Networking. That was the focus of this morning's class. We met in downtown Tuscola, with the goal of introducing ourselves and Illini Prairie CEO to some of the new, and some of the established, businesses.

Devon Flesor, of Flesor's Candy Kitchen, happened to see us through her windows, and came out to talk to us. She told us about the challenges of owning a building built in the late 1800s, and the recent remodel that followed an unfortunate engineering report on the structure's disintegration.

We only spoke with Devon for a few minutes, but her passion for the family business and the community were quite evident. We hope our schedules mesh to return for a tour and to hear more about Devon's business adventures.

We also checked out downtown Tuscola's new coffee shop, Hometown Grounds, and met Sam and Cody Shelmadine - the entrepreneurs behind it.

As an added bonus, entrepreneur Samantha Baird of Wildflour Bakery was also there selling freshly made cinnamon rolls, banana chocolate chip muffins, and maple pecan scones. And to complete the entrepreneurial trifecta, Gunner Edwards who started Rally Point Fitness, came in to get his morning coffee, so we were able to connect with him.

That's 4 potential speakers/tours for Illini Prairie CEO in just a few minutes in one downtown visit. That is networking. And we cannot wait to go back and learn from them all!

Flesor's Candy Kitchen
Wildflour Bakery
Rally Point Fitness
Hometown Grounds Coffee and Events