Choose a job or choose yourself? | Kieu Anh Tran | TEDxHUS

For many millennials, success was a formula: study hard, choose the “right” major, secure a stable job, earn a good salary and let your career define your worth. Ms. Kieu Anh followed that script perfectly, from top university entrance scores to a high-paying job abroad. But beneath the achievements, she felt like she was playing a game written by someone else.

In this talk, Mrs. Kieu Anh reveals a powerful truth: empowerment isn’t something granted by titles, salaries, or societal expectations. It begins the moment you stop chasing the “correct path” and start noticing what genuinely brings you joy. By choosing authenticity over approval, she rebuilt a career aligned with her values-one that fosters creativity, community and second chances. This talk invites anyone standing at the crossroads of life and career to rethink success, listen inward, and dare to let who they are define what they do.

More about the speaker can be found in the biography below. Born and raised in Saigon, Ms. Kieu Anh spent many years studying and working in the UK before returning home. With a background of over a decade in product design, she has always been drawn to the unnoticed and the ordinary in objects, stories, people and to finding new ways of telling their stories, bringing out their hidden values. This instinct eventually led her to start Dòng Dòng, a creative business venture where she brings together sustainable design principles with the vibrancy of Vietnamese culture. Dòng Dòng has now entered its 5th year and become one of the beloved sustainable fashion brands of Vietnam. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx