Joanna Gaines has a habit of hitting it out of the park every time she tries something new, and he may even have what it takes to be as big – if not bigger – than the lifestyle queen herself, Martha Stewart. As source exclusively tells Closer that not only is the decorator-turned-mogul eyeing an eclipse of the legendary presenter, but she’s “doing it right,” as “everything in her portfolio is going up.”
Jo, 46, joined her husband Chip Gaines in his house-flipping business right after they were married in 2003. Around the same time, the Wichita, Kansas native began what would become the flagship brand of her home goods empire as a retail store, Magnolia Market.
Their show, Fixer Upper, premiered in 2013 and, combined with the growing retail-end of their business, fueled the popularity of the contemporary-farmhouse style, which spiked in the late 2010s. More Magnolia products found their way into big name stores, like Target, and the couple began building a media business, Magnolia Network, as well, which will host the sequel “relaunch” of their original show.
Without a doubt, the source is sure Jo has laid the groundwork to become the biggest name in home-making entertainment. “She and Chip have their Fixer Upper reboot, she’s got her glossy magazine, cooking show, shop, restaurant, coffeehouse and hotel,” the insider says, adding that even now, “Jo’s talking about expanding the business even further in 2025.”
The couple told Variety in an interview published on November 28 that they’re continuing to expand into movies and T.V., having recently penned a deal with Max. “We saw this opportunity where we could create content that felt a little bigger and a little different than the shows that we’ve built thus far with our Magnolia Network,” Chip, 50, said.
As Martha, 83, boasts a net worth of around $400 million and heads up the industry juggernaut Martha Stewart Living, Jo may have a lot of work ahead of her if she hopes of snatching the crown.
The source isn’t worried about Jo’s potential though, assuring that, “Jo makes it look easy.”
“How she manages to juggle all this, and family life is a marvel, but she does. She has a huge celebrity following, too.” A-listers like Jen Aniston, Miranda Lambert, Jenna Bush Hager have all shown their support for the mother of five, with Jo hosting Reese Witherspoon during her book tour. The source adds that, “even Martha must be pea green with envy.”
“But the difference between Jo and Martha is Jo is a nice person and people like working with her. She’s down to earth and works hard and her star continues to rise because of it. Her friends in Waco, Texas are convinced she’s going to topple Martha’s success.”
For his part, Chip is squarely in his wife’s corner, supporting her every step of the way, especially if that means taking some of the load off himself. “I want to be her biggest cheerleader,” he told People in November 2023. “I’m like, ‘Hey, you go do whatever. My knees are killing me.’”
