Capital Home and Garden Show with John Gidding

Spring was in the air at the Capital Home and Garden Show at the Dulles Expo Center. The parking lot was filled with many cars and people, like the parking situation at the mall during the holidays.  I think the break in the weather after the recent storms inspired people to come out and learn about home projects.

The show drew many types: young, old, men, and women.  The event had vendors from all sorts of industries related to home and garden needs.  Lauren Dyke from Qorvis Communications contacted me regarding an interview with John Gidding.  I was honored to do the interview because I am a fan of his show, “Designed to Sell”.  HGTV is one of my favorite channels.  It is entertaining and exciting to see how people fix and make over rooms and homes.

John had a packed day, and when I went to interview him, he was finishing up meeting with attendees and signing autographs.  When John walked he had a very warm and energetic spirit.  We spoke about his work and his involvement with the shows.  Our conversation was interesting and he is very engaging.   I do not want to call it an interview because the meeting was conversational in manner rather than a rigid format.  John genuinely wanted to learn some things about my interests, and me as well.

If you have not had a chance to read John’s biography, he is a very well accomplished person – a graduate of Yale and Harvard.   He has worked in the architecture and design firm industry.  He is involved with many interesting projects, like a pavilion for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In addition to his work with HGTV ( Designed to Sell and Curb Appeal: The Block ) he has his own design firm and partakes in many interesting activities.  He is a true Renaissance man.  He is enjoys cooking, running, playing the piano, drawing, and spending time with his friends.  Hearing about all of his activities really inspired me to continue my hobbies and interests.

We had a chance to discuss his work with HGTV and how he handles challenges.  John enjoys his work on this shows because it gives him an outlet to express his creativity.  Furthermore, he really enjoys making connections with the participants of the show.  Participants and fans provide him with feedback and that has been helpful in his work.  Making changes can be challenging, but listening to feedback from participants can help make the process easier.

I wanted to know what advice he had for people who wanted to redesign their homes.  In addition to watching the show and HGTV he stressed the importance of shopping ahead of time.  When you allow for ample time you will be able to compare prices of various items and find them on sale.  If items are more than what you need maybe you can split the items and the cost with a neighbor or friend who is working on a house project.  Waiting until the last minute is not something one should do in remodeling projects.  Another area people forget to think about is storage.  During your remodeling stage you will need a place to store your items or the lack of space will make it challenging to complete the work.

For anyone aspiring to get into this field, make sure you are comfortable with the camera.  John expressed the need to have friends tape you and give you feedback.  Having more practice in front of the camera will help you be more comfortable and natural.  In addition make sure you do your research.  You should have a thorough understanding of your industry and also have the ability to think on your feet.

John truly enjoys the various projects he is involved with.  He hopes to continue his work in the television industry and to grow his design firm.  In addition he is accessible to his fans on Facebook.  He really enjoys hearing from the fans.  My time with John was very informative and quite fun.  Make sure to watch his shows on HGTV for creative project ideas.

As I was leaving the Expo, I ran into a unique performance on stilts called “DiVine”. Priscilla Stephan created DiVine in New York City in 1996.  She looks like a section of vines and does fantastic movements on the stilts.  When she is not moving she literally looks like a branch of vines.  She has performed in many , including the White House.   Priscilla’s performance was a great way to end my weekend.