This is me posing next to him (thanks to the gal who took this great picture- whew!). He's a down-to-earth guy and easy to open up to. I'm a bashful gal who needs some guts to speak up...I finally succeeded when Eric was fielding questions from the audience in relation to carpentry and Clean Sweep, I asked, "Do you [Eric & Clean Sweep crew] keep in touch with the couples on the show?" However, hearing my voice on the 'ad-libbing' microphone caused me to back down (heh), and Eric almost didn't get entirely what I said. Anyway, he said that yes, he & they do. I guess I'm not the only one, as other audience members were also a bit blubbery!
I got his autograph (see below!) beforehand and told him that I watch the show every day, and he thanked me. Eric's one of the few people whom I felt comfortable speaking up to in such a long time!
For those of you not familiar with Clean Sweep, the hit TV series debuted on September 2003 to popular ratings and attracted a loyal following. The series specialize in helping each couple living in the Los Angeles, California area to de-clutter their chosen two rooms- generally an office and a master bedroom or a den and a guest room. For $2,000 ($1,000 per room) and only two days to complete, the two rooms full of junk and clutter all over are entirely emptied and placed out on the couple's yard to sort in the Keep, Sell, or Toss piles. Stuff in the Sell pile gets sold at their on-site yard sale (set up by Clean Sweep); stuff that didn't sell goes off to charities. During the final Keep 'decision-maiking crisis', a professional organizer works with the couple to decide which to keep- in order to fit back into the two rooms, while the crew re-models the rooms with new paint, furniture (that Eric custom-builds, his trademark for which he had done for celebs such as actor Mel Gibson), etc. I discovered the show the following January and began to catch all the episodes. The show is educational and well-worth the time. It also reminds me to appreciate that I am NOT like the couples on the show, LOL!
Eric hails from Evanston, Illinois and graduated from the University of Colorado. He claims he did carpentry in just about every house in Colorado. The 42-year-old married father of two currently lives in Los Angeles, California. For more about him, as well as Clean Sweep, check out their official sites below.
If Eric ever visits your hometown, make an effort to meet him and say hi! I thank Eric for his time and hope he enjoyed his stay in the (very warm!) Valley of the Sun. My special thanks also to Phoenix Home & Garden organizers, for the VIP pass.
