Walked Away From A Multi-Million Dollar Family Business To Follow His Dream | Jason VanDevere
---
What would you do if you were handed a golden ticket — a fourth-generation family business with your name literally on the building — but it wasn't your passion? Jason VanDevere did something most people would never dare: he walked away. In this powerful episode of The Undiscovered Entrepreneur, Jason breaks down exactly how he built the Goal Crazy Planner, scaled a real estate portfolio to 34 units, launched the Goal Crazy Podcast, and wrote his new book *Dream Driven* — all by choosing the fire inside him over the security of a paycheck.
This episode is packed with actionable strategies for new and experienced entrepreneurs alike. Whether you're stuck at the start line, struggling to break bad habits, or searching for that perfect business idea, Jason delivers a clear roadmap to help you get moving.
---
## 🔥 What You'll Learn In This Episode
- Why leaving your comfort zone is the most profitable decision you'll ever make
- How to use negative feedback as a business-saving superpower
- The difference between the Easy Money Route and the Dream Driven approach to finding your perfect business idea
- How a daily scorecard of 10 successful behaviors can completely transform your results
- Why your desire MUST be greater than your challenges or you will quit
- How to find and connect with mentors already doing what you want to do
- The pre-mortem strategy that helps entrepreneurs avoid costly mistakes before they happen
- Why problems and pitfalls are actually your greatest business teachers
- How Jason built a 34-unit real estate portfolio starting from zero knowledge
- The focus group strategy that saved Jason's business before it even launched
---
## ⏱️ Timestamps
**00:00** — Welcome & Simulation School intro
**01:00** — Jason's background: fourth-generation car dealership family in Akron, Ohio
**02:30** — Why Jason walked away from the family business despite everyone telling him he was crazy
**04:00** — The difference between doing it for money vs doing it for passion
**05:00** — What actually stops most new entrepreneurs from crossing the start line
**06:00** — Fear as false evidence appearing real & how to push through it
**07:30** — The origin story behind the Goal Crazy Planner
**09:00** — How growing up in the dealership sparked Jason's obsession with goal setting
**10:00** — Why Jason wanted to prove success isn't just about having the right parents
**11:30** — Tracking lives changed as a core business metric
**12:00** — How focus groups nearly crushed Jason — and then saved everything
**14:00** — Why negative feedback is more valuable than positive feedback
**16:00** — Jason's biggest pitfall and why he's most proud of it
**17:30** — Real estate investing with zero knowledge: floods, lightning strikes & broken AC units
**18:30** — How problems taught Jason to become a real landlord
**19:00** — The pre-mortem strategy every entrepreneur needs to know
**20:00** — How Jason identified and broke his bad habits
**21:00** — Finding mentors: the shortest distance between two points is a straight line
**22:00** — The daily scorecard system inside the Goal Crazy Planner
**23:30** — Dream Driven book overview: the step-by-step process to launch your business this year
**25:00** — Easy Money Route vs Dream Driven Route explained
**27:00** — Why money follows passion and not the other way around
**28:00** — Step-by-step advice for brand new entrepreneurs
**29:00** — How to find and cold call mentors in any industry
**31:00** — Using Facebook groups and online forums to connect with experienced business owners
**32:30** — The genius strategy of looking at businesses for sale to learn from owners
**34:00** — Where to find the Goal Crazy Planner, Dream Driven book & free course
**35:00** — Jason's 6-month goal: 100 lives changed
**36:00** — Wrap up & closing thoughts
---
## 📚 Resources Mentioned
- 📘 **Dream Driven** by Jason VanDevere — Search on Amazon: *Dream Driven Jason VanDevere*
- 📓 **Goal Crazy Planner** — Available at goalcrazy.com and on Amazon: Search *Goal Crazy Planner*
- 🎙️ **Goal Crazy Podcast** — Search *Goal Crazy Podcast* on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & all major platforms
- 🆓 **Free Business Idea Course** — goalcrazy.com/idea
---
## 🔗 Connect With Jason VanDevere
🌐 Website: goalcrazy.com
---
## 🎙️ About The Undiscovered Entrepreneur
*If this episode gave you value, please like, comment and subscribe. Every share helps another undiscovered entrepreneur get across the start line.*
