My Featured Journal Entries
This week has just been crazy, amazing, awesome, good, bad, and everything in between. I don't think I can describe this week in words and part of me is trying to write this journal like it was any other week, but this is not any other week. This was my last week and the end of a comfortable existence and a transition into a world of chaos and confusion with schools, finances, government, and all the rest. I guess what I am trying to say is that I should be scared, and to a degree I am like everyone else, but everyone else did not take CEO, and since I have this advantage of experiences I truly believe I can make it.
05/13/2017
Before I add Julian's wrap up this week, I'd like to interject some of my reflections, and I can only put something at the end of the newsletter by hijacking someone's space...
This has been a remarkable week in CEO. You would think that by the 35th week, interest would wain and speakers would have trouble keeping students engaged. Not so! So many words of wisdom throughout our year came together this week in unexected ways. At the end of the week, Larry Carter shared two of his favorite quotes that helped these concepts gel. First, Ted Kennedy quoting John Kennedy's paraphrase from George Bernard Shaw, "Some men see things as they are and say, 'Why?" I dream of things that never were and say, 'Why not?'"
This week alone we met several people who approached something with that "Why not?" attitude. Mindy Carter agreeing to organize and provide a meal for hundreds served in shifts over a 24 hour period; Charlie Haire becoming an expert and purchasing an MRI machine to serve a large region; Nick Schaefer attacking a dangerous sand boil in a levy with a bulldozer; Nick and Jerri starting a vacation rental in a dilapidated home; Larry Carter leaving his comfort zone of education which led to pharmaceutical sales.
Second, John Kennedy's famous "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country." Change country to community or even fellow man or woman, and more examples came to light. Nick spoke of working with the Katrina clean up. Mindy also did that at a different time. Larry spoke of the importance of helping to build a community people want to live in that is safe, and has good health care, good schools, and strong churches and how he had helped serve on some of those boards. This year we have heard of literally dozens of ways local business people give back to others, so this makes sense.
Our speakers are often afraid they will seem boastful when they tell us the things they have done or accomplished, but we remind them that this is what we want. They are being role models for the next generation. We are all so appreciative for the time, energy, and resources so many share. Even the students realize that when our speakers are with us, many are giving up income for that time period. Thank you for sharing with the leaders of tomorrow. EB
And now, back to Julian's closing thoughts.
Overall, I think this week has been good. I have learned new skills, gained great advice, and spent another week with an amazing group of people.I will miss CEO and since the last week is already upon us, I really want to show my appreciation to the ones that donate their time, money, and resources to better our community 5, 6, 8, 12, or more students at a time.
05/05/2017
This week has been good because we have met some of the best people in our community. I have to say that if you asked me how this week would turn out I never expected all this! Dr. Charlie Haire and Dr. Lindsey Bailey are prime examples. Right when I thought I had heard it all and there may not be any new advice by the end of the year, that's when Mr. Haire surprised me and others with a great piece of advice that even if you are not the smartest, it's the person that works the hardest and has the best ethics that ends up on top.
05/01/2017
By far the best part of CEO this week had to have been the trade show. The trade show was an amazing experience that helped me expand my network as well as gain some great ideas. I was given a few amazing ideas during the trade show like working with the SBDC to provide great entry level websites to start-up businesses and working with moving companies to provide a referral fee to every client that moves through them that has me come and set up their devices. Other than the amazing advice I got I also enjoyed meeting not only potential clients but some of the people that have helped me and others like me get so far in our business and our lives this year. But the crowning moment during the trade show was probably my Grandpa showing up and seeing how proud he is of me; it makes me want to do better and deserve that praise
04/28/2017
Lee Hackney is just an amazing character, and I appreciate everything that she has done for this country and our community. She is probably one of the most interesting women I know with all her stories and life experience. I know her slideshow was just a small piece of her life, and it was just amazing hearing how she has done it. Many people could not take on the challenges that she has and still be afloat. I look forward to working with her more as my client, and I’m happy that everyone else got the experience of meeting Lee.
04/24/2017
This week has been a great start after spring break. I have enjoyed all our visits but my favorite has to have been Cook Warehouses. It was fascinating hearing their story and how they run this multi-million dollar business. It’s impressive the way a good entrepreneur can turn a pile of lumber into a huge business and the best shed manufacturer in the country. You could tell that Mr. Cook was proud of their product and took pride in being the leading standard in portable buildings. I just love seeing what one person can do with a vision and some adaptiveness. Mr. Cook touched on a subject that I am finding in my life as well. It is neat to follow the path and see where it takes you. You just never know where you will end up, but if you continue then there is nothing that holds you back.
04/20/2017
The best thing for me this week has to be just the experience of CEO outside the classroom. CEO is not just a class, but it can be for those who don't take advantage of it. It's just a class for those who just want to go in do the work and leave, the ones with an employee mentality. But if you go into this class and take everything you learn and try to apply some of it to your own life, then it becomes more. Then you start learning and asking questions wherever you are. I said the class outside of class because it's never over, it teaches you to learn on your own so you never stop growing. The best thing related to CEO for me this week has to be the things I learned from John Nimmo, Andy Sisulak, Brian Meyer, or Lee Hackney. These are all individuals that if you want to you can learn an amazing amount from.
04/07/2017
I think the most interesting thing related to CEO was the Trade Show Workshop day. It was amazing to hear from some of the other CEO students and their amazing ideas like hydro dipping or attachable pockets. It was neat to see others and how they approached their business. I look forward to seeing our competitors grow and challenge us to do better. The other CEO students were not only a good part of the day but the current business owners that we met too, like the founder of Dippin’ Dots. He just seems like a normal every day guy and then you find out this normal everyday guy owns a huge company that is in every state and around a dozen countries. This guy is so nice he remembered Erin’s interest in the new coffee flavored Dippin’ Dots that he came back with a sample just for her.
04/05/2017
Gosh, how do I even decide what was the best thing related to CEO this week? This week has to be over all the best week of CEO I have ever had. From meeting Mr. Penninger and learning his life stories and triumphs, to Mr. Egelston and his amazing way of teaching with excitement and really getting us pumped up about business. If neither of those excite you then you should join the Kiwanis Club for breakfast some time and hear the amazing stories that you hear from the Kiwanis members that work hard to raise money for our community. Last of all, try going into any classroom and asking the students, “Who here has ever had class in Walmart before?” and I bet none can say yes. This is why I love CEO, because of the unexpected, the real life, being in an environment and learning about our community and how to really be a part of it. I look forward to life beyond CEO as our class days are fewer and fewer. I still know with all my heart that we will positively impact whatever community we end up in.
04/01/2017
There are many people I owe a thank you to for where I am. I think with my loan I will be buying thank you cards and handwriting thank yous to some of those people. I also want to write thank yous to my first customers that have helped me get started. I have been thinking a lot on the subject of how I need to show my appreciation to those who have helped me.
03/24/2017
Looking back on this week it has been amazing. We met the Stegles, and they are both awesome. We had a few great team meetings. I had a few good meetings related to my business. Loan request day could not have gone better. Overall I have enjoyed this week very much. I love the people we meet and how amazing this community is. It's a huge network that is all connected if you choose to be a part of that network. It's easy to stay back and passively watch, but once you start to open your eyes to beauty and the connections that can be made it becomes something more. I lived here for 18 years and I have to say I have never felt more at home than I do now.
03/13/2017
Banker Day surprised me because I thought it was going to be hard and challenging but instead it was a rewarding experience. I got lots of great feedback and advice. I was told that I should take out a full loan to use on advertising by AJ National. Anna State told me that I should look into local advertising and that the chamber is a good opportunity. It was just an amazing experience to talk with bankers and them look at you with the expression of WOW, this kid is really doing this. I don't think everyone gets it at first, but we are not just kids in a class, we are young business leaders and owners trying to make a positive impact in our lives and community.
One of the most rewarding things related to CEO had to have been the Gazette Insert!!!! It was awesome seeing something that we all put so much dedication finally come together. I am proud of everyone for what we accomplished
03/10/2017
The best thing related to CEO this week had to be the completion of the “Hearing our Hometown Heartbeat” business. It was a lot of stress but also a lot of fun. We learned many new skills and enhanced old ones. I love this idea of a publication that helps promote us and the businesses that help us. It's almost like a “circle of love”, haha, kind of funny seeing how an article is named that. But seriously I am proud of everyone for coming together to make this amazing challenge happen. No matter the size of the role each played it was all important to the overall success. (Plus it was also nice to learn a lot about Photoshop and Indesign that I never knew before)
03/04/2017
The most relieving part to CEO this week for me had to have been sending off proofs for our ads. I feel one step closer to closing out on the class business and focusing on my own business and life. I am excited to see the finished product and see what our teamwork has produced. I appreciate everyone's help because we couldn't have pulled this off without any one of my fellow team members. I'm excited and glad I got to be a part of this amazing class business.
02/18/2017
The best thing this week for me had to have been the CEO Experience. It was a day of fun and laughter, but we still learned a lot. We heard from many talented motivational speakers, and I got to meet many new faces. Our lunch was amazing; we all got something great. Bill, Aaron, and I got horseshoes and Shad got the Firehouse burger and all the girls got salads. I also enjoyed meeting Tom from State Farm in Effingham. I know we did not speak to one another, but yet we learned a lot about each other, and I know if I ever am in Effingham again, I can go visit Tom and he will remember me as I will him. I enjoyed speaking in front of the crowd and speaking on my own personal experiences and dreams. We experienced the Taste of Effingham, and I have to say it was amazing.
02/06/2017
The best thing related to CEO this week for me had to have been my meeting with my new client. I have been very blessed when it comes to my business, and I have had so much luck and good fortune that I am now past the amount I originally put into my business and I am making a profit. I love that CEO has opened these opportunities for my friends and me. I love seeing how everyone's businesses are growing and becoming more than we could all ever imagine. I am happy with the path my business and I are on, and I hope the future is as good as my past has been.
02/04/2017
The best thing for me this week had to have been the Gala. I not only enjoyed the Gala itself but I also enjoyed the setup and the funny moments we shared. It was fun watching local business owners and community leaders blow up balloons and decorate the building. I enjoyed every aspect, seeing many familiar faces and also meeting a few new ones. I got to see my departed grandmother’s best friend and hug her, and it always makes me happy to see a little of my grandmother in the ones she was closest to. It was a great night filled with lots of laughs and fun. I especially enjoyed drawing the business card and pulling out my mentor’s name and thinking how does that even happen.
01/29/2017
I have been working a lot on my personal business, and it's odd how mine is coming together. I have unintentionally skipped some of the planning stages and now I'm working on my service. I have clients and space and many other resources to provide my clients with great service but I'm almost stuck now because I have not figured out my prices and full list of services. Since I was stuck I contacted a few people in my list of past visits and speakers. Aaron Goeckner has been in the CEO program and has had many successes from his time with CEO, so I contacted him for advice and he decided to come speak with us about his personal experiences and how we could apply them to our business. Mr. Goeckner gave me lots of great advice about my pricing and how I should set my price where I'm comfortable telling a customer to price check others and see that I'm the best deal. I think with his advice and that of the others who responded to my emails, I will soon have my process figured out.
01/20/2017
Details omitted to protect the generous.
I think the most exciting things about CEO this week for me happened outside of class. To start the week I spoke with Mrs. Littleton about making my logo for my business. Then after school met with (future clients) to discuss work in exchange for office space. While talking with them they liked what I said so they thought it would be nice if I create another website as well. After meeting with them I spoke with Mr. Rollie Hawk about what I want to do for my business and (he was very, very helpful!). After this meeting I had to come up with a better way to host websites, so I spoke to (_____ and I now have a plan). So I have spent the last few weeks setting up my website and planning and I have lots of assets now with little cost. I owe a lot to Rollie and all his help. I'm also proud to announce my site is up but nowhere near complete.
01/12/2017
I was sad leaving Southern Real Estate Group’s office. It has this energy that you can't get anywhere else. Whether it be the people, the inspirational posters, or the busy and thriving Main Street, something about it makes you feel the inspiration. So it surprised me to walk into the hospital and feel that same inspiration. It was amazing to look around and get a tour of the hospital. I never knew all the things the hospital has. I was very impressed with the hospital visit, and I look forward to having it as our new home base.
01/03/2017
I am happy to say we have reached our goal in our “Hearing our Hometown Heartbeat” ad sales. This project has been tiring, time consuming, and long. But it's been lots of fun and very rewarding. We have made many connections and helped build our network further. I have networked with people that would be good for my personal business. I also have learned many things and have been happy to play my part in this project. I know we are not finished yet, but this is a project that has been a highlight of the year. I look forward to seeing the final project soon and starting our own businesses. I know it seems like I put more time in on my own than others because I do ads once I’m off work and during my free time, but if you enjoy what you do then it's not work. I enjoy my part and I'll be happy to help with whatever I can.
12/20/2016
Congressman Bost and others have wowed me this week. Mr. Bost has changed my view on politics. Every since we last spoke with Mr. Bailey I have been thinking about his role in our county government and how it affects us. After meeting Mr. Bost and him telling us how he believes government should work, it makes me want to get involved. There are too few men and women that stand up for their people whether it be Mr. Bost or Mr. Bailey. They both care for their government and people and don't go with the flow like many others. These men are both true leaders not followers of their parties and popular opinion and that's what's inspired me to get involved and be active. Before CEO, I knew almost nothing about government and the different levels. Now that I know more, I can see many problems and instead of sitting back and complaining like so many I want to be active to help change and improve our lives.
12/15/2016
The most interesting thing about this week had to have been the “Break In” challenge. It was my first time playing a break in or break out game. The game was an interesting, challenging high-stakes game of wit and teamwork. It was one of the few times we have all come together to complete such a challenge. It took all of us and our special skills to complete the game. It took Jessica, Aaron, Shad, and me to find clues and objects and Dillon’s unique way of guessing combinations, and Jessa and Erin’s awesome detective skills. Together all of us came together and completed our mission. Like in our class business, we all work together with our unique skills to get there.
12/05/2016
The person I found most interesting this week had to have been Mrs. Mitchell, the interim director of CEO’s Midland Institute of Entrepreneurship. But that's not why she was so interesting. What makes Mrs. Mitchell so amazing is her enthusiasm and passion for our program. We got to learn more about why CEO matters, and why we matter in this process. What made her go over the top with awesome had to have been at the Union County Chamber meeting when she spoke as an outsider of our amazing community, commenting on the sense of pride we all share. That sense of pride is what we are trying to show off in our class business, “Hearing our Hometown Heartbeat”. We want to show people all the amazing things in our community that most people either take for granted or don't even know about.
12/01/2016
My favorite part of CEO this week had to of been Mr. Hawk's visit with us. Mr. Hawk is not only a speaker, but an investor, and former board chairman. Mr. Hawk is someone that I was once told has lots of “scary knowledge”, it's funny because he showed us some of his scary knowledge when he talked with us about media manipulation and how we can make it work for us. He also talked over our own business and went through some of the basics of websites like domains and website building and how to link both together with your own server or someone else's. I'm excited to learn and speak with Mr. Hawk. I know he will be a valuable asset in the future with my own business.
11/19/2016
Something I found super amazing had to have been learning the success story of Mr. Frick. It kind of excites me to know that someone in Union County started as a car salesman and then ended up owning his own RV dealership with $4.5 million in inventory on hand. Mr. Frick started selling used cars and once the market crashed he saw an opportunity and, like with most great business, he got into RV’s not by plan, but because he saw an opportunity and went for it. Something he said that stuck with me was “Do it the best you can or don't do it”,
11/09/2016
Mr. Sisulak is the marketing director of Baysinger Architects. Baysinger does some wonderful things including help oversee the building and renovations of schools. Mr. Sisulak is involved in many chambers of commerce which I think is really important. I feel like if you care about your community and the future of it then you should be involved in the chamber. I thought it was interesting how he has worked for Nascar, Anheuser Busch, and IndyCar. One thing he has done that was probably the coolest thing ever is the Reno Air Races where big planes race each other at 400mph!
11/04/2016
So many things have been interesting this week, but the most interesting has to have been the CEO Empowerment Day. I loved going and learning more about business and making connections with other CEO groups. Going to the Federal Reserve Bank was amazing. We learned so much about the economy and how the banking system works. But most of all out of the day my favorite part had to have been the T-Rex small business incubator. Just being in the rooms with so much natural light and creativity that surrounds everyone, you can feel the inspiration. Walking around and seeing all they do there and how they help businesses start up from nothing to grow the community and economy. I feel inspired from being there, and I have set a goal that one day after college I’ll go back there whether it be with my own business idea or just to be close to the creative essence you can feel all around you.
10/29/2016
This week we learned how one southern Illinois man started what is now The Simonds Group with a pickup truck and a wheelbarrow. Mr. Simonds' grandfather was the start to the company. After he came home from WWII, he started his own business after not being promoted in the construction company he worked in before he left for the war. Since those early days and almost 71 years later E.T. Simonds is one of the largest road construction companies in the southern Illinois region. One of the factors that contributes to this growth is the Simonds Group's diversity with 5 different companies all working together to improve southern Illinois.
10/26/2016
This week has been very exciting and filled with many great experiences and wonderful people. What made my week so special was probably going to the Union County CEO social, held at the Coad Ford dealership in Anna. The highlight was meeting most of the CEO board members again and meeting some new faces and building a lasting relationship. I was shy at first and awkward about speaking and having a conversation, but once I got talking about my CEO experience so far I could see the passion in everyone's eyes. Their eyes lit up while I was telling my experiences. Most of the previous alumni were at this meeting to show support and reconnect with everyone. We got to talk to the previous members about our current class ideas and get their opinions and learn about their past experiences.
Another part to the night that was great had to have been when the former students, MacKenzie, Meghan, Austin Klasner and Austin Beszczynski stood in front of everyone at the meeting and they announced how they are using the money they earned last year. Like Mrs. Bailey always says, successful people give back. They started off by putting part of the money they raised in a class fund so that our class will have money for special events. Then they set up an alumni fund so that all alumni present and future can still get together and keep their class family intact. Union County CEO also benefitted because they donated some to the CEO program to help our community and our program thrive. Lastly, something that I believe is special in all of our CEO students’ hearts, they gave $500 to Wounded Warrior's HOOAH duck hunt at Grassy Lake Hunting Club that Mr. Cain and Mr. Goetz support. Most don't know this but Mr. Cain is and has been one of our biggest supporters. He has donated time, money, space, and lots of wisdom to us. Overall, the CEO Social was a huge success, and for me was an unbelievably great opportunity to learn and build great lasting relationships
10/15/2016
Something that surprises me was Mrs. Fick’s determination to finish school even after all her personal sacrifice. Not many people could go to college for as long as she did and sacrifice having kids and a family later in life like she has. Many people would not make it or give up and settle but she never backed down. She never gave up on her personal dream and never settled for less. I think if we took anything away from our conversation to her I think never giving up and trusting that as long as you put your best foot forward you can accomplish your dreams.
Mrs. Fick got me thinking a lot on my vision for my future. When we wrote 10 and 20 year plans it opened my eyes because not many people think that far ahead, but it has made me think ever since we talked with her on what I want and where I want to be and what I need to do to get there. My 5-year vision is to hopefully finish college and have minimal debt and have a job in the field I'm going to school for, hopefully business or technology related.
10/06/2016
I believe the best thing related to CEO this week was probably going to Robinson Fresh and learning about supply chain management. We started off by going through the basics as if we were an employee just being hired by Mr. Mitchell. We learned how Mr. Mitchell came out of college and had the choice of two jobs, a teacher at SIU or try and get an old processing facility working and do something he knew almost nothing about. He went in and when they asked him why he was the best for this job, he told them because I'll solve your problems. That's something Mr. Mitchell stressed a lot was employers like employees who solve their problems and don't cause them. I learned a lot from Mr. Mitchell. He was a very interesting and exciting man who had great advice.
09/27/2016
I got to learn so much about entrepreneurial spirit. Listening to Mr. Edwards’ future plans made me really excited to get started on my own business. I think the main reason I find Mr. Edwards so interesting is because of his vision for Southern Illinois, his business, and the future of local business.
09/20/2016
To start off this exciting week we went to The Old Feed Store in Cobden, and we met one of the most interesting business women ever, Mrs. Rose Hogan. Mrs. Hogan is a very active part of Cobden's community and this area. She and her husband own The Old Feed Store, a tourist cabin on their farm, a house in Cobden that they are renovating, a few other rental properties, and not to mention they also run a home inspection business. I found it fascinating that they work as a team to run all these different business. Mr. Hogan does the home inspection and running the entertainment for the Old Feed Store and then Mrs. Hogan does all the cabin rentals and booking and checks up on their renovation crew. What I think intrigued me the most was how they built it all the way from the ground up. The Old Feed Store is not just a clever name. It quite literally was the old feed store, and they stuck with the name and renovated it. They restored it into a beautiful place to do weddings, parties, concerts, and so much more. But right now we are using it as our home base. I look forward to using The Old Feed Store as our home base for more days to come.
09/06/2016
I learned so much from Mrs. Adams. I took away that doing your research is key because you could have an amazing idea for business and it not be viable for your area. You have to have a good geographical and financial location. DO YOUR RESEARCH! In Mrs. Adams case it was self addressed and stamped surveys that she put at different veterinarians' offices and going to other pet shops and checking her competition. Once Mrs. Adams got all this data, she took it to a business advisor and then made her business plan, which I learned we all will be creating!!!
08/29/2016
At our visit to the Union County Fair, I learned that even if you don’t see it all the time, it takes a lot of planning, money, and hard work to put on such a huge event. I never saw how involved the fair has been in our community, and I loved learning the fair’s history. With all the expenses, I feel as though I want to go and spend more and to help advertise so we can keep the fair a part of our community for years to come. I feel like I am a part of the fair and it’s something that I have a responsibility to help as I can.
08/24/2016