Claire Thompson
Two Chicks and a Hammer is a home renovation business founded in 2009 by Mina Starsiak Hawk and her mother, Karen E. Laine. The company was featured on the HGTV show Good Bones, which ran for eight seasons from 2015 to 2023. Despite Laine's retirement from the company in 2019, Starsiak Hawk retained the original name, redesigning the logo to emphasise the Hammer aspect. In 2020, Starsiak Hawk opened a home furnishings store called Two Chicks District Co., which faced challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic and ultimately closed. The company also encountered issues with city planners and struggled with staff burnout. In 2024, Two Chicks and a Hammer announced their return with a new storefront in Noblesville, Indiana, indicating that the business is still operational.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Founder | Mina Starsiak Hawk and Karen E. Laine |
| Current Owner | Mina Starsiak Hawk |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Business Type | Renovation company |
| Business Location | Fountain Square, Bates Hendricks, and the surrounding areas in Indianapolis |
| Business Challenges | Issues with staff burnout, frequent clashes with city planners, and concerns about the sustainability of the 13-houses-per-TV-season format |
| Recent Developments | Downsized staff, phased out home renovation work in Marion County, and opened a new storefront in Noblesville, Indiana |
| Current Status | Still in business as of March 2024 |
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What You'll Learn
- Two Chicks and a Hammer is still in business, but its retail store closed down
- Mina Starsiak Hawk runs the company, though her mother, Karen, retired in 2019
- Mina hosts a podcast called Mina AF, where she discusses her business
- Mina and her team faced burnout from the pressure of the TV show
- Two Chicks and a Hammer has faced challenges with city planners and local government
Two Chicks and a Hammer is still in business, but its retail store closed down
Two Chicks and a Hammer is a home renovation company based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The company was founded in 2009 by Mina Starsiak Hawk and her mother, Karen E. Laine, who began renovating homes in 2007. In 2015, the company was featured on the HGTV show "Good Bones", which followed the mother-daughter duo as they renovated homes in Fountain Square, Bates Hendricks, and other areas of Indianapolis.
However, in recent years, Two Chicks and a Hammer have faced some challenges. In 2019, Laine retired from the company, leaving Mina as the sole owner and operator. The company also encountered issues with city planners who oversee construction permits, which hampered their work. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic caused strain within the family business, with Mina confessing that her small team was feeling burnt out and miserable.
As a result of these challenges, it appears that Two Chicks and a Hammer has downsized its staff and operations. The company's home décor retail store, Two Chicks District Co., closed its doors in 2023. However, despite these setbacks, Two Chicks and a Hammer is still in business. In March 2024, the company announced on Instagram that they were back with a new storefront in Noblesville, Indiana. Mina has also expressed interest in continuing to create content for HGTV and potentially starting a new show.
While the original retail store is no longer open, Two Chicks and a Hammer continues to operate as a home renovation business in the Indianapolis area. The company has faced challenges, but Mina Starsiak Hawk remains dedicated to the business she started with her mother and is working to adapt and move forward.
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Mina Starsiak Hawk runs the company, though her mother, Karen, retired in 2019
Two Chicks and a Hammer is a home renovation business in Indianapolis, Indiana, that was started in 2009 by Mina Starsiak Hawk and her mother, Karen E. Laine. The company was featured on the HGTV show Good Bones, which ran for eight seasons from 2015 to 2023.
Mina Starsiak Hawk currently runs the company, though her mother, Karen, retired in 2019. Mina has explained that she has not changed the name of the company, despite her mother's retirement, because they built the company together. She also redesigned the logo to emphasise the "Hammer" aspect of the name, reflecting the company's focus on construction. Mina has also opened a home furnishings store called Two Chicks District Co., though this store faced challenges and closed its doors.
Mina has faced some challenges with the business, including downsizing staff due to the end of Good Bones and struggling with city planners who approve construction permits. She has also mentioned feeling burnt out from the demands of the show, which required her team to renovate 13 houses per season, and has said she is re-evaluating her career. However, she remains passionate about her work and has expressed a desire to continue creating content for HGTV.
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Mina hosts a podcast called Mina AF, where she discusses her business
Mina Starsiak Hawk hosts a podcast called Mina AF, where she discusses her business, Two Chicks and a Hammer. The company, which Mina started with her mother, Karen E. Laine, focuses on renovating homes in Indianapolis, specifically in Fountain Square, Bates Hendricks, and the surrounding areas.
On her podcast, Mina has opened up about the challenges of running her business, including the strain that COVID-19 put on her team and the difficulties of maintaining a neighbourhood aesthetic while navigating city planning restrictions. She also addressed the decision to keep the company name, "Two Chicks and a Hammer," despite her mother's departure from the business in 2019. Mina explained that she felt it would be inappropriate to change the name, as they had built the company together.
In addition to her podcast, Mina has also starred in the TV show "Good Bones," which followed the renovation projects of Two Chicks and a Hammer. However, the show came to an end in 2023 after eight seasons. Mina has hinted at the possibility of returning to TV, but she has also expressed concerns about finding a healthy balance and not wanting to relive the contentious end of "Good Bones."
Despite the challenges and changes, Two Chicks and a Hammer appears to still be in business as of 2024. Mina has downsized the staff and opened a new storefront in Noblesville, Indiana, in March 2024. She continues to pursue her passion for renovations, including a personal project with her husband, Steve Hawk, where they are documenting the process of fixing up their lake house.
Through her podcast, Mina AF, Mina provides listeners with insights into the highs and lows of running her business, Two Chicks and a Hammer, while also sharing her personal experiences and reflections on her journey as a business owner and TV personality.
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Mina and her team faced burnout from the pressure of the TV show
Two Chicks and a Hammer is a home renovation company founded by Mina Starsiak Hawk and her mother, Karen E. Laine, in 2009. The company was featured on the HGTV show Good Bones, which followed the pair as they renovated homes in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The 13-houses-per-TV-season format ultimately proved unsustainable, and Mina made the decision to downsize her staff as she was no longer planning projects for Good Bones. She also opened a home furnishings store, but it faced challenges due to low foot traffic and the end of the show. Mina has since closed the store and is re-evaluating her career path, considering a return to TV but prioritising her mental health and a healthier balance.
Despite the challenges, Mina remains passionate about her work and has continued renovating homes, even purchasing a lake house with her husband to fix up and document the process. She has also expressed a desire to continue creating content for HGTV, calling the production company "amazingly talented". While facing burnout and making tough decisions, Mina and her team pushed through and adapted to new directions, showing their resilience and dedication to their work.
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Two Chicks and a Hammer has faced challenges with city planners and local government
Two Chicks and a Hammer is a home renovation company founded by Mina Starsiak Hawk and her mother, Karen E. Laine, in Indianapolis in 2009. The company focuses on renovating homes in Fountain Square, Bates Hendricks, and the surrounding areas. In 2015, the company began filming the first season of the show "Good Bones", which followed the mother-daughter duo's renovation journey.
However, in recent years, Two Chicks and a Hammer have faced challenges with city planners and local government. With the show "Good Bones" coming to an end in 2023 after eight seasons, Mina Starsiak Hawk mentioned that her company increasingly butted heads with city planners who approved construction permits. Despite not seeking special treatment due to her celebrity status, Starsiak Hawk stated that she had done everything possible to work within the system. She elaborated that maintaining a neighbourhood's aesthetic was important to her company, and that it was challenging to get projects approved in a reasonable timeframe, especially if the city planners did not favour her projects.
One specific instance of a challenge with city planners involved a plan to raze a duplex, address a crumbling foundation, and rebuild a similar duplex. This plan was not approved by the city planners. Additionally, the company faced opposition from neighbourhood associations, who were wary of development that would create investor opportunities for short-term rentals through platforms such as Airbnb. Starsiak Hawk mentioned that she couldn't guarantee that a buyer of one of her properties would never rent out the house, which may have contributed to the challenges with obtaining approval for her projects.
The challenges with city planners and local government have impacted the business operations of Two Chicks and a Hammer. Starsiak Hawk mentioned that she had to downsize her staff due to the phasing out of home renovation work in Marion County and the end of the "Good Bones" show. The company also faced challenges with their home furnishings retail store, Two Chicks District Co., which struggled to attract local customers and ultimately closed its doors.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Two Chicks and a Hammer is still in business. The company has faced some challenges in recent years, including the retirement of one of its founders, Karen E. Laine (mother of the other founder, Mina Starsiak Hawk), and the end of their TV show, Good Bones. However, as of March 2024, they are still operating and have a new storefront in Noblesville, Indiana.
Good Bones ended in 2023 after eight seasons. Mina Starsiak Hawk, the host of the show and one of the founders of Two Chicks and a Hammer, has expressed interest in returning to TV, but also acknowledged that it would be a challenging decision due to the impact on her mental health and family life.
Karen E. Laine retired from the company in 2019, though she still made appearances on Good Bones until the show ended in 2023. The specific reasons for her retirement have not been disclosed, but Mina Starsiak Hawk has stated that she chose to keep the company name, "Two Chicks and a Hammer," out of respect for the business they built together.
Two Chicks and a Hammer is a renovation company that focuses on revitalizing properties in Indianapolis, specifically in Fountain Square, Bates Hendricks, and the surrounding areas. They aim to "Revitalize Indianapolis One Property at a Time" while maintaining the neighborhood's aesthetic. In addition to their renovation business, they also opened a home furnishings retail store, Two Chicks District Co., in 2020, which has since closed.
