Adulting 101
Josh Burnette and Pete Hardesty have a heart for seeing young men grow into adulthood. They encourage young men to build a healthy relationship with their parents. Burnette and Hardesty also want young men to find success in the workplace. In order to see that happen, young men have to learn the value of hard work, punctuality, and responsibility.
Meet Series Guests
Josh Burnette
Josh Burnette is a husband, dad, business owner, and author who currently resides in Little Rock, Arkansas. Originally from Virginia Beach, Virginia, he started working for Chick-fil-A as a team member when he was barely old enough to see over the counter. He received his bachelor’s degree in business management from James Madison University in 2009 (Go Dukes!). Throughout college, he served as a Young Life leader for a local high school, and his passion for mentoring young people began.
After graduating, he went to work fulltime for a Young Life camp in Buena Vista, Colorado. He decided to come back to Chick-fil-A to combine his loves for business and working with young people. He served as the owner/operator of a mall restaurant for two years and currently leads a free-standing restaurant employing over one hundred people in Little Rock. Josh is a certified speaker with SCORRE workshops and recently enjoyed the opportunity to be the keynote speaker for Verizon Wireless.
In his free time, he enjoys reading, traveling, volunteering on several boards in the community, and snowboarding. Josh is married and has two children.
Pete Hardesty
Pete Hardesty currently serves as the Young Life college divisional coordinator in the Eastern Division. He moved to the Washington, D.C. area from the friendly city of Harrisonburg, Virginia. Pete grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, and graduated from the University of Virginia where he was pre-med with the emphasis on “pre.” He then joined the staff of Young Life in Virginia Beach, where he served for seven years before moving to Harrisonburg in 2004. After being the area director for Young Life in Harrisonburg for eight years, Pete transitioned to start Young Life College at James Madison University in 2012.
Pete loves being around college students even though they make him feel old. He received his Master of Divinity from Reformed Theological Seminary in 2014. A passion for the Middle East has inspired Pete to lead Holy Land trips for the last ten years, with a focus on serving Palestinian kids in the West Bank.
He is a frequent international keynote speaker and is a speaker coach with SCORRE workshops. He loves people and creating environments where they can thrive and achieve their potential. His two nieces are the apple of his eye.