The Magnolia Story —An inspiring tale of entrepreneurship and social impact outside the Silicon Valley Model.
The Magnolia Story — An inspiring tale of entrepreneurship and social impact that leaves the Silicon Valley Model behind. As a part of my new year’s resolution, I challenged myself to listen to at least two books per month. The Magnolia Story was one of the first books I listened to in 2017 and I was struck by the impact that a hardworking couple from Waco Texas has had on their city and those around them. I would absolutely recommend it. You can find it on Amazon here.
For those readers that aren’t familiar with Chip and Joanna Gaines, let me catch you up. Chip and Joanna have surged to stardom of late due to their new hit HGTV show Fixer Upper. Each episode of the show follows a family who is looking to buy a “fixer-upper” in Waco Texas. Once purchased Chip and Joanna take over, providing stunning remodels of even the most distressed homes. The appeal of the show goes beyond the creative design elements and amazing transformations. It’s the way that Chip and Joanna, a husband and wife couple who met after they graduated from Baylor in Waco Texas, interact with one another that makes the show incredible. It’s organic, playful, and inspiring
Before listening to their book I had come across this article in Entrepreneur magazine. Working for a startup in San Fransisco I think it’s easy for us “techies” to get a narrow-minded definition of what it means to “start a business” and what “making an impact” really means. “Mission-driven” startups are a dime-a-dozen in San Fransisco. As I listened to The Magnolia Story I was struck my the differences and similarities to starting a technology business in San Francisco and the amazing work they’re doing in Waco Texas.
What’s the Same
Grit & Hard Work Drive Long Term Success — Chip and Joanna are incredibly hard workers. Long before the fame and notoriety that has come with their hit show, Chip and Joanna started from nothing and fought their way through some incredibly tough times. Their grit, resolve, and positive attitude allowed them to thrive — even when times were tough.
Most people only see part of the story — Chip and Joanna have been practicing their craft for over a decade. It wasn’t until 2013 that the HDTV crews showed up and showcased it to the world. It’s easy for those who just start watching the show to imagine them as overnight successes much like people look at the likes of Mark Zuckerberg as overnight successes. What people fail to see is the years of back-breaking hard work that went into building their business and preparing for those successes.
A strong sense of Mission — Much like the best Founders, Chip and Joanna are incredibly focused on making an impact. For them, their drive is their community, Waco Texas, where they’re focused on providing jobs and revitalizing a town that has had a bit of a PR problem in the past.
Learning as you go — This stuck out to me as one of the neatest things about Chip and Joanna: they’re entirely self-taught. From Chip’s construction expertise to Joanna’s design style neither have had formal training. It’s learning by doing and asking those around you — very similar to the silicon valley approach of learning on the fly. Key takeaway — never feel like you have to have a degree or formal training to chase after your dreams.
What’s Different
Craftsmanship —Perhaps this is obvious, but the nature of the work is incredibly different. Chip and Joanna work with their hands and minds to create something innately physical. Instead of obsessing with the design and usability of a piece of software, Chip and Joanna obsess over the feeling one gets when they walk in a room and how that feeling can be used to bring people together.
Humility —While this certainly isn’t non-existent in Silicon Valley it’s rare, in my opinion (though I do feel amazingly fortunate to work with a group that is amazingly humble). Chip and Joanna maintain a sense of humility that is inspiring.
Balance , Family, and Faith— Chip and Joanna’s focus on family and their faith is inspiring. It’s nice to see freshly minted stars taking the time to retreat and find balance in what drives them. It’s also inspiring to see the time they invest in their family and faith.
Dedication to the Community — While there is undoubtably a community around technology start-ups in Silicon Valley, they don’t seem to have the same sense of dedication that Chip and Joanna show to their community in Waco. Start ups that don’t make it in San Francisco become a shopping center of sorts for more fortunate companies to pick up cheap office furnishings. Hard times are common, and if something goes wrong most tech employees can just go elsewhere. When Chip and Joanna ran into hard times they couldn’t bear the thought of not paying their workers and suppliers. Even as they faced the financial crisis they gave everything they had to make sure their employees got paid. Even as others encouraged them to explore bankruptcy they refused to even consider it.
Conclusion
I think it’s easy to forget that Entrepreneurship goes well beyond the technology firms that are at the forefront of our world. There really are endless ways to make an impact — and that’s pretty exciting.
One of the themes that inspired me when reading the book was the impact a simple act can have in helping someone rebuild their life. From Chip inviting a homeless man to stay in one of their properties and offering him work to Joanna’s father providing her the confidence she needed to start her own business — it was so apparent throughout the book that little acts of kindness and support can make an enormous impact in someone’s life. As I look forward to the rest of 2017, I hope I can play a role in helping others chase after their dreams.
