I call our second principle Integrity and Impartiality, and it comes from a deep understanding of marketing and trust.
The Marketing Education
My background is in commerce and marketing, and through my studies and experience, I've seen both the good and the bad. I have a particular skepticism for business models where personal financial gain can conflict with genuine recommendations.
Word-of-mouth is arguably the most powerful marketing tool because it's built on trust. You'll always believe a recommendation from your family or a close friend more than an ad on TV, right?
But I've seen how quickly that trust can be broken when money is on the table.
When Trust Breaks
I've seen relatives trick each other into buying bad insurance policies. I've seen friends mislead friends into buying fake products. Here in Vietnam, we've all seen stories of famous people promoting defective or "too-good-to-be-true" products to their fans, sometimes with serious legal consequences.
This creates a fundamental problem. Even if a recommendation is genuine, the moment people know you're getting paid for it, a seed of doubt is planted. As a skeptical person myself, I know that feeling well. That very doubt is what I want to eliminate entirely from our organization.
The Hard Line
That is why this principle is a hard line in the sand. Our recommendations will be our own, based solely on what we believe is best for the learner. We will not accept any form of revenue—no commissions, no referral fees, no kickbacks—from any third-party resources we guide our learners to. Our opinions and our guidance cannot and will not be for sale. This is the only way to ensure our cause is free from any doubt.
Ultimately, our integrity is the foundation of the trust our community places in us. This principle is our commitment to protecting that trust above all else.