Starting Up Tastefully Simple
In 1995, Jill began Tastefully Simple 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 silent partner Joani Nielson and a $20,000 Small Business Administration loan.
Despite financial hardship and personal tragedies during the infancy of the company – including the deaths of her husband and brother – Jill persevered with grace and determination.
Moving Onward & Upward
Eleven years later, it’s easy to see how Jill Blashack Strahan’s vision has paid off. Tastefully Simple has become an award-winning company with more than 300 team members and nearly 20,000 independent consultants nationwide. Thanks to her outstanding leadership and spirit, Jill has also been personally recognized with many honors, such as:
- Minnesota 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)