Tastefully Simple News

Tastefully Simple Streamlines Operations

Tastefully Simple names Dahl president, launches new business model

Tastefully Simple Lays off 66 Employees

Tastefully Simple Helps Fight Childhood Hunger

Tastefully Simple Helps Fight Childhood Hunger

Tastefully Simple in the Echo Press

For more information on Tastefully Simple including the company's current rank in our home business index, please click here.

Tastefully Simple Streamlines Operations

Press Release | 11/13/2016

(Alexandria, Minn.) November 9, 2016 – Tastefully Simple announced a restructuring plan today. These changes result in the reduction of 39 team members at its headquarters; over 140 people remain employed. In addition, Tastefully Simple has thousands of independent sales consultants across the nation who will continue to operate their home-based businesses as usual.

“It’s important to streamline our operations,” said Tastefully Simple Founder & CEO, Jill Blashack Strahan. “This simplification allows us to be more focused on strategic growth. We continue to be blessed with positive trends, an incredibly talented team, and a very strong brand that has resulted in the loyalty of millions of clients.”

Tastefully Simple names Dahl president, launches new business model

Press Release | 7/17/2015

ALEXANDRIA, Minn. — Tastefully Simple Inc., the original national tasting party company, has named Nancy Dahl as president and chief operating officer. Jill Blashack Strahan, who founded Tastefully Simple in 1995, will continue her role as CEO, partnering with Dahl to optimize their strategic direction. Tastefully Simple also announced that it’s launching a new business model that marks a shift in the company’s selling strategy, from selling individual products to also offering mealtime and entertaining solutions.

“Nancy is passionate and inspiring, with strong collaborative leadership skills. She is vigilant about developing people,” said Strahan. “In addition to being an amazing culture fit, she is an innovative catalyst who provides crystal clarity in identifying priorities and has high standards of excellence. I am honored to have Nancy on our team.”

Dahl looks forward to working with Strahan and other members of the leadership team to maximize the impact of the company’s strategic plan. “Tastefully Simple has a stellar reputation,” she noted. “Every person I spoke with about the company remarked on its incredible brand and strong future. It’s a company with a strong entrepreneurial spirit and long runway ahead of it, full of opportunity.”

Dahl joins Tastefully Simple from Lifetouch Inc., a $1.2 billion company based in Minneapolis, where she advanced through a series of promotions, eventually serving as president and chief operating officer for Lifetouch Portrait Studios and later, Lifetouch National School Studios. She is an alumna of Gustavus Adolphus College, University of St. Thomas and the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management’s Executive Program.

A New Business Model

On July 1, Tastefully Simple will roll out part of their new business model that provides expanded food collections that are simple and delicious. The collections are themed around ten- and thirty-meal plans as well as Holiday Fun. This marks a notable shift for the company, which has already expanded its business model from traditional tasting parties to include freezer meal workshops that address mealtime needs of busy families.

“People hate making decisions about what to eat, whether it’s a dinner decision or having your friends over to socialize,” said Strahan. “Our new collections, replete with recipes, menu planners and grocery lists, are designed to relieve that headache.”

Tastefully Simple Lays off 66 Employees

Npros.com | 7/15/2014

Tastefully Simple announced the layoff of 66 employees at its headquarters due to a restructure.

A press release issued by the company stated that the move is necessary “in order to better align [the company’s] resources with strategies to strengthen its future growth.”

“Over the past 19 years, Tastefully Simple has become a household name due to our amazing, dedicated team,” said Tastefully Simple Founder and CEO, Jill Blashack Strahan. “They are like family to us, which makes this very difficult.

“We also know this step is absolutely necessary to help us achieve our growth goals in an increasingly challenging marketplace,” Strahan added. “I’m very confident in our ability to grow our business by investing in targeted strategies. We are extremely committed to being a strong, thriving company for our team, our thousands of consultants, our community and the millions of clients that enjoy our products.”

After the reduction in staff, Tastefully Simple has 200 team members still employed at its headquarters.

Tastefully Simple Helps Fight Childhood Hunger

Npros.com | 8/19/2009

From the Echo Press:

Tastefully Simple consultants from across the country will come together on August 12 to help fight childhood hunger in Minnesota.

More than 100 consultants will donate more than 450 hours of time to the cause, and Share Our Strength will present $7,500 to several Minneapolis-based hunger-fighting non-profits to demonstrate how the larger donation of $135,000 to Share Our Strength impacts local communities.

Tastefully Simple is partnering with Share Our Strength – the leading national organization working to end childhood hunger in America. Leading up to Tastefully Simple’s national conference, independent consultants will volunteer at five Minneapolis-area organizations supported by Share Our Strength.

To raise funds for the cause, Tastefully Simple donates $1 from the sale of every box of For the Love of Cookies Chocolate Chip Toffee Almond Cookie Mix to Share Our Strength. Since the company introduced For the Love of Cookies in March 2009, Tastefully Simple consultants have sold more than 135,000 boxes to raise more than $135,000 to help end childhood hunger.

Tastefully Simple Helps Fight Childhood Hunger

Alexandria Echo Press | 8/16/2009

Tastefully Simple consultants from across the country will come together on August 12 to help fight childhood hunger in Minnesota.

More than 100 consultants will donate more than 450 hours of time to the cause, and Share Our Strength will present $7,500 to several Minneapolis-based hunger-fighting non-profits to demonstrate how the larger donation of $135,000 to Share Our Strength impacts local communities.

Tastefully Simple is partnering with Share Our Strength – the leading national organization working to end childhood hunger in America. Leading up to Tastefully Simple’s national conference, independent consultants will volunteer at five Minneapolis-area organizations supported by Share Our Strength.

Tastefully Simple in the Echo Press

Alexandria Echo Press | 2/14/2009

Tastefully Simple, based in Alexandria, was recently honored as the 2008 Special Olympics Minnesota Outstanding Business at the annual Distinguished Service Awards banquet in Bloomington.

The awards recognize Special Olympics Minnesota athletes, coaches, volunteers, sponsors and family members who demonstrate support, enthusiasm and time commitment to the organization.

Tastefully Simple Receives Employer of the Year Award

Alexandria Echo Press | 1/3/2009

Tastefully Simple Founder and CEO Jill Blashack Strahan was also honored as a finalist for Best Entrepreneur at the awards ceremony held in New York on November 14.

The Stevie Awards for Women in Business is an international competition recognizing the accomplishments of outstanding women executives, business owners and their organizations.

As a winner in two categories, Tastefully Simple surpassed many top finalists, including Weber Shandwick, DRT Strategies Inc. and Women Owned New York. More than 1,200 entries from organizations in virtually every industry were submitted for consideration.

Tastefully Simple Teams With Blizzard to Fight Cancer

Alexandria Echo Press | 11/28/2008

Locally based gourmet food company Tastefully Simple and Alexandria’s Blizzard, part of the North American Hockey League, will team together to raise funds for the American Cancer Society.

A special “Tastefully Simple’s Relay for Life Night,” will be held December 6 at the Runestone Community Center.

The event aims to raise money for cancer research with an auction of exclusive jerseys worn by players during the game.

The special jerseys were created by Tastefully Simple’s award-winning graphic designers. The event will also feature games, giveaways and a tribute to those whose lives have been touched by cancer.

Tastefully Simple Toured by Manufacturers Association

Alexandria Echo Press | 2/4/2008

The Tri-State Manufacturers’ Association meeting on Tuesday, February 5 in Alexandria offers a variety of activities, including two plant tours and joint participation with the St. Cloud APICS chapter.

This event will kick-off with a 2:30 p.m. tour of Tastefully Simple, a direct sales company that has achieved tremendous success since the company was founded in 1995. The second tour will begin at 4:30 p.m. at Donnelly Custom Manufacturing, a 200-employee manufacturer specializing in injection molding of thermal plastic.

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