Land of Lincoln CEO tradeshow puts the icing on the cake of a challenging yet good year
Part three: Young entrepreneurs Bree Morrow, Hattie Langley and Gage Codding

 

[May 02, 2021]   Three of the eight students presenting their products and services on Wednesday evening were Bree Morrow, Hattie Langley and Gage Codding.

Bree Morrow



Bree Morrow (left) was assisted Wednesday evening by her friend Eva Ortiz. Together the two were selling products out of Morrows booth, Pooches N’ Smooches.

Taking advantage of two popular trends right now, pet accessories, and face masks, Bree Morrow developed her business around providing matching accessories for pets and pet parents. She makes all of the designs herself and offers a variety of items including bandana for pets, and hair scrunches and face masks for pet parents.

Morrow is a senior at Olympia High School. She has served as the student president of the CEO class this school year and has enjoyed being involved in the many activities of the CEO. She said that the program has helped her to work outside her comfort zone, become more confident and she has built some very good friendships over the year.

Morrow was selling her products Wednesday night and noted that she is giving 10 percent of her proceeds to local animal charities.

Hattie Langley



Hattie Langley (right) is the owner of ‘Coastin,’ a custom made coaster company. Hattie designs and manufactures ceramic tile coasters for coffee tables and also ceramic coasters for use in vehicle cup holders.

Her sales assistant Wednesday evening was her good friend Cassie Crabtree.

 

On Wednesday evening, Coastin’ was a popular stop at the tradeshow. Many of the guests enjoyed the nicely made coasters and were happy to make purchases at the booth.

Hattie is a senior at Hartsburg-Emden High School. Her name will be recognizable to many as one of the members of the Hartem Stags Volleyball Team. Currently her plans are to attend college and study business. She noted that building a business from the ground up and watching it go from nothing to something big has been very rewarding and exciting.

Even with college in her future, Langley says that her coaster business is also going to be part of her future.

Gage Codding



Gage Codding is a senior at Olympia High School with plans to take a step back from school during the pandemic and instead work locally for a while. He notes that he has a number of jobs and intends to keep them all along with his own power washing business named CEO (Cars, Essentials and Others)

Wednesday evening Codding proved he was a dynamic sales man with a strong pitch for his new business. At CEO he will come to your home and do a power wash of your car and get it all shined up, but his pitch includes that he doesn’t have to stop there. Codding says when you utilize his services you can be the talk of the block with a power washing on your home, your driveway, deck, fences, sidewalks, and your car. Everything you own will be clean and shiny to the envy of all your neighbors.

Codding was utilizing pictorial examples of his work as part of his sales pitch and taking names and contact information for future jobs.

Codding says that the CEO program has been very beneficial this year with the most important lesson being that he is not limited, he can do anything he wants to do with his future.

[Nila Smith]