She co-hosted the home renovation show Fixer Upper, which began airing on HGTV in 2013, alongside her husband Chip Gaines.

[4] Shortly after their wedding, Joanna joined Chip Gaines's business flipping houses, and in 2003, the pair also opened the retail store Magnolia Market, which sold home goods.

Joanna began keeping a blog about their experiences, which drew the attention of an executive at High Noon Entertainment, who suggested that the couple film a short video called a "sizzle reel" for a potential show.

[13][14] In 2018, Zillow reported that homes with architectural features mentioned on the show, such as wainscoting, shiplap, clawfoot bathtubs, and barn doors, sold at an average of 30 percent above expected value.

[17][18] As of November 1, 2017, Joanna began selling her "Hearth & Hand with Magnolia" collection at Target Corporation stores.

[29][30] Chip and Joanna Gaines belong to the evangelical Antioch Community Church, which has been criticized for its anti-gay views.

[32] In June 2017, the Gaineses announced that they "settled with the United States Environmental Protection Agency over allegations that they violated rules for the safe handling of lead paint during home renovations."

[2] In 2001, Chip Gaines, who had overlapped with Joanna at Baylor in 1998 but never met her, encountered her while she was working at her father's tire shop and recognized her from the commercials.