Grandma’s Homemade Ice Cream was one of the new businesses featured during this year’s McDonough County CEO Trade Show.
But because the CEO class is for high school juniors and seniors, the proprietor is much younger than any grandma.
“My great-grandmother used to give homemade ice cream makers to basically everyone we knew when they got married. My parents have one, my grandparents have one, all my aunts and uncles do,” said Anna Dixon, a junior at Trinity Academy. “So, through this business, I get to continue their legacy and I’m using their ice cream makers.”
Anna was one of ten students in this year’s McDonough County CEO class. All of their businesses were displayed during the trade show at the Spoon River College Community Outreach Center in Macomb.
The CEO program teaches students about starting their own business, and they learn first-hand about owning and operating one.
This is Alison Jefferson’s fifth year serving as program facilitator in McDonough County. She enjoys seeing students come in with an idea, work on it throughout the course of the school year, and experience success with it.
“I have learned that they are capable of anything they put their minds to, and if they push themselves and are hard workers, they will follow through and see it through and have a wonderful outcome,” Alison said.
She said the program has also had students who were unsure of what they wanted to do, and worked through a few ideas before arriving on one that worked for them.
“Some of them have a clear goal and a clear vision for the end, and some of them are figuring it out along the way, and that’s what we’re here to support them in,” Alison said.
She said there are students from the very beginning of the McDonough County program who’ve kept their businesses going throughout their college years.
“There’s a lot of good kids in this generation who want to create something of value for this world,” she said.
Alison said the sharp rise in the price of many items in the past year has affected the students’ input costs for their businesses, so they receive guidance from the program’s mentors to adjust their prices accordingly.
“To make sure that they are recouping their costs, and also paying themselves in the process,” she said.
She said the students need to make sure they’re paying themselves at least the equivalent of the minimum wage.
Alison said she’s seen prices rise at least incrementally every year. She said the biggest impact this year was the price of gas because the students have to provide their own transportation to and from the program every weekday morning. They gather at 7:30 a.m., often at a different business in the county.
Olin Runyan is another of this year’s students. His business is Ironwood Designs. The junior at Trinity Academy said he makes unique, high-quality cutting boards, resin boards, tables, and custom wood products.
Olin said that as part of the program, they had a trial run in making their own product and selling it.
“And it really took off with how much interest I had into it and how much interest other people had in the products I was making. I enjoyed it so much I decided I wanted to make that my full-time CEO business,” Olin said.
He said woodworking started as a hobby. He called it a good escape from school and work.
Olin hopes to keep the business going through the summer, and then do what he can during the school year.
He feels he developed skills during his year in the CEO class.
“Most of it was how to manage my time with the products I make, what’s worth making, and how to price everything,” Olin said.
“Starting out, I had no idea how to price any of my products. When they told me how to do it, it was a little bit of a shock on how much I was underselling or overselling certain items. So it drastically changed how I produce my products and how much I sell them for.”
Olin said he gets the wood for his products from another small business, Forged of Wood and Stone, which is based in Gilson.
Anna Dixon, the ice cream maker, said the CEO class required a lot of work, but it paid off because she developed communication skills and learned about running a business and working with a team.
She also learned the importance of patience.
“Everything’s going to take you a little bit longer than you expected, and expect the unexpected because there are so many things that can go wrong at any moment,” Anna said.
She made two or three batches of chocolate and vanilla ice cream before the trade show to make sure she got everything right, and she plans to add flavors in the future.
“But I’ll have to make them for my family first before I’m willing to sell them to others to make sure they actually taste good,” Anna said.
She said Grandma’s Homemade Ice Cream could prove to be a business that she continues, either with a brick-and-mortar location or with a food truck.
Other students in this year’s McDonough County CEO class:
- Hailie Hendrix, a senior at West Prairie High School. Hailie’s business, Peach State Treats, produces southern desserts and snacks.
- Maya Hofmeister, a junior at West Prairie High School. Maya’s business, Pawsitive Pup Co., is a homemade dog treat business that also offers glass treat jars with designs on them.
- Ava Huston, a junior at Trinity Academy. Ava’s business, fields & flowers goat soap, offers handmade, natural goat milk bar soaps made from five natural ingredients.
- Carlee Jackson, a junior at West Prairie High School. Carlee’s business, Golden Crust Bakery, specializes in fresh, homemade baked goods made with simple ingredients.
- Luke McEwen, a senior at Trinity Academy. Luke’s business, Triple M Meats, is a beef retailer determined to provide high-quality beef to customers at the most convenient location, delivering right to your door.
- Reagan McKim, a junior at Bushnell-Prairie City High School. Reagan’s business, Canning Company, creates canned goods using the hot water bath method and specializes in jams.
- Aiden Reynolds, a junior at Macomb High School. Aiden’s business, Flame Factory, sells bundles of firewood to people and delivers to their homes.
- Timothy Todd, a junior at West Prairie High School. Timothy’s business, Next Act Studios, is a theatre, vocal, and music theory coaching service for children ages 6-15.
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