What Egypt Sherrod And Mike Jackson's Jobs Were Before HGTV
Egypt Sherrod and Mike Jackson have been building quite a reputation on HGTV, but long before they starred on "Married to Real Estate," the couple had some interesting jobs.
Sherrod and Jackson were welcomed by HGTV viewers in 2022 when their show first premiered. It instantly became a hit with fans. Revealing to HGTV why he thinks it resonated with viewers, Jackson shared, "I think our audience sees themselves. It's not just two hosts. You get to see the family; you get to see the mothers; you get to see real-life crises; you get to see the drama within the construction. And [viewers] can relate. They've been there before." It was evident that viewers were willing to give Sherrod and Jackson a chance, and their show was renewed in June 2022, per HGTV. Basking in the success, Sherrod also shared the news on social media, writing, "Breaking News: HGTV just ordered season 2 of Married To Real Estate!"
Since the announcement, several more seasons of the show have been released, and viewers are getting to learn a little more about Sherrod and Jackson. But while it may seem you know just about everything when it comes to the couple, their previous jobs before HGTV aren't as widely known by fans. But if you're wondering what Sherrod and Jackson were up to before HGTV, we've got you covered because we're about to divulge all the details of what the couple did before renovating and selling homes.
Egypt Sherrod was a radio host
Before she took on HGTV, Egypt Sherrod made a name for herself as a radio host. Surprisingly, she was never even supposed to be a radio host. However, after being hired as a receptionist at the station, producers found her intriguing. She explained to HGTV (via House Beautiful), "So back then, if someone had a call, you had to go over the intercom and say, 'You have a call parked on 101.' I would just sort of have fun with that, and everyone at the station would laugh." Her outgoing personality caught the eye of some of the radio show's producers. She said, "So the production director of the radio station, I guess he saw something in me. He said, 'I think you're ready to audition for a radio slot.'"
Sherrod started her career in radio at 18 years old, and even back then, she was interested in property. She told VIBE, "So I was earning enough to start thinking about how I was going to make my money work for me. While everyone else was buying pocketbooks and shoes, I was buying properties." She flipped her first property not long after its purchase and realized she could make a good living flipping houses. She had a knack for dealing with properties, but she never thought it would lead to what she does now. Sherrod was in the radio business for 20 years before eventually transitioning to real estate, which led her to HGTV.
Mike Jackson was a famous DJ
Similar to his wife, Egypt Sherrod, Mike Jackson had a career in the entertainment world before his days on HGTV.
According to Arc Collective, Jackson had been a professional DJ for years. It's unclear when he started the music profession, but the television star went by the name DJ Fadelf. Jackson traveled the world to perform different events. He told Essence, "...I was also traveling because I was in a singing group with my cousins. This led to my transition into djing worldwide." He was DJing up until he met Sherrod and then transitioned into renovation and real estate. But while HGTV viewers may think he just picked up construction on a whim, Jackson had been in the profession for years.
The television star revealed to Essence that his grandfather and uncle had a construction company that he would often help out at as a kid. Even when he DJed, Jackson still worked in the construction field. He shared, "But what a lot of people didn't know was that, even during the entertainment and djing, I was still doing construction. I would be in the nightclubs at night and at construction sites in the morning." Of course, when he met Sherrod, who was in real estate, it seemed like a match made in heaven, not just because of their relationship, but also because it led them to build a real estate and renovation empire.