On-air storytelling created the perfect foundation for a Missouri grad’s entrepreneurial influence
As a sports writer in high school, Jill Bauer, BJ ‘89, didn’t need an extensive college tour to know that the Missouri School of Journalism was exactly where she belonged.
When she heard that Mizzou’s J-School was the best, she needed no further convincing to apply and ultimately commit. Bauer quickly fell in love with Mizzou and the prospect of gaining skills to pursue a career in journalism.
“Once I got into J-School, that’s when the real fun of my life began,” Bauer said. “Not just the fun of your social life and being on your own, but that I’m starting to learn what I’m going to do with my life.”
It wasn’t long before Bauer got her first taste of on-air work. At age 20, she was one of the weekend anchors at the University-owned NBC affiliate, KOMU-TV 8. She had intended to stay on a path to become a sports writer at Mizzou, but it wasn’t the most conventional path for women at the time. At the advice of her mentor, MU Broadcast professor Kent Collins, she made the decision to switch from sports to news.
Every Sunday night Bauer remembers staying up late, sometimes until 3 a.m., studying the newspaper to prepare for weekly current events quizzes. Despite the hard work, she loved the process and was determined not to miss even the smallest story.
It all prepared her for work on-air in television news, where she had to think on her feet as both an anchor and a reporter.
“I think one of my strengths in broadcasting is that I love the thrill of a live shot.”
In 1993, another big change-up shifted Bauer’s career yet again.
That was the year she was hired by the cable television network, QVC to become an on-air host. She was the youngest host ever hired by the company that was founded in 1986. Bauer quickly realized how much her fully ad-libbed segments required quick thinking, ingenuity and creativity to showcase products for sale.
Bauer said her journalism basics made a big difference in her success – thinking about the who, what, when, where, why and how – helped her to present and tell a story behind each item. She said that method is one she continues to use in her entrepreneurial endeavors today.
At QVC, Bauer proposed hosting her own show, Your Home With Jill, where she could open the set up and showcase products in different home settings.
“At that time, it was such a pioneering out-of-the box experience for QVC that they made me do the show in front of a test audience to see if it would even work.”
The show ran for 20 years and, at the time, became the longest-running program on QVC with the same host.
After her departure from QVC, Bauer served as a home and lifestyle expert for the Today Show for four years. This was a full circle moment after Bauer’s early years doing Today Show cut-ins at KOMU-TV 8.
Bauer had the idea to expand her reach at a time when the word “influencer” didn’t have the meaning it does today. In 2012 she bought the domain justjill.com, but was not sure how to evolve it into her vision. The idea for a home and lifestyle blog didn’t completely take off until she left QVC after 25 years of on-air work. Now, Bauer said the JustJill blog allows her to do what she loves–curating product recommendations, creating recipes, decorating her home, and offering lifestyle advice.
“What I found was that people were still wanting to shop with me because they had shopped with me for 25 years and I had built up this relationship of trust and authenticity,” Bauer said. “I’d like to think that little level of integrity was really instilled in me at Mizzou.”
She had a strong foundation of skills from her time in the J-School–writing, shooting video, producing, editing, and telling stories. Bauer said the advertising classes she took in the J-School also helped her with the entrepreneurial aspects of her business. Of course, after many years out of school, she found it necessary to learn new things. Bauer said she found lots of help online. Using YouTube tutorials, she was able to pick up the ins and outs of designing a website, using WordPress and developing SEO strategies.
Bauer’s company has featured national brands, but also emphasizes the importance of telling stories of the smaller start-ups and niche businesses. She cites the J-School’s introductory reporting and writing courses as a vital step in helping her gain her writing expertise.
“I’m so glad I had that experience because I really feel like I can sit down and write well when it comes to the blogs.”
Bauer collaborates with her daughter–a fellow J-School alum and strategic communication graduate–who does the copywriting and photography for the JustJill website.
Recently, Bauer made the intentional decision to close the shop side of JustJill. This decision came not out of necessity but because the shop had expanded beyond her imagination. At a crossroads, Bauer knew keeping the shop open would require additional employees, a warehouse space, and 100% of her time and energy.
“I listened to my heart and realized while I’m proud of what we created with the shop, being tied down to this one part of the business is not what I wanted to do.”
The J-School entrepreneur still creates content for her socials, runs weekly livestreams, and even designs jewelry as an on air brand ambassador for JAI Jewelry on QVC.
Last year, she created a jewelry collection inspired by her trip to Ireland. This unique opportunity allowed her to weave in historical elements of Ireland into the design of the jewelry pieces.
“What I’ve learned about myself is that I love to tell stories,” Bauer said. “And if I look at my career, that’s really been the through line.”
While Bauer juggles a lot on a daily basis, she finds it all fulfilling. The combination of television expertise, creative storytelling and entrepreneurship has led to a satisfying career.
“I think you don’t always have to take the traditional path,” Bauer said. “I think that you can take your skills and forge your own path, and if you’re excited about that, then you’re headed in the right direction.”
Updated: March 19, 2026