From Bartender to Realtor: How One Life Change Built a New Career in Real Estate

What happens when life forces you to rethink everything? In this episode of More Than A Mortgage, Gavin Sessions sits down with realtor Jared Laughlin to talk about his unexpected journey from spending 20 years in the restaurant industry to building a new career in real estate. Jared shares how his experiences in hospitality, customer service, martial arts, and personal growth shaped the way he serves his clients today. The conversation explores the psychology of money, how our financial beliefs are formed, and why buying a home is not just a financial decision — it’s an emotional one. Chapters: 0:00 Introduction & Welcome 0:53 The Power of Re-Listening to Books 4:55 Real Estate as Therapy & Wearing Many Hats 6:32 From Restaurants to Real Estate: Jared's Early Career 12:13 COVID as a Catalyst & Moving to Idaho 13:24 MMA Fighting Journey & Physical Toll 20:26 7 Years Sober: Motivation & Redemption 28:20 Husband-Wife Team Dynamic in Real Estate 31:24 Systems, Transaction Coordinators & Key Books 37:28 Building a Business from Scratch in a New Market