The spark of entrepreneurship and walking the walk to freedom

Season 2 Episode #2

Pauline Nguyen's solo episode on what she calls true freedom

On today’s solo episode, over a warming cup of Purrr, I give you insight into the tough childhood that sparked my entrepreneurial spirit. I know what it’s like to start from nothing. My family and I are boat people - refugees who escaped Vietnam after the war.

Growing up, my father worked three jobs to support our family, but he was always angry. We now know he was suffering from PTSD from the Vietnam war. Our home environment was full of fear and abuse, along with huge expectations. During my childhood, my father was bitten by the entrepreneurial bug and instilled in us a ferocious work ethic.

Discipline, responsibility, accountability, reliability, persistence, courage, resilience and grit were some of my closest companions growing up. My hustler spirit was born from these skills.

I ran away from home at 17, escaping the violence and abuse. I put myself through uni and worked in two jobs. Working in some of Sydney’s most prestigious restaurants, I was exposed to a whole new world - my life education came quickly. Sex, drugs and debauchery became my inner circle of friends. But I came to see that even the most successful business icons and entrepreneurs were not happy.

How could this be?! I had wrongly assumed that if I just acquired enough wealth I would be happy. However, my intuition told me that happiness and wealth were not mutually exclusive propositions. My life experiences have proven to me that bringing them together is possible.

Over the years I’ve learnt that my growth and fulfilment come from my contribution to others. I believe that the life we live is the lesson that we teach.

At the heart of my work is my desire to push forward humanity by teaching that you can have success and happiness. I call this the way of the spiritual entrepreneur. I teach people how to master their hearts, minds, behaviours, emotions and environment so they can live their lives fully and deliberately and not by default. Mastering these areas is the key to entering the realm of the spiritual as well as material wealth and well-being. This is what I call true freedom.

Topics Discussed

[00:00]	My tough childhood and my resultant entrepreneurial spirit.
[00:45]	My family and I are boat people. Refugees who escaped Vietnam after the war.
[02:43]	It was tough growing up.
[04:06]	I grew up in an environment that was full of fear, violence and abuse.
[04:40]	My entrepreneurial father instilled in me a ferocious work ethic.
[06:49]	Across my childhood discipline and grit were my closest companions.
[10:42]	Depressed and suicidal at 17, I ran away from home.
[11:20]	I put myself through university and worked hard to stay alive.
[12:00]	I realised most successful business icons were not happy.
[14:07]	At 22 I searched for happiness under the tutelage of spiritual teachers.
[15:30]	My intuition told me that happiness and wealth were not mutually exclusive.
[16:06]	Growth and fulfilment come from my contribution to others.
[16:45]	Money doesn’t buy you happiness, but it does buy you freedom.
[15:01]	My desire to push forward humanity by teaching the way of the spiritual entrepreneur.