Quang Pham’s father loaded up his family in the middle of the night and took them to the airbase. Little did Quang know this would be a one-way trip. It was April of 1975, and the Republic of South Vietnam would cease to exist within the month. His father, a pilot in the South Vietnam Air Force, would stay behind. Quang would not see him for 17 years.
Although they had family in France, Quang’s mother specifically chose to stay as refugees in the United States because she believed they would have more opportunities. Quang got involved in sports at a young age because it allowed him to make friends, practice his English and learn to overcome challenges. He also emphasizes that in sports no one cared about your race, they only cared if you could play.
A visit to the Vietnam memorial inspired Quang to join the military as a way of giving back to the country that sacrificed so much for his former country. Quang wanted to become a fighter pilot like his father. He would become the first American of Vietnamese heritage to become a Marine Corps aviator. At first, he was disappointed to be assigned to fly helicopters, but it gave him the opportunity to fly in combat when many of his fixed wing classmates were left behind.
After leaving the Marine Corps, Quang would get involved in the pharmaceutical industry and was the first American of Vietnamese descent to take an IPO public on NASDAQ. (Cadrenal Therapeutics)
Quang’s journey from a war refugee to a successful pharmaceutical entrepreneur is related in his book “Underdog Nation: Zero In On Effort and Results for Success.”
His book is full of lessons that will prove beneficial to anyone, whether they aspire to become an entrepreneur or just improve their life. We discuss some of these elements including not allowing others to define success for you, the importance of finding good mentors and the fact that proper mindset is insufficient without action.