7. Cody Dodge: Cashing Out Your 401(k) to Bet On Yourself and Go All In
Built Different with Avo Awanesian
Release Date: 01/23/2026
7. Cody Dodge: Cashing Out Your 401(k) to Bet On Yourself and Go All In
Built Different with Avo Awanesian
In this episode of the Built Different Podcast, Avo sits down with Cody Dodge, a 24 year old Georgia realtor wrapping up his first year in real estate with 20 transactions and roughly $9M in volume. What makes Cody’s story stand out is not just the numbers, but the decision behind them. Cody shares how he walked away from a comfortable construction project management role to go all in on real estate with no safety net. They unpack the fear, pressure, and clarity that comes when you remove Plan B and force yourself to figure it out. Both Avo and Cody open up about cashing out savings, betting...
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6. Mason Ottersberg: Identity Shift From Pro Athlete To Agent
Built Different with Avo Awanesian
In this episode of the Built Different podcast, Avo sits down with Mason Ottersberg, a former professional off road dirt bike racer who is now charging hard in real estate during his first year. Mason shares how racing shaped his mindset through structure, discipline, and learning how to suffer for a bigger goal. He breaks down what training looked like at a high level, why race day pressure felt like his paycheck, and what changed in the industry that made him rethink his long term future. The conversation pivots into Mason’s fast start in real estate, including how he got licensed in June...
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5. Lex Orosco: 50,000 Mailers A Month and Zero Excuses
Built Different with Avo Awanesian
In this episode of Built Different, Avo sits down with Lex Orosco, the number one agent in San Jose, California, with over $500M closed. Lex breaks down the exact work habits that built his business, including sending up to 50,000 mailers a month, writing 100 to 150 addressed envelopes daily, and treating every phone call like it could be worth $25,000 to $100,000. Lex shares why direct mail is not a quick win and how most agents quit right before the payoff. He explains why handwritten envelopes are outperforming every door direct mailers right now, plus what he’s learned from testing...
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4. Mike Dardin: $75M CEO Says THIS Is Why Most Entrepreneurs Fail
Built Different with Avo Awanesian
In this episode of the Built Different podcast, Avo sits down with Mike Dardin, CEO of a logistics company doing over $75 million in annual sales. Mike shares his real, unfiltered journey from starting at the ground level of the produce and transportation industry to building and scaling a massive operation without a college degree. This conversation pulls back the curtain on what entrepreneurship actually looks like once the numbers get big. Mike breaks down why most entrepreneurs fail long before they ever hit real scale, and it has nothing to do with talent or work ethic. They dive deep...
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3. Chris Bowers: How Revved Up Energy Can Build The Life You've Always Dreamed Of
Built Different with Avo Awanesian
In this episode of the Built Different Podcast, I sit down with my good friend and mentor Chris Bowers for a raw, high level conversation about what actually drives high performers and why most people stay stuck. Chris opens up about the seasons of life and business and how he is constantly shedding skin to become the next version of himself. He explains how he views real estate like a football field with different roles, different levels, and different seasons, and why growth requires knowing when to evolve. We also get real about intensity. Chris does not do surface level conversations, and...
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2. Nolan Rucker: Record Years, Real Balance, and The Art of Saying 'No'
Built Different with Avo Awanesian
In this episode of the Built Different podcast, Avo sits down with top producing solo agent Nolan Rucker for a real conversation about growth, competition, and building a business without losing your life in the process. Nolan shares how he accidentally fell into real estate after studying kinesiology, quickly scaled through a high volume listing team, and became obsessed with efficiency, skills, and finding the fastest path to the top one percent. Avo and Nolan unpack their friendly competition as two solo agents both nearing thirty million in production and how that push has fueled both of...
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1. Avo Awanesian: The Story Behind Built Different
Built Different with Avo Awanesian
Welcome to the very first episode of The Built Different Podcast. Before I bring on guests and spotlight other high performers, I wanted to start with my own journey... In this solo episode, I share my story from being first generation born in the U.S. & raised by immigrant parents with nothing but grit and work ethic… to getting lost in the wrong crowd, using and selling drugs in my teens… to making the hardest decision of my life to change everything. You’ll hear how I got clean, rebuilt my life, met my wife who helped save me, and discovered my natural gift for sales. From call...
info_outlineIn this episode of the Built Different Podcast, Avo sits down with Cody Dodge, a 24 year old Georgia realtor wrapping up his first year in real estate with 20 transactions and roughly $9M in volume. What makes Cody’s story stand out is not just the numbers, but the decision behind them.
Cody shares how he walked away from a comfortable construction project management role to go all in on real estate with no safety net. They unpack the fear, pressure, and clarity that comes when you remove Plan B and force yourself to figure it out. Both Avo and Cody open up about cashing out savings, betting on themselves early, and why that discomfort became the fuel that drove their work ethic.
The conversation dives deep into why most new agents fail, how treating real estate like a real job changes everything, and why showing up every day matters more than talent. Cody breaks down the exact pillars driving his first year success including sphere, social media, and outbound prospecting, while calling out the shiny object syndrome that keeps most people stuck.
They also discuss speed of implementation, why overthinking kills momentum, and the hats, haircuts, tattoos framework that helps separate reversible decisions from life changing ones. Cody explains why he decided to join eXp so early in his career, how environment and proximity to high performers accelerates growth, and what it means to choose being a small fish in a bigger room.
The episode wraps with a powerful conversation about leverage, building a scalable business, and preparing for life changes with a baby on the way. This is a raw and honest look at what it really takes to bet on yourself, stay uncomfortable, and build something that actually lasts.
Follow Avo on Instagram:
IG: @avosellsaz
Guest:
Cody Dodge
IG/Tiktok: @codydodgere