Always Building

When Cristian Coreas first heard about door-to-door sales, he wasn’t convinced.

At the time, he was playing college soccer at Southeast Community College and had never worked in sales. The idea of moving across the country for the summer to knock on doors in Atlanta, Georgia, felt like a big leap.

“It seemed kind of scary,” he said. “I’d never done sales before.”

But sometimes the biggest opportunities come at moments of change. After a difficult personal experience, Coreas decided it was time to try something new.

“The worst thing that could happen is I come back and get a normal job,” he said. “So, I just went for it.”

That decision would quickly change the trajectory of his college experience.

Finding Confidence Through Sales

Coreas joined EcoShield Pest Solutions and attended a five-day initial training program, where his first sale ignited something inside him.

“I was so excited about that one sale,” he said. “That’s when I realized if I actually put in the work, I could do this.”

He committed fully, cutting off distractions, dedicating evenings to studying, and sharpening his skills. That focus paid off quickly. At his next training event, he generated $11,000 in revenue in just three days, ranking No. 1 in the company.

“I was like, ‘Wow, this is real,’” he said.

Soon after, he headed to Atlanta for the summer sales season.

Pushing Through Challenges

The early success didn’t come without challenges. Long days in the heat, time away from family, and the mental demands of sales tested his resolve.

“There were days I was like, ‘Why am I doing this?’” Coreas said.

What kept him going was a deeper sense of purpose.

“I had to remind myself of my ‘why,’” he said. “It was bigger than just the job. It was about proving something to myself.”

By the end of the summer, Coreas had generated $125,000 in revenue and earned between $30,000 and $40,000 in commissions, an achievement that helped him fund his education and gain financial independence.

“It opened so many doors for me,” he said. “I didn’t even know something like this was possible.”

Stepping Into Leadership

Now a junior in UNO’s College of Business Administration with concentrations in sales and marketing, Coreas is taking on a new challenge: leading others.

This year, he accepted a managerial role, recruiting and mentoring a team of more than 30 students. Of those, 22 have remained active, an outcome he attributes to the culture he’s building.

His team, called Ascend, is centered around a simple idea: ascend above average.

“I want people to see what they’re capable of,” he said. “Not just stay comfortable but actually take that risk and grow.”

So far, his team has already generated approximately $150,000 in revenue during preseason training events. This summer, Coreas has set ambitious goals: $250,000 in personal sales and $2 million as a team.

An Entrepreneurial Mindset

Coreas’ drive didn’t start with sales. Growing up in Omaha, he was constantly exploring new ventures, from running a small landscaping business to building websites, creating YouTube content, and even growing a TikTok following of more than 160,000.

“I’ve always liked doing things that aren’t typical,” he said.

That mindset led him to UNO’s College of Business Administration, where he is now shifting his focus toward sales and marketing after initially studying finance.

“I love the creativity of marketing and the challenge of sales,” he said. “It feels natural to me.”

His professor agrees. "Cristian is a very bright student," said Dr. Sona Klucarova, Assistant Professor of Marketing and Entrepreneurship at UNO. "He brings an exceptional level of curiosity and energy to every class discussion, consistently enriching the learning experience for everyone around him. I am lucky to have him in my class."

Looking Ahead

Although Coreas is still exploring his long-term career path, one thing is clear: entrepreneurship will likely play a role.

“I don’t know exactly what I want to do yet,” he said. “But I know I want to build something.”

In the meantime, he’s focused on finishing the semester early so he can join his team in Atlanta ahead of the summer sales season, a commitment that reflects both his ambition and his leadership.

He’s also thinking long-term about financial success, emphasizing the importance of saving, investing, and building knowledge.

“If you want to make money, you have to understand how to use it,” he said.

From a hesitant first step into sales to leading a growing team, Coreas is making the most of his time at UNO, pushing himself beyond his comfort zone and encouraging others to do the same.

“I just wanted something different,” he said. “And it turned into something way bigger than I expected.”