2 minute read
Jason Brown ’16
Mother and Son Team Up on Home Renovation Show
Jason Brown ’16 and his mother, Melissa, were a tag team duo on “First Time Fixer,” a home improvement show produced by HGTV stars Chip and Joanna Gaines in Waco, Texas. Melissa was motivated by the investment in her son’s future; Jason saw it as a way to honor the memories he had as a child of watching his father renovate houses.
Jason realized that it was financially savvier to purchase a house in Waco, where he was attending college at Baylor University, than to pay over $10,000 a year in room and board. He purchased the house for $72,000 and began renovating it himself during his college days using the skills he learned from his dad growing up. After graduating, he auditioned for the show, and the mother-son duo was selected!
“We started filming at the end of 2020 and wrapped up in June of 2021,” said Jason. “The funny thing about television is that the house was only halfway done for the final episode. TV has a great way with angles to make everything look finished and appealing.” “After being on the show and your renovation is complete, your property value is boosted,” Jason said. “Chip and Joanna Gaines are household names in Waco, and they provide input on the renovation projects, but the homeowners do all of the work themselves.”
Jason says: “I would go through this experience again because now I know so much more about television, the making of a show, and the renovation process. What I didn’t anticipate was living in the house during the renovations and how hard that would be. My biggest lesson learned was that living in a renovation amplifies the stress level. We couldn’t go home to our nice, warm bed. We lived in the mess and stress.” Now that the project is complete, Jason plans to rent the house for passive income. Watch Jason’s “First Time Fixer” episode on discovery+ (season 2, episode 5). Jason graduated a semester early from Baylor University in 2019 and now resides in Calvert County, Maryland. He works for a local remodeling company. As a “jack of all trades,” he manages the books, markets the business and runs leads. He’s also a part-time financial adviser.
Jason’s reflection on his time at St. Mary’s Ryken:
About the Show
On this Magnolia Network show, first-time house renovators take their home improvement dreams into their own hands and experience the risk and reward that come with trying something new.
