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