Dear Jayden, Skylar, and Dylan,
Every time you come to me, asking about work, about making money, or about how you can help Mom and Dad, my heart overflows with pride. It’s beyond beautiful to see you voluntarily hand me the money you’ve saved, offering to pay for groceries or the toys you’ve bought yourselves. Sons, your generosity and thoughtfulness are gifts to me and your mom that go far beyond words. I am incredibly proud of the young men you’re becoming.
But pride isn’t the only thing I feel. What I look forward to, what I dream of for you, is something far greater. I want you to understand what money really is and, even more importantly, what it isn’t. I want you to understand the values behind money, the purpose of trading value, and the immense power of creating and investing in value. There is a difference between making money and creating wealth—and this book is my way of explaining that difference to you and to all children like you who dream of contributing and helping their families, of being more, doing more, and adding more to this world.
Let me take you back to where it all began for your mom and me. Sons, your dad was born in a small mud hut in Phương Lâm, Đồng Nai, Vietnam. Our family was poor, so poor that we measured success by whether we had enough rice to eat for the day. Yet, even in that mud hut, surrounded by the struggles of survival, I witnessed something remarkable. Your grandparents—my parents—found ways to rise above poverty. Your grandmother, whom you know as a loving and wise woman, became one of the top wholesalers of fertilizer in the area. She wasn’t just a trader; she was known for her fairness, her hard work, and her ability to build relationships in the Phương Lâm market. She didn’t have much money at first, but she understood value: how to create it, how to trade it, and how to scale it. This understanding changed everything.
When we came to the United States, we left all of that behind. We arrived with just $400 in our pockets, seven people squeezed into a tiny 500-square-foot apartment at Americana Apartments. We started over. Your mom and I worked tirelessly, your grandparents did everything they could, and slowly, step by step, we built a new life. From that tiny apartment, we moved on to owning homes, businesses, and degrees. We climbed corporate ladders, started small businesses, and even entered the world of politics and community service. Today, your mom is running a business in healthcare, helping people at Kentucky Pharmacy, while I work to build businesses, write books, and create opportunities for others.
Do you know what made all of this possible? It wasn’t just money. Money is simply a tool, a currency that moves value from one person to another. What made it all possible was understanding value itself. Sons, this is what I want you to learn. Money is not the goal. Money is like the blood in your body—it’s necessary for life, but it’s not the purpose of life. The goal has always been to create value, to trade value, and to multiply value in ways that serve others and make the world a better place. The more you understand how to create and trade value, and the more you can do this at scale, the wealthier you will become—not just financially but in every aspect of your life.
I see something in you, sons, that many adults haven’t yet discovered. When you say, “I want to work,” “I want to make money to help,” “I want to contribute,” or “I want to add value,” you’re expressing one of the most valuable traits anyone can have: the desire to create and serve. This initiative, this self-drive, is more precious than gold. It’s not about how old you are; it’s about the habits you build, the mentality you develop, and the actions you take. You already have this gift, sons. And this book is my way of nurturing that gift in you and in all children who share your curiosity and determination.
I don’t just want you to read this book. I want this book to be the foundation, the starting point, for a lifetime of learning and growth. I’ve written it in a way that’s simple enough for you to understand now, but deep enough that you can revisit it as you grow older and discover new layers of meaning. My hope is that it will give you the knowledge and tools to become leaders—leaders of yourselves, of your families, and of your communities.
So let’s talk about the mindset I want you to carry with you: the mindset of value creation, value trading, and value investment. It sounds complicated, but it’s not. Let me break it down for you.
- Value Creation is about using your skills, knowledge, and time to make something that helps others. For example, when you help Mom by cleaning up the house, you’re creating value because you’re making our home a better place to live. When I write books or start businesses, I’m creating value by sharing ideas or providing jobs.
- Value Trading is when you exchange something of value for something else. This is where money often comes in. For example, if you save up your allowance and buy a toy, you’re trading the money you earned for something you want. But trading isn’t just about money. When you help a friend with homework, you’re trading your time and knowledge for the satisfaction of helping someone.
- Value Investing is about putting your resources into something that will grow over time. This could mean saving your money in a piggy bank, or it could mean spending time learning a new skill that will make you even more valuable in the future.
Sons, the more you understand these three concepts and practice them, the more successful you will be. And by success, I don’t just mean money. I mean living a life filled with purpose, contribution, and fulfillment.
Let me share something important about where your mom and I came from. In Vietnam, life was about survival. Every meal, every roof over our heads, every opportunity to go to school—we had to fight for these things. When we came to America, we realized that this country offers something extraordinary: the chance to dream bigger. But dreams don’t just happen. They require hard work, learning, and a commitment to creating and sharing value with others. That’s what I want for you. I want you to dream big, work hard, and build something meaningful—not just for yourselves but for the people around you.
Sons, you’ve already shown me that you have what it takes. Every time you hand me your savings, not because I ask for it but because you want to contribute, you’re showing me that you understand something many adults struggle with. You understand that money is not about hoarding or spending selfishly; it’s about helping, sharing, and building something greater than yourself. This mindset is your greatest asset, and it’s something I want to nurture in you.
This book is not just for you. It’s for all the children out there who look at their parents and say, “I want to help.” It’s for all the kids who are curious about how money works, who want to make a difference in their families, their communities, and the world. And it’s for the parents and teachers who want to guide these children but don’t always know where to start.
In this book, we’ll talk about what money is and isn’t, how to earn it, save it, and spend it wisely. We’ll explore the difference between trading value and creating value, and we’ll learn about investing—not just in money but in yourself and the people around you. I’ll share lessons from our family’s journey, from the mud hut in Phương Lâm to the life we’ve built in America, and I’ll show you how these lessons can apply to your life, no matter where you are or where you want to go.
Sons, my greatest hope for you is not that you become rich, though I believe you will be if you follow these principles. My hope is that you become people of value. People who create, who contribute, who lead with kindness and wisdom. People who understand that money is just a tool, but value—the ability to help others and make the world better—is the true measure of wealth.
Jayden, Skylar, Dylan—this book is my gift to you. It’s my way of passing on everything I’ve learned so far and everything I hope you will build upon. Read it, question it, and use it as a foundation to grow. And remember, your mom and I are always here to support you every step of the way.
With all my love and pride,
Dad
