5 MINUTES EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW Jill Blashack Strahan Q : Thirteen years after you started Tastefully Simple, it s grown into a $139 million company. What sets it apart from other companies? : To be sustainable, you have to have a great brand, which is driven by great products and an excellent, consistent image. Another factor is our culture. The most successful companies create a great culture by de ning their expectations. We re known for having a lot of fun, but people also know what s expected of them. Third, we build trust through humbleness; we admit our mistakes, take responsibility and are humble enough to say, I screwed up. The adage I ve used since the beginning is, We reserve the right to get smarter. Jill Blashack Strahan is founder and CEO of Tastefully Simple, a Minnesota-based company whose easy-to-prepare gourmet foods are sold by more than 26,000 independent sales consultants. Q A A A : As a company, our principles are based on our own personal values. In 1994, before I even started the company, I begin tithing in my personal life. It was so scary to give that 10 percent, but based upon teachings from a personal coach, my husband and I decided to give 10 percent of our income (before we paid the bills) to a cause greater than us. The same principle holds true today. For me, corporate giving has nothing to do with driving sales; it s about doing the right thing and giving back for all the blessings we ve been given. : Does any one day stand out as your best day at work? : In 2001, Tastefully Simple s founding partner and COO Joani Nielson and I were jumping up and down and squealing with delight in the foyer after we opened up a next-day air letter to nd that we were number 40 on Inc. magazine s list of the 500 fastest growing companies. We did an all-team page, brought everyone into the warehouse and announced it. That made us feel like we were nally on the map. We were all so proud. And four years later we were recognized in the Inc. 500 Hall of Fame. Q : What is your favorite Tastefully Simple product? : We have 50 great products, so it s dif cult to choose. The one I prepare the most is Bountiful Beer Bread Mix 1 . You add a can of beer, stir it 20 times and end up with the most incredible bread. The one I reach for the most often is Sweet Pepper Jalape o Jam, a quick open and enjoy product. Q A : If you could y anywhere in the world, where would you go? : Years ago, before I could afford it, I put as a goal that when my son Zach turned 16, I would take him anywhere he wanted to go in the world. He s 15 now, and he chose Italy 2 . So my husband, Gary, and I will be taking him to Italy for a week or two and will just hang out wherever Zach wants to hang out. Q A A : If you could give advice to the person you were 25 years ago, what would you tell that younger version of yourself? : Be patient with your journey. I had a nagging feeling that I wasn t doing what I should be doing and was impatient about not knowing what to do. I wanted it right away. So I would tell myself, You don t have to arrive. Enjoy the journey. Phil Bolsta Q : Tastefully Simple has an admirable track record of corporate giving. Why is this so important to you? : What is your favorite movie, and why? : The most powerful movie I ve used in training is Pay It Forward. 3 I thought it was so inspiring and empowering to see that, one by one, we can all make a difference. Q A The adage I ve used since the beginning is, We reserve the right to get smarter. 1 66 nwa WorldTraveler 2 3 pg 66.indd 1 6/11/08 8:44:00 AM