Chip and Joanna Gaines on the Hard Work They've Put in to Live Their Dream

Chip and Joanna Gaines are extremely successful in what they do — the Texas couple stars on HGTV's Fixer Upper, has their own paint and furniture lines, an upcoming restaurant, a book, magazine and more — but all of that didn't come easy.

In a new interview with People, the couple discussed their rise to home improvement fame, noting that they've put in years of work to get to where they are.

"Nothing has come easy," Chip said. "We've worked so hard to have this beautiful family and this farm — it really does seem like the American dream you heard about growing up."

The couple scraped by for years before hitting it big with Fixer Upper, living off cash Chip kept in his pocket as they worked together flipping homes.

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Through it all, Chip and Joanna shared that their most important focus is on remaining committed to their relationship and their kids: Drake, 12, Ella, 10, Duke, 9, and Emmie, 7.

"Jo and I both made a commitment pretty early on that the two of us are the most important variable," Chip explained. "If we can figure out how to be right as a couple, then obviously we a have a lot better opportunity to be right for our kids."

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This doesn't mean the pair doesn't have more to accomplish, with Joanna noting that Chip doesn't do well with relaxation.

"I think comfortable for us can be a little dangerous," she said. "The second Chip gets content, he gets really restless. It's not about, 'Let's get here and then we'll be happy.' We like the idea of having to wrestle a little bit and figure things out. That's where we thrive the most."