Life Lessons From An Appalachian Entrepreneur With Dave Yeany

The Entrepreneurial Mindset Project

Today I’m speaking with Dave Yeany, the founder of Yeany’s Maple, a small but thriving maple syrup business located in Marienville, PA.

This is really an amazing underdog story that you won’t want to miss.

I met Dave a few months back when giving a talk in Marienville, which is a small town of approximately 3,500 people located smack dab in the poorest county in Pennsylvania. Little did I know there was an unlikely entrepreneur in our midst.

As a high school dropout, he spent the bulk of his career as a custodian at the local high school. Yet he was always looking for ways to make extra money in his spare time.

One day, he decided he would try to make maple syrup from scratch.

With only a few borrowed taps, he figured out how to make his first batch, which he then gave away to family and friends. They soon came back asking for more.

At that moment, he realized there might be an opportunity at hand. Yet rather than quitting his job and going all in, he started small, selling maple syrup at the end of his driveway on the honor system.

By the time he sold $70,000 worth of maple syrup in his spare time, he decided it was time to make the leap. Today, he not only has a thriving business, but he is also making a huge impact in his community.

This is such a great story, one that not only demonstrates the power of the entrepreneurial mindset to improve our own lives but also the impact it can have on the communities we inhabit.