Tam Pham

I’ve optimized my life around two things

Learning: I love the entire process of sharpening my craft. The feeling of challenging myself and growing 1% every day makes me feel alive.

Community: An amazing day is when I spend quality time with my community. While romantic connections are great, I actively prioritize my friendships. My life goal is to be half as cool of a friend as Leslie Knope.

I’m obsessed with bachata

Partner dance has always terrified me. So I made it my New Year’s resolution to take an intro Bachata class in 2019 and luckily, I survived. Fast forward to today, I recently finished my bachata sabbatical where I danced all around México and Spain.

Improving my craft here is my biggest focus. Follow my dance adventures (@tamphambachata).

I’m a chess expert

I played chess in high school but peaked at 1400 ELO (average player). It wasn’t until I embarked on a chess sabbatical that catapulted me to expert level at 2000 ELO (top 4% in the U.S).

That sabbatical pushed me to my absolute limit and I loved it—easily a top 5 life experience.

I’m a writer, marketer, and community builder

I currently work as a Writer and Experience Designer for Hustle Fund VC. I’ve been a marketing generalist for my entire career with companies like MMT, Mixergy, The Hustle, and more.

While I’m proud of what I do for work, it’s no longer the one thing that truly defines me. If you’re curious about my career, this podcast interview is a great summary. Or see my LinkedIn profile.

I’m currently nomadic

I’ve lived all around the Bay Area. Had a digital nomad year where I visited South Africa, Thailand, and other countries but found it to be exhausting. Moved to Toronto for a new job. I loved Canada but I ran into VISA issues that prevented me from making Toronto my home base.

But when one door closes, another opens. This freedom gave me the opportunity to try being nomadic again, traveling much slower, and I loved my experience. So I’m currently testing this lifestyle out for 2023 to see if it fits me. I should have more clarity in 2024 on where I'll be next.  

I used to be really into personal growth

I read How to Win Friends & Influence People when I was 17 and my life improved dramatically. Then I wondered, “Why didn’t anyone tell me books can change your life?” This led me down a rabbit hole of self-help books, life coaches, and therapists to be my best self.

Luckily it all worked out. Today, I feel confident, grounded, and self-compassionate with the man I see in the mirror. So I'm kind of over the personal growth phase now. Self-help has done its job and I spend my time doing other fun things.

I’m an author, but I’ve outgrown this title

The first book that I self-published was How to Network, a breezy read to help young professionals learn how to make friends in the business world. The second book was How to Land Your Dream Internship, a step-by-step guide to help college students find jobs.

I am proud of both books. But I wrote them so long ago. I don’t feel it’s relevant to me at all anymore. So I removed the “author” title from all my bios, thanks Derek Sivers.

I publish a life reflection every year

Every year on my birthday, I reflect on my highs, lows, and everything in between since 2015

Past editions: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, and 2015.

This tradition is an amazing way to measure backward and appreciate how far I've come.

Here's what I'm up to right now. ✌️

My blog has a new direction

This blog used to be about a lot of things: networking, career advice, business, personal growth, crafting a meaningful life, etc.

But my motivations and curiosities have changed over the last decade. Moving forward, I decided my little corner of the internet won’t have any niche.

This site is purely about the life experiences and ramblings of Tam Pham.

I’ll write whatever I feel like, whenever I want, with no goal of turning this blog into a business. You know, like how blogging used to be back in 2008.

Changing this mindset has made me feel happier, lighter, and actually more motivated to write. So if you want to follow my adventure, subscribe for more.

Or don’t. Life is short – make the most out of your wild and precious life.