In episode 32 of Built By Margin, Laurie Chen interviews Won Choi, a Human Potential & Leadership Coach, as she shares her step-by-step evolution from a corporate leader to a thriving entrepreneur and how she channels her expertise in spreadsheets, sales operations, and strategic thinking into coaching others through goal-setting, leadership, and energetic alignment.

Tune in and learn how to create lasting progress, build authentic relationships, and grow your business by focusing on what matters most: YOU.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:00:04] Introducing Laurie Chen, Huang, and Won Choi

[00:01:00] Huang’s corporate career and transition into entrepreneurship

[00:02:15] The mentorship that sparked Huang’s transformation

[00:03:49] Defining burnout and its impact on leadership

[00:05:23] Huang’s coaching programs and methodologies

[00:06:12] Leveraging AI tools for efficiency and growth

[00:12:46] Top book recommendations for entrepreneurs

[00:16:31] Decision-making frameworks—balancing data and intuition

[00:19:21] The first 90 days of transformation for coaching clients

[00:23:14] Huang’s entrepreneurial mindset and financial journey

[00:29:44] Core frameworks: feeling feelings and setting boundaries

[00:33:04] Energy management, peak productivity, and closing thoughts

QUOTES

• "When you actually surrender in life and let go of control, then you can build something much bigger than you could have ever dreamt of." – Won Choi
• "I believe decision-making is 50% knowledge and data, and 50% intuition—your inner knowing." – Won Choi
• "It's not about the how in terms of how to do taxes—it’s more around an identity shift to become a person that can manage money." – Won Choi

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Laurie Chen

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

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

Won Choi

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

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

WEBSITES

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

Advanced CFO: https://www.advancedcfo.co/

Built By Margin: https://www.builtbymargin.com/

Won Daily: https://www.wondaily.com/

In episode 31 of Built By Margin, Laurie Chen interviews the visionary founder and CEO, Andrea Palacio, as she shares her extraordinary journey from launching her first e-commerce business in 2016 to scaling and eventually acquiring a landscaping company, and ultimately founding her own AI consulting firm.

Tune in for an electrifying conversation that will inspire you to take action, scale smarter, and become a true leader in your business.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:00:04] Welcoming Andrea Palacio & background as a founder

[00:01:41] Turning overwhelm into AI-driven solutions

[00:04:08] Staying ahead: How Andrea learns and implements rapidly changing technology

[00:11:12] The anatomy of Andrea's client engagements & service packaging

[00:13:47] Common mistakes and misconceptions business owners make about AI

[00:18:13] Decision-making, risk tolerance, and using AI as your strategic advisor

[00:22:41] KPIs, financial tracking, and lessons in business management

[00:25:16] Tax planning, legal structure, and strategic investments

[00:28:25] Using AI for financial dashboards and business growth strategies

[00:32:18] The ONE AI action to take today for massive results

QUOTES

• "It's a full-time job to be learning and keeping up with all the changes in AI." – Andrea Palacio
• "You want to get both angles on things. And then you just analyze it and make your own decision based on what you have in front of you." – Andrea Palacio
• "At the end of the day, I work with business owners as a fractional CFO and CPA. I always have to think about the numbers and how they affect people." – Laurie Chen

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Laurie Chen

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

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

Andrea Palacio

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

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

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyP_Norvuawar9upnSxUwCQ

WEBSITES

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

Advanced CFO: https://www.advancedcfo.co/

Built By Margin: https://www.builtbymargin.com/

In episode 30 of Built by Margin, Laurie Chen shares key insights from her upcoming book Risk Worthy - decisions compound. Most people think of compounding only in financial terms, but the same principle applies to the choices we make every day—how we spend our time, what we prioritize, the risks we take, and the future we build through repeated action. This episode unpacks why small decisions are rarely small, and how their long-term effect often matters more than the immediate result.

Drawing from her upcoming book Risk Worthy, Laurie breaks down the difference between short-term optimization and long-term alignment. She explores the idea of qualitative ROI—the return that comes from making decisions that shape your character, expand your capacity, and move you toward your best possible future, even when the payoff is not immediate or easily measurable. This episode is a reminder that the best decisions are not always the safest or fastest ones, but the ones that compound into the life and business you actually want.

Whether you’re a founder, CEO, operator, or someone in a season of meaningful decisions, this episode will challenge you to think beyond isolated moments and start viewing your choices as part of a larger pattern. Because over time, your decisions don’t just affect your future—they create it.

QUOTES

• " If you are making decisions that actively choose your best self and your best possible future, those decisions will compound as part of the process of fulfillment. Our decisions compound over time. The question is - what are we allowing to compound?" - Laurie Chen

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Laurie Chen

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

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

WEBSITES

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

Advanced CFO: https://www.advancedcfo.co/

Built By Margin: https://www.builtbymargin.com/