Whether radiating confidence in front of the HGTV cameras on “Bargain Block,” snuggling her sweet baby Beau or making first-time homeowners’ dreams come true while helping rebuild the city she loves, Shea Hicks-Whitfield is exactly who she seems to be.
“I’m always the same person around everyone and that makes my life easier because I don’t have to turn it on and turn it off as long as I’m just Shea. That’s one of the biggest compliments I tend to get from people when I meet people that are familiar with the show — I’m just Shea.”
She’s a passionate real estate agent and new mom who, like the rest of us, is still figuring things out.
Her motherhood journey started out as anything but normal with news no parent ever wants to hear. Beau, their happy unexpected rainbow baby, had what appeared to be a random little scrape on his skin right after he was born, baffling the hospital staff. At three days old, he had his first biopsy. At five days old, he was diagnosed with an extremely rare cancer, Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis.
His skin now looks radiant and clear, she says, though doctors won’t use the word remission until he’s 12 months old. Through it all, her life with her husband, Terry, is #relationshipgoals. Terry, she says, buys her flowers every week, makes her breakfast in bed, sends her sweet cards and takes so much pride in being a good husband and dad. “I wish I could clone him and give a carbon copy of Terry to every really good woman out there.”
We got a chance to chat recently about all things “just Shea.”
How do you juggle it all?
“It’s been a whirlwind. Just being a new mom, attempting to manage my time, I feel like every day I’m going to get this figured out. So I’m working on it, but it’s more than a notion for sure.” She credits Terry for always going above and beyond taking care of everything, plus her mom and her sister help a lot.
What do you think about raising kids in Detroit?
You do have to do your homework and scout out the good schools, she says, but they do exist. She also has the inside scoop when it comes to raising a child in Detroit. “There’s a lot of young families in the city of Detroit. … I love the vibe of Detroit as a mom. I just think that it is so fun and there are places that really are great. The cultural offerings are great.”
What would be your message to other parents?
“The African proverb, ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ means much more to me now that I have Beau James. I’m an independent woman … and I know that Beau is better because Terry and our family and friends are dedicated to his success in life. It takes many people in your circle to provide a safe, healthy environment for our children. It is crucial that children feel safe and secure, so they can develop and flourish, able to realize their hopes and dreams. I’m blessed to have a village dedicated to supporting Beau to achieve his lifetime dreams and goals.”
What should people watch for this season of Bargain Block?
Season 3 premieres soon. This year, the team won’t do as many houses, but viewers will get to see more behind-the-scenes and get to know her, Evan Thomas and Keith Bynum much better, she says. “Even after all these years, I’m always blown away by the level of transformation and the amount of love and the quality of craftsmanship that is put into these homes,” she says. “It’s something about being able to hand over those keys to a homeowner who never even dreamed they could own a home, or maybe even they’re the first-time homeowner in their family so it’s seriously the most rewarding part of my career.”
What advice would you give to other moms and businesswomen?
“Even women that are my age or younger than me who hate going to work on Monday or say, ‘I hate my job’ and I’m like, ‘OK, let’s do something about that. How can I help you change that? Because you still have the rest of your life to live and we don’t know how long the rest of that time is, right? Let’s make the rest of your life the best of your life. So if you’re not happy, change it.’”
Fast Talk
What is your tagline?
“My tagline would be ‘Never Give Up.’ I have this little stainless steel bracelet I’ve probably been wearing for at least 22 years and it literally says ‘Never Give Up.’”
What’s your secret obsession?
“My secret obsession is having the opportunity to veg out and do nothing.” She says Terry will pop her movie popcorn, take the baby and tell her to catch up on her reality shows or rent a movie. “I just come out of it feeling refreshed. It’s like going on a mini vacation.”
If you weren’t a realtor and TV star, what would you be?
“I would either work at the Humane Society, helping with shelter animals” or as a hospital candy striper. “Hopefully upon my retirement, I could just spend all my time around puppies and babies.”
What is your most hated chore?
“I would say laundry. I am OK with doing laundry. I am very guilty of living out of the basket for a few days before I actually decide to fold it up and put it in a drawer.”
What inspires you?
“I’m inspired by the idea of every day is a new day. Each day you get a fresh start.”
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