Vinh Giang's Story

How a

Bullied Outcast

became a

Magician of Words

It’s 2020, and I’m standing in a New York hotel room, staring at my reflection. I’m about to go on stage and deliver a keynote to a Fortune 500 company. Six-figure fee. (Still can’t believe they pay me that). Crowd of thousands.

It should be a moment of triumph.

Instead, a wave of emptiness washes over me. For the first time in my career as a keynote speaker, I don’t want to go on stage. I want to be home with my wife and newborn son.

How did I get here?

The journey began far from Manhattan’s glitz, in a working-class neighborhood of South Australia. I was born with the name Quang, the son of Vietnamese refugees. Struggle was our norm. My parents borrowed money just to put me through high school. It’s a memory I can’t seem to shake.

English was my third language, and my heavy accent made me an easy target.

"Fobby," they called me – "fresh off the boat."

Bullies didn’t hesitate to throw punches. I changed schools five times trying to get away, but the shadow of rejection followed me.

At 14, I’ve had enough. Sick of the mold others had created for me, sick of feeling like an outsider, I make a decision that will change everything.

I ask my parents for $180 to legally change my name…

Quang becomes Vinh Giang. New name, new school, new person. (Same pimples).

The new name helps, but isn’t enough.

I need a way to connect.

That’s when I discovered magic.

Starting with a simple card trick – the double lift – I start to get something I’ve never gotten before – positive attention. I can now make people smile, I can now make people laugh, I can now even approach the prettiest girl in school. (Daniela. I confidently asked her to prom; she confidently said no).

Yet this newfound confidence is fragile, tied to those 52 cards. I buy decks by the thousands, stashing them everywhere – my car, my room, pockets, locker, bag, my friend’s bag. They are my security blanket, my portable confidence… (At this point in my life, my confidence was an illusion, based on tricks.)

As I hone my craft, I dive into the art of showmanship, Taking vocal classes, Studying theater, practicing improv, watching my performances back. I obsess over every detail, analyze each movement and word. I feel like a mad scientist.

The obsession pays off. I win awards at Australia’s Fringe Festival, competing against acts from around the world.

The best compliment comes from my mentor:

"You're finally great because when you leave,
I don't remember the magic. I remember you."

That’s when it hit me –

The real magic wasn't in the cards or illusions.
It was in the connection I formed with the audience through my ability to communicate!

But something unexpected happens…

As my career grows, oddly, so does my dissatisfaction. I no longer feel fulfilled doing the tricks. I’m dissatisfied with being just an entertainer. Something in me wants to make a difference.

At the peak of my magic career, I make the difficult decision to walk away - to break the mold - taking with me the authentic parts of my craft, the ability to communicate and connect.

A chance encounter leads to my first talk and the beginning of a new career as a motivational speaker. Armed with the showmanship I’d honed as a magician, I throw myself into professional speaking with the same intensity I’d applied to being a magician. I buy two GoPros, duct-tape them back-to-back, cover their blinking red lights, and record every talk so I can study the footage to gauge audience engagement. Guided by a friend’s advice to deliver ‘one moment of impact per minute,’ I relentlessly refine my craft.

My dedication pays off.

Within a few years, I’m commanding over $100,000 per talk and delivering 80-100 speeches annually across the United States. I’d broken through the ‘bamboo ceiling’ that some had warned me about – it really impacted me. I truly saw the only limitations that exist are the ones we create for ourselves.

But success came at a price.

At the peak of my career, I find myself traveling 200 days a year during the first three years of my son’s life…

I just keep saying to myself, ‘Maybe he won’t remember I was away.’ But I can’t get away from knowing – I will.

Which brings me back to that hotel room in New York, not wanting to go on stage, feeling a wave of emptiness, reminding me of a previous chapter I’ve lived before – when I fell out of love with magic.

I reach out to my best friend, Ali, who flies from Melbourne to help me think things through.

I confide,

“Ali, I’ve reached a place where teaching the art of communication brings me more fulfillment than being the performer on stage. What do I do?”

Ali says,

“The answer is easy man. Write a new chapter. You’re the author of this story.”

I decide to break the mold, again, to take my 10 years of mastery and help others amplify the best parts of who they are.

Today, from my studio in Australia, I serve over 12 million people across all platforms helping them master the skills of communication, improve their confidence, speak with more clarity, and develop deeper connections. I want to live in a world where all people are able to fully shine their light and share their gifts and talents.

One of my favorite quotes is from Picasso,

“The meaning of life is to find your gift.
The purpose of life is to give it away.”

I sometimes think back to that scared boy patting his pockets for a deck of cards. But I no longer need that crutch. The real magic, I’ve discovered, isn’t in making things disappear – it’s in making connections appear, in transforming ourselves and others through the power of communication.

In the end, we're all looking for the same thing – to be seen, to be heard, to connect. And that's a magic more powerful than any illusion.

Don’t’ be so attached to who you are in the present that you don’t give the future you a chance.

Vinh Giang, quoting myself 🤢

Vinh Giang's EPIC Bio

Vinh Giang is an award-winning entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and communication coach who has helped thousands of people unlock their full potential by mastering the art of communication.

With over a decade of teaching experience and tens of millions of followers across social media, Vinh combines his passion for public speaking with his unique background as a magician to create fun and effective learning experiences.

Known for his engaging, playful, and practical approach, Vinh empowers students in his Stage Programs & Events to break through their communication barriers, amplify their voice, and shine on every stage in their lives.