The Blueprint for Leaving Your Job, Starting a Company, and Giving Back | Gavin Toomey and Grant Bortner

The Hidden Entrepreneur Show with Josh Cary

What happens when two engineers secretly hatch a business plan during lunch breaks, quit their six-figure jobs on the same day, and never look back?

Meet Gavin Toomey and Grant Bortner, aka the G2 Guys, who turned their shared vision into a thriving real estate company (G2 Rentals), a profitable service business (PanelSwap Electric), and now, a mission-driven nonprofit aimed at building churches, schools, and changing lives.

This episode is not just about scaling businesses, it’s about the courage to walk away from stability, the mindset to win through trial and error, and the belief that giving back is the ultimate entrepreneurial reward.

Whether you’re stuck in a day job with bigger dreams, looking to scale multiple businesses in sync, or feeling the tug toward more purpose-driven work, this conversation is your roadmap.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

The Real Risk Behind Leaving a “Good Job”: Why Gavin and Grant walked away from engineering careers, and the exact moment they knew it was time to bet on themselves.

How to Run Two Businesses That Actually Help Each Other Grow: The smart synergy between G2 Rentals and PanelSwap Electric and how they structured both for sustainability and scale.

The Power of Partnerships: Why their friendship turned business partnership works, how complementary skills multiply their results, and what they do when disagreements happen.

Building Confidence Through Proximity: How attending real estate meetups and staying after to ask “one more question” created momentum, and why most people skip this step.

The Birth of a Purpose-Driven Nonprofit: The surprising story behind their annual charity auction idea, what inspired their long-term vision, and why their focus is on sustainable impact over performative giving.

Lessons on Networking, Mindset, and Taking Daily Action: The habits that keep them moving forward daily, and why just 15 minutes of focused effort can change your future.

Memorable Quotes

“We had to sneak into the break room just to talk about tenant issues.” – Grant Bortner

“One plus one doesn’t equal two. It equals ten—when you’ve got complementary skills and the same mindset.” – Gavin Toomey

“Talk to strangers. That person next to you might change your life, or you might change theirs.” – Grant Bortner

“We don’t have it all figured out. But every day, we take action. That’s the difference.” – Gavin Toomey

“When I told my former boss I was leaving to build our business, he said it was the biggest mistake of my life. I walked out smiling.” – Gavin Toomey

Want More?

If you're an entrepreneur looking to grow your message, align your businesses, or find your deeper mission, this episode is your green light.