In episode 34 of Built by Margin, Laurie sits down with Jennie Lopez, Founder and CEO of Intentional Unicorn, to talk about what it really means to bet on yourself, build in alignment, and make decisions rooted in authenticity rather than fear. Jennie shares her journey from a 23-year corporate career spanning chemical engineering, operations, and global talent leadership into entrepreneurship, motivational speaking, and authorship, explaining how intuition, intentionality, and bold risk-taking shaped her path. Together, Laurie and Jennie explore the realities of leaving stability behind, writing a book, scaling a coaching business, using AI as a modern entrepreneur, and defining success on your own terms — all through the lens of growth, impact, and building a life that feels fully aligned.

Tune in for an inspiring discussion on how Jennie Lopez built an Intentional Unicorn, from chemical engineer to motivational speaker and founder, and leaving a favorite job to build a business.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:01:05] Leaving a favorite job to build a business.

[00:02:04] Chemical engineer with a dual career.

[00:04:42] Memoir exercise inspires Intentional Unicorn.

[00:08:13] Authenticity plus intentionality equals impact.

[00:09:35] Turning corporate truth into a book.

[00:10:32] Writing every Saturday at Starbucks.

[00:15:26] Risk of leaving corporate as a Latina.

[00:18:23] There is no right or wrong decision.

[00:21:04] Proof of concept before going all in.

[00:24:31] App idea sparked during hospital wait.

[00:30:19] Using Manus for deep research.

QUOTES

• "I wanted to see how I can reach out to more and more people." -Jennie Lopez
• "Authenticity plus intentionality equals impact." -Jennie Lopez
• "You just create an ecosystem, a family, a community, a relationship that is so powerful that you want the person to choose to stay with you." -Jennie Lopez

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/

Jennie Lopez

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

TEDx Talk: The Lie of Fitting In

Website: https://www.jennielopez.com/

In this episode of Built by Margin, Laurie Chen sits down with Jynafer Yanez to explore what it really takes to turn a book into a business. Jynafer shares how she built Archimedes Books by thinking beyond publishing and focusing on audience ownership, brand development, intellectual property, and long-term ecosystem building. From author platforms to film projects, this conversation highlights how creators can treat storytelling as both an art and a scalable business.

They also dive into the role of AI in publishing and entrepreneurship, including where it can create efficiency, where ethics come into play, and why human creativity still matters most. Jynafer offers thoughtful insight on using AI for research, workflows, and business operations without losing the originality that makes great storytelling resonate.

The conversation closes with an honest look at founder decision-making, financial visibility, and the risks worth taking when building something bigger than yourself. Whether you are writing a book, building a brand, or scaling a business around your ideas, this episode offers a smart and inspiring perspective on strategy, creativity, and growth.

QUOTES

“You can really do pretty well when you treat it like a business and not just a passion or a hobby.” - Jyanfer Yanez

“We get to own the relationship with the reader.” - Jyanfer Yanez

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/

Jyanfer Yanez

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

Website: https://hello.archimedesbooks.com/

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/