from viewers, I’m reminded that they’re out there and inspiring viewers who find ways to contact me.

The time taken to watch, but also then to reach out with questions or comments is always appreciated and marks my day, whether positive or not. More than once, I’ve discovered a dusty DM, sometimes years after it was written. I make an effort to respond to everyone, but I’m steadily learning new things about my smartphone, stumbling onto emails or inboxes that are off my radar. And if I’ve missed a message, haven’t written someone back, I’m truly sorry.

Motivation for those reaching out seems to vary. Sometimes people have a question about a scene in one of the episodes. Other viewers ask for advice or my two cents. Some have a great home they think I should take a look at, a house with potential and too special to not save. There are also folks curious about how it happened for me, my background leading to an opportunity to renovate with the film crews. Many are interested in being on television themselves, either they’d like to get into the action with me or want to know if I can help them land shows of their own.

And I’ve also heard from people from my past, kids I grew up with who now have families and careers of their own. They’ve contacted me saying, “I recognized your voice,” or “I saw your name on the screen and told my family, ‘I know that guy!” Old co-workers now in other parts of the country have also written to tell me similar stories of the moment of them discovering me on TV.

However, there have also been disappointed viewers, underwhelmed to a point that they’ve spent time letting me know how they feel and what was not right.

As much as I enjoy writing about renovating, sharing stories or offering encouragement, I think it makes some sense to dig deeper and lay out some answers for those who remain curious.   

It's Possible

Blood, Sweat, and Pig's Ears is all about doing things other people say can’t be done. 

Growing up, my friends and I loved the Rocky movies. The Italian Stallion often pulled off impossible victories. Other than his devoted wife Adrian, and maybe his coach Mickey, others were convinced the street thug would be unable to hang with Apollo Creed. But he did it! He went the distance. Then in Rocky II he defeated the champ in the rematch. Maybe this iconic character ignoring skeptics influenced me more than I’ve been willing to recognize.

When someone says, “You can’t turn a pig’s ear into a silk purse,” they’re saying you can’t do the impossible. Fine, I get that. But impossible is in the eyes of the evaluator. There are plenty of folks out there ready to pour cold water on the plans and dreams of others, whether you’re excited about renovating an old house, starting a small business, running for public office, or doing just about anything others judge to be beyond them. What I’ve found is that when someone feels compelled to say, “You can’t do it,” what they’re really letting you know is that they believe they can’t or are mystified about how you’re going to achieve your objective. 

Impossible is a powerful word that should be used judiciously. Perhaps that’s why people find ways to work around it. Still, I'll share something now that utilizes that word. It would be impossible for me to name all the times people heard details of my house renovation plans and let me know, with attitudes of authority, that the path I laid out was impossible to travel.

Now to be fair and accurate, I’ve also had lots of support and encouragement from people who have been excited about my projects from the beginning to the end. For example, strangers walking by stop and say things like, “The house is looking great. Keep it up. We can’t wait to see how it turns out,” or “We’ve been waiting a long time for someone to come and fix this place up.” And one of my favorites was a man I’d never met and only saw once. This fella was bursting with enthusiasm as he walked by shouting, “You’re doing it man! You’re really doing it!” That sort of encouragement is fuel. I’d apparently converted this guy into a believer and I sure appreciated him letting me know how he felt. 

But there’s a third category of people that seem to consistently migrate to each of my pig’s ear projects; people who are curious to know how I do what I do and how they can do the same. I love to encourage other people to follow their dreams and although my writing will be exemplified with knowledge and experience from renovating my own houses, in many ways the lessons are applicable to anything other people think are beyond reasonable consideration and effort. In twenty years working in the construction industry and a decade renovating extremely run-down homes, I’ve come to believe that if someone tells you something is impossible, directly or roundabout, and you don’t even try, then they will be right. 

So, if you have a big, outrageous dream, home rehab or otherwise, treat any obstacles as if they’re Clubber Lang/Mr. T in Rocky III. Don't let those challenges bust you up. Embrace the profound wisdom of Sylvester Stallone through his beloved big screen icon Rocky Balboa and “Go for it.”