Brandon Bronaugh has rolled up his sleeves to help those in the depths of despair on Hoarders for four seasons. He and his crew have tackled some of the most extreme cases. The cleaning specialist puts more than a decade of experience to the test by balancing a cool and calm demeanor with compassion and no nonsense approach. 

Beyond the popular A&E series,  Bronaugh remains dedicated to pulling individuals out of catastrophic residential situations as the founder and CEO of LifeCycle Transitions. The company says it has helped thousands of families across the country. 

Here Bronaugh reveals what it’s like filming Hoarders and things viewers don’t see. 

As one of the newer Hoarders additions in recent years, how has life or business changed as you became associated with the show? 

Brandon Bronaugh: Visibility makes a huge difference. It lends credibility and authority. It also makes us a reliable source when it comes to clients that are in these particular situations that we’ve helped over the last 17 years in business. 

That’s about as long as the show has been around. What were your initial thoughts when you first heard about it? 

To be honest with you, if you’re in law enforcement or a social worker or teacher, you tend to shy away from the subject matter. Anything that feels like work because you’re around it all day, you want to disconnect from it. I actually didn’t watch the show because I often thought about work. I lived it. I live this. We created a company working in a space and transitioned over 7,000 clients in these predicaments. So, when the show came around, it felt like a calling from God that this is an opportunity for us to go all in to bring our services and company front and center and become a major contributing factor for the show’s success. 

What are some things that we don’t see that viewers may consider eye-opening? 

The raw emotion. It really is a balancing act for the directors, producers and cast involved. These are real people going through real situations. There is a lot of mental health associated with these traumas. Most people think these situations are exaggerated. These are actual people. The show has done a remarkable job to make sure they find people that genuinely need help and want help. 

How did you come to join the show? 

It was mind-boggling. It was very emotional. Before the show, I was very strategic about being front and center with the company. I didn’t even let anyone know I ran the company. We hired marketing companies in the past that had said, “This model you guys created is amazing, but it seems a little generic or a pulse that beats where you came from for it to be so unique.” I actually fired that marketing company because I didn’t feel comfortable coming front and center. Since the show came about, not only have I had to come front and center, but I realized that I had to really own this space and be the life transition expert that the audience wanted to resonate with. 

What would you say is the way you look at these cases? 

We are the mental health solution. We deal with these kinds of situations holistically in all facets: mentally, emotionally, spiritually, financially. We’re fully invested in these clients. When we deal with hoarding situations, we’re looking for sustainability. We don’t want our clients to waste good effort on poor results or waste good money. So, when we’re doing this we’re starting with a transitioning evaluation assessment. 

We’re doing a legitimate stress test. We’re actually looking at their finances, physical ability, mobility, the condition of the home structurally and aesthetically. Can we add fair market value if we do these things? If we do these things, what is the end return for them? Are you going to go back or be worse than before? It’s mental health with the after care. We’re actually working with our clients for years after we do these transitions. We’re the ones advocating and giving them advice when it’s time to hold them or fold them, downsize or relocate. As a transition company, I think that sets us apart from those who do similar things as us. 

What case comes to mind that really pushed you to your limits on the show? 

Good old Andy was one of the most challenging clients I’ve ever ever had on the show. He was a tough guy. He was the kind of guy that was hands on, always had a purpose for everything. It was an industrial hoard. In a hundred-degree sweltering heat where sunburn was a real thing out there. It was demanding. He was barking orders. He was very demonstrative, confrontational and challenged us in a lot of ways. 

Brandon Bronaugh (A&E)

What have you taken from this experience? 

Gratitude. Complete gratitude. I’m a very spiritual person. I put God in everything I do first and foremost. I give complete gratitude to being in a position to be a servant. Beyond all the things we do, and I do is be a servant. 

Is there a trend you’re noticing more when it comes to this? 

I think people are looking more at their life choices. I think people are looking more at retirement and how long they are going to continue in their current situation. Whether it’s staying in their home and working their job. People are looking at their house. I think they’ve become wiser when it comes to their health in the 17 years we’ve been in business with what choices they make. I think intentionality has become a reality of sorts. 

What’s a tip or two you have for people? 

I think people should be close with their family. If I had a dollar for every client who had a cousin or distant relative that didn’t know this person or that person was living this way. I think the best way is to stay in communication with your loved ones. Pick up the phone, but also go visit them. Don’t just send Christmas cards or birthday cards or Zoom. I think as a society we need to make an effort to visit our neighbors. Our elderly neighbors that live next door that we see are struggling to take out the garbage. Let’s not only help them, but go inside and drop off cookies or something. The more we spend visiting our loved ones, paying attention to our neighbors and offering advice and help, the better we are as a society. 

When it comes to hoards you’ve seen, what case really made you take a step back? 

Animal hoarding is always going to be the most challenging and difficult and also the most fascinating because these are animals that don’t have a voice. They can’t speak about abuse, neglect and things they experience. It’s hard to talk to the owner in these cases because there is a lot of emotionality involved in their decisions. These are cases that go undetected for the longest because they are fearful of possible repercussions or issues that come back to haunt them legally. Those are the ones that go on the longest at the cost of these unfortunate animals.

A&E

How long does a particular episode take? How much time do you spend with the people you’re helping? 

Anywhere from six to eight days. And they are long days, eight to 10 hours there with the client, interacting with the staff and doing the work. I think what people don’t realize from watching the show is we are literally working. We’re not just filming an episode and interacting with the cast. On one of the episodes, the biggest episode, we did the largest hoard in the show’s history. We did between 24 and 25 dumpsters. It was a rigorous task that took a long time and a lot of effort. The thing I want the general public to know is there is a lot of work that goes into it. 

What was the story behind that one? 

It was a client “Kate” that had these beautiful kids that loved their mom and wanted to encourage her. She was into flea markets and shoporamas. She would buy a lot of things from second-hand stores. She did a lot of dumpster diving, garage sales. Her house was the equivalent to about 10 warehouses. We had to really work to get rid of a lot of it. The fortunate thing about this one was she was ready. That’s a testament of a lot of therapy and clients like her putting their mental health first. It’s about acknowledging and accepting there is a problem, but there is a solution to fixing it. I think that is why we were able to get rid of so many things. She was really ready and put the work into getting ready. 

Have you followed up since to see if she kept it going? 

We did. It looks like from her daughter things are going really well. She is on the up and up and moving in the right direction. It has been about a year since we followed up. I’m glad you mentioned her because now I’m going to follow up and send a text to see how things are going. 

Are you filming right now? 

We’re hopeful for what’s next. It’s a great show. The network is amazing. The directors, producers and staff as a whole are amazing. What people don’t realize is how big of a team it is in order for these shows to come to life. There are a lot of dedicated people making sure we are bringing these stories to life in the purest form.