Leaders Across America With Steve Acorn

On today's show, we are joined by YEAA Vice-President's Josh Drushel and Aaron Acorn who share with us the 4 keys to starting and managing a successful start-up business . Drawing from their combined experience of nearly three decades, Josh and Aaron share some of the biggest things that can help eighteen-year-olds manage a large painting business at YEAA (Young Entrepreneurs Across America).  You...

On today's show, we interview Joe Osterfeld , Software Engineer, Bold Penguin who shares how the YEAA internship fast-tracked his career and catapulted him many years ahead of his peers. Back in 2012 when Joe was studying at the Baldwin Wallace University, his friend Mike informed him how he had managed to make $18,000 over the summer as a student painter with YEAA. Joe was immediately intrigued....

On today's show, we interview Andrea and Bryan Mulligan. Andrea and Bryan are proud parents to Entrepreneur of the Year, nineteen-year-old Enin Mulligan who ran an incredible $173,000 business in the summer of 2021.  A business major at UMass, Amherst, Enin was stoked when he first came across the YEAA internship. Andrea and Bryan, however, were cautious and understandably they wanted to make sure...

What is the ONE thing that can jumpstart your career and helps you reach your goals faster? On today's show, Steve interviews Ben Arwine, Strategic Consultant, Garage Group show shares with us his wisdom on vetting new opportunities and cultivating the entrepreneurial mindset. You will learn the importance of mentorship and why leaning on others is the best way to fast-track your growth.   Back in...

On today's show, we interview Logan Bryant , Associate, Benesch Law who shares with us how the YEAA internship forced him to embrace a new life philosophy . And how he managed to successfully finish his internship after almost reaching breaking point.  You will also learn some important lessons in resilience , organization , and mindset in today's show. Born in a small town of 1,500 in rural Ohio,...

In today's show, Steve interviews Jillian Walker, Account Manager in Business Development for the Detroit Tigers & Olympia Entertainment who shares her thoughts on mindset, failure, and accountability.  Back in 2015, Jillian interned with us and successfully ran a $70,000 painting business.  Jillian grew up in a small Michigan town and was an extremely involved student who excelled in sports as we...

Can the right internship help you land your dream job? And as an intern, can you really learn the critical skillsets that top recruiters look out for? In today's show, Steve interviews Dillon Welliver who interned with YEAA back in 2017 and chalked up revenues of $111,000 and profits of $22,000. Dillon, who currently works in the sales division at Salesforce shares with us his wisdom on handling r...

On today's show, we have with us Marissa Brubaker , the incredible Founder of Forever Evolving who shares with us her thoughts on grit and entrepreneurship. In 2016, Marissa joined the YEAA internship program while she was going to school at Bowling Green State University. In her first year with YEAA, Marissa ran a $89,000 business and made over $18,000 in profit. While the money was great, more i...

Ever wondered how our YEAA interns manage large painting businesses even though they have zero experience? In today's show, Steve shares seven key steps to successfully running a $80,000 business. You will learn the importance of starting early, leaning on your mentors, and staying consistent throughout. While scaling the $80,000 peak may seem like a daunting task, Steve reveals how breaking down...

In today's show, Steve interviews LinkedIn Account Executive Craig Barry who shares with us his thoughts on mentorship, resilience, and entrepreneurship. Craig won the Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2016 when he racked up sales of $147,000 in a single summer. Five years back, Craig was unhappy in a warehouse when he came across his good friend, Brandon who was riding a high after running a $100...

In today's show, Steve interviews Kevin Martignetti , Director of Talent and Recruiting at Vessel who shares his wisdom on persistence, networking, and mindset. Back in 2014, while studying business at UMass Amherst, Kevin continuously felt that something was unsatisfactory. His lack of real-world experience was clearly frustrating him. This is when the YEAA opportunity came knocking. Kevin shares...

How would you face a challenge that requires you to venture into the unknown? And if you were told that "you were not up to it"? On today's show, Steve interviews Alecia Hitchman , Senior Account Executive, at Hyland Software who shares her thoughts on conviction, ownership, and excellence. Alecia came across YEAA in her sophomore year at Bowling Green State University. Apart from being involved i...

In today's show, Steve interviews, YEAA alumni and film editor, Phil Serzo . Phil interned with YEAA from 2012-2014 before venturing into film production. If you are a college student looking for an internship program that will give you a leg up and prepare you for the real world, then you should seriously consider YEAA's one-of-a-kind management program.  So, WHAT makes YEAA such a unique and rew...

What do high-achievers do differently that others don't? How do they achieve their goals of raising the bar higher and higher? In today's show, Steve interviews David Ploesser, District Marketing Manager at Federated Insurance, he shares his distilled wisdom on determination, relationships, and mindset. You will learn how betting on yourself can push you to achieve your biggest and most audacious...

In today's show, Steve interviews UMass Masters student and all-time YEAA sales record-holder, Charles Bohl . While an average intern at Young Entrepreneurs manages to notch up sales of $75,000, Charles managed to reach $200K in revenue! ($201,395 to be exact). So, how did Charles manage this impossible feat? In today's show, listeners will learn how a mix of hardcore commitment, altruistic intent...

In today's show, Steve dives into the TWO main types of mindsets: Growth mindset & Fixed mindset. Are you constantly afraid of being judged? Does the thought of doing something new scare you out of your wits? Is the fear of rejection stopping you from realizing your full potential? If the answer to these questions is in the affirmative, you probably have a fixed mindset. Whereas if you have a grow...

In today's show of Leaders Across America, Steve interviews Sean Nastase , district sales coordinator, Aflac. Growing up in Nebraska and Michigan, Sean always had a big engine for work and a love for sports. As a sophomore, when he came across YEAA, he was instantly excited at the prospect of running his own business. Sean shares how YEAA taught him all the nuances of running a business. From hiri...

In today's show, Steve interviews Aaron Griffin . Aaron worked with YEAA from 2015-2019 and won the Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2017 for running a $150,000 business, a record in the MI division that stands to date. Aaron has also authored the book, Get After It and hosts a podcast by the same name. Growing up, Aaron hated entrepreneurship. Aaron had been helping his father run his pizzeria s...

In today's show, Steve interviews Colleen Harlan, real estate agent, Keller Williams. Colleen was with YEAA from 2014 – 2016. In her rookie year at YEAA, Colleen managed to break the all-time sales record as she notched up sales of $190,000. So, how did Colleen manage this incredible feat? We start this show with Colleen sharing an interesting backstory. Growing up in Minnesota in a close-knit and...

In today's show, Steve interviews Chris Moore , CEO and Executive Advisor at Elite Business Advisors. Chris worked with YEAA from 2010 – 2016. He shares some of the biggest takeaways from his YEAA experience and reveals how it helped him discover his love and passion for coaching and mentoring. Chris starts this show by sharing his interesting backstory. Back in 2010, Chris was waiting tables at R...

In today's show, Steve interviews Joe Schuit , a sports construction consultant at Byrne and Jones Construction.  Joe has always ascribed to the "work hard, play hard" mentality. And growing up, Joe was big-time into sports – but this did not affect his studies in any way. When Joe was in his sophomore year, he got an opportunity to sign up with YEAA for a very rewarding internship that lasted for...

In today's show, Steve interviews Chase Lawson, Account Executive, Oracle NetSuite. This show starts with Chase sharing his interesting backstory. Originally from South Carolina, Chase has spent a part of his childhood in New Hampshire and Pennsylvania. Chase decided to attend  Clemson University for his major in accounting and financial management.  Chase came across YEAA in 2013 when he was in h...

In today's show of Leaders Across America, Steve interviews Ian Scott , Sales Office Manager, Safehaven Security. Ian was with YEAA from 2016 – 2019. He joined YEAA when he was a freshman at Jacksons College. In his first year as a student painter, Ian managed to notch up sales of $200,000. While in 2019, as a student manager, Ian had other student painters working under him. In his last year, he...

In today's show, Steve interviews  Cate Latting , Executive Regional Manager at Young Entrepreneurs Across America . This show starts with Cate sharing how she got involved with YEAA in the first place. Outgoing and athletic, Cate got a chance to co-op in her sophomore year. In this segment of the show, Cate talks a bit about the mental hurdles that she had to overcome when she first got involved...

Today's show is a special one as Steve talks to parents of interns to learn how the YEAA internship affected the lives of their sons and daughters from a growth and leadership perspective. Steve first talks to Dan and Patti, Ian's parents. Six weeks into his college, Ian first called up Dan and Patti and informed them that he had snagged an exciting internship where he would be running a $75,000 b...