Courage to defy conventions and listen to my heart (not just head) was a challenge for this 'forever good student' from Vietnam. Yes, I am talking about myself.
I am from Vietnam. I was born with a lot of inspiration around me. My grandfather was a doctor and father a teacher – chasing proven career tracks and excelling at them.
In picture: Little Hoang with her father in Vietnam
From a young age, my brother and I were put on track for the pursuit of excellence. We did well in school and succeeded in conventional career paths – a dream for many Asian parents. After undergraduate studies, I pursued two more university degrees and secured a coveted job at a top MNC. Life was good. Parents were happy. But somewhere, I knew that my dreams lied somewhere else and that beyond conventional paths too, one could succeed.
In picture: Hoang in Vietnam
As luck would have it, ten years back I chanced upon an opportunity to move to a completely new continent – Australia. This meant uprooting myself from Vietnam, a place that I had called home all my life.
Moving to a new continent in your adult life is not an easy feat. People looked different, the food was different, the comfort language was different. But pushing myself beyond my comfort zone helped me gain confidence that conventional education had missed in all these years of being a 'forever good-student'.
In my time in Australia, I picked up new skills, took chances, failed a few times, travelled to beautiful places, made life-long friends and worked hard to start my own business. Today, I can proudly call myself an 'entrepreneur' ,making a difference to people’s lives through my work. I may not be on a conventional track, but listening to my heart has brought me a kind of happiness that I never knew existed.
In picture: Hoang with her parents in Australia
I have a loving family - my Aussie husband and two kids. On this journey of learning, exploring and growing, I have my mother by my side here in Australia who has passed on her entrepreneurial genes to me and is today my partner in our venture!
Life’s good. Parents are proud. Most importantly, this time, I am very happy too!
~ Hoang (Entrepreneur, Immigrant, Mom of 2)
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