What Happened To Austin Aynes After HGTV's Good Bones?
HGTV's "Good Bones" may have started with Mina Starsiak Hawk and her mom, Karen E. Laine, but the cast quickly expanded to include other talented team members. Some were actual family members Mina was working with, like Thadeus "Tad" Starsiak, Mina's half-brother. Others were acquaintances who quickly became close friends, such as Austin Aynes.
After being on the air for eight seasons, August 2023 was the home renovation show's swan song. Laine had retired, and Mina was beginning to feel the burden of running a business and filming a hit show by herself. But even though she was walking away from "Good Bones," she refused to abandon her hardworking castmates. On an October 2023 episode of her podcast, "Mina AF," the mom of two admitted, "I wanted to try to find a soft landing space for as many people on my team as I could." One of those people was Aynes.
The duo had met completely by chance years earlier, Aynes explained on the Reason to Dance charity blog. "My current coworker and previous (and still) demo buddy dropped a line to me at the beginning of my senior year that his sister's company was having a pilot for a TV show filmed and wanted me to participate," he shared in his bio. Aynes took a leap of faith, and the show turned out to be a success — that is until filming wrapped and the demolition expert was again left looking for another opportunity to leap.
Austin Aynes didn't have to look far for a new opportunity
Fortunately, Aynes didn't have to worry about his next move for long. On her podcast, Mina detailed how she set him up with another former cast member, Thadeus "Tad" Starsiak. Since Tad is also a business owner, Mina reached out to see if he had any room for new employees, Aynes being one of them. While Mina still owns and operates Two Chicks and a Hammer, it's unclear in what direction her business is headed since "Good Bones" ended and she wanted her former employees to find a new home.
It was a win-win for everyone involved, as Mina revealed that Tad was happy to welcome Aynes into his own business. According to his Instagram bio, Tad is a general contractor, realtor, and real estate investor. It appears that he plans to continue to renovate properties, especially after taking Aynes and one other former employee of Two Chicks and a Hammer. However, with Mina and Tad currently being estranged, it's unlikely the "Battle on the Beach" star will provide any podcast updates on what Aynes or her half-brother are doing.
Aynes isn't super active on his socials, but like other team members, he posted a farewell message on his Instagram account in October when the "Good Bones" finale aired, writing, "Thank you all for watching. It feels like a blur. Yall saw me go from fresh out of college to turning 31 in 2 weeks."
Austin's career path could have been different
Like Mina Starsiak Hawk, Austin Aynes grew up in Indiana. He was a resident of the town Speedway, situated just 15 minutes outside bustling Indianapolis. He traveled into the city for his high school education at Cardinal Ritter, which made him a "town traitor" to his neighbors, reported Distractify. Nevertheless, Aynes graduated and enrolled in Butler University, eventually getting a degree in biology. He had plans to become a physical therapist, though that would have required additional years of schooling.
Degreed, but still having to submit many school applications, Aynes decided to return home and start working for a construction company as a demolitionist. It was a choice that would completely change his career trajectory. Through his renovation and construction work, Aynes connected with an old friend who knew about HGTV's plans to test shoot "Good Bones." According to Closer Weekly, Aynes wrote, "So naturally, I skipped a social psychology test (there is a theme here) to come out and participate. I say all that to say this; season 1 of what has become to be called Good Bones was starting right as all my applications were getting not responded to or denied."
While joining the cast may have closed the door on Aynes's dream of being a physical therapist (at least for now), it seems like he has happily settled into another calling.