I was able to develop as an individual in all areas of my life. Through this internship I got experiences I would have never got anywhere else being 19 years old. The program has a great support system from the top down. You will never feel excluded or left out throughout your time with the company. The culture and drive this company has gives the tools for everyone to be successful. This is by far the best internship for students to develop and better themselves and potentially earn a lot of money doing so!
What I wish was different
Through my time here I have learned a lot. I wish I would have micro managed my time better. When you are running your business there is a lot of bumps in the road I felt I spent too much time on.
Advice
Just keep going forward and use your mentor. They will be your best friend throughout this process.
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Branch Manager
January - August 2024 • Indianapolis, IN
What I liked
- learned how to run my own start-up business
- made good money over the summer to help pay for tuition and have financial freedom on campus during the school year
- became a part of an elite alumni program
- everyone in YEAA is genuine from the top down. I do not know many CEOs who are as present with everyone quote on quote below them as Steve Acorn is.
What I wish was different
I wish I had listened to them more at training when they preached how important it is to begin marketing right away. I also wish I had had more interviews for marketers and painters.
Advice
One piece of advice I would share is that while I made many mistakes along the way, I have learned from them, and they have propelled me to where I am today.
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Branch Manager
January 2024 • State College, PA
What I liked
I liked the culture and the business experience that you receive from this opportunity
What I wish was different
I wish I had a better grasp of the role earlier in the process.
Advice
Take it one day at a time but plan out your schedule two weeks in advance.
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Branch Manager
November 2023 • Shelby Township, MI
What I liked
The real-life applications of marketing, sales, employing, and management I have experienced so far in this internship. along with the community of like-minded future entrepreneurs.
What I wish was different
This internship requires more time and thought than anything I have ever done before. I don't necessarily wish this were not the case, but I wish I had a better understanding of how much responsibility I was taking on.
Advice
If you are thinking about being a branch manager, I would make sure you are truly all-in on committing to this position. This is a position you need to feel passionate about.
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Branch manager
February 2023 • Bellefonte, PA
What I liked
I loved all of the growth opportunities that the company was able to offer me! I was able to grow professionally and personally. I was able to increase my confidence by a ton!
What I wish was different
Nothing!
Advice
If given the chance, be a part of this program! It has been nothing but rewarding to me!
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Branch Manager
March - August 2023 • Columbus, OH
What I liked
At Young Entrepreneurs Across America, you get the opportunity to run a $100k+ business and you will experience a tremendous amount of personal growth. I was able to run a $121K business and have changed my life. I would recommend it to any motivated and driven students!
What I wish was different
Nothing
Advice
Listen to your mentor!
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Branch Manager
January 2022 • Macomb, MI
What I liked
My favorite part about working for YEAA has definitely been being surrounded by like-minded individuals who all have a passion for pushing themselves to be the best possible version of themselves. It's not everyday you have the privilege of speaking with people who possess the same desire to break records and achieve goals as you. However, entering this culture provided just that. The network only one could dream to have.
What I wish was different
I wish I would have knew what I know now back when I first started. Learning the steps to success takes time and effort, however, knowing more than just theory back when I first began would have propelled me to finish the summer off stronger.
Advice
I advise anyone considering this opportunity to fully know that the success of this internship doesn't come easy. You must be willing to manage your time efficiently to ensure that all of the necessary tasks are being completed in order to successfully launch your business come May. It doesn't end there though; being self-driven and highly motivated are musts.
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Branch Manager
September 2019 - August 2020 • Maynard, MA
What I liked
I loved the experience of being able to run my own business over the Summer. I controlled my schedule, who I worked with, and found all my own sales. The ability to work for yourself and having all the hard work you put in pay off was an amazing experience.
What I wish was different
I wish that I could've had a longer Summer and time to work for this company.
Advice
You're going to get hit with endless obstacles, but at the end of the day your character improves significantly and everything gets easier after a first encounter.
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Branch Manager
October 2021 • New Baltimore, MI
What I liked
I loved the executive-rookie relationship, I felt that I had a mentor who really cared about my success and well-being. The whole community was filled with like minded people all pushing and supporting each-other into being and doing the best that can
What I wish was different
I wish I had stayed more consistent with the work pipelines so that I wouldn’t go through the feeling of falling off and schedule and finding it hard to get back into it
Advice
It takes grit, hard work, and honestly a competitive spirit to put yourself forward and as long as you keep pushing yourself to learn and grow, you’ll get paid out just as much, if not more especially in terms of experience
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branch manager
May - August 2022 • Grosse Pointe, MI
What I liked
Working at Young Entrepreneurs Across America allowed me to grow as a person and become a much better leader. This internship is the perfect opportunity for a hardworking student to thrive. The community of people you get to work with is like no other, you meet like minded individuals who want to succeed just as much as you do. You work with a college student who ran through the program a year before and is able to direct towards the right path. This internship is an opportunity like no other.
What I wish was different
Nothing in terms of the overall experience everything is based off what you put into it and there is an amazing executive team there to support you along the way. Throughout my whole experience I would not change a thing.
Advice
This is a once and a life time opportunity and if I were you I would at least take the time to get out of your comfort zone and learn a little more about it! This is the best opportunity for someone who wants to separate themselves from their piers and put in the extra work, but for someone who wants to just clock in clock out and work a set amount of hours this would not work.
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Branch Manager
January 2021 - August 2022 • Kalamazoo, MI
What I liked
I learned so much about leadership, communication, and sales through this experience. I have also grown so much as an individual in this program. The culture is amazing because the people in YEAA are all very supportive and hardworking. It was a difficult internship, but absolutely worth it
What I wish was different
I wish I had made more relationships with other managers across the country.
Advice
Be prepared to work hard and grow.
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Branch Manager
February 2021 • Cleveland, OH
What I liked
There are many things to like about Student Painters. First, the culture is young and energetic. There are multiple events throughout the year that inspire personal relationships. The mentorship team has helped me grow tremendously over the past two summers. There is great learning that comes with the program which helps develop skills including leadership, communication, sales, and more. There is also great pay! Overall an awesome experience!
What I wish was different
In my first year, I worked 50+ hours a week for multiple weeks in the summer. I definitely made sacrifices to run the business at the level I did. I ended up being the rookie manager of the year. With all that I learned, I was able to save a lot of time in our second year.
Advice
Be prepared to work and learn as you have never before in your life. It will pay off.
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Branch Manager
November 2021 - August 2022 • Dayton, OH
What I liked
I decided to apply with Young Entrepreneurs Across America and run my own business with Student Painters back in the fall of 2021! As an Entrepreneurship Major at UD, I was certainly on the hunt for a professional development experience that would help me to see if I was actually cut out to be an entrepreneur. After being hired in November of 2021, I went on to participate in Student Painters training events, learning to augment my marketing skills and craft myself into a more effective leader. Now finishing off the summer, I can confidently say that this has been the best working experience I've ever had! Not only have I worked closely with some amazing individuals, but I've also had the opportunity to build upon my strengths and better regulate my weaknesses as a leader. As such, I feel so much more confident in my ability to delegate, express bad news, negotiate, lead a team, market to complete strangers, and foster connections with my team, mentors, and customers. This has been an eye-opening experience, sometimes in the most frustrating yet rewarding ways, and I can't wait to see where it will take me next!
What I wish was different
I wish I had taken the time to interact with more of my fellow branch managers! The students I worked with on a day to day basis were incredible and I wish we had more time together!
Advice
Just remember that this is a learning experience! There will be plenty of times where you feel overwhelmed, but if you trust the process and rely on your mentor everything will work itself out!
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Branch Manager
September 2019 • Indianapolis, IN
What I liked
Running a business at the age of 19 has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve done. YEAA has allowed me to set myself up for success by giving me the opportunity to learn all the aspects that one needs to run a successful business. Through this program, I’ve been able to gain experience in sales, recruitment, production management and much more.
What I wish was different
Everything has been great.
Advice
If you are coachable and willing to put in the effort, you'll b successful in this internship.
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Branch Manager
October 2020 - August 2021 • Easthampton, MA
What I liked
I loved interacting with other motivated students, communicating with potential clients and networking with other people
What I wish was different
I wish I had taken more advantage of my time, taking advantage of your time in this internship creates more time for yourself.
Advice
Delegate your tasks to your crew as best you can
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Branch Manager
February - August 2021 • Merrimack, NH
What I liked
A lot of experience in time management, leadership, self discipline and hard work. Having the opportunity to manage a group of employees, while being in charge of my own schedule and responsibilities. Many learning opportunities and a big growth opportunity with great networking and resources. Good atmosphere.
What I wish was different
If you are to take this position you must sacrifice, essentially your entire summer and part of your spring strictly to running your branch of the business. There are a lot of things that happen you are not prepared for by the company, but it does offer a good learning opportunity. In addition, the company takes an excessive overhead fee that cuts severely into the manager's profit potential. Overall, for the amount of work needed to succeed in this role the pay does not seem fair.
Advice
Be ready to sacrifice your whole summer and life for this position while you are in it. It is a taxing job that will get in the way of any serious life activities you have planned. If you are going to go for this position seriously, then you need to go all in and be willing to do more than you plan on doing and going well above and beyond to succeed.
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Branch Manager
January 2021 • Leominster, MA
What I liked
Working as a Branch Manager for Student Painters (YEAA) has been one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life. This internship has pushed me way out of my comfort zone - giving me opportunities to grow and develop new skills. This summer I ran a $185,000 business, completing jobs for over 60 clients. Student Painters (YEAA) provided me with all of the necessary training to succeed. What you put in is what you will get out so it was up to me to apply the knowledge I learned and push myself as much as possible. I ended up with over $200,000 in sales, managed 2 painting teams & a marketing team. Resulting in over 20 employees! My team and I ended up being a top 5 team in the country! There was many ups and downs/ obstacles and set backs, however the people around you are always there for you and push you for success. I have grown exponentially, personally and professionally, and am ready and excited to return as an Executive Regional Manager in the New England division.
What I wish was different
Working for Student Painters (YEAA) is a very time-consuming internship. While this is not something that can be changed, as maximum effort and time spent is necessary for a successful business, it is something that students should be aware of.
Advice
Set big goals and give it your all to achieve them. Never set yourself short.
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Branch Manager
March - August 2020 • South Bend, IN
What I liked
I liked the experience of running my own business and being able to manage my own crew of painters. It was a fun learning experience for college students to gain management experience.
What I wish was different
I wish that I was more prepared for the amount of work that this job entailed.
Advice
Just be prepared for the amount of work that you have to out into the job.
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Branch Manager
February - August 2020 • Ashland, OH
What I liked
Lots of great people, grew a lot as a person, challenging but rewarding
What I wish was different
More work-life balance
Advice
It is all about how hard you work and how much you care, so put your all into it and the experience will be rewarding
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Branch Manager
February 2021 • Jackson, MI
What I liked
Over the past several months I was given the opportunity to run a $100k business and grow a lot as a person and a leader. It is a great program if you are looking to build your resume, gain a valuable network, and make good money for a college student.
What I wish was different
Advice
If you want to push your self this would be a great opportunity to put yourself out there and challenge yourself to do something most people in college are not doing.
