Episode 529: How to Leave Your 9-5 Job By Investing in Real Estate with Lauren Keen Aumond

In this episode of the Smart Real Estate Coach Podcast, Chris is joined by Lauren Keen Aumond, a Florida-based real estate investor, podcast host, and personal finance educator who left her corporate sales job at age 33 thanks to her strategic investing.   Lauren walks us through her journey from personal finance nerd to full-time investor, how she built her rental portfolio, and the importance of taking action before you’re desperate to leave your job. She and her husband now manage a combination of short-term and long-term rentals, operate with financial freedom, and navigate the unique challenges of the Florida market—including tricky insurance issues and tenant laws.   You’ll also hear Lauren’s best advice for escaping the 9-to-5 grind, how she and her husband split responsibilities in both life and business, and the behind-the-scenes evolution of her podcast Adulting Is Easy. This episode is a masterclass in intentional living, taking action, and building a life on your own terms.     Key Talking Points of the Episode   00:00 Introduction and welcome 01:05 Meet Lauren Keen Aumond: real estate investor and content creator 01:52 Leaving her corporate job at 33—how she built her foundation early 02:40 Why you shouldn’t wait until you hate your job to start investing 04:00 How Lauren bought her first house at 22 working at Toys “R” Us 06:10 House hacking and her first experience as a landlord 07:20 The role her dad played in keeping her first property as a rental 07:50 Meeting her husband and scaling their portfolio together 08:20 Why they moved from long-term to short-term rentals 08:53 Their current portfolio: apartment buildings, duplexes, ADUs 09:30 How her husband selling his engineering firm accelerated their progress 10:00 Advice for those stuck in a corporate job: “Don’t give your best to someone else” 10:45 Set a goal, have a plan, and stick to it 11:50 The belief factor: “You already take more action than most” 12:50 The importance of setting a hard date for quitting 13:19 Details on the Wicked Smart Apprentice Program 15:00 Real examples of students who made the leap from corporate 15:50 How tenant laws led Lauren to shift toward short-term rentals 16:30 Florida’s murky tenant laws and eviction moratoriums during COVID 17:58 Why short-term rentals offer more control over property access 18:32 Managing real estate with your spouse: the good, the bad, and the boundaries 20:10 How Lauren and her husband split responsibilities—and why they had to redefine their roles 21:49 The challenges of being romantic and business partners 22:32 Florida market analysis: insurance costs, flood zones, and climate concerns 24:00 What properties are likely to appreciate—and which won’t 25:19 Lauren’s podcast Adulting Is Easy—teaching finance through storytelling 26:12 Her #1 takeaway from hundreds of podcast interviews 26:41 Avoiding “self-help porn”: why action matters more than knowledge 27:27 Tying your action to a strong “why” 28:55 Lauren’s why: freedom from alarms, business trips, and limitations 29:46 Final thoughts and how to connect with Lauren       Quotables     “Don’t wait until you hate your job to build your exit plan. Start while you’re still happy.” “Why would you give the best of yourself to someone else, day after day, instead of to your own dream?” “Have a goal—and when you hit it, do the thing. Leave the job.” “Action is what makes you an investor. Not podcasts. Not books. Action.” “The confidence boost from taking action will make the rest of life easier. Everything changes.”       Links QLS 4.0 - Use coupon code for 50% off https://smartrealestatecoach.com/qls Coupon code: podApprentice Program https://3paydaysapprentice.com Coupon code: PodcastMasterclass https://smartrealestatecoach.com/masterspodcast Wicked Smart Books https://wickedsmartbooks.com/podcast Strategy Session https://smartrealestatecoach.com/actionpodcast Partners https://smartrealestatecoach.com/podcastresources