I hope in this post about Chip and tips from Joanna Gaines inspires you to start building your dreams. Start small and continue to put in the work. You have no idea how high you can fly.
Key points of post
- Share an inspiring story of someone who started working on a dream and has achieved more than they could imagine.
- Encourage you to start working on your big dreams by taking small actionable steps.
- Express how the Chip and Joanna Gaines story has motivated me to work towards my design dreams.
Hi y’all, today I’m here to share an inspiring story with you. As I am sure you will agree, Joanna Gaines has achieved a designer/DIYer’s dream. However, the story of Chip and Joanna Gaines is full of small steps, setbacks, failures, and rewarding moments. If you haven’t read their story, The Magnolia story, it’s a fantastic read, very inspiring. Check it out here. As I am sure you can imagine, Chip and Joanna did not start at the top. They started with a small goal, a project that they were (still are) passionate about, flipping houses. It was from that spark that the flame grew, and grew, and grew.
“We must know the importance and the value of who we are, whether that is as a stay-at-home mom or a CEO of a large company.” -Joanna Gaines
The blog post that made Chip and Joanna famous.
Below, is a link to the blog post on Design Mom that ignited the fire for Fixer Upper. It all started with a simple feature on a larger blog (many of us have been there, it is exciting to get featured on a larger blog).
In this case, HGTV just happened to find the post. As a result, they reached out to Joanna to interview her for a new tv series. An HGTV film crew traveled to Waco, TX (can you imagine!). There they interviewed Chip and Joanna, and after they almost blew it (read more in The Magnolia story), they landed a tv show, Fixer Upper.
Below are a few images from the original featured post. It was this personal design project that got Joanna Gaines introduced to HGTV. As you know, this in turn landed her a tv show, which made Joanna and Chip Gaines a household name. And as they say, the rest is history.
* want a peak at Joanna’s original blog, you can find that here at The Magnolia Mom.
visit Design Mom to view the rest of the post—>
The rest is history.
Today, the Magnolia brand includes interior design, vacation rentals, restaurants, retail, a real estate development company, a blog, multiple best-selling books, and the list goes on and on. However, it all started with a simple daydream and has grown from there. Check out all of the amazing things that they have done since that fated blog post, and interview on their website, Magnolia.
Chip and Joanna work hard. They never gave up on their vision, even during the setbacks. Because of this, to me, it is a very rewarding story. As I think about 2019 and where I want to grow as a business, a designer, and a blogger this story is one that I will continue to refer to as I push through to reach my dreams.
I wanted to share their story today, and a little bit about where they started, to show you how one small step can grow into something as wild and magnificent as Magnolia.
How the Chip and Joanna Gaines story has inspired me.
Early last year, I listened to The Magnolia Story. I found it to be incredibly motivating for me. As a result, it helped inspire me to re-launch my blog, and design business. It provided the inspiration I needed when I was asking myself, what is next?
At the start of the story, Joanna talks about meeting Chip Gaines for the first time. When they met, he was already an entrepreneur of sorts. He was investing in real estate and flipping houses. This story is near and dear to my heart because flipping houses has always been a dream of mine as well.
Later, she recounts her first flip. In the story, she points out that just when she got their first house just perfect, Chip told her it was time to sell. It was time to start another project. In essence, Joanna shares how she gets emotionally attached to houses, and how Chip simply sees them as “inventory.” This spoke to me because I too get emotionally attached to houses. However, after listening to this adventure, I started to realize, that maybe I too could look at houses as more of an asset, instead of an emotional attachment. It got me thinking about where I want to go in my business, and what my biggest assets are as a designer and an entrepreneur.
As a result, this story, and a change in mindset led me to rent my house on Airbnb. In my 2019 goals post, I talk about how this move has prompted me to move forward with new business dreams. There are many other tidbits of this endearing story that are also near and dear to my heart. This is just one example of how Chip and Joanna Gaines have inspired me. If you have a chance, listen to The Magnolia Story through Audible. It was so much fun to hear Chip and Joanna tell their story. I felt like it added to the narrative. Their personalities really shined through by hearing it as opposed to reading it.
A few of my favorites from Fixer Upper
Put yourself out there, start that dream.
I am a firm believer in starting. From 2011 to 2014, I had a blog called The Mustard Ceiling. When I started, I had no idea where it would take me. However, as a result, I saw so many wonderful opportunities. I became a part of a greater design community, was inspired and have continued to be inspired by bloggers and online organizations.
Through that journey, I learned graphic and web design. This led to me start my first business, a small graphic, and web design studio (I am in the process of re-launching). In fact, I stumbled upon my passion for graphic and web design by trying to make my personal blog functional and stylish. After a time, I had readers reaching out asking me to help them with their blog designs, and then their creative business websites. The beauty of it it all, is that it all started by simply sitting down and writing about a subject that I am passionate about, design.
It doesn’t cost a lot of money to start a blog but the potential business opportunities that you can gain from blogging are amazing to me. I am excited about the changes I have seen, in blogging over the last few years, since I got out and back in, the opportunity and reach is even more incredible and exciting.
In conclusion, I wanted to share one of the most inspiring stories that I have found for designers/DIYers. As shown above, it has prompted me to put myself out there and work towards my personal design dreams. I hope it encourages you to start building your dreams as well. Start small and continue to put in the work. You have no idea where it can land you in the future.
**At the end of writing this post, I stumbled upon a Darling magazine article that summed up my thoughts about Joanna Gaines perfectly. Catch that interview here.
I highly recommend these books.
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