The creator of Vietnam's first ‘family doctor’ model, Tạ Minh Tuấn at times became discouraged and nearly gave up. Having overcome those difficulties, he is now recognized as the youngest leader of BNI—the world's most successful business networking organization.
– Compared with many other entrepreneurs, you have chosen a particularly difficult path in your field. Are you someone who likes to ‘stand out’ by daring to face obstacles?
It is a long story beginning 4 years ago, in 2007, when I learned my father had cancer. His illness was something nobody wanted, but it gave me an aspiration and ambition: to contribute to medicine and work in human healthcare.
Cancer is one of the diseases that can be completely cured if detected early and treated promptly. Cancer, along with some chronic conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, can also be entirely prevented by adopting a positive lifestyle in nutrition, exercise, work, environment, and mental well-being… This is because 80% of chronic diseases result from the lifestyle people choose.
Witnessing my beloved father's recovery from illness, helped by positive changes in his mindset and lifestyle, strengthened my conviction. That is why I want to contribute to developing preventive medicine rather than treatment.
Public health in Vietnam is currently fairly weak and underdeveloped. For example, Vietnam is consistently among the countries with the world’s highest rates of cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes… Meanwhile, 80% of these diseases can be prevented.
After researching, I found that the Family Doctor model was best suited to preventive healthcare. A well-developed model would not only reduce illness rates but also help ease overcrowding in city hospitals.
Why did you choose the “Family Doctor” model when the term was still quite unfamiliar in Vietnam?
After a period of research, I found the “Family Doctor” model very suitable. Hospitals are currently overcrowded, leaving doctors only a few dozen seconds to a few minutes to examine each patient. Such brief visits seriously affect treatment quality and leave little room for attentive care. Doctors can therefore only treat patients hastily, with a lack of consultation and health monitoring to prevent illness.
For their part, people also go to the hospital only when they are ill. Thus, Vietnam's healthcare sector remains focused on treating illness in both the thinking and practices of the 2 sides: the public and doctors.
According to WHO statistics, when 1 country invests 1 USD in disease prevention, it saves as much as 9-20 USD in future treatment costs. Vietnam remains a poor country, yet healthcare expenditure is heavily concentrated on treatment, which costs 9-20 times more than prevention—a paradox and contradiction.
Thus, the current hospital system fulfills only the mission of treatment and needs support from another force—‘family doctors’—to fulfill the mission of preventing illness among the population.
This is because each family has its own doctor to monitor health continuously, conduct examinations and provide necessary personalized advice, improving the quality of diagnosis and treatment. Such close monitoring also helps people prevent illness from the outset.
– It is easy to say, but did your early entrepreneurial path involve many difficulties and obstacles?
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Full name: Tạ Minh Tuấn
– Hometown: Quảng Ngãi; currently living and working in Ho Chi Minh City.
– Was a Group A student at Lê Hồng Phong High School for the Gifted.
– Graduated in Industrial Systems Engineering from Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology.
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At first, I had no money to pay everyone's salaries. Later, during research, the project ran into many problems involving personnel, direction, and products and services. By the fundraising stage, it seemed I would have to give up.
When establishing the legal framework, we feared the model was still too new in Vietnam and lacked a supporting legal framework, so it might not be permitted. Having led everyone on such a long journey, I did not know how I would explain being unable to continue.
There were times when I walked down the street feeling so discouraged that tears streamed down my face. Despite my dedication, I faced so many difficulties that I nearly gave up.
– So how did you overcome that difficulty?
The secret here is to develop your leadership skills. When you have no money or material benefits to attract followers, the only reason people will follow and work with you even without pay is that you draw out their dreams, bring them value, and help them find meaning in life.
It all comes down to your leadership. That will be the key to solving many early startup difficulties, especially when you lack resources such as financing and professional experience.
Perhaps that is what made people follow me despite my lack of funding, and what earned doctors' recognition despite my lack of medical expertise—even though doctors take great pride in their profession and often find it difficult to respect people without the same expertise.
– As CEO of HELP International Corporation, what advice do you have for everyone on caring for and maintaining their health?
There is a paradox in life: when young, we often sacrifice health to earn money, and when old, we use the money earned in youth to buy back our health. Yet we may not be able to buy it back.
When healthy, we want many things. When unwell, we want only 1 thing: good health. Set principles to protect your health and persist in following them.
– You are known as the youngest leader of BNI (Business Network International), the world's largest and most successful business networking organization. You must have contributed greatly to BNI?
I joined BNI because its operating philosophy suits me: ‘Giver Gains’ — ‘Giving Is Receiving.’ It is similar to my company's name, HELP, and our philosophy of ‘helping’: we want to help people prevent illness and find a better healthcare solution.
I am currently BNI’s youngest leader. I helped BNI establish 1 Chapter, and after a period of operation, fellow entrepreneurs in that Chapter entrusted me with their votes and elected me its President.
– You are still young but have already made many notable achievements. Do you feel satisfied with what you have accomplished?
I am happy because I am enjoying my journey; happiness describes the feeling better than satisfaction. I believe life is about Contribution, so I still have much to strive for to bring more value to life.
I often compare HELP to a ship. My crew and I have set sail and are crossing a vast ocean. Our destination is still far away, but let us enjoy our time together and keep fighting side by side aboard this ship.
– Many young people today are passionate about business. As a young entrepreneur who can be called successful, what advice do you have for those wishing to enter business?
No one taxes dreams. So when you dream, dream not only for yourself but also for society and the community. Then you will have more motivation, receive more support and find greater meaning in success.
Having a dream is not enough; you also need faith to realize it. Once you have that faith, take action and truly commit. As you act, change yourself for the better to expand the limits of your success.
Find and maintain your passion so you have the motivation to persevere. But persisting with an old approach that still does not succeed is not a good idea either, so devise a new approach if the old one has not brought the desired results. “Passion + Persistence + Creativity” is my formula for success. The other things will follow.
– What is your motto in life? Which entrepreneur has impressed you most?
My philosophy of life is contribution (Devotion). To me, life is very short, which is why we must help others and live as meaningfully as possible.
There are 3 leaders I wish I could speak with and ask many big questions: Gandhi, Lincoln, and Steve Jobs. One of them, Steve Jobs, recently passed away, which made me rather sad. They are 3 teachers I have never met.
– Thank you for this conversation!
| A Brief Look at Entrepreneur Tạ Minh Tuấn's Career – 2008: Founded IDEE Corporation, one of Vietnam’s first Digital Marketing companies. It later succeeded with major customers such as Sony and Unilever… and helped create a new career trend for young people: Digital Marketer.- 2009: Founded HELP International Corporation and served as CEO. The company pioneered home healthcare. HELP later grew to more than 70 employees, with steadily increasing corporate and individual customers.- 2010: Founded the ‘Giấc mơ đôi chân thiên thần’ Fund supporting people with disabilities who show determination in life. Currently its Executive Chairman.- 2010: Co-founded Master Chapter under BNI Vietnam, making it 1 of BNI Vietnam’s fastest-growing chapters at the time.- 2011: Became President of Master Chapter and BNI Vietnam’s youngest president, recognized as a leader of entrepreneurs. – Recognized and certified by the community as an outstanding Social Entrepreneur in Vietnam, meaning an entrepreneur who does business to address social problems. Only around 10 entrepreneurs nationwide are carefully selected and certified in this role each year. |
Saigon Entrepreneur, 02/03/2012
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