Flipping Out is one show that definitely falls under the category of reality TV. The show follows the entire flipping house and design work process. With each episode giving a closer look into the business operations, the day-to-day isn't always fun. A clear example goes back to 2011, when Lewis fired two of his employees, one of whom was his sister-in-law, Sarah Berkman. After the tough situation, Lewis described the firing to Xfinity, saying, "I think people who watch the show know it wasn't an easy thing for me to do. These kids that were working for me, we were close, we traveled together, we do a lot of out-of-state consults. We spent a lot of time together."

So why did Lewis choose when he did to take action? He was actually trying to help. "I waited as long as I could, and.... I'm trying to... how do I say this? Obviously people are paid to be on the show. I wanted them to get as much of those cast fees as they could. I actually delayed firing them, especially with Sarah, because I knew she needed that money, that additional income supplement. So I got her as far through that season as I could. But really, it was starting to affect our relationship. I was resentful, I was angry, I was tough to be around because I was so frustrated."