James Monken
About Me
I am a senior at Althoff Catholic High School. I was convinced to join Belleville CEO through close friends, and the interest in expanding my horizons about my future career.
I am involved in many different activities throughout my school and community such as a member of the National Honors Society, Student Council, Crusaders Take Action, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Rotary Interact, and volunteer at the Jackie Joyner Kersee Center to help teach kids soccer. I also hold some leadership positions such as Student Ambassador, Crusader Cru leader, and captain of both my soccer teams. I joined the Men’s Varsity Althoff Soccer Team since my freshman year, and I also play on St. Louis Scott Gallagher’s club team in the spring. I work at St. Teresa daycare as a part-time job, until college.
I am very outgoing, hardworking, persistent, and confident to do my best. After graduating from high school, I plan to attend a four year university, in the hopes of playing college soccer and pursuing a degree in law. I am currently deciding between multiple schools.
About My Business
My Featured Journal Entries
We draw to an end on our very last week and journal of the Belleville CEO class. we started the week off with a fun experience but something we learned a lot from. We attended The Edge laser tag and movie theatre and learned how to turn a small business into a big company. They talked to us about finding something that drives you to wake up every morning and causes you to enjoy and love what you do every day. They emphasized that it will take a lot of hard work effort and learning along with long nights and many days you doubt your business but keep driving to be better. These little incentives are things we as Belleville CEO students are able to learn every day that not everyone gets the chance to understand.
Getting the chance to also visit a financial group such as, Trinity, gave a lot of students the perspective and insight of the business world through the money and economic point of view. It sparked a lot of interest and questions and Mr. Dunnigan emphasizes the importance of being bull in the business world that is hungry to always succeed. Being able to visit two local businesses that are very different but very successful give us better insight into how to run our own businesses and excel in the real world.
The Belleville CEO class program has been an amazing experience and fun. We grew as young business men and women, growing bonds and networks with successful business people. It formed us into more confident young adults, and we were able to get the experience and real-world knowledge that many other students in schools usually do not get the chance to have. As a class, we have all come a long way from the start, and I am excited to see how everyone succeeds in the future. Sadly, it all has to come to an end this week, but it has been a great experience with everyone. I look forward to the future as a young business person.
05/04/2018
This last week of CEO was very different. With it being the week after our big trade show, it was very relaxing and stress-free. As a class, we were all able to now focus in on the speakers and enjoy the class and lessons we are learning a little more. We had many great, successful businessmen and women speak to us in class and gave us the insight to a successful business.
This week one of my favorite speakers was Tony Bryan with Midwest Cyber Center. He was very intuitive and focused on his craft and skill, and this business was unlike any we have had previously. He showed us how his skill was turned into a business and is now very successful in making a difference. His unique passion for cyber security was very intriguing, and also very persuasive in that field of interest. By bringing in businesses such as Mr. Bryan’s, the Belleville CEO class is able to then expand our horizons to other ideas and businesses out in the real world.
Lindenwood University also set up a great morning for the Belleville CEO class, putting on a demonstration to hook our attention and get us active early in the morning. They were able to allow us to interact with other business majors of the university and giving us the chance to role play in a business scenario that may happen in the real world. It required quick thinking, knowledge, persuasiveness, and a lot of questions and answers trying to outsmart others. I believed it was a very well brought up scenario for the class to be prepared on to be able to ask questions and on top of that be quick on your feet to answer the questions given.
These next couple weeks will be relaxing and insightful, especially as the year to CEO comes to an end. We will be able to take in the information, enjoy the classes, connect for the last time through this class, and then take what we have learned this whole year and bring it to the real world to become successful businessmen and women.
04/27/2018
This last week of CEO was the week we had all planned for and new was the big day. The trade show was very busy and stressful, but overall was a great day and an amazing experience. I really enjoyed the time to showcase my business to other successful people and in return get their feed back about my business. This event put into perspective where I could potential expand and take my business too. This allowed me to grow as a businessman and entrepreneur in this program. I’m very excited with how the trade show went. It was a very busy and stressful week of CEO, but in the end it worked out great and we produced a great event. I hope my business thrives after this.
04/20/2018
This last week was a very productive week of the CEO program, and was a one of the better weeks we have had in a while. The class is starting to progress on their personal businesses, and show real meaning behind it, as in this last week, we were able to work together and learn to get things done.
Gaslight Vinyl was and is probably one of the coolest and inspiring businesses we have heard from. This business encompasses the true meaning of what the Belleville CEO program is trying to teach us. The whole point in becoming young entrepreneurs and CEOs is to find something we live doing in our lives and create a business or service out of it that will make us happy and even make us some money. That is exactly what the Bach brothers did in creating Gaslight Vinyl as a business. They were two brothers who had no clue how to start or run a business. They went from looking up business plans on YouTube, to finally owning, operating, and expanding their personal growing franchise. With the help of many different people they were able to create their dream and have fun every day at what they love to do. They are inspiring because that is who we, this Belleville CEO class, are at the moment. We are trying to figure this all out, learn business plans and budgets, and create our own business. Going to a business like this has more meaning behind it than most people realize and understand, but that is who we are and learning to become. Mr. Greg Bach was very real with us and helped and told us that there will be many sleepless nights, 7 day work weeks, not a whole lot of money to begin with, and a lot of hardships and troubles; however, in the future it is all worth it in the end, finally making money and doing something you love. That’s what we are all looking for in a job, and as young entrepreneurs we are still trying to learn and understand. This is what we all look forward to as we continue this process.
03/23/2018
This last week of CEO has been a blur. We were fortunate enough to meet with many successful businessmen and women. We have started the new quarter at the business, Artigem, a successful downtown Belleville company ran by CEO, Kurt Artigem. Unfortunately, I was gone for half of the week due to soccer, but I was able to sit in and listen with Mike Riley, president of Professional Therapy Services, Patrick McKeehan, economic development director at city of O’Fallon, MO, and Brent Emmerich, owner and developer of ewebdzine.com. Through these successful businessmen I thought I was able to gain and understand a lot of knowledge they were able to bestow upon me and the class.
All these businesses talked about the importance of what their service provides and inclined to their customers. Mike Riley taught on the foundations of the struggles and attitude you must have to run and develop your company into what you want it to become. He showed us that no matter the bumps and hiccups along the way, everything will turn out as planned. You have to put hard work to achieve success, but through your success you will be happy with the service you provide.
Patrick McKeehan, I thought, taught us a very valuable lesson on how we should go about advertising our businesses and how we should develop and produce an elevator pitch. With any business its takes practice and lots of it. That’s what Mr. McKeehan taught us. An elevator pitch becomes a very valuable asset to an entrepreneur to gain business and investments in his/her company. Mr. McKeehan was a very good speaker, who taught us the value of what practice and dedication can turn a business into.
Mr. Emmerich taught us the value of finding what you love and enjoy, and creating it into a business you enjoy doing every single day. He preached on the objective to find something you wake up wanting to do every single day. He found his goal and his love in website design and development, and he has encouraged each of us as young entrepreneurs to do the same. Business people like them will help shape the future for young entrepreneurs like ourselves.
03/16/2018
This last week was the end to being at Mathis, Marifian, and Richter, but it was a great experience being able to be at such a great business and learn from them. On Tuesday we met with Mr. Mathis and Mr. Richter to talk to them about their business and how it came to be. They showed us how successful people become by starting your own company. It takes work, dedication, and effort to become successful and to make a name for yourself. Their company started from the bottom, in just a single room that was half the size of their now conference room. They started from nothing and now own firms in multiple states and cities. That is what becoming an entrepreneur is all about, knowing your worth and working harder than anyone else because you know and believe you can and will be successful.
We also met and talked with Hamilton Callison from BreakThru Beverage, the oldest and biggest distributor in Illinois. His business started off from almost nothing as well, and he, his father, and grandfather built it up to become what it is today. With the help of merging the business they are now a million dollar company. It doesn't matter where your company starts off from, but it is how you create it and build it up to become successful that matters. This week we looked at two companies with very successful owners and backgrounds that showed us is doesn’t matter as long as you create it to become what you dream of. It also showed us to never change your business because of someone else. Create your business and brand, and we can never give up on that idea.
Every week these are the things and ideals young entrepreneurs like ourselves have to learn, and these are skills one day we will come to know for ourselves as we create our personal businesses. I look forward to the weeks to come in the final semester of this CEO program. We have a lot to learn and understand.
03/09/2018
Leadership was the main focus and virtue the Belleville CEO class focused on this last week. As this program progresses, it separates the class into leaders, and who are the students willing to be pig committed and rise to the challenges giving to them. We, as young entrepreneurs forming our very own businesses, need to become leaders in this world. We have been given a unique opportunity through this class to learn this value. On Thursday this last week, we watched a TED talk video online discusses the values and mindset behind leadership.
This core value drives a person to become successful, and the way a person leads will dictate the outcome of his/her company. On Wednesday, CEO was able to attend a breakfast called, Issues and Eggs, where leadership groups and organizations from around our community were able to discuss and present ourselves and what we do. We have been given all of these unique opportunities, and through these we need to become leaders. That is what all this is trying to teach us, and that is the most important thing CEO can and has taught us. Through these weeks after Belleville's Got Talent and leading up to forming our personal businesses, these are the moments where we learn the most on our own, and are able to become our own personal leaders.
03/02/2018
This last week of CEO was a little hectic with it being the week after our big event. All in all, I believe we all felt good after the long busy weekend. As the CFO, my week kept getting busier and busier with collecting money, getting bank statements, calculating the final costs and donations, writing checks, etc. It was a lot of work but I’m glad we got it done and accomplished our goals, together, as a class.
We visited businesses like McDermott and Empire, that bases their companies on core values such as community love, people first, remembering where you came from, and respecting all. These values are what drove these businesses to be who they are and how successful they become. They are not huge corporate businesses, but there is something special that makes these companies who they are. They are reliable, and customers are loyal and love companies like these because of the values they hold true to.
Empire was one of the coolest places to visit this last week. They showed us how they were formed, how they stuck true to their beliefs, and how they grew into something that meant more to them than just a business. They have two locations with more than 8 buildings. They have grown into Canada over the past year, and showed us what hard work looks like and where it got them. One of the coolest things, I thought, was how they showed us how to overcome troublesome times and move on to become something better.
Community based businesses, such as these, are the businesses we need to be looking and learning from as we try to become successful entrepreneurs in this business world. Core values the dedication, the love; the kindness, etc. are what sets these businesses apart from the rest.
02/16/2018
These last couple of weeks have been stressful but a learning experience as well for everyone in the Belleville CEO class. As we have been preparing for our Belleville’s Got Talent, we have ran into many issues and complications along the way. However, we all really have put in the work these last two weeks to prepare and get ready for this event. We still have a lot to do and accomplish by this coming Saturday, but I really think it will work out well. I am excited to witness the Belleville CEOs success, as a class, and all we have accomplished to complete this task.
This past week, I thought, has been one of the most intriguing weeks so far in the Belleville CEO program. For me, I was busy most of the week collecting data and keeping track of the financials to make sure everything is on task for the event. It has been a lot of hard work for both Cam and I, but we managed and look forward to the end goal after this event. The class really worked hard in achieving our final goals with selling tickets and gaining sponsorships.
It was also intriguing to meet with JoAnne DiMaggio to talk about the business plan for our personal businesses. It is very exciting to be able to finally be able to create something of our own and get the ball rolling on everything. I look forward to seeing her in class this upcoming week as well.
Our meeting with FKG Oil went extremely well. I really liked how they confronted the meeting with us, and focused on creating the meeting to really grasp our attention in multiple ways. Their business is unlike many others, and is an extremely difficult and competitive field in which they perform their business. Seeing how well it is ran and how they are able to create such a well ran environment for a business was very interesting to learn and witness. It was definitely a business that caught my attention and stood out among the rest. I look forward to this upcoming week with CEO!
02/02/2018
This week was, I thought, a week to learn and understand. The class is starting to understand the importance of the class business, and how close it is approaching. We have a lot to do in short time. This event will and can be a very great and fun event, if executed properly, starting now. The weeks leading up to the event are some of the most important because there so many little key factors that needs to be done. I believe we can get this project done well, but I feel as though some student are not that “pig committed” to the event, which in perspective will gives all the money we need for our personal businesses. Cam and I have updated the class financials along with an actual and projectile budget of what the event is looking like at the moment. Sponsorships and ticket sales are our big hitters, and it seems like the class is not as focused on those numbers. In order for this class to succeed, we all need to step up and out of our comfort zones to raise the money and attract the consumers.
We also spoke with Belleville Mayor Mr. Mark Eckert. He was a very kind, insightful man who had a lot to say and speak on. I asked him the question, “Looking at the future of Belleville, what is the plan that you hope to accomplish here?” He talked about how he hopes to change it and make it more appealing to customers like it had in the past. The way he views his work and how he looks at the benefits and positivity of the future really showed why he was in his position now as mayor. He loves what he does and he does it with full enthusiasm, no matter the task. He wants the greater good of Belleville, and wants to achieve much during his time as mayor.
Leadership is a huge role when it comes to business. You need to be able to step out of your comfort, and take charge of the people around you. Without some sort of leadership, success will not be achieved. We look at the leadership role of Mayor Eckert, and the thing he has accomplished in Belleville was through good leadership, and doing something others didn’t or couldn’t do. In our Belleville CEO class we need many people to step up and start something.
01/19/2018
As we start the second semester, the CEO class has a lot of work to accomplish and look forward to completing. The task ahead of us will not be easy at all, but it will give us the opportunity to learn from the experience and challenges we will be facing. Sadly, we do not have lot of time before we all graduate, and there is still much to learn and accomplish as a class and individuals. There is much to look forward to and be excited about for the future of CEO.
This past week we started off the first full week of the second semester of our Belleville CEO, and it started off great. We met with Mr. McManus of Memorial Hospital, and his knowledge and insightfulness of the being and becoming young businessmen/women gave us a lot to think about for the future. He touched up on the subject how as entrepreneurs, to become the next Bill Gates, we need to create a product or service that combines the rate of interest to the cause surrounding the consumers. As we draw closer and closer to creating and owning our own personal businesses, we need to keep this in mind to help us mentally decide on what we want to-do and create. There’s more that goes into a product or service than most people realize. Mr. Turner came from wanting to become a basketball player to becoming the CEO and director of memorial hospitals in the St. Clair County area. His story is truly amazing.
I also got the chance on Friday to meet with my mentor, Pat Hill. We had a very nice first meeting together and connected very easily and great. I really look forward to working with him in the future, and learning from his experiences in the business world. I feel our fit together as mentor and mentee worked out perfectly, especially along the lines as we are both CFOs. The second semester of the class looks very promising, and will give us all the chance to adapt and learn.
01/12/2018
This last week in CEO was probably one of my favorite weeks of CEO. We were constantly busy, and I enjoyed every second of it. It is very crazy to see just how fast the CEO class is flying by and how much progress we are making and will make in the future. Half way through this year has taught me many valuable assets that I continue to find myself using in my everyday life. It gets easier for me to walk up to people, shake their hand, converse with them, and act accordingly. All these assets have had tremendous effects on how I live, and I look forward to the future of CEO to see what it brings. The work effort and pace of the class, I think, has increased, helping the class as a whole to reach their goal for the final stages of our business.
Over the past couple of weeks, we have focused much of our time on the class business and have made great strides in our project at hand. We even spoke with Tom Farquhar, who helped shows what the real world is like from a man who, he himself, has had a lot of success. I think by this point in our class everyone is starting to figure it their roles, and where they fit comfortably in to help. Everyone has a certain job, attribute, talent, etc. that helps make and form the class into who we are and what makes Belleville CEO stand out the way it does. I think one of the most important and eye opening scenarios, am when we went out to all the business in Belleville asking for sponsorships and everything because it taught us to not be afraid and to just talk to people openly. We learned that the worst people could say is no, we learned that by going out and reaching out to people can make a huge impact for ourselves, the class, our business, reputation, and much more. Scenarios and events like these are ones that help make the students of CEO better, and what prepares us for real life scenarios. We were taught and have experienced that Belleville CEO is much more than just a class, and in these last couple of weeks, working together, we have proven that we are much more than just a class, but a family.
12/17/2017
The only speaker I got to witness and listen to were brother and sister, Erica and Andrew Barnell. They are two very smart people who are in the process of growing and creating their own business, Geneoscopy. It was amazing to hear from two young people who are creating, what seems to be, a very successful and major company in the future. It is great to hear their background, where they came from, and how they thought to build a company like this one. One of the greatest things I thought that they spoke about in their presentation, were ten lessons they have personally learned throughout their lives and creating their own business. It constrained lessons such as, “Age is just a number” and “Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you, who you can trust, and then delegate to them.” Lessons such as these, are lessons each and every one of us will experience in our future, and it was great to hear it from young business people such as Andrew and Erica Barnell.
12/03/2017
The 14th week of Belleville’s CEO class went by fast, considering we only had two days of class for the week. However, in those two we got to go to two different businesses with a great story and background. The first business was TWM, and we spoke with the president, upcoming president, and major engineers in the company. I thought they did one of the coolest presentations for our class. They were able to keep the class engaged in their business by bringing out and showing us the equipment they use as engineers to survey the land. It was great to see how they did their work, while staying engaged and focused on the business side of the company.
The second company we were able to visit was Auffenberg. We were able to meet with Mr. Jamie Auffenberg himself, and learn and understand the background of Auffenberg dealerships. From a business side of things it was amazing to see how he was able to expand his father’s company after he took over when his father was unable to continue. His story was fascinating and grasped all of our attentions. These two businesses alike, showed how you are able to start small and grow your business into something large. We all as entrepreneurs must have that drive and goal to always move forward.
11/24/2017
Every student in the CEO class learns something different from each speaker we acquire over the many weeks. Each speaker has their own special touch to their stories and messages, and sometimes the messages tend to have the same overlap. However, this last week, I found Jason Eding and Derek Betz to have a very nice message and great stories that gave each student a better teaching and understanding. These stories stuck out to be very influential, grasping our attentions.
Jason Eding, Precision Practice Management’s director of the IT department, spoke about his own story of becoming the IT director along with very valuable skills on how and what to do for a successful interview with a business. It is always fantastic and continues to amaze me to hear ever speaker’s background and story of upbringing in the business world. Mr. Eding showed us the struggle and perseverance it will take to find what you want and love to do. I found one of the best and amazing things he talked about was the influence and skills of a successful job interview. Even though this is a CEO business class, we are still striving every day to learn new values and skills that we can always put to use in the real world, and I feel as though Jason Edingdid a great job of giving us that information.
Derek Betz runs the local Belleville restaurant, Fletcher’s. We do not get to go to and see many businesses such as restaurant, and I was really ecstatic to know that we were going to be going to Fletcher’s because it gives our class another outlook on any type of business. Many of us are probably not accustomed to or looking to grow a business in the restaurant franchise, however it is always very important to look at how they manage, run, and become a successful restaurant. One of the major things that Derek Betz stressed was that in the business world you need to be either pig committed not chicken committed. A chicken lays an egg, providing for food but still lives, whereas a pig has to die in order to give food. You need to be 100%committed in your business or job just like that pig is. I thought that was a fantastic analogy to give to the Belleville CEO class, especially as we get into the heat of our big class project.
As I said, every speaker has their own message and story behind their upbringing. Some may have the same messages as other, but there are those that really grab your attention and will influence you as you move on in your life. Jason Eding and Derek. Betz did an amazing job speaking to the class, and showing and teaching us what it will take as we move on into the real business world. As always, this last week of CEO went very well, and I look forward to this upcoming week to see what it will bring for all of us.
11/17/2017
This week of CEO reminded me a lot of last week’s CEO. It was a very productive week where we were able to focus on our class business and make the most of the week. I really enjoyed this last week, and working on our project. It allows the class to work as one and create something from scratch. I am very excited that we get to create a big project and business that we came up with, and we get to start from nothing to create a masterpiece. Cam and I got the financials all situated, creating a budget document of multiple targets in which we need to hit to gain a certain net profit. I personally think the financials look very achievable and something the class needs to focus on as we continue this project. If we stay in line with this report, we will definitely be able to achieve our ultimate goal. It will definitely be tough and challenging as new CEO entrepreneurs, but it will be something worth achieving. Everyone in the class needs to really pull their weight for this project, and be held accountable for their actions and what they do or not to do for Belleville’s Got Talent. I really look forward to this project, and seeing the turnout and what we are able to do as a class. As the CFO of the class, I am nervous of the process and work ethic of our class along with the financials that we need/want to acquire. However, I know I will do everything I need and in my ability to make this project successful.
I also think Mr. Nicol spoke on a lot of the issues we need to earn. He is a very influential man, with an inspiring story that helped me understand the business side more businesses and how to run one. Mr. Nicol was a very interesting man, and a great speaker. I saw him originally at the CEO Empowerment Day and I am very ecstatic that our class got the chance to hear him speak personally to us. It shows us how to actually run a business, and stay intrigued with the business side of entrepreneurship.
11/03/2017
This last week it was nice to calm things down a bit in our CEO class. We did not go to many businesses, but had speakers come talk with us and help us with our upcoming business proposition. We are finally able to get on track and have a well-structured outline for the weeks to come leading up to our big class business, Belleville's Got Talent. I think it really helped that Cam and I were able to get a budget sheet formatted and up to date with our financials, so that the class is able to view and understand the credentials that are needed to make this business a huge success. I see the future as looking very bright for our class business, if we stay on track and follow our plans to accomplish the big stretch margin we are shooting for. I am very excited to accomplish and be a part of this project, and hopefully can be a model to future CEO classes as a well ran event.
John Perles was my favorite speaker of the week (even though he forgot about us last time). He spoke of a very positive message about what makes you successful as a person, not just a businessman/woman, but actually what it takes to improve your everyday life. I thought he did an amazing job addressing this issue and teaching all of us how to work and improve our lives more efficiently. If we can address these issues and perfect them, there is no doubt we can become successful and happy businessmen/women.
One of his many points that he got across was to work as a team and to find your rhythm. One person out of four people could be slacking, struggling, or doing all the work, and without a team effort, you will never be able to reach your personal and ultimate goal. So, push each other and push yourselves because we are all always learning, and trying to find our best. Like John said in the end, find a passion, something you have always loved and turn it into something amazing.
10/27/2017
Through my eyes, it seems as if the group is progressing like no other. Mainly speaking for the class business, where we have already determined a thought out plan and idea for action, I think we as a team have our heads on straight about what needs to be accomplished. We all have our own committees and jobs that need to be done, yet each task slightly relies on another for one to be complete. Regardless, I think the class has a bright future , where we will surpass our income goal and create a solid show for the city of Belleville.
These last two weeks we also got to visit with JoAnn DiMaggio-May, Rauckman, and Neal Eilers. JoAnn explained to us other necessities needed for a business that is often looked over when becoming an entrepreneur. Although it was a lot to take in, it is definitely a major key to know the things that she said. Knowing that she will also be coming in again to assist us ensures me that we will all be successful individually.
As we toured Rauckman, I gained a lot of respect for him, as he explained the money he has invested into these machines, without certainty of receiving it back and being profitable. Seeing more of a ideal warehouse company was intriguing, even though it is not an area that I plan to proceed in. There is so much complexity that has gone into Rauckmans company, and it has definitely payed off. Listening to his speech about not always being original, but being better, was a definite eye opener.
We also were visited by Neal Eilers, who is another entrepreneur who has a small home-ran company. He reminded me of Tyler Douthith, because of his small workspace but yet constant connection to new sales and always staying on top. Although Tyler’s company is his full time job, seeing Neal’s as a side income was neat, because it’s not necessary for him to have. He has a normal full time job, but he does his small business which he enjoys on the side for personal profit. These last couple weeks have been very informational.
10/20/2017
Week 7 of the Belleville CEO class, came to be very productive. We voted in chairmen, met with potential mentors, and worked further into our class business. October 5th was my first meet and greet with potential mentors, and it was also the largest one we had this year. Meet and greets, like the one we had, are something I find very useful, exciting, and fun. Conversations and knowing how to engage yourself to connect with an important business man or woman. I felt a real deep connection with a lot of the mentors, and I look forward to being given a mentor and learning from their expertise. I am also pretty happy with how we, as a class, voted for the CEO, COO, and CFO. I think Nick and Ian will do a great job leading this class and representing us well, along with Martrell as the COO. I think with Martrell being COO, it will really help him open up, and be more outgoing with his leadership and innovative thinking. Every week I get more and more excited to see how this Belleville CEO class grows.
10/06/2017
Kristen Hadeed was Midland’s speaker in the video for this week. She spoke on the challenges of taking risks, never giving up, and finding something in your job that inspires you to get up every morning to pursue success. Kristen Hadeed was able to turn her student maid cleaning business into a multi-million dollar company. I look at Midland’s video with Kristen Hadeed, and it makes me ask myself where will I stand in the real world after this class is over. I see questions being asked by former CEO students, and I wonder where I will be. Will I be asking the questions, going out and achieving my goals, or will I be in the same seat as Kristen Hadeed. The future is very bright for young entrepreneurs, such as ourselves, and we need to take the first step as Kristen Hadeed had done.
Kristen Hadeed stressed heavily on the points of connecting with people, and giving everyone the chance to work hard and make a living. I look forward to getting the chance to meet a mentor with the business wisdom that I hope to learn and adapt towards. I sadly, had to miss this last week’s mentor meeting. However, I am excited to get the chance to communicate with successful businessmen and women, with whom I can connect with and hopefully for a close bond. Having a mentor will boost my confidence in the business world, will teach me valuable skills, and help build my business. Mr. Lowery, a CEO board member, gave us the insight into how and why having a mentor can mean so much to us as aspiring entrepreneurs.
09/29/2017
Week 5 of the Belleville Ceo class has been the busiest. We were invited to attend the Ceo Empowerment Day in Collinsville, Illinois. It was sponsored and put on by Kevin Nicol, president and owner of the NICOL Foundation. We spent the whole business day here meeting with other CEO classes, presidents of companies speaking, influential business men and women, and future entrepreneurs. Each and every speaker hit on his or her own topics of strengths and weaknesses. However, at the end of the day it all wrapped up into three main points: your mindset is a huge attribute in the business world, work/effort means everything, and excuses get you nowhere in life.
Probably one of my favorite speakers was Steve Davis. Steve Davis is an Elvis Presley impersonator. He gave us a very moving speech about how came to be in this job, and how he became one of the best in the nation at doing it. A lot of the points he touched on, and spoke to us about really caught my attention. Mr. Davis is a man that found what he was good at, what he loved to do, and made a business out of it. He even told each one of us to find something in life that we love and enjoy and become the best at it, and to strive to be the best. As an Elvis impersonator, he loves what he does, and in order to get where he is today he had to take risks and learn along the way. However, one of the biggest things that struck me that he said was, “You have a freedom of choice, but not a freedom of consequences.” What he does for his job, he does for other people. Along the way in his career he has made huge connections and relationships with many influential people such as Bruno Mars. He encouraged us on how important relationships really are in someone's life, and how they can come back to help you.
09/22/2017
Excuses are a reason or explanation put forward to defend or justify a fault. Excuses formed the main point in last week’s Belleville CEO class. We read Into the Storm, a chapter from Craig Lindvahl’s book, Things You Wish You Knew Yesterday, dealing with the problem of excuses. If you are confronted with a task, you simply do and complete the task no matter what problems may occur. Excuses get you no where, and successful people do not rely on excuses to get them through tough challenges. They simply complete the task at hand. This idea of excuses wrapped up the main focus of Belleville CEO’s fourth week in projects and speakers.
Earlier this last week, Belleville CEO had speakers Garrett Reuter from Greensfelder Hemker and Gale, P.C. and Ed Hoering from Clifton Larson Accounting LLP. They spoke on the structures of what they do, how they do it, and what it takes to be successful in a business firm like there's. Along with all that, they also spoke on the subject of excuses. They said in a business like there's, they receive excuses from clients all the time. It makes business more difficult, more stressful, and more problems tend to occur. To be successful and responsible in the real world you approach problems with strength, complete the task at hand, and take responsibility for your actions.
Friday’s speaker, Brian Mentzer, served as the perfect example for a man who strives for his goals and what he believes in, and someone who does not believe in always taking the easy route. He is a very innovative business man, with many connections with successful business men and women in the world. He showed us the effort it will take to be successful, and even told us that certain times will be very difficult but you have to keep moving forward no matter what life throws your way. Mr. Mentzer also shared the success stories of his close and fellow friends and partners he works with. Becoming successful will not be easy for anyone, but it must start somewhere with a goal and ambition. Excuses will not drive you and motivate you to complete your goals. You must stay focused, motivated, positive, and willing to complete any task given to you. Every successful business person has been through this, and will tell you the same thing. Always keep moving forward, and never make excuses.
09/17/2017
This last week of our Belleville CEO class, I thought, was one of the best weeks. We were very productive in talking with and setting up dates to meet with potential investors in our badge project. Ian, James, and myself will even meet with Mr. Zura of Allsup soon, in one of the following weeks.
I thought meeting Tyler Douthitt at his home was, actually, one of the coolest places and businesses we have gone to. We live in a highly advanced society, and it is very interesting and compelling to see how someone, like ourselves, was able to adapt to the world’s interests around us and was able to create a booming business from that. Along with going to Tyler Douthitt’s house, we also went to Althoff Catholic High School. Even though I have gone to Althoff for four years, it was very intriguing to see the business side and perspective of my high school, and what it takes for the school, as a whole, to keep it running and progressing.
In going to these businesses this week, I think one of the biggest things to learn from them is that creating connections and a large network of people can make a huge difference and change in any company. Tyler’s connections with factories and people from his old jobs helped him get factories to help him make hundreds of thousands of ear buds. At Althoff we especially saw how connections were a big thing as we talked to Mr. Crotty.
Every week I say that I am genuinely surprised, in a good way, by this class. It continues to better my understanding in the business world, and what it will take in the real world to be successful in anything. If you look at Tyler Douthitt’s life, he started with a computer science major and then focused on business to become the nation's largest seller of earbuds. Information like this will help teach us what we can do and how we can, giving us ideas.
09/08/2017