The team recently met with attorney Blinn Bates of Woods & Bates, P.C.. He and his team serve clients out of offices in Lincoln, Mason City, and Delevan, and specialize in estate and trust administration, estate planning, and real estate matters. In addition to talking with students about business structures, he talked about his path as an attorney and entrepreneur.

As a third generation lawyer, Blinn took over the practice when his father retired. His team now includes two other attorneys and four assistants. Now that he is a business owner, he spends more of his time overseeing operations. He says "Our people are our greatest asset. Employees are an investment, not an expense."

He had a some great advice for students about careers and work-life balance:
"Whatever you do, be diligent about it."
"Your business should work for you. You don't want to be a slave to it."
"Life is always better when you are doing something you love."

Thank you for taking the time to meet with CEO students!