122. "Just Quit. We'll Figure It Out." Leaving corporate to build something of her own with Laura Navaquin

Laura Navaquin spent nearly 20 years in corporate America before one Wednesday meeting pushed her over the edge. Her husband said “just quit, we’ll figure it out.” She did, and then spent the next few weeks wondering if she’d made a catastrophic mistake before realizing she was exactly where she was supposed to be.Today Laura and her husband run four businesses rooted in real estate — a consulting practice, a wholesaling company, a framework for real estate agents called Beyond Commissions, and a contracting business — while raising four kids, three of whom are three and under. In this conversation, Ashley and Laura talk about the messy, non-linear reality of building something from scratch while staying present for the people who matter most.In This EpisodeWhy Laura left corporate after 20 years — it wasn’t the job, it was losing control of her own scheduleThe Wednesday she quit on impulse and the fear that followed immediately afterHow she and her husband grew their real estate portfolio from four doors to twenty-one in under two yearsWhy they scaled too fast, stepped back, and what that taught them about sustainable growthCreative financing — what it is and how it changed what was possible for themHow four businesses became interconnected rather than overwhelmingBeyond Commissions — the real estate agent framework they spent 2025 building and launched in JanuaryThe entrepreneur catch-22: needing help, hiring help, and ending up doing it yourself anywayHow they navigate four kids and four businesses — shared office, shared calendar, shared flexibilityGetting kids involved in the business in age-appropriate waysWhy the nine-year-old’s salsa company ambitions are being taken seriouslyThe shift in how we talk about money, investing, and entrepreneurship with the next generationWhere Laura sees things going — development, fundraising, and building on a larger scaleQuotes From This Episode“Some weeks I take off entirely, or I work weekends and late nights — but I’m still able to work that schedule around my life.”— Laura Navaquin“Being able to have that flexibility and creativity with the way you do things allows you to pivot and still keep that business alive.”— Laura Navaquin“When you pressure test the system, then you start to pivot. Then you start to say, what is a reasonable ask for me?”— Ashley Blackington“I never saw myself in real estate in any capacity — but to see where we are nowadays and all the future plans that we’re making. It’s somewhat comical, but in all the best ways.”— Laura Navaquin“Non-traditional is becoming traditional.”— Ashley BlackingtonFind LauraLinkedIn & Instagram: @LauraNavaquinWebsite: lauranavaqquin.comBeyond Commissions: beyondcommissions.ioConnect with Ashley:Website: https://www.ashleyblackington.comPodcast website: https://www.andbothpodcast.com/Dovetail® App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/dovetail-app/id6744341822Instagram: @mydovetail.appLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyblackington/