Why I Do What I Do

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[a true story]

The young woman smiles.

Life has been incredibly hard

but she refuses to let it define her.

Her homeland has been devastated.

A pawn in the game plan of a superpower,

a behemoth so vast that all hope seems futile.

David v Goliath, it’s the giant who deals death from afar.??

The bombs have become routine, the destruction expected.

She met her husband as they supported the frontline troops.

Far from home, united by stoic patriotism, love blossoms.

And now she's cradling their newborn baby daughter.

Precious new life when all else around is chaos.

Unexpectedly, her in-laws are not happy.

“We need a boy,” they angrily tell her.?

“Our family needs a male heir.”?

So she bears a 2nd child.

Another beautiful baby girl.

The in-laws are beyond furious.

They sit their son down for a talk.

“If the third is a girl, you know what to do.

You must find a new wife. One who births sons.”

4 years pass in which she’s afraid to have another.?

Then against all expectations, a glimmer of hope arises.

The USA loses the will to fight. It withdraws from Vietnam.?

It's 1975 and 20 years of savage conflict are finally over.?

They dare to imagine peace might be in their time,

and the young couple conceive again.

But the gender won't be known until birth -

what should be 9 months of joy is filled with worry.

The day comes and she gives birth alone at the hospital

(there’s no quick way to get word to her husband).

Her child fills its lungs for the first time,?

but she holds her breath.

She dares not look.

Is it…??

What if…?

The midwife places the baby in her arms.

Overwhelmed, she bursts into tears.

They have a son.?

And breathe...

As she reflects on what might have been,?

a nurse comes in. “Your husband’s here.”?

My mother doesn’t miss a beat.?

She holds me close and says,

“Tell him it’s a girl.”

And that’s her all over.

An indomitable free spirit,?

uncowed by brutal circumstances.

?

When I'm 4 years old, more geopolitics force us to flee Vietnam.

We embark on a journey that kills half a million people.

Somehow we make it to a Hong Kong refugee camp,

and months later the UK grants us asylum.

My mother’s head never drops.

The example she sets us never falters.

We're raised to help those we can, to be kind to all.

When we go walking,?everyone we pass greets her warmly.

She knows their names and those of their partners and children.

There’s no doubt where my instinct to help others comes from.

What makes my heart sing

Gratitude for my journey...

that took me from a warzone

to a life many dream of:

• violin & piano lessons
• a university degree
• company director
• husband to Jade
• father to Lyra.

My soul knows purpose when

I'm giving back to the Universe.

Not least in opening opportunities

to those in need of a friendly nudge.

Enabling Opportunities #1

When I was CEO of Hamilton Brady Ltd,

I tutored our managers on P&L & cash flow.

It had no obvious ROI but I still made the time.

I hoped they'd one day sit in a similar seat to mine.

Speak the language of finance, you're taken seriously

by investors, bank managers and other entrepreneurs.

Enabling Opportunities #2

At Keia (a wellness SaaS), I gave Business lectures

at colleges for therapists, coaches and counsellors.

I loved teaching them to attract clients, manage cash

and run an efficient back office to free up personal time.

It started as lead gen but for me the real payoff was

giving students the tools to forge their own path.

Enabling Opportunities #3

Now I develop personal brands for executive leaders.

I multiply the impact of already successful people.

This niggled at me to start with, it really did.

Was I neglecting my beliefs and values?

I then realised, not only am I not...

This has even greater leverage

if I choose the right clients.

Because a CEO's brand

channels their vision.

By helping them grow

I also serve their clients.

I amplify forces for good.

Returning more to the world

than I would do when flying solo.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks for reading.

I appreciate you.

- Quy

PS.

My other project besides client work for CEOs:

The Quiet Achiever

(some call us introverts)

Just because you're not the most outgoing, doesn't mean

• you don't have something worth saying
• or don't want to manage your online presence
• e.g. for job opportunities.

I say this as someone with Lighthouse Keeper in my genes.

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