The Inspiring Story Of One Of HGTV's Lakefront Empire Stars

One new show that HGTV unveiled in 2024 was "Lakefront Empire." What you need to know about the show is that it's about a team of real estate professionals helping people find houses on the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. One of the real estate agents featured on the show, Peggy Albers, chose a much different path before entering the world of real estate: drug trafficking. She was just 19 when she got involved with it. At 30 years old, she was convicted and sent to prison.

"I received a 25-year sentence for drug trafficking and served 15 of those years," Albers said in an HGTV interview. She had an infant son when she was sent to jail, who her parents raised while she was incarcerated.

However, Albers doesn't let her past hold her back. On the contrary, she's become an incredibly successful real estate agent. She also worked extra hard to be allowed a real estate license following her felony conviction. According to The Missouri Times, in 2019, Albers testified in support of a bill that would help nonviolent offenders with criminal records receive licenses in various careers unrelated to their crimes. She told her story during the testimony, saying, "I fought for my license and it was a fight."

In an interview with TV Insider, Peggy Albers talked more about what she's accomplished in her career and how she's been able to move forward and be successful in the real estate industry. She also described becoming emotional when the director of "Lakefront Empire" wanted her to talk about her past, initially believing she was on the show because of her real estate acumen. "I guess the story was one of the reasons that drew HGTV here," Albers said. "Someone that goes away from a small town and does 15 years and comes back and kicks butt."

Albers has overcome a lot in her life, including people thinking she couldn't accomplish her goals. One hope of hers was to share her perspective on time in prison. "I just want the whole world to know that just because you go away doesn't mean you're a failure or a mistake," Albers told the outlet. "At the same time, you're the one that has to make it happen. You can't blame others. You have to accept responsibility and move on from there."

Although it might seem like it, Albers' arrest history isn't one of the scandals that have rocked HGTV. In her TV Insider interview, she said she is honest about her history with her clients and described working incredibly hard for them.

Just like Peggy Albers is vocal about her past in prison, "Lakefront Empire" doesn't shy away from Albers' backstory either. In a sneak peek for the show's premiere, Albers admitted to not wanting to "be a fake" for her clients. "There's never a good time to tell somebody," she added.

When the producer encouraged her to share more of her story, Albers said, "Everybody asked me, 'Oh, how long have you been in sales?' And at that point, you can make something up, or you can be honest. I went to college for business management and I chose the wrong business."

Now, she's in the right business, making a living doing what she loves. Albers also works to assist women transitioning from prison to civilian life, and her HGTV interview mentioned a startup in the works dedicated to that cause. "I want to move mountains," Albers said. With her ability to defy expectations and work hard, Albers could likely succeed. Hopefully, her newest endeavor, "Lakefront Empire," has a long run on the network and doesn't become one of the canceled HGTV shows we wish would come back!