| “One volunteer counselor—Dick Bloom—called me every month for nearly a year to check in and ask how I was doing,” Jill says. “That personal touch made a big difference.”
So did the volunteers’ expertise. At every stage of her company’s evolution, they advised Jill on dealing with the realities of owning and building a business, from financial management to simply staying positive.
“The SCORE volunteers believed in me,” Jill says. “They had made fortunes in business, and were confident that I would too. That support helped carry me through those times when doubts started to creep in.”
In return for their wisdom and support, Jill has helped her mentors in the Twin Cities and other Midwest SCORE chapters assist other aspiring entrepreneurs by contributing her own knowledge to workshops on marketing, new business planning and demographics. She also helped SCORE leaders understand how to work with women entrepreneurs.
Twenty-two years after those first tentative steps, Johnson Consulting Services is still going strong. Jill has worked in 21 states and overseas, and consulted more than one billion dollars’ worth of business decisions. She has earned numerous awards; been interviewed for stories in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Money magazine; and served two terms on the SBA’s National Advisory Council
And while businesses of all types and sizes look to Jill for answers and advice, she continues to learn from her friends and colleagues at SCORE.
“More than half of my practice is in health care, which often involves people having to make difficult decisions about friends, loved ones and themselves,” she says. “Working with SCORE has given me insight on how to age gracefully, and with vitality and relevancy. It’s a blessing to see SCORE volunteers with so much to give still working to help new entrepreneurs and their community. That’s a valuable lesson for everyone.”
Brought to you by SCORE, America's small business mentors, at www.score.org.
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