"𝓘𝓯 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓶𝓪𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓵𝓲𝓽𝓽𝓵𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼, 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝔀𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝔀𝓲𝓷 𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓫𝓲𝓰 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼!"
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CEO was so excited to welcome our first guest speaker of the year, Steve Cooper (Division President, Central Division, First Mid Bank & Trust), to class this morning! Steve led students in a discussion centered around one of the most important topics covered of the year…making a good first impression.
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Not only do the little things matter, they make all the difference. What are the little things?

• A solid handshake and greeting
• Preparing an elevator pitch (Always be prepared to talk about yourself, your organization, your product etc.)
• Being ready to take notes and share contact information
• Your personal appearance
• Your social media presence
• Timeliness
• Understanding safe topics
• Presenting yourself with confidence!
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Making a good impression, the art of conversation and being able to interact with all different types of people is a dance, one that takes practice, patience and persistence. Not everyone gets it right 100% of the time. However, when you understand what the little things are and work to get them right, you begin to shape your personal brand and elevate your position among the crowd.
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First Mid Bank has been one of our biggest supporters from the inception of Edwardsville CEO. All throughout the year, they not only serve as our “home base” for team work space and hosting guest speakers, they generously donate their time, energy and resources to supporting our students and program. Shoutout to Abel Anderson for all of the mornings you are up bright and early to let us in!

We would like to extend a huge thank you to Steve Cooper, Abel Anderson and the entire staff at First Mid (Goshen Rd) for ALL you do to support us during the year! We sincerely appreciate it!