I've never escaped from that moment: Girl in napalm photograph that defined the Vietnam War 40 years on

It only took a second for Associated Press photographer Huynh Cong Ut to snap the iconic black-and-white image 40 years ago. 

It communicated the horrors of the Vietnam War in a way words could never describe, helping to end one of the most divisive wars in American history.

But beneath the photo lies a lesser-known story. It's the tale of a dying child brought together by chance with a young photographer. 

Crying children, including 9-year-old Kim Phuc, center, run down Route 1 near Trang Bang, Vietnam after an aerial napalm attack on suspected Viet Cong hiding places as South Vietnamese forces from the 25th Division walk behind them

A moment captured in the chaos of war that would serve as both her savior and her curse on a journey to understand life's plan for her.

'I really wanted to escape from that little girl,' says Kim Phuc, now 49. 'But it seems to me that the picture didn't let me go.'

Kim Phuc giving a lecture at Oundle Festival of Literature in Cambridgeshire in 2010

It was June 8, 1972, when Phuc heard the soldier's scream: 'We have to run out of this place! They will bomb here, and we will be dead!'

Seconds later, she saw the tails of yellow and purple smoke bombs curling around the Cao Dai temple where her family had sheltered for three days, as north and south Vietnamese forces fought for control of their village.

The little girl heard a roar overhead and twisted her neck to look up. As the South Vietnamese Skyraider plane grew fatter and louder, it swooped down toward her, dropping canisters like tumbling eggs flipping end over end.

'Ba-boom! Ba-boom!'

The ground rocked. Then the heat of a hundred furnaces exploded as orange flames spit in all directions.

Fire danced up Phuc's left arm. The threads of her cotton clothes evaporated on contact. Trees became angry torches. Searing pain bit through skin and muscle.

'I will be ugly, and I'm not normal anymore,' she thought, as her right hand brushed furiously across her blistering arm. 'People will see me in a different way.'

In shock, she sprinted down Highway 1 behind her older brother. She didn't see the foreign journalists gathered as she ran toward them, screaming.

Then, she lost consciousness.

Phan Thi Kim Phuc, left, is visited by Associated Press photographer Nick Ut at her home in Trang Bang, Vietnam in 1973

Ut, the 21-year-old Vietnamese photographer who took the picture, drove Phuc to a small hospital. 

There, he was told the child was too far gone to help. But he flashed his American press badge, demanded that doctors treat the girl and left assured that she would not be forgotten.

'I cried when I saw her running,' said Ut, whose older brother was killed on assignment with the AP in the southern Mekong Delta. 'If I don't help her - if something happened and she died - I think I'd kill myself after that.'

Back at the office in what was then U.S.-backed Saigon, he developed his film. When the image of the naked little girl emerged, everyone feared it would be rejected because of the news agency's strict policy against nudity.

But veteran Vietnam photo editor Horst Faas took one look and knew it was a shot made to break the rules. He argued the photo's news value far outweighed any other concerns, and he won.

A copy of the Pulitzer Prize winning photograph by Associated Press photographer Huynh Cong Ut is held at the place he took it 40 years ago in Trang Bang, Tay Ninh province, Vietnam

A couple of days after the image shocked the world, another journalist found out the little girl had somehow survived the attack. Christopher Wain, a correspondent for the British Independent Television Network who had given Phuc water from his canteen and drizzled it down her burning back at the scene, fought to have her transferred to the American-run Barsky unit. It was the only facility in Saigon equipped to deal with her severe injuries.

'I had no idea where I was or what happened to me,' she said. 'I woke up and I was in the hospital with so much pain, and then the nurses were around me. I woke up with a terrible fear.'

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, right, with Associated Press photographer Nick Ut, left and Phan Thi Kim Phuc, center in London in 2000

Thirty percent of Phuc's tiny body was scorched raw by third-degree burns, though her face somehow remained untouched. Over time, her melted flesh began to heal.

'Every morning at 8 o'clock, the nurses put me in the burn bath to cut all my dead skin off,' she said. 'I just cried and when I could not stand it any longer, I just passed out.'

After multiple skin grafts and surgeries, Phuc was finally allowed to leave, 13 months after the bombing. She had seen Ut's photo, which by then had won the Pulitzer Prize, but she was still unaware of its reach and power.

She just wanted to go home and be a child again.

Phan Thi Kim Phuc embraces Associated Press staff photographer Nick Ut during a reunion in Cuba in 1989

For a while, life did go somewhat back to normal. The photo was famous, but Phuc largely remained unknown except to those living in her tiny village near the Cambodian border. Ut and a few other journalists sometimes visited her, but that stopped after northern communist forces seized control of South Vietnam on April 30, 1975, ending the war.

Life under the new regime became tough. Medical treatment and painkillers were expensive and hard to find for the teenager, who still suffered extreme headaches and pain.

She worked hard and was accepted into medical school to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor. But all that ended once the new communist leaders realized the propaganda value of the `napalm girl' in the photo.

She was forced to quit college and return to her home province, where she was trotted out to meet foreign journalists. The visits were monitored and controlled, her words scripted. She smiled and played her role, but the rage inside began to build and consume her.

'I wanted to escape that picture,' she said. 'I got burned by napalm, and I became a victim of war ... but growing up then, I became another kind of victim.'

She turned to Cao Dai, her Vietnamese religion, for answers. But they didn't come.

In this 1992 photo provided by Phan Thi Kim Phuc shows her, top row second from right, and her husband Bui Huy Toan, top row right, with guests during their wedding day in Havana, Cuba

'My heart was exactly like a black coffee cup,' she said. 'I wished I died in that attack with my cousin, with my south Vietnamese soldiers. I wish I died at that time so I won't suffer like that anymore ... it was so hard for me to carry all that burden with that hatred, with that anger and bitterness.'

One day, while visiting a library, Phuc found a Bible. For the first time, she started believing her life had a plan.

Then suddenly, once again, the photo that had given her unwanted fame brought opportunity.

She traveled to West Germany in 1982 for medical care with the help of a foreign journalist. Later, Vietnam's prime minister, also touched by her story, made arrangements for her to study in Cuba.

She was finally free from the minders and reporters hounding her at home, but her life was far from normal. Ut, then working at the AP in Los Angeles, traveled to meet her in 1989, but they never had a moment alone. There was no way for him to know she desperately wanted his help again.

While at school, Phuc met a young Vietnamese man. She had never believed anyone would ever want her because of the ugly patchwork of scars that banded across her back and pitted her arm, but Bui Huy Toan seemed to love her more because of them.

In this May 25, 1997 file photo, Phan Thi Kim Phuc holds her son Thomas, 3, in their apartment in Toronto. Her husband, Bui Huy Toan is to the left.

The two decided to marry in 1992 and honeymoon in Moscow. On the flight back to Cuba, the newlyweds defected during a refueling stop in Canada. She was free.

Phuc contacted Ut to share the news, and he encouraged her to tell her story to the world. But she was done giving interviews and posing for photos.

'I have a husband and a new life and want to be normal like everyone else,' she said.

The media eventually found Phuc living near Toronto, and she decided she needed to take control of her story. A book was written in 1999 and a documentary came out, at last the way she wanted it told. 

She was asked to become a U.N. Goodwill Ambassador to help victims of war. She and Ut have since reunited many times to tell their story, even traveling to London to meet the Queen.

'Today, I'm so happy I helped Kim,' said Ut, who still works for AP and recently returned to Trang Bang village. 'I call her my daughter.'

Huynh Cong Ut visits Kim Phuc's house near the place he took his famous Pulitzer Prize winning photograph of her as a terrified 9-year-old in Trang Bang, Tay Ninh province, Vietnam

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2153091/Napalm-girl-photo-Vietnam-War-turns-40.html#ixzz2cW9TfGx6
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For only one life we have, which we must make it work!

Geras vadovas – geras verslas: bendrovės kultūra kuriama pavyzdžiu

Honkonge dirbančio Allano Zemeno susidomėjimą verslu paskatino asmeninė tragedija. „Mano tėvas mirė, kai man buvo vos aštuoneri. Aš jo beveik neatsimenu“, – sakė A. Zemenas. Netektis vyrą, be tėvo likusį su mama ir vyresne seserimi, paskatino būti savarankišku nuo ankstyvo amžiaus, rašoma britų transliuotojo BBC naujienų portale. 

„Manau, kad galiausiai tampi savo gyvenimo rezultatu“, – žurnalistams sakė verslininkas. A. Zimermano gyvenimo patirtis paskatino jį suvokti vadovavimo, remiantis pavyzdžiu svarbą. Pradėjęs nuo laikraščių išvežiojimo, būdamas dešimties A. Zemenas jau nebeprašydavo dienpinigių iš mamos, mat savaitgaliais vienoje miestelio kavinių jis padėdavo padavėjams tvarkytis nurinkinėdamas ir plaudamas indus.

„Užaugau su mintimi, kad jei nedirbi – lieki nevalgęs“, – išgyvenimais dalinosi verslininkas. Būdamas 19, A. Zemenas, importuodamas moteriškas palaidines iš Honkongo į gimtąją Kanadą, uždirbo pirmąjį savo milijoną.  

Vadovaujantis pavyzdžiu 

 Honkonge A. Zemenas įkūrė įmonę pavadinimu „Lan Kwai Fong Group“, kuri įžiebė to paties pavadinimo rajono naktinį gyvenimą. 2003 metais, verslininkas buvo paskirtas valstybės valdomo „Ocean Park“ pramogų parko vadovu. Verslininko teigimu, kiekvienos įmonės kultūra yra kuriama tų, kurie stovi prie jos vairo, todėl vadovas privalo rodyti gerą pavyzdį savo darbuotojams. „Dažniausiai geras pavyzdys perduodamas vertikaliai iš viršaus į apačią. Jei viršininkas geras – gera ir kompanija, jei situacija atvirkščia – verslui galiausiai nepasiseks“, – patirtimi dalijosi A. Zemenas. BBC teigimu, panašios nuomonės laikosi ir energiją tiekiančios kompanijos „Aggreko“ vadovas Rupertas Soamesas. „Žmonės daug akyliau žiūri, o ne klausosi“, – britų naujienų portalui sakė verslininkas. R. Soamesas teigė nesuprantantis viršininkų, kurie atleisdami darbuotojus pasakoja pasakas, kad įmonei viskas gerai. „Tarp tavo žodžių ir veiksmų turi būti aiškus ryšys, kitaip įmonės vidinė atmosfera ir kultūra kenčia“, – pasakojo verslininkas. Verslininkas pasakojo, kad galiausiai kiekvienas įmonės darbuotojas privalo būti pavyzdžiu kitiems. „Žmonės kur kas daugiau dėmesio kreipia į realius savo kolegų ir viršininkų veiksmus nei į vadybinę propagandą“, – sakė R. Soamesas.

Įgalina per atsakomybę

Tuo tarpu prekybos tinklo „Whole Foods“ vadovas Walteris Robbas BBC žurnalistams pasakojo, kad norint sukurti stiprią įmonės vidaus kultūrą, darbuotojams privalu suteikti daugiau atsakomybės. Sutikdamas su nuomone, kad viršininkas turi vadovauti rodydamas pavyzdį, pašnekovas pridūrė, kad įmonė turi būti formuojama joje dirbančių asmenų priimamų sprendimų pagrindu.

„Vadovai suteikdami galios kitiems, sukuria erdvę vešėti darbuotojų kūrybiškumui. Manau, kad mūsų, kaip vadovų, darbas yra užtikrinti, kad augant darbuotojų skaičiui, visus vienijantis įmonės laivas išliktų savo kurse“, – pasakojo W. Robbas.

Prieinamas vadovas

 A. Zemeno nuomone, įmonės vidaus kultūra privalo būti panaši į šeimą, kitaip atsiranda santykių mechanizacijos rizika. Būtent todėl vadovas turėtų būti pasiekiamas kiekvienam darbuotojui, tačiau kartu – laikomas atsakingu už visus. „Kai darbuotojai supranta tokią tendenciją, kiekvienas jų gali veikti išvien su įmone ir rasti savo vietą, taip tik pagerindami aplinką ir efektyvumą“, – sakė verslininkas. Didžiausio Kinijos socialinio tinklo, turinčio 170 mln. aktyvių vartotojų, „Renren“ vadovas, Joe Chenas, BBC pasakojo sunkiai dirbantis tam, kad sukurtų tinkamą verslo aplinką. Pašnekovo įmonė darbuotojams praneša apie savo pusmečio planus ir tariasi su darbuotojais, kokie sprendimai turėtų būti priimti, o kokie ne. „Stengiamės su kolektyvu būti kuo atviresni“, – sakė J. Chenas.  

Mylėk savo darbą

A. Zemenas žurnalistams pasakojo, kad kertinis bet kokios veiklos pamatas – meilė atliekamam darbui. Verslininko nuomone, geriausi rezultatai pasiekiami būtent tada, kuomet didžiuojamasi užsiėmimu. „Visada sakau savo darbuotojams, kad jei nemėgsti to ką darai – nepasilik čia“, – pasakojo A. Zemenas. Verslininkas, kaip ir pridera vadovui kuriančiam kultūrą pavyzdžio pagalba, teigė visa širdimi mylintis savo darbą.

Skaityti daugiau: http://www.ekonomika.lt/naujiena/geras-vadovas-geras-verslas-bendroves-kultura-kuriama-pavyzdziu-40732.html#ixzz2aubqX9AT

10 Questions to Ask Before Committing to a Business Partner

Like a marriage, a business partnership often begins with enthusiasm and high expectations -- only to end in acrimony and legal proceedings. It's important to know as much as possible about a potential partner, including how his or her finances and family life may affect the business, before signing on the dotted line.
Here are some questions to ask before deciding if partnering is a good idea:

1. What do I need from a business partner?
You should look for a business partner who brings something different to the table than you do. If you're creative, maybe you need a more detail-oriented partner. If you have money to invest in the business, you may want to look for a partner with access to a market, or with great connections. Or if you're shy, you might need a good "people person" to balance the equation. "If they're similar to you, it might be more comfortable, but it may not be what you need," says William M. Moore, founder of the Moore Firm in San Diego, a law firm that serves entrepreneurs. "You need someone who complements your skills and personality."
2. What is your potential partner's financial situation?
It is important to have an understanding of someone's financial status and commitments before getting into a venture together. "It is tough to ask what they are currently spending on a house or in payments to an ex-spouse, but someone's prior financial commitments shape the decisions they will make in the short term," says Gregory Kratofil, an attorney and shareholder with the law firm Polsinelli Shughart in Kansas City, Mo., who specializes in small business interests. "If he has large outstanding obligations, but says he can get by on $35,000 salary, it is a red flag."
3. What are the potential partner's expectations on the time involved?
Partners don't have to spend the same amount of time, but it is important that they are on the same page as to each other's expected time commitments. How many hours a day does your partner expect to put into the venture, and do his expectations meet yours? "It is equally important to level set your partner's expectations on your time commitments," Kratofil says. "The age old adage that it's better to under-promise and over-deliver applies here."
4. Is your potential partner's commitment to the business as strong as yours?
"I don't care if it's a coffee house or a design firm, the business partner's commitment has to equal yours," says Bob Phibbs, consultant and CEO of The Retail Doctor, a site that provides information to small and medium-sized businesses. A partnership -- especially one between friends -- can start off with fun and excitement, but within a short time, the slog of every day catches up with you. If they're not as committed to the business as you, they may lose their enthusiasm and may actually be damaging the brand every time you open your doors.
5. Is there something in your potential partner's family life that might make the business a secondary interest?
If your potential partner has a pregnant wife or is taking care of an elderly parent, he may be distracted from the business. That's why you have to be brutally honest when thinking of forming a partnership. "The partner can say, 'My wife is behind me 100 percent.' But I want to talk to the wife," Phibbs says. "If they're too distracted by a family issue or their family isn't behind them, the business may be doomed from the start."
6. How would he or she handle a tough situation?
It's important to know what your potential business partner will do if he has his back up against the wall -- and it will happen, Phibbs says. The best way to discover this is to look at what he's done in past business ventures. If he couldn't meet payroll, for example: Did he do the right thing and dip into savings or borrow from a credit card or a friend? Or did he pay employees late, or not at all? Or worse, did he skip paying payroll taxes? It all comes down to character issue, Phibbs says, adding, "Payroll taxes are a federal obligation. If that's negotiable, you can bet your partnership is also negotiable."
7. What questions do they have for me?
If a potential employee doesn't ask any questions in a job interview, you might be less likely to hire him because of a perceived lack of interest. The same applies to a potential business partner, who should want to know about your character, reliability and expectations. "I want them to ask me the same tough questions I ask them. If they say it doesn't really matter, it could mean two things: their expectations are too high or they might be kind of flighty," Phibbs says. "Things may be fine now, but in a month or two, they may want to change things or even get out of the deal."
8. What is the potential partner's standing in the community?
A lot of people seem good at first, but that may be their skill -- seeming good at first, Moore says. Once they get their foot in the door, it may be difficult to get them out. Talk to former employees to see what they were like to work with, or for. If you're looking for someone with money connections, verify that they have money. If they say they have great connections, see if those connections go beyond just being recognized and given a slap on the back. "A business partnership is not a marriage, but there should be some sort of courtship process that you can verify that they are who they say they are," Moore says.
9. Are they willing to put everything in writing?
Many partnerships are cemented with a handshake, but this can be a recipe for disaster. It's crucial to put it on paper -- not only what is expected of each partner, but the consequences if expectations aren't met. "There's something about actually putting it in writing that exposes the potential problem areas in the partnership," Moore says. If someone has a family emergency and disappears the first six months of the business -- even though it may not be through any fault of his own -- are you still expected to give that person a certain percentage of the business? "If someone simply isn't pulling his or her weight, you need to be able to get them out without destroying the business," he adds. "And if it's in writing, there's no arguing it."
10. Do I really need a partner?
If you can get someone to do something without giving them a stake in your business, it's always better, Moore says. People get wrapped up in the idea of needing to work with someone, but it's not always a good idea. Sometimes you need somebody to show up from 9-5, work hard and go home, he says, adding. "If you're cash poor, or it's a startup and you don't expect to make money right away, taking on a partner might be the better option. But if you can just pay somebody to show up and work, it's generally a better option than giving them a stake in the company."
And now a bonus question....
What happens if we can't work it out?
Most people don't envision the rough times ahead for a new venture, so this question is probably the hardest to remember to ask and the beginning. Yet, the best time to address potential problems with your partner is at the beginning before emotions run high. "You can't predict every potential problem, but a good startup lawyer can help you work through some of the common problems and put a framework in place to help address unforeseen circumstances," Kratofil says.

Read more: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/227576#ixzz2auXJPPLB

Why You Should Learn From Steve Jobs, Not Idolize Him

Imitation may be the highest form of flattery, but it’s not a winning-business strategy.
Steve Jobs not only revolutionized the way we listen to music and use a telephone, he also changed our understanding of a computer and even recaptured our ability to fall in love with films through his work with Pixar.
Without a doubt, young entrepreneurs can learn endlessly from Jobs’ example, but they shouldn’t adhere too closely to his image. After all, he may have been a design genius but he did ruffle a few feathers.
He disregarded every “rule” and regarded his mentors and role models loosely. Even he would hardly advise someone to emulate him. I think it’s far more likely he would say: “The best way to be like me is to be more fully yourself.”
Related: Trust, Fairness, Respect: Qualities of a Good Boss and a Great Leader (Infographic)
Still, you can learn an awful lot from the man. Here are a few very specific things that up-and-comers can learn from Jobs’ example:
1. Keep the customer experience in focus. Jobs was a master at getting into customers’ minds. He knew what we wanted — and how we wanted it — often long before we did.
2. Have an eye for beauty. It couldn’t just work well. Steve knew that it also had to feel good to touch, be delightful to use, and be exceptionally beautiful to look at.
3. Foster innovation. Do you remember a time without an iPhone? How about an iPod? Steve created products and product categories no one even had a frame of reference for and made them central to our lives.
Related: How to Find the Right Mentor for Your Startup
4. Insist upon excellence. Jobs had little patience for people who didn’t think things through, and he pushed the people around him to be their best. He accepted no substitutes and inspired great loyalty.
Finally, if there is one powerful absolute to learn from Steve Jobs, it is to focus on your customers and put them before everything else. Think about rabid Apple users — the ones who stand in line outside of a store for hours awaiting the release of the next iPhone. They’ve done more to grow the brand than Apple itself ever has.
You will never replicate that by trying to be Steve Jobs. But, if you ask these questions to apply his laser-focused attention to your own customers, you can definitely inspire that kind of brand advocacy.

• Are we surprising and delighting our customers while also delivering a consistent experience?
• Are our products and services frictionless for our customers to use and enjoy?
• Are we meeting their needs each and every time they interact with our company?
• Are we iterating and innovating with a product pipeline that’s in line with (or ahead of) the market?
• Are we blazing new trails?

http://www.youngentrepreneur.com/blog/entrepreneurship/why-you-should-lean-from-steve-jobs-not-idolize-him/

5-year-old Entrepreneur Lands Her Flip-Flop in Nordstrom

Madison Robinson is like any ordinary creative teen who doodles her designs, except her designs have landed $1 million-plus in sales.

Not many 15-year-olds can say they have a clothing and footwear line at Nordstrom’s, but Texas teen Madison Robinson can. From the time she sketched up her first FishFlop design when she was 8 until she launched the business two years ago, Madison has learned the ropes of entrepreneurship along the way. Her ocean-themed footwear featuring colorful illustrations of seahorses, angel fish, octopuses and starfish is inspired by her native Galveston Island, Texas, where flip-flops are a way of life. Last year, FishFlops had retail sales of more than $1 million, showing the $19.95 shoe has become a fashion favorite of girls and moms alike. SUCCESS had the opportunity to ask Madison about her entrepreneurial experience thus far and what she has in the works for the future.
How did the name FishFlops come about?
When I was 8, I drew an outline of a flip-flop and added my drawings of sea creatures. I took the drawings to my dad and said, “Hey, look dad, FishFlops!” I thought the name was catchy, and so did my dad, because he got excited and purchased the FishFlops.com domain name that day!
Do you draw the designs, or do you work with designers? What is the design process like?
I am the creator and founder of FishFlops. I create the designs, approve the samples and attend tradeshows where I interact with the store buyers. I get ideas from the ocean, beaches, books and magazines. I like changing up the colors based on what I like.
You have proved age is not a factor in starting your own business. How has your experience as a young entrepreneur been unique?
I enjoy being an entrepreneur at such a young age. It allows me to have an experience that not many teenagers can have. I have donated thousands of FishFlops to hospitals, military families, and to needy kids around the world. I think it’s important to give back. I don’t want to just send shoes to these causes; I want to be a part of it. So that’s why I go to the hospitals to meet the children, interact with the military families, and help sort and pack the shoes that are shipped around the world. It feels good to do good.
How do you manage both school and your business?
My schoolwork always comes first, but I’ll work on some things with my dad daily during the school year. I have been traveling a lot more for meetings, charity events or public appearances. I devote more time in the summer working on FishFlops.
You are also an author. Do you plan to write more books? What else do you have planned for your brand and your own future?
Right now we are focusing on footwear. I want to continue to grow in all areas of my life. I will finish high school and do the things that teenagers do. I want to attend college and see where that takes me. I’d like to see FishFlops become a lifestyle brand and continue to expand my shoe collection in Nordstrom. I would like to find a company that will help me create an animated show using my FishFlops characters. I can see it as a way of educating children about the ocean and the life in it, and things we can do to protect it. I will continue to give back because that is important to me. And one day I want to create a fashion brand called Madison Nicole.
What lessons have you learned and what advice do you have about becoming an entrepreneur?
To be an entrepreneur you have to take the first step on your own—be patient, persistent and never give up. I learned if you have an idea that you love and can see the possibilities, then go for it! You never know where it will take you and how you can help others with what you’ve done. Be open to suggestions and patient because it can be a long process, but eventually things do start happening. Make sure you balance your time and enjoy life while working.

http://www.success.com/articles/2468-15-year-old-entrepreneur-lands-flip-flop-nordstrom