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| About Jill Blashack Strahan |
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Media Questions
About Jill Blashack Strahan
About the Book
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Jill Blashack Strahan is one of the nation's leading female entrepreneurs.
Since she began Tastefully Simple in 1995, Jill has been recognized as an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® national finalist and received many other top honors for business and entrepreneurship, including Tastefully Simple's induction into the Inc. 500 Hall of Fame.
Jill makes her home in Alexandria, Minnesota, with her husband, Gary, and her son, Zach.
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 Jill Blashack Strahan, Founder & CEO of Tastefully Simple, has become an inspiration and role model to thousands of people across the nation.
Here's where her story begins ...
Inner Sparks
Jill's entrepreneurial spirit, drive and strong work ethic took root at a young age, as she grew up working on her family's farm near Villard, Minnesota.
After a year at the University of Minnesota - Morris, Jill transferred to Alexandria Technical College, where she discovered her passion for business and graduated with an associate's degree in sales and marketing. Following graduation, Jill managed and co-owned a small restaurant with her father called "Jill's Grill" and started her own retail gift basket shop.
Then her story took a whole new turn.
Prior to selling her business in 1994, Jill decided to participate in a special event to promote her gift baskets. She gave out samples and received an incredible response. That's when she realized the power of taste-testing. And a couple weeks later at 3:00 am, the idea of Tastefully Simple was born.
Humble Beginnings
In June 1995, Jill founded Tastefully Simple on what she often calls "a dream and a shoestring."
In fact, the company started in a 1,200 square-foot shed with no running water. Using a pool table as a packing station, she bootstrapped the business with her own savings, an investment from a silent partner and a $20,000 Small Business
Administration loan.
Finding The Fire Within
Then - just three years into the business - Jill was rocked by double tragedy. Her brother was killed in a fall, and only a few months later, her husband died suddenly. Shaken and grieving, Jill was faced with raising her 5-year-old son alone. But instead of giving up, she persevered with grace and determination. She turned her pain into passion to live her dreams.
Burning Bright
Fourteen years later, Jill has turned Tastefully Simple into a $140-million-plus company with 30,000 independent consultants throughout the U.S., and she's been personally recognized with many honors, such as:
- Twin Cities Business Hall of Fame (2006)
- Inc. magazine's list of CEO All-Stars (2005)
- Fast Company magazine's 25 Top Women Business Builders (2005)
- Small Business Administration Entrepreneurial Success Award (2004)
- Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® finalist (2003)
- Ernst & Young Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year for Minnesota & the Dakotas (2000)
And the Story Continues ...
In 2007, Jill became a published author with a book called Simply Shine: Stories That Stirred the Fire - a collection of short stories about her life and journey with Tastefully Simple. Learn more about the book.
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