From Refugee To CEO: 5 Hard-Earned Skills For Success
Behind every business is a story, and mine started long before I ever opened an education center.
When I escaped communist Vietnam and arrived in Canada as a refugee, I didn't speak the language and had very little to my name. What I did have was a fierce determination to rebuild. I put myself through school, moved to the United States, became a teacher and eventually built a national education franchise.
The journey came with a lot of twists and turns and taught me more than just how to grow a business—it taught me how to lead one. Success isn't just about having the right idea at the right time. It's about developing the mindset, skills and habits that carry you through the uncertainty that comes with every stage of growth.
Here are five hard-earned skills that shaped my journey from refugee to CEO—skills I often share with other entrepreneurs working to build a company grounded in purpose and growth.
1. Grit And Resilience: Keep Going, Especially When It's Hard
I wish I could tell you there's a stress-free path to success. There isn't.
You will be underestimated. You will frequently feel stretched thin. You'll need to find harmony between work and the other integral parts of your life. You'll face moments of self-doubt. Entrepreneurship, while a rewarding career path, is certainly not an easy one.
What enables entrepreneurs to build something lasting is the ability to keep moving forward when things get uncomfortable or uncertain.
Grit is about persistence, but resilience is about how you recover when something doesn't go as planned. I didn't get here because I avoided hard things—I got here because I faced them, got knocked down and kept showing up. Resilience is built every time you choose to keep going when quitting would be easier.
2. Vision With Execution: Don't Just Dream—Deliver
It's easy to get excited about the big picture. Entrepreneurs are full of ideas. But vision execution is where the real work begins.
The entrepreneurs I admire most are the ones who can see where they're going and also put a plan in place to get there. They don't just talk about growth—they map it, test it, revise it and make it real.
At my company, our growth wasn't accidental. It came from defining our 'why,' putting systems in place and ensuring our teams knew how to translate our vision into results, center by center and student by student, to achieve a collective win. If you're seeking sustainable growth, start with a clear vision and the operational discipline to carry it forward.
3. Connection-Centered Networking: Lead With Value, Grow With Others
In the early days of growing my business, I made it a point to show up to conferences, local events and networking groups—anywhere I could learn and connect. But I wasn't there just to hand out business cards or gain a referral. I came to ask good questions, offer insight where I could and build relationships that mattered.
The best networkers I know are subject matter experts who lead with generosity. They don't just ask, 'What can I get?' They ask, 'What can I offer?'
When you build relationships based on trust and shared values, referrals happen naturally. Those same relationships often lead to mentorships and meaningful peer accountability. Opportunities open up because people know you're showing up with intention, not ego.
4. Humble Leadership: Lead By Listening
One of the most underrated skills in entrepreneurship is humility. The moment someone assumes they know it all, growth stalls, especially when they become daunted by others who know more instead of learning from them. When I've been open to listening to other leaders, I've gained insights I might never have uncovered on my own.
Some of the best ideas we've implemented at Best in Class came from team members, franchisees and parents who saw something I didn't. Being the CEO doesn't mean I'm always right; it means I'm always responsible for building a better company for those we serve.
When we lead with vulnerability, invite honest feedback and create space for others to shine, we foster a culture of growth and success. This kind of leadership is foundational to a team that's engaged, resilient and rooted in shared values.
5. Accountability With Optimism: Know Where You're Headed, And Keep Believing It's Possible
Entrepreneurship is full of detours and unknowns. But as I discussed in my previous article, if you're clear about your defined goals, you can course-correct without losing momentum.
Setting SMART goals and reviewing them regularly—with mentors, my team and myself—has been instrumental in ensuring that my steps toward growth are intentional and never left to chance. At regular intervals, I ask myself, 'Am I moving toward the outcome I want or away from it?'
But alongside structure, you need optimism. Optimism isn't blind positivity but a grounded belief that your work matters and that growth is possible, even in tough times like economic uncertainty or the kind of disruption we all experienced during the pandemic. An optimistic mindset doesn't just inspire, it sustains. It keeps you moving forward, even when everything else tells you to stop.
Leadership Is Earned And Always In Progress
I didn't set out to become a CEO; I set out to survive. But in the process, I discovered that the same inner drive that helped me rebuild my life could help me build something meaningful for others.
Success doesn't happen overnight, and it doesn't happen alone. It comes from cultivating the right habits, owning your story and growing through every challenge you face.
Whether you're launching your first venture or scaling your next one, focus on the skills that stand the test of time: grit, vision, connection, humility and accountability. These are more than traits—they're tools. And when you use them with intention, you'll create more than a business. You'll build a legacy.
Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
U.S. slaps 20.56% anti-dumping duties on Canadian softwood lumber
The U.S. Commerce Department has decided to hike anti-dumping duties on Canadian softwood to 20.56 per cent, with B.C. lumber organizations calling them unjustified, punitive and protectionist. The hiked softwood lumber duties come amid the growing trade war between Canada and the U.S., and represent the latest blow to B.C.'s beleaguered forestry industry. B.C. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar described the long-awaited rate hike as a "gut punch" for B.C.'s forestry industry which has seen thousands of workers laid off over the last few years. "U.S. President Donald Trump has made it his mission to destroy Canada's economy, and there is no sector that has faced more of that than the forestry sector," he told CBC News. "This is a big deal for our workers. This is going to have a significant impact. It will lead to curtailments," he added. The B.C. government has been urging the federal government to prioritize the softwood lumber industry in trade discussions with the U.S., and Parmar said the hiked duties would also impact U.S. homeowners needing lumber to rebuild or renovate their homes. "This is going to mean that Americans, in particular middle-class Americans, are going to be paying more to the tune of $15,000 to $20,000 more USD to purchase or to build a home." The B.C. Lumber Trade Council says in a statement that if the U.S. department's pending review on countervailing duties is in line with its preliminary results, the combined rate against Canadian softwood shipped to the United States will be well over 30 per cent. In April, the preliminary combined rate on Canadian softwood lumber was reported to be 34.45 per cent, up from the previous 14.54 per cent. Friday's decision is a final determination, with Parmar saying it would go into effect in the U.S. Federal Register shortly.U.S. lumber producers have long maintained that Canadian stumpage fees, for harvesting on Crown land, are an unfair government subsidy. B.C.'s Independent Wood Processors Association says in a statement that the U.S. Commerce Department's decision this week to raise duties also includes a requirement for Canadian companies to retroactively remit duties for products shipped to the United States since Jan.1, 2023. WATCH | B.C. premier urges feds to prioritze lumber deal: Association chair Andy Rielly says in a statement that the requirement to pay duties on products shipped in the last 31 months could not only force small B.C. producers to shut down, but may also threaten operators' personal assets as they may have to risk using their homes as collateral to secure bonds to pay. Prime Minister Mark Carney said earlier this month that a future trade agreement with the United States could include quotas on softwood lumber, an area that has caused friction between the two countries for years before the latest trade war. Producer urges province to change conditions The United States has long been the single largest market for B.C. lumber exports, representing over half the market for the approximately $10-billion industry. But amid a series of challenges for the province's forestry industry — including a mountain pine beetle infestation that has killed hundreds of thousands of trees — mills have been closing around the province in recent years, and major forestry companies are opening up new mills in the United States. In 2023, numbers from Statistics Canada showed B.C. had lost more than 40,000 forest-sector jobs since the early 1990s. Kim Haakstad, the CEO of the B.C. Council of Forest Industries, said the B.C. government should work to improve the production environment in the province to prevent future mill closures. In a statement, the council said that by activating timber sales, fast-tracking permits and cutting through regulatory gridlock, the province could send a signal that it is serious about rebuilding a sustainable forest argued that if the industry could get production levels back to historic levels, it could help keep forestry-dependent communities vibrant into the future. "That will bring more than $300 million to the provincial government, as well, to help address the deficit situation we're in," Haakstad said. Kurt Niquidet, the president of the B.C. Lumber Trade Council, highlighted that Trump also has initiated a federal investigation into the U.S. imports of lumber and timber citing "national security," which could further impact B.C.'s forestry industry when combined with the tariffs. "Softwood lumber is quite important for the United States. They can only supply about 70 per cent of their softwood lumber demand, and they're importing 30 per cent from elsewhere," he told CBC News. "25 per cent of that's really coming from Canada, and British Columbia is the largest softwood lumber producer within Canada."
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Trump says Japan will invest $550 billion in US at his direction. It may not be a sure thing
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is bragging that Japan has given him, as part of a new trade framework, $550 billion to invest in the United States. It's an astonishing figure, but still subject to negotiation and perhaps not the sure thing he's portraying. "Japan is putting up $550 billion in order to lower their tariffs a little bit," Trump said Thursday. 'They put up, as you could call it, seed money. Let's call it seed money.' He said 90% of any profits from the money invested would go to the U.S. even if Japan had put up the funds. 'It's not a loan or anything, it's a signing bonus,' the Republican president said, on the trade framework that lowered his threatened tariff from 25% to 15%, including on autos. A White House official said the terms are being negotiated and nothing has been formalized in writing. The official, who insisted on anonymity to detail the terms of the talks, suggested the goal was for the $550 billion fund to make investments at Trump's direction. The sum is significant: It would represent more than 10% of Japan's entire gross domestic product. The Japan External Trade Organization estimates that direct investment into the U.S. economy topped $780 billion in 2023. It is unclear the degree to which the $550 billion could represent new investment or flow into existing investment plans. What the trade framework announced Tuesday has achieved is a major talking point for the Trump administration. The president has claimed to have brought trillions of dollars in new investment into the U.S., though the impact of those commitments have yet to appear in the economic data for jobs, construction spending or manufacturing output. The framework also enabled Trump to say other countries are agreeing to have their goods taxed, even if some of the cost of those taxes are ultimately passed along to U.S. consumers. On the $550 billion, Japan's Cabinet Office said it involves the credit facility of state-affiliated financial institutions, such as Japan Bank for International Cooperation. Further details would be decided based on the progress of the investment deals. Japanese trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa, upon returning to Japan, did not discuss the terms of the $550 billion investment. Akazawa said he believes a written joint statement is necessary, at least on working levels, to avoid differences. He is not thinking about a legally binding trade pact. The U.S. apparently released its version of the deal while Japanese officials were on their return flight home. 'If we find differences of understanding, we may have to point them out and say 'that's not what we discussed,'' Akazawa said. The U.S. administration said the fund would be invested in critical minerals, pharmaceuticals, computer chips and shipbuilding, among other industries. It has said Japan will also buy 100 airplanes from Boeing and rice from U.S. farmers as part of the framework, which Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said would be evaluated every three months. 'And if the president is unhappy, then they will boomerang back to the 25% tariff rates, both on cars and the rest of their products. And I can tell you that I think at 25, especially in cars, the Japanese economy doesn't work,' Bessent told Fox News' 'The Ingraham Angle.' Akazawa denied that Bessent's quarterly review was part of the negotiations. 'In my past eight trips to the United States during which I held talks with the president and the ministers," Akazawa said. 'I have no recollection of discussing how we ensure the implementation of the latest agreement between Japan and the United States.' He said it would cause major disruptions to the economy and administrative processes if the rates first rise to 25% as scheduled on Aug. 1 and then drop to 15%. 'We definitely want to avoid that and I believe that is the understanding shared by the U.S. side,' he said. On buying U.S. rice, Japanese officials have said they have no plans to raise the current 770,000-ton 'minimum access' cap to import more from America. Agricultural Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Japan will decide whether to increase U.S. rice imports and that Japan is not committed to a fixed quota. Trump's commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, has suggested that the Japanese agreement is putting pressure on other countries such as South Korea to strike deals with the U.S. Trump, who is traveling in Scotland, plans to meet on Sundayv with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to discuss trade. 'Whatever Donald Trump wants to build, the Japanese will finance it for him,' Lutnick said Thursday on CNBC. 'Pretty amazing.' ___ Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
B.C.'s independent wood manufacturers decry retroactive U.S. softwood duties
VANCOUVER — British Columbia's independent wood product makers say hundreds of small- and medium-sized manufacturers may be forced to shut down in light of the latest decision from the United States to raise anti-dumping duties on Canadian softwood. The province's Independent Wood Processors Association says in a release that the U.S. Commerce Department's decision this week to raise duties also includes a requirement for Canadian companies to retroactively remit duties for products shipped to the United States since Jan.1, 2023. Association chair Andy Rielly says in a statement that the requirement to pay duties on products shipped in the last 31 months could not only force small B.C. producers to shut down, but may also threaten operators' personal assets as they may have to risk using their homes as collateral to secure bonds to pay. Rielly is urging the Canadian government to create support programs to make sure B.C.'s independent wood processors can keep workers employed and their companies running. The U.S. Commerce Department said earlier in the week it will raise anti-dumping duties on Canadian softwood to 20.56 per cent, drawing the ire of several B.C. industry groups such as the B.C. Council of Forest Industries and the B.C. Lumber Trade Council. The Independent Wood Processors Association says the the "all-others" rate affecting its members will be raised from 14.4 per cent to 27.3 per cent, with the possibly of another increase "in the coming weeks" potentially pushing the duties for their products to as high as 35 per cent. 'Until the Canadian government can negotiate a settlement to this long-festering dispute, we need a government support program to keep our workers employed,' Rielly says, adding an overall duty of 35-per-cent would force members to pay retroactive duties of 27 per cent on products already shipped. Association executive director Brian Menzies describes independent wood product producers as "collateral damage" in the trade war, and says the only hope they have of avoiding the hit is either "a favourable appeal from the Canada-US-Mexico Agreement" or "pursuing a bilateral negotiated resolution." 'We should not face export taxes or quotas," Menzies says. "Our raw materials are not subsidized, and we are too small to 'dump' our products in the U.S. market. "We acquire logs and lumber at 'arm's length' from various suppliers on the open market, just like claims made by members of the U.S. Lumber Coalition, and yet our Canadian companies along with U.S. consumers must pay these unfair and costly duties.' Prime Minister Mark Carney had previously said that a future U.S.-Canada trade deal could include softwood lumber quotas. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 26, 2025. Chuck Chiang, The Canadian Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
