Chip and Joanna Gaines Reveal How They Made It Through When Their Business Was Struggling

The former stars of Fixer Upper revealed just how difficult it was to get their Magnolia empire up and running

By Allison Crist Jul 02, 2020 9:52 PMTags
Watch: Chip & Joanna Gaines: Any Couple Can Have What We Have

It may be hard to believe now, but at one point, Chip and Joanna Gaines were really struggling business-wise.

The former Fixer Upper stars opened up about the hardships they've overcome during a virtual discussion on Wednesday, explaining that in the beginning, they struggled to bring the vision they had for their Magnolia empire to life. 

"I remember moments where Chip and I would look at each other and just think, ‘How are we going to make it?'" Joanna recalled. "Not seeing the end; not understanding you could actually get through it. We would look at each other and say 'Do we just bail and get out?' That seemed so much easier than having to figure out how [to] make it through this."

Ultimately, the 42-year-old mom of five said that she and Chip simply abided by an age-old expression.

"Chip and his family have always had this thing that Gaines never quit, so he'd say, 'Jo, we're not going to quit, we're going to make it through this,'" Joanna revealed. "We would look at each other every night and say we are not quitting. That level of commitment even when it felt hard helped me just know quitting isn't an option."

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Joanna Gaines' Quotes on Love, Life & Family

The Gaines were obviously successful in persevering through the difficult times, since today, their Magnolia brand consists of Magnolia Realty, Magnolia Market, Silos Baking Co., a line at Target and more.

"I think we leaned on each other's strengths in those moments of weakness where I would typically only see the glass half-empty, and Chip would see the glass half-full," Joanna continued. "Just that kind of thinking really helped me go, 'OK, I can do this.'"

With that in mind, she also wanted to make it clear that change didn't come overnight. 

"For us, it was four or five more years of hardship," she said. "Even though we were, like, ‘We're in it,' it didn't mean that all of a sudden everything was going to be easy and we were going to make it."

If she can impart any wisdom to her fellow entrepreneurs, Joanna wants them to know "it could be a decade before you actually see the other side of this."

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But in the end, it's absolutely worth it.

"...the one thing I can say is, when I look back, I'm so thankful," Joanna added. "We would have missed this moment. We would have missed a lot if we would have just pivoted and gone in another direction because it was easier."

Listen to the complete virtual discussion, "Salesforce Presents: Stories Of Resilience: A Conversation With Chip & Joanna Gaines," here