August 30, 2023 • 29 mins
Journey with us as we navigate the extraordinary life of Thanh Campbell. From his early life in Vietnam to his last-minute escape during the fall of Saigon, Thanh's tale is nothing short of captivating. He shares the ups and downs of his journey, including his humble start selling suits in a mall before rising to his current position as the Canadian director of Partners Worldwide Canada. He goes on to reveal the enlightening story behind his Paul Harris Fellow pin from Rotary International, a testament to his unwavering dedication to service.
Thanh's insights go beyond his personal journey, as he gifts us with his wisdom on leadership, the power of prayer, and the art of connecting with others. He introduces us to the ‘Giver’s Gain’, a principle that has helped him build a network of meaningful connections, emphasizing the importance of helping others rather than seeking personal gain. This approach not only shaped his professional journey but also facilitated his transition into writing, leading to his memoir, Orphan 32. Tune in as we unveil the essence of Thanh's success - a spiritual connection, the significance of prayer, and an unshakeable belief in God’s perfect plan.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Lisa Peters (00:07):
Welcome to the Leader Impact podcast.
We are a community of leaderswith a network in over 350
cities around the world,dedicated to optimizing our
personal, professional andspiritual lives to have impact.
This show is where we have achance to listen and engage with
leaders who are living this out.
We love talking with leaders,so if you have any questions,
comments or suggestions to makethis show even better, please
(00:28):
let us know.
The best way to stay connectedin Canada is through our
newsletter at LeaderImpactca oron social media at Leader Impact
.
If you're listening fromoutside of Canada, check out our
website at LeaderImpactcom.
I'm your host, lisa Peters, andour guest today is Taun Campbell
.
Taun was born in Vietnam andcame over to Canada as part of
the last flight out of Saigon in1975 with 56 other orphan
(00:53):
children, and their story wascaptured numerous times in
national media.
He has toured across Canada andspoken internationally sharing
his story.
Taun has had the privilege tospeak for the United Nations in
Toronto, multiple school boards,tv and radio interviews, as
well as many Fortune 500companies across Canada.
Taun has written his memoirtitled Orphan 32 and his
(01:15):
illustrated children's book Lostand Found, orphan 32 goes home.
Most recently, taun wasappointed as the Canadian
director of Partners WorldwideCanada, he has been asked to sit
on a number of boards andcommittees, including the MAC
Kids Fundraising Committee, theHamilton Media Advisory Council,
which discusses the issue ofdiversity and multiculturalism
(01:37):
portrayed in the media, andPromise Keepers Impactist Canada
Advisory Board.
Taun and his wife Teresa have acombined family of six kids and
one crazy dog.
Welcome to the show, taun.
I don't even know how you foundtime to be here.
Thanh Campbell (01:57):
Thank you, lisa, great to be here, and hopefully
we don't hear that crazy dogduring this interview.
That's great he always seems toknow when to jump in right.
Lisa Peters (02:09):
Yeah, mine's sleeping over there and she'll
start to dream and all of asudden I'm like, and I'm like
throwing things at her.
So you know, I get it.
So I'm just going to.
If anyone's watching this andmany people are listening, I see
you wearing a pin.
Now I have the same pin Taun.
I am a Paul Harris.
I believe that's a Paul Harris.
(02:29):
Am I right From RotaryInternational?
Thanh Campbell (02:32):
That is correct.
It is a Paul Harris fellow.
I'm truly honored to wear thispin because at the time and I'm
not a member right now, but Iwas honored with this pin by the
Rotary Club up in Sault SteMarie.
So I was just visiting, I wassharing my story and a fellow
(02:55):
came up to me afterwards andjust shared that he was so
impressed with what I'm doing inthe community that he would
like to honor me with a pin.
And I just recently been to apinning ceremony for a chief of
police, so that's who I thoughtthese pins belonged to.
People like that.
And you know community service.
And he says no, we know whatyou're doing for the community
(03:16):
and for young people across thiscountry and bringing hope and
we'd love to honor you with this.
So I was deeply moved by that.
So the next time I was up there, they had the whole ceremony
and everything ready for me.
And yeah, so I've been wearingwith this with much pride
everywhere I go and it'sinteresting, as I am in a room
(03:37):
with other Paul Harris fellow,they noticed the pin and they
share their story.
So there is a real fellowshipand real connection with each
other.
Lisa Peters (03:47):
Yeah, I was honored with a pin as well my father in
law.
So when a Rotarian makes athousand dollar donation to the
Rotary Foundation, you willreceive a Paul Harris fellow pin
.
You become a Paul Harris fellow.
My father in law has honoredeach one of his family members
their daughter in laws, theirson in laws, as well as now the
(04:10):
grandchildren.
He just continues to make thesedonations to which each of them
are honored with a Paul.
Yeah, so I know that pin verywell.
So congratulations.
Thanh Campbell (04:20):
That's a really neat way of doing that.
Lisa Peters (04:21):
Yeah.
Thanh Campbell (04:22):
There's my story .
Thank you, thank you very much.
Yeah, yeah, no, that's thatdoesn't meet honor with honoring
people too.
Lisa Peters (04:30):
Yeah, yeah.
So I want to thank you forjoining us.
We are sort of doing a specialsummer series and we are now, I
think, towards the end of August, and we sort of ask you four
main questions and then I askyou my two ones.
I ask all my guests.
We sort of focus on pivotalturning points, best principles,
success, failures and mistakesand how really those can be your
best successes.
So if you're ready to start, I'mgoing to jump in and ask your
(04:58):
first question so we lovehearing about your professional
story and how you got to whereyou are today, so I'm wondering
if you can give us a couple ofsnapshots that were pivotal
turning points along thatjourney.
Thanh Campbell (05:14):
Sure, well, I'll try and be brief because I'm a
storyteller so it's hardsometimes.
But out of university I knew Idid not want to follow through
with my education degree.
I was going to be a schoolteacher, an elementary school
teacher, so I didn't know whatelse to do but go work in the
mall.
So I went and worked at themall and I sold suits at Tip Top
(05:34):
Tailors and had a great time.
But from there I was recruitedby a friend to help manage their
Christian bookstore and I wasin that job for a little while
and I got recruited basicallyfrom that job into working for
Redeemer University College, theuniversity I was just attending
(05:55):
.
So I graduated two years beforethat.
So in 1998 I started working forRedeemer and while I was there
I was doing some innovativestuff for the admissions
department and I got, I guess Icaught the eye of the fellow who
was doing the fundraising forthe university at that time.
His name was Greg Hatton and heasked to do a coffee with me
(06:15):
through one of my friends and Ihad no idea who this Greg Hatton
was or that Redeemer was evendoing a fundraising program, but
we had coffee.
He kind of got a little bit ofmy background and he basically
hired me on the spot and I wasat a juncture in my life again
that I took it and so I startedright in.
I left that position and thengot recruited into the
(06:39):
fundraising world and so he wasmy mentor and he still is one of
my mentors.
In life.
Greg has been a fantastic youknow, just a leader figure in my
life to walk beside me andcoach me, really show me how to
do fundraising as ministry.
You know there is such a hardkind of task.
(07:04):
When you are in the fundraisingworld You're talking about
money, you're talking aboutpeople's finances, but when you
approach it as a stewardship andas a ministry focus, you are
actually blessing people.
You are not there to takeadvantage of them, you're
actually there to help them.
And one of the biggest things Ilearned through kind of this is
(07:25):
people who have been given lotslet's just do it through
biblical term they have agreater responsibility with that
, and that responsibility ofwealth is a burden to some
people, and I know a lot ofpeople joke saying I wish I was
burdened with thatresponsibility, but it really is
to make sure that you arestewardly with the finances that
(07:47):
people have been given.
So when people have bigbusinesses or they've done have
inheritances, the people whotake it seriously to provide to
ministries, they want to makesure that they're giving to the
ministries that God isappointing to them.
And so when you can come in andyou can say you know this may
not be for you, but if it is wewould love to be able to partner
(08:08):
with you and really speak inthose terms that we want you to
only partner with us if God isleading you to partner with us.
Otherwise, you need to go andyou know we want you to partner
with whoever God is calling youto and leave that kind of
pressure tactics down and reallyleave that open for the donor
(08:29):
to prayerfully consider a giftor, you know, partnering with
your organization.
When you've been able to dothat and you can leave.
You know a donor meeting whichusually starts off with arms
crossed, eyes crossed and legscrossed waiting for the big ask.
You know, and they can actuallyleave that meeting shaking your
(08:50):
hand, giving you a hug andsaying thank you for coming.
That was a huge learning for meand so I started into that
process, working for charities,not for profits, and I loved it.
You know I loved everyorganization I got to work with,
saw the different work that Godis doing throughout this
country.
Around the world had to workwith some of the bigger names
(09:12):
like World Vision, kids Live,international, christian Reform,
world Missions.
These organizations are doingfantastic work around the world
and it was great just to be apart of it.
Lisa Peters (09:23):
Yeah, I listened to your story and I think I and
mine I'm a mechanical engineertechnologist designed 18 Wheeler
tank trailer units got intocharity work, fundraising, and
it was everything you look at inyour life and I think of you
know you went in to be a teacherfrom tip-top sales you're, you
know, from education to sellingyourself to, you know, selling a
(09:46):
charity group.
It's amazing how we see thosepivots and they were all meant
to happen, and so I love hearingyour story and I identify with
it, because everything I havedone has just got me to right
here right now.
So I absolutely absolutely.
I actually, but truthfully Ithought we were going to talk
(10:07):
about.
I'm thinking you know how wouldTawn answer this question?
And when I go back to your bioand I read last flight out of
Saigon with 56 other orphanchildren, that was pivotal, that
that changed the course of yourlife, it was definitely pivotal
.
Thanh Campbell (10:23):
Absolutely my personal life has been changed
because of that.
That came in 2003, you know,meeting the other orphans,
meeting Trent, and that is kindof run parallel to my, my, my
work life and it has helped mebecause obviously it helped grow
my network, my media exposurethrough that story, just my
(10:48):
general public speaking andhaving opportunities to speak
with different groups, hashelped me leverage my personal
story into my work life.
And, as you say, all of this haskind of got, has brought me to
this point of what I'm doingright now with partners
worldwide, where my kind of twoworlds have collided, where I am
(11:10):
helping people around the worldwho are living in impoverished
communities, like I came from inVietnam and now I'm working on
this entrepreneur business Kindof side of things were helping
businesses, global businessesaround the world to scale and
become sustainable, helpingraise, you know, impoverished
(11:30):
communities out of out ofpoverty through business, and
I'm doing it also withfundraising.
So you know all of this comingtogether and then again
networking and connecting withbusiness people such as yourself
, sharing the story, sharing thevision, you know, using my
communication skills to actuallyTell stories of impact.
(11:52):
It's all coming together in onebeautiful picture when you know
, as you're going through life,like why is God putting me
through this or why is?
And it's kind of here and thereand here and there and all
these different experiences.
Now it's forming a beautifulpicture and I can see his
purpose.
Lisa Peters (12:10):
Good, great, all right.
So the next question is give usyour best principle of a
success and tell us a story thatillustrates this.
Thanh Campbell (12:22):
For sure.
Well, I think it kind of what Iwas alluding to just as I've
been going through myfundraising and going through my
professional speaking is thisprinciple that was given to me a
while back, where your networkis your net worth and so
Everybody that you get to meet,everybody that you are
(12:42):
connecting with, is part of yourvalue, of who you are and what
you can bring to people.
And so my network that I havegrown through, you know, decades
, has really Now been able toI've been able to leverage that
for what I'm doing.
Now.
The connections I've madethrough the media, that the
(13:04):
connections I made throughpolitics, the connections I've
made through fundraising, allare coming together and being
used in God's hand to reallyhelp this organization Partners
worldwide, in Canada and aroundthe world.
So it's really exciting.
You know I'm not saying thatit's my net worth, because we
know where our value comes inChrist, right.
(13:25):
But in the business world it isa really who you know Kind of
world.
It is who you can connectpeople to.
It is how you can help theother people.
So the other principle that I'vegained is givers game the more
you can give away, the more youwill receive, and when you can
give away your network, when youcan connect people and you can
(13:46):
give away those connections withpeople that can help them, then
it's a win-win-win situation.
I don't look for just a win-winsituation, I'm looking for how
can we all win in some way,whether you know it's the
community, it's the donors, it'sthe I want to see as many wins
through all my connections, asmuch as possible.
So having that sense of givergame it's not about just
(14:09):
collecting names so I can holdthem, but it's being able to so
I can give them away and blessother people and saying, oh I
know someone who could reallybless your business through this
way, or I know someone that youcould bless their business by
this.
I think you two should meetright and then everybody you
know wins out of that.
Lisa Peters (14:28):
You're the connector.
Thanh Campbell (14:31):
Absolutely, and people called me that that you
actually had a different titlefor me before.
It was called the smooths.
So, yes, I think I was going towrite a book under that title
how to smooth that does.
Yeah, I just know how to Makepeople comfortable, connect, get
(14:52):
their stories Really hear thevalue proposition that people
can bring to other people andjust have that in my back pocket
.
You know we stuck with aroller-decks.
You know it's kind of all uphere and here and I always have
that roller-decks going as whocan I help people?
So when I'm at a networking,I'm going to one right after
this session.
Actually I'm gonna be going toa networking session.
(15:14):
It's who can I introduce you to?
It's not yeah, how can you dobusiness, how can you help my
business, how can you take salesor how can you give me money or
whatever it is.
I'm always thinking through oh,who could I connect you to?
Who?
How could I support you in whatyou're doing Right and have
that whole givers gain Principlebehind me?
Lisa Peters (15:34):
Yeah, because they will remember you.
You were the person thatconnected them.
Thanh Campbell (15:40):
Absolutely.
Oh yeah, for sure, for sure.
And what's interesting is, youknow, in a second meeting or a
third meeting they're actuallySeeking you out and bringing you
over to someone and they saidoh, I just met ton at this last
dinner last year.
He's the perfect guy to connectyou with so-and-so and
(16:00):
so-and-so and so-and-so, right.
And so you get to be known inthose Circles as the person to
be Backed into yeah, yeah,you're a memorable guy, tom.
All right, so our third questionand we oh, that's one way, you
know.
I mean, it's good to be kind ofknown as memorable.
(16:22):
I I think the term you know inone of the books is it's great
to be interested rather thaninteresting.
And so when people understandthat you are interested in them
and what they are doing, right,that's so much more than trying
to present yourself asinteresting.
(16:43):
You know, I definitely have aninteresting story and a
background, but that only comesabout usually after I've heard
their story and what they're allabout.
Lisa Peters (16:52):
Yeah, that's a good point.
Thank you for sharing thatThird question we learn more
about, we learn more from ourfailures and mistakes than our
successes.
Would you share one of yourgreatest failures or mistakes
he's already nodding and whatyou learned from it?
Thanh Campbell (17:11):
Yeah, I was looking at this question before
and you know it's like oh, whichone do I choose from right?
So this is tough becausesometimes failures are hard to
kind of look in the face and beable to say, oh, why did I do
that and do I really want theworld to know about, you know,
(17:32):
my failures?
I'd rather put the best footforward, like my mom always used
to tell.
But I think missedopportunities are sometimes a
failure as well.
And so when you look back atopportunities that you didn't
take advantage of or that youkind of had missed stepping
forward in faith because youdidn't think, you know, you had
(17:54):
the resources or you had themeans to move forward, and so I
did have some of those kind ofin my past where people have
offered to kind of join forceswith me or join and just kind of
like being offered shares inFacebook when it first started,
you know missing thoseopportunities.
(18:15):
And so, yeah, there was a timewhere a friend had kind of
offered to kind of join forceswith me and to kind of start a
business and I didn't have in me, I didn't have faith in me that
I would be able to bring to thetable what I needed to do and
then so they found someone elseand then they moved forward and
(18:35):
they were successful and lookingback now saying that, oh, I
could have probably been that.
You know that person.
But you always look back onhindsight, right.
So it's not that I take everyopportunity, but I do have a
better perspective of who I amand kind of the skills and
abilities God has given me, andsometimes it is a test of faith
(18:57):
and if it's a calculated risk,then it's not.
You know what I mean.
You know it's not a terriblerisk to take if it's a
calculated risk.
So kind of learning from thosekind of you know experiences
helps help me, kind of say, hey,there is some innovation that
you can take, because innovationalways takes risk.
(19:18):
I didn't think I was an authorand so you know, when I was in
grade 12 and high school youdidn't want me writing papers,
and same with the university,you'd be all red marks.
So when people were saying, oh,have you ever written your book
?
And it's like, oh, you don'twant to read what I write
because it's, you know, notgonna make sense.
But then I realized, okay, no,I have the skill of telling the
(19:40):
story and that's why we haveeditors.
So if an editor can work withme to make it actually legible
and readable, then sure I couldwrite a book.
And that's what I did, and youknow, gratefully, I've sold over
5,000 copies onto 8,000 copiesnow, and you know and the you
know, people thank me forsharing my story with them
(20:01):
through my book, and so I've hadtaken that step out of faith,
saying, okay, I can do my part.
Where other people havestrengths, they can do their
part.
Working together, we canproduce a very good product.
And that's what's happened.
Lisa Peters (20:14):
Yeah, I want to believe that if I don't say yes
to an opportunity, if it wasmeant to happen, it will come
back, it will find you againsomehow.
Like I want to believe that andsometimes I just you know.
Thanh Campbell (20:29):
I think I miss the Absolutely, maybe in a
different way.
Lisa Peters (20:31):
Yeah, you're right, yeah, like I.
Just I want to believe thatthat it will come.
You know it'll take time or itwill circle back around, or, if
it's meant to be, it will findyou again.
Thanh Campbell (20:42):
Absolutely.
Lisa Peters (20:43):
At Leader Impact, we want to grow professionally,
personally and spiritually forincreasing impact.
Would you be willing to sharean example of how the spiritual
makes a practical difference inyour life as a leader?
Thanh Campbell (20:56):
Well, I like to say that makes all the
difference right.
My faith is my anchor, and whenI'm not connected, when I know
that I'm not active in my faith,that's when I you know you're
fired or you're yeah, you'rejust not getting the results
that you're looking for.
(21:16):
When you are connected, whenyou are praying daily, when you
are in the Word, you know you'reseeing promotions, you're
seeing blessing, you're seeingdonations come in from who knows
what.
So you're seeing the resultstangibly when you are connected.
And so yes, making sure thateverything you do as a leader,
(21:44):
you know, whether you are theCEO or whether you're an
employee, you're still a leader,understanding that that
spiritual connection, spiritual,you know, activity is vital for
you and the prayer works.
You know.
I love kind of a posting I justdid on Facebook and says pray
(22:07):
before you overthink, and that'skey.
You know, so many of us go tooverthinking rather than praying
.
We're trying to strategize.
How can we do this?
How can?
Why don't we just pray?
Why don't we just pray for moredonors?
Why don't we just pray for moreactivity?
Why don't we just you know whatI mean Let God do the work he's
(22:28):
asking you to do, that He'll doall the heavy lifting for you,
and so being able to really gothere first, then, as a last
resort, yeah, I love that.
Lisa Peters (22:39):
I wrote that down.
Pray before you overthink.
I think the hardest part Taunis.
Prayer doesn't always.
You know you ask for somethingin a prayer.
You know you are praying forsomething.
It doesn't always come out theway you think it should.
Right, if you want to make Godlaugh, you tell him your plan.
Exactly yeah, and so sometimesit's not always what you think
(23:05):
should happen, but there's abigger story here, you know, and
it's all part of the biggerstory.
Thanh Campbell (23:12):
And his plan is perfect and his love is perfect.
So understanding that that thenthere's no fear.
There's no fear in love, itsays in the Bible.
And so when you know his planis perfect, you know his love is
perfect, then you know hisanswer to your prayer is perfect
.
So if it's a no, then you knowit's out of perfect love.
(23:36):
If it's a yes, it's out ofperfect love.
If it's a not, yet it's out ofperfect love because his timing
is perfect, his love is perfect,his plan is perfect and so you
can rest in that.
But he calls us to pray, hecommands us to pray because he
wants to have relationship withus, he wants to have that
(23:57):
communication, you know, as thefather to child.
So it's not out of a, you know,a religiosity, or it's not out
of legalism, or it's not out of,you know, earning our way or
anything like that.
It's just that right that wehave as children to communicate
(24:21):
that he longs for, to enter.
Lisa Peters (24:25):
Anton, what brings you the greatest joy?
Thanh Campbell (24:28):
The greatest joy in my life is my family, you
know, being able to spend timewith them.
We got together for Father'sDay, seeing my kids really
seeing that my kids have a zestfor life, love each other, know
how to have fun, know how torespect others, know how to
(24:51):
serve others.
That's my biggest joy.
Knowing that what I've done tosow those seeds into them and
see them come to fruition,loving my wife, spending time
with her, loving on each other,quality time.
You know we look both of verybusy lives I'm on the road quite
(25:14):
a bit but knowing that timethat we have together, you know
someone used to say love isspent, spelled T-I-M-E and it's
so true being able to spend thatquality time.
You know there's a lot of peoplewho spend time together, but
it's not quality time.
It's you're in the same spaceas each other but you're not
(25:35):
with each other.
And I love having a partner nowthat when we are together,
we're fully present.
You know we're laughingtogether, we're engaging
together, even if it is watchinga movie, even if watching a
show or going for a walk orwalking a dog.
We're doing this togetherbecause we know what it's like
to do life apart or life alone,right, even if you're with
(26:00):
someone and feeling alone, it'snot fun.
Now being able to do life withsomeone, you know where.
You're never going to be aloneagain.
I could be in Africa.
Lisa Peters (26:11):
I could be in.
Thanh Campbell (26:12):
BC right, I'm not alone, because I know her
presence is with me.
And her love, you know, daily issuch a representation to me of
God's love for me and I think tomyself if her love is that
great for me, how much greater,you know, is God's love for me.
(26:33):
How can I'm going?
No wonder people could notstand in his presence, right?
No wonder they had to fallprostrate before him because it
was too much, right, sometimesher love for me is too much.
I'll be driving in the car andI'll have a song probably our
song on and you just you'reoverwhelmed and you could start
(26:54):
weeping because of the love.
It's not out of sadness, it'sout of love, right?
And that is just such abeautiful representation of the
perfect and pure love that wereceive from our Father.
Lisa Peters (27:09):
What a great answer .
Tresa is a lucky woman, so thisends our podcast with you.
This ends our podcast.
We hope everyone enjoyedlistening Ton.
If any of our listeners want toengage with you, find you.
How can they find you?
What is the best way?
Thanh Campbell (27:30):
Sure.
So all of my social media, allof my social media is just my
name.
It's pretty unique.
There's not too many tonCampbell's out there, so TH A
and H Campbell.
You can look me up on thepartnersworldwideca website as
well for the Canada staff.
You can find me there.
Or you can just go to any of mysocial media Facebook,
(27:52):
instagram and connect with me onthat way as well.
So my personal website isorphan32.com, so they can also
reach me through that website,orphan32.com, and there's a way
to connect with me directlythrough that as well.
So, yeah, be glad to connect,answer any questions.
In honor to be part of theLeader Impact community, because
(28:16):
I get to meet and connect withgreat people like yourself.
Lisa.
It was wonderful connectingwith you and Winnipeg and
knowing your journey and whatyou're going to be doing.
It is exciting to be part ofthat network of leaders who are
making a big difference in thiscommunity and across our country
.
Lisa Peters (28:35):
No, alright, that's great.
Thank you, taun, for the lastjust over half hour.
We appreciate every minute andour dogs were silent, so we're
very lucky, alright.
Well, thank you again.
Alright.
Well, if you're part of LeaderImpact, you can always discuss
or share this podcast with yourgroup.
And if you are not yet part ofLeader Impact and would like to
(28:57):
find out more and grow yourleadership, find our podcast
page at LeaderImpactca and checkout our free leadership
assessment.
You will also find on ourwebpage chapter one of Braden's
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It is an amazing leadershipbook.
You can check out groupsavailable in Canada at
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(29:18):
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(29:39):
you.
Welcome to the Leader Impact podcast.
We are a community of leaderswith a network in over 350
cities around the world,dedicated to optimizing our
personal, professional andspiritual lives to have impact.
This show is where we have achance to listen and engage with
leaders who are living this out.
We love talking with leaders,so if you have any questions,
comments or suggestions to makethis show even better, please
(00:28):
let us know.
The best way to stay connectedin Canada is through our
newsletter at LeaderImpactca oron social media at Leader Impact
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If you're listening fromoutside of Canada, check out our
website at LeaderImpactcom.
I'm your host, lisa Peters, andour guest today is Taun Campbell
.
Taun was born in Vietnam andcame over to Canada as part of
the last flight out of Saigon in1975 with 56 other orphan
(00:53):
children, and their story wascaptured numerous times in
national media.
He has toured across Canada andspoken internationally sharing
his story.
Taun has had the privilege tospeak for the United Nations in
Toronto, multiple school boards,tv and radio interviews, as
well as many Fortune 500companies across Canada.
Taun has written his memoirtitled Orphan 32 and his
(01:15):
illustrated children's book Lostand Found, orphan 32 goes home.
Most recently, taun wasappointed as the Canadian
director of Partners WorldwideCanada, he has been asked to sit
on a number of boards andcommittees, including the MAC
Kids Fundraising Committee, theHamilton Media Advisory Council,
which discusses the issue ofdiversity and multiculturalism
(01:37):
portrayed in the media, andPromise Keepers Impactist Canada
Advisory Board.
Taun and his wife Teresa have acombined family of six kids and
one crazy dog.
Welcome to the show, taun.
I don't even know how you foundtime to be here.
Thanh Campbell (01:57):
Thank you, lisa, great to be here, and hopefully
we don't hear that crazy dogduring this interview.
That's great he always seems toknow when to jump in right.
Lisa Peters (02:09):
Yeah, mine's sleeping over there and she'll
start to dream and all of asudden I'm like, and I'm like
throwing things at her.
So you know, I get it.
So I'm just going to.
If anyone's watching this andmany people are listening, I see
you wearing a pin.
Now I have the same pin Taun.
I am a Paul Harris.
I believe that's a Paul Harris.
(02:29):
Am I right From RotaryInternational?
Thanh Campbell (02:32):
That is correct.
It is a Paul Harris fellow.
I'm truly honored to wear thispin because at the time and I'm
not a member right now, but Iwas honored with this pin by the
Rotary Club up in Sault SteMarie.
So I was just visiting, I wassharing my story and a fellow
(02:55):
came up to me afterwards andjust shared that he was so
impressed with what I'm doing inthe community that he would
like to honor me with a pin.
And I just recently been to apinning ceremony for a chief of
police, so that's who I thoughtthese pins belonged to.
People like that.
And you know community service.
And he says no, we know whatyou're doing for the community
(03:16):
and for young people across thiscountry and bringing hope and
we'd love to honor you with this.
So I was deeply moved by that.
So the next time I was up there, they had the whole ceremony
and everything ready for me.
And yeah, so I've been wearingwith this with much pride
everywhere I go and it'sinteresting, as I am in a room
(03:37):
with other Paul Harris fellow,they noticed the pin and they
share their story.
So there is a real fellowshipand real connection with each
other.
Lisa Peters (03:47):
Yeah, I was honored with a pin as well my father in
law.
So when a Rotarian makes athousand dollar donation to the
Rotary Foundation, you willreceive a Paul Harris fellow pin
.
You become a Paul Harris fellow.
My father in law has honoredeach one of his family members
their daughter in laws, theirson in laws, as well as now the
(04:10):
grandchildren.
He just continues to make thesedonations to which each of them
are honored with a Paul.
Yeah, so I know that pin verywell.
So congratulations.
Thanh Campbell (04:20):
That's a really neat way of doing that.
Lisa Peters (04:21):
Yeah.
Thanh Campbell (04:22):
There's my story .
Thank you, thank you very much.
Yeah, yeah, no, that's thatdoesn't meet honor with honoring
people too.
Lisa Peters (04:30):
Yeah, yeah.
So I want to thank you forjoining us.
We are sort of doing a specialsummer series and we are now, I
think, towards the end of August, and we sort of ask you four
main questions and then I askyou my two ones.
I ask all my guests.
We sort of focus on pivotalturning points, best principles,
success, failures and mistakesand how really those can be your
best successes.
So if you're ready to start, I'mgoing to jump in and ask your
(04:58):
first question so we lovehearing about your professional
story and how you got to whereyou are today, so I'm wondering
if you can give us a couple ofsnapshots that were pivotal
turning points along thatjourney.
Thanh Campbell (05:14):
Sure, well, I'll try and be brief because I'm a
storyteller so it's hardsometimes.
But out of university I knew Idid not want to follow through
with my education degree.
I was going to be a schoolteacher, an elementary school
teacher, so I didn't know whatelse to do but go work in the
mall.
So I went and worked at themall and I sold suits at Tip Top
(05:34):
Tailors and had a great time.
But from there I was recruitedby a friend to help manage their
Christian bookstore and I wasin that job for a little while
and I got recruited basicallyfrom that job into working for
Redeemer University College, theuniversity I was just attending
(05:55):
.
So I graduated two years beforethat.
So in 1998 I started working forRedeemer and while I was there
I was doing some innovativestuff for the admissions
department and I got, I guess Icaught the eye of the fellow who
was doing the fundraising forthe university at that time.
His name was Greg Hatton and heasked to do a coffee with me
(06:15):
through one of my friends and Ihad no idea who this Greg Hatton
was or that Redeemer was evendoing a fundraising program, but
we had coffee.
He kind of got a little bit ofmy background and he basically
hired me on the spot and I wasat a juncture in my life again
that I took it and so I startedright in.
I left that position and thengot recruited into the
(06:39):
fundraising world and so he wasmy mentor and he still is one of
my mentors.
In life.
Greg has been a fantastic youknow, just a leader figure in my
life to walk beside me andcoach me, really show me how to
do fundraising as ministry.
You know there is such a hardkind of task.
(07:04):
When you are in the fundraisingworld You're talking about
money, you're talking aboutpeople's finances, but when you
approach it as a stewardship andas a ministry focus, you are
actually blessing people.
You are not there to takeadvantage of them, you're
actually there to help them.
And one of the biggest things Ilearned through kind of this is
(07:25):
people who have been given lotslet's just do it through
biblical term they have agreater responsibility with that
, and that responsibility ofwealth is a burden to some
people, and I know a lot ofpeople joke saying I wish I was
burdened with thatresponsibility, but it really is
to make sure that you arestewardly with the finances that
(07:47):
people have been given.
So when people have bigbusinesses or they've done have
inheritances, the people whotake it seriously to provide to
ministries, they want to makesure that they're giving to the
ministries that God isappointing to them.
And so when you can come in andyou can say you know this may
not be for you, but if it is wewould love to be able to partner
(08:08):
with you and really speak inthose terms that we want you to
only partner with us if God isleading you to partner with us.
Otherwise, you need to go andyou know we want you to partner
with whoever God is calling youto and leave that kind of
pressure tactics down and reallyleave that open for the donor
(08:29):
to prayerfully consider a giftor, you know, partnering with
your organization.
When you've been able to dothat and you can leave.
You know a donor meeting whichusually starts off with arms
crossed, eyes crossed and legscrossed waiting for the big ask.
You know, and they can actuallyleave that meeting shaking your
(08:50):
hand, giving you a hug andsaying thank you for coming.
That was a huge learning for meand so I started into that
process, working for charities,not for profits, and I loved it.
You know I loved everyorganization I got to work with,
saw the different work that Godis doing throughout this
country.
Around the world had to workwith some of the bigger names
(09:12):
like World Vision, kids Live,international, christian Reform,
world Missions.
These organizations are doingfantastic work around the world
and it was great just to be apart of it.
Lisa Peters (09:23):
Yeah, I listened to your story and I think I and
mine I'm a mechanical engineertechnologist designed 18 Wheeler
tank trailer units got intocharity work, fundraising, and
it was everything you look at inyour life and I think of you
know you went in to be a teacherfrom tip-top sales you're, you
know, from education to sellingyourself to, you know, selling a
(09:46):
charity group.
It's amazing how we see thosepivots and they were all meant
to happen, and so I love hearingyour story and I identify with
it, because everything I havedone has just got me to right
here right now.
So I absolutely absolutely.
I actually, but truthfully Ithought we were going to talk
(10:07):
about.
I'm thinking you know how wouldTawn answer this question?
And when I go back to your bioand I read last flight out of
Saigon with 56 other orphanchildren, that was pivotal, that
that changed the course of yourlife, it was definitely pivotal
.
Thanh Campbell (10:23):
Absolutely my personal life has been changed
because of that.
That came in 2003, you know,meeting the other orphans,
meeting Trent, and that is kindof run parallel to my, my, my
work life and it has helped mebecause obviously it helped grow
my network, my media exposurethrough that story, just my
(10:48):
general public speaking andhaving opportunities to speak
with different groups, hashelped me leverage my personal
story into my work life.
And, as you say, all of this haskind of got, has brought me to
this point of what I'm doingright now with partners
worldwide, where my kind of twoworlds have collided, where I am
(11:10):
helping people around the worldwho are living in impoverished
communities, like I came from inVietnam and now I'm working on
this entrepreneur business Kindof side of things were helping
businesses, global businessesaround the world to scale and
become sustainable, helpingraise, you know, impoverished
(11:30):
communities out of out ofpoverty through business, and
I'm doing it also withfundraising.
So you know all of this comingtogether and then again
networking and connecting withbusiness people such as yourself
, sharing the story, sharing thevision, you know, using my
communication skills to actuallyTell stories of impact.
(11:52):
It's all coming together in onebeautiful picture when you know
, as you're going through life,like why is God putting me
through this or why is?
And it's kind of here and thereand here and there and all
these different experiences.
Now it's forming a beautifulpicture and I can see his
purpose.
Lisa Peters (12:10):
Good, great, all right.
So the next question is give usyour best principle of a
success and tell us a story thatillustrates this.
Thanh Campbell (12:22):
For sure.
Well, I think it kind of what Iwas alluding to just as I've
been going through myfundraising and going through my
professional speaking is thisprinciple that was given to me a
while back, where your networkis your net worth and so
Everybody that you get to meet,everybody that you are
(12:42):
connecting with, is part of yourvalue, of who you are and what
you can bring to people.
And so my network that I havegrown through, you know, decades
, has really Now been able toI've been able to leverage that
for what I'm doing.
Now.
The connections I've madethrough the media, that the
(13:04):
connections I made throughpolitics, the connections I've
made through fundraising, allare coming together and being
used in God's hand to reallyhelp this organization Partners
worldwide, in Canada and aroundthe world.
So it's really exciting.
You know I'm not saying thatit's my net worth, because we
know where our value comes inChrist, right.
(13:25):
But in the business world it isa really who you know Kind of
world.
It is who you can connectpeople to.
It is how you can help theother people.
So the other principle that I'vegained is givers game the more
you can give away, the more youwill receive, and when you can
give away your network, when youcan connect people and you can
(13:46):
give away those connections withpeople that can help them, then
it's a win-win-win situation.
I don't look for just a win-winsituation, I'm looking for how
can we all win in some way,whether you know it's the
community, it's the donors, it'sthe I want to see as many wins
through all my connections, asmuch as possible.
So having that sense of givergame it's not about just
(14:09):
collecting names so I can holdthem, but it's being able to so
I can give them away and blessother people and saying, oh I
know someone who could reallybless your business through this
way, or I know someone that youcould bless their business by
this.
I think you two should meetright and then everybody you
know wins out of that.
Lisa Peters (14:28):
You're the connector.
Thanh Campbell (14:31):
Absolutely, and people called me that that you
actually had a different titlefor me before.
It was called the smooths.
So, yes, I think I was going towrite a book under that title
how to smooth that does.
Yeah, I just know how to Makepeople comfortable, connect, get
(14:52):
their stories Really hear thevalue proposition that people
can bring to other people andjust have that in my back pocket
.
You know we stuck with aroller-decks.
You know it's kind of all uphere and here and I always have
that roller-decks going as whocan I help people?
So when I'm at a networking,I'm going to one right after
this session.
Actually I'm gonna be going toa networking session.
(15:14):
It's who can I introduce you to?
It's not yeah, how can you dobusiness, how can you help my
business, how can you take salesor how can you give me money or
whatever it is.
I'm always thinking through oh,who could I connect you to?
Who?
How could I support you in whatyou're doing Right and have
that whole givers gain Principlebehind me?
Lisa Peters (15:34):
Yeah, because they will remember you.
You were the person thatconnected them.
Thanh Campbell (15:40):
Absolutely.
Oh yeah, for sure, for sure.
And what's interesting is, youknow, in a second meeting or a
third meeting they're actuallySeeking you out and bringing you
over to someone and they saidoh, I just met ton at this last
dinner last year.
He's the perfect guy to connectyou with so-and-so and
(16:00):
so-and-so and so-and-so, right.
And so you get to be known inthose Circles as the person to
be Backed into yeah, yeah,you're a memorable guy, tom.
All right, so our third questionand we oh, that's one way, you
know.
I mean, it's good to be kind ofknown as memorable.
(16:22):
I I think the term you know inone of the books is it's great
to be interested rather thaninteresting.
And so when people understandthat you are interested in them
and what they are doing, right,that's so much more than trying
to present yourself asinteresting.
(16:43):
You know, I definitely have aninteresting story and a
background, but that only comesabout usually after I've heard
their story and what they're allabout.
Lisa Peters (16:52):
Yeah, that's a good point.
Thank you for sharing thatThird question we learn more
about, we learn more from ourfailures and mistakes than our
successes.
Would you share one of yourgreatest failures or mistakes
he's already nodding and whatyou learned from it?
Thanh Campbell (17:11):
Yeah, I was looking at this question before
and you know it's like oh, whichone do I choose from right?
So this is tough becausesometimes failures are hard to
kind of look in the face and beable to say, oh, why did I do
that and do I really want theworld to know about, you know,
(17:32):
my failures?
I'd rather put the best footforward, like my mom always used
to tell.
But I think missedopportunities are sometimes a
failure as well.
And so when you look back atopportunities that you didn't
take advantage of or that youkind of had missed stepping
forward in faith because youdidn't think, you know, you had
(17:54):
the resources or you had themeans to move forward, and so I
did have some of those kind ofin my past where people have
offered to kind of join forceswith me or join and just kind of
like being offered shares inFacebook when it first started,
you know missing thoseopportunities.
(18:15):
And so, yeah, there was a timewhere a friend had kind of
offered to kind of join forceswith me and to kind of start a
business and I didn't have in me, I didn't have faith in me that
I would be able to bring to thetable what I needed to do and
then so they found someone elseand then they moved forward and
(18:35):
they were successful and lookingback now saying that, oh, I
could have probably been that.
You know that person.
But you always look back onhindsight, right.
So it's not that I take everyopportunity, but I do have a
better perspective of who I amand kind of the skills and
abilities God has given me, andsometimes it is a test of faith
(18:57):
and if it's a calculated risk,then it's not.
You know what I mean.
You know it's not a terriblerisk to take if it's a
calculated risk.
So kind of learning from thosekind of you know experiences
helps help me, kind of say, hey,there is some innovation that
you can take, because innovationalways takes risk.
(19:18):
I didn't think I was an authorand so you know, when I was in
grade 12 and high school youdidn't want me writing papers,
and same with the university,you'd be all red marks.
So when people were saying, oh,have you ever written your book
?
And it's like, oh, you don'twant to read what I write
because it's, you know, notgonna make sense.
But then I realized, okay, no,I have the skill of telling the
(19:40):
story and that's why we haveeditors.
So if an editor can work withme to make it actually legible
and readable, then sure I couldwrite a book.
And that's what I did, and youknow, gratefully, I've sold over
5,000 copies onto 8,000 copiesnow, and you know and the you
know, people thank me forsharing my story with them
(20:01):
through my book, and so I've hadtaken that step out of faith,
saying, okay, I can do my part.
Where other people havestrengths, they can do their
part.
Working together, we canproduce a very good product.
And that's what's happened.
Lisa Peters (20:14):
Yeah, I want to believe that if I don't say yes
to an opportunity, if it wasmeant to happen, it will come
back, it will find you againsomehow.
Like I want to believe that andsometimes I just you know.
Thanh Campbell (20:29):
I think I miss the Absolutely, maybe in a
different way.
Lisa Peters (20:31):
Yeah, you're right, yeah, like I.
Just I want to believe thatthat it will come.
You know it'll take time or itwill circle back around, or, if
it's meant to be, it will findyou again.
Thanh Campbell (20:42):
Absolutely.
Lisa Peters (20:43):
At Leader Impact, we want to grow professionally,
personally and spiritually forincreasing impact.
Would you be willing to sharean example of how the spiritual
makes a practical difference inyour life as a leader?
Thanh Campbell (20:56):
Well, I like to say that makes all the
difference right.
My faith is my anchor, and whenI'm not connected, when I know
that I'm not active in my faith,that's when I you know you're
fired or you're yeah, you'rejust not getting the results
that you're looking for.
(21:16):
When you are connected, whenyou are praying daily, when you
are in the Word, you know you'reseeing promotions, you're
seeing blessing, you're seeingdonations come in from who knows
what.
So you're seeing the resultstangibly when you are connected.
And so yes, making sure thateverything you do as a leader,
(21:44):
you know, whether you are theCEO or whether you're an
employee, you're still a leader,understanding that that
spiritual connection, spiritual,you know, activity is vital for
you and the prayer works.
You know.
I love kind of a posting I justdid on Facebook and says pray
(22:07):
before you overthink, and that'skey.
You know, so many of us go tooverthinking rather than praying
.
We're trying to strategize.
How can we do this?
How can?
Why don't we just pray?
Why don't we just pray for moredonors?
Why don't we just pray for moreactivity?
Why don't we just you know whatI mean Let God do the work he's
(22:28):
asking you to do, that He'll doall the heavy lifting for you,
and so being able to really gothere first, then, as a last
resort, yeah, I love that.
Lisa Peters (22:39):
I wrote that down.
Pray before you overthink.
I think the hardest part Taunis.
Prayer doesn't always.
You know you ask for somethingin a prayer.
You know you are praying forsomething.
It doesn't always come out theway you think it should.
Right, if you want to make Godlaugh, you tell him your plan.
Exactly yeah, and so sometimesit's not always what you think
(23:05):
should happen, but there's abigger story here, you know, and
it's all part of the biggerstory.
Thanh Campbell (23:12):
And his plan is perfect and his love is perfect.
So understanding that that thenthere's no fear.
There's no fear in love, itsays in the Bible.
And so when you know his planis perfect, you know his love is
perfect, then you know hisanswer to your prayer is perfect
.
So if it's a no, then you knowit's out of perfect love.
(23:36):
If it's a yes, it's out ofperfect love.
If it's a not, yet it's out ofperfect love because his timing
is perfect, his love is perfect,his plan is perfect and so you
can rest in that.
But he calls us to pray, hecommands us to pray because he
wants to have relationship withus, he wants to have that
(23:57):
communication, you know, as thefather to child.
So it's not out of a, you know,a religiosity, or it's not out
of legalism, or it's not out of,you know, earning our way or
anything like that.
It's just that right that wehave as children to communicate
(24:21):
that he longs for, to enter.
Lisa Peters (24:25):
Anton, what brings you the greatest joy?
Thanh Campbell (24:28):
The greatest joy in my life is my family, you
know, being able to spend timewith them.
We got together for Father'sDay, seeing my kids really
seeing that my kids have a zestfor life, love each other, know
how to have fun, know how torespect others, know how to
(24:51):
serve others.
That's my biggest joy.
Knowing that what I've done tosow those seeds into them and
see them come to fruition,loving my wife, spending time
with her, loving on each other,quality time.
You know we look both of verybusy lives I'm on the road quite
(25:14):
a bit but knowing that timethat we have together, you know
someone used to say love isspent, spelled T-I-M-E and it's
so true being able to spend thatquality time.
You know there's a lot of peoplewho spend time together, but
it's not quality time.
It's you're in the same spaceas each other but you're not
(25:35):
with each other.
And I love having a partner nowthat when we are together,
we're fully present.
You know we're laughingtogether, we're engaging
together, even if it is watchinga movie, even if watching a
show or going for a walk orwalking a dog.
We're doing this togetherbecause we know what it's like
to do life apart or life alone,right, even if you're with
(26:00):
someone and feeling alone, it'snot fun.
Now being able to do life withsomeone, you know where.
You're never going to be aloneagain.
I could be in Africa.
Lisa Peters (26:11):
I could be in.
Thanh Campbell (26:12):
BC right, I'm not alone, because I know her
presence is with me.
And her love, you know, daily issuch a representation to me of
God's love for me and I think tomyself if her love is that
great for me, how much greater,you know, is God's love for me.
(26:33):
How can I'm going?
No wonder people could notstand in his presence, right?
No wonder they had to fallprostrate before him because it
was too much, right, sometimesher love for me is too much.
I'll be driving in the car andI'll have a song probably our
song on and you just you'reoverwhelmed and you could start
(26:54):
weeping because of the love.
It's not out of sadness, it'sout of love, right?
And that is just such abeautiful representation of the
perfect and pure love that wereceive from our Father.
Lisa Peters (27:09):
What a great answer .
Tresa is a lucky woman, so thisends our podcast with you.
This ends our podcast.
We hope everyone enjoyedlistening Ton.
If any of our listeners want toengage with you, find you.
How can they find you?
What is the best way?
Thanh Campbell (27:30):
Sure.
So all of my social media, allof my social media is just my
name.
It's pretty unique.
There's not too many tonCampbell's out there, so TH A
and H Campbell.
You can look me up on thepartnersworldwideca website as
well for the Canada staff.
You can find me there.
Or you can just go to any of mysocial media Facebook,
(27:52):
instagram and connect with me onthat way as well.
So my personal website isorphan32.com, so they can also
reach me through that website,orphan32.com, and there's a way
to connect with me directlythrough that as well.
So, yeah, be glad to connect,answer any questions.
In honor to be part of theLeader Impact community, because
(28:16):
I get to meet and connect withgreat people like yourself.
Lisa.
It was wonderful connectingwith you and Winnipeg and
knowing your journey and whatyou're going to be doing.
It is exciting to be part ofthat network of leaders who are
making a big difference in thiscommunity and across our country
.
Lisa Peters (28:35):
No, alright, that's great.
Thank you, taun, for the lastjust over half hour.
We appreciate every minute andour dogs were silent, so we're
very lucky, alright.
Well, thank you again.
Alright.
Well, if you're part of LeaderImpact, you can always discuss
or share this podcast with yourgroup.
And if you are not yet part ofLeader Impact and would like to
(28:57):
find out more and grow yourleadership, find our podcast
page at LeaderImpactca and checkout our free leadership
assessment.
You will also find on ourwebpage chapter one of Braden's
Douglas's book Becoming a Leaderof Impact.
It is an amazing leadershipbook.
You can check out groupsavailable in Canada at
LeaderImpactca or, if you'relistening from anywhere else in
(29:18):
Canada, check outLeaderImpactcom.
We're getting touched by emailinfo at LeaderImpactca and we
will connect you.
And if you like this podcast,please leave us a comment, give
us a rating or a review.
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