Some of my clearest memories with my dad are not at the office, but in the car, on the way home. He talks about the business the way other dads talk about their day, and over the years I noticed his purpose kept changing. In the beginning, it was simple: build something so the family has financial comfort.
Later, the reason changed, and he started talking about the team, like how working with outside vendors was annoying and unreliable, and bringing things in-house was better for the people who work there, giving them steady jobs and salaries. Later still, the business grew into things he actually loves, like golf, and I saw it turn into something that supports whole communities around that too. Every time, the purpose got bigger and included more people. I think my dad's mantra, even if he never said it directly, is simple: wherever you go, whatever you do, provide value first.
The moment this became real for me was during my second year at RMIT, while I was interning as a marketing operator at a games corporation in Vietnam. By then I'd already built some trust with the team through small projects' success and referring a college friend for a website project that went well. So when my brand needed an agency for an offline event, I thought of Engage Plus. They delivered it right to expectation, and the team was happy. That was the moment it clicked for me: if I keep sharpening my own skills at work, I can create value for both my network and my family's business at the same time. That first referral in year 2 wasn't a one-off — by year 3, I referred both Eplus and Engage Plus for a bigger shared project. Around the same time, a close friend from RMIT had to move to Cambodia to help run his family business and needed a house built there, so I referred The Wall, and they did a good job for him too. That habit stuck with me, and two years after graduating, I'm still doing it — meeting people, hearing about what they're building, and if one of TGroup's companies genuinely fits, I would bring it up as an option for them to choose from.
That's basically how I ended up doing sales for TGroup, without ever really deciding to. Value first, always. The rest usually follows on its own.
Later, the reason changed, and he started talking about the team, like how working with outside vendors was annoying and unreliable, and bringing things in-house was better for the people who work there, giving them steady jobs and salaries. Later still, the business grew into things he actually loves, like golf, and I saw it turn into something that supports whole communities around that too. Every time, the purpose got bigger and included more people. I think my dad's mantra, even if he never said it directly, is simple: wherever you go, whatever you do, provide value first.
The moment this became real for me was during my second year at RMIT, while I was interning as a marketing operator at a games corporation in Vietnam. By then I'd already built some trust with the team through small projects' success and referring a college friend for a website project that went well. So when my brand needed an agency for an offline event, I thought of Engage Plus. They delivered it right to expectation, and the team was happy. That was the moment it clicked for me: if I keep sharpening my own skills at work, I can create value for both my network and my family's business at the same time. That first referral in year 2 wasn't a one-off — by year 3, I referred both Eplus and Engage Plus for a bigger shared project. Around the same time, a close friend from RMIT had to move to Cambodia to help run his family business and needed a house built there, so I referred The Wall, and they did a good job for him too. That habit stuck with me, and two years after graduating, I'm still doing it — meeting people, hearing about what they're building, and if one of TGroup's companies genuinely fits, I would bring it up as an option for them to choose from.
That's basically how I ended up doing sales for TGroup, without ever really deciding to. Value first, always. The rest usually follows on its own.
