Leaders Across America With Steve Acorn

Latest Episodes:

27 | Sean Nastase | How to Believe in Yourself and Develop a Stellar Mindset Dec 09, 2020

Show notes

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 hiring the right people to managing your finances to handling production, Sean learned a lot in a short period of time.

This experience of his helped him land his dream insurance job at Aflac. Listeners will learn how Sean beat out better educated and more qualified individuals when he was hired as a sales commission agent at this insurance company.

In this segment of the show, you will learn about Aflac's business model – which is not unlike YEAA.

Currently, as a 22-year old, Sean is responsible for asset management and training other agents who are far older than him.

Topics discussed in today's show include the importance of committing yourself 100%, the importance of developing a stellar mindset, and developing the confidence to start your own business at a young age.

Enjoy!

What You Will Learn In This Show

How my YEAA experience helped me hone transferable and critical skillsets
How running my student painting business helped me get my dream job in the insurance industry
The power of believing in yourself
Importance of time management and prioritization
And so much more…

Resources

YEAA

26 | Aaron Griffin | The Incredible Power of Building Your Own Network Nov 18, 2020

Show notes

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 since he was 12. He had witnessed, first-hand how difficult it was to run a small business.

So, in spite of this, why did Aaron decide to join YEAA in his freshman year?

Aaron shares how he was blown away by the body language of YEAA interns when he first attended the informational meeting. He immediately realized that a YEAA internship was a whole different ball game compared to running a pizzeria.

In the next segment of the show, Aaron shares some interesting details about his YEAA internship. In this first year as a YEAA intern, Aaron's painting business notched up sales of $150,000 and profits of $10,000.

Aaron was the only student across YEAA to work as a branch manager in his second year. As a branch manager, Aaron went from managing a team of 5 people to managing a team of 25 people.

And, of course, in this third year, Aaron won the Entrepreneur of the Year Award for his spectacular performance as a branch manager in New England, Greater Boston. In his two years as a branch manager, Aaron notched up revenues of $3MM, created 400 summer jobs, and trained 75 branch managers!

So, what sort of mindset do you need to be number #1 on the country?

One of the themes that we touch upon in this show is the importance of being coachable and building tangible skill sets.

Aaron shares how being a part of YEAA can give you access to some incredible mentors who can help you grow to the next level.

Apart from this, Aaron also shares his big WHY that inspired him to write his book and create his podcast.

Enjoy!

What You Will Learn In This Show

Importance of being coachable and building tangible skillsets
Mindset strategies to beat the competition and be #1 in your field
The power of getting mentored by the right mentors
And so much more.

Resources

YEAA

25 | Colleen Harlan |How I Broke the All-Time Rookie Sales Record At YEAA Nov 11, 2020

Show notes

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 humble family, Colleen first heard about YEAA in her first year as a student at the University of Wisconsin.

Colleen reveals that she was immediately excited at the opportunity to do business without taking on any risk. Moreover, with no good internship alternatives to consider, signing up for the YEAA internship seemed like an attractive proposition.

But, notwithstanding these advantages, did Colleen have any concerns?

Colleen shares that she had some (misguided) qualms about venturing into a predominantly male field.

In the next segment of the show, Colleen goes on to reveal how she managed her record-breaking feat. Colleen went on to execute 73 different projects over the summer - the average project value being around $2,000.

In this part of the show, Colleen shares how good people skills, the fortitude to deal with life and business events, and the support of other rookie managers helped her along the way.

In the last segment of the show, Colleen reveals some interesting details about her current work as a real estate agent with Keller Williams. She shares how the YEAA experience helps her hone her entrepreneurial skills and gave her the confidence to work as a real estate agent. She wraps up this show by sharing her ambitious future blueprint.

We hope you enjoy listening to this show!

What You Will Learn In This Show

What kind of mindset do you need to be the absolute best?
How systems and processes can help you scale up your business
How people skills can help you manage a large business
And so much more…

Resources

YEAA Internship

24| Chris Moore | How My YEAA Experience Enabled Me to Branch Out Into Business Coaching Nov 04, 2020

Show notes

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 Red Robin. This is when he came across YEAA through a common friend. The opportunity to manage a multi-thousand-dollar business with no financial risk had Chris immediately excited. And he was quick to grasp this opportunity.

In his first year at YEAA, Chris managed to touch sales of $75,000. Later on, as a student executive, sales from Chris's business skyrocketed to a quarter-million dollars.

Chris shares how, as a student executive, he got the opportunity to coach and mentor other students. Chris's experience with YEAA lasted for six rewarding years.

In 2017, as his entrepreneurial drive kicked in, Chris branched into business coaching with Elite Business Advisors. In the latter segment of the show, Chris makes some interesting comparisons between his B2B business and B2C business (YEAA).

We hope you enjoy this show!

What You Will Learn In This Show

How a YEAA internship gives you the opportunity to hone foundational and transferable skillsets
How to run a student painting business with zero financial risk
How YEAA allows you the opportunity to mentor other students and develop your leadership skills
And so much more…

Resources

YEAA Internship

Chris's Email

Elite Business Advising

23 | Joe Schuit | How My YEAA Internship Helped Me Get My Dream Sales Role as a Sports Construction Consultant Oct 28, 2020

Show notes

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 two years.

In the next segment of the show, Joe reveals some of the biggest takeaways from his YEAA experience. Listeners will learn how a YEAA internship can help develop a wide array of transferable and foundational business skill-sets.

At YEAA, you are not plugging in numbers into an excel sheet. Rather, this is a unique opportunity to garner real-world experience at a very young age. You will get to learn about estimation, sales, marketing, production, and finance – skills that you would normally pick up in your late twenties or early thirties.

Joe shares that YEAA was an extremely rewarding financial proposition as well. In this first summer, Joe managed to notch up $11,000 in profits. His second year was even more spectacular as Joe broke the $100,000 sales barrier, and his profits touched $23,000 – a particularly sizable amount for a college student.

In the last segment of the show, Joe shares some interesting information about his role as a sports construction consultant at Byrne and Jones. In this sales position, Joe has managed to crack deals worth $50 million in the last four years alone.

Listeners will learn how a YEAA internship can equip you with the foundational skill sets necessary to snag your dream position – just like Joe.

We hope you enjoy this show!

What You Will Learn In This Show

Foundational skills that you can learn at YEAA internship
How does a YEAA internship compare to other internships?
How my YEAA internship helped me snag my dream sales position in the construction industry
And so much more…

Resources

YEAA Internship

22 | Chase Lawson | How My YEAA Internship Set The Foundation For A Successful Corporate Career Oct 21, 2020

Show notes

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 his senior year at Clemson. The opportunity to run a large business as a college student with zero financial risk had Chase all excited. And he immediately signed up for the internship.

Chase ended up having a blockbuster rookie year as he led a team of student painters to notch up sales of $140,000 and profits of $33,000. This incredible performance of his won him the "Manager of the Year" award at YEAA.

After this stellar performance, it was hardly surprising that Chase stayed with YEAA for two more years. Apart from the monetary aspect, Chase shares how the opportunity to help others inspired him to come back for two more years.

In the next segment of the show, Chase gives us a peek into his life as an account executive at Oracle. Based in Austin, Chase regularly ranks among the top-performing account executive at NetSuite. Chase shares how his YEAA internship has helped him hit the ground running at Oracle.

Chase has also authored a book, Financial Freedom: Breaking the Chains to Independence and Creating Massive Wealth. Chase shares his big WHY that inspired him to write this personal finance book.

We hope you enjoy this show!

What You Will Learn In This Show

How a YEAA internship can help create foundational and critical skill-sets
How my YEAA sales experience helped me hit the ground running at Oracle
Importance of having a good personal finance education
And so much more…

Resources

Chase's YouTube Channel

Financial Freedom: Breaking the Chains to Independence and Creating Massive Wealth

YEAA Internship

21 | Ian Scott | How to Handle Rejections and Be Great At Outside Sales Oct 14, 2020

Show notes

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 managed sales worth half-a-million dollars.

From cold-calling to imbibing a solid work ethic, Ian shares some of the biggest lessons that he learned in his three-years at YEAA.

Specifically, he shares the importance of being immune to rejections. Listeners will learn why embracing rejections is the ONLY way of being great at outside sales.

In the next segment of the show, Ian gives us a peek into his daily responsibilities as a sales office manager at Safehaven security, an organization in the home security business. Ian is responsible for recruiting, training, and outside sales here.

Ian shares how he managed to beat out the competition and snag this prestigious job. Specifically, he shares how his impressive YEAA experience played an important role in him getting hired in the first place.

Other topics discussed in today's show include mindset strategies for being great at outside sales, the importance of working on your weaknesses, and some critical attributes of highly successful leaders.

We hope you enjoy this show!

What You Will Learn In This Show

How to handle and get over rejection
Importance of leading from the front
How YEAA can help you gain foundational and critical skill-sets
How to indulge in critical self-evaluation and work on your weaknesses
How to develop the right mindset for outside sales
And so much more…

Resources

YEAA Internship

020 | Cate Latting | How I Earned $18,000 Over the Summer In My Sophomore Year Oct 07, 2020

Show notes

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 in the painting business. Was it worth taking up all the challenges?

Next, Cate gives us some interesting insights into her summer stint where she ended up making an $18,000 profit from her painting job. Home-owners, Cate reveals, like to buy from young and excited students who are heavily invested in making a better future for themselves. Further, you will also learn how having an accountability partner inspired Cate on to put in her best.

One theme that we discuss quite a bit is the importance of communication and follow-up. As is common with many folks who are managing their first business venture, Cate was afraid that incessant follow-up would kill her sale. She talks about her struggle with overcoming this mental hurdle.

Cate also shares how, given the chance she will handle her employees differently. Having gone through 25 painters throughout summer made her realize that she needs to better incentivize her employees.

In her second year at YEAA, Cate is managing a team of 7 first-year interns. How does she plan on mentoring these interns to have a more successful second year?

We wrap with this show with Cate sharing some great advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. Tune in for some excellent insights!

What You Will Learn in This Show:

How to communicate with prospects and convince them to hire you
How to deal with your employees and build a dream team for your business
How an accountability partner can inspire you to put in your best

Resources:

Young Entrepreneurs Across America

19 | Dan, Patti, and Jody | Parent's Episode | How the YEAA Internship Impacted Our Children's Lives Sep 30, 2020

Show notes

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 business over the summer.

Needless to say, Dan and Patti responded back with skepticism and concern. After all, how could an eighteen-year-old run a business? Would they have to invest any money upfront? All this sounded too good to be true. Right?

Valid concerns.

Dan and Patti share how their skepticism was slowly replaced with wonder and gratitude as the YEAA experience helped transform Ian into a responsible and extremely hard-working individual. They share how, contrary to popular perception, the internship is more about grooming leaders than teaching students the ropes of the painting business.

Ian returned to YEAA for as a student executive to eventually run a painting business that clocked half-a-million dollars in sales. Currently, Ian is studying engineering at UMASS, Amherst.

Our next interviewee's on today's show is Jody, Riley's mom.

Like Ian's parents, Jody was pretty apprehensive about the internship when she first learned about it. She goes on to reveal how Jody went on to run a $300,000 business while mentoring other students.

Jody also shares how she and her husband helped Riley alter her mindset so that she could develop the fortitude to manage her business.

We hope you enjoy this show!

What You Will Learn In This Show

How the YEAA internship allows eighteen-year-olds to run a multi-thousand-dollar business while grooming their leadership skills
How the YEAA internship allows college students to manage a painting business without any financial commitment
What sort of mentorship does YEAA provide to its interns?
And so much more…

Resources

YEAA Internship

18 | Enin Mulligan | How I Managed to Run a Profitable $170,000 Business Without Any Experience Sep 23, 2020

Show notes

In today's show, Steve interviews Enin Mulligan, a college student from UMass, Amherst. Enin shares how he managed to notch sales of $170,000 in his painting business in his very first year with YEAA.

We start this show with Enin sharing what attracted him to YEAA in the first place. Enin was introduced to this exciting business opportunity through an info session at his college. Talking to other students who had already gone through the program convinced and inspired Enin to take up this challenge.

Enin was quick to realize that if he could really leverage the well-oiled systems and processes if he would simply outwork everyone else. And that's exactly what he did.

When others were putting out 500 flyers, Enin was putting out 1,000. While others would unwind with their friends or family after dinner, Enin would be out marketing his business early into the morning.

The end result?

His mammoth marketing effort that involved putting out 40,000 flyers in 5 months paid off big time as revenues touched $170,000.

Not bad for an eighteen-year college student with zero business experience. Right?

In today's show, Enin reveals what all made his incredible success possible. What fears did he have to overcome going into the internship? Was it really stressful to manage his team of painters? How did eighteen-year-old, Enin motivate and inspire his painters to go the extra mile?

For all this and much more, tune in to our latest show now!

What You Will Learn In This Show