10 Dec
Blog

Building a Business Powered By Yin and Yang

I can’t believe it’s been ten years since we opened up our first Nhinja.  Time really does fly by when you’re having fun. What’s even more surprising to me is that my relationship with Kang has only grown stronger as we weather the business storms together. I really admire those of you who are able to work hand in hand with your significant other. It’s a dance. He goes one way and I pull him back. I go one way and he pulls me back. And somehow, we meet harmoniously in the middle. In many ways, we are yin and yang. While Kang provides much needed creativity (food recipes) and technical know how (restaurant operations), I make up the difference on the back end pulling from my...

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11 Nov
Blog

Kids Learn Mental Toughness and Grit Through Tennis.

When I picked up the tennis game in 2010, I had no idea that it would become a tool to teach my boys business skills. Initially, I became attracted to tennis for the exercise and, of course, the cute clothes. Eventually, I got good enough to be recruited on several United States Tennis Association(USTA) teams. Competing in leagues led to the development of mental aspects of my game. I became intrigued with the sport so much so that I signed up all three of my boys. Since then, my children have played tennis as a positive outlet and hobby. Secretly, I use it to teach them how hard work pays off, how to problem solve, and be a leader. They don’t realize it, but they are learning life skills while struggling to achieve...

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11 Nov
Blog

Goal-Setting for Kids.

The one thing I love about snow days is being stuck in the house with the kiddos. I can basically imprison them into doing whatever needs to be done without the guilt of knowing they could be doing 'better' things outside and on extracurricular activities. Today was one of those days in Oklahoma. It had been on my mind for quite some time to review our goals' list. Every year, we aim to create new personal, business, and health goals. Last year, it seemed as though we were more on top of things creating vision boards with magazine clippings in early January. And with Kobe's busy tennis schedule and home-schooling, somehow our 2018 Goals' list kept getting pushed forward. So today, the boys, Cane,...

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11 Nov
Blog

The Process Will Be Slow, But You Will Succeed.

When I was little, I always wanted to be a teacher. Teachers are the backbone of our nation, educating and inspiring our future generations to reach new heights. ​ My love❤️ of teachers and teaching began in kindergarten. I remember my teacher, Mrs. Ruth Payne, would stay everyday after school to teach me English. I saw in her green eyes such delicate patience. It had only been a little over a year since my parents had migrated from Vietnam before I came into the world. So we spoke only Vietnamese at home. So when I started school, I knew almost no English.  I began the painstaking journey of learning a second language with the help of my teachers. I was made fun of almost everyday because of...

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11 Nov
Blog

How We Can Empower Our Children To Succeed at Online School.

It was not long ago I was homeschooling my middle son, Kobe, for tennis. He struggled at first with homeschooling but we eventually found a groove that worked for both of us. The following tips are what we learned from two years of virtual learning with EPIC. And while I believe home-schooling and crisis online schooling are entirely different, they share many of the same foundational tenets.  It wasn’t until I empowered Kobe with the resources to succeed that he began the confidence building activities that will serve him for, I believe, life. Children naturally want to please and succeed, but they may not always know how. Giving them the freedom to take control of their day allows them to make mistakes and learn from them, and eventually succeed.

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11 Nov
Blog

The Truth About Homeschooling.

of my three sons. I don't know if home-schooling is right for you or if it is even right overall. I believe there are multiple routes to happiness and fulfilment. There is no wrong or right way to provide education for your children. Kobe began home-schooling in September of 2017.  It had been weighing heavy on my heart since 2015 to spend as much time as possible with my last two children. When my oldest Michael graduated, it made me realize the old adage that "time really does fly fast'. The reality was becoming all too close to the heart. How can I maximize my time as a parent bringing up my children to the best of my ability? In a lifetime, raising kids is...

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11 Nov
Uncategorized

How to Help Children Develop Grit.

Grit is a fairly new word used in the social emotional arena. Based on Angela Duckworth’s 2016 book titled Grit, it is a key emotional intelligence skill that is derived from both passion and perseverance. Grit is the ability to not give up and keep going despite all obstacles.  I believe it is a predicator of success in all areas of life including financial, fitness, marital, and career.  But if grit is so important, how do you develop passion and perseverance in kids? Read on to see my top tips on how, as parents and educators, we can help our children develop grit. 1. Entertain our kids’ urge to explore the hobbies and activitiesthat attract them. If we allow our kids to explore what they find interesting, overcoming...

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11 Nov
Blog

5 Ways to Teach Your Kids Entrepreneurial Skills They Can Use For Life.

Owning a business is hard. And it’s an even more difficult task when you have children and trying to achieve a family work life balance. Workdays can be ongoing, often stretching to 16 hours, 7 days a week. Oftentimes, you’ll be missing out on quality time with your children, one of the biggest disadvantages in the early days of entrepreneurship. But if you stay the course, you can be rewarded with freedom and more time with your family as the end result. In the meantime, here are some great ways to reduce family work friction and teach your children the value of entrepreneurship and all that it has to offer. Being around the family business can help kids become more successful...

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11 Nov
Blog

Social skills far outweigh academic success in early years.

As young children begin their academic careers, parents often wonder are they doing enough to keep up. “Does Timmy know all his 100 sight words?” “Should I start Olivia with physics?” “Does Emma know her multiplication table?” However, many parents would be surprised to know that social skills predicted outcomes into adulthood much more than early academics. For instance, a research study published in 2015 showed that social skills observed in kindergarten showed significant correlation with well-being at age 25, even with factoring in for family demographics and early academic ability,Social skills far outweigh intellectual intelligence! Kindergarteners who displayed social ability were more likely to graduate from high...

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