Conversations with Thuy Dan (TD) Tran

Today we’d like to introduce you to Thuy Dan (TD) Tran.

Thuy Dan (TD), we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Growing up, community management was not a career I would have seen myself pursuing, nor was it something I even knew existed. My parents were “boat people” from Vietnam who set roots in Madison, Wisconsin to work and raise a family. I understood the value of community at a young age as my parents relied on various community programs to keep my sister and me occupied as they worked – from daycare, summer school, pre-college programs, and sports. My upbringing gravitated me to connecting people together. In college, I was heavily involved in student organizations, serving in various leadership positions. Being a minority in a predominantly white institution, I felt it more important to nurture a space of community for myself and other minority students, hosting upwards of 2-3 events per month in various orgs to bring a sense of belonging.

Before formally joining the Yelp team, I worked as a research specialist for a local university hospital where I coordinated projects that helped patients, mainly vulnerable populations, find accessible local resources to improve their quality of care. This desire I had for advocating for patient-centered care translated to my passion for uplifting local businesses. When I graduated (and finally had an income), I was constantly seeking the next place to try, using Yelp as my guide and sharing my finds through Yelp reviews and photos. It was then I realized this online community was also IRL. Joining the Yelp Elite Squad in 2017 exposed me to the career of ‘community building.’ I loved how these events helped me find new businesses, where you heard the stories and saw the passion from local business owners. I then became a part-time Yelp Community Ambassador for Madison in 2019 as a fun ‘side hustle.’ This finally led me to pursue this career full-time in 2021 as a Community Manager for San Gabriel Valley. Discovering all the charms of Los Angeles continued to inspire my interest in developing a local community that gives back to the community.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Transitioning my career from the health field to community and marketing was a big switch. As a product of Asian immigrants, I felt pressured to go in a certain direction with my career – I even graduated with a Biology degree. Through my career in health research, I found my highest interest in my day-to-day tasks involved project management and patient communication. I translated my passion for advocating for patient-centered care to uplifting local business owners, amplifying the voices of people who are passionate about what they do. I also got my Project Management Professional Certification (PMP), which gave me the confidence to switch to community management full-time.

Not only did I switch careers, but add moving across the country to the mix and on top of that, during the COVID-19 pandemic! I’ll admit that at first, being far away from my immediate family was a difficult transition. My motivation to take the leap was knowing this was nearly as difficult as it was for my parents to immigrate and build a new community. I was fortunate to have strong support groups as soon as I arrived in SGV through my fellow SoCal community managers as well as my Yelp Elite Squad. They fostered a welcoming environment and gave me insight on all the diverse communities we had in our metro.

The COVID-19 pandemic put many careers and companies through a whirlwind, and conditions were constantly changing. We adapted quickly to keep our community together with virtual events and worked with businesses on creative ways to continue to uplift them. Looking back, those times really showed just how strong our community was – even with the uncertainty, we were still supporting businesses and engaged with each other.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Yelp Community Managers wear many hats to connect people with great local businesses. We’re truly in a unique position of initiating connections virtually through the Yelp platform as a catalyst for real-world impact and engagement. I partner with business owners to educate them on Yelp’s resources and work to uplift them by increasing their visibility through remarkable events, social media, and marketing outreach. I also foster community marketing partnerships with nonprofits or other local events to increase awareness for local events happening in our neighborhood. Lastly, I’m here to be a community leader to our Yelp community, leading by example to support local businesses and engaging with our members to inspire them. I’m proud to say since my tenure, I’ve hosted 115 events with local businesses and have had over 30 additional local partnership events such as with nonprofits and city chambers of commerce.

How do you define success?
I approach success in a two-pronged manner: professional and personal. Professionally, I see success when I am able to educate others about Yelp, cultivate relationships between business owners and customers, and inspire individuals to support local businesses. The numbers also tell a story: 97% of consumers use the internet to find local businesses and three in four people who use their smartphones to search for something nearby end up visiting a local business within a day (Forbes, 2018). From brightening someone’s day with a personal message to advocating for the new business down the street by sharing their story, I find success in knowing that I am making a positive impact in my community. That I am helping to foster a sense of belonging and connection here.

In personal matters, I define success with the amount of fulfillment and joy I have in what I do every day. Being able to align my skill set with my passions day-to-day is the reward right now. I’m lucky that this position gives me the chance to have this self-discovery and I’m excited to see what the future holds.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yelpla/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thuy-dan-tran-1029/
• Yelp: https://tdt.yelp.com/

Image Credits
Clinton Lu, Estevan Reynoso, HAIRFACE, Mythos One Media