Nayantara Goyal is an Indian teacher having spent four years as an expat in Saigon, Vietnam. She joins me to discuss a wide range of topics from living abroad, mental health challenges, self discovery, cultural immersion and more.

Topics include

⁃ The importance of communication, boundaries and community

⁃ Navigating your way around living abroad as an expat, finding your tribe, embracing Vietnam and more

⁃ Dealing with mental health issues, eating disorders, and making the comeback

⁃ The societal pressures that can take place in India and Vietnam, related to family dynamics and from a professional/career sense

⁃ Saigon as an expat

⁃ Having empathy and flexibility in social situations

⁃ The importance of difficult conversations

If you enjoyed, you can find out more about ComebaCK at @thecomebackwithck on Instagram.

Jessica Likens is an actress and acting teacher from Philadelphia, currently living in Saigon after stints in LA and Hong Kong. She joins me to discuss her acting journey so far, and provides a wide range of insights around the acting business that go in great detail! Thank you, Jessica!

Topics include

⁃ Genuine and authentic energy on set, especially when mixing with co-stars

⁃ The mental challenges associated with acting endeavors

⁃ Nitty gritty acting details that are often overlooked

⁃ Working with people in the industry, the challenges posed and trying to avoid comparison

⁃ “That guy who was in that thing” and why those roles are ACTUALLY the top 5%

⁃ Transferring acting skills into the teaching capacity

⁃ The key traits required to succeed in the acting industry

⁃ Her future aims

You can find out more about Jessica here;

https://m.imdb.com/name/nm4180638/

https://instagram.com/iamjessicalikens?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Uziel Pavia is initially from Mexico, has lived in several countries, and is a digital marketing manager, joining the podcast to discuss expat life, marketing and SEO life.

Topics include

⁃ Background in Mexico

⁃ Providing value

⁃ The psychology of marketing

⁃ Search optimization for SEO’s

⁃ Focusing on contribution in different fields and sectors

⁃ The blending of financial health alongside physical and mental health

⁃ His expat experiences, including fleeing Ukraine during the recent conflict in February

If you enjoyed, you can find out more about Uziel at;

https://www.linkedin.com/in/uzielpavia/

And more about ComebaCK at @thecomebackwithck on Instagram.

Disclaimer: This was held on a Saigon rainy rooftop Saigon at 5pm in D1 (heart of the city) - a true Saigonese podcast. Apologies for the background noise.

Sean Thommen is the Head Brewer at ‘East West Craft Beer Brewing Company’, in Saigon, Vietnam , and joins me to discuss setting up abroad, expanding the craft beer scene in South East Asia, their mission and philosophy, and more.

Topics include;

⁃ Sean’s background in Portland, Oregon, “The Craft Beer Capital Of The World”

⁃ Advancing the craft beer scene in South East Asia

⁃ Setting up a Western style business abroad, but also blending alongside an authentic Vietnamese experience

⁃ Their marketing, customer relations, design and import strategies

⁃ Adapting to setbacks and challenges, such as unpredictability and the pandemic

⁃ Their approach to innovation

⁃ Future aims for branching out in Vietnam

You can find out more about their work at;

Www.EastWestbrewing.vn

https://www.facebook.com/eastwestbrewery/

https://instagram.com/eastwestbrewery?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Amelie Maas is currently living on the island of Phu Quoc in Vietnam, a pole dance instructor, and heavily involved in both nutrition and movement, from her studies and professional experiences, which she shares with ComebaCK.

Topics include

⁃ The environmental factors in Vietnam that brought her here since 2014

⁃ Her interest in nutrition and how this developed over time

⁃ Why enjoyment, intrinsic fulfillment, and breaking down the goal into tiny steps are so crucial in a movement/fitness practice

⁃ The biggest misconceptions surrounding movement practices and nutrition

⁃ The myth of “talent”

If you enjoyed, you can find out more about ComebaCK at @thecomebackwithck on Instagram.

• SPONSORS

Paperbacks Saigon

Www.paperbacks.vn

INSTAGRAM;

@paperbacks.Saigon

Kerry Newsome is the host of ‘What About Vietnam’ podcast, exploring the stories of travelers, locals and expats in the country heavily involved within tourism in Vietnam, and has been regularly visiting Vietnam from her native Australia since 2007. Kerry joins the podcast to discuss her work, journey in Vietnam, the development of ‘What About Vietnam’, and what might happen with Vietnam tourism in 2022 and beyond.

Topics include

⁃ Her experiences since 2007 and how Vietnam has changed

⁃ Exploring the hidden gems of Vietnam

⁃ The challenges of working within tourism during the CoVID period and how to adapt

⁃ The evolution of ‘What About Vietnam’ and how it helped her stay connected to Vietnam

⁃ The future of tourism in Vietnam and where it develops from here

If you enjoyed, you can find out more about Kerry and her podcast at;

https://www.whataboutvietnam.com

https://www.facebook.com/whataboutvietnam/

And more about ComebaCK at @thecomebackwithck on Instagram.

Ly Nguyen is a digital creator and designer, hugely influenced by travel and freedom , and joins the podcast to discuss her travel experiences, design work, self care practices, and more.

Topics include;

⁃ Moving from the “old lady” of Hanoi to the vibrancy of Saigon and adjusting to the key differences

⁃ Her international travel experiences and engaging an open and curious mind

⁃ Understanding the historical significance of places visited

⁃ Moving into the design industry and her main lessons from this career decision

⁃ Understanding human behavior and psychology through design

⁃ The importance of brainstorming/mind mapping to develop creativity and clarity

⁃ What “freedom” represents, financially, personally and professionally

⁃ Breaking yearly goals into small, actionable steps

⁃ The values of health, creativity, curiosity and freedom

If you enjoyed, you can find out more about ComebaCK at @thecomebackwithck on Instagram.

Denise Truong is from ‘Trash Hero’ in Vietnam, and the founder of ‘TYDE Consulting’ here in Ho Chi Minh. We discuss her appetite to make change, her mission of self discovery following a panic attack, her key lessons, why impact and contribution is at the focus of her projects, and more.

Topics include

⁃ Setting firm, clear boundaries and putting yourself first

⁃ Self reflection and working in close quarters with a psychotherapist

⁃ Her work with Tyde Consulting, building an authentic workplace culture where employees feel inspired and belonged

⁃ Having the awareness to “check your blind spots” with the assistance of a coach or mentor

⁃ Recognizing that it’s the individuals choice to change and being comfortable with that

⁃ Her work with “Trash Hero” Vietnam and her monthly cleanup activities in Ho Chi Minh

⁃ Showing an example to the community and making small steps to change

If you enjoyed, you can find out more about Denise at

https://linktr.ee/denisetruong

And more about ComebaCK at @thecomebackwithck on Instagram.

Lester O’Stephens is a principal at an international school in Saigon, having worked in education for 30 years in his native New Zealand, Singapore and now Vietnam. On this podcast episode, we dive further into education in the international sector, Asian models vs New Zealand, the most important aspects of the children’s well-being, and more.

Topics include

⁃ New Zealand education model vs Vietnam

⁃ Looking at the psychology of education, including intrinsic and extrinsic motivations for learning

⁃ Treating staff, students and parents as people first, and enhancing their wellbeing

⁃ The importance of setting firm, clear boundaries

⁃ The concept of ‘restorative practices’ in education

⁃ Developing the culture and the ethos of an international school

⁃ Pushing the boundaries, being innovative, and developing students learning

If you enjoyed, you can find out more about ComebaCK at @thecomebackwithck on Instagram.

Alan Dolan is a Breathwork practitioner, working under the ‘Breathguru’ programme, conducting retreats in Lanzarote, has had his work endorsed by the likes of Russell Brand and Naomi Harris, and joins the podcast to discuss his background, career in breathwork and its transformational impact, and more.

Topics include;

⁃ His background in yoga and transitioning into breathwork

⁃ His difficult first 40 years of depression and how breathwork helped to deconstruct the negative energy of depression

⁃ The healing journey from mind identification to identifying with ‘God’ (whatever you choose that to be)

⁃ Being the observer of your thoughts

⁃ The retreats in Lanzarote and what takes place during the sessions

⁃ Making breathwork accessible and giving it more mainstream recognition

⁃ The power when endorsed by celebrity figures such as Russell Brand and Naomi Harris

⁃ Ultimate aims in putting his work out there and improving the lives of others

For more information, visit Alan’s website;

https://www.breathguru.com/

If you enjoyed, you can find out more about ComebaCK at @thecomebackwithck on Instagram.