Goal Crazy Founder on Finding a Business Idea Worth Leaving Everything For

Junaid Ahmed (0:00)

Thank you for tuning in to Hacks and Hobbies with your host, Junaid. We're visited by our amazing guests coming from all walks of life. Want to learn their story, their struggles and their journey on how they got to where they are today. So, stick around.

Most people don't fail because they lack talent. They fail because they can't choose the right business idea, or they overthink it for years. I know I did it before. By the end of part one, you'll know how to narrow down your best business idea, validate it without quitting your job tomorrow, and take the first steps to launch this year. My guest today is Jason Van De Veer, author of Dream Driven and founder of Goal Crazy, a platform built to help aspiring entrepreneurs turn ideas into action. Now, that's the kind of stuff I love. All right, let's bring him on the stage. Where's my button?

Jason, welcome back to the show, or welcome to Hacks and Hobbies. Thanks for coming on, man.

Jason Van De Veer (1:17)

Yeah, I'm excited to be here. Thanks for having me.

Junaid Ahmed (1:20)

Now, Jason, take us back to the version of you before Goal Crazy. What did you want?

What were you frustrated by and what changed?

Jason Van De Veer (1:32)

Yeah. So probably like many people, I knew I wanted to start a business. I didn't know what to start, how to start it.

But kind of unique for my story was I was working at our family's car dealerships. So my dad owns five car dealerships. So if you ever come here to Akron, Ohio, you'll see my last name all over, Vanver Kia, Vanver Cadillac, Vanver Chevy, whatever. So I was working there in all the different departments to learn the business, to take it over and be the fourth generation to own and manage a portfolio of car dealerships. And for some reason, I just didn't like it. And maybe we can talk more about that. But I was just so frustrated showing up to work every day. I wanted to start a business of my own, but I didn't know how.

But eventually I clarified this idea of launching a planner that I really wanted to do. So even though everyone told me it was a crazy idea to leave my job there, turn down the opportunity to become a car dealer with a few thousand dollars saved up in my name, to leave and start this planner business. But I left, started a business selling planners, and then that's kind of led to all these other things that you mentioned, courses, coaching, I have a podcast, a book, and some rental properties on the side.

Junaid Ahmed (2:45)

Wow, that's really powerful. And that all happened because you bit the bullet.

You were like, you know, I'm gonna go down the path. I'm gonna do what I am dreaming about because it's gonna help me create something for myself and go down that way.

Jason Van De Veer (3:07)

Yeah, exactly. Yeah.

Junaid Ahmed (3:09)

And what you also shared, your fourth generation car dealer, you know, so you you had first hand experience with amazing sales mentors. Like if you think about it, you worked in every single department. And what are salespeople? They are the.

I think they're the most riskiest salespeople, sorry, entrepreneurs in the world, if you imagine it. And I think a lot of that rubbed off on you to say, hey, I want to go and create something unique, something really real. And I love how you solved your own problem by creating this planner, which then became the business goal crazy. I love that.

Jason Van De Veer (3:51)

Yeah.

Yeah. What I learned in car sales, in through those different departments was super helpful. So I feel like if there's somebody else who wants to start a business, probably the skills you're building right now will be relevant. I do like my life a lot more, but even that's what sparked this idea for this planner. Because as you brought up, I was working in these different departments, and I wanted to do well. I was the owner's son. I was potentially going to be these people's boss. So I needed to learn, all right, what do I need to do in this position? What are the goals? What are the successful behaviors I need to take every day to succeed here? And I was using all these planners to help me. When I started in a department, how am I going to master this in the shortest amount of time so I can move on to the next one?

So I kept buying all these planners, and I could never find one that I feel like promised on what it delivered. And I was reading books, I was going to conferences, I was learning all these self-help things, and I just wanted a planner that put it all together. If I put my goals in this planner and follow the process, I will hit my goals. And I felt like I couldn't find that. I wanted it for me, and that's what led me to say, I'm going to make this.