Jessica Simpson is as unlikely a business magnate as they come.

For starters, she's beautiful. Really beautiful -- even without makeup, even before "weight loss." She's also a reality star, a fair-to-middling singer and an eye candy accoutrement of an actress. Additionally, Joe Simpson's meal ticket pride and joy ain't exactly the sharpest tool Abilene, Texas has ever produced.

Or, is she?

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All you have to do is ponder the mind-blowing successes the 33-year-old mother of two has cobbled together and you'll realize that the dumb as a box of rocks act has been just that. Blondie's got a whole lot going on in that pretty little head of hers and its helped turn her into one helluva formidable businesswoman.

As Forbes magazine summarizes, "The Jessica Simpson Collection comprises over 30 product categories, from her hugely popular shoe line to sunglasses and jewelry. Almost ten years in, the brand rakes in about $1 billion a year at retail."

What has propelled her to such staggering success where countless others falter and fall well short of her achievements? For Simpson the explanation is simple: "I understand women."

"When I'm in approval or inspiration meetings, I think of what I want my Nana to wear, and what my 2-year-old daughter Maxwell would look adorable in," Simpson said last week at a Forbes keynote Q&A panel. (The fact that she was a keynote speaker at a highly respected industry event is enough to burst the bimbo bubble.)

"I want to make every woman feel confident in what they're wearing. I [feel] like we're very fashion-forward, but we also listen to the consumer."

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Plus, women across the country can relate to Simpson's weight struggles and feel bad about the resulting scrutiny she's had to endure. "I have been every size on the planet and I understand women," she said. "And I just know how to dress them. I know there's all different kinds. There's life in the whole world beyond LA and New York. I understand Middle America and their mindset."