“Fixer Upper” star Chip Gaines considers himself an entrepreneur first and foremost.
The TV show host talked to Cowboys & Indians magazine for a January 2019 cover story on his life beyond TV with wife and business partner Joanna Gaines. And he described what drives the couple to take on new projects beyond their successful TV show.
Gaines acknowledged that there is a unifying theme to all his and Joanna’s endeavors: the willingness to take a risk at the beginning.
‘Fixer Upper’ Star Says They’re Entrepreneurs
Gaines said it’s that entrepreneurial spirit that has fueled each of their ventures, be it hosting a show, joining the restaurant business, testing the publishing waters or launching a cable TV network.
“At the end of the day I think that’s what makes entrepreneurs special,” Gaines told Cowboys & Indians. “The one thing I do know about myself is that I’m an entrepreneur. I’m not a finance guy, I’m not a lawyer, I’m not a doctor. Even in this business that we run currently, entrepreneurialism is the engine that drives us to the next thing.”
“About a year or two ago, we came up with the bright idea to do a restaurant,” he added. “How does a restaurant fit into any retail universe? Obviously, our show was about construction, so the construction part of the restaurant was certainly relevant. But the restaurant part of the equation was completely non-relevant.”
The Gaines’ restaurant, Magnolia Table, is located in Waco, Texas. It serves breakfast and lunch, and it also includes a takeaway market. According to its website, Chip’s longtime dream was to open up a breakfast place. And the success of “Fixer Upper” has made that possible.
Not Everyone Is Cut Out to Be An Entrepreneur, Gaines Says
Gaines acknowledged that “some people need security,” particularly people who are less affluent than he and Joanna are. He insisted he’s not knocking people who can’t be entrepreneurs. In fact, he said, he doesn’t look down on them at all.
“I literally had this thought today: If you don’t make your living in the mud and the muck, be slow to critique those who do,” Gaines told Cowboys & Indians. “That’s a real mantra of ours around here.”
Meanwhile, the Gaineses have moved on from “Fixer Upper” to other projects. Their latest venture is a new cable network, Magnolia Network, though they’ve acknowledged that it’s an odd time to be launching a cable network, with an increasing share of Americans cutting the cord and opting for streaming instead.
“We can’t stop cable from dying, that’s not our mission,” Joanna told The Hollywood Reporter this summer. “But while it’s still available, we hope you spend an hour or five with us and leave feeling like it was time well spent.”
