Paige V. Polinsky - Joanna Gaines

CHECKERBOARD BIOGRAPHIES

JOANNA
GAINES

PAIGE V. POLINSKY

ABDOBOOKS.COM

Published by Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO, PO Box 398166, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55439.
Copyright 2020 by Abdo Consulting Group, Inc. International copyrights reserved in all countries.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.
Checkerboard Library is a trademark and logo of Abdo Publishing.

Printed in the United States of America, North Mankato, Minnesota
052019
092019

Design and Production: Mighty Media, Inc.
Editor: Megan Borgert-Spaniol
Cover Photograph: Shutterstock Images
Interior Photographs: Alamy, p. 9; AP Images, pp. 5, 23, 25, 27, 28 (bottom left), 29 (top right); daveynin/
Flickr, p. 19; Everett Collection, pp. 15, 28 (top), 29 (bottom); Magnolia, pp. 7, 11, 28 (bottom right);
QuesterMark/Flickr, p. 13; Shutterstock Images, pp. 17, 21, 29 (top left)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019934069

Publishers Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Polinsky, Paige V., author.

Title: Joanna Gaines / by Paige V. Polinsky

Description: Minneapolis, Minnesota : Abdo Publishing, 2020 | Series: Checkerboard biographies |
Includes online resources and index.

Identifiers: ISBN 9781532119934 (lib. bdg.) | ISBN 9781532174797 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Gaines, Joanna, 1978---Juvenile literature. | Television personalities--Biography--Juvenile
literature. | Interior decorators--Biography--Juvenile literature. | Home repair and improvement-
Juvenile literature. | Women entrepreneurs--Biography--Juvenile literature.

Classification: DDC 791.45092 [B]--dc23

CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1

HOME DESIGN STAR

J oanna Gaines is an interior designer, entrepreneur,
and mother of five. She is best known for starring in
the home- renovation TV show Fixer Upper with her
husband, Chip. Chip led construction, and Gaines
handled interior design.

Since the show first aired in 2014, Gaines work has
become a worldwide hit. Fans love her clean, simple
designs. Though Fixer Upper ended in 2018, Gaines has
never been busier. She and Chip run their family farm
along with construction and real estate businesses.

Meanwhile, Gaines continues inspiring others to create
spaces they love. Her home lifestyle empire includes
lines of furniture, rugs, wallpaper, and more. Her Texas
shopping complex , Magnolia Market at the Silos , sees
more than 1.8 million visitors each year.

Joanna Gaines is always hard at work, searching for
beauty in unexpected places. She is a design icon!

I love to pull inspiration
from whats around me.

Gaines farmhouse chic style mixes
antiques with fresh, modern looks.

CHAPTER 2

TIRES & TV

J oanna Lea Stevens was born in Wichita, Kansas, on
April 19, 1978. Her father, Jerry, is a US army veteran .
He met Joannas mother, Nan, while he was stationed in
Korea. Joanna has two sisters, Teresa and Mary Kay.

Jerry worked for the tire company Firestone. His
job brought the Stevens family to Waco, Texas, when
Joanna was in high school. There, Jerry opened his own
Firestone shop.

During high school, Joanna helped out at her fathers
shop. After graduating in 1997, she attended local
McLennan Community College. While studying business,
Joanna continued working with
her father. She even starred
in a few commercials for his
tire shop. Many people have
trouble speaking on camera, but
Joanna was a natural. Filming
the commercials sparked her
interest in broadcasting.

KOREAN HERITAGE

Joannas mom is Korean.
When Joanna was a kid,
classmates would tease her
for being half-Korean. But
by the time Joanna was in
high school, she learned to
be proud of her heritage .

BIO BASICS

NAME: Joanna Lea Gaines

NICKNAMES: Jo; Jojo

BIRTH: April 1 9, 197 8, Wichit a, Kansas

SPOUSE: Chip Gaines (2003present)

CHILDREN: Drak e, Ella Ros e, Duk e, Emmie Ka y,
and Crew

FAMOUS FOR: her role as co-star of the
home- renovation TV show

Fixer Upper

; her

interior design books, product lines, and
shopping complex

ACHIEVEMENTS: nominated by the E! Peopl es
Choice Awards for favorite reality TV star;
nominated by the Critics Choice Awards
for best reality show host (with Chip );
created the Magnolia Foundation charity
organization

CHAPTER 3

NEW YORK & BACK

J oanna transferred to Wacos Baylor University in
1998. There, she studied broadcast journalism . Joanna
worked hard to gain broadcasting experience. She
delivered news on the universitys radio. She wrote and
edited news stories while interning at a Waco TV station.
She also worked on local radio and TV commercials.

In 2000, Joanna moved to New York City, New York,
to intern for the hit news program 48 Hours . Joanna
worked long hours developing stories, and she often felt
homesick. But exploring the big citys cozy home decor
shops always lifted her spirits. She dreamed of opening
her own boutique someday.

After graduating from Baylor
in 2001, Joanna returned to
the tire shop. She considered
moving to a bigger city, but she
loved Waco. She was not sure
what she wanted to do next.
Then she met Chip Gaines.

AS SEEN ON TV

Joanna dreamed of being
on TV from an early age.
As a kid, she would read
the backs of cereal boxes
out loud, pretending she
was in commercials!

Gaines returned to New York City with Chip for their
honeymoon. Years later, the couple visited the city to
appear on NBCs

Today

show.