In episode 25 of Built By Margin, Laurie Chen interviews Fahim Talukdar, VP of Finance at Praetorian, as he shares his unique career journey, starting from commercial and personal banking to his current role in a cutting-edge cybersecurity company.

Tune in to learn more about Fahim's experiences and the evolving landscape of finance in the corporate cybertechnology space.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:01:17] Career path in finance.

[00:05:05] Startup finance and forecasting.

[00:10:16] Remote work culture challenges.

[00:14:00] Tools for finance and accounting.

[00:17:22] Upgrading ERP systems.

[00:23:47] AI opportunities in finance.

[00:27:42] AI in financial modeling.

[00:30:24] Human judgment in financial metrics.

[00:34:57] Key performance metrics for CEOs.

[00:37:21] Importance of networking in finance.

[00:41:34] Insights into income.

QUOTES

• "You have to be able to adapt. You have to be able to be real with stakeholders and provide them with... guardrails to end up with an overall plan that makes sense." - Fahim Talukdar
• "What we don't want to do is just be kind of stuck in how we do things, and then there's something out there on the market that's a game change,r and we didn't know that." - Fahim Talukdar
• “If you do good work, if you make good connections, that those connections tend to open doors for you down the road.” - Fahim Talukdar

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Laurie Chen

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

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

Fahim Talukdar

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

WEBSITES

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

Praetorian: https://www.praetorian.com/

In episode 24 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: your Best Possible Future — and why it’s the missing filter most people need when making high-stakes decisions.

You’ll learn the difference between Best Self and Best Possible Future: Best Self is about the thoughts, energy, and character you bring into the world, while Best Possible Future is about the outcomes and life vision you’re building toward — your “vision board fulfilled.” Laurie explains how your Best Possible Future helps you evaluate risk through a simple, grounding question: even with uncertainty, does this move me closer to my long-term vision?

From there, she connects the concept to real decisions with real consequences — building a life-changing product, investing $100K into a startup, or choosing the right business partner — and introduces the idea of qualitative ROI: when a decision is aligned with your Best Self and Best Possible Future, you can trust that the logistics and numbers tend to resolve over a long enough horizon.

Finally, Laurie challenges the timeline assumptions behind your goals, drawing from Peter Thiel’s “Why can’t you do this in 6 months?” and Benjamin Hardy’s argument for compressing timelines to force focus, simplification, and 80/20 thinking. The episode closes with a powerful question: Is your Best Possible Future ten years away — or six months away? And what would change if you had to find out?

Key themes: Best Possible Future framework, qualitative ROI, risk-worthiness, 10x vs 10-year thinking, timeline compression, simplifying for vertical progress, decision-making under uncertainty.

QUOTES

• "The question that both Peter Thiel and Benjamin Hardy lead me to ask is: is our best possible future 10 years away or is it 6 months away? Cutting the time leads to more honest and more critical assessments about achieving the best possible future." - 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 23 of Built By Margin, Laurie Chen interviews Sean Travis, a former firefighter-paramedic turned entrepreneur and founder of Ecom for Heroes, based in Hermosa Beach, California, as he discusses the challenges he faced, including burnout and personal loss, that led him to take a leap of faith into entrepreneurship.

Tune in to hear valuable insights on entrepreneurship and the intersection of passion and purpose in business.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:01:06] Transitioning from firefighting to entrepreneurship.

[00:04:39] Teaching and coaching first responders.

[00:09:56] Overcoming imposter syndrome.

[00:11:41] Imposter syndrome in entrepreneurship.

[00:16:01] Daily habits for creativity.

[00:20:46] Financial growth and strategy.

[00:23:08] Cash flow forecasting importance.

[00:26:26] Client contract strategies.

[00:32:49] Client contracts and communication.

[00:35:01] AI's impact on business growth.

[00:39:19] AI product discovery dashboard.

[00:43:26] Optimizing treatment protocols with AI.

[00:45:12] AI tools for business efficiency.

[00:48:43] Google Gemini integration benefits.

QUOTES

• "Believing in reminding myself daily that I am enough." -Sean Travis
• "You cannot find the solution with the same mindset that gave you the problem." -Sean Travis
• "If you're going to pick one, pick one that integrates the most with your life."-Sean Travis

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Laurie Chen

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

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/lauriechencpamba

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

Sean Travis

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ecomforheroes/?hl=en

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

WEBSITES

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

In episode 22 of Built By Margin, Laurie Chen interviews Kelly Jedele, the owner of a multi-million dollar residential cleaning company based in Austin, Texas, as she discusses her company's growth, her financial A-team, the importance of community engagement, and her unique customer acquisition strategies, including the power of word-of-mouth referrals and goodwill advertising.

Tune in to gain insights on building a profitable business while maintaining flexibility and prioritizing family.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:01:19] Starting a business after firing.

[00:07:30] Company cars for business efficiency.

[00:10:41] Biggest risks in business ownership.

[00:12:34] Betting on Yourself.

[00:16:32] Employee recognition and morale.

[00:22:01] Tax strategy for business growth.

[00:25:36] Revenue model and pricing strategy.

[00:32:03] Future growth and strategy.

[00:34:06] Favorite book influences life.

[00:36:45] Dog ownership and rescue.

QUOTES

• "I would say one of the biggest risks is just starting and planning." -Kelly Jedele
• "I truly believe looking at my employees in the eyes and recognizing them in the morning when they're here is important." -Kelly Jedele
• "I am just looking at what I want to do next in my life for what would warm my spirit and speak to my soul." -Kelly Jedele

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Laurie Chen

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

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

Kelly Jedele

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

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

WEBSITES

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

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

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

In episode 21 of Built By Margin, Laurie Chen interviews Fraser Bayley, the founder of Elite Nutrition, as he shares his incredible journey from struggling with mental health issues to becoming a sought-after performance strategist for high-achieving entrepreneurs, executives, and athletes.

Tune in for an engaging conversation that promises to bring value to your personal and professional life.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:02:30] Mental health transformation journey.

[00:05:39] Human optimization and health.

[00:09:50] Change your mindset, change life.

[00:11:17] Mindset and health transformation.

[00:17:09] Energy management as you age.

[00:20:29] Energy management strategies for wellness.

[00:23:17] Step count and movement benefits.

[00:27:08] Hydration's impact on health.

[00:29:15] Sleep optimization strategies.

[00:33:23] Insulin resistance and ADHD connection.

[00:39:00] High-level coaching and support.

[00:42:10] Transformation through personalized coaching.

[00:46:00] Importance of tracking KPIs.

[00:47:48] Transitioning from physical to online.

[00:52:25] Intuition vs. Data in Health.

[00:54:54] Insights into income.

QUOTES

• "If you can learn and master your energy, you can honestly achieve almost anything." -Fraser Bayley
• "You can give someone a good plan, but it's as good as their ability to integrate it into their life." -Fraser Bayley

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Laurie Chen

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

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

Fraser Bayley

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fraser-bayley

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

WEBSITES

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

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

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

In episode 20 of Built By Margin, Laurie Chen interviews Jim Emerich, Founder of Backbone CFO, as he reflects on the invaluable lessons learned while helping others build their enterprises and emphasizes the importance of taking risks to achieve one's own entrepreneurial dreams.

Tune in to learn about the challenges and rewards of starting a business and how Jim's experiences have shaped his approach to financial strategy.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:01:02] Entrepreneurial journey of Backbone CFO.

[00:04:24] Fractional CFO services framework.

[00:10:57] Simplifying client tech stack.

[00:13:43] Financial roadmap for business growth.

[00:17:06] Client communication frequency.

[00:20:10] Faith's impact on business.

[00:25:33] Starting a business risk.

[00:27:31] Business scaling and reinvestment.

[00:32:19] Raising the floor concept.

QUOTES

• " So we go through a particular financial control framework, we call it. So we talk about cash, profit, people, systems, and position, and we really coach our clients in those five areas of their business on a continuous basis. Now, what becomes unique is every client has their own challenges and opportunities and issues that they're solving, right? So in that way, every client. Engagement can be a little bit different because the CFO is solving different problems, helping the client tackle different opportunities, but we're using the same framework, the same process to do it." - Jim Emerich
• " And you also really have to assess what the client's needs are, right? Because, you know, most construction manufacturing companies are not very tech savvy. You know, it's very different if you're working with like a software AI company, right? They might want a little bit more sophisticated system. But like for my clients, you know, it really depends on who they are, you know, how tech savvy are they? Are they fine with just Google Sheets? Are they fine with Excel or a little bit more of a cloud FP&A system like Causal or Jirav? " - Laurie Chen

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Laurie Chen

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

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

Jim Emerich

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

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

Backbone CFO: https://backbonecfo.com/

WEBSITES

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

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

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

In episode 19 of Built By Margin, Laurie Chen interviews Joseph Dunaway, Founder of VICI Financial, as he discusses how technology and AI are transforming the accounting landscape, allowing for more personalized and efficient services.

Tune in to hear Joe’s insights on building a business with integrity and the importance of adapting to the future of accounting.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:01:04] Future of accounting services.

[00:06:06] Investment in accounting services.

[00:10:27] AI in tax planning strategies.

[00:13:34] Real estate tax strategies.

[00:16:10] R&D tax credit complexities.

[00:21:20] Bookkeeping services offered.

[00:27:06] Strategic planning in accounting.

[00:28:37] Investment in accounting services.

[00:32:07] Slack as a communication tool.

[00:37:15] Favorite workout: box jumps.

[00:40:50] Scaling smarter and harder.

QUOTES

• "I wanted to build something that I could continue to help people, which is the core of what we do." -Joe Dunaway
• "Your accountant should be an investment, not a sunk cost." -Joe Dunaway
• “The first one to three years makes or breaks any new business." -Joe Dunaway

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Laurie Chen

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

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

Joe Dunaway

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-dunaway

VICI Finance: https://www.vicifinance.com/

WEBSITES

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

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

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

In episode 18 of Built By Margin, Laurie Chen shares key insights from her upcoming book Risk Worthy. — This episode shares a never-before-read excerpt on why “Fail Fast” is essential to growth. Laurie reframes failure as deliberate experimentation: define your hypothesis, read the signal, and plan the next iteration you’ll start by Monday.

QUOTES

• "Fail fast. It is better to experience failure than to not take any shots in life or in business, making decisions in the risk worthy framework in pursuit of the best version of yourself and your best possible future does not mean that you won't experience failure along the way."

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/

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