Here's what she's up to in between renovating homes.
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HGTV's Mina Starsiak Hawk is more than just the home renovation expert you see on Good Bones. She's a mom, an author, a store owner, and so much more. Let's take a look at Mina's past, including how she met her husband Steve, as well as a few of the current roles she plays when the cameras stop rolling. Here's everything we know about Mina Starsiak Hawk.
After graduating from Indiana University, Mina wasn't sure what she wanted to do, so while she figured it out, she worked as a waitress to pay the bills. But she wanted to make a bigger leap and decided to buy a house for $37,500. It was a real fixer upper and she enlisted her mom's help to repair it—at the time, Karen E. Laine was a defense attorney! In the process, she found she really, really liked tearing things down to the studs and building it back up.
Like that, their company—Two Chicks And A Hammer—was born.
Fans of Good Bones already know that Mina and Karen make a killer team—and must-watch TV—because their differences complement each other so well.
Karen's a "hippy-dippy dreamer," Mina told USA Today, and she's the "sieve" who condenses her mom's OTT ideas into actionable renovations that'd fit a more mainstream audience (as in, people who aren't as crazy about taxidermy and channel glass as Karen is).
Mina and her mom had been working together for seven years before they got a surprising Facebook message from a talent scout at production company High Noon Entertainment. At first, she was skeptical.
"I was like, 'I know we're not that cool,'" the 31-year-old said. "So, I did a little bit of research on the development company and find out that they're legit."
Totally legit, it turns out: High Noon's the company behind Fixer Upper, House Hunters, and Cake Boss. So that year, they filmed the pilot, naming it after their company.
It's also how she met her husband, Steve Hawk. They connected through mutual friends, and their first date was, well, abysmal. "He ignored me all night," Mina told Country Living. "He let his friend hit on me!"
She later texted him that he had one more chance to redeem himself. Fortunately, the two hit it off and eventually ended up getting married in June 2016.
RELATED: Good Bones Star Mina Starsiak and Her Husband Steve Hawk Prove Strong Relationships Take Work
In August 2018, Mina and Steve welcomed their first child, Jack Richard Hawk. In September 2020, Jack became a big brother as the couple welcomed daughter Charlotte (nicknamed Charlie).
After having Jack, Mina struggled with infertility. In fact, a doctor had told her she had less than a one percent chance of conceiving a second child. After a round of IVF, things were looking pretty grim; however, Mina was able to beat the odds and became pregnant with Charlotte. She shared the miraculous news on a very emotional episode of Good Bones.
RELATED: HGTV Good Bones Star Mina Starsiak Opens Up About Her Pregnancy Struggle for Baby No. 2
If the whole creating-a-baby-registry-before-you're-pregnant thing didn't clue you in to the fact that Mina likes to be prepared, she'll go right out and tell you: "I'm a control freak, and I'm a huge planner."
It's something she knew she would have to loosen up on when she had the baby. "Mom's advice is good luck with that. When the kid comes out, it's their world and you just live in it," she told Fox News. "We'll make it work for the business, and for me and the baby, but it may not be like a conventional or approved method of child rearing."
Mina doesn't just film Good Bones in Indiana; it's her home state, and she's a Hoosier through and through, repping her alma mater and the Indiana Colts on Instagram year-round.
That's also why she doesn't call what she does house flipping, because the duo's committed to staying in their Indianapolis community, revitalizing the city one home at a time.
In 2020, Mina and Karen opened Two Chicks District Co. in Indianapolis. The store sells home decor and furnishings inspired by the ladies' signature style.
RELATED: 7 Things You Should Know Before Watching HGTV's Good Bones
When carrying Charlotte, Mina shared her pregnancy journey on Instagram with fans — and was honest about everything (even the not-so-good parts). In fact, she revealed to fans that she had developed diastasis recti or the partial or complete separation of the rectus abdominis, or 'six-pack' muscles, which meet at the midline of your stomach. "If I laid down flat and tried to sit up and contract my abs, instead of being like a smooth circle for my belly, it's kind of like a triangle," she shared in an Instagram Story.
Even though Mina always keeps busy renovating homes, she still has plenty of practice in the parenting department. In 2017, she took care of her two-year-old niece, Julie, for nine months while her sister went through a difficult time and that experience changed her.
"I think everyone likes me better now that I had Julie, my ‘Juju Bean,’" the HGTV star told People. "I can be somewhat cold, but when you have a kid, you just can’t be."
She can pop a bottle of champagne using a saber. A saber! Check it out.
RELATED: Good Bones's Mina And Karen Reveal The Biggest Reno Mistakes Everyone Makes
Mina finished writing her first children's book "Built Together" in 2020. She wrote this book to teach kids that all families are built differently, while also incorporating some construction fun. You can order the book here.
In the months following the birth of Charlotte, Mina announced her decision to get a tummy tuck on Instagram. "I don't lovingly embrace my post baby body, particularly my scar and the lovely 'shelf' that comes along with it," she wrote. "It doesn't remind me of my ability to grow a life for 10 months and then birth it ... my amazing kids do that," Mina explained, adding "it reminds me that I was cut open and put back together in a way that doesn't feel like ME."
While her decision to undergo the procedure was met with criticism from fans, the mom-of-two is happy with the results.
Following Charlotte's birth, Mina revealed on her Instagram Stories that she and Steve are done having kids. In fact, he's getting a vasectomy. The mom-of-two explained that she and Steve are "not testing fate," adding "we got two amazing nuggets. Momma's done and getting her tummy tucked and Steve's getting snipped."
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