Chip and Joanna Gaines Share Secret To Staying Humble Despite 'Fixer Upper' Success

By Leah Marieann Klett

Christian "Fixer Upper" stars Chip and Joanna Gaines have shared how their family stays grounded despite the incredible success of their HGTV show.

While the home improvement duo have been remodeling and flipping homes for 13 years, only recently have they seen the benefits of their hard work.

During an interview with People Magazine, Joanna revealed that before HGTV approached them about the design show, they were struggling financially.

"I remember when we first got married the only money we had was what was in Chip's pocket," she said. "He always had a wad of cash, but we were broke. If I needed to go grocery shopping it's whatever was in his pocket. That's how we paid the bills."

Chip added that Joanna's dad initially wasn't thrilled about his son-in-law's career choice: "Her dad spent the first two years of our marriage asking me if I was going to get a job," he said with a laugh. "I was like, 'I have a job and I like it.'"

Today, business is booming, and the Waco, Texas pair not only star in a hit HGTV show, they own a retail megastore: Magnolia Market at the Silos, a real estate company and they've launched a paint, rug, wallpaper and furniture line.

But despite their incredible success, the Gaines remain humble and take a hands-own approach to parenting their four young children: Joanna recently revealed that the family doesn't own a television and their kids probably won't even have a cell phone.

"I tell the kids that you are probably not going to get a cell phone," she told Entertainment Tonight. "We want to teach our kids that life happens outside of these devices. Sometimes it's just a simple thing to go outside and connect with nature, play with your friends and get dirty."

Fixer Upper
Fixer Upper

"All of this sort of fell into our laps," added Chip. "We were just living our life out here in little bitty Waco. We had dreams and aspirations like most folks, but this has really been something else."

The Gains are also unafraid to use their platform to share their faith, and are sometimes seen praying together on the show. They will also appear in the next "I A Second" video, where they will share how their faith impacts their marriage.

Also on October 18th, the couple will release their first book, titled "The Magnolia Story."  Written with New York Times bestselling collaborator Mark Dagostino, the book details how their strong marriage, faith, and family carried them through the ups and downs of life.

"Our family has made a commitment to put Christ first, a lifestyle our parents modeled for us very well," Chip said during an interview with The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. "They showed us how to keep our marriage and family centered around God."