Built Different

By Marcus Chen

Think most business advice is complete garbage? You're probably right. Built Different cuts through the LinkedIn motivational spam to show you what actually works when you're trying to grow a real com... more

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FAQs about Built Different:

How many episodes does Built Different have?

The podcast currently has 267 episodes available.

Built Different episodes:

May 31, 2026 Why Your To-Do List Is Making You Less Productive (And What Works Instead)
Your to-do list has 47 items on it. You crossed off three yesterday. Sound familiar? Marcus Chen breaks down why traditional productivity advice keeps you busy but not productive, plus the specific system that actually works for entrepreneurs who need to move the needle on real business goals.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• The 2-4 hour cognitive peak window that determines when you should tackle your hardest work (and how to find yours)
• Why checking email every 11 minutes kills 23 minutes of focus time and the simple fix that stops this productivity drain
• The exact time blocking method that gets entrepreneurs 3x more important tasks done per week than regular to-do lists
👤 Perfect for: entrepreneurs and founders who are tired of being busy without being productive
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Marcus Chen reveals the to-do list trap that keeps you spinning
[01:45] The science behind why your brain fights traditional planning
[03:30] Energy mapping: how to identify your peak performance hours
[05:15] Time blocking that actually works (not the generic version)
[07:30] Decision frameworks that eliminate choice paralysis
[09:45] Why judges give harsher sentences before lunch (and what it means for your workday)
[11:30] The three-step system Marcus uses to manage five different business priorities
🔔 Never miss an episode:
Follow Built Different on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next breakthrough insight is one tap away.
🔍 Topics: time management, productivity systems, time blocking, decision fatigue, entrepreneurship
Listen on your favorite app at Built Different
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Keywords: real business advice, lead generation, startup survival, business podcast, productivity tips

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19min
May 31, 2026 Why 94% of Salespeople Fail (And the 3-Step Fix That Actually Works)
What if 94% of salespeople are failing because they're asking the wrong questions at the wrong time? Marcus Chen breaks down why most sales approaches backfire and shares the exact 3-step framework that turns conversations into closed deals.
Most salespeople think they need better closing techniques. They're wrong. The real problem happens way earlier in the process, and it's costing companies millions in lost revenue.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• Why companies with standardized sales processes see 18% more revenue growth (and the 3 steps that actually matter)
• The psychology behind why buyers say no, even when they want to say yes
• How to remove friction from the purchase process without being pushy
• Why 44% of salespeople give up too early and how to time your follow-ups perfectly
👤 Perfect for: entrepreneurs and business owners who need to close more deals without feeling like a sleazy car salesman
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Marcus Chen reveals why 94% of salespeople fail
[01:45] The hidden psychology that kills deals before they start
[03:20] Step 1: Ask questions that actually matter
[05:30] Step 2: Handle objections before they happen
[07:50] Step 3: Close without being pushy
[10:15] Why referrals are your secret weapon (and how to ask for them)
[11:30] Action steps you can use on your next sales call
The stats don't lie. Salespeople who follow a proven framework close 70% more deals than those who wing it. But here's the thing most people miss: it's not about being more aggressive. It's about understanding what your buyers actually need to hear.
🔔 Never miss an episode:
Follow Built Different on your favorite podcast app and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next breakthrough insight is one tap away.
🔍 Topics: sales framework, closing deals, sales psychology, revenue growth, entrepreneurship
Listen on your favorite app at Built Different
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Keywords: entrepreneur stories, profit strategies, business psychology

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19min
May 31, 2026 Why Apple Never Asked Permission (And You Shouldn't Either)
Stanford research shows that people who act without waiting for approval are 3.2 times more likely to succeed at their goals. Yet most of us are hardwired to ask permission for everything. In this episode, Marcus Chen breaks down why the most successful entrepreneurs ignore this instinct completely and how you can train yourself to do the same.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• Why 78% of Fortune 500 CEOs say their biggest breakthrough came from doing something they weren't "supposed" to do
• The permission trap that keeps 90% of great ideas from ever happening (and how to escape it)
• A simple 10-second mental trick that stops you from seeking approval when you don't need it
• Why bootstrapped founders have 65% higher success rates than those who pitch investors first
👤 Perfect for: entrepreneurs and creators who are tired of waiting for someone else to give them the green light on their dreams.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Marcus introduces Apple's permission-free approach to innovation
[01:45] The psychology behind why we seek approval (it's not what you think)
[04:15] Three specific ways permission-seeking kills your momentum
[06:30] How to identify when you actually need permission vs. when you don't
[08:45] The bootstrapped founder advantage nobody talks about
[10:30] Your action plan for breaking the approval addiction
🔔 Never miss an episode:
Follow Built Different on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next breakthrough insight is one tap away.
🔍 Topics: entrepreneurship, startup advice, business mindset, permission seeking, bootstrapping
Listen on your favorite app at Built Different
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Keywords: startup survival, real business advice, wealth building

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16min
May 31, 2026 The Investment Billionaires Make That You Can't Buy on Wall Street
What if the smartest investment billionaires make isn't even tradeable on Wall Street? Marcus Chen breaks down the unconventional investments that actually compound over decades, and most people completely ignore them.
Forget your portfolio for a minute. The richest people alive put serious money into assets you can't buy through your broker, and the returns blow away any stock market gains you've seen.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• Why learning to type properly saves knowledge workers 100+ hours per year (and pays better than most side hustles)
• The $2,000 mattress investment that increases your productivity by 25% for the next decade
• How ergonomic office upgrades cut sick days in half and boost your earning potential
• Which skill investments compound like crazy after age 30 (hint: it's not what LinkedIn tells you)
👤 Perfect for: entrepreneurs and knowledge workers who want to invest in assets that actually improve their daily life and income potential.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Marcus Chen reveals the investment Wall Street can't sell you
[01:45] The typing skills math that'll blow your mind
[03:30] Why your mattress is your most underrated business expense
[05:15] Ergonomic setups that pay for themselves in months
[07:00] The learning investments that separate successful entrepreneurs
[09:30] Physical health ROI that beats most stocks
[11:00] Time-saving tools that multiply your hourly rate
🔔 Never miss an episode:
Follow Built Different on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite insight is one tap away.
🔍 Topics: investment strategy, productivity hacks, ergonomic office setup, skill development, entrepreneur lifestyle
Listen on your favorite app at Built Different
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Keywords: anti-fluff business, decision making, productivity tips, entrepreneur stories, business breakthrough, business mindset

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18min
May 31, 2026 Why Your Brain Lies to You About What You Want (And How to Fix It)
What if everything you think you want is actually just what you think you SHOULD want? Marcus Chen breaks down why your brain actively sabotages your decision-making and the proven frameworks that help you separate authentic desires from social programming.
Most people spend years chasing goals that don't actually fulfill them. They follow conventional wisdom about success, relationships, and career paths, only to feel empty when they achieve what they thought they wanted. This episode gives you the tools to cut through that noise.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• Why 75% of people following their "passion" are actually following someone else's expectations
• The 3-value system that helps you make decisions 40% faster (with less regret)
• How to identify when you're optimizing for approval versus genuine satisfaction
• The Stanford research that reveals why most career advice completely misses the mark
👤 Perfect for: ambitious people who feel stuck between what they want and what they think they should want
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Marcus Chen on why your brain lies about desires
[01:45] The passion trap that keeps 75% of people unfulfilled
[04:15] How to identify your actual values (not inherited ones)
[07:30] The three life satisfaction buckets that actually matter
[09:45] Why exploring options beats endless planning
[11:30] Action steps you can take this week
This isn't another "follow your dreams" pep talk. It's a systematic approach to understanding what you actually want versus what conditioning tells you to want. Marcus breaks down the specific frameworks that helped him transition from burned-out restaurant owner to intentional entrepreneur.
🔔 Never miss an episode:
Follow Built Different on your podcast app and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next breakthrough insight is one tap away.
🔍 Topics: decision making, career change, personal values, life satisfaction, entrepreneurship
Listen on your favorite app at Built Different
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Keywords: lead generation, anti-fluff business, business success, real business advice, marketing strategies, productivity tips

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17min
May 31, 2026 The $1M Difference: What Broke Salespeople Do That Rich Ones Never Touch
What if I told you the difference between broke and wealthy salespeople isn't talent, luck, or even product knowledge? Marcus Chen breaks down the brutal truth: it's about doing the exact opposite of what 80% of salespeople do every single day.
Most sales advice focuses on closing techniques and scripts. But here's what actually separates the top 20% who earn 80% of all commissions from everyone else fighting over scraps.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• Why wealthy salespeople spend 60% of their time on activities broke ones avoid completely
• The 12 specific metrics top earners track weekly (most salespeople track zero)
• Why 80% of sales happen after the 5th contact, but average reps quit after just 2 attempts
• The mindset shift that turns rejection into rocket fuel for bigger deals
👤 Perfect for: entrepreneurs and sales professionals who want to understand what really drives results, not just feel-good motivation.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Marcus Chen reveals the million-dollar sales mindset
[02:15] Where broke salespeople waste 60% of their time
[05:00] The 12 metrics wealthy reps obsess over daily
[07:30] Why follow-up separates winners from wannabes
[09:45] The psychology of handling rejection like a pro
[11:30] Action steps you can implement this week
This isn't about fancy sales funnels or the latest closing technique. It's about fundamentally different approaches to the same job. One makes you rich, the other keeps you broke.
🔔 Never miss an episode:
Follow Built Different on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next breakthrough insight is one tap away.
🔍 Topics: sales psychology, commission income, sales prospecting, follow-up strategies, sales metrics
Listen on your favorite app at Built Different
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Keywords: profit strategies, business success, lead generation, productivity tips, entrepreneurship, startup lessons, business growth, decision making

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16min
May 31, 2026 Why Alex Hormozi Fires 80% of His Sales Team (And What He Does Instead)
Ever wonder why some sales teams consistently crush their numbers while others barely hit 20%? Alex Hormozi just revealed something that'll flip your entire approach upside down: he fires 80% of his sales team every year. But here's the twist - his revenue keeps growing.
In this episode, Marcus Chen breaks down Hormozi's most counterintuitive business strategies from his latest Q&A session. You'll discover why the gym chain founder who sold for $46 million thinks most sales advice is completely backwards.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• The brutal math behind Hormozi's 80% firing rate (and why it actually saves money)
• His "Grand Slam Offer" framework that's generated over $100 million across different industries
• Why 80% of business owners waste their time on activities that produce zero results
• The value equation that lets companies increase prices 300-500% with higher conversion rates
👤 Perfect for: entrepreneurs who are tired of feel-good business advice that doesn't move the needle. If you're running a real company and need strategies that actually work, this is your episode.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Marcus introduces Hormozi's controversial hiring strategy
[01:45] Why most sales teams are actually losing you money
[04:20] The Grand Slam Offer breakdown: value stacking that works
[07:10] Hormozi's 80/20 rule for business owners (it's not what you think)
[09:30] Price increases that customers thank you for
[11:15] Key takeaways you can implement this week
This isn't another motivational business chat. Hormozi built and sold multiple companies before age 35 using these exact systems. No theory, just proven tactics from someone who's actually done it.
🔔 Never miss an episode:
Follow Built Different on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite insight is one tap away.
🔍 Topics: sales strategy, business scaling, team management, pricing strategy, value proposition
Listen on your favorite app at Built Different
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Keywords: sales tactics, lead generation, business growth, profit strategies, productivity tips

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22min
May 31, 2026 I Built Both a $10K and $10M Offer. Here's What Nobody Tells You.
What if I told you the difference between a $10K offer and a $10M offer has nothing to do with price? Marcus Chen breaks down the hidden mechanics that separate small-scale service providers from companies that scale to massive valuations. Most entrepreneurs get this backwards, which is why they stay stuck trading time for money.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• Why $10K offers trap you in a time-for-dollars model that caps your growth at your personal capacity
• The secret behind software companies achieving $10M+ valuations with products that cost under $100 per use
• How enterprise contracts averaging $200K annually work and why companies budget 3-5% of revenue on software tools
• The fundamental shift in thinking that transforms you from service provider to scalable business owner
👤 Perfect for: entrepreneurs tired of trading hours for dollars and ready to understand how real wealth gets built.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Marcus Chen reveals the $10K vs $10M mindset trap
[02:00] Why most service businesses hit an invisible ceiling
[04:30] The enterprise software playbook that changes everything
[06:45] Real numbers behind high-value B2B contracts
[08:30] The scalability secret hiding in plain sight
[10:00] How to shift from time-based to value-based offers
🔔 Never miss an episode:
Follow Built Different on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next breakthrough insight is one tap away.
🔍 Topics: business scaling, offer creation, enterprise sales, SaaS pricing, entrepreneurship
Listen on your favorite app at Built Different
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Keywords: business podcast, anti-fluff business, marketing strategies, profit strategies, startup advice, wealth building, lead generation, startup lessons

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18min
May 31, 2026 Why Your Business Profit Numbers Are Lying to You (And What to Do Instead)
You've been tracking your business finances for months. Revenue looks great, expenses seem manageable. But somehow, there's never enough cash in your account. What if the profit numbers you're celebrating are actually hiding the truth about your business health? Marcus Chen breaks down why most entrepreneurs are looking at the wrong metrics and making decisions that slowly kill their companies.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• Why Amazon made $270 billion in gross profit but only $15 billion net profit (and what that means for your business)
• The 36% gross profit margin myth that's steering small businesses toward failure
• How to spot the difference between making money and keeping money before it's too late
👤 Perfect for: entrepreneurs who want to understand their real financial position and make smarter money decisions.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Marcus Chen reveals the profit trap most businesses fall into
[01:45] The Amazon example that'll change how you read financial statements
[03:30] Why 20% of businesses fail in year one (it's not what you think)
[05:15] Gross profit vs net profit: the numbers that actually matter
[07:30] Industry benchmarks you can actually use for comparison
[09:45] Three questions to ask before making any major business decision
[11:30] Action steps to fix your profit blind spots this week
The difference between gross and net profit isn't just accounting jargon. It's the difference between thinking you're profitable and actually being profitable. Most business advice glosses over this distinction, but Marcus breaks it down in terms that actually make sense for real companies dealing with real expenses.
🔔 Never miss an episode:
Follow Built Different on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and turn on notifications.
New episodes drop daily, your next breakthrough insight is one tap away.
🔍 Topics: gross profit, net profit, business finances, cash flow, profit margins
Listen on your favorite app at Built Different
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Keywords: startup lessons, real business advice, business systems, practical entrepreneurship, decision making, startup advice

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18min
May 31, 2026 Why 97% of Offers Fail (And the 3% That Made Me Rich)
What if I told you 97% of offers fail not because they're bad products, but because they completely ignore how the human brain makes buying decisions? Marcus Chen breaks down the psychological triggers that separate the 3% of offers that print money from the 97% that collect digital dust.
🎯 What You'll Discover:
• The "value stacking" formula that increases conversions by 23% (and why most entrepreneurs do it backwards)
• How money-back guarantees actually boost sales by 30% while only 2-5% of customers ever ask for refunds
• The deadline psychology trick that makes offers 40% more irresistible without being sleazy
👤 Perfect for: entrepreneurs who are tired of creating offers that sound great in their head but fall flat with real customers.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Marcus Chen reveals why most offers are doomed from day one
[02:15] The three psychological triggers your brain can't ignore
[04:30] Value stacking: how to make $100 feel like $1000
[06:45] Risk reversal that actually increases trust and sales
[09:00] Deadline psychology (without the fake countdown timers)
[11:30] The one-sentence offer framework that converts
🔔 Never miss an episode:
Follow Built Different on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next business breakthrough is one tap away.
🔍 Topics: offer creation, conversion optimization, value stacking, sales psychology, business growth
Listen on your favorite app at Built Different
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Keywords: profit strategies, anti-fluff business, marketing strategies, entrepreneur stories, entrepreneurship, wealth building, investment advice, startup advice

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16min

FAQs about Built Different:

How many episodes does Built Different have?

The podcast currently has 267 episodes available.