EO Overdrive: I’ve Survived Worse

Hao Lam is more than just the CEO of a successful franchise, he’s also a Vietnamese American who was born into a war-torn country and had to learn persistence at a young age.

“My father had worked for, and fought alongside, the United States army,” Lam wrote for EO Overdrive. “When Saigon fell, we were closely monitored and ostracized, resulting in my father being jailed as a political prisoner. I had to flee.”

Lam said he tried to escape Vietnam on 10 separate occasions but failed each time.

“Those failures had me running from gunfire and in jail on several occasions, but I refused to give up,” he continued. “I was a young boy dreaming of a life that would allow me to grow, achieve and excel on my own term.”

After a final harrowing boat ride to the Philippines, Lam and his wife succeeded. Now he owns 11 tutoring centers and has 29 Best in Class Education Centers across the U.S.