Leaders Across America With Steve Acorn

What would you do if your $20 million business went bankrupt the same year you got married?

For the first time in 40 years, Steve Acorn hands the mic to his whole family. His wife Sara, son Michael, and daughter Laura sit down with guest host Jay Wong to tell the real story behind Young Entrepreneurs Across America and Student Painters.

They go back to 1987 and the move from Canada, the $20 million company that collapsed, and the humbling restart with 13 managers and a newborn at home. Steve picked up a paintbrush again at 36. They refused to let a single manager go unpaid. And now the next generation is launching Acorn Pro Painting.

Miss this one, and you miss the lessons most founders learn the hard way, straight from a family that lived every one. Listen now.

• 3:23 – What growing up Acorn really drills into you (hint: nobody hands you anything)

• 4:37 – Steve's famous saying about winning his kids will never forget

• 7:15 – The one question in 1987 that sent Steve across the border

• 10:53 – How a $20 million company quietly ran out of cash

• 13:43 – 2 a.m., the lights come up, and seven partners shake hands for the last time

• 19:50 – Buying ladder racks at 36: the restart nobody saw coming

• 21:14 – Soaking wet in the rain, Steve looks up and asks God one question

• 25:47 – Selling credit cards on campus to fund the company that just went bankrupt

• 44:46 – The exact number Michael set to beat his dad (and the math behind it)

• 1:00:05 – The new venture the family just launched for everyone over 22

Steve Acorn is the Founder and CEO of Young Entrepreneurs Across America and President of Student Painters. In 1987, he moved from Sarnia, Ontario to launch AAA Student Painters in the United States. After the company went bankrupt in 1999, he and his wife Sara rebuilt it from 13 managers into the nationwide program it is today, 40 years and counting.

Sara, Steve's wife and co-founder, joined the company in 1993 as a payroll manager for the Indiana division and has run the office and back-end side of the business ever since. She and Steve married in 1998, rebuilt the company together after the bankruptcy, and she has been by his side for 34 summers.

Aaron Acorn, Steve's son and Sara's stepson, grew up immersed in the family business and its entrepreneurial culture. In 2008, as a Branch Manager, gaining firsthand experience in the business. Today, Aaron serves as President of the Michigan and New England Divisions of Student Painters, continuing the family's legacy of entrepreneurship, leadership, and developing the next generation of business owners. Although Aaron is not joining us for this conversation, his leadership and contributions remain an important part of the Acorn family's business story.

Michael, Steve and Sara's son, grew up in the business, built and sold a lawn care company in high school, then ran a Student Painters branch as a rookie and hit $132,000. He is the founder of Acorn Pro Painting, a new painting franchise that extends the Acorn model to entrepreneurs of any age.

Laura, Steve and Sara's daughter, grew up in the business and followed her mother onto the office side, working across divisions from payroll and administration to marketing and PR, and training the interns who come through.

• Acorn Pro Painting

• Student Painters

• Sherwin-Williams

• AvidXchange

• CEO Coaching International (Mark Moses)

• Gain real-world business experience, build leadership skills, and create a foundation for future success: YEAA Website

• Watch our case study: Leaders Across America

• Find more success stories here: Our Alumni

• Connect with Steve:

• LinkedIn: Steve Acorn

• Instagram: @steveacornyeaa

Leaders Across America is an original podcast brought to you by Steve Acorn. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.

What happens when a college kid turns a single Instagram post into a supercar business, then walks away to chase something that actually matters?

At 23, JC Carr has already built and sold an exotic car brokerage, run a toy drive that moves six figures in gifts, and stepped into a family business shipping a million pieces a day. Steve Acorn sits down with JC to trace how a Miami kid with a camera and a thousand followers became a serial builder.

They get into the 30-minute Instagram sale that started it all, the market that flipped from steep discounts to 100,000 dollars over sticker, the charity that fills a parking lot with Lamborghinis, and the choice to leave the flashy business behind.

Skip this one, and you miss the real lesson hiding under the supercars. Listen now.

• 05:21 – The 30-minute Instagram post that accidentally launched a business

• 06:03 – How the car market flipped from deep discounts to six figures over sticker

• 08:36 – The photography hobby that quietly built a six-figure following

• 12:30 – The wrapped Porsche that may have the highest mileage of its kind on earth

• 16:42 – The charity that started with one wrapped car and a children's hospital

• 17:47 – Why 150 supercars show up when JC posts a single thing online

• 18:33 – The 100,000-dollar toy haul and the feeling he could not explain

• 24:44 – Six employees to 3,500: the family business hiding behind the cars

• 26:14 – The one system that rewrote how the whole company runs

JC Carr is a 23-year-old entrepreneur from the Miami and Fort Lauderdale area and a University of Alabama graduate. He founded Whips Miami, an exotic car brokerage he built while in school, runs an annual toy drive that moved about 100,000 dollars in gifts this year, and now leads a service team at World Emblem, his family's decoration company and one of the largest patch producers in the world.

🔗 LinkedIn | Website

• Whips Miami

• World Emblem

• 1 of 1 Motorsports

• Boys and Girls Club

• Lamborghini Miami

• Lamborghini Broward

• Lean Manufacturing, University of Kentucky Lean Systems Program with Toyota

• Homestead Miami Speedway

• Gain real-world business experience, build leadership skills, and create a foundation for future success: YEAA Website

• Watch our case study: Leaders Across America

• Find more success stories here: Our Alumni

• Connect with Steve:

• LinkedIn: Steve Acorn

• Instagram: @steveacornyeaa

Leaders Across America is an original podcast brought to you by Steve Acorn. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.

What happens when you hand two 19-year-olds a real business, then come back in September to see what they built?

Steve Acorn welcomes Noah Jones and Addison Oberhouse back for the rare part two. Last time, their story ended on May 10th with everything still unknown. Now the season is done, and the numbers are real.

They get into the highs and lows no classroom teaches. A shattered state record. A dog bite mid-marketing. Nine painters counting on one rookie for work every week. Late-night tears, brutal doubt, and the drive that carried them to the finish.

Miss this one, and you miss the honest, unfiltered proof of what a single summer of ownership can do. Listen now.

05:00 – The real six-figure numbers two rookies put up in a single summer

07:36 – The all-time Michigan rookie record that just got shattered

10:09 – The one skill Addison says will change the rest of her life

16:30 – Bit by a dog mid-marketing, and back on doorsteps the next day

19:05 – Nine painters, nothing booked, and the pressure that drove a record

21:56 – The single trait that separates finishers from quitters

29:26 – The best part of the internship nobody bothers to advertise

36:34 – A 70-hour scraping job and the mindset that turned it around

48:18 – The audacious 2027 goal Noah was almost too scared to say

Addison Oberhouse is a 19-year-old business management student at Bowling Green State University and a rookie branch manager with Young Entrepreneurs Across America. She ran a $117,000 business and profited a little over $21,000 in her first season, pushing through a dog bite and a mid-summer dry spell to finish strong. She now works part-time with the nonprofit Mission Increase.

🔗 LinkedIn

Noah Jones is a 19-year-old branch manager with Young Entrepreneurs Across America and a biochemistry student at Michigan State. In his rookie year he ran a $203,000 business, profited more than $44,000, and broke the all-time Michigan rookie manager record. He plans to coach rookies and chase a $500,000 revenue goal in 2027.

🔗 LinkedIn

• Student Painters

• Eat That Frog! (Book)

• Mission Increase

• Gain real-world business experience, build leadership skills, and create a foundation for future success: YEAA Website

• Watch our case study: Leaders Across America

• Find more success stories here: Our Alumni

• Connect with Steve:

• LinkedIn: Steve Acorn

• Instagram: @steveacornyeaa

Leaders Across America is an original podcast brought to you by Steve Acorn. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.

What would you give to hear the untold truth from one of the very first student entrepreneurs who helped build a movement? In this exclusive, raw conversation, Steve Acorn sits down with Sean Gregory, an original Student Painter from 1987, to uncover the gritty, hilarious, and brutally honest stories that shaped the YEAA legacy.

Together, they revisit sleepless launches, wild leaps of faith, and the make-or-break lessons still echoed across today's leadership ranks. This is not a highlight reel. It's the real story behind 40 years of "work hard, play hard" success and the relentless mindset that separates doers from dreamers.

Miss this episode, and you risk overlooking the patterns that breed lasting leaders. Listen now for first-hand insights you won't find anywhere else, straight from the roots of YEAA and the heart of entrepreneurship.

• 00:30 – The wildest leap of faith in Student Painters history

• 02:55 – Why entrepreneurship still isn't taught in college (and how Sean hacked the system)

• 06:18 – The tools, grit, and chaos behind launching a business in '87

• 10:16 – "I've never felt so alive." The real rewards of radical ownership

• 13:43 – The eye-opening mistakes that nearly killed his profits

• 16:04 – Campfires, banquets, lifelong friends: The bonds that outlast the business

• 22:23 – The moment Sean realized he could out-earn his first 'real' job

• 35:08 – Brutally honest advice for every new leader in the arena right now

Sean Gregory is a 30+ year veteran in residential real estate, executive producer of the Heart of Influence podcast, and one of YEAA's original Student Painters from 1987. With decades of sales, coaching, and entrepreneurial experience, he brings unmatched perspective on leadership and the long game of transformation.

🔗 LinkedIn

• Heart of Influence podcast

• Unblinded with Sean Callagy

• Sherwin-Williams

• GMC Gaucho

• Gain real-world business experience, build leadership skills, and create a foundation for future success: YEAA Website

• Watch our case study: Leaders Across America

• Find more success stories here: Our Alumni

• Connect with Steve:

• LinkedIn: Steve Acorn

• Instagram: @steveacornyeaa

Leaders Across America is an original podcast brought to you by Steve Acorn. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.

What happens when you hand the reins of a real business to college rookies, then ask them to build something big, with everything on the line?

In this high-energy conversation, Steve interviews first-year interns Addison Oberhouse and Noah Jones as they open up about the surprising challenges and lessons from launching their own painting businesses with YEAA. They dive into what no classroom teaches: brutal doubt, real sales lost, friends laughing at "voicemails," and the relentless rollercoaster of managing a team for the first time.

Listen now to discover the overlooked truth about college internships, how "trust the process" unlocks exponential wins, and why resilience—not a perfect spreadsheet—separates those who finish from those who bail. Miss this episode, and you risk staying stuck on the sidelines, while these rookies quietly sprint past you.

• 00:51 – The unexpected lesson college never prepared them for

• 02:04 – Why working hard here feels totally different (and way more rewarding)

• 06:08 – The rookie mindset shift: believing the "unreal" offer is real

• 10:42 – The 3-day "business bootcamp" that left their heads spinning

• 12:32 – How time management became their secret weapon

• 17:24 – The one thing they wish they asked their mentor sooner

• 25:06 – Losing $20,000 in sales and getting up again

• 32:06 – Pro-level time and relationship juggling, rookie edition

Addison Oberhaus is a business management student at BGSU and a first-year Entrepreneurial Intern with YEAA, already producing standout results and managing her own team.

🔗 LinkedIn

Noah Jones studies biochemistry at Michigan State and is in his inaugural summer with Student Painters, focusing on learning real-world business while overcoming setbacks with resilience.

🔗 LinkedIn

• Student Painters

• Eat That Frog! (Book)

• Sherwin-Williams

• MapMyRun (app)

• Aiden Licata's Podcast

• Gain real-world business experience, build leadership skills, and create a foundation for future success: YEAA Website

• Watch our case study: Leaders Across America

• Find more success stories here: Our Alumni

• Connect with Steve:

• LinkedIn: Steve Acorn

• Instagram: @steveacornyeaa

Leaders Across America is an original podcast brought to you by Steve Acorn. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.

What does it take to launch a truly standout career while your peers are just getting started? In this galvanizing episode, Steve Acorn sits down with private equity rising star Blake Winkley to unravel how student leaders can leapfrog the status quo by stacking bold experiences and embracing brutal discomfort.

From hustling side gigs in high school to running a six-figure business as a college sophomore, Blake Winkley reveals the mindset shifts and tactical moves that turned relentless rejection into career rocket fuel.

Don't settle for an average trajectory. Listen now to discover why your "story" matters more than ever, what hiring managers are secretly looking for, and how the way you handle this summer could radically change your life. You'll miss out on proven, exclusive frameworks you won't hear anywhere else if you let this episode slip by.

• 00:42 – The unexpected truth behind private equity's allure

• 04:03 – Why missing the "ideal" internship was the best thing that happened

• 07:00 – The strategic move that turned rejection into opportunity

• 12:03 – The inside story that made hiring managers say "yes"

• 16:08 – Unlocking the hidden ecosystem of million-dollar deals

• 20:19 – Fresh eyes, real impact, and how to outgrow your comfort zone

• 27:23 – Why brutal honesty and relentless discomfort are career multipliers

• 41:43 – Crushing imposter syndrome and trusting the process for success

Blake Winkley is a Capital Raising Associate at KKR, one of the world's largest private equity firms. With a track record spanning institutional sales on Wall Street to unlocking high-value real estate funds, Blake's career showcases what's possible when student entrepreneurs apply relentless grit, strategic networking, and the right leadership mindset.

🔗 LinkedIn | Website

• VanEck

• Noria Capital

• Book: "Eat That Frog"

• Philadelphia 76ers "Trust the Process"

• Gain real-world business experience, build leadership skills, and create a foundation for future success: YEAA Website

• Watch our case study: Leaders Across America

• Find more success stories here: Our Alumni

• Connect with Steve:

• LinkedIn: Steve Acorn

• Instagram: @steveacornyeaa

Leaders Across America is an original podcast brought to you by Steve Acorn. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.

What's the real difference between feeling like an impostor and building a life that stands out from your peers? In this high-voltage episode, Steve sits down with Celeste Valencia and Brooke Fausey, two unstoppable student leaders who turned setbacks into six-figure stories (and counting).

If you think business success is only for business majors, think again. Hear unfiltered truths about failing forward, breaking brutal comfort zones, and building teams when you'd rather hide. This conversation uncovers proven, practical secrets for anyone ready to crush fear, own their results, and accelerate into leadership even before graduation.

Miss this, and you could spend the summer playing small. Listen now for exclusive, hard-earned knowledge you can't find in the classroom and join an elite group writing their own future.

• 00:08 – The career-defining mindset shift every new leader must hear

• 04:05 – From LinkedIn to $100K: Brooke's unlikely leap and the mistake that made her

• 06:38 – How a criminal justice major shattered limits with a six-figure business

• 10:43 – The two rookie mistakes that nearly sabotaged Celeste's summer

• 13:58 – Why over-recruiting isn't optional (and how to bulletproof your team)

• 18:02 – The brutal truth about sales pipelines and the anxiety no one warns you about

• 26:24 – Owning it: The secret mental switch top earners use every day

• 35:35 – Leadership vs Boss: The tiny actions that change everything for your team

Celeste Valencia is a Senior Executive at Young Entrepreneurs Across America (YEAA) and a senior at Grand Valley State University, where she majors in Criminal Justice with minors in Arabic and Psychology. Known for her rapid growth from rookie manager to leading a $350,000 branch and coaching the next generation of student leaders, Celeste is passionate about resilience, transformative leadership, and servant management.

🔗 LinkedIn

Brooke Fausey is currently a General Manager for the Michigan division at Young Entrepreneurs Across America (YEAA), after graduating from Grand Valley State University. Brooke skyrocketed from running a $104,000 branch to coaching a team of managers with combined sales topping $540,000. She is respected for her commitment to mentorship, time management mastery, and her outstanding track record in leadership development.

🔗 LinkedIn

• Student Painters

• Sherwin Williams

• Servant Leadership

• Grand Valley State University

• Eat That Frog!

• Gain real-world business experience, build leadership skills, and create a foundation for future success: YEAA Website

• Watch our case study: Leaders Across America

• Find more success stories here: Our Alumni

• Connect with Steve:

• LinkedIn: Steve Acorn

• Instagram: @steveacornyeaa

Leaders Across America is an original podcast brought to you by Steve Acorn. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.

Are you hungry to stand out, lead, and create the kind of transformation that pays off for life? Wondering why some student entrepreneurs seem to win big while others plateau or burn out?

On this electrifying episode, Steve Acorn sits down with legendary Student Painters GM Ryan Shepherd, an architect behind hundreds of success stories and recognized as one of the top minds in the industry. They break down the entire YEAA internship experience, revealing not just what to do, but how to do it smarter, turning grueling work into unstoppable growth and outsized rewards.

Tune in for practical, rarely shared insights on personal mastery, building powerhouse teams, and squeezing life-changing value out of every step, plus learn the insider secrets that separate the profitable leaders from the overwhelmed.

Don't wait to hear this: miss it, and you risk falling into the same pitfalls holding back your true potential. Listen now and grab the blueprint top performers don't want you to see.

• 00:00 – "You're going to work really hard but probably pretty stupid at first" (and how to fix that)

• 07:47 – The uncommon time hack that propelled Ryan's early career

• 10:43 – Pressure washing fails, wild stories, and what it really means to learn as you go

• 12:11 – Why the Quality Control Checklist will save your sanity (and profit)

• 14:34 – The #1 rookie mistake even elite interns make every year

• 17:00 – How to "suck less" by delegating time-suckers and building your painter pipeline

• 24:14 – Turning "our business" into a winning team—best crew incentives revealed

• 30:06 – Why coasting in phase four will cost you the BIGGEST payday

Ryan Shepherd is a veteran General Manager and lead mentor for Student Painters at Young Entrepreneurs Across America. Known for his fifteen-year track record developing top-tier student leaders and a relentless dedication to game-changing mentorship, Ryan has shaped the careers of hundreds of driven undergrads and personally built systems that power the best-of-the-best results in the industry. His coaching is legendary for a reason, and it's all focused on future-proofing your success.

🔗 LinkedIn | Website

• University of Dayton

• Scott Snyder

• Quality Control Checklist

• Google Docs

• Kings Island Amusement Park

• Indeed

• Facebook

• Instagram

• Snapchat

• Hello Neighbor flyers

• Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy

• Gain real-world business experience, build leadership skills, and create a foundation for future success: YEAA Website

• Watch our case study: Leaders Across America

• Find more success stories here: Our Alumni

• Connect with Steve:

• LinkedIn: Steve Acorn

• Instagram: @steveacornyeaa

Leaders Across America is an original podcast brought to you by Steve Acorn. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.

What would you do if your dreams, your crew, and your confidence vanished in a single afternoon? If you're building a business, career, or even your sense of self, the fear of failure and the pressure to deliver can feel overwhelming.

In this exhilarating reunion, Steve Acorn welcomes back YEAA alum Sherv Sadr, whose journey from devastated rookie to thriving financial entrepreneur and biotech founder is packed with raw lessons and electrifying energy. Sherv reveals how surviving his darkest hour and learning to choose action over comfort unlocked exponential business and personal growth.

If you're tired of hoping and ready for proven, exclusive strategies to conquer adversity, reclaim your confidence, and scale your future, press play now. Every moment you wait is a moment lost. Don't miss the hard-won wisdom in this episode that you simply won't find anywhere else.

• 00:14 – Why Sherv's first episode became one of YEAA's all-time most listened-to downloads

• 01:43 – From door-knocking to financial planning: The business principles that work anywhere

• 06:38 – Founding a biotech company after a friend's life-altering brain cancer battle

• 10:09 – Cold calls, rejection, and wild pivots: The gut-punches no one warns you about

• 16:18 – Grit when you want to quit: The untold story of Sherv's "grass moment"

• 24:33 – Scalable business growth: Investments, not costs, and building a winning team

• 31:03 – The Student Painters alumni effect: Why one summer can change your life and your future hires

• 50:09 – 75 Hard, discipline as a perishable skill, and what it really means for future leaders

Sherv Sadr is a financial entrepreneur, business owner, and proven resilience architect. Since his transformative years with YEAA and Student Painters, he has scaled a thriving financial planning practice serving over 220 households, mentored future leaders, and co-founded a biotech startup with a mission to revolutionize traumatic brain injury recovery. Sherv is known for his radical candor, story-driven leadership, and commitment to giving back through mentorship and alumni networks.

🔗 LinkedIn | Website

• 75 Hard (created by Andy Frisella)

• Alex Hormozi

• Aaron Griffin

• Luke Snyder

• Traumatic Brain Injury research and biotech entrepreneurship

• Gain real-world business experience, build leadership skills, and create a foundation for future success: YEAA Website

• Watch our case study: Leaders Across America

• Find more success stories here: Our Alumni

• Connect with Steve:

• LinkedIn: Steve Acorn

• Instagram: @steveacornyeaa

Leaders Across America is an original podcast brought to you by Steve Acorn. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.

What if you could transform your student hustle into a $170,000 business and secure job offers while your classmates are struggling to get interviews?

Michael Menaker, Penn State senior and YEAA legend, sits down with Steve Acorn to reveal the step-by-step reality (not the myth) behind his explosive growth from door-knocking teen to Student Painters' all-time Pennsylvania revenue leader.

This conversation is packed with rarely shared tactics, raw truths about failure and resilience, and actionable systems for anyone serious about changing their trajectory starting now. From the relentless grind to building an unbeatable resume story, you'll hear how money motivation, organization breakthroughs, mentorship, and tireless marketing turned a campus side hustle into a national showcase.

Listen now to escape career mediocrity, fast-track your learning curve, and get the actual playbook top interns use to win big. This episode is your invitation. You won't find its real-world, step-by-step lessons anywhere else.

• [00:01] – A 9-year-old with an obsession for money—how shoveling snow led to a record-breaking career

• [00:03] – The "$10,000 summer" email that changed everything for a college freshman

• [00:05] – Inside high-stakes training: the moment Michael Menaker realized he wasn't the smartest person in the room

• [00:07] – From $110K to $170K: what REALLY changes and the shocking truth about profits at 19

• [00:10] – The 10,000+ flyer drop method—why relentless marketing is the x-factor for student success

• [00:14] – The podcast hack: how binging alumni stories 2-3 times gave Michael Menaker the advantage over everyone else

• [00:16] – The organization revolution: inside the "hour by hour" that made stress evaporate and business explode

• [00:20] – Mentors, money, and motivation: how real-world accountability unlocked rocket growth

• [00:25] – Stacking the deck: the job search tsunami and why "the right story" makes recruiters beg for meetings

• [00:32] – Turning down offers and picking your path—unfiltered truth on life after massive student wins

Michael Menaker is a senior at Penn State and the all-time Pennsylvania revenue leader for Student Painters, shattering records by scaling his business to over $170,000 while still a student. Known for his relentless drive, money motivation, and willingness to get uncomfortable, he's mentored others to six-figure success and now leverages his story to command top-tier job interviews. Michael is currently focused on launching a career in commercial real estate or tech sales while finishing his real estate minor.

🔗 LinkedIn

• Penn State University

• Whirlpool Corporation

• Gain real-world business experience, build leadership skills, and create a foundation for future success: YEAA Website

• Watch our case study: Leaders Across America

• Find more success stories here: Our Alumni

• Connect with Steve:

• LinkedIn: Steve Acorn

• Instagram: @steveacornyeaa

Leaders Across America is an original podcast brought to you by Steve Acorn. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.