Like many small business owners, Mike Sherman ’92 has had a pretty rough go of it recently. Through it all he has remained positive. However, a recent volunteer opportunity has altered his perspective in a very positive way.
At 8 p.m., Sunday, May 16, on ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” Sherman and his co-workers at M&T Investment Builders are part of a team that helped build—for free—the first modular home for a family on the show.
“Life is more about service than greed. Our advertising business (Design One Creative) has taken a turn for the worse, no doubt due to the economy, which is very taxing on you professionally and personally,” Sherman says. “‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’ has shown me and others how, if a community can come together for one project and help one family without an egotistical return on the horizon, think about what a nation or the world could do? I believe the more we can do to lend unconditional help and support to others, the more the universe will deliver to your own life, and provide you with everything you need to be happy and fulfilled.”
Sherman’s mother and stepfather own M&T in Taylorsville, N.C., and he plans to take over the company in 2011. M&T is an authorized builder or Nationwide Custom Homes. Last year, representatives of Extreme Makeover came to Nationwide at the International Builders Show in Las Vegas to discuss building the first custom modular home for the show.
“They worked out the details and agreed on this past February in Georgia for a family,” Sherman says. “Nationwide solicited authorized builders to help and we couldn’t say no.”
He says everyone involved worked non-stop for eight days on every aspect of the house—from the foundation to helping set each box, to drywall, flooring and fencing.
“They called it vertical building, with subcontractors working simultaneously, which is atypical of a standard build. It rained. It snowed. It was muddy, windy, cold,” Sherman says.
It was all made more bearable by an extremely supportive community.
“They donated a ton of food so we never went hungry. We became friends with the local sheriff and volunteer firemen. It was a total team effort, no doubt,” Sherman says. “People at local stores and gas stations thanked us. It was very moving. The emotions really came to the surface when we finished. When the family showed up and saw what we created for them, and how happy they were, it was overwhelming. The sense of community and unconditional care for complete strangers is a strong feeling. Yes, we hope to get exposure from the show and in result help our business, but I would do it again without a question.”
Sherman is originally from Dayton, Ohio. He played four years of baseball for the Pioneers as a pitcher and outfielder for the late Don Schaly ’59. Sherman says his eight days in Georgia were similar to his four years at Marietta.
“Marietta College and the town was a tight knit community when I was there 20 years ago. I still have friends there, even though I don’t get back much,” Sherman says. “I do know that, especially playing baseball for Coach Schaly, that we fed off community support every day. Not only supporting us by coming to games, but sponsoring our fall league, donating time and material for Pioneer Park, etc.”
He also realizes his experiences at the College helped prepare him for the ups and downs of life, especially his advisor former Art professor Val Garoza and Schaly.
“Val Garoza was a great inspiration as well. Maybe not at the time, I was a kid after all with a lot to learn, but as I move through life, you don’t forget some of your ‘root learning,’ ” Sherman says. “Which brings me to Coach Schaly. He was very difficult to play for and was very hard on us. It took until after I graduated to realize he was teaching us more about life and less about baseball. Self discipline, respect, community service, it all comes more naturally after my experience playing for him. I think he had a special admiration for me, for whatever reason, and he knew tough love was something I needed.”
A shoulder injury changed Sherman’s career path into art and design. After graduating with a degree in Art for the Professions, his first job was designing T-shirts in Hurricane, W.Va.
In 1994, he moved to Charlotte, N.C. Since then, he has been an art director, a director of pre-press/production, a marketing director for Magic 96.1 and 106.5 The End, co-founder/director of operations for Cent$aver Magazine, and co-founder/partner in another ad agency. In addition to Design One, he also holds a patent for 3D Insertable and founded Prospects America.
Sherman, who lives in Denver, N.C., with his wife Jan, is not sure if he’ll be in any of the footage Sunday.
“We were the support staff of course, but we were there all of the time, so who knows. Eight days of footage for 46 minutes of show!” he says.
TOM PERRY
