Meet Trailblazer Thao Do

Today we’d like to introduce you to Thao Do.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Thao. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I have always been that kid who asks too many questions: What is it? How does this work? Why does it work? My curiosity is insatiable, and it’s one of my favorite qualities about me.

I grew in Vietnam. We didn’t have much money to buy toys, so I made up all sorts of fantastical stories in my mind. In my imagination, I have traveled to many far-flung places: Saharan desert, Himalayan mountains, and Antarctic tundra. I served egg noodles with a savory bone broth to my imaginary customers. At night, I made drawings and wrote equations with colorful chalks on a wooden cabinet to teach aerodynamics to my imaginary students. I loved playing imaginary games in my mind.

Our family immigrated to America when I was 11 years old. I didn’t know English at the time, so I studied body language and vocal variety. I became a voracious reader and memorized history and science textbooks to learn English and catch up with my peers.

I saw that I could categorize human knowledge into two worlds: human-made and Nature-made. I studied a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech to learn how to build human-made structures. I realized that Nature has an intelligent design system that far surpasses human comprehension. To explore more, I pursued a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences at the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the University of Oxford.

At Oxford, I frequented the Said School of Business as an Associate Director of the Oxford Entrepreneurs. I analyzed what made many businesses succeed and fail. What I’ve found is that the critical factor to business success is the ability to communicate in such a way that emotionally moves people into action. I discovered the Science of Communication and the Art of Connection.

So there is one more world after all – the playground inside the human mind. I studied the psychological and behavioral patterns of humans and saw how a comprehensive understanding of these fields could be applied to drive fundamental shifts in our societies.

Today, I’m gathering all my skills and knowledge together to create a coaching and consulting company, Thao Do Consulting. I empower science, engineering, and technology companies to hyper-grow and scale their businesses to create technology that drives a positive impact in the world.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My entrepreneur’s journey is a winding path with plot twists and turns – two steps forward, one step back, and five steps leapfrog forward. There are days when I am inspired to take action non-stop. Then there are days when I find it difficult to get out of bed because of the voices of fear, confusion, and uncertainty inside my head. On those days, I embrace my feelings and let myself relax into a session of quiet meditation, journaling, and reading. The internal resistance is part of the process.

I have a deep knowing that my success is inevitable. I focus on what I want by directing my thoughts toward positive desires and let things come to me with ease. I only take action from a source of inspired energy and let that momentum lead my path.

At the core, my entrepreneur’s journey is a pilgrimage to reconnect with Inner Being and my spiritual vision. In my meditations, I saw that we would face entirely new challenges in the next few decades. We will need to come together and apply our infinite intelligence and wisdom to advance humanity into the next frontier.

My calling is to gather and prepare a community of skillful thought-leaders and courageous adventurers, the next generation of Renaissance men and women, to go on this life journey together.

We are guided by our mission to amplify love, kindness, and compassion in the world. We bring joy and light into any space with our positive energy. We consciously connect with our souls’ truths. We live in appreciation and admiration of other living beings and environments around us. We come together to build a powerful tribe and create something much bigger than ourselves. My business is still unfolding, and I’m looking forward to where it takes me.

My advice to young women is to get clear on their spiritual vision and always take action that aligns with their truths. Don’t worry about doing it right and being perfect. Just make mistakes quickly and keep moving forward.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about your work – what should we know?
I empower science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) companies to hyper-grow and scale their businesses to create technology that drives a positive impact in the world. I especially love to support aviation-related companies with my background as an FAA certified pilot.

What I’ve found is that many STEM founders have many brilliant ideas, but they struggle to refine their grand visions into a marketable product. They are not clear on who their ideal customers are and how to position their products in a crowded market. When they market their products, they are frustrated at how difficult it is to translate scientific ideas into easy-to-understand and compelling messages for their customers and investors. As a result, they spin in circles, trying different approaches to get traction while losing time and money in the process.

I help STEM companies accelerate business growth by developing a customized Intelligent Business Playbook, so they have absolute CLARITY on what to do every step of the way. I coach them to develop a clear go-to-market gameplan with a comprehensive understanding of their customers, market position, product strategy, marketing, and sales strategies.

With my advanced training and experiences in Engineering, Science, Aviation, Marketing, and Communication, I help STEM companies develop big picture strategies with critical attention to detail. I apply knowledge in Psychology, Emotional Intelligence, and Human Behaviors to drive business strategies. With my background as a TV host and producer, I also coach teams on media training, public speaking, and sales enrollment conversations, so they can effectively communicate their messages in person or on-stage.

What sets my brand apart is the breadth and depth of my multidimensional knowledge and skills. The diversity of my experiences allow me to cut through the noisy distractions and identify the heart of the solution that will rapidly accelerate business growth.

Do you feel like there was something about the experiences you had growing up that played an outsized role in setting you up for success later in life?
When I first arrived in America, I didn’t know English so I could not communicate with anyone outside of my family. What I’ve found was that in the absence of spoken and written language, all my senses were heightened. I became an acute observer of humanity. I analyzed people’s vocal variety, facial expressions, body movement, hand gestures, pacing, and pauses, to get clues on what was happening around me.

I discovered the hidden messages beneath the spoken words. I observed the invisible relationship hierarchy and power dynamics in groups of people. I intuitively sensed energy vibrations that gave me hints on people’s motivations. These experiences provide powerful teachings in my understanding of human psychology. This body of knowledge allows me to coach my clients on how to communicate effectively through public speaking and in negotiation and sales conversations.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thaocoach.com
• Email: thao@thaocoach.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/courageinflight/
• Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thaocoach/

          Image Credit:
Thao Do

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