Leaders Across America With Steve Acorn

Latest Episodes:

37 | Dillon Welliver | How I Landed My Dream Job at Salesforce After Being Turned Down Thrice Mar 17, 2021

Show notes

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 rejection, showing resolve, and building great team cultures.

Originally from Davis, Michigan, Dillon learned about YEAA from a friend. So, he took heed to this advice and signed up for the internship inspite of having zero sales experience.

Being a methodical and hard worker, Dillon started off by focusing on one thing at a time. From handing out flyers to cold-calling to the actual production work, Dillon made sure that each facet of the business was executed to perfection. Particularly, he talks about the importance of team culture and time management in this segment of the show.

Upon graduation, Dillon was keen to work at his dream company, Salesforce. He was rejected three times – but instead of being dissuaded, these experiences only firmed up his resolve. Dillon doubled down on his preparation, and finally got in after his fourth interview.

Dillon shares why conviction is the ONE thing that sets apart the winners from the losers, and how being strategic can move the needle forward.

Enjoy!

What You Will Learn In This Show

How a YEAA internship can help you build foundational and critical skill-sets
How time management and planning can move you closer to your goal
How to handle rejection, and convert a "no" into a "yes"
How I landed my dream job at Salesforce
And so much more…

Resources

Young Entrepreneurs Across America

36 | Marissa Brubaker |How I Started My Dream Start-Up at the Age of 24 Mar 10, 2021

Show notes

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 importantly, the internship gave Marissa the confidence to pursue her MBA and ultimately start her own business.

Looking back, Marissa shares that her emphasis on great customer service and organization helped her successfully sell and produce. Having a supportive mentor to lean on greatly helped Marissa as well.

Inspired by her YEAA experience, Marissa enrolled in The Hatch at The Bowling Green State University. Similar to Shark Tank, The Hatch is an elite ten-week program where students learn the ins and outs of a successful start-up.

Learn how Marissa pitched her business idea of Forever Evolving sports bras and managed to secure funding for her dream project.

Enjoy!

What You Will Learn In This Show

Biggest takeaways from my YEAA internship
How the YEAA internship gave me the necessary confidence to pursue my MBA and start my own business
How I managed to secure funding for my dream startup
And so much more…

Resources

Marissa's LinkedIn

35 | 7 Keys to Running a $80,000 Business Mar 03, 2021

Show notes

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 your business plan into bite-sized segments can help you achieve your goal.

Enjoy!

What You Will Learn In This Show

Seven keys to running a $80,000 painting business
How starting early can lead to a successful YEAA internship
Importance of leaning on and learning from your mentors
And so much more…

Resources

Young Entrepreneurs Across America

34 | Craig Barry | How Resilience, Integrity, and Leaning on Mentors can Fast-Track Your Success Feb 24, 2021

Show notes

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 $100K painting business. Craig was instantly intrigued. Eager to move away from his hourly job, he instantly applied for the YEAA internship.

The YEAA internship started on a rough note for Craig. Though sales were never an issue, Craig did experience some difficult production problems. At one point, Craig was down to just one painter and he had his whole family step to help so that he could honor his deadline!

Apart from his resilience, Craig talks a great deal about why you should never hesitate to ask for help. He shares that he would have never enjoyed his incredible success without his mentors.

You will also learn how Craig managed to land one of the most prestigious job positions available to UMass graduates – an account executive position with LinkedIn. In fact, Craig was not accepted when he interviewed the first time.

But this is when his resilience and strength came into play again. And sure enough, all this hard work paid off.

You will also get a peek into the work culture at LinkedIn in this segment of the show.

Tune in to get inspired!

What You Will Learn In This Show

What does it take to succeed as a YEAA intern?
How leaning on well-meaning mentors and asking for help can catapult you ahead
Importance of resilience and integrity
And so much more…

Resources

Young Entrepreneurs Across America

33 | Kevin Martignetti | How I Ran a Million-Dollar Business as a Sophomore Feb 17, 2021

Show notes

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 he had 24 no's before finally getting his first sale as a student painter. A strong support system helped Kevin ride out this difficult start up as he reached out to seniors at YEAA for advice.

Kevin's efforts paid off big time as his painting business touched revenue of $120,000 and profits of $28,000 in the first year. In his second year, two of his friends joined him and they managed to scale up their business 10x what it was.

The YEAA program continued to benefit Kevin after graduation. He set up a real estate development company with his peers.

After dabbling in the consulting space for a bit, Kevin is currently working with Vessel Health, an organization that is revolutionizing the wellness space.

For all you aspiring and young entrepreneurs out there, Kevin shares some crucial traits that are commonly found in successful people.

Enjoy!

What You Will Learn In This Show

How a powerful peer network can propel you ahead
How I ran a million-dollar business as a sophomore
What a YEAA internship teaches you about business that formal education does not
And so much more…

Resources

Vessel Health

Mindset

Young Entrepreneurs Across America

32 | Alecia Hitchman | Embracing the Unknown, Relinquishing Ownership, and Building Great Team Cultures Feb 10, 2021

Show notes

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 in sports and theatre, she was also involved in different student organizations.

While some naysayers (including her own professor) advised Alecia that she was not cut out for the internship, eventually she decided to take on the challenge. And her conviction paid off – big time. With $10K in profit and $47K in sales, Alecia was the only female to get an honor award that year.

Perhaps, relinquishing ownership was the biggest lesson that she learned that year. You will also learn the importance of good and empathetic communication in this segment of the show.

Today, Alecia works as an account executive for Hyland Software – a company that automates and streamlines business processes. She gives us a peek into her role and shares how her team has helped her quickly traverse the journey from being an intern to a high-ranking executive.

Enjoy!

What You Will Learn In This Show

Importance of excellence and integrity
How relinquishing ownership can help you build great culture and teams
Is the YEAA internship a good fit for you?
Why the YEAA internship is more about management than painting
And so much more…

Resources

Young Entrepreneurs Across America

Read HTML articles in our blog section to learn everything about web design and development. You will find great tips.

31 | Phil Serzo | What my YEAA Internship Taught Me That College Did Not Feb 03, 2021

Show notes

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 rewarding program? And, what are some of the foundational skills that you can pick up as a YEAA intern? Can a YEAA internship really fast track your career and put you miles ahead of the competition?

Phil reveals the answers to these and many more questions in today's show.

In this sophomore year, Phil wasn't really sure what he wanted to do with his life. He was just wading through life with an utter lack of focus and ambition. After a night of partying, when he was out for an early morning bite, he came across an intriguing YEAA flyer.

And this flyer pretty much changed the trajectory of his life.

In his rookie year at YEAA, Phil managed to notch up sales of $68,000 and a neat profit of $10,000. He came back for two more summers – and his profits rocketed exponentially every year.

College is supposed to be a rite of passage – which transforms an adolescent into a man. However, formal education does not equip you with real-world skills

Listeners will learn how a YEAA internship fills this gap by helping students hone their problem-solving skills and time-management skills. Additionally, when you sign up for a YEAA internship, you will also learn the importance of hardcore work ethic.

After YEAA, Phil decided to go into film production. And he took up an apprenticeship in NY City at The Edit Centre. In the last segment of the show, Phil also gives us a peek into the gig economy and reveals what all he is doing to counter the challenges brought on by covid.

Enjoy!

What You Will Learn In This Show

What makes a YEAA internship such a different and unique experience?
Does college really prepare you for the real world?
How a YEAA internship can equip you with foundational skillsets and prepare you for the real world
And so much more…

Resources

Young Entrepreneurs Across America

30 | David Ploesser | Betting on Yourself, Going All-In, and Making it Happen Jan 27, 2021

Show notes

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 goals.

"A typical 9 to 5 gets you typical results" ~ This is what David lives by, day-in, day-out.

Back in 2011, this mindset helped David become one of the top-performing managers in the country. He earned more than $30,000 in revenue of $100,00 in a single summer. This incredible performance was no fluke, and David shares what he did to make his YEAA internship a resounding success in the segment of the show.

David draws some interesting parallels between YEAA and his current employer, Federated Insurance. At Federated Insurance, David is a branch manager heading a team of 9 high-performing individuals.

David opens up his playbook here and shares why great relationships are key to success in sales. You will also learn about the creative marketing strategies which have catapulted David and his team to the top 10% in the country.

If you are looking for some actionable ways to boost your productivity and growth, tuning in today will particularly help you out.

Enjoy!

What You Will Learn In This Show

How I made $30,000 as a rookie branch manager at YEAA
How surrounding yourself with the right people can help you raise the bar higher and higher
How to channel your fear and boost your productivity
How to leverage your relationships in the right way
Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable
And so much more…

Resources

Young Entrepreneurs Across America

29 | Charles Bohl | How I Managed the Impossible Feat of Clocking $200K+ in Revenues as a YEAA Intern Jan 20, 2021

Show notes

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, and a strong support system made this possible.

It is difficult to believe that growing up Charles was very introverted. Raised in a small town with a population of 700, Charles just had one friend. So, it was hardly surprising that he found it very difficult when he first started college at UMass, Amherst.

But he soon realized the importance of reaching out to people – no matter how uncomfortable it was for him.

This evolution in his personality was further accelerated once he joined Young Entrepreneurs in the summer of 2019.

So, when he first joined Young Entrepreneurs, did he have any audacious goals in mind? Had he chalked out any strategy before starting out?

Charles reveals that he had a couple goals in mind, including, keeping his clients and painters super happy.

And, this altruistic intent was perhaps the biggest reason for his stupendous success.

Additionally, Charles shares how he massively under-estimated the power of surrounding himself with great people. Having Steve and the other YEAA seniors at his disposal helped Charles keep his eye on the ball.

Other topics discussed on today's show include the value of a well-rounded education and why you need to get comfortable with the idea of "being uncomfortable".

Enjoy!

What You Will Learn In This Show

Attributes that helped me break the all-time sales record at Young Entrepreneurs
Importance of working with 100% integrity
Why you need to get comfortable with the idea of "being uncomfortable"
How a well-rounded education can set you up for success
And so much more...

Resources

Young Entrepreneurs Across America

28 | Powerful Mindset Strategies to "Get Your Head Right" Jan 13, 2021

Show notes

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 growth mindset, you can go on to achieve your moonshots – those Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals.

But, what can you do if you have a fixed mindset? Is the evolution from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset even possible? Can you shed a mindset which you have lived with all your life?

Sure, you can!

Steve shares some actionable tips to help you out!

Tune in for some excellent nuggets!

What You Will Learn In This Show