To My Sons – Jayden, Skylar, and Dylan
📍 Written by Your Father, Di Tran
📅 Written on: March 6, 2025
💌 To Be Read: Whenever You Are Ready – Now, Later, or Someday Far Away
My dear sons,
When you were little, you would climb on my back, hold my hand, and follow me everywhere. You called me “Daddy,” but one day, I want you to know me as Di Tran — your father, the man who came from nothing and built everything for you, for your future, and for the world you will one day lead.
I was born in a small village in Vietnam, where our family lived in a mud hut. We had no running water, no electricity, and no luxuries. We survived because your grandparents worked every day — flipping homes, fixing things, selling what they could. They had a dream — to bring us to America, a place they called “heaven on earth.”
In 1995, we arrived in Louisville, Kentucky. I was 12 years old. I didn’t speak a word of English. I was the shyest, slowest learner in school. For 6 years, I barely spoke because I was afraid to get it wrong. But what I didn’t know back then was this: getting it wrong is the first step to getting it right.
I worked in factories after school — just like your grandma and grandpa. We worked hard because in this family, work is love. But I always knew there was something more.
I went to college — not because I was smart, but because I was willing to try, fail, and try again. I graduated with C and C- grades, but that piece of paper wasn’t my real education. My real education came from the people I met, the work I did, and the failures I survived.
I became a computer engineer, working for a company with 7,000+ engineers. And in just a few years, I was one of the top 3 engineers in the entire company. Not because I was smarter — but because I was willing to outwork everyone and ask better questions.
But I didn’t stop there. Because success means nothing if you don’t turn around and help the next person up. That’s why I started Louisville Beauty Academy, to help immigrants, just like me, build a life through learning a skill and earning a license.
I built 15+ businesses — not for wealth, but for workforce development. Every business is a training ground for someone’s future. Every building I bought was not for luxury — but to turn into a school, a salon, or affordable housing for families who need a start.
Today, our businesses create over $20 million a year in economic impact, but I never count money as success. My real success is when a student smiles because they got their first license, or when a mom can finally buy her first home because of the skills we gave her.
My sons — my greatest dream is not for you to be rich or famous. My dream is for you to understand this:
A man’s true worth is not in what he owns, but in how much value he adds to others.
You are my sons — but you are also leaders, creators, and servants of the world. Everything I build today — from beauty schools to AI companies to real estate — is not just for me. It’s to show you that anything is possible if you serve with love and work with all your heart.
There will be days you want to quit. Days you doubt yourself. Remember this:
- Your father came from a mud hut with no English.
- Your father was the slowest student.
- Your father failed more than he succeeded.
- But your father never stopped moving forward.
If I can do this — you can do even more.
You are my legacy, and I pray that one day, your sons and daughters will know this story too — not to glorify me, but to understand:
Every person, no matter how small their beginning, has the power to build something beautiful — if they choose to work hard, stay humble, and serve others.
I love you, my sons. This life — this story — belongs to all of us.
Forever proud,
Dad (Di Tran)