Mower County CEO

09/04/2026

1-100 Challenge ✅

Students thought outside the box, took on new challenges, and were able to find success! They reflected and learned many things that will help them to grow and be successful in the future!

09/03/2026

This morning we visited The Style Lounge with owner, Lindsey Compton who has invested in CEO from the start! Lindsey grew up in Austin and is very rooted in the Austin community. Lindsey walked students through the honor code she uses and creates with her staff which our students will work on creating for their team in the next few days.

The Honor Code:
1. Purposeful collaboration on how to work and function as a team.
2. Helps to create a climate that is positive for employees and customers.
3. Allows all members to hold one another accountable in a professional manner.

Intentionally working on culture helps to maintain an outstanding environment at the salon. In addition to The Style Lounge, Lindsey also co-owns the MOD Medspa with Betsy Morem. Lindsey is passionate about the work she does and building the team she is surrounded by intentionally. The Style Lounge Salon

09/02/2026

Something special is happening here!

⭐️ Their teambuilding was very impactful.
⭐️ They support one another as they are navigating the early days of CEO.
⭐️ They planned ways to hold everyone accountable on visits.
⭐️ They celebrate their successes as a group.

Tuesday, after their first visit of the year, you can see that they felt good about their time and the fact that everyone asked questions, showed professionalism, and produced the WOW!

09/02/2026

We had our first official business visit of the year with McFarland Truck Lines, hosted by Geoff Baker, who has been part of the CEO Program since the very beginning. Geoff always provides our students with a fantastic insights!

Geoff shared how McFarland is focused on growing smartly and profitably, prioritizing safety, improving fuel efficiency and air quality, and navigating the challenges of the global supply chain.

Students also got a behind-the-scenes look at how McFarland monitors trucks and routes, they learned about the technology and features of today’s trucks, and gained a better understanding of the trucking industry.

Geoff also shared some great advice with our students:
🚛Don’t procrastinate.�🚛Never turn down an opportunity to learn.�🚛 Don’t give your products or services away for free.�🚛 Pay attention to your community.�🚛 Find what you do better than anyone else.�🚛 Remember, AI can create just as many problems as solutions.

Thank you to Geoff and the McFarland team for welcoming our students and sharing your time, knowledge, and experience!

08/31/2026

We love to see CEO business still going strong! We see you Let’s Face It!

Come see me at the Austin Artworks Festival from 9-5 today!

08/29/2026

This morning the incredibly talented Hannah Rosholt of Hannah Rosholt Photography joined us to take our professional headshots. Hannah invests in our program, has been a mentor for many years, and is always excited to step in and support in any way she can. We appreciate her immense talent and the amazing photos she takes for our program! These kids are going places!

08/28/2026

Great morning of headshots and handshakes!

05/20/2026

Today was the final day of CEO for the year! We celebrated with students, families, mentors, and board members. The students have accomplished so much this year and we are incredibly proud of them! Each year it is hard to see the students go, but the skills they have will take them to great places. Thank you to the community who supported them this year. We can’t wait to welcome the new class next fall!

05/16/2026

Thompson Sanitation is a family owned garbage disposal company serving around 10,000 homes a week. They service Clark’s Grove, Owatonna, Mankato, and Austin operating with around 40 employees.

Key takeaways:
🚛 Route management has been enhanced through the use of tablets providing quick communication with the office staff.
🚛 The average driver works a 45 hours week.
🚛 Lithium batteries need to be recycled and can be very dangerous if disposed of incorrectly.
🚛 Finding people who care enough to show up is important.
🚛 caring about your employees and investing them makes a big difference

Thank you for a great visit and for investing in the CEO Program!