Lifetime at Work: Finding the Meaning in Our Careers
Your career is more than just a job—it’s a chance to create an impact and find personal fulfillment. This podcast explores the journeys of business leaders, uncovering how work shapes our lives, the world, and what makes a career truly meaningful.
Hosted by Greg Martin, a Toronto-based investment banker and M&A advisor, the show dives into the deeper questions behind our careers—why we work, what drives success, and how our professional lives shape the world around us. In an era of AI, career freedom, and globalization, the meaning of work is evolving, leaving many to question its true purpose.
Through conversations with founders, business leaders, and investors across private equity, public markets, and venture capital, the podcast uncovers insights from those who have built, grown, and influenced some of North America's most successful companies. It also features advisors, consultants, and investment bankers who help shape the future of business, sharing lessons from their wins, losses, and defining career moments.
Lifetime at Work: Finding the Meaning in Our Careers
How Underdogs Turn Their Struggles into an Advantage with Quang X. Pham
Episode 98. Does having privilege help or hurt you in gaining success in your career? What if being an underdog actually helped?
In this episode of the Lifetime at Work Podcast, host Greg Martin interviews Quang X Pham, a Vietnamese refugee and accomplished entrepreneur. Quang shares his incredible journey from escaping Vietnam as a child to becoming a Marine Corps veteran, a biotech entrepreneur, and an author of two books.
He discusses the challenges and motivations behind his success, from joining the military to navigating the pharmaceutical sales industry and eventually founding successful companies. Pham also provides practical advice on overcoming adversity, the importance of defining personal success, and the value of self-confidence and adaptability.
His latest book, 'Underdog Nation,' aims to inspire those who feel like underdogs in their professional and personal lives. The episode captures his inspiring story, insights on entrepreneurship, and reflections on the immigrant experience in America.
- 00:00 Introduction to the Podcast
- 00:24 Meet Quang X Pham: A Journey of Resilience
- 01:53 Early Life and Escape from Vietnam
- 04:02 Adapting to Life in America
- 05:54 Military Service and Lessons Learned
- 10:44 Transition to the Business World
- 13:21 Becoming an Entrepreneur
- 18:39 Writing and Motivating Underdogs
- 21:12 Presenting Yourself and Being Relatable
- 21:59 Lessons from Military to Civilian Life
- 23:53 Defining Success on Your Own Terms
- 25:32 Transitioning from Corporate to Entrepreneurship
- 28:21 Balancing Risk and Passion
- 32:19 Dealing with the Past and Moving Forward
- 36:15 Reflections on Vietnam and American Dream
- 40:41 Advice for Underdogs and Career Advancement
- 42:36 Conclusion and Final Thoughts