In Episode 56 of Built by Margin, Laurie sits down with Antonia Blanco, founder of Trusty Transactions, to explore what it means to build a business through fear and discover a renewed sense of purpose along the way.

What would you build if you stopped worrying about what other people might think?

As her children grew older and she entered a new season of life, Antonia found herself searching for an identity beyond the roles of wife and mother. Starting Trusty Transactions gave her a new mission: helping small-business owners access the tax knowledge, financial guidance, and professional resources that are often reserved for larger companies.

Antonia shares how her father’s 40 years as a business owner shaped her entrepreneurial foundation and inspired her to serve the mom-and-pop businesses she considers the backbone of America. Her work is especially focused on first-generation and immigrant entrepreneurs in Southern California who may be building businesses without a clear understanding of entity selection, bookkeeping, tax compliance, or the importance of separating business and personal finances.

Laurie and Antonia discuss the difference between tax preparation and proactive tax strategy, the importance of setting clear client boundaries, and why forming an S corporation is not automatically the right decision for every business. They also explore tax resolution, ITIN-related challenges, California’s layered tax requirements, and the growing role of AI in the accounting profession.

On the business-building side, Antonia opens up about finding the right clients, learning marketing and sales through trial and error, and tripling her book of business through trust, retention, and referrals. She also shares her long-term ambition to pursue a law degree so she can bring even more sophisticated resources to the small-business community.

At the center of Antonia’s story is a risk nearly every entrepreneur understands: the risk of being seen. Starting the business, creating content, appearing on podcasts, and putting her ideas into the world all required her to move beyond the fear of failure and judgment.

This conversation is a reminder that courage doesn’t always mean feeling ready. Sometimes it means taking the first step, putting yourself out there, and choosing to build it scared.

Laurie Chen

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauriechencpamba/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauriechen/

Risk Worthy: https://www.riskworthy.co/

Antonia Blanco

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/antonia_trusty_transactions/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toni-blanco-672616173/