<p>At age 12, Tai Nguyen arrived in America with $1 in his pocket after surviving 7 days on a fishing boat in the Indian Ocean with 69 other Vietnamese refugees.</p><p>Now, 40+ years later, he&#39;s a Chief of Staff at ServiceNow, a certified executive coach, and living proof that resilience, curiosity, and relationship-building can take you from cleaning houses in Houston to leadership roles at Dell, HP, and one of the fastest-growing tech companies in the world.</p><p>In this conversation with hosts Regan Bach and Adam Odosky, Tai shares his journey from child refugee to tech executive, and the career philosophy that carried him through: never say no, always ask, and build relationships everywhere you go.</p><p>Key Insights:</p><p>●The career philosophy that changed everything: Never say no, always ask (if you don&#39;t ask, nothing happens), don&#39;t let your title define your role, relationship-building is everything</p><p>●&quot;I negotiated my career with an iPhone charger&quot;: Director needed a charger in the hallway, Tai negotiated his move to project management before handing it over, became a legend in the organization</p><p>●How he moved to San Diego with no job: Borrowed a friend&#39;s address and phone number to get interviews, moved with 2 suitcases, stayed with friends for 2 years</p><p>●Becoming Chief of Staff by running town halls: Started doing work &quot;not his role,&quot; friend asked &quot;you mean you&#39;re his chief of staff?&quot;, pitched Mark Stockford in an elevator, sealed the deal</p><p>●7 years at Dell, 13 years at HP, 9+ years at ServiceNow: Long stints in big enterprise companies, learning how to advocate for yourself and build relationships that matter</p><p>●Paid out of pocket for PMP certification: HP said no budget, Tai studied nights/weekends for a year, passed 4-hour exam first try, opened doors to project management</p><p>●Launched executive coaching practice: CTI certified (2+ years, 300+ hours), founded Your Limitless Potential Coach (ylpc.co), coaching senior leaders in UK and Australia</p><p>●Life lessons from a refugee: Curiosity as survival skill, asking police to drive him home when lost on Houston buses at age 13, learning English in 6 months, cleaning houses every summer instead of vacations</p><p>This episode is for anyone navigating career transitions, building a life from nothing, or anyone who needs proof that asking for what you want can take you further than any title or pedigree.</p><p>✨ Watch the full episode, and if it resonates, share it with someone who needs to hear this story. Your potential is limitless.</p><p>Hit subscribe! </p><p>Connect with Better Faster Further:</p><p>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/betterfasterfurther/ " target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">https://www.instagram.com/betterfasterfurther/ </a></p><p>Listen on Apple: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-faster-further/id1658641713 " target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-faster-further/id1658641713 </a></p><p>Connect with Tai Nguyen:</p><p>LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tai-nguyen-2303977/ " target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">https://www.linkedin.com/in/tai-nguyen-2303977/ </a></p>