Exclusive Interview: Tyler Cameron Talks ‘Going Home,’ Honoring His Mother’s Legacy, and Founding Image One Construction

Entrepreneur, philanthropist, and TV personality Tyler Cameron won the hearts of America in his quest for love on Season 15 of ABC’s The Bachelorette. While Tyler didn’t find “the one” through that experience, his candor, humor, and vulnerability left an indelible mark on audiences. This April, he returns to his roots in Jupiter, Florida, to start the business he’s always dreamt about in Going Home with Tyler Cameron.

The series follows The Bachelorette heartthrob as he pursues his dream of starting his own construction and home renovation company. After the sudden loss of his mother, Tyler moved back to his hometown, Jupiter, Florida, to reunite with his family and finally achieve his goal of launching his business, Image One. With the help of his team members—house-flipping expert, Robb Ritch, and Miami-based interior designer, Jessica Quintero—Tyler builds his company from the ground up, exceeding his clients’ expectations one home renovation at a time.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Tyler about Going Home with Tyler Cameron, honoring his mother’s legacy, the trials and tribulations of being a business owner, and more.

PC: Image One’s mission is to turn houses into homes, and you truly exemplify that through all the transformations that we’re able to see. Can you describe the feeling you get during these reveals with your clients? Which renovation were you the most proudest of from Season 1?
Tyler: When you’re renovating a house, it’s a lot of work. It’s such a pain. There are some really hard days and tough times. Sometimes when things don’t go right, you have to fix it for the client. It can be really, really hard sometimes.

We have those days where I’m stressing and up all night. Then, at the end of it all, finally getting it done, getting it right, and then turning it over to the owner, giving them the keys, and seeing their reaction—that’s what makes it so special, and that’s what makes it all worth it. That’s when you turn a house into a home. It takes a labor of love to do that, and we were able to.

My favorite home we did, of course, I have to say my mom’s in Episode 8, that’s definitely the most special. It’s such a beautiful home now. To see where it was to what it became is quite crazy. We did my buddy Brent Boyd’s bedroom, closet, and bathroom, and that was a really cool bachelor pad, boys’ room. I was like, “I could use one of these rooms. This would be sweet.” Those are some of my favorites for sure.

PC: It’s also heartwarming to see you surrounded by your friends and family because that’s where everyone can be their most authentic selves. The banter and candidness between all of you are so refreshing to watch. How much more special is this project, getting to share it with the community that you know and love? Was anybody apprehensive about being filmed?
Tyler: I think everyone was excited. When you start out with the cameras around you, it takes a little time for people to get used to that. Once they got comfortable, they were firing on all cylinders. Everyone had so much fun. Like you said, when you’re with your friends and people you care about, it becomes easy.

That’s what made filming so enjoyable. We all got together and had a great time. It’s a fantastic series. I think you’ll see the fun, candidness, and the love we all have for each other from watching the show.

PC: Throughout the eight episodes, we get to watch you and Image One navigate the adventures of being a new business. What was the biggest lesson you learned from this experience that you wish you knew at the start of the journey?
Tyler: Ask for more money. [laughs] Ask these homeowners to pay you more. One of the biggest lessons is that when you’re going through the house and creating the budget, I tried to make them as tight as possible because I had to sell myself first. I had to make sure these homeowners wanted me. So I couldn’t charge them what normal people would get charged because then they would use the more experienced person. I had to tighten these budgets a bit so it was something that they would have wanted to do.

I decided if I made these budgets smaller and overdelivered, I could create a great name for myself. That’s what you see we do, and I think we accomplished that. We get calls all the time to do more work.

PC: You’re very business savvy. This series is such a beautiful way to honor your mother’s legacy. Episode 8 is so raw and emotional, and there’s a moment with her perfume where you feel that special bond you all had. Did you expect that type of emotion to come out in that moment because it’s so vulnerable and touching? What do you think your mom would think of her house today?
Tyler: That’s the bittersweet part about this show—we don’t get to show the house to my mom. That was hard. The perfume brought back her smell. That was her favorite scent. I don’t know what pushed me to grab it. I wanted to feel her, so I grabbed it and sprayed it. It hit me like a ton of bricks because I haven’t smelled that in a long time. She always wore Flowerbomb as her scent, and it brought back so many memories. It was definitely tough, but we wanted to make sure that we would make mom proud and do what she would have wanted. I think we accomplished that.

PC: We also find worlds colliding in that episode, with you bringing Hannah Brown on as the designer. What was it like getting to collaborate with her in that capacity?
Tyler: It was fun. We were able to bury the hatchet and move past our past to work together on an amazing house and client, and it was so successful. I give her so much credit because she really came up with an amazing design, worked her tail off, and made it come to life. She’s amazing.

PC: There’s such a wide mix of clients that Image One works with in the first season. Is there a different pressure when it’s somebody you have a past with? Which one were you most nervous to work on?
Tyler: There are two. My Uncle Howie was on there. God, that guy is so intimidating to look at to begin with. He’s mean-looking, he’s bald, and he has big hands. You don’t want to mess with that.

Then, John Wright. He was one of our first big jobs. He’s someone who knows the game a bit. He was always on us and always around. I didn’t want to screw up one bit for him. But getting to see John and Howie’s reactions and their excitement for their new homes made it all worth it.

PC: I imagine this project is going to open a lot of doors for Image One, and it’s the perfect word of mouth. What’s ahead for the company and yourself?
Tyler: We have a lot of projects in front of us. We’d love to take on more work. I have two properties in Jacksonville I’m working on right now, and then three homes by me that I’m doing. I’m also renovating my own home. There’s a lot we’re working on, but we’re always looking for more.

To keep up with Tyler, follow him on X and Instagram. Watch Season 1 of Going Home with Tyler Cameron on Prime Video today.

Photo Credit: Michael SeRine/Prime Video