What happens when you get laid off from a dream job — and decide to turn that setback into your biggest leap forward?

Meet Marcus Cheu — a former Salesforce professional who lost his job during the tech layoffs and used that moment to redefine his career completely. Instead of returning to corporate life, Marcus chose to build something of his own — a startup born out of curiosity, courage, and conviction.

In this episode of On My Own Terms, Marcus sits down with John Lim to share his raw, unfiltered journey of embracing uncertainty, building from scratch, and learning to trust the process — even when there’s no roadmap. Together, they dive deep into what it really means to create a life and career on your own terms.

💬 In this episode, we talk about:

• Why he left the corporate path to pursue entrepreneurship

• Lessons from failing, pivoting, and rebuilding

• The hardest part of building something from scratch

• • The truth about working with a sibling as co-founder (and why a “founder prenup” matters)
  • How Southeast Asia’s B2B sales landscape differs from the US

• Why curiosity beats talent in an age of AI and change

• How AI is reshaping lead generation—and what founders should focus on before automating

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Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

03:42 Who is Marcus Cheu?

04:53 When Success Stops Feeling Like Success

14:52 Would You Start a Business with Family?

26:19 How Marcus Is Building with AI — Not Against It

28:03 The Secret Signals Behind Every Great Deal

28:07 Can AI Really Understand Human Intent?

29:15 Turning Data into Real Conversations

30:27 What Closing Tough Deals Really Teaches You

37:37 Will Founders Still Matter in the Age of AI?

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Where to find Marcus:

Website: https://bit.ly/4huqK86

LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/43FN9JQ 

🎯Find practical tools and resources to guide your journey:

Check out: https://bit.ly/3CTMZRW

We'd like to hear from you: https://tally.so/r/OD1GNM (2-min quick survey)

📩 Follow us on:

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/on-my-own-terms-podcast/

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

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UoZFflZDdk03KfafgTwQg

Email: johnlimcy@gmail.com
Support the podcast here: https://buymeacoffee.com/onmyownterms

📌 References, Recommendations & Resources:

• Salesforce: A global cloud-based software company where Marcus previously worked before transitioning into entrepreneurship.🔗 https://www.salesforce.com

• OpenAI: The artificial intelligence research company behind ChatGPT — mentioned in the episode while discussing how AI is reshaping sales, creativity, and productivity.🔗 https://openai.com

• Apollo.ai: All-in-one platform for B2B sales prospecting. Find verified contacts, automate outreach, and close deals faster with AI-powered insights. 🔗 https://get.apollo.io/8yponvev3s15 

• The Hard Thing About Hard Things (by Ben Horowitz): A book discussed in the episode — known for its honest take on the realities of entrepreneurship and leadership. Source of “If you’re gonna eat sh*t, don’t nibble”🔗 https://amzn.to/4ocYwRO 

• Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future (by Peter Thiel, Blake Masters): Another great book on entrepreneurship and building startups. 🔗https://amzn.to/3JgWnpb

• • The Michelin Men: Driving an Empire: Book about the remarkable story of how the Michelin brothers who turned the sleepy family rubber firm in the heart of rural France into one of the most innovative and successful tire makers in the world. Spoiler: Michelin Guide is part of the story. 🔗https://amzn.to/3WomihH / https://amzn.to/4ogfPSe

  
  

  Note:

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  #CareerTransition #EntrepreneurMindset #OpenAI #CareerChange