You know and love them from HGTV's "Fixer Upper," but what goes on behind the scenes
in the lives of one of the most famous home renovation couples?
Let's take a look into what you may not know about the relationship of Chip and Joanna Gaines.
Both Chip and Joanna Gaines attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas, but contrary to popular
belief, the two didn't meet during their college days. Chip left school in 1998 after getting his
degree in marketing and business administration, and Joanna got her communications degree in 2001.
The famous couple wouldn't meet for a few more years after Joanna left school, which may have
been a good thing, because she got to vet her career options and explore what she wanted to do.
Joanna told the Baylor Alumni Magazine that she was always interested in being on-camera,
despite being more of an introvert. As such, her early career in broadcast
journalism helped her develop those on-screen chops we all know and love.
You know it's going to be a romance for the ages if it only takes a picture to seal the deal,
Chip told PopSugar that while patronizing Joanna's family's auto shop,
he saw a photo of her hanging behind the counter, saying -
"I knew I'd marry her one day just by the picture on the wall,"
"Um, Do you believe in love at first sight, or would you like me to walk by again?"
Chip later returned to the family business during one of Joanna's shifts,
and the two hit it off right away.
Joanna elaborated on the experience during an interview with Baylor University's Alumni
Magazine, and shared that she and Chip spent quite a while chatting, saying -
"The next day he called the shop and asked me out. Very romantic."
Chip and Jo had their very first date at a historic restaurant in Valley Mills,
Texas, and the rest is history.
Just based on the empire that Chip and Joanna Gaines have created, you'd think that they were
destined to be right off the bat. But while writing for the Summer 2020 issue of "Magnolia
Journal," Joanna revealed that it took her a minute to come around to the idea of dating him.
Confessing that she was usually into, quote, "guys who were more on the quiet side,"
Joanna revealed that Chip certainly threw her a curveball. She elaborated, writing -
"Based on our first date, it was clear that Chip was anything but quiet."
She further revealed to readers that her then-date wouldn't stop talking about the
homes he wanted to renovate, businesses he one day wanted to own and operate,
and all the risks he was willing to take to reach his goals, as she wrote -
"I was wondering if he was just a bit crazy. In my mind, I somewhat instinctively checked
his penchant for risk and chatty nature as two reasons we probably wouldn't go on a second date."
But clearly there was some magic between the two of them, because a second date happened.
Joanna told PopSugar how Chip ultimately won her over, saying -
"I couldn't believe how kind Chip was — he had kind eyes. I knew he
was the one because I knew I could trust him."
The "Fixer Upper" star elaborated on her initial impression of Chip
in the Summer 2020 issue of "Magnolia Journal," saying Chip's vision of life
and what he wanted to create for himself was also very attractive. Joanna wrote -
"All the ideas and dreams he held for himself were anything but ordinary,
and he talked about the world around him through the lens of untapped potential."
She went on to explain that when Chip did pause, she found herself coming up with ideas
and dreams of her own to fill in the gaps. As Joanna wrote of those early dating days -
"This near-stranger had drawn out a side of me that I didn't yet know existed."
For his proposal, Chip Gaines decided on efficiency - he popped the question in a
jewelry store and immediately had Jo give her input on the exact ring she wanted.
As noted by CheatSheet, Chip took Jo to a jewelry store in Archer City,
Texas and got down on one knee. She of course said yes, and then the two of
them made their way into the store so Jo could pick out her diamond. In her book,
"The Magnolia Story," she later recalled what the proposal meant to her, writing of the experience -
"I just about melted. The jeweler was a man named Billy Holder,
who had gone to high school with Chip's dad. […] The fact that the selection of
the ring tied back to Chip's roots and family history made it all the more special for me."
Chip Gaines has been flipping houses for a long time, as he started his
real estate career at an early age. He told the Baylor University Alumni Magazine that
after investing in his first real estate project, he was hooked. He made a $30,000
profit from his first flipped house, and that was it — he was bitten by the bug, saying -
"It became obvious to me that I could work an entire year and make $30,000,
or I could work for three months flipping a house and make the same amount of money.
I became very excited about investing in rental property and flipping property."
So what did that mean for Joanna Gaines? Basically,
it meant that as soon as she married her husband, they went into business together.
The couple told PopSugar that as soon as they tied the knot, they started working on different
real estate projects together — clearly, they were onto something, with Joanna recalling -
"We started renovations on [our first home] immediately after
we came home from our honeymoon. Chip did all the construction."
You'd think that after all the success Chip and Joanna Gaines have had,
they would be considered the quintessential perfect couple.
While some may certainly think so, Joanna doesn't share the same sentiment. She told People-
"Match made in heaven is not the term you would use to describe us."
She went on to share her reasoning, saying -
"From day one, when we were dating, I realized he is not going to be put in a box.
And if there's a rule, he's going to break it."
Joanna shared that at the beginning of their relationship, she and Chip would have fights
on occasion, and that they had to work together to figure out what boundaries
worked for their relationship — but once they did that, they found their harmony, with her saying -
"He's good at the big picture, and he's good at risk. I like the details."
What's more is that Joanna credits Chip for bringing her out of her shell, telling People -
"He empowers me to be confident."
Have you ever wondered how Chip and Joanna Gaines came up with their business name,
Magnolia? We've always had questions, and as it turns out,
the business name is an homage to one of Chip and Jo's earliest experiences together.
In the final episode of "Fixer Upper," Chip explained to the couple's children
that the name Magnolia came about after one of Chip's very first dates with Joanna.
"You know what's interesting about a magnolia tree?"
"What?" "One of Mama and I's first dates,
I climbed up a magnolia tree and I pulled her off a magnolia bloom and I gave it to her."
That small gesture became the jumping off point for the business that would
ultimately change Chip and Jo's lives forever,
and it's such a lovely tribute to their early days as a couple, as Chip said later in the episode -
"We love magnolia trees. It really embodies our company. It's basically
become our mascot. So every project we do, we love to plant a magnolia gem."
As if Chip and Joanna Gaines didn't have enough on their plate, the pair share five children. But how
do Chip and Jo approach parenting, and what does it say about their relationship with each other?
In an exclusive sit-down with Jenna Bush Hager for Southern Living, Joanna shared her
experiences as a mom and how she and Chip go about raising their kiddos. She said that as parents,
she and Chip do their best to support their kids and what they are passionate about,
but they also do their best to challenge their kids. She added that as she's raised
her fifth child she's made more of a conscious effort to write things down
and take note of the small experiences that make all the difference, sharing -
"It's the little moments that stop me in my tracks, because that's what life is all about."
Twelve years into their marriage, Chip Gaines presented his wife,
Joanna, with the opportunity to update her engagement ring.
As noted by CheatSheet, the original jeweler who sold Chip the original ring
came to the couple's house and showed Jo a number of diamonds to choose from,
but instead of going for a new, flashy diamond, Joanna stuck to the one she already had, saying -
"I looked [the jeweler] in the eye and I said, 'I'm sorry, but no.
This is the original diamond I picked, and it's perfect just the way it is.'"
What made Jo so firm in her decision? She shared in her book,
"The Magnolia Story," that her original ring was authentic to her and Chip, writing -
"It wasn't a 'perfect' diamond, but it was perfect for me. To me, my ring is part of our story."
To understand Joanna's relationship with Chip, is to understand what it is about him that she
loves so much. Joanna told People during their Kindness Issue that it is, in fact,
Chip's golden heart that she can't get enough of. She told the publication
that Chip's approach to genuine kindness has made their family much better off.
"If you are stranded on the side of the road, you want Chip Gaines to drive by,
because he'll turn around and help. It doesn't matter what's going on, who he has to meet,
and he expects nothing in return. It's that quiet kindness that's challenged me,
our children and everyone here at Magnolia. We all need more of that in our lives."
For his part, Chip shared that no problem, debate,
or argument is ever worth the peace of others, especially Jo, saying -
"In the end, Jo and I sincerely care more about one another than we do
about one of us being right."
Joanna and Chip Gaines might look as though they have their professional lives down to an art,
but they've been very upfront about the challenges that couples can face when working together.
In a press event with People, Joanna revealed that for those wanting to
get into business with their spouse, it's important to be incredibly upfront, saying -
"If you can't figure it out, bring in someone that will help so you don't end up ending your
marriage. Get a mediator, get a designer [...] and allow yourself room to make mistakes."
"I need you to delicately, take -"
"The drywall out."
"Ohh!"
Joanna's sentiment was seconded by Chip, who shared that for him and his wife specifically,
they had to work on not forcing anything that didn't feel natural.
He shared that early in their professional lives together,
he realized that he shouldn't step into Joanna's world, as she didn't step into his.
The saying goes that opposites attract, and Chip and Joanna Gaines have seemed to find
the sweet spot. Joanna told Oprah in a "Super Soul" special that as their popularity has grown,
Chip has been the one who brings her back down to earth to enjoy the small moments in life,
which can be so easily missed, saying -
"Chip is always teac--hing me if you're not having fun,
if you're not enjoying and savoring these moments, then why are you doing it?"
As for Chip, he shared that Joanna is the perfect compliment to his, quote,
"dog chasing his tail in a circle" kind of energy.
Chip and Joanna Gaines have made their transition from on-camera talent to network executives. Yes,
they still star in "Fixer Upper: Welcome Home" episodes for fans to enjoy,
but Chip and Jo are also now the proud overseers of the Magnolia Network,
which is set to replace the DIY Channel on cable television on January 5, 2022.
Making the huge move to cable television is a giant leap forward for the couple.
As noted by Variety, the couple wrote in a statement -
"We can't wait to see these stories brought to life on cable this January, and we're hopeful
about the impact it might have — to help reclaim the best of what television can be."
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