She Became A QVC Star in Two Years

Boehler has since appeared on QVC nine times, and her success as an inventor and entrepreneur has earned her the admiration of QVC’s largely female audience, says Rich Yoegel, QVC’s director of merchandising. Last year, her company made $125,000 in profits, which enabled her to pay off all her credit card debt and begin to save. These days, her business is almost a family enterprise. Rich helps carry heavy boxes when he’s home; Jordan, now 20, designed the artwork for the first Chilly Jilly bag; daughter Kim, 25, models the wraps for chillyjilly.com and other promotional materials; and oldest son Adam, 30, a venture capitalist, gives her business advice. “Adam listened to every challenge, reasoned away every failure and cheered every success,” she says.

Sometimes Boehler thinks about retiring (no more weekends attending trade shows). But not yet. This year, she’s expanding the line to include plus sizes and an “elite” wrap made of a more luxurious microfiber. Next year she’ll start selling gloves made of the same material. The recession hasn’t put much of a dent in her business, she says, because her accessories are versatile and inexpensive. “I don’t feel like I’m done with this,” she says. “I feel like I’m in a movie, and I want to see what happens next.”  


Running the Numbers

$20,000 Lawyer’s fee for filing patent (still pending)

$10,000 Cost to design Web site, ChillyJilly.com

$10,000 Displays, posters, printing and other marketing expenses in 2008

16 Number of people wearing a Chilly Jilly who Boehler has run into

18,000+ Number of wraps sold on QVC

150 Number of discarded, damaged wraps per batch of 5,000



Dalia Fahmy has profiled entrepreneurs for the New York Times and Inc. magazine.