Sonny Pham

I had my heart set on engineering from a young age. Unfortunately, by the time I reached adulthood, my dream job was part of an evolving landscape that I no longer felt connected to. Then again, it led me to the ideal career.

I looked up at the television. It seemed almost as big as me. There was a gaggle of wires on the floor, but I expertly navigated through them all, finally attaching the correct chord to the outlet. I finished out the remote and pressed the power button. The TV came to life. Just static but clearly working.

“Its on, mom!” I shouted.

My mom was talking with a customer, but she gave me a quick “thanks!”

That was what my childhood was like. I loved learning new things. My interest in the field had begun at a young age, and really I had my mother to thank for it. I grew up in Vietnam and didn’t come to the states until I was 18 and going to college. As a kid, my mom ran a small electronics shop, and I’d often go to work with her. I loved it.

It probably worked in her favor, to be honest. Customers thought the kid doing business alongside a parent was endearing and always wanted to carry out their transactions with me. Plus, if I was young, I was honest and sincere. I learned how to connect with people. Regulars would expect me and always asked after me when I wasn’t there. I thought it was fun!

The other thing that I loved about the shop was the electronics we sold. I quickly developed a passion for tinkering, disassembling and reassembling, and understanding how and why things worked. My understanding grew as I did, so when it came time to choose a subject to focus on, engineering seemed like the obvious choice. Surely any career in engineering would bring me the same joy I had as a kid, working on stereos and TV’s in my mom’s shop. As an adult, I chose to study engineering at a University.

After I graduated, I was ready to step into an engineering role, which was when I moved to San Jose to Silicon Valley.

As it turned out, my life as an engineer was short-lived. I had the back- ground and the education, but I’d lost the drive. All the tech that had fascinated me as a kid were things of the past. I wasn’t finding the jobs I was expecting or any jobs I really wanted. All anyone cared about and wanted engineers for was computers. It didn’t feel like the right fit. But now I was in a new place with unlimited possibilities.

I reexamined what it was that had made me enjoy that childhood work. It took me some time to realize that it was about the people. That’s when it finally clicked for me: that had been a sales job! The tricky thing was that I didn’t really want to be a salesperson. I hadn’t ever thought of it in those terms before. I wanted to help people and bring them joy. It was after having this realization that the idea of real estate first struck me.

Real estate is the career I’ve found where I can use my skills in sales to make people truly happy. Having my broker’s license means it’s easier for me to cut through much of the red tape and the bureaucracy. I get to meet so many new people and go through a process that’s genuinely fun for me and life-changing for them. I’d love the chance to help lead

you through that process to a positive outcome and a new home!

I’m told that people are drawn to me because they know I enjoy the home buying and selling experience. I’m always motivated to work hard for myself and my family and bring happiness to as many other families as I can. I do that by maintaining my natural friendly demeanor, delivering honesty and care, and showing up for my clients every step of the way. I’ve had the benefit of working with many great real estate companies, but in the end, I run my business independently because I get to choose where my attention goes. I’m not concerned about my franchise. Instead, I put that attention toward my clients

and what’s best for them on a personal level. And I don’t expect that relationship to disappear after a sale. It’s ongoing, and my clients often become my friends. I can bring you that same wonderful and exciting experience!