“It came to the point that I would walk into the room filled with ideas,” he says. “Then I would find that my staff had implemented them already. My job was done. I have recruited people better than me, and I just needed to step back and get out of their way. They are taking WeTeachMe to the next stage.”
He trusts that whatever decisions they make, and whatever projects they want to start and champion, he will support them. He sees his job as being to remove any roadblocks and to cheerlead for them. Otherwise, he steps back and gets out of their way.
“There’s a lot of pride knowing that I have done my part,” says Huynh. “There is a difference between being an owner and being an employee. That means that I don’t need to be working inside the company. Thinking now about where I want to be in 10, 20 or 30 years’ time and being an owner aligns more with who I am.”
In all likelihood, WeTeachMe will remain a core part of Huynh’s life whatever challenges arise. A son of Vietnamese boat people (father Lan and mother Nga), he was told at an early age that, in life, he could lose everything – the clothes on his back, his car, his house, his business. But he could never lose his knowledge and learning.
The entrepreneur recalls that Nga asked him at age five or six what he wanted to be when he grew up. He said a dolphin trainer, so she gave him a smack and told him he would be a lawyer. And sure enough, he graduated from the University of Melbourne with a double degree in commerce and law.
“I enjoyed being a lawyer, the intellectual creativity that it provided. I loved working with my clients. The cases gave me insights into human nature,” says Huynh.
This story is from the October 2019 edition of Money Magazine Australia.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the October 2019 edition of Money Magazine Australia.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Is the public market shrinking?
Australia needs a healthy stock market to give companies access to funds and to allow retail investors to build wealth.
India: three steps to transformation
Massive investment and extensive reforms turbocharge the economy.
The ballet of business
Changing direction, products, models and marketing is a hard task for a business. We chart what it takes to turn a business around, plus profile four successful pivots.
Save money and the planet
Could the high cost of living give us the incentive we need to reduce how much water and energy we use or waste? These eco-friendly household tips will help you do just that.
AI adoption is the new black
Artificial intelligence is set to reshape the commercial world, and small enterprises can’t afford to miss the boat.
Spam attack! Murky laws jam our inboxes
Unwanted marketing material is one of the pain points of modern life.
From rags to riches in style
Rich Tran sported a bowl cut until he was 14 years old and had no intention of becoming a hairdresser.
New work deals are killing the 'old' office
The Covid pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns accelerated the trend to more people working from home. It was a mixed experience.
Points taken: the truth about rewards
Can hopping between credit cards really boost your frequent flyer haul and give you cheap or free travel - or is it doing more harm than good behind the scenes? Money puts it to the test.
Shortcuts to own a home
Innovative ideas with a focus on low costs and sustainability could help solve the housing crunch.