The Secret To HGTV Dream Home Makeover Star Shea McGee's Success, According To Syd

You might recognize Shea and Syd McGee from Netflix's interior design series "Dream Home Makeover," which premiered in October 2020, but the couple has been just as successful outside of their streaming service debut. Their success story starts back in 2010 when Shea first took to Instagram to document her home renovation projects, unexpectedly gaining a major following.

Inspired by this traction, the Texas native left her job in public relations and pursued an interior design career, launching Studio McGee in 2014. Since then, the McGee brand has grown rapidly, with the couple debuting a YouTube series in 2016, creating their own décor line, and publishing an interior design memoir titled "Make Life Beautiful."

With all these accomplishments in mind, fans may wonder about the secret behind the duo's success. According to Syd, it all comes back to Shea's passion for interior design and enduring work ethic.

As mentioned, Syd McGee has spoken about the secret behind his and his wife's role in their massive success, sharing his insight in a 2020 interview with Oprah Daily. "Shea's superpower is her undying love for design," he said. "We always joke, 'Are you going to run out of ideas?' She always comes up with so much stuff—it's amazing."

The businessman also mentioned Shea's hard work, adding, "Pair that with her sheer work ethic and determination, [and] that combination is incredible to behold. I do my best to support and keep up with that." This isn't the only time that Syd has discussed his wife's enduring hard work, as he also provided a glimpse into the perseverance she displayed during the early days of their business.

"After Shea walked the beach trail every morning, she spent every other moment tending to Wren or her business," he shared in the couple's 2020 memoir "Make Life Beautiful" (via People). "I'd hang with Wren while Shea met with clients, but she was always juggling phone calls during nap time, Instagram posts while Wren jumped in the bouncer, and e-designs until all hours of the night."

Syd McGee isn't the only one who has had positive things to say about his spouse, as Shea similarly mentioned the importance of her husband's people skills. "He really listens, but also leads with strength," she told Oprah Daily. While Shea handles the interior design aspect of their design firm, Syd is in charge of the financial and business elements, which makes his people skills and leadership qualities especially handy.

In addition to contributing their individual assets, the McGees also work together to make a great team, experiencing obstacles just as any other business duo would. "Our strength is that we have a unified vision and goals for the business," Shea told Decimal. "Our weakness is that we are so comfortable around each other that it can be easy to speak bluntly where other business partners would be more professional!"

Given everything that the couple has accomplished together, from the growth of their design firm to the launch of their Netflix show, we're not surprised that their individual strengths and dedicated teamwork are important elements of their success. With this in mind, we just can't wait to see what the McGees do next.