I really enjoy listening and watching Fixer Upper so I was excited to pick this book up. Chip comes across in this book exactly how he does in the show. I loved reading about his advice, his mistakes, and his achievements. It really helps to put faith in what you are doing. I found many ideas in here that I want to try to put forth in my life.
I voluntarily reviewed an reader copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

Chip Gaines and his lovely wife and partner Joanna have won the hearts of America with their hit TV show Fixer Upper. Before they became an HGTV sensation, they dabbled in a variety of businesses. Chip's new book, Capital Gaines: Smart Things I Learned Doing Stupid Stuff tells the story of his business successes (as well as a few failures) and spreads some of the wisdom of his ways.


If you've seen Fixer Upper, you've seen the teamwork between Chip and Joanna. This is a theme throughout the book. Even while they were dating, Joanna had his back and was there to help him out of a jam (or two or three). He writes, "Jo and I have always believed that it is us against the world. . . . We know that in all the world there is this one singular human who will be on our team every time." As they made business decisions and took huge risks, it was always a collaborative effort. Of course, as he told an employee, "People are always asking us who's in charge, and the answer is, when Jo is gone, I'm the boss."


Another theme is taking risks and working hard. Chip's career has been marked by big risks and lots of hard work. He assures us that "if you do the hard work and never quit--and pick yourself up when things go sideways--good things will be waiting on the other side." Speaking of having a winning mentality, he compares life and business to a tennis match. You will lose some games and win others, but "with a winner mentality, there's a positive waiting for you no matter the outcome." In the end, "winning and losing isn't an event; it's a mind-set."


Capital Gaines is full of inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs, especially if they are already admirers of the Gaineses. While Fixer Upper took the Gaines's businesses to new heights, I have no doubt that they would have continued to be successful even without the exposure the show brought. Chip and Joanna make a great team, a true partnership in life and business. Capital Gaines captures the fun-loving, hard-working, slightly crazy Chip that we see on the TV show, while also passing along some memorable nuggets of wisdom for business and life.



Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

As a Fixer Upper fan and someone who enjoyed The Magnolia Story I was quite excited to read more of Chip's thoughts. This did not disappoint.

I was expecting Chip's usual silliness and maybe some family stories thrown in for good measure; I was not expecting such an inspiring sense of "you can do it, I believe in you" but that's exactly what I got.

Chip makes you laugh with his stories, never once hiding something that may make himself look slightly stupid, but also encourages you with tips, tricks, and inspiration.

Whether you're a fan of Fixer Upper or just someone looking for a fun and inspiring book I definitely recommend checking out Capital Gaines.

I love the show so was very interested to see if they were really like they appeared on the show (short answer is yes).  But this is not really a "life story" it is more about believing in yourself and accepting that failure is going to happen and learning from it, the title really says is all "Capital Gaines:Smart Things I Learned Doing Stupid Stuff.  I was sad to hear that this will be the last season of their show but after reading the book I totally get why they are willing to change direction instead of just doing it for the "money".

Chip and Johanna Gaines have come a long long way in such a short time.
This larakin - Chip Gains, well you wouldn't think - if you just watched him on Fixer Upper - that he is such an intelligent and knowledgable man. I truly enjoyed this book. I read their first book and it was great having that background knowledge before reading Capital Gaines.
Chip talks in this book. Really talks. It's not like he is writing, it's just like you are having a conversation with him, the writing just flows. He give the story of how and where he started and who was there helping achieve his goals. He really is quite motivating. If you were to read this book and have no knowledge of his background, then I really think you would be wanting to know more.
Chip is such a generous person, with his time and knowledge. I really think that Magnolia will go a long way and be a legacy for their family.
Chip give small bits of advice, in this book, but it honestly doesn't feel pretentious or anything. It is totally genuine and if you need to read something that will give you a boost to get your business, or even your private life a jump start, then definitely read this book. Even though the family is religious, they are not pushy of their beliefs, but I can see that their belief in God does give them strength and with their family and employees and of course friends, the Gaines will go a long way in this world and Waco will benefit greatly from it. And so will you if you read this book. Highly recommended.

I Like Being A Launching Pad For Others

In CAPITAL GAINES: SMART THINGS I LEARNED DOING STUPID STUFF, author and popular TV personality Chip Gaines describes the rocky path of his business career. Keep in mind that this book is very much an autobiographical read—not so much a general business book. So, if you are a big fan of The Gaines’ TV show, you will probably find the anecdotes a lot of fun to read. On the other hand, if you are looking for more general business tips, this is probably not the book for you.

Perhaps the most valuable part of CAPITAL GAINES is the encouraging outlook that the author brings. A recurring theme is to learn from your mistakes: “We turned just about every situation into a learning opportunity.

Another theme that stands out is COURAGE. Chip encourages the reader to have courage in the face of diversity: “The courage to take a chance is half the battle. The other half? Viewing failure as a teacher and not an enemy. . . Real and important changes begin with small, courageous acts. It’s never too late in your story to take a step away from fear.”

Chip notes the early failures of many people who later went on to achieve greatness. He uses Michael Jordan as one example. Michael was “cut from his high school basketball team and still went on to become arguably the greatest basketball player of all time.” Chip recalls his desire to be a great baseball player, and had much success working out with his dad. He got to play college ball, but was cut from the team in his early years at college.

When you experience a sudden, unexpected decline, you can sit around and mope, or get to work using your skills to achieve something. Become an expert at what you do, and don’t worry so much about your title: “Make yourself irreplaceable to your company, and you will have your choice of titles that can’t define you.”

Chip admits some really bone-headed ideas that he and his wife tried early-on, only to later realize they had made a big mistake. For instance, wanting to be more ecologically sound, they bought a new machine for their business, which turned out to be a really bad idea: “We invested in this amazing machine that converted used boxes into packing materials. What we didn’t consider was how much shipping would cost to ship with all of that heavy cardboard packing material.”

So all in all, I found CAPITAL GAINES to be an interesting, easy read recounting the author’s successes and failures, with some decent business tips thrown in. The author includes many more stories just like the “packing material” machine mistake. I appreciate the author’s humility in sharing the mistakes he made. Chip Gaines comes across as a likeable, encouraging man.


Advance Review Copy courtesy of the publisher.

I would like to thank Chip Gaines, Thomas Nelson Publishing and Netgalley for giving me this book for my honest review

5 Stars

I loved Chip and Joanna Gaines ever since getting hooked Fixer Upper. I was super excited to get the chance to read Chip's book. I mean come on he is literally the funniest guy on HGTV! I didn't know what to expect when I started I just hoped his book would echo how genuinely nice I believe Chip and Joanna are. The forward was written by Joanna and I was like yup these two are good people. Her forward was a beautiful testament of the love these two have for each other.
The book start with a young Chip in grade school struggling with a learning disability. I actually let my 9 year old daughter read the most moving thing he said about his reading group. I was so moved that at such a young age Chip was always so optimistic. The stories that followed this also echoed his positive views on life and wow that seriously moved me. I told me husband countless times while reading this book "you should totally read this".
In the world we live in with so much hate and scary stuff I am happy to know that good people still exist and just wish everyone would have a little Chip Gaines in them.
Capital Gaines is a must read! You will honestly feel so happy after reading this. It is truly heartwarming and just an enjoyable book!

If you’ve picked up this book, you probably already know why Chip Gaines is famous. And if you already know why he’s famous, you’ve probably already heard his voice and know the way he thinks. This book is on point for that. Chip and Joanne wrote a book that describe much of their lives, both apart and together. In this book, he goes a little bit deeper into his own thought processes as well as a little bit more into the history of the Magnolia shop and ideas. He’s a big proponent of listening to your gut, even if it means sometimes not waiting for evidence. And he’s not only a fan of listening to his own gut, he helps Joanna when she wants to listen to hers.

Four stars
This book come out October 17

This book made me more sure that this family is real. I would like to sit down and have a conversation with Chip, he seems like a regular guy and would have interesting points of view. He'd also be funny. I don't want to talk to the star just the regular family man Chip.

I like Chip Gaines, and his story was interesting, but I didn't find it to be all that inspirational. His antics when a younger man were interesting, he initiative WAS inspiratioinal, but just repoeating that one shouldn't give up wasn't that helpful, at least in my opinion. He did have parents that could ehlp him out if he needed it, and while he didn't depend on them to bail him out, sometimes just knowing that someone is behind you makes all the difference.

If you're a fan of FIXER UPPER on HGTV (and I am), you already know Chip Gaines. He's the outrageous, funny, hard working guy who hosts the home renovation show with his wife, Joanna. He has a distinctive way of speaking, and this book captures his voice perfectly. Reading it feels like you're sitting on a front porch with a tall glass of iced tea as Chip gives you encouragement and advice. The book begins with Chip talking about how he got started as an entrepreneuer when he was still very young. He talks about his successes and his mistakes, and about how he was a little slapdash about it all until he met Joanna. But he was always up for a new idea, willing to take a risk and incredibly hardworking, and those qualities made up for his shortcomings. In this book, he encourages you to JUST DO IT (caps are mine). If you want to be an entrepreneur (or if you have another dream), he tells you not to let fear hold you back. Fear was never one of his problems. The worst he could do was fail, and he never felt that failure was the end of the world. If something doesn't work out, you just dust yourself off and try something else. His recipe for success is amazingly simple: don't let fear hold you back, get started today, and work incredibly hard. It worked for him, and he encourages you to let it work for you, too. I liked this book a lot. Reading it is like having a successful older brother in your corner saying "I did it and you can do it, too."

The anecdotal tales of Chip Gaines are a riot, and inspirational at the same time. Always adding the funny comment in the show of which I'm a fan, I admit I read this and heard his voice in my head.
It's an inspirational tale of never giving up, fight your circumstances, and when possible, change your stars.
Chapter 3 and 4 are basically a love letter to his wife, and the details of how that opposites-attract couple has survived many trials and still enjoy working together every day.