Builder, designer, business owner, and HGTV star Jasmine Roth doesn’t believe happiness is something you arrive at. It’s something you build, day by day.
Known for HELP! I Wrecked My House, Jasmine has carved out her place in a traditionally male-dominated industry while growing a thriving business and raising a family. In this conversation, she shares her journey into construction, her philosophy on happiness, and practical advice for women ready to build boldly, professionally, and on their own terms.
Q&A with HGTV Star Jasmine Roth
Did you grow up wanting to be a female builder?
I knew I wanted to build something, but I didn’t fall into the home building world until after graduating from college and working in corporate America for 4 years.
What inspired you to start your construction and design company, Built Custom Homes?
When I decided to take my hobby and turn it into a career, I started my company. I still feel like I get to “play” every single day because I truly love home building. However, running a company is hard work – I think harder than people admit.
How do you live out your mantra, “Build Your Happy”? What tips do you have for other women to do the same?
As seen on Jasmine Roth’s Instagram
I believe that happiness is a journey, never a destination. We don’t just wake up one day and magically feel happy for the rest of our lives.
I believe that happiness is a journey, never a destination. We don’t just wake up one day and magically feel happy for the rest of our lives. I also believe that happiness is incremental, the sum of a lot of small moments, and that each day we build our happiness a little bit more. I talk a lot about building through celebration – celebrating the small wins, the obscure milestone, and even being flexible with goals to give yourself room for opportunities.
Happiness to me is about putting one foot in front of the next and choosing happiness, even when it’s hard. And reminding yourself that we’re all just doing our best and that’s good enough.
What made you decide to move to Utah, and what will be your biggest challenge establishing yourself in a new market?
I wish I had a really solid answer to this question, but I think it was just time to shake things up a bit. We loved our 15 years in Southern California, and we also are loving our new home in Utah. Building my team in SoCal was one of my biggest endeavors, and starting from scratch in Utah has proven to be a bit more of a ‘shock to the system’ than expected.
But each day is an adventure and it’s been fun to take a few steps back to hopefully take a big leap forward.
As the host of one of HGTV’s most-watched shows, how do you balance creativity, construction challenges, and on-camera pressure?
Not gracefully! At least it doesn’t feel like it. Ha! I try really hard to block my time and rely on my teams. If I’m working on a design, I do my best to quiet all other distractions and really dig in.
If I’m home with my kids or spending time with my family, I try to be over-the-top present. It’s not a perfect science because my personal life and work life are one – but time management is the only way I ever feel like I’m ahead.
What’s one misconception people have about building or renovation that you wish you could debunk?
A lot of people (myself included) wait to do projects until they’re going to sell their house, not realizing that they’re going to spend the same amount of money right before selling, and they could have done the work while they lived there and actually benefit from it. My advice is DON’T WAIT because if you’re going to do it anyway, why not now? Build your happy!
My advice is DON’T WAIT because if you’re going to do it anyway, why not now? Build your happy!
What is your biggest piece of advice for female builders or women breaking into male-dominated spaces?
Keep it professional.
Keep it professional. This is always my advice and I follow this personally almost to a fault.
Don’t let your guard down, don’t stoop to anyone else’s level, and don’t tolerate any behavior that isn’t professional.
You can’t change people, but you can how people act around you. Set your own expectations and make them well known. Construction in particular can be rough, but it doesn’t have to be. Clearly state your boundaries and stick to them – you’ll never regret it.
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