Sitting in a wheelchair, the 8X guy still earns hundreds of millions/month, runs the whole company

From a disabled boy growing up in a family with a farming tradition, Nguyen Trung Hau has now become the CEO of a company specializing in coffee production.

"Revenue from 100 to 120 million/month, creating job opportunities for nearly 30 people, supporting the livelihoods of people with disabilities in 3 provinces of Binh Phuoc , Tay Ninh, Dong Nai" are the numbers considered "medals" for the journey of overcoming adversity of the young man Nguyen Trung Hau (38 years old, living in Ho Chi Minh City). 6 years of starting a business, from the beginning with little experience, Hau is proud that he can roll the wheel through difficulties, to achieve the results like today.

"Sometimes, I thought about committing suicide"

Born into a farming family, Hau grew up with his parents' advice to always be independent. At the age of 5, Trung Hau suffered from a "half-dead" polio fever. Hospitalized for more than a month, Hau's body gradually became cold and then lost all feeling. His parents cried silently, sought treatment everywhere but still received head shakes from the doctors. Having been healthy since childhood, the family was shocked and did not think that one day, people would call Hau "a disabled person". Because he was still young, at that time Hau did not realize that his life had completely changed. Seeing his parents sad, the 5-year-old boy did not understand anything. Until he was 8 years old, because of his weak health, Hau entered school later than his friends. At that time, Hau also had the first awareness of his life. He felt more self-conscious and inferior when he heard the judgment and sarcasm of his peers. Ignoring those taunts, Hau was determined to study hard to erase the unfriendly looks of people around him.

Going to school in a wheelchair, this still did not defeat Hau's will to study (Photo: Character provided).

Entering first grade two years late, Trung Hau still kept up with his younger classmates. Not only that, he also continuously achieved the title of excellent student for 9 consecutive years, passing the entrance exam to a specialized high school that many people dream of. However, when entering high school, Hau's health gradually declined due to having to sit in class for too long. From spinal pain, Hau suffered from kidney stones and many other diseases. The young man had to skip many classes, miss lessons, and not have time to copy notes. His academic performance also regressed, far from his previous ability. Hau also encountered many difficulties because the school's facilities did not meet the needs of a disabled person. "Sometimes when I wanted to go to the toilet, I had to hold it until my face turned red. When I couldn't stand it anymore, I whispered to the teacher and asked him to carry me to the toilet. That feeling was very humiliating," Hau confided. Helpless, the young man lived a careless life and always looked at everything in a negative way. After graduating from high school, Hau was taken by his mother to university to enroll in information technology. Excited for less than 2 days, Hau received news from his mother that he had to quit school. "I was shocked, because I had dreamed of so many things. My mother said that due to family circumstances, my parents could not take me to school every day anymore. I was sad but had to accept it, and then thought of the worst," Hau said. Buying a pack of asthma medicine, Hau intended to drink it all at once to commit suicide. However, luckily, his parents discovered and stopped him. Curled up in the 4 walls of his small room for a year, Hau once again stepped out into the world when his parents bought him a computer. At that time, because of his love for literature, Hau connected with many friends through articles on his blog.

By chance, Hau met Khanh Uyen. This girl helped the young man turn a new page in his life when he unexpectedly took a bus from home to the city where Hau lived. After that, Uyen signed up for an English course for Hau. With a new language, Hau felt like he had found a "fishing rod". From Cu Chi district, Hau moved to the center of Ho Chi Minh City more often. Life also became more dynamic than before. At home, the young man was also guided by a friend to learn computer repair. Having the skills after only 4 months of studying, Hau earned 7 million VND/week. The job had a high income and did not require much travel, but Hau still had a passion for starting a business.

Bringing new coffee to the countryside

At the end of 2015, a friend invited Hau to join him in starting a business at a coffee factory. The young man did not hesitate to nod, despite his parents' objections because they were afraid of the inconvenience of the long distance, Hau quickly waved his hand and affirmed that he could do it. During the 2 years in Da Lat, Hau went from a customer service staff to a coffee taster. With his eloquence, Hau was promoted to the position of human resources manager. Without going to any school, Hau was lucky to learn how to manage and operate a coffee production facility.

From there, he concluded what good coffee is like. Not only that, Hau also realized that people in his hometown of Cu Chi are used to drinking coffee mixed with beans, with a bitter and thick taste. Therefore, Hau determined to bring a new, standard coffee flavor to the countryside. In 2016, from the conclusions from working in his friend's coffee factory, Hau gathered all his savings and returned to Cu Chi district (HCMC) to start his own path. Starting with a capital of 450 million VND, Hau invested in 40 square meters of land right in his yard to open a coffee shop. Targeting students and young people, Hau successfully achieved a revenue of 5-6 million VND/day, helping the young man recover his capital after only 9 months of starting a business. However, at this time, a big brand came to compete. Hau could not handle it in time and once again collapsed when the Covid-19 epidemic broke out. No revenue but still had to pay salaries. On the 28th of Lunar New Year, Hau emptied all the money in his account to send his employees home for Tet. He only had 700,000 VND left in his pocket, which made him choke up and smile wryly.

It was thought that difficulties would discourage him, but everything seemed to motivate Hau to continue. The epidemic subsided, and the young man took advantage of e-commerce platforms and online shopping habits to develop coffee products. Since then, more and more people have known Hau's brand. The production and distribution of pure coffee has also spread more and more widely. Up to now, Hau has operated a complex including a factory, office, accommodation, and workplace of about 1,200 square meters. Not stopping there, 6 months ago, Hau and his partner opened an English center. Here, Hau is also the executive director of the entire center. With his journey of overcoming adversity, Hau is also often invited to give inspirational talks to the community.

Having achieved what he has today, Hau still does not dare to admit that he has succeeded. The 8X guy said: "Life is a series of things that do not go as planned. We have to enjoy life, if we are happy, then be happy, if we are sad, then we have to accept that it is natural. Everything will eventually fall into place." Content: Nguyen Vy Photo: Character provided

June 28, 2023

Dantri.com.vn