Chip Gaines: ‘Stupid stuff’ is (usually) a key to success
HGTV star says he learned it’s OK to ‘just go for it’
Chip Gaines gets down to business in his new book, Capital Gaines: The Smart Things I’ve Learned From Doing Stupid Stuff (Thomas Nelson). His successes are wellknown, both as co-host with his wife, Joanna, of HGTV’s Fixer
Upper and as co-author of their book, The Magnolia Story, which debuted at No. 2 on USA TODAY’s Best-Selling Books list and has sold more than 1.3 million copies.
But successes don’t come without some failure, and Gaines opens up about his own personal ups and downs as a “serial entrepreneur,” in his book, out Oct. 17.
USA TODAY checked in with Gaines to discuss the book and future plans:
Q book Capital Gaines is a on your success as an entrepreneur. How important would you say “doing stupid stuff ” is to your success?
A with It’s all about perspective things you consider “stupid.” For example, I wouldn’t have learned some of the hard lessons without having made a few dumb mistakes first. But instead of letting myself drown in a failure, I’ve never given up. I think it’s important for any entrepreneur to learn early on that failure is just another opportunity for a comeback.
Q to Do you ever really get a point where you stop doing stupid stuff ?
A giving No way! I’m constantly myself room to fail, and some would say I tend to take a riskier approach on things than most people would. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t. Either way I just go for it. And, you know, I figure it out along the way. But I’ll admit, as I get older I do tend to shy away from the riskier things that may land me in the ER. Bones don’t heal as quickly as they once did.
Q How was the experience of writing this book different from writing The Magnolia Story?
A really The Magnolia Story is about how Jo and I started this thing and the transformation of the Magnolia brand from the beginning of our marriage until Fixer Upper took off. But this book I wanted to write for people who find themselves in a place where they’re scared to take a chance and make the jump — whatever that looks like in their own lives. Folks who are just looking for someone, somewhere to tell them they can do it — they can work hard and chase their dreams. I hope this book offers some insight into how I went about things that might be helpful to people.
Q would Who is the person you want to read this book? Basically, who did you write it for?
A ago. Pretty much myself 20 years I would have loved to have read a book like this when I was in my early 20s, when I could have used someone to show me or tell me to just go for it — knowing that it was OK to fail as long as I learned from my mistakes, kept my head up and went after it.
Q The chapter you are releasing features you on a harrowing journey to Mexico to learn to speak Spanish fluently. Do you speak fluently now?
A admit Don’t I wish. Though I will that I’ve picked up quite a bit of it just in conversation over the years. It’s still on my bucket list!