My Story

I arrived in Brisbane in 2012 with three bags, very little English, and one skill—I knew how to create beautiful hair.

But my journey didn't start in Australia.

Back in Vietnam, I opened my first salon when I was just 19 years old. Not long after, I won first place in a national hair competition. That achievement gave me the confidence to dream bigger.

People thought I was crazy when I decided to open a much larger salon in the middle of an area already surrounded by the biggest and most established salons.

They asked me, "Why would you open there? You'll never compete."

I simply smiled and said,

"Let me do it."

I believed that if I focused on creating extraordinary work and serving my clients exceptionally well, people would find me.

They did.

My salon grew into a thriving business with a team of eight talented hairstylists. We worked with celebrities, fashion events, television and film productions, models, and some of Vietnam's most recognised public figures.

Life was good. My career was at its peak.

Then I fell in love.

I made one of the hardest decisions of my life. I left my family, my successful salon, my team, and the career I had spent years building to begin a new life in Australia with my husband.

Ten days after arriving in Brisbane, Julie gave me my first opportunity in Lutwyche. I'll never forget her believing in me when I could barely speak English.

After a few months, I realised I wanted to grow beyond cutting hair. I wanted to master colour and become one of the very best.

So I joined Kimberley's salon in Sandgate, which specialised in colour. There were five experienced hairstylists on the team, and honestly, I was the least experienced when it came to colour.

Instead of feeling discouraged, I became a student again.

I stayed curious. I worked hard. I asked questions. I practised constantly. Every client became another opportunity to improve.

Over the next few years, my confidence grew alongside my skills.

Eventually, I had the confidence to charge what my work was worth because I understood the value I created for my clients. My income more than doubled, and I consistently generated more than $1,000 a day in revenue for the salon, often earning performance bonuses because of the results I delivered.

But I still felt there was another level I wanted to reach.

I wanted to become not only a better hairstylist but also a better leader, mentor, and educator.

That desire led me to another opportunity in a salon in Brisbane City, where Candice hired me as Salon Manager. Alongside looking after my own clients, I was responsible for mentoring, training, and developing other hairstylists.

It was there that I discovered another passion.

I didn't just love transforming hair.

I loved transforming people.

I loved seeing hairstylists become more confident, improve their technical skills, believe in themselves, and realise they were capable of far more than they ever imagined.

Looking back, every chapter of my journey prepared me for what I do today.

Building a successful salon in Vietnam taught me entrepreneurship.

Starting again in Australia taught me resilience.

Working in high-performing salons taught me technical excellence.

Leading teams taught me how to develop people.

If I could leave everything behind, arrive in a new country without speaking the language, rebuild my career from zero, and create a life I love, then I truly believe you can transform your career too.

Today, Australia is my home. My husband and I are raising our two beautiful boys here, and every day I feel grateful for the opportunities this country has given me.

Today, through GP International Hair Academy, I bring together everything I've learned over the past two decades to help hairstylists master premium technical skills, build profitable businesses, grow in confidence, and create careers—and lives—they truly love.

Because I believe hair changes more than appearance.

It changes confidence.

It changes careers.

And sometimes, it changes lives.