Let’s talk about Fixer Upper star Chip Gaines, who’s been in the home renovation game way before the show premiered back in 2013 with his wife, Joanna Gaines. Recently, the Waco, Texas, native opened up about how he got into the business and shared some outdoor project tips while partnering with Bobcat.
From Business Class Daydreams to Lawn Care Empire
Now, here's the backstory. Chip, who’s all about being an entrepreneur at heart, says his first business idea came to him while he was sitting in a business class in college. But it wasn’t the professor’s lecture that sparked his imagination. “I caught a glimpse out the window of a guy riding a lawn mower, and I was like, man, I wish I was sitting in his seat,” Chip, now 49, recalls with a laugh. “A few weeks later, I bought my first mower and started knocking on doors, offering my services.”
Hard Work, Purpose, and the Joy of Discovery
Chip admits that farm chores and construction work can be tough, but when he focuses on the thrill of discovery—what the end result will look like or what he’ll learn along the way—it makes the work so much more enjoyable. “There’s something really satisfying about work that gives you purpose,” he says. “It’s not just about the physical labor; it’s about creating something meaningful.”
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From Lawns to Real Estate Gold
Author of Capital Gaines, Chip revealed he transitioned from lawn care to flipping houses after realizing just how much more profitable real estate could be. “When I flipped that first house, I basically made in one flip what I earned the entire previous year in the lawn care business,” Chip said in March 2023. “It hit me like a ton of bricks. I was like, ‘Hold on a second, I did this one flip in my spare time and made about what I made the entire year before?’ That’s when I got the bug and jumped in with both feet.”
Chip and Joanna, now 45, got their big break when HGTV producers stumbled upon their home-flipping work on a blog. Allison Page, the general manager at HGTV, told Texas Monthly in October 2016, “I think it’s their perfect imperfections that make them so appealing. They have the kind of marriage and family you’d want. It’s not perfect. He does silly things, and they occasionally trip over their words or sweat on each other. They’re the best of what’s real in life.”
The Rise to Stardom and a Surprising Exit
The couple, who have five kids—Drake, Duke, Crew, Ella, and Emme—went on to achieve superstar status throughout the five seasons of their hit show. But fans were left scratching their heads when they announced their departure from Fixer Upper in September 2017. “Our kids are so young, and we want to give them the chance to have a normal childhood,” Joanna explained at the time. “Family is the most important thing in the world.”
According to Chip, by the end of the series, filming had lost its fun and started feeling more like just another job. But despite having a large farm filled with animals and five little ones running around, Chip and Joanna returned to television with the launch of their own network, Magnolia Network, in January 2022.
