I learned these skills because I needed them.

My story

My progress came from paying attention and practicing.

I grew up in a rural province in Vietnam and attended public schools. Reaching university took several attempts, and that was where I began learning English.

Years later, I became the first person from Vietnam to attend the MBA program at IE Business School. I was also the youngest member of the inaugural cohort of the U.S. Department of State Professional Fellows Program.

At first, communicating in English felt like another test I needed to pass. Over time, I realized that knowledge alone was not enough. An idea could be intelligent and still go nowhere if I could not help another person understand it, trust it, or see why it mattered.

After moving to the United States, I built my career inside fast-growing technology companies. I worked at Google and UserTesting through its 2021 IPO, and at ClickUp, which reached a $4 billion valuation after its 2021 Series C. I also held two Chief of Staff roles, including at Fetcher, where I supported the company through a fundraising process that valued it at more than $100 million.

Much of my work involved turning complexity into clarity: building decision systems, communication rhythms, accountability, and reporting that helped executives and cross-functional teams move together.

I improved gradually by watching carefully, trying different approaches, and learning from my mistakes. Each time I noticed what helped people understand and trust me, I had something useful to practice again.

I’m sharing this because I do not want you to think that you must be naturally charismatic, extroverted, or polished. You can observe, learn, and improve many of the behaviors that make communication effective, and I am still learning them too.