Jason and EJ Williams take pride in improving Chicago's South Side, one home flip at a time. And to be clear: They’ve flipped a lot — more than 200 homes, to be exact. Because of their renovating prowess, they landed themselves on HGTV’s new social experiment flipping series, Flip to a Million. The premise? To transform homes in Dallas into million-dollar properties — with limited resources, hundreds of miles from home. Before watching their efforts come to life in the limited series — which premieres on Monday, Aug. 1 at 9/8c — we sat down with EJ and Jason to learn more about them.

They Met at a Concert

In 2002, EJ and Jason were enjoying themselves separately at a Freeway concert when EJ caught Jason’s eye. “I was heading to the restroom and Jason stopped me,” EJ shares. “We chatted for a few minutes and he asked for my number. When I returned to my friends, I pointed him out and was shocked they knew Jason from [their] high school years.” As it turned out, Jason also knew EJ’s younger brother, Joseph, from college. “We recently celebrated 17 years of marriage,” EJ says.

Their Home-Flipping Passion Began With HGTV

Like many, EJ and Jason find comfort in their nightly routine. “After we were married, we got into a routine: come home, cook dinner, snuggle up and watch HGTV,” EJ says, noting that House Hunters is still a personal favorite. After fawning over HGTV flips for years, EJ and Jason decided to turn their pastime passion into a real-life venture. To do so, they connected with EJ’s high school friends, who were brothers, educators and, as it turns out, flippers.

Though both EJ and Jason were working sales jobs, they knew they could make it work. With the help of their friends they began their first flip. “It was very successful — we made around $60,000 — so we decided to keep going,” says EJ. It’s been 16 years since that fateful flip. We documented everything and learned a lot along the way. “Sometimes it's hard to believe how much we've evolved over 16 years of wearing so many hats in this industry,” EJ admits. “We really love real estate and the different sectors we operate in.”

They Each Bring Their Own Skills to the Table

“My eye for design, functional layouts and effective marketing coupled with Jason's knowledge of construction, project management and his knack for finding deals has been a winning combination for us,” EJ says. “We know what we are each great at and try our best to stay in our lanes.”

They Specialize in Affordable Luxury

EJ and Jason enjoy making luxurious design feel accessible. “We have very similar tastes as it relates to design,” EJ says. “That makes selecting design finishes and materials enjoyable most times. We love to design spaces with modern, luxurious, timeless finishes that also have great functionality.”

Their Goal is to Inspire and Encourage

Ever since beginning their family business, EJ and Jason’s hope has been to improve their community and inspire future flippers. “We've built a family business that has impacted not only us but our community by way of improving the landscape as well as giving back by mentoring aspiring investors as well,” EJ says.

Now, with Flip to a Million, that goal only grows. “We are most excited for viewers to take this wild ride with us,” EJ says. “We hope to encourage someone who has been wanting to get into real estate to take a chance and go for it!”

The Couple Aims to Always Keep It Real

As much as they hope to inspire hopeful flippers, EJ and Jason also want to be transparent about the home-flipping process, especially in regards to Flip to a Million. “This was the toughest thing we've done professionally, but it's been very rewarding to test our experience and tenacity in a new market,” EJ says. “A lot of this business is trusting your instinct and gut. This work is not the glitz and glamor some people often confuse it to be. It can be frustrating and you have to rely on a lot of people to get the job done. It takes a lot of hard work and vision to transform homes, but it pays off if you stay the course.”

They Consider Themselves Foodies

Beyond their love of design, EJ and Jason love a good meal, as does their daughter. “All three of us consider ourselves foodies, so dining out and trying new restaurants and cuisines are some of the ways we like to spend quality time,” EJ shares.

The new limited series premieres on HGTV Monday, August 1, at 9/8c and will be available to stream on discovery+.