Off-screen, the couple has been married since 2015, and their connection goes back even further.
She even rejected Brian’s daily invitations to have lunch with him.
Part of their miscommunication stemmed from Mika’s perception of Brian.
“He always jokes,” Mika explained toThe List.
“And so I kind of just didn’t really take it seriously.”
Another barrier was that Brian wasn’t able to tell Mika how he felt.
Luckily for the couple, a mistake gave Brian another opportunity.
Ten years after they graduated, Mika inadvertently forwarded a chain email to Brian.
Without hesitating, he sent Mika an email back and invited her to a Tampa Bay Buccaneers football game.
His initiative paid off, and their email exchange marked the beginning of their romance.
Fortunately, Brian and Mika had their previous years of friendship to give their romance a strong start.
Before they reconnected through email, Brian and Mika had each been in relationships with other people.
Brian had been married to Ericka Dunlap, a former Miss Florida and Miss America 2004.
In 2009, he and Dunlap competed in “The Amazing Race.”
Soon after, they decided to divorce.
By 2011, when Brian and Mika’s relationship began, Mika’s daughter Jade was 18 months old.
In addition, her past romantic experiences gave her insight into what she valued in a relationship.
At the time, Brian owned fitness clubs, and Mika worked directly with clients there.
As avid fans of HGTV, Brian and Mika aspired to create their own program on the web connection.
They pitched the idea of creating and completing new homes within 90 days.
During this process, the show’s timeframe was lengthened slightly into 100 days.
Besides working together, Brian and Mika are also taking time to enjoy family life.
For their longer term plans, they’re considering relocating to Savannah eventually, where they purchased a townhouse.
Wherever they live, Brian and Mika see a strong future for themselves as a couple.
“We love adventure.
We love to laugh.
