Jill Blashack Strahan used to put together gift baskets and sell them in her Minnesota town as an active rural entrepreneur.  She started small and it got bigger and bigger, but it wasn't working as she'd hoped and she decided to close the business.  She was asked if she would still like to host a booth at a local event selling individually some of the spices, mixes, and sauces she had put in her baskets.  The event was a roaring success.

Strahan was a busy mom who didn't love to cook and liked anything that would make it easier.  She knew of other moms just like her.  Even for moms who did love to cook, time was of the essence and you couldn't buy more time, but if you can buy products that make cooking take less time and you can still love it.   

She wasn't a fan of home party sales, but she knew she would be a fan if the party involved demonstrating and eating food and at the same time solving a problem that many moms have and she believed it would work. That to her sounded like a home party she'd love to attend. 

With $36,000 of her own money and an SBA loan, she created a home party plan business called Tastefully Simple from a shed that had no running water and no bathrooms.  She created a business plan and set out to sell a curated list of delicious easy to use mixes, sauces, spices, and an amazing easy beer bread mix.  She was absolutely right!  People loved it.  Within 6 years the company was bringing in over $113 million a year.   

She credits the devastating loss of her brother from a house fire when she was 26 for inspiring her to start this business.  Just three years into starting the business, tragedy struck again and again.  She was devastated multiple times and yet she found the strength to carry on and shine through it all.  The company kept growing and growing.

Things got rough for several years and money was pouring out the door with year after year losses.  She was told to let it go and close the doors.  She kept fighting and has brought the company back to profits again.  How she fought back the naysayers who told her to quit and was more than ready when COVID hit and her business was needed more than ever. 

I love this story and I loved getting to know Jill as a person and as an amazing rural entrepreneur.  I sincerely hope you do too.  I feel like I've gained a sister and a wonderful friend in doing this interview.  Thank you, Jill.

If you'd like more information about the delicious Tastefully Simple products or their entrepreneurial development program go to the Tastefully Simple website.   

The podcast host Krysti Mikkonen is the owner of Rural Gold, a business located in rural South Dakota offering website development and coaching services for small to medium-sized businesses, with a special place in her heart for rural ones.  She also offers coaching services to entrepreneurs and difference makers individually and in a group called The Gold Miners.

Jordan Phillips is more than a cross-country runner.  She's also more than a sister, daughter of a cancer survivor and high school senior.  And she's more than a heck of an eloquent speaker.  Jordan is an entrepreneur who at 12 years old had a product she created selling in over 2000 Walmart Stores across the country.

In today’s episode of The Rural Entrepreneur’s Gold, you’re going to meet an incredibly inspiring, impressive, and articulate young lady. Phillips shares with us the story of her journey through her mom’s cancer, how it impacted her family, and how it led her to raise over $120,000 to date that started with a sewing machine she got in kindergarten.

We hear stories of how cancer patients are doing in treatment, but sometimes we forget to ask those around them.  Jordan shares how she learned of her mom's cancer, how she coped, and what helped her and her family.  Her family didn't just make it through, they grew. They grew in their love, their communication, and their joy.  While everyone was going through a difficult time, they intentionally made joy.

From there we move to the how and why behind her decision to start making Cozys for the Cure.  It's a pretty incredible journey from making these gifts with her sewing machine to selling them in Walmart.  I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. 

If you're interested in buying a coffee cozy or a microwave cozy for your bowl, go to the Cozys for a Cure Website. 

The podcast host Krysti Mikkonen is the owner of Rural Gold, a business located in rural South Dakota offering website development and coaching services for small to medium-sized businesses, with a special place in her heart for rural ones.  She also offers coaching services to entrepreneurs and difference makers individually and in a group called The Gold Miners.

  

In today's episode of the rural entrepreneurs, gold, you're going to meet Greg Franklin, also known by some as the cheesecake ninja in his rural town of Perryville, Missouri, a town of about 8500. Greg is going to share how this guy, who didn't really bake took an odd interest in cheesecake from a mere Facebook post.

After trying many different recipes, multiple online sales, and many direct sale door knocks and failing miserably multiple times, he kept at it.  He would try various recipes and techniques and persistently tried selling online and to other businesses.  Slowly but surely he was having some good success on this side gig. It was working. His hobby brought him joy and a nice added bonus income.  His "real" job gave him security with benefits, but he didn't love it.  That's ok though because he could keep that for security and his side job brought him joy and he loved that people loved what he made. 

Then one day at his real job things changed and he got fired.  Ironically, he was fired on National Cheesecake Day.   Those around him encouraged him to open a bakery.  This was his chance and they believed he could make this work. 

You'll hear how Greg turned that interest into a full-time business. The ups, downs, tips, and suggestions he has for starting a business. I love this story of perseverance patience, persistence, hard work, and humility. I hope you like it too.

If you'd like more information about the Cheesecake Ninja, you can check it out and assassinate you cravings here. Feel free visit him and be sure to tell him where you heard about his amazing cheesecakes!

The podcast host Krysti Mikkonen is the owner of Rural Gold, a business located in rural South Dakota offering website development and coaching services for small to medium-sized businesses, with a special place in her heart for rural ones.  She also offers coaching services to entrepreneurs and difference makers individually and in a group called The Gold Miners.