EXCLUSIVE: Konya Hendricks Schuh Has ‘Bigger’ Renovations in Store for ‘Betting on Beloit’ Season 2

Beloit was once voted the “worst city” in Wisconsin, but Konya Hendricks Schuh is working to change that, one renovation at a time.

“Betting on Beloit,” the A&E reality show that follows Konya and her close-knit crew as they seek to transform the city they’ve long seen potential in, is back for a second season of purchasing and renovating homes in the city’s historic district to attract homebuyers.

Konya is the daughter of the richest self-made woman in America, billionaire Diane Hendricks, who has long been on a mission to revitalize the town in which the family has built their hugely-successful business, ABC Supply.

Together, they joined forces in season one to restore local historic homes, but they have bigger plans ahead. They’re joined by Konya’s husband, Matt Schuh—a plumbing contractor and former home builder. Her good friend and project manager, Pete Woodkey, realtor nephew, Connor Fox, and designer friends, Kristin Wagner and Mitch Conklin, are in on the efforts, too.

“In the beginning, we were tackling one house at a time,” Konya exclusively tells Realtor.com®. “But now, in season two, because we’re deeper in, I’m really seeing full blocks in the neighborhood really transform.”

Although Konya maintains that renovating individual homes is a “pretty minute part of a bigger story,” the impact the show has had in its first 12 episodes is already felt around town.

“There’s so much pride and momentum happening right now in Beloit, and you can see it. You can feel the energy,” she says.

Owning a handful of businesses in the area—including commercial buildings such as hotels and restaurants—Konya notes that her family has “a lot of gratitude to the city and the people of Beloit,” and that this effort is a way to invest in the community around them.

Konya is personally interested in making sure the population has access to “every stage” of housing, “from affordable housing all the way to executive housing.”

And although the family has seen financial success through their various business endeavors, their efforts to breathe new life into Beloit have not yet brought in any dough.

“We would love to become profitable at some point, just so we can reinvest in the mission,” Konya says. “But we are still losing dollars on these houses.”

With that said, she notes their losses are “becoming a bit smaller,” as they’ve become “more sophisticated” in their operation.

Last season marked Konya’s first foray into reality television, and she learned a lot from the experience.

“I really enjoyed it,” she says. “I want to change the narrative about Beloit. The fact that it’s on television is just so great, because I get to share my pride in our city with a broader audience. It’s been a great experience for me so far, and I feel really supported.”

As the gang learns from their mistakes, “Betting on Beloit” is scaling up for season two, with higher stakes and pricier properties.

“We tackle a lot bigger projects in season two,” Konya teases. “It’s just a continuation of building on season one and building on our mission.”

A passionate designer, Konya puts a lot of love into each renovation, but must carefully toe the line between putting her signature “traditional, tailored, and elevated” style into each project and creating a space that will attract a variety of buyers.

“We always pay really close attention to [trends] for resale, because ultimately, these houses are not for me, and they’re for another buyer, so I try not to do anything too off-the-wall,” Konya explains. “My overall aesthetic, I consider it very timeless, so I think that works well for listing it for sale.”

Although a timeless aesthetic is the goal, Konya believes that “homes should not be one size fits all.”

“I feel like there’s a lot more individualism in home design right now,” she says. “Just that warmth… it feels less sterile than trends were going for a while. Homes feel a bit more collected and warm.”

“Betting on Beloit” airs Saturdays at 12:00 p.m. ET on A&E.