Ceo, TNA Entertainment, President, Sohy SJC Actress TRƯƠNG NGỌC ÁNH: It's the purpose of life that counts

DNHN - Business and arts are two very distant aspects, between which exist many vexing disparities that challenge the wisdom of even the most experienced in both fields. But businesswoman-slash-actress Trương Ngọc Ánh has every confidence to bring these two extremes to a harmonious partnership!

Greetings Ms. Trương Ngọc Ánh! It has been three years since BusinessWoman Magazine’s last interview with you, as cover lady of the August 2016 issue. How has your business turned out over the years and does it live up to your expectations?

It can be said that the company has outperformed my expectations over the past three years. One of these valuable accomplishments is the fact that we have managed to put together an extremely well-oiled crew, with passionate fellow artists who are always there for me through the ups and downs of the movie industry. At the same time, I myself have also reaped a handful of prestigious awards this year. I am blessed and humbled that my efforts have been recognized and are contributing to our country’s status in the cinematic field, as well as receiving more recognition from the public.

Be it my personal or the company’s achievements, I believe that we are taking the right course and making a superb use of our advantages, as partly demonstrated by our most recent film projects, Hương Ga 2, which is about to go on screen, and Trưng Vương, which has just been launched a few days ago, attracting considerable media attention.

It seems that you exert a great deal of passion and effort into these major film projects, especially in the epic genre with the latest product Trưng Vương drawing inspiration from the legendary Trưng sisters. Could you share with us your expectations for this project?

For Trưng Vương, which will soon begin filming and is expected to go public in summer 2020, this is a personal conquest that I have been nurturing for many years. This is a complicated project that requires a collaborative research of culture from many different generations in order to reflect history at its truest. Throughout my career journey, this is perhaps the one project that has received the most support and assistance, which greatly encourages me considering what a difficult period we are going through at the moment. The end purpose, undoubtedly, is to remind the people of Vietnam, while introducing to our international friends, the distinctive beauty of Vietnamese culture, and proclaiming its proud tradition over the past thousands of years.

Do you have any specific reason for choosing these heroic sisters instead of another historical figure?

Being a feminist and yearning for the opportunity to make movies about the life and fate of women, I am most expectant for the release of this project more than all others. Moreover, despite having countless outstanding war heroes over the eras, those that best represent our warrior sisters are definitely the Trưng sisters. Filming-wise, the two figures can be featured not only in glorious feats of war, but also in a number of other intriguing aspects. Being a woman making a movie about women, I strive to create a well-thought and well-executed product, as well as providing an opportunity for everyone to pay these heroines our deepest gratitude.

As an accomplished figure in the artistic fields, do you have any other goal besides profits when pursuing these projects?

Honestly speaking, making profits is the ultimate goal for any business. As for me, apart from TNA Entertainment which focuses on artistic projects, I am also involved in many other entertainment businesses including restaurant, bar and club ventures, with the main objective of yielding profits. In addition to financial gain, I also endeavour to provide high-quality products for the market, which accurately reflect the standards and reputation I have been establishing these many years. Of course, this would mean yielding less profits while putting out higher investment and standing greater risks. That said, I believe it to be a norm in business, and what requires more attention, instead, is to create your own set of standards. This is also our top priority when considering partners, making sure that they share the same business opinion in order to cooperate in the long run.

Profit is important, but not the only thing. I believe that we, as business owners, should never squeeze profits out of product quality, which is in fact the most important.

So, compared to those many other fields you’ve been operating in, how does the artistic business differ?

The artistic business is greatly different from other areas, for it is rigid, but emotionally inspiring. Only those who truly love it can last long in this field, for the transcendental and elevated spirit we obtain as we reach the multi-dimensional realm of emotions will help us live to our fullest and overcome the worldly obstacles of everyday’s life with ease. I always try to teach and inspire my juniors in the field that, once they’ve taken a role, no matter big or small, think of it as the first and last film they’ll ever make, as if there’s nothing holding them back in order to dedicate their whole selves to the perfect demonstration of the role.

Being in the arts requires much flexibility, so one who makes a business out of it must be ever more so, keeping pace with trends while maintaining the emotional bond with their products. Other than making profits, art is an “addictive drug” that fascinates people and drives them to spend a lifetime pursuing it.

Being a model and actress who later on dove into the business field, which qualities of yours are the strengths that helped you advance further on this business journey?

It is perhaps the perseverance, or “stubbornness” of mine that has helped me survive in the business world and achieve what I have today. I do not falter, concede, or yield easily before any hardship. That doesn’t mean that my business career has been a bed of roses, but full of struggles and defeats, as does any other entrepreneur, I believe. Therefore, I also consider myself as one who accepts failure when failure is due, and is always on an outlook for new approaches that will improve my performance.

How about your weaknesses?

I have always been an altruistic and sympathetic person, in life or work. If someone upsets me, I may be mad at them for a moment, but often forgive them and give them a second chance. I believe that in both work and life, we should always be kind and generous to one another, sharing your fortune with others so that they too can become a better version of themselves.

Have you ever deviated from your original goal over the past 23 years, no short a span for anyone to keep their head straight?

I can proudly claim to never have gone astray from my preset goals. And in order to keep such a heavy workload running smoothly, I admittedly have felt overloaded at times. Keeping a good balance between my artistic work and business matters and rearing them towards a common path is no easy feat, but passion only gives me the strength to try harder than any other. I believe that the persistence to walk on one’s own feet has now come to fruition, that is the joy, the pride, and the bliss in what I have chosen for myself from the very beginning.

As a businesswoman, do you believe that the career establishment and growth is different between man and woman?

In business in particular, I believe there is a great deal of difference between the two genders when pursuing one’s career. As a simple example, we ladies cannot follow the same diplomatic methods as the guys. A slip of tongue or a misdemeanour, especially towards a male partner, could result in unnecessary misunderstanding and negative impressions even. A businesswoman is required to remain sharp at all times in order to convey her professionalism and emotional stability, especially on the negotiation table.

What is your lesson for success after all these years making a career of your own and reaping many accomplishments?

Every line of work requires professional competence, acuity and passion. As for the lesson for success, I suppose that there’s no set standards, for there are as many definitions of it as there are people with their own perspective and goal of life For me, there’s no “gain”, or success, without first taking the “pain”.

As a matter of fact, my success is but a drop in the ocean, compared to the previous generation of businesswomen. So whenever I reach a milestone in life, I must set out for another, higher goal to keep going forward and never become complacent of myself.

 

Have you ever wondered why you have to take on so much work?

Yes indeed, I did ask myself that, and now I’m learning to reduce my workload, realizing how tightly squeezed my time budget has become. The most important thing for me at the moment is to spend time taking care of my daughter while she’s still young and in need of her mother’s love. I want her to spend a beautiful childhood with me, and that’s why I’m trying to make the most time for it. In different stages of life, one should always find what’s most necessary, and what can be let go, in order to lead a more harmonious and valuable life.

Success is about achieving one’s goal in life, but with every goal achieved, we set out for ourselves an ever bigger one, and, intended or not, become greedy. Do you think so?

Not at all! I myself often set out a five-year, even 10-year plan for myself. Having a goal drives us forward and become better, and the bigger the goal, the more discreet and conscious we should be in every detail. Focus on what you know best and don’t bite off more than you can chew, that’s what I’ve been telling myself. Therefore, I always pay great attention to the time span and progress towards my goals. Some may be achieved sooner or later than expected, but I always adjust things so as not to put too much pressure on myself and “rush” for the unplanned steps.

Is your goal in life separated or integrated to that of your career or business? What do you think is a positive goal in life?

There are certain criteria in life, but the most essential of all is to have a clear goal in life. In fact, it is the root of all things. Only by living a meaningful life can we lead a proper business. Likewise, any turbulence in life will lead our business down the wrong path. If you want to lead a positive life, simply keep the negative things out of your mind.

Those who have just met you for the first time or only seen you in movie roles often consider you as a strong and sharp woman. Are you truly such a woman in life?

I might be strong and tough at work, but in personal life, I do have moments of weakness, and I am certain that no one can claim to be strong 100 per cent of the time. For example, I might be strict, but also easily swayed by my daughter, for even the ferocious tiger never eats its own child. In addition, in the romantic field, I am quite a “softy” who needs a comforting shoulder, being a woman myself with every right to expect simple romance and affection. Of course, only few will be able to witness that soft side of mine, for I am quite discrete with the public and rarely express my feelings explicitly.

If one day your daughter wishes to lead a life such as yours, what would you give her as an advice? What are the core values that you expect her to uphold throughout her life?

My daughter is, in fact, quite a determined person and is not interested in following my footsteps despite inheriting many a quality from her mother. I also do not force her to follow my path, but anyone else that fascinates her and helps her develop herself, and I’ll give her every support she needs.

Being a woman, and more importantly a mother, I always try to impart on her the positive lessons by letting her grow in an independent but loving environment. And being a woman herself, I expect my daughter to grow with as much perseverance as flexibility and femininity.

Source nudoanhnhan.net