Some guest speakers bring slides. Some bring handouts. But every once in a while, a guest walks into our classroom and brings pure gold.
That’s exactly what happened Wednesday when we welcomed Cara Srogus. And while this fearless facilitator (me) forgot to take pictures for our social media shoutout (ugh, lesson learned!), I couldn’t let her visit pass without sharing her story and the wisdom she left with our students.
Cara began by asking how many students already knew what they wanted to do in life. About half raised their hands. Her response? “It’s okay. It’s ALL okay.”
That encouragement carried weight because Cara’s own journey wasn’t a straight path. She’s been a cosmetologist, worked in sales and administration, and even experienced six months of unemployment. Each season shaped her, and eventually led her to discover her passion. Today, she’s the owner of Cara S Srogus at Guaranteed Rate NMLS in downtown O’Fallon and Srogus Construction in Smithton—all while raising three kids and cheering them on with her husband by her side. Her story connected even deeper with our students because she has ties to three of our four CEO communities: a proud Mascoutah High School graduate, a business owner in O’Fallon, and now living with her family in Smithton, where their construction company is based. And just to complete the circle, her husband is a Freeburg graduate.
She didn’t just inspire us with her journey—she gave our students real-world hard core lessons they can use right now:
• Know your legal structures—S corp, C corp, LLC—they each matter for different reasons.
• Understand the difference between marketing and sales. In marketing, one of the best tools you have is listening.
• If you’re self-employed, budgeting is everything.
• Customers must know you, like you, and trust you—and that takes consistency and relationships.
• Work/life balance? Cara flips it—life comes first, then work.
And Cara doesn’t just talk about community—she lives it. She serves on community boards, is active in realtors associations, and donates countless hours to the Shriner’s. But through it all, she reminded our students that family time is extremely important and always comes first.
She closed with a few powerful reminders:
• Don’t stop until you find your passion.
• Build a strong team around your business (CPA, attorney, mentors—you can’t do it alone).
• Value face-to-face conversations and get involved in your community—because trust is built when you show up.
Even without a single picture, Cara’s visit painted a powerful message: success doesn’t follow a straight line, trust is the foundation of every business, and the balance of work, life, and family is what truly matters.
Thank you, Cara, for sharing your story, your wisdom, and your heart with us. You reminded our students—and all of us—that every step of the journey has value, and that passion, perseverance, and people are what carry us forward.