In episode 28 of Built By Margin, Laurie Chen shares key insights from her upcoming book Risk Worthy. — In this episode, Laurie breaks down one of the core ideas from Risk Worthy: Why Numbers Matter — numbers don’t drive the decision—but they absolutely protect it. If Risk Worthy is about qualitative ROI, purpose, alignment, and growth, why do numbers still matter?

Laurie walks through the four pillars—Best Self, Best Possible Future, Variance Engineering, and Start Small / Iterate Fast—to show where financial discipline, metrics, and constraints belong in values-led decision making. You’ll learn how numbers act as a dashboard (not a dictator): they prevent recklessness, reveal what’s compounding over time, help you cap downside risk, and improve the quality of your experiments when you’re testing a new direction.

The episode closes with a simple, practical “10-minute Risk Worthy Numbers Check” you can apply to any decision (career, relationships, business, or health): define your budget (money/time/energy), name an acceptable loss, and choose one metric that signals you’re compounding in the right direction over the next 30 days.

QUOTES

• "Design the systems that make the numbers work for you, and make the measurement of your success consistent and the success of your outcomes more attainable, perhaps even inevitable." - 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/

In episode 27 of Built By Margin, Laurie Chen interviews Dr. Greg Pursley, a business coach, author, and CEO, who discusses the pivotal moment that led him to transform his business into a sellable asset and how he now helps entrepreneurs break through mental barriers to achieve sustainable growth.

Tune in for insights on gaining clarity, boosting income, and creating lasting impact in your business.

QUOTES

• "If you don't have a strategy, then it turns into chaos." - Dr. Greg Pursley
• "Most people underestimate the potential of growth because they don't base it on data in the market; they base it on what they hope will happen." - Dr. Greg Pursley
• "Accepting is the part that a lot of people skip." - Dr. Greg Pursley

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Laurie Chen

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

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

Dr. Greg Pursley

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drgregpursley1/

WEBSITES

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

In episode 26 of Built By Margin, Laurie Chen interviews Jaben Makings, the founder of Onnix Investments, as he shares his journey of disrupting the real estate investing world by redefining how agents and investors collaborate. Risk Worthy isn’t reckless — it’s calculated. In this episode, Jaben Makings breaks down how he evaluates off-market deals, builds a team, and makes decisions that compound.

Tune in to discover how strategic financial decisions can drive profitability in your business.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:01:05] Real estate career pivot.

[00:04:01] Profit margins and business growth.

[00:08:08] AI's impact on business operations.

[00:10:15] Team building and accountability.

[00:14:27] Revenue versus profit differentiation.

[00:19:15] Risk-taking in business growth.

[00:22:31] Recommended leadership books.

[00:26:38] Shiny object syndrome in business.

[00:28:38] Unfocused Thinking in Business.

[00:32:55] Instagram collaboration and growth.

QUOTES

• "The biggest thing I've learned since hiring people is that you teach people how to treat you." - Jaben Makings
• "But when you own a business, especially in the first couple of years when you're still a startup, and you're still scaling, there's going to be a lot of risk with a lot of the decisions that you make." - Jaben Makings
• "You need to make sure you're filling your mind with positive stuff because if you let your mind wander and think for itself, it's typically gonna side with fear and anxiety." - Jaben Makings

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Laurie Chen

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

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

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

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

Jaben Makings

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaben-makings

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

Onnix Investments: https://onnixinvestments.com/