By: Ellie Heron
I currently work for the Home Builders Association of Central Michigan, where we just finished our 55th annual Home Show. With more than 2,000 people in attendance, this is one of the biggest events I’ve ever gotten to work on, and while it was stressful, it was incredibly informative. Not only from working on the show itself, but from getting to talk PR with a celebrity in the Home Show environment.
Every year we bring in an HGTV star to talk about building, design and what it's like to work under a spotlight. This year, I got to meet Mark Bowe from the No. 1 DIY Network show, Barnwood Builders. While it was exciting enough to meet a celebrity, the advice he gave as a man who’s made a career out of his brand was the most interesting to learn.
The first thing Bowe shared with our PR team is that metrics are everything. When hiring social media people, Bowe acknowledges that he’s more than happy to pay out thousands of dollars, but there has to be provable change. Being able to show that the work you’re doing makes an impact is how you’re going to be paid. And this isn’t only for social media, as Bowe explained he has to do the same thing to prove to the network why his show should keep going.
His next piece of advice is to take pride in your brand. In the PR world, your reputation is who you are. If your name is going on something, it should be to the best of your ability. Additionally, don’t let something you did wrong hold you back—own up to mistakes and be willing to correct them. Having the ability to own up to your work when it’s wrong is just as important as getting it right.
Bowe’s final lesson was to not hold yourself back. One thing that he was incredibly open and honest about was the fact that he has ADHD, and it impacts the way that he works. During his presentations on stage, there were multiple times where he would trail off on a story before jumping back and explaining that something he had seen was distracting him. Bowe talked with me about both his issues with ADHD and anxiety, and how these don’t need to be things that limit him, he just needs to be able to acknowledge how they change his work, be honest about it and know how to work around it.
Altogether, being able to learn from a person who has built their career on successfully branding and marketing himself was a very interesting experience. Bowe was down to earth and easy to talk to and contributed to an all-around fantastic Home Show.