Star light, star bright, our luminous Cover Star shines bright. Meet our Cover Star, Duong Thu Huong who’s channeling her inner goddess. From inspirations to aspirations, she has the world as her oyster full of dreams. Want to know her more? Read ahead to know more about her.
Costumes: Hoang Tony, Van Anh Scarlet Accessories: Nguyen Tan Thanh, Nguyen Hung Bao
A very warm welcome to you, Duong Thu Huong! Please share with us the first time when you felt that your work is appreciated.
I came to the US for my education in 1992, that is one of the biggest milestones in my life for education & work experiences.
Right after my graduation from North Carolina State University, I did my major in Finance, I joined the top oil & gas company Amoco in Chicago as a role of Financial Auditor in their legal department. I was the youngest member of the team. My Dad always taught me “Every day try to be the first one at work and the last one to leave”.
At work, I tried to finish the daily tasks, and after my team left, I helped to clean up the office (even though it was not my task). I knew the document in my department were very sensitive and confidential, I checked the trash cans to make sure all the papers were shredded properly…
One day, there was a man who came by my office and introduced himself as he was also going to work in the same company as mine but in a different department, he asked about my educational background, how I like the work…
A long while later, when my company had the year-end party. There were a few top executives of the company who gave speeches. One of them mentioned, “There is a young graduated student who has joined our company with a great attitude, always stays late, and constantly does the work that no one asking her to do – cleaning up and checking the trash cans to make sure there is no sensitive paperwork left in there, and this is the attitude which a company needs, which is a small work but making a big difference”.
Then I realized that he was the man who came by my office the other day and he is the VP of my company. Later, he came down to shake a hand with me and said he accidentally walked by my team’s corner and saw a skinny girl who stayed up late to clean up and it is always the same every time he walked by. So, he was impressed with my attitude and always shared that story with his wife, kids, and co-workers. He told me to keep up with the same professional attitude and he believed that I will be successful in the future.
I was touched and it made me cry. That incident has always been in my mind rent-free, till now. It made me realize that you do not need to do big things to get great rewards, just do the little right things silently, and consistently, some way or somehow you will be on the way to achieving your goals, and your happiness.
Given the many hats you wear; how do you manage to stay on top of everything? How do you organize your schedule so nothing gets left out?
People around me know that I am a workaholic. And I am good at multitasking. In order to stay on top of all the work, I need to plan things ahead of time so I have some space left for “ad hoc” and emergency Incidents. I train myself with detail-oriented and organize my daily schedule. Prioritizing and delegating is also the key to managing things if they don’t leave out. When I was young: I used to sleep less, study more, and always reminded myself that I can sleep once I get older but not back then.
As an entrepreneur and a pioneer in whatever you do, do you feel like there is still a lot to achieve, or have you achieved enough in your life?
In life, I always feel enough. In work, my achievement is still very humble, there is still a lot to learn, a lot to achieve. I will continue to learn and to do little right things every day.
Who has been your biggest inspiration so far?
My father, my first teacher. He always taught me to learn morality before learning any of the skills, respect the seniors, support the subordinate, and be a good example for the youth. He taught me to think openly and act selectively. He is now not here with me anymore, but his spiritual legacy is still here, still inspiring me in every thought & action.
A little bit of sleuthing around reveals to us that you’re quite an accomplished woman! What is the driving force behind your success?
I am the youngest daughter of 4 siblings. All my brothers and sisters are very hard working and good at studies. When I was young my parents, sister, and brothers always supported me with the only wish that I study well in school. I always feel blessed and tried my best to keep up with my family’s wishes. I am pretty determined and stubborn, I will try to accomplish what I plan with the best result and don’t give up with challenges and obstacles.
Costumes: Le Long Accessories: Ngo Manh Dong Dong, Minh Mi, Tran Nhat Du, Tran Quoc Dung
What is the one rule you have lived your life by? What effect has it had on your life and on your achievements?
Be honest, kind, and genuine. And to be that way is not that easy. You will be a target of a lot of bad intentions. It is very painful sometimes. There are some people who may take advantage of kindness, but also there are a few good and great hearts, who are very supportive and enlightening me. Until now, I think what I gain is more than what I lost. My happiness surpasses my sorrow. In my view, each person on this earth has a different mission. I am doing my mission heartedly and happily.
Share your secret of staying so beautiful and feminine and yet at the same time having a successful career.
Thank you so much for your compliment. Life is a journey of challenges. You take it or leave it is your choice. But whatever the decision you make, be happy. I make a lot of decisions in my life, some of them are good or right, and some of them are wrong, but I learn with a positive attitude, try harder and more discipline, and at the same time, give myself some room to accept the up and down as a harmony of life and smile. I also coach and learn from young people, who give me a lot of updated knowledge, and energy, that is how I keep my spirit up and young at heart and enrich my information library. I try to avoid bad energy and try to look for good, beautiful things in bad situations. I love travel and trying different kinds of food, wine and refreshing myself with nature, and recharging my battery. No matter how busy I am, I give myself time to go to a spa, skin treatment, and take advantage of technology to improve my look.
Costumes: Nguyen Tien Truyen Accessories: Nguyen Hung Bao
A lot of young women look up to you. They are inspired and influenced by you. What does women’s empowerment mean to you?
I am a woman, I am inspired by a lot of wonderful women: my Mom, sisters, friends…and I also want to support women. I have my own blog called “Blog change”, to share a lot of my own experiences, things I made mistakes, things I do well, things I learn from others, and things I want to be…I write with love and share with care and hope it can help some women who may see themselves in those stories and make their life better. Women can do a lot of things and can make things very right and bright, women empowerment means the world to me I can endlessly talk about it, do it, and try to make it better every hour, every day of my life.
You have been in this industry for quite a while now, what would you tell the newcomers who are planning or have just started in this industry?
I have been trying my capacity in a different industry from Oil, and gas to software, healthcare, FMCG, Media, Investment… I would advise that do not hesitate to throw yourself into different industries to test your real capacity and strength, then land on the one that fits you best
With so much already going on, surely you must have some interesting plans for the future as well. Would you like to share your upcoming projects with us?
I still want to learn from the youth, advice, coaching, and investing in tech start-ups. also want to form a tech blog where we can share all the related information worldwide and promote tech in Vietnam to the world. Thanks a lot, L’Officiel give me a chance to share my story with the beloved readers and wish you all the best.
