Leaders Across America With Steve Acorn

Latest Episodes:

17 | Mike Robinson | What Make a YEAA Internship Such a Unique and Rewarding Experience Sep 16, 2020

Show notes

In today's show, Steve interviews Mike Robinson, Executive Vice President, Huntington Bank. Mike handles the wealth management business at Huntington which includes private banking, wealth and investment management, and retirement plan services.

Today, Mike shares why he thinks a YEAA internship is a unique and extremely rewarding experience for college students who are eager to develop core foundational skill sets.

As a business leader, Mike has interviewed and hired numerous people over the years. While 4.0 students have some obvious skill sets, Mike shares how large organizations are equally eager to hire enterprising people with good people skills.

He goes on to share how a YEAA internship helps young people learn all the critical facets of running a business. From recruiting and training to negotiating and estimating, YEAA teaches skill sets that a young person will not learn before they are in their late twenties or early thirties.

While the money at YEAA is great, what is even more important is how it builds your resume.

So, what type of individual should pursue a YEAA internship? Should you consider this internship if you are planning on taking a corporate job? Is it really possible to learn critical managerial skills while running a painting business?

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

Enjoy!

What You Will Learn In This Show

How a YEAA internship can help you hone critical and foundational skill sets
How an entrepreneurial mindset can help you find success in a crowded marketplace
Is it possible to learn critical skills while running a painting business?
And so much more…

Resources

YEAA Internship

16 | Brittany Piening | Why a YEAA Internship is Such a Special and Unique Experience Sep 09, 2020

Show notes

In today's show, Steve interviews Brittany Piening, a junior at Ohio State University.

Growing up in Cincinnati, Brittany had to give up her dream of being a professional dancer after dislocating her knee thrice. Currently, she is studying to be a doctor.

In her freshman year, Brittany came across the YEAA internship program courtesy her seniors, Sadie and Matt. What drew Brittany to the program apart from the opportunity of earning thousands of dollars in the summer? In this segment of the show, Brittany shares her big WHY and reveals what all make the YEAA internship such a unique opportunity.

In her first year at YEAA, Brittany's painting business clocked revenues of $75,000 and profits of $13,000. Listeners will learn some of the biggest lessons that Brittany learned in her rookie year. Topics discussed here include the importance of having a good production team to back you up and the value of being coachable.

On the basis of her YEAA sales experience, Brittany got an opportunity to intern with a billion-dollar company. Unfortunately, this opportunity fell through because of COVID.

So, she worked as a sales counselor at LA Fitness before making the decision to re-join YEAA.

In her second year at YEAA, Brittany is targeting sales of $350,000.

So, what made Brittany come back to YEAA? Is there a real dearth of good internships in the job market? Do other internships give you the opportunity to hone your critical skillsets and grow as individuals? Tune in to find out!

We hope you enjoy this show!

What You Will Learn In This Show

What are some critical skills that you can learn as a student painter with YEAA?
The immense value in being coachable
What makes the YEAA internship a special and unique experience?
And so much more…

Resources

YEAA Internship

15 | Sherv | How a Strong Mindset Allowed Me Run a $100,000 Plus Business As a Second-Year College Student Sep 02, 2020

Show notes

In today's show, Steve interviews Sherv, senior year at UMass, Amherst.

Growing up, Sherv always was always driven and had a big engine for work. When he was just 14, Sherv started working in a furniture store. This experience stoked his entrepreneurial spirit and instilled in him a keen desire to start his own business someday.

Sherv stumbled upon YEAA in his freshman year at UMass. And he was quick to grasp this exciting opportunity.

However, his first year was a rough one where he struggled to figure out the nuances of running a painting business. And even though he "screwed up a lot", he managed to chalk up revenues of $80,000 and profits of $18,000 in his rookie year.

His second year at YEAA was even more spectacular as he managed revenues of $120,000 and profits of $43,000.

So, how was Sherv's first-year different from his second-year? What important lessons did Sherv learn in his first year that helped him notch up a dramatically better second-year?

In this segment of the show, listeners will learn how surrounding yourself with well-meaning mentors can help you overcome some of the biggest challenges.

Additionally, we also discuss the importance of a powerful mindset. If you "got your head right", you can find the fortitude to overcome some of your biggest and unforeseen professional challenges.

We hope you enjoy this show!

What You Will Learn In This Show

How a YEAA internship can equip you with transferable and foundational skillsets
How a strong network can help you overcome some of your biggest challenges
Importance of a powerful mindset and "getting your head right"
And so much more…

Resources

Young Entrepreneurs Across America

14 | Logan LaMance | How I Successfully Managed to Pitch on Shark Tank Aug 26, 2020

Show notes

In today's show, Steve interviews Logan LaMance, Founder, Kanga Coolers.

Logan graduated from Clemson in 2018. As a first-year student at Clemson, Logan had little inclination from entrepreneurship. Till he discovered YEAA.

In fact, Logan calls his first-year at YEAA the "most transformative" year of his life. At YEAA, Logan inculcated some critical habits and routines that are commonly found in successful people.

However, his YEAA stint was not without challenges.

Particularly, Logan shares how all his painters quit when he was in his first year at YEAA. Did Logan manage to meet his sales goal inspite of this? What important lessons did Logan learn in his first-year that eventually led to a spectacular second-year?

The next segment of the show is about Logan's business, Kanga LLC. Logan was majorly into tailgating at Clemson. And he was fed up with lugging around large coolers just so that he could enjoy a chilled beer or soda. This led to Logan discussing the idea of a "koozie" for a beer case in a class project at Clemson – and eventually, Kanga LLC.

Logan also shares how he managed to successfully pitch Kanga LLC on Shark Tank. After carrying the Shark Tank application for nearly two years in his backpack, what prompted Logan to finally take the plunge? He shares all the extensive preparation that helped Kanga coolers secure funding from the Sharks.

Other topics discussed on today's show include managing cash flow, product development, the importance of resilience, innovative marketing techniques, and much, much more…

We hope you enjoy this show.

What You Will Learn In This Show

Why resilience is the most important trait of successful entrepreneurs
Biggest challenges of bootstrapping a business
How marketing and innovative product development can help carve out a place for yourself in a crowded marketplace
How I manage to pitch my idea at Shark Tank

And much, much more…

Resources

Kanga Coolers

Young Entrepreneurs Across America

13 | Jordan Ames | How My YEAA Internship Helped Me Get Hired at Hubspot Aug 19, 2020

Show notes

In today's show, Steve interviews Jordan Ames, Associate Marketing Manager, Hubspot. He is also the Founder/President of the Isenberg Sales Club. Jordan worked with YEAA from 2014-2016.

Jordan always had the entrepreneurial bug. As a high school student, Jordan was always working odd jobs to earn some extra cash to cover expenses. Later on, as a college student at UMass Amherst, Jordan was majorly into football and basketball.

Perhaps, it was this competitive spirit that made Jordan snap the YEAA internship when he came across it. But this internship came with its own set of challenges.

In his rookie year, Jordan admits he used to initially short-change the customer. However, he was quick to realize the benefits of under-promising and over-delivering. Jordan shares how he put these learnings to good use in his second year at student painters.

In the next segment of the show, Jordan shares how his tenacity helped him land a job at Hubspot. Here, he also gives us a peek into his daily responsibilities. Moreover, he talks at length about how sales should be relationship-focused with an eye on the long term.

Other topics discussed in today's show include goal-setting tips, critical skills that you can hone at YEAA, the importance of maintaining a good work-life balance, and much, much more…

We hope you enjoy this show.

What You Will Learn In This Show

Transferable skill sets that you can hone at YEAA
Importance of under-promising and over-delivering
Why sales is a relationship-focused, long-term game
Importance of maintaining a good work life balance

And much, much more…

Resources

Young Entrepreneurs Across America

12 | Jake Ignasiak | How My YEAA Experience Helped Me Land My Dream Sports Management Job Aug 12, 2020

Show notes

In today's show, Steve interviews Jake Ignasiak, Account Executive, Consumer Sales at Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment.

Jake has a sports management degree from the University of Michigan. In his sophomore year, Jake came across YEAA and was quick to snap up the opportunity to run his own business and be his own boss. In this segment of the show we discuss the three things that make an ideal internship – an internship that lays the foundation for a successful career ahead.

Next, Jake shares some interesting details about his incredibly successful YEAA stint. He reveals how he managed to generate revenues of $87,000 over a single summer taking up painting jobs in Northern Michigan.

His YEAA experience paid off in more ways than one as Jake landed his dream job – that of an account executive at Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment. Jake regales listeners with some interesting anecdotes in this part of the show. You will learn how he was selected from 5,000 applicants for this position. He also gives a peek into the sports management industry, and reveals some crucial attributes that can help you find success in this incredibly tough industry.

We hope you enjoy this show!

What You Will Learn In This Show

What constitutes an ideal internship?
What makes a YEAA internship so unique and incredibly rewarding
A peek into the sports management industry
The transferable skill sets that you pick up at YEAA

And much, much more...

Resources

YEAA

Jake Ignasiak

11 | The 3 Stages of Becoming A Leader Across America Aug 05, 2020

Show notes

In today's special show, Steve interviews three former students who have gone through the entire 3-year Young Entrepreneurs (YEAA) internship experience. Ian, Evan, and Michael share some of the biggest takeaways from this experience and reveal how this internship helped him grow as individuals.

The first intern we talk to is Ian.

Ian is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He started with YEAA in the summer of 2017 and managed to chalk up sales of $59,000 and a profit of $12,000.

His second-year at YEAA was starkly different from his first. In his second-year, Ian assumed the role of a rookie executive and had 3 managers under him. Here, Ian shares that his biggest takeaway was that he learned to motivate other people and "make things happen".

Moreover, he got the opportunity to coach and work alongside the top performer in company history. In this segment of the show, Ian also how he managed to scale up his business to half-a-million-dollars in revenues.

Like Ian, Evan, our second intern also worked with YEAA for three straight summers.

While Kevin's performance as a student painter was exemplary, he did manage to step from the business every once in a while and have his own share of fun. If you are feeling burnt out due to your workload, you will find this segment of the show particularly interesting.

Our third intern, Michael has gone through the first two phases of the YEAA internship. In fact, Michael finished first in the state and second in the country in his rookie year as he notched up sales of $134,000.

Michael shares his audacious goals for 2021 when he will commence the third phase of his YEAA internship. He also has some excellent advice for college students who are eager to make their mark.

We hope you enjoy this show.

What You Will Learn In This Show

How a Young Entrepreneurs internship can equip you with transferable skill sets

Importance of a good work-life balance

How to motivate others and make things happen
And so much more….

Resources

Young Entrepreneurs YEAA

10 | Joel Puthoff | How I Built a $2.8 Million Painting Business Jul 29, 2020

Show notes

In today's show of Leaders Across America, Steve interviews Joel Puthoff, sales performance coach, and trainer, Fortune 5 Consulting.

As a teenager, Joel admits he lacked focus and drive. Joel admits that he went to college just to play basketball and have fun. In one semester, Joel did particularly badly and ended up with a GPA of 2.0. This served as a wake-up call for him. And at this opportune time, Joel came across YEAA.

At YEAA, Joel shares how he managed to work in a completely hands-off manner – and yet scale up his operations. In this segment of the show, you will learn how Joel managed to delegate all essential business functions – from cold calling to painting.

After graduation, Joel was interviewing with different firms. But his paths crossed yet again with Steve and he ended up moving to Charlotte to manage the student painting operations in the Carolinas. In this segment of the show, Joel regales listeners will some interesting stories about how he managed to set up operations and overcome some of his biggest challenges. After a tumultuous first year, it was relatively smooth sailing for Joel as he managed to scale up the painting business to $2.8 million in annual revenues.

In the last segment of the show, Joel talks a bit about this current role as a sales performance coach and trainer at Fortune Five Consulting. In his position, Joel helps SAAS based organizations grow and scale their operations. Here, Joel talks about he initially struggled to grasp the finer technical nuances of the technology word.

Joel also shares some interesting details about his soon-to-be-launched book which focuses on human optimization or developing high-performance habits.

We hope you enjoy this show!

What You Will Learn In This Show

How can a YEAA internship set the foundation for a successful career

How to work in a hands-off manner and scale up your business
A peek into the world of technical consultancy
And much, much more...

Resources

Joel Puthoff

Fortune 5 Consulting

Apply for your YEAA Internship here!

9 | Danny Rice | How My YEAA Internship Changed My Life Jul 22, 2020

Show notes

In today's show of Leader's Across America, we interview Danny Rice. Danny was with YEAA from 2014-2016. Apart from YEAA, Danny has interned with some iconic organizations like Merrill Lynch and Harley Davidson. Currently, Danny works a as an account executive at P&G.

We start this show with Danny recalling how he got involved with YEAA in the first place. As a teenager, he had little direction about what he wanted to do. But the opportunity to manage all aspects of a business at a young age got him excited to sign up for the student painter internship.

Additionally, Danny goes on to share how he managed to snag his very first painting job. Here, Danny regales listeners with his "rain dance story" – which reminds us that if we keep on dancing, it WILL rain ultimately.

Danny also gives us a peek into the unique bond that student painters share with their mentors. Other topics discussed in this segment of the show include imbibing a "No BS (Blame Shift) Attitude" and how to overcome your fear of making mistakes.

Listeners will learn how Danny managed to notch up $70,000 in revenues in his first year and $200,000 revenues in his second year at YEAA.

His YEAA experience helped him snag prestigious internships with Merrill Lynch and Harley Davidson where he learned the nuances of finances and marketing respectively. This ultimately led to a coveted position at P&G.

Other topics discussed in this show include developing a high-performance work ethic, and the importance of maintaining a positive attitude.

We hope you enjoy this show!

What You Will Learn In This Show

How to cultivate a positive and never-say-die attitude
How to strategically get internships at organizations that help you gain forward momentum
How a YEAA internship can equip you with transferable skill-sets
How a high-performance work ethic can take you places in a corporate setting
And much, much more...

Resources

Apply for your YEAA Internship here

8 | Danny Robinson | How My Experience at Young Entrepreneurs Helped Me Transition to a Coveted Career in Financial Planning Jul 15, 2020

Show notes

In today's show, Steve interviews Danny Robinson, Professional Financial Advisor, Sigma Investments.

This show starts with Danny recalling how he ended up working for YEAA as a seventeen-year-old. Admittedly, Danny's mentor helped him ease into this new role. Further, listeners will learn how healthy competition egged Danny on to give his best.

So, what challenges did Danny have to overcome as an intern with Young Entrepreneurs? He talks about his struggle with balancing the different aspects of a business. Danny also shares how quick thinking and a strong network helped him overcome some high-pressure situations.

The next segment of this show is about Danny's role as a financial advisor with Sigma Investment. Here, listeners will learn why taking calculated risks is necessary to grow in your profession. Danny reveals how he managed to secure this lucrative position, and how his Student Painting experience gave him a competitive advantage.

Further, Danny shares how he has managed to establish his credibility among his senior colleagues and clients. Towards the end, Danny shares his daily routine and some excellent habits that make him tick.

We wrap up this show with Danny sharing his vision for 2020 and beyond.

Tune in for some excellent nuggets!

What You Will Learn In This Show: