Guest

My name is Tam Nguyen. Currently, I am the president and co-owner of Advanced Beauty College, a second-generation family business that trains in nails, skin, hair, etc. I was born in Vietnam, I came to the US at the age of one. My parents came with nothing but the shirts on their back. My mom and dad wanted me to be a doctor or a lawyer. But when I had graduated with my MD, that day, I cried both tears of joy and relief from making it, and being an obedient son. And tears of sadness, of gosh, I'm not happy doing this, I don't wanna be an unhappy doctor. The guilt I had was tremendous. How do you tell a parent that's done everything, that said, I went to America and risked my life for you? I wanted to say thank you, but how do you say, thank you, but I don't feel it? Fortunately, over time, I was able to articulate, I need to be happy. I go to work every day now, I'm fired up. I wake up earlier now more than ever before. In college, I hated 8 AM classes, now I wake up at 5 AM every day. &gt;&gt; Wow. &gt;&gt; I'm fired up, and over time, my mom and dad started to get it, it was important that their son was happy. And that my definition of happiness was actually a little bit different from their master plan of happiness 

Seek out different mentors to offer support and guidance in all areas of your life. They'll help you break down your own mental barriers and build your confidence so that you can be a better leader.

I came to the U.S. as a Vietnamese refugee at the end of the Vietnam War. We had a rough start but my parents did their best to create a life for us here. I was a baby when we came, but I joke that it was the best decision I’ve ever made!

When my parents and I came to the U.S., we had nothing. We were poor throughout my childhood, living on food stamps and moving from apartment to apartment. My parents worked 7 days a week for me to have a better life than they did.

My family put a lot of pressure on me with their expectations for my schooling. I became a doctor because they wanted me to. I eventually faced my fear of disappointing my parents, decided to pursue an MBA, and made a career change.

My day-to-day responsibilities vary. Some typical activities include going to a handful of business meetings, reaching out to mentors in the community, and improving relationships in my network. I handle the external roles for my family business, such as community government relations, bringing in new vendors, working on business development, and real estate investments. I also teach a business management course one day per week at California State University, Fullerton.

Tam Nguyen

About Tam

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