What if everything you needed to succeed was already there?
Michel Smith Boyd is a two-time HGTV Rock the Block winner and one of the most recognized designers in the country. He grew up in Thibodaux, Louisiana, a small southern town where he thought his lack of exposure would disqualify him from the life he wanted. Turns out, the architecture he loves, the hospitality that defines his work, and the music that scores every room he designs—it all started right there.
Michel talks about being a little gay kid named Michelle in the deep south who didn't have a word for what made him different, just a feeling of not fitting in. He found refuge in magazines, fashion, and a sixth-grade English teacher named Miss Lagard who made him feel seen. He explains how a trip to the D&D Building in New York merged everything he loved—textiles, architecture, presentation—and finally gave him a name for what he was supposed to do.
He shares the weight of winning Rock the Block and how it changed his client base overnight, why he turned down TV for years before finally saying yes, and the tension between being a public figure and the private, nurturing designer his brand was built on. Michel wraps with where he is now: no longer chasing traditional markers of success, but feeling empowered to define what's next for himself—without needing anyone's approval.
His daily job? To become more of himself.
Follow The Market Makers wherever you get your podcasts for more stories of transformation from the people shaping how we live, work, and gather.
What is The Market Makers?
Every creative professional knows the power of a before and after. It’s a classic transformation arc - whether it’s a renovation, glow up, or an old-fashioned make over. But reinvention doesn’t just apply to products or spaces. It also holds true for our lives and our careers. The sketch on the napkin that becomes a collection. The risk that changes everything. The work that turns a brand into a lasting presence.
The Market Makers is a weekly podcast from ANDMORE, home to markets that have been the stage for so many of these transformations. Hosted by CEO, Jon Pertchik, each episode pulls back the curtain on the lives of creative professionals across design, furniture, home, lifestyle and beyond.
From industry icons like Thom Filicia to leaders at heritage brands like Bassett Furniture, guests share the moments that shaped them, not just the before and after, but the process in between.
Whether it’s finding your aesthetic, carving out a niche, scaling a business, or turning a side hustle into a lasting brand, The Market Makers goes beyond the showrooms and into the creative lives of the people shaping how we live, work, and gather.
Follow The Market Makers wherever you get your podcasts for new episodes every week.