How’d your partnership with Air Wick x 1-800-Flowers.com come about?

Egypt Sherrod: Well, I think it was just a perfect marriage, to be honest with you. As a designer, I understand that, truly, it’s about making your home feel like your own. That’s how you go from house to home. And, of course, the ultimate form of personalization is really unlocking a signature scent. You know, a home is not just what you see; it’s also how it makes you feel, it’s how it smells, and Air Wick really, truly provides a space with a noticeable, long-lasting fragrance. And every time you come home, you just want to feel like “ah,” you know? So, coupling the sense of smell with a sense of sight, for me, is the full package, teaching my clients how to deliver that.  

We are encouraging everybody to go to 1-800-Flowers.com and you can choose a bouquet style from the new Air Wick x 1-800-Flowers Collection. When you receive your bouquet, it has directions on how to get your complimentary Air Wick product and fragrance. One of my favorites is the Air Wick Vibrant Lavender & Waterlily Scented Oil. 

As someone in the home design and renovation industry, how does this partnership align with your personal brand?

ES: I think it aligns perfectly. So, well, there are a few things. I was one of the people, with my children, stuck inside the house during COVID, looking at the windows and the beautiful flowers and trees, wanting to reconnect with nature and really wanting to ignite joy wherever I go. Listen, aromatherapy is a real thing, just like light therapy. And this partnership with Air Wick, with these incredible tools, like the Essential Mist diffuser, which I have in three rooms of my house, and use them throughout designs, even in the reveals of my show Married to Real Estate, I feel that they only elevate the experience and the design, because when a client comes home, they’re excited. And then they say, oh my gosh, look what you did. But it’s the unsaid things that they just can’t put their finger on. And it’s that undertone of smell for a full-body experience.

You began your work in journalism. When did real estate come into play?

ES: I’m from a family of real estate agents and brokers; my uncles used to own Century 21s. So it was the last thing I thought I’d do. Because that’s what we do, we always run away from the family business. And I ran to broadcasting. But when I started earning money, I knew that real estate was the foundation of wealth, and I wanted to invest in it. But I’m one of those people who are either hot or cold on a thing. There’s no in-between. And I was so hot on it that I had to get my license. Then, by getting my license and selling real estate, I also started staging and designing my own homes that I was selling. So, it was just a very organic migration for me.

How has it been being part of the HGTV family and showcasing diversity with the show alongside your husband?

ES: It’s really been amazing. Number one, we have a lot of fans, but we call them fams, with an “s,” like family.  We like to keep our feet firmly planted wherever we go. Mike and I are that couple. If you see us in the supermarket, come say hi, that type of thing. You know, our kids, we’re out at the soccer games and the volleyball games. And everybody knows us because I’m usually the loudest one screaming at the ref. So it’s wonderful. But yeah, I couldn’t even believe it — someone mentioned to me earlier that I’ve been with HGTV for almost 15 years now. So that’s longer than most marriages. And it’s been a ride, but we understand, and the network understands, the importance of the channel looking like the world. And allowing everybody to be themselves with their perfect expression. And so, you know, when they picked our show up, I can’t believe it was almost four seasons ago. And we came on as producers of our show as well. We knew that they truly were committed to diversifying the network. So we’re happy to be a part of that.

Congrats on your recent honorary doctorate from Stillman College in recognition of your business acumen and mentorship. Why is mentorship important to you?

ES: Well, I wouldn’t be where I am today if somebody didn’t believe in me. I remember I was working at a radio station as a receptionist, and the production director there saw something in me that I didn’t even see in myself. And he took me under his wing to help me truly develop my voice. I mean, literally helped me develop my voice. Had he not done that, I wouldn’t be sitting here with you today because I was this little scared girl with stage fright and didn’t understand the power of resonance and the confidence that I could develop. So, I want to do that for others, and it’s not cliche. This is really what I do in the light and the dark.