They had no idea what was to come.
They were well aware that they had to fix 20 years of negligence. He was unaware of what they had, but when he saw everyone's reactions when he walked out, he knew it was drastic.
Jeffrey Schultz
Everyone could tell that Jeffrey Schultz was an unkept man. He was even well-aware of it but it seemed he didn't care.
It all started when he hit his dreaded mid-life crisis. But as time went on, the thick facial hair became familiar to him and he couldn't imagine going without it. It hid his face, and maybe he liked that. But there was someone else in the picture that wanted him to get rid of it.
30 Years Together
Jeffrey and his wife, Lori, had met in their early twenties, and here they were, 30 years later, still married. But when they met, he had just taken over his father's business while she was a student.
Two years after their romance started, they were happily married. Back then, Jeffrey was a well-kept man with wavy hair and a shaven face. You wouldn't be able to tell looking at him now.
Supportive Wife
Lori was the love of his life and he was hers.
She never commented on the way he looked, she never had a mean word to say to him. But when they would go out to nice places, he could clearly see the sadness in her eyes. Sadness she had always tried her best to hide.
Not Like Her
She liked to look good for her husband. She took care of herself for him. Every morning she would wake up extra early and get ready to look her very best.
He knew he didn't take care of himself the way that she took care of herself. He felt complacent towards his appearance but he wasn't blind to the warning signs she was sending him.
Not Ready
He knew he had to change but he could also feel that he wasn't ready to change just yet.
He didn't think he could have a massive transformation and look better than he did now. He knew that he would only change his look for his wife.
Attached
But Jeffrey was a mechanic. His job didn't require him to look good, but if his job needed him to clean up, he would. Since that wasn't a requirement, he thought, why make the effort?
He had sported the look for over 20 years now, he had grown attached to what he looked like. Lori couldn't understand his attachment.
Identity
He felt like this appearance was now part of his identity. So many people base their identity on their looks.
It might have seemed that Jeffrey didn't care, but he did
Hiding Himself
He looked like he didn't care about how he dressed or what he looked like, but in reality, he was trying to hide what he really looked like behind the massive and unruly beard.
He saw the value in his look. He liked that it sent the message that he didn't care about vanity. But he was scared to change his look, because it was how he identified himself.
Perfect Man
When he told his wife about his fears of changing himself, it made her cry. She couldn't understand why he was so insecure about himself. She thought he was absolutely perfect.
She now knew that it was fear stopping him and she had to nudge him in the right direction. She had a plan up her sleeve.
Favorite Show
“I sent an email to the Rachael Ray Show,” Lori admitted, a sly smile creeping up on her face.
“Oh, that’s a dirty trick!” Jeffrey said, it was one of his favorite shows and it had more to do than the cooking aspect.
Guilty Pleasure
Jeffrey loved the makeovers they did! There were a few episodes that had amazing transformations.
But the one that stuck out in Jeffrey’s mind was the Southern-fried makeover that a couple from Concord, North Carolina, went under. When Jeffrey watched their transformation, he recognised a lot of himself in their image.
No Style
The couple, Stacey Collins and Brandon Helms, had very little care to give about how they looked. The couple usually wore camouflage, denim jeans, hoodies and anything else that was comfortable.
But one day, Stacey decided that she wanted to look pretty again but she just didn’t know how.
A Wife’s Words
Jeffrey watched the episode on the edge of his seat as style guru, Kyan Douglas, got to work. However, it took them a while to convince Brandon to cut his beard, and the words that did it were from his wife.
“I can’t say that I don’t like the beard, but then again, I can’t say that I love the beard. It’s his face…” she confessed. Jeffrey glanced at his own wife.
High Hopes
It was obvious that the wife on the show was just being nice. She obviously wanted the beard to go. He looked at his wife with quiet knowledge that she felt the same.
But for 20 years, she said nothing. He knew how much he loved her. Now it was time for him to do something for her. All he could hope is that she’d react like the wife on the TV.
Shocking Transformation
Jeffrey watched as the new couple walked out in front of the cameras. The transformation was incredible! The couple looked at each other in shock with a completely new admiration towards each other.
Jeffrey chuckled at their reaction. But could he really be so lucky as to be chosen for a national broadcasted makeover?
The Chosen One
Just when he thought there was no way he was going to be picked, they got a call for the two of them to go to New York. Not only that, but the makeover team also they had lined up was out of this world.
Jeffrey and Lori knew their world was going to change, but they had no idea how much.
Big Names
Kyan Douglas from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy would be seeing to the makeover!
The owner of the best men’s salon in Miami would also be there. Just so weeks from finding out, Jeffrey would be on the set of the show, a smile on his face.
It Begins
He couldn’t believe he got to see his favorite TV show behind the scenes. It felt that he could have been dreaming.
He felt butterflies in his stomach as he was put in front of the camera. He could see something in his wife’s eyes that he hadn’t seen in years.
Do Anything
His iconic words on the show were “She married me with nothing on my face, so I’m willing to go that far” it appeared they would respect that.
They tugged at the many layers, snipping away with their scissors. Everyone waited in anticipation. But how would he look at the end?
New Clothes
They took away his old denim overalls and put him in a stunning outfit that wouldn’t be out of place on a magazine cover.
He knew he could never have afforded something like this, but he said it felt amazing to wear. Then everyone saw the makeup.
Everyone Else First
He wasn’t allowed to look at a mirror beforehand.
All he could do was walk out when the curtains parted and see his wife’s expression. Here eyes went wide, and she started crying tears of joy. He turned around and saw the final result.
Jaw Dropping
It was unbelievable. Not only had they cut away decades of hair, but they had also taken away at least 10 years off his face.
It was like looking at an entirely new person. But it was his wife’s next comment that made everything worth while.
New Person
“That’s not my husband. He looks like a model! He looks like a brother of John Wayne!!! Handsome devil, grrrr.”
Jeffrey couldn’t help but blush as he took his wife’s hand. Rachael Ray and the rest of the team gushed as the audience clapped and cheered with surprising enthusiasm.
No Longer Hiding
Yes, he had been hiding behind his appearance for years.
Seeing the new person in the mirror made him wonder why he hid in the first place. It was also another reminder of how wonderful Lori was and why he had decided to spend the rest of his life with her.