About Marc Rousso

Marc Rousso didn't plan to become "Captain Vision." The nickname came from his team at JayMarc Homes, the luxury custom home building company he co-founded with college roommate Jay Mezistrano. But the vision itself? That was forged in crisis.

In 2008, the Great Recession left Marc $2.5 million in debt. Then came two brain surgeries, losing his best friend Joey to cancer, and his CFO Carl's sudden passing from a heart attack. Together, these crises nearly broke him completely.

But here's what Marc remembers most: his daughter asking if they could still go to the zoo together on Saturdays.

In that moment, he realized something. In the middle of all that loss, what he gained was a new perspective on what mattered most.

Marc pulled out his black notebook and started journaling: "What do I want the next 10 years to look like?" He mapped out 8 areas of his life: Family, Health, Finance, Mental Growth, Spiritual Contribution, Social Community, Career, and Partnership. This time with a new definition of success and a constellation of mentors to guide him. Not a business plan. A life plan.

That question became his compass. It guided him from near bankruptcy to founding JayMarc Homes and growing the luxury home building business to over $100 million in revenue with a 50-person team. In 2019, they became the first Seattle homebuilder to win the National Housing Quality Award in the competition's 25-year history.

But the real wins? Being present to take his kids to Taylor Swift concerts and Seahawks games. Bucket list trips. Training for a half-Ironman. Opening for Fatboy Slim and Claptone in Miami after reigniting his DJ career. A marriage that grew stronger through it all. Accomplishing for a purpose vs. for status.

Entrepreneurship runs in Marc's blood. His grandfather came through Ellis Island from Greece in 1915 at just 17, without a penny. He shined shoes, saved every dollar, and eventually opened Corner Produce at Seattle's Pike Place Market, a business that lasted over 50 years.

Marc and Jay started their first business at 20, a DJ company at the University of Washington in 1990. They dominated the Seattle college market, sold the DJ company five years later, and pivoted into real estate before founding JayMarc Homes in 2010.

Over three decades, Marc's been guided by legendary leaders including:

He's a graduate of the University of Washington, MIT/EO Entrepreneur Masters Program, and YPO's nine-year Presidents Program at Harvard Business School.

His greatest teachers, though, were his lowest moments. They shaped everything.

Marc founded The Vision Academy in 2025 to help successful entrepreneurs design intentional lives. For 30+ years, he's been sharing this life design philosophy one-on-one with leaders who've achieved business success but want more: more presence with their kids, deeper connection in their marriage, better health, greater fulfillment.

The Vision Academy applies the same disciplined, strategic thinking entrepreneurs use in business to all 8 areas of life. Over 12 weekly sessions, participants create their 10-Year Vision Blueprint.

Marc's approach is grounded in servant leadership, authenticity, vulnerability, and continuous growth. He's not a guru on a stage. He's a fellow traveler, still growing, still building.

Marc lives in Seattle with his wife Leslie and their two children, Lee and Siena. His mission? Guide people to find, develop, and become mentors, unlocking intentional lives through the power of meaningful connection.

That's what a 10-Year Vision can do.
You are one door away from transforming your life and the lives of others.