About Duong Van Thuyen

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Educational foundation

Education is not the same as schooling. School is only one part of education, even though it plays an important role. What lies outside formal school is harder to showcase, but that is exactly what most clearly differentiates one person from another in direct interaction.

Formal schooling

School years

12 years in Saigon
Selected for the district-level English gifted team in Grade 9 (the only representative from the school)
In high school, studied in a selective class for Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (natural sciences)

University years

Studied 1 year in Biotechnology at the University of Science
Graduated in Business Administration (Japanese-track class) from Foreign Trade University
Completed 60 hours of professional coaching training under ICF standards

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Tap the images to view the certificates more clearly.

Graduation from Foreign Trade University

MOOC High Impact Business Writing certificate

Self-directed learning

In self-directed learning, some courses came with completion certificates, some included detailed written reflections, and some were absorbed without documentation but with deeper contemplation. What is listed below is only what I can still recall. I have studied tens of thousands of videos on YouTube, but I cannot remember all of them precisely.

Completed the Leadership specialization by Michigan University (Coursera)
Completed the Leadership specialization by HEC Paris (Coursera)
Completed the Core 100 Training by Madanes-Robbins Institute
Completed the iMBA program by University of Illinois (Coursera)
Completed NLP Practitioner Level 1 & 2 by Kain Ramsey (Udemy)
Completed Ancient Philosophy & Modern Philosophy by Anthony Kenny

Below are moments from my learning journey.

Other courses, books, and topic-focused videos I have studied include: International Relations, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Deep Learning, Persuasion, Body Language, Computer Science, UX, Science of Strength Training, Training Anatomy, Gastronomy, books by Milton Friedman, books by Philip Kotler, short stories by Vu Trong Phung, and other materials whose names I no longer remember or do not list if they were only general-reference books or videos.

Learning through challenges

30 days of powerlifting, with a 120kg deadlift goal
30 days of reading one book per day
Switched to using Linux completely
Finished a draft manuscript within 1 week
3 years exploring Vietnam without going abroad
Cook almost 100% of my own meals
No tea, coffee, or sugar to alter mood
Work 2 hours a day while still sleeping a full 8 hours
1,000km along the southern coastline by motorbike
Using social media 8 hours a day in a deliberate way
60 days IELTS 9.0

Long-term research topics

Greek philosophy
Eastern philosophy
Sports science
Kinesiology
Nutrition for high performance
The human inner world
Computer science

Physical training

My training progression started with traditional martial arts, then moved to calisthenics (also known as street workout), then mixed martial arts, combined with weight training and mountain activities. Although I have also practiced and studied hypertrophy-focused methods, my approach prioritizes strength, resilience, and practical functionality.

In martial arts specifically, I focus on skill practice and light sparring rather than competition, because I work in cognitively demanding fields and do not want concussion risk (CTE). My purpose in martial arts is to build skill and health more than self-defense, because in modern life, very few situations are actually resolved with bare hands.

Training experience

Training and development always go together, because personal development is both the foundation and the motivation for creating training programs for others. Below is a brief overview of the programs and training formats I have delivered.

Internal training

When I worked at AIESEC (a social organization), I launched training programs for members, mainly around work skills, including planning, team management, candidate interview assessment, coaching, and client communication. I organized dozens of sessions, but I rarely took photos, and the materials were confidential, so there are no visuals.

American English accent training

After becoming confident and comfortable by improving both listening and pronunciation, I launched two pronunciation courses: clear articulation and natural, confident pronunciation. The course had a detailed path from foundational sounds to principles of stress and intonation characteristic of English.

Self-coaching course

The ability to self-reflect and self-observe is essential for everyone. Without this ability, many possibilities become severely limited. That is why I created the Self-coaching Infinity course, focused on identifying and observing three dimensions: thoughts, emotions, and the body.

AI Power User course

From late 2022, when AI was still unfamiliar to most people, I had already studied its history, projected future directions, and developed interaction methods to share with learners. The course content has remained strikingly accurate until now: from AI models replacing human tasks, to changing how people interact with applications, to a broader reassessment of human value.

Internal lesson series

During 2022-2025, I built a circle for growth-oriented members. Within it, I developed internal courses sharing series topics such as learning how to learn, persuasion, thinking methods, and emotional intelligence.

FUL Academy - Persuasion - FUL _ Training Series _ Persuasion _ 01

FUL Academy - Persuasion - FUL _ Training Series _ Persuasion _ 02

FUL Academy - Persuasion - FUL _ Training Series _ Persuasion _ 03

FUL Academy - Persuasion - FUL _ Training Series _ Persuasion _ 04

FUL Academy - Persuasion - FUL _ Training Series _ Persuasion _ 05

FUL Academy - Persuasion - FUL _ Training Series _ Persuasion _ 06

FUL Academy - Persuasion - FUL _ Training Series _ Persuasion _ 07

FUL Academy - Deep Work - Deep Work _ 01 _ Version 1.0 _ 09.08.22

FUL Academy - Deep Work - Deep Work _ 02 _ Version 1.0 _ 09.08.22

FUL Academy - Deep Work - Deep Work _ 03 _ Version 1.0 _ 09.08.22

FUL Academy - Deep Work - Deep Work _ 04 _ Version 1.0 _ 09.08.22

FUL Academy - Learning How to Learn - HowtoLearn _ 01 _ Version 1.1 _ 28.08.22

FUL Academy - Learning How to Learn - HowtoLearn _ 02 _ Version 1.1 _ 28.08.22

FUL Academy - Learning How to Learn - HowtoLearn _ 03 _ Version 1.1 _ 28.08.22

FUL Academy - Learning How to Learn - HowtoLearn _ 04 _ Version 1.1 _ 28.08.22

FUL Academy - Learning How to Learn - HowtoLearn _ 05 _ Version 1.1 _ 28.08.22

FUL Academy - Problem Solving - Problem Solving _ 01 _ 12.11.22

FUL Academy - Problem Solving - Problem Solving _ 02 _ 12.11.22

FUL Academy - Problem Solving - Problem Solving _ 03 _ 12.11.22

FUL Academy - Problem Solving - Problem Solving _ 04 _ 12.11.22

FUL Academy - How to Think - How to think _ 01 _ 03.02.23

FUL Academy - How to Think - How to think _ 02 _ 03.02.23

FUL Academy - How to Think - How to think _ 03 _ 03.02.23

FUL Academy - How to Think - How to think _ 04 _ 03.02.23

FUL Academy - How to Think - How to think _ 05 _ 03.02.23

Learning paths on duongvanthuyen.com

After finishing this new website, I created learning paths with topics ranging from deep foundational insights to practical, immediate application. I continue adding more. Some examples include understanding and preventing psychological manipulation, and the limits of human potential.

Coaching expertise

If this is unfamiliar, coaching is different from training in that coaching focuses on creating outcomes through partnership (usually 1:1 or in small groups), rather than simply transferring knowledge (teaching) or sharing personal experience (mentoring).

When discussing expertise, people often think first of credentials. But if you read the educational foundation section, you can see that I am not lacking qualifications. Honestly, from a client perspective, what matters most is what differentiates one coach from another. Credentials are increasingly common now; just like a university degree, not having one can be a disadvantage, but among people who all have one, it is no longer a strong differentiator for evaluation.

Straight to the question: "What makes you different and unique?"

First

I coach sustainably, without extracting people to the extreme. My professional viewpoint is that for coaching to be sustainable, a coach must dedicate substantial time to developing themselves, and only the smaller remaining portion to coaching delivery.

To help others effectively, your own foundation must be solid first. The goal is for your capability to stand far above the minimum required level for the profession.

Second

I do not follow a single rigid template, method, or system. I coach each individual as a new case, with attention to details and the unique difficulties or opportunities of that person, then optimize for that specific context.

Sadly, over more than 10 years of observation, I have seen many people leave a training program only to become one bottle among many jars in both thinking and behavior. That is a kind of development, but it often stops at conformity and subtle imposition.

Third

In my own development journey, I did not remain in the comfort zone of a stable and conventionally successful coaching script. I moved outward to truly live, to do things others treat only as passing ideas, and to pursue work beyond my natural strengths.

There have been both gains and losses, but that is exactly what gave me lived material to understand life contradictions and absurd moments. Only by living this way can I deeply understand client situations and stories that are often very hard to share with others.

Although this is not the most distinctive point nor the strongest proof of inner capacity, it is still common reference information. I began professional coaching in 2019, and my accumulated applied coaching hours are now over 1,000.

After crossing the 1,000-hour mark, I stopped counting, because for me experience has value only up to a certain threshold. Beyond that, what a coach can offer is limited by the coach's inner capacity. For me, coaching always means looking with the eyes of a beginner, so accumulating even more experience can actually become a disadvantage if you do not know how to master your ego.

Social projects

Each social project I have joined could require a full essay to explain clearly. Here, this is only an introduction, so each one is summarized in a few short lines.

AIESEC

I joined AIESEC as a member in this international youth organization. My roles there were diverse, from recruitment to promotion, consulting, and customer care. In terms of position, I progressed from manager to co-founder of a new branch. I worked there for 3 years.

Sapien Vietnam

The project I founded was an effort to create a collaborative space for fellow coaches at a time when coach-client connection channels were still underdeveloped. Over multiple years, my collaborators and I organized free coaching programs for university students, along with workshops on life and professional topics. It was rewarding that later, coaches could proactively build personal brands and connect with each other and clients without depending on Sapien Vietnam. The project lasted around 2 years.

Work

Anything I have studied and developed has created work opportunities. For example, studying and researching coaching and human development led to my work as a life coach; more than 15 years of training experience and study of exercise science led to my work as a fitness coach. Experience working in organizations across multiple leadership roles gave me the ability to identify and solve problems, which is exactly what I use as a solo entrepreneur and as an advisor in management.

Work is only a vector that transfers value (knowledge, experience, skills) from one person to many others. Below are milestone points marking when I started some of my work streams.

English tutoring, since 2016
Writing and blogging, since 2017
Hiking and camping tour guiding, since 2018
Professional coaching, since 2019
Training through course formats, since 2020
Web application development, since 2021
Local buddy, since 2026

...

Nomadic living

Living in different places provides essential material for reflecting on what I have learned and for opening new questions.

What does it mean to live in a place? It means committing to it like home, either through long-term work or long-term daily life. If it is work, you need real contact to understand local people. If it is living, you integrate into local life: go to local markets yourself, cook for yourself, eat based on local produce - for example, in places with abundant fish, eat fish; in places with abundant vegetables, eat vegetables - instead of depending on supermarkets to preserve an old lifestyle.

Saigon

This is where I grew up and studied. Saigon is my childhood, and the Southeastern dialect is the voice I have been exposed to most. Across Vietnam, nowhere matches this place in diversity of people, culture, and economic structure. At the same time, it has a strong magnetic pull that makes people not want to leave, along with a hectic lifestyle that can carry people away before they realize it. Saigon has been a benefactor in my life.

Hanoi

I was born here, lived my early years here, then moved away. In my mind, Hanoi is both strange and familiar, both frustrating and beloved. The harshness of the environment here - both natural and human - does not irritate me; it is an interesting stimulus for growth. Hanoi is my favorite climate type, with its clear four-season subtropical pattern.

Da Nang

This city was the first place in Central Vietnam that I set foot in. It made me re-examine how I understood Vietnam. It helped me realize how narrow my perspective had been when I only held the South and the North in mind. The Da Nang accent has now become familiar and easy for me to listen to, with its own unique charm.

Tuy Hoa

This place offers one of the most peaceful lifestyles in Vietnam, at least when I was there. Phu Yen gave me quiet periods to cultivate myself. It is also where I enjoyed the highest-quality seafood. People say the Phu Yen coastline is not beautiful, but its beauty is not something passersby can immediately feel.

Can Tho

I have been to Can Tho around 65 times. I know the number because I went there for work and had to track costs for accounting. This is where I had the deepest contact with people from the Mekong Delta. It was a memorable culture shock in my youth and also an opportunity to sense regional differences more clearly. Can Tho is in the South, but experience says not to equate it with Saigon. Can Tho has its own character. My favorite dish there is probably bun mam; I have not found it better anywhere else.

Event guest

I am open to invitations as a guest speaker or host for suitable events. The best way to contact me is direct message via Facebook Messenger. If there is no response, you can send an SMS reminder; email should be the final option. Below are events I have joined. My apologies to organizers of events not mentioned here, as many happened long ago and I can no longer recall details or locate photos.

Youth camp

Treasure Hunter Winter (Summer) Camp is a project for high school students in Vietnam, aimed at helping young people understand the importance of self-awareness and gain broader, more objective perspectives on life issues. The event also equips participants with essential skills and tools for exploring self-leadership, along with space to practice and develop themselves.

PISE Mentoring

Founded in 2018, PISE (Project Incubator for Young Social Entrepreneurs) is a youth initiative to narrow opportunity gaps in Vietnam by strengthening leadership capacity for disadvantaged young people who are passionate about creating impact in their hometowns and for the country.

Elevate Conference

Elevate is a leading conference where global industry leaders, top coaching experts, and high-level business leaders come together to reshape the world of professional and leadership development.

Origins

Talking about a person origin is not simple. Human life has both a physical layer and an inner spiritual layer. Even people from the same place do not necessarily share most characteristics; only certain parts may overlap. It is complex, but I will still share a few points.

Born in Ha Tay (now Hanoi) in a rural area, raised in the outskirts of Saigon, studied near the city center, and now living in Central Vietnam and the Central Highlands. In physical life - food, movement, and daily living - it has been almost entirely Vietnamese.

In study, reading, and content consumption, my primary sources are from the United States. More than 50% of what I hear each day is English. I speak with an American accent and feel American English as familiar as Vietnamese; the two languages feel integrated as one, not like something external or distant. The United States is a homeland of knowledge and spirit for me.

At this point, I also cannot avoid mentioning East Asia, especially Japan and China. Japan represents limitless creativity to me through Dragon Ball, where Goku evolution seems to have no ending. China is an adventure - a search for martial wisdom to cultivate oneself - and also a lesson in deep human strategy and interaction.

Drama

This is what I have experienced:

When I shared results from more than 10 years of training, I was told I was showing off my body. When I wore long sleeves, I was told I looked skinny like an addict.

When I wanted to offer constructive feedback, I was told I disrespected emotions. When I waited to speak until asked, I was told I was cruel for not saying it sooner.

When I wanted to expand my impact, I was called expansionist and power-hungry. When I returned inward to self-cultivation and study, I was told I had ability but did not work enough, and was selfish for only living for myself.

As a child, being naive and easily deceived was praised as cute. As an adult, when I became harder to deceive and more proactive in protecting my interests, I was labeled narcissistic, difficult, and many other tags.

When I sparred lightly in martial arts, partners thought I was weak and pushed forward. When I used force, I was seen as showing off and not holding back.

How can anyone satisfy everyone? Probably only by becoming an NPC.

In this life, once you step out to build and do real work, no matter how you do it, there will always be someone who dislikes it. Work and goals are already difficult, so it is impossible to spend time carefully managing every person emotions or explaining every detail. This has been true for many people, including me. So when some people speak badly with negative labels, it is not surprising; it was expected. I am always prepared for this.

I also do not live like most of the crowd, so many things about me appear different. Because of this alone, some noise and gossip are normal. Anyone who has enough real contact will gradually understand and realize it is not that different after all. I have my own journey from being ordinary to living this way. Everything I do is part of a natural process. At some point, we will converge, and you will understand me. Drama mostly lives in human overactive imagination; once there is real understanding, there is no drama - only a person like everyone else.

About Duong Van Thuyen

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