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Mina Starsiak-Hawk never imagined herself in the spotlight of television. Alongside her mother, Karen Laine, she embarked on a journey of transforming old homes in Indianapolis into beauties. This caught the attention of HGTV, leading to the debut of Good Bones in 2016, and she quickly became a familiar face on the network.
While her career appeared to be thriving, the reality was more complex. Behind the scenes, Starsiak-Hawk was juggling the demands of her business, the intense schedule of filming, and the intricacies of working with close friends and family. Eventually, the pressure became too much, prompting her to step back.
‘Good Bones’ ended because of ‘interpersonal issues’
The popular series Good Bones concluded in October 2023. Now, two years later, Starsiak-Hawk is shedding light on the challenging choice she made to pause her TV endeavors.
“I loved, loved doing the show,” she shared on the April 30 episode of Alison Victoria’s Pap Smear Podcast. “I would still be doing it if not for the interpersonal issues with my family and friends. It’s kind of disappointing.”
As time went on, the strain on Starsiak-Hawk’s relationships with her loved ones and colleagues started to take a toll on her well-being.
Over time, Starsiak-Hawk’s relationship with people she loved and worked with became strained. It started to affect her health.
“I didn’t end the show because I didn’t want to do the show,” she said. “I ended the show because I could not mentally and emotionally handle the relationships. It was affecting me physically. I was having stomach issues. Just all kinds of stuff.”
“I had to go to physical therapy for six months because my jaw wouldn’t open far enough to eat because I carried so much stress,” she added.
Pulling the plug on Good Bones was the right choice. But once she quit, she was at loose ends.
“I didn’t really know how to slow down,” she said, adding, “It messed with me … I kind of spiraled.”
Mina Starsiak-Hawk returned to HGTV for new season of ‘Rock the Block’
While Starsiak-Hawk had a successful career on HGTV, it wasn’t enough to allow her to quit working, despite what some people might have though. (Her former friend and co-star Cory Miller publicly slammed her for putting the rest of the show’s cast out of work while walking away with millions, but she says her wealth has been greatly exaggerated.)
Rising home prices and a competitive real estate market made it financially risky to buy and renovate homes. And when she tried to branch out into doing more design-based work, she hit another snag: Prospective clients wanted her to work for free. So, for the past two years, Starsiak-Hawk has focused on maintaining her portfolio of rental properties, often stepping up to do basic maintenance and upkeep. It’s been a necessary reset, she said.
But after a break, she realized she was ready for a new challenge. She’s competing on this season of Rock the Block, which is currently airing on HGTV.
“It is [good to be back],” she said. “I never meant to be on TV. I don’t know most of us did necessarily. But I really like it. I think I’m good at it. And it’s fun.”
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