Allison Paige Lets Us In On The Wider World of Chip and Joanna Gaines.
I was fortunate to attend the 2023 Realscreen Conference, where former CBS Sunday Morning anchor and current Magnolia Network President, Allison Paige, casts a wide net to capture a look into the world of Chip and Joanna Gaines. The Gaines’ have moved beyond the much-loved Fixer Upper show on HGTV to their own labor of love, the Magnolia Network which the Gaines own and in which they are also in partnership with Warner Brothers’ Discovery Network. The Gaines are now a year into Magnolia TV.Expecting a ‘yes’ but getting a ‘no’
Joanna kicked off the interview declaring how much she “loves to meet all the families they encounter after renovating a house.” Chip, who calls himself the “Chief Creative Officer,” says that while everybody else went with streaming, he went with a “traditional, linear product.” When Joanna actually got into the weeds of production, she claimed she was “nervous by every story on Fixer and how do you manage that? You have to build a network. When we found the storytellers and they said, ‘yes,’ we were expecting a ‘no.’ Chip chimed in with, “most of the storytellers said ‘no.’”Finally getting to ‘yes’ while working out the kinks
Joanna elaborated on how hard it was to get the storytellers onboard. “They said ‘we don’t have time. We don’t want production in our schedule.’ Eventually, things worked out. Joanna continued, “By them saying ‘yes’ and allowing us to capture their lives, the stories unfolded in an organic way where we didn’t have to micromanage. Let the story unfold. Let the storytellers tell their story. That was the easy part.”
But there were challenges. Joanna said, “You build a slate of shows. By the time you green light something, it’s 18 months. I’m not the most patient person. When you build a slate of shows, you have to realize sometimes it takes time. COVID made it feel like pulling teeth.” But Chip was “… thankful for all the variables that came into play.”
Focusing on the stories and overcoming multiple launches
There were more challenges. Joanna said, “Two years in the making (we were) getting content to the most people possible with the multiple launches (Discovery, HBO Plus.) The Gaines worked hard with a focus on the stories. How could they “translate Magnolia into a visual storytelling environment?”
Moving on to the nitty gritty, the Gaines spoke about the look of the shows they present. The look is different. Joanna said, “The visuals are not just like the DIY Network or HGTV. The visuals are more like the Magnolia Journal.”
More than just another home design show
Joanna pushed the idea that the network is “not just home design but it’s more a lifestyle. How to create beauty in a lot of places… food…cooking…”
Joanna also wanted to highlight other stories and she wants to inspire others. Warner Brothers allows a bigger platform because the company “is also a bigger venue than HBO.” Warner Bros. allowed the Gaines a free hand to experiment with ideas. Joanna says, they had to learn “how to translate the change, look and feel ”of the shows to make them different from what’s already on the air. One of those changes involved pacing. She said, “The pace (of shows on Magnolia) is slower than other shows.”
At one point, Allison discussed her own change away from CBS Sunday Morning to the Food Network. She said, “COVID made people pivot away from news to other subjects.”
Taking a break to recharge with new ideas
Originally, the Gaines never expected to be on TV but now they have a network. People can relate to doing something you love but it’s a “whirlwind.” They needed a break. It was time to rest.
In production meetings, Chip and Joanna started questioning how to keep from doing the same show over and over. This led to a feeling of burnout. But in a production meeting, one of the producers mentioned looking at other kinds of stories. The Gaines decided they need to take some time to recharge for new ideas. Joanna said, “Taking the time off was productive. Everybody needs to do it.”
Allison likes the collaborative process with her team. She thinks of herself as part of the Magnolia family. Some things she does with Magnolia and some things work with Warner. Allison has a brand team that’s combined with people from Magnolia as well as professionals from a “traditional programming background.”
Visionary vs. Micromanager
In terms of roles, Joanna sees Chip as the “visionary” while she is the “micro manager.” She says she loves getting into the details.
But Chip says they weren’t “TV people” initially. “The fact (that) we didn’t understand the model, served us well. We kept banging our heads against that model. When you do things the way things have always been done, we’re passionate against going against the grain. But, the downside is lots of trial and error. Let authenticity drive you and be your North Star. Stay focused on that. Trying to keep up with the Joneses throws you off course.” Great advice.
Brand synergy
Joanna reflected on what she calls their ‘brand synergy.’ “The magazine is our North Star of Magnolia. We pick a theme and we build it out among our teams. When you’re telling a story, all of this feels like its in the same ecosystem.”
Chip elaborated with “We want to create an environment to make people feel happy…whether it be in the magazine, on television, the restaurant or retail. People think there’s something different about this.”
Take a chance and create your show
It’s a given that lots of folks want to walk in the Gaines’ shoes. What should you be asking yourself before you attempt a similar project? Chip said, “If it’s not authentic about a real thing that exists, a story that’s worth telling, don’t do it. Streaming has been great for us. Bring your idea to us and let us help you find out if your idea fits.”
Joanna picked up with,”Magnolia’s nostalgic with episodes you want to watch or re-watch. There’s a clear definition of what’s successful. It’s fun to play in a broader landscape with streaming but it’s hard to get attention. Being new is more valuable than in linear but it’s challenging because you’re competing for that exposure and merchandising…. So, it’s fun but also challenging. Bring us the idea and we’ll try to figure it out with you.”
Always on the hunt for the Next New Thing, Chip admitted he was open to “expanding into new areas…like more sports, maybe duck hunting.” It sounded like a joke–but was it? Chip emphasized that if you think your idea has merit, “Reach out.”
Getting back to her network’s production, Joanna said her idea was “Let’s lean this thing up and really be intentional about what we know. That’s the way I like to work. How do I curate this thing down instead of going through thousands of options?”
Finding contentment from day to day
Allison asked how the Gaines ”find contentment in your daily lives while reaching for new heights?” Joanna replied that “It was four years of just hard (work). Chip challenged us to find the contentment in the hard and the good. I’m a workaholic. I love to work. This guy is always pushing me to rest. If I want to still evolve, those places of rest are really important. For me, that balance between hustle and rest is important.”
Chip said that “COVID pushed all of us to that place. The irony was that the whole globe was going through this at the same time. That solidarity and our families matter. If we develop an environment where Allison feels burned out, we’ve missed the mark so we’re trying to cultivate an environment where people feel that they’re looked after. Balance between family and work is important.
Perspective and potential
Allison said, “I think it’s about perspective. I get to work with these amazing people.” At this point in the podcast, the audience got to jump in with some questions. One of the audience members wanted to know how the couple green lights projects. Chip explained that “I can see us in all of these projects. Let’s go! These people can do it!”
Joanna said, “Chip sees the potential in everything. The development side is the fabric of our network so it’s important that we’re in all those meetings. The Lost Kitchen was a great idea. It was a template of an idea and to see it now is satisfying.”
Another member of the audience was curious whether Chip and Joanna were interested in marketing to and attracting Gen Z audiences. Joanna responded with ..”18-24. We don’t think that way. We didn’t really know who we were speaking to. We didn’t go with that expectation in the early days but today we do try to fit in younger audiences with the cooking–learn as you go. We think there are specific shows that would attract these folks.”
As for any international ambitions in content moving forward, Joanna said, “We’re already in a lot of international markets. With the company under Warners, we’re growing and we get lots of requests.”
And, no, there’s still no TV in the Gaines’ household. Joanna concludes that “it gives us a lot of free time in the house.”