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

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!

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

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:

• How to keep your cool and shine through in pressure situations

• How young people can earn credit while working with senior peers and clients

• Crucial responsibilities of a financial manager

• Tips for young students who aspire to work in the financial planning industry

Resources:

Danny’s Email

YEAA

In today’s show, Steve interviews Simon Fraser, a previous intern with Young Entrepreneurs,  author, and videographer.

This show starts with Simon recalling his life as a teenager. As a young adult, Simon was frustrated with his lack of clarity. This is when he came across Young Entrepreneurs. What attracted Simon to Young Entrepreneurs in the first place? Was Simon immediately convinced when he first came across this unique opportunity?

The next segment of the show is about Simon’s experience with Young Entrepreneurs. Strong mentors and proven systems helped Simon quickly pick the ropes of his painting business. Here, Simon shares the struggles he went through as a student painter in his first year. Long work hours, difficult work conditions and lack of material comforts did not deter him. So, what inspired Simon to stay put?

This persistence paid off big time as Simon had a terrific-first year at Young Entrepreneurs. Drawing on these learnings, Simon managed to generate $240,000 in year two. How did Simon manage to scale up his painting business so dramatically? Listeners will learn the importance of delegation, teamwork, and motivation in this segment of the show.

This terrific success and the opportunity to move on to bigger and better things made Simon quit his engineering college to join Young Entrepreneurs as a full-time GM.

The latter part of the show is about Simon’s post Student Painters life. Simon talks a bit about his book, “Undecided”. In his book, Simon highlights why it is important to choose your professional path after careful consideration.

Simon also shares his experience of working at Praxis, a 10-person start-up in the education space. Here, Simon draws some interesting comparisons between working at Praxis and a large organization like Young Entrepreneurs

Eventually, Simon decided to follow his passion and pursue videography as a freelancer. If you are struggling to convert your passion to profit, this segment of the show will particularly interest you.

What You Will Learn in This Show:

• Transferable skill-sets that you can pick up at Young Entrepreneurs 
• Benefits and Challenges of Working in a Start-up environment
• How to turn your passion into profit
• Importance of challenging the norm as an entrepreneur and professional
• And so much more!

Resources:

YEAA (Young Entrepreneurs Across America)

Undecided: Escape the system, find your passion, and achieve the freedom and happiness you've always

Simon’s Website

In today’s show, Steve interviews Christian Chasmer, Partner and COO at Vessel, a health-tracking company. Additionally, Christian is also the founder of Elevate, a consultancy firm and CC solutions, a real estate development firm. He also authored the book  Lose the Limits.

And he is just 27.

So, how did Christian manage to achieve so much success at such a young age? In this show, Christian shares his incredibly entrepreneurial journey which will particularly interest new and young entrepreneurs.

Was Christian always keen on taking the entrepreneurial route? And, did he possess the necessary skills to manage a painting business when he first joined Student Painters? Listeners will learn about the different challenges he had to overcome once he made his foray into this painting business. So, how did Christian manage to scale up his painting business from $74,000 in this first year to $365,000 in his second year? Here, listeners will get some important lessons in delegation and leadership.

Next, Christian reveals how he got started with his first venture after Young Entrepreneurs, CC solutions, a real estate development company. Christian and his partner put their YEAA experience to good use as they managed to raise capital using creative cold calling methods.

Then Christian goes on to share some interesting details about Bloom Health. Bloom Health has come up with an innovative health tracking solution that allows users to test 15 different health markers at the click of a button. 

Christian faced some significant hurdles while starting his consulting business, Elevate. Here, you will learn how to hustle and manage your cash flow when you are starting a new, capital-intensive venture.

If you are a new or aspiring entrepreneur, this show is filled with some excellent nuggets to help you. 

Tune in now!

What You Will Learn In This Show:

• Innovations in the healthcare space, and how they are increasing affordability and convenience
• How to manage your cash-flow in the initial stages of a business
• Why delegation and team-work are crucial for scaling up a business
• How to raise capital using creative cold-calling techniques
• And much, much more!

Resources:

YEAA (Young Entrepreneurs Across America)

Lose the Limits

In today’s show, Steve interviews Alex Dalpiaz, Head of Sales, Madewell Concrete.

This show starts with Alex recalling his life as a student at Clemson University. Alex admits that he lacked clarity and was running on autopilot. This is when he came across Young Entrepreneurs Across America. 

So, what drew Alex to YEAA in the first place? And, did he have the necessary skills to operate a painting business successfully?

In the next segment of the show, Alex reveals some of the biggest challenges that he faced as a 19-year old running a painting business. Here, listeners will learn why stepping out of one’s comfort zone is critical for growth and personal development. 

This opportunity to continuously imbibe new learnings meant that Alex stayed with YEAA for 7 long and extremely fruitful years.

Post-YEAA, Alex worked with some startups in the SAAS space before eventually transitioning to a concreting company, Madewell Concrete.

The last segment of the show is particularly interesting as Alex talks about this current role as Head of Sales at Madewell. How did Alex and his team manage to attain a 400% growth over the last year? And, what steps are they taking to expand their presence to 28 US locations and become a $100m business? Listeners will also learn how establishing systems and processes can help drive customer satisfaction.

We wrap up this show by sharing some excellent advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. Tune in for some excellent insights!

What You Will Learn in This Show:

• Transferable skill-sets that you can pick up at Young Entrepreneurs
• How to project a vision and scale up your organization
• Why taking calculated risks is critical for furthering your career
• Using processes and systems to ensure customer satisfaction

And much, much more!

Resources:

Alex’s LinkedIn

YEAA (Young Entrepreneurs Across America)

In today’s show, Steve interviews Alex Dalpiaz, Head of Sales, Madewell Concrete.

This show starts with Alex recalling his life as a student at Clemson University. Alex admits that he lacked clarity and was running on autopilot. This is when he came across Young Entrepreneurs Across America. 

So, what drew Alex to YEAA in the first place? And, did he have the necessary skills to operate a painting business successfully?

In the next segment of the show, Alex reveals some of the biggest challenges that he faced as a 19-year old running a painting business. Here, listeners will learn why stepping out of one’s comfort zone is critical for growth and personal development. 

This opportunity to continuously imbibe new learnings meant that Alex stayed with YEAA for 7 long and extremely fruitful years.

Post-YEAA, Alex worked with some startups in the SAAS space before eventually transitioning to a concreting company, Madewell Concrete.

The last segment of the show is particularly interesting as Alex talks about this current role as Head of Sales at Madewell. How did Alex and his team manage to attain a 400% growth over the last year? And, what steps are they taking to expand their presence to 28 US locations and become a $100m business? Listeners will also learn how establishing systems and processes can help drive customer satisfaction.

We wrap up this show by sharing some excellent advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. Tune in for some excellent insights!

What You Will Learn in This Show:

• Transferable skill-sets that you can pick up at Young Entrepreneurs
• How to project a vision and scale up your organization
• Why taking calculated risks is critical for furthering your career
• Using processes and systems to ensure customer satisfaction

And much, much more!

Resources:

Alex’s LinkedIn

YEAA (Young Entrepreneurs Across America)

In today’s show, Steve interviews real estate agent AJ Mida, real estate agent, eXp Realty.

This show starts with AJ sharing how he got involved with YEAA. What drew him to YEAA in the first place? Was he always inclined towards entrepreneurship? Steve then goes on to share some interesting anecdotes about his Student Works stint. 

Admittedly, when AJ started out as a rookie in 2005, he was ill-prepared to manage a painting business. However, Steve’s able mentorship helped him figure out the ropes of the business. AJ managed to clock revenues of $60,000 inspite of his slow start. He put his learnings to good use as he managed to increase his sales to $250,000 in his second year. 

So, what are some crucial takeaways that AJ learned from his experience as a Student Painter? And did this experience play a big role in his future success?

The next segment of the show is about AJ’s real estate business. After working for Keller Williams for some time, AJ moved over eXp Realty. Here, AJ explains eXp Realty’s unique and incredibly lucrative commission structure that has allowed him to build up a huge passive income stream. As the eXp Realty team has grown from 2,400 agents to 26,000 agents, AJ’s revenue share team has also increased to 1,800 agents. 

Towards the end we share some crucial attributes that truly define a leader of tomorrow. Topics discussed include overcoming your fear of failure, and leveraging the power of visualization to meet your end goals.   

We hope you enjoy this success story!

What You Will Learn In This Show:

• How a YEAA stint can equip you with transferable skill-sets that can fast-track your professional career
• How to overcome your fear of failure or rejection
• How a revenue-sharing system can help agents earn more lucrative commissions
• How visualization can help you achieve your most audacious goals
• And much, much more! 

Resources:

AJ’s Email

YEAA (Young Entrepreneurs Across America)

In today’s show, Steve interviews real estate agent AJ Mida, real estate agent, eXp Realty.

This show starts with AJ sharing how he got involved with YEAA. What drew him to YEAA in the first place? Was he always inclined towards entrepreneurship? Steve then goes on to share some interesting anecdotes about his Student Works stint. 

Admittedly, when AJ started out as a rookie in 2005, he was ill-prepared to manage a painting business. However, Steve’s able mentorship helped him figure out the ropes of the business. AJ managed to clock revenues of $60,000 inspite of his slow start. He put his learnings to good use as he managed to increase his sales to $250,000 in his second year. 

So, what are some crucial takeaways that AJ learned from his experience as a Student Painter? And did this experience play a big role in his future success?

The next segment of the show is about AJ’s real estate business. After working for Keller Williams for some time, AJ moved over eXp Realty. Here, AJ explains eXp Realty’s unique and incredibly lucrative commission structure that has allowed him to build up a huge passive income stream. As the eXp Realty team has grown from 2,400 agents to 26,000 agents, AJ’s revenue share team has also increased to 1,800 agents. 

Towards the end we share some crucial attributes that truly define a leader of tomorrow. Topics discussed include overcoming your fear of failure, and leveraging the power of visualization to meet your end goals.   

We hope you enjoy this success story!

What You Will Learn In This Show:

• How a YEAA stint can equip you with transferable skill-sets that can fast-track your professional career
• How to overcome your fear of failure or rejection
• How a revenue-sharing system can help agents earn more lucrative commissions
• How visualization can help you achieve your most audacious goals
• And much, much more! 

Resources:

AJ’s Email

YEAA (Young Entrepreneurs Across America)