Edwardsville CEO News

1/20/2026 News Article

20Jan
β€œπ‘³π’Šπ’‡π’† π’Šπ’” 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 π’‰π’π’˜ π’šπ’π’– 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’•π’‰π’Šπ’π’ˆπ’” 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏 π’π’–π’•π’”π’Šπ’…π’† 𝒐𝒇 π’šπ’π’–π’“ 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒍." CEO had the ...

β€œπ‘³π’Šπ’‡π’† π’Šπ’” 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 π’‰π’π’˜ π’šπ’π’– 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’•π’‰π’Šπ’π’ˆπ’” 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏 π’π’–π’•π’”π’Šπ’…π’† 𝒐𝒇 π’šπ’π’–π’“ 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒍."

CEO had the opportunity to visit Spencer Homes and spend the morning with Founder, Mike Rathgeb, whose passion for people, purpose, and quality craftsmanship is evident in everything he builds.

From a delicious breakfast (Thank you, Sophia!) to meaningful conversation, Mike met our students at a very special site: Spencer Homes’ brick-and-mortar Edwardsville design center. It was the perfect setting to talk about what it truly takes to build something that lastsβ€”both in business and in life.

Key takeaways our students walked away with:
πŸ› οΈ 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏'𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒍 π’†π’—π’†π’“π’šπ’•π’‰π’Šπ’π’ˆ. In fact, we usually can only control up to 49% of what is happening in our personal and professional lives! Life is all about how you respond to all of the things that happen outside of your control.

πŸ› οΈ Don’t panic. π‘ͺ𝒖𝒓𝒗𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 π’Šπ’π’†π’—π’Šπ’•π’‚π’ƒπ’π’†. The ability to pause, think clearly, and seek trusted advice can change the outcome entirely.

πŸ› οΈ 𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 π’Žπ’‚π’•π’•π’†π’“π’”. Success requires effort, grit, and genuine careβ€”there are no shortcuts worth taking.

These lessons align perfectly with Spencer Homes’ philosophy. As a custom home builder, Spencer Homes is committed to:
🏑 Designing and building homes that reflect each client’s unique style
🏑 Delivering exceptional craftsmanship and an outstanding customer experience
🏑 Providing strong value at a competitive price
🏑 Giving back and making a meaningful impact in the community

Mike is not only an investor, mentor, and repeat host for CEOβ€”he is a living example of values-driven entrepreneurship. Thank you, Mike, for your continued generosity, leadership, and commitment to shaping both homes and future leaders.