Happy 4th Anniversary to the Just Jill Shop!
It’s hard for me to believe 4 years have already gone by! But I guess it’s true what they say… time flies when you’re having fun! And finding new things to share with all of you is DEFINITELY FUN!
I love reading your reviews, your messages on social, and your comments during our Facebook Lives! You, my Just Jill Crew, are the best support system I could ask for!
As I look back on the past 4 years, the THOUSANDS (eeek! I can’t believe that!) of orders we’ve taken, the variety of products, and our growing footprint.
And the most surprising thing might just be that I never really had intentions of opening a shopping business at all!
The Beginnings Of Just Jill
I’ve started to think of the Just Jill journey as a jigsaw puzzle. When I left QVC in June, 2019, there were a lot of missing pieces in this puzzle.
The good news was that I had the “border” done… side note, do you do that when you’re figuring out a puzzle you should work on the edge pieces first? That’s me too!
Back to the puzzle analogy… I had the border of the Just Jill puzzle in place. I bought the domain, “justjill.com” in 2012 because I had an idea that maybe, one day, I could put together a fun website that featured all of the things I loved.
What was missing, at that time, was how I would I turn that into income that could support my family.
The word “influencer” wasn’t really out there at the time. I was still working and loving my job at QVC, and so while the border of the puzzle, so to speak, was in place, the middle remained a jumbled mess.
Fast forward to 2019, my departure from QVC and my biggest thought revolved around, what do I do now? How do I make this work?
The first piece I put into place was creating a website to go with the domain name. Can you believe I actually made the whole website myself??
I figured if all the cool kids were learning things on YouTube, then this old dog could learn a few new tricks too! Then, I had to figure out how to write a blog and fill the website with interesting content. Puzzle piece number 2!
And while fun opportunities like the TODAY show and the Property Brothers helped fill the Just Jill puzzle, there was a missing piece that was directly related to shopping.
Just Jill Shop Is Born!
I’m always asked about the products I use, what I like, why I like them, and what I might recommend. It’s always fun to write a new blog with product finds and recommendations.
But, I had a friend (who used to be a buyer at QVC) approach me and ask, “Why don’t you create a collection of products that everyone can buy directly from you?”
Hmmm. Interesting idea. And I thought and thought and thought. I talked with Doug, my husband. Were we ready to have a business like this? I talked with friends, mentors, my Mom, and frankly anyone who would let me pick their brain. And the more I talked about it, the more the picture became clear.
It’s a natural evolution for the Just Jill brand. And it allows me to do what I love… find great products and bring them to my wonderful and supportive followers.
So, here we are! Just like that moment of elation when you put that final piece of a puzzle in place, that’s how I feel about the Just Jill Shop.
I’ve always believed in crawling before walking, so we started small. But I’m sure you’ve seen the growth in the types of products we’ve added over the past 4 years.
I’m thrilled at the following of the Just Jill Home Fragrance collection. It’s exciting that you’re loving our (now expansive!) assortment of home decor, too!
Then, there was our first-ever Christmas in July filled with holiday decor. Followed by yet another busy Christmas in July and our massive decor launches around the holidays as well! What an experience… what an EPIC run.
My goal is not to be some huge retail site with a gazillion products. My goal is to create a site filled with items that have “the Jill” touch. I want to share brands I’ve discovered from companies I believe in and can’t wait to feature.
I love telling stories, and can’t wait to tell the stories of the creatives and entrepreneurs behind the brands. That means something to me. I hope it does to you too.
When I look back to our first FB Live when we offered our first items (sterling silver jewelry!) I’m so proud of where we are now. Sometimes, I just need to take it all in. It’s hard to believe it all came together.
I still have no idea where this is going to go. But for now, my team at Just Jill loves getting to know all of you and we all have the same commitment to making Just Jill a fun place to spend time and look around.
So, for now, the Just Jill puzzle is complete. And may I just say, the glue that seems to keep it together is all of you. When this all started, I wondered, “If I build it, will they come?” Yes, you have. Time and time again.
Thank you for cheering me on, your kind words, and your loyal support. I’m grateful for your presence every day.
xoxo,
Jill
