CARBONDALE, Ill. (WSIL) -- A teen's desire to appeal to hunters his age has earned him a national award for his unique clothing line.
Midwest Mafia is the brainchild of 17-year-old Max Valerius of Elkville.
"I feel there's not much representation for [hunters] out there," Valerius said. "I feel like that's really what I want to correllate to."
Valerius' journey began last August when he joined the Jackson County CEO program. Nic Skovgaard, the program's facilitator, says Max was shy when they first met last August.
"We work the entire year with them to develop entreprenurial ideas and help them launch a business before they graduate high school," Skovgaard said.
As part of the program, Skovgaard says all students compete to create the best 30-second pitch video for their product with the winner competing in a national contest. Valerius' work, Skovgaard says, put him ahead of his peers.
"He already had a product... labeled and designed. He started making a couple of hats and was just trying to get his feet wet," Skovgaard said. "Then we got the business plan done, he got his loan and he's off and running."
The hardest part, Valerius says, was filming the video and whittling it down just the way he wanted it.
"We refined the pitch over the course of three hours... just refining and making it as crisp and clean as it could be," Valerius said. "I probably took about five hours of filming."
The video turned out as crisp and clean as the stitches on each of his hats. Valerius took home first-place last week in a national competition against 260 other students.
Valerius won merchandise from the Midland Institute, the group behind the contest, and $1000 which he says will go back into his business.
"It's a surreal moment. I'm still in shock," Valerius told News 3 on Wednesday.
Valerius says he wouldn't have done this without the CEO program and offers a piece of advice for future entrepreneurs.
"If you have something that you really want ot set your mind to... just go out and do it," Valerius said. "You'll find certain skills you never knew you had."
The proof is in Valerius' newfound voice, now equal to his skilled hands.
Valerius and students from Jackson and Union County CEO programs will appear in a trade show to showcase their business ideas. It's happening April 28 at 4:30pm inside the Small Business Development Center in Carbondale.
To visit Midwest Mafia's website click .