Matasha LaQuinn shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Matasha, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
I am most proud of building myself back up after failures, setbacks & undesirable outcomes both personally and professionally. This is the part that nobody sees. Especially, in today’s society where only the highlights & wins are placed on a platform.
In my life there have been many times that I’ve encountered situations that knocked me down, hard.
These situations stripped away dreams, goals, relationships, finances, and confidence in my own God given abilities. However, each instance also came with a choice to either give up or get up. Thankfully, because of my faith and resiliency, my choice has always been to get up. On this journey, I’ve learned to give myself grace but also understand that defeat is not an option. It may take 2 weeks or 2 years, but I will get up. There may be a limp or a few bruises to nurse, but I have to get up. We are all gifted with one life and have the choice to become a victim of circumstances or pursue every great thing that life has to offer. I’m in pursuit and want it all.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am the CEO of The LaQuinn Group, a luxury Real Estate firm specializing in transaction representation, investment planning and development.
My industry experience spans over two decades and includes managing more than $1 billion in property assets for top financial institutions as an Asset Manager. Now, at the LaQuinn Group, I lead our “Build Tha Block” initiative to bring affordable housing and homeownership to underserved communities.
In 2020, I launched Society 23, a real estate investment platform that empowers individuals—regardless of their financial background—to invest together in community-driven development projects. Society 23 has raised significant capital and delivered affordable housing solutions in historically marginalized neighborhoods.
I often think back to the pregnant 18 year old that dropped out of college, worked as a bill collector and had no idea of what I would do with my life. The puzzle piece that led me to Real Estate would be my grandmother, Real Estate pioneer Jacqueline Cooper. I watched her trailblaze many paths in this industry and that foundation continues to influence my mission.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who taught you the most about work?
My grandmother, Jacqueline “Jackie” Cooper raised me. She has been a Real Estate broker for over 40 years and owned two Real Estate firms, so I was exposed to Real Estate excellence my entire life.
As a baby, I would sleep in my carrier under the desk in her office. As I got older, I was unwillingly tagging along in the back seat while she showed properties during the weekends and summers while my friends were hanging at the mall or amusement parks. Every morning when I woke up for school, my grandmother was already dressed for work so she could head straight to the office after dropping me off. Some days if we were running late, I would think to myself “You’re the boss, so what’s the big deal?”.
After school, either her or a family member would pick me up and take me to the office to complete homework and wait until the workday was complete. In many cases, it would be 6:30p or 7pm. Whew, I would be aggravated lol. Especially, the days that there was a meeting or bible study AFTER the office.
This consistent routine was indirectly teaching me about work, but most importantly, commitment and entrepreneurship. It exposed me to the freedom and flexibility of entrepreneurship, and the reality that it required hard work, There was no showing up late, leaving early or missing days just because she could. The only option was to show up every day and get it done. I started my Real Estate classes at 18yrs old and obtained my license at 19. From that point, I began to see how much of a trailblazer she was. The entire time I was complaining about weekend showings and after school office visits, my grandmother was breaking down many barriers. She was the first female President of The Houston Black Real Estate Association, first female REO broker for Fannie Mae in Harris County, one of her companies was awarded an exclusive HUD contract to manage HUD property assets across 13 Counties in Southeast Texas and much more. She held many titles, board positions and received numerous awards locally, regionally and nationally. Her work employed many of our family members and has been an inspiration to many.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering taught me the importance of “learning to lose”.
I was always on a mission to create a goal, set the plan and go win. For the most part, it always worked until the goals got bigger. When the goals got bigger, I was faced with more resistance and a realization that the desired outcome may not happen. This caused debilitating anxiety along with internal conflict that caused me to lose confidence and question my God given abilities. The recovery period after a “loss” or “failure” was long and heavy.
I was tired of feeling this way, tired of hiding under a rock and tired of having to do so much work to rebuild myself each time an outcome didn’t match my plan. Through prayer, I recognized that it was my mindset about suffering & failure that had to change. I took accountability and shifted my perspective about resistance, delays and perceived failures.
First, I recognized that it is impossible to win every time. The greatest athletes don’t even win every game. I learn from losses by identifying what should have been done differently and determining how the lesson will be used to positively influence the next endeavor.
Secondly, it taught me to always be prepared to pivot. If you are realistic about the possibility that things can and will go wrong, then your approach to risk management is more thorough. You are equipped to identify & address potential issues quicker. It also frees you from carrying around the “victim mentality”.
Lastly, suffering forced me to surrender to a power and plan greater than my own, No matter how smart you are or how great you think your plan is, God is in control of it all. On the other side of suffering or failure, there is always a greater purpose, and everything is working together to make you a better version of yourself.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
It most certainly is. Unapologetically.
I believe in authenticity and teach my team the same. Life is hard enough without having to flip different switches depending on what platform or room you walk into. Most people don’t have their own identity and are busy conforming to the expectations of others. I’m quirky, funny and like to have a good time. But I also know that I’m talented and the services we provide are valuable to our clients and the community. If someone chooses to deny themselves from receiving the greatness you have to offer because they are too busy judging you, let them.
Who created the rule that showing up as someone else would guarantee a better opportunity?
For me, it wasn’t always that easy. Luckily, I’ve realized that any opportunity I was graced for will show up regardless.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What do you think people will most misunderstand about your legacy?
Many people are aware of how my grandmothers’ influence has contributed to my own career.
The most misunderstood part would be the thought of a “silver spoon” and an assumption that things were handed to me. I still had to fight and earn my place.
There are numerous paths to take in Real Estate that all lead to a different destination. My grandmother’s path was obtaining contracts with Government entities and financial institutions to manage and market their property portfolios. God blessed me with my own goals and purpose in Real Estate. My path moved toward asset management and development. So, the foundation was definitely there, but the plans and blueprint for that path did not exist.
Because of this, I still endured the struggles and growing pains that come with paving your own path. The only difference is that I was working to expand an existing legacy and I had proof of what was possible.
Image Credits
Monica Blackshire
Gerard Hobbz
