Michaela Baur is the Country Director of GIZ Vietnam, a German development agency with more than 30 years of experience working in Vietnam. Today, Ian asks the question on the tip of everyone's tongue: Can Vietnam really become a high-income country by 2045 AND reach its net zero target by 2050? Michaela explains why Vietnam is choosing to pursue economic growth and emissions reduction in parallel, not sequentially, and why, while it's very ambitious, it's also very smart. She breaks down Vietnam’s four major reform thrusts for the next decade and why they’re being tackled together rather than in silos. Drawing on GIZ's experience in Vietnam, Michaela shares concrete examples of the agency's high impact work. She also gives five things outsiders must know about getting things done in Vietnam – from genuine curiosity about the country and its history, to working at eye level with Vietnamese partners. If you care about climate, growth, or doing business in Vietnam, this episode shows why Vietnam might just become a global example for how to do both.

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This podcast is brought to you by We Create Content, the content marketing agency that builds audiences for global brands in Vietnam. You can follow our host, Ian Paynton, on LinkedIn, and follow the podcast on Instagram, TikTok and X.

A special thanks to DJ Jase at The Beats Saigon for the soundtrack, and to YOU for listening.

Vietnam is changing shape fast — but its soul hasn’t moved an inch. In this episode, Ian sits down with Vinamilk creative director Chieu Pham to unpack the cultural codes that remain constant beneath the country’s rapid transformation. From ancestor worship and family rituals to emotion-driven storytelling and Vietnam’s unique sense of humour, Chieu explains why global brands so often misread the market — and what they must understand to get it right. She shares 15 years of insight across ad agencies and national brands, and why authenticity beats polished cleverness every time. She also dives into gender dynamics inside Vietnam’s creative industry, the rise of influencers, and the future of Vietnamese cinema.

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If you enjoy this conversation or think someone in your network could find value in it, please share it and hit follow to get notified when the next episode drops.

This podcast is brought to you by We Create Content, the content marketing agency that builds audiences for global brands in Vietnam. You can follow our host, Ian Paynton, on LinkedIn, and follow the podcast on Instagram, TikTok and X.

A special thanks to DJ Jase at The Beats Saigon for the soundtrack, and to YOU for listening.

Vietnam’s economy is booming. Foreign factories are multiplying, GDP is surging, and global investors are calling it the next Asian powerhouse. But who’s really benefitting from this rapid growth? In this episode of You Don’t Know Vietnam, Ian Paynton speaks with journalist Lam Le, known for going beyond the headlines to tell the human-centred stories behind Vietnam’s economic rise. She explains what life looks like for the factory workers assembling products such as AirPods and MacBooks, and for gig-economy drivers caught in relentless algorithmic cycles. From ageing out of factory work at thirty-five to the quiet ambitions of women retraining as beauticians, Lam paints a vivid picture of the people powering Vietnam’s rise — and offers advice for global businesses looking to employ here responsibly.

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If you enjoy this conversation or think someone in your network could find value in it, please share it and hit follow to get notified when the next episode drops.

This podcast is brought to you by We Create Content, the content marketing agency that builds audiences for global brands in Vietnam. You can follow our host, Ian Paynton, on LinkedIn, and follow the podcast on Instagram, TikTok and X.

A special thanks to DJ Jase at The Beats Saigon for the soundtrack, and to YOU for listening.

Many foreign leaders arrive in Vietnam full of confidence — armed with a leadership style that’s worked everywhere else. But within weeks, frustration sets in. Teams seem hesitant, feedback is quiet, and quick wins are nowhere to be found. In this episode of You Don’t Know Vietnam, cross-cultural leadership expert Julie Sivan joins Ian Paynton to unpack why leadership styles often don’t translate — and what you can do to make sure yours does. 

Julie explains the key mindset shift every foreign leader needs to make: trust comes before performance in Vietnam. She breaks down how hierarchy really works (it’s a roof, not a wall), why silence doesn’t mean agreement, and how to build trust through consistency, presence, and care.

You’ll also hear:

 🇻🇳 The biggest traps foreign leaders fall into — and how to avoid them
 🇻🇳 How to decode hierarchy, respect, and feedback in Vietnamese workplaces
 🇻🇳 Three things to do in your first 30 days to earn credibility and connection
 🇻🇳 What not to do if you want to keep trust intact

Whether you’re leading a team in Hanoi, managing a regional office in Ho Chi Minh City, or planning to expand your business into Vietnam, this episode is your field guide to cross-cultural leadership that lands.

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If you enjoy this conversation or think someone in your network could find value in it, please share it and hit follow to get notified when the next episode drops.

This podcast is brought to you by We Create Content, the content marketing agency that builds audiences for global brands in Vietnam. You can follow our host, Ian Paynton, on LinkedIn, and follow the podcast on Instagram, TikTok and X.

A special thanks to DJ Jase at The Beats Saigon for the soundtrack, and to YOU for listening.

"That grey area or that almost darkness within a conversation can be life and death. And if you don’t have the trust to be able to have an honest conversation, you can meet an impasse and never move forward," says CBRE's Lawrence Lennon, in this episode of You Don't Know Vietnam. Lawrence, who is Director of Capital Markets Services at CBRE, tells Ian Paynton about the forces driving Vietnam’s next economic leap. From record-breaking FDI and infrastructure spend to the surge in tourism and manufacturing, He explains why Vietnam’s growth story is one of the most compelling in Asia right now. But beyond the numbers, he reveals the unseen dynamics that matter most: why trust is the real insurance policy in Vietnam’s business culture, how relationships unlock opportunities that data alone can’t, and what global investors often miss when they view Vietnam only through spreadsheets. Whether you’re an investor, entrepreneur, or just curious about the future of Vietnam, this episode offers a rare look at both the hard data and the hidden human factors shaping the country’s momentum.

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If you enjoy this conversation or think someone in your network could find value in it, please share it and hit follow to get notified when the next episode drops.

This podcast is brought to you by We Create Content, the content marketing agency that builds audiences for global brands in Vietnam. You can follow our host, Ian Paynton, on LinkedIn, and follow the podcast on Instagram, TikTok and X.

A special thanks to DJ Jase at The Beats Saigon for the soundtrack, and to YOU for listening.

What makes Vietnamese dining culture so unique—and why do so many global F&B brands stumble here? In this episode, Ian Paynton speaks with Loan Vu, hospitality expert and co-founder of SNL’s Diner in Hanoi. Loan shares how she’s adapted an American menu to fit Vietnamese tastes, from portion sizes to introducing turkey dinners, and why communal dining changes everything. We dive into the challenges of hiring and keeping staff in Vietnam’s high-turnover F&B sector, the importance of kindness and culture in retention, and why slow, brand-led marketing beats chasing quick trends. Loan also explains why some of the world’s biggest F&B names, like McDonald’s and Starbucks, have struggled in Vietnam—and what global entrants can learn from it. If you’re in food & beverage, hospitality, or just curious about Vietnam’s fast-moving market, this episode is full of insights about localisation, resilience, and building a business that lasts.

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If you enjoy this conversation or think someone in your network could find value in it, please share it and hit follow to get notified when the next episode drops.

This podcast is brought to you by We Create Content, the content marketing agency that builds audiences for global brands in Vietnam. You can follow our host, Ian Paynton, on LinkedIn, and follow the podcast on Instagram, TikTok and X.

A special thanks to DJ Jase at The Beats Saigon for the soundtrack, and to YOU for listening.

If you're on LinkedIn and interested in Vietnam, you've probably already heard of Benji Lamb. He's the founder and CEO of Asia Circles, a company that partners with global brands to help them break into Vietnam’s retail market. And one thing's for sure: he knows his stuff when it comes to e-commerce. We dive into his first-hand experience living through Shanghai’s e-commerce revolution and the striking parallels—and differences—he sees in Vietnam today. Benji breaks down modern trade vs. general trade and shelf commerce vs. push commerce, making sense of how brands really win in Vietnam’s fast-changing retail scene. We also get personal: what’s it been like for him setting up shop here? And is it OK to show vulnerability as a leader in front of your Vietnamese team? If you’re interested in the future of retail and e-commerce in Vietnam, this one’s packed with on-the-ground insights you won’t want to miss.

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If you enjoy this conversation or think someone in your network could find value in it, please share it and hit follow to get notified when the next episode drops.

This podcast is brought to you by We Create Content, the content marketing agency that builds audiences for global brands in Vietnam. You can follow our host, Ian Paynton, on LinkedIn, and follow the podcast on Instagram, TikTok and X.

A special thanks to DJ Jase at The Beats Saigon for the soundtrack, and to YOU for listening.

What’s really going on in Vietnam’s advertising scene? In this episode of You Don’t Know Vietnam, we sit down with creative director Espin Hoan to unpack the fast, loud, and ever-changing world of Vietnamese advertising. We explore why copywriting rhythm matters in a tonal language like Vietnamese, why audio ads are having a golden moment, and what brands can learn from two very different campaigns — one that built genuine brand love, and another that left audiences feeling used (yes, we’re talking about that drone show). From Gen Z’s guerrilla-style brand activations to the need for more heart and less ego in creative work, Espin shares her take on where Vietnam’s advertising is winning, where it’s losing, and how it can raise the bar.

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If you enjoy this conversation or think someone in your network could find value in it, please share it and hit follow to get notified when the next episode drops.

This podcast is brought to you by We Create Content, the content marketing agency that builds audiences for global brands in Vietnam. You can follow our host, Ian Paynton, on LinkedIn, and follow the podcast on Instagram, TikTok and X.

A special thanks to DJ Jase at The Beats Saigon for the soundtrack, and to YOU for listening.

In this episode of You Don’t Know Vietnam, Ian Paynton travels (virtually) to Hai Phong — Vietnam’s third-largest city and rising industrial powerhouse — to speak with Koen Soenens, the Sales & Marketing Director of DEEP C, the European-managed industrial zone developer that’s been helping the shape economic growth in the region for nearly 30 years. Koen shares why Hai Phong is being compared to Shanghai, how Vietnam became a “safe bet” for global business, and what it really takes to succeed here: long-term commitment, local understanding, and community engagement. From bamboo diplomacy to air quality challenges, this episode is packed with grounded insights on navigating Vietnam’s business culture and future potential. Whether you're exploring Vietnam as a China +1 strategy, expanding your manufacturing footprint, or just curious about life beyond Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, this one’s for you.

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If you enjoy this conversation or think someone in your network could find value in it, please share it and hit follow to get notified when the next episode drops.

This podcast is brought to you by We Create Content, the content marketing agency that builds audiences for global brands in Vietnam. You can follow our host, Ian Paynton, on LinkedIn, and follow the podcast on Instagram, TikTok and X.

A special thanks to DJ Jase at The Beats Saigon for the soundtrack, and to YOU for listening.

In Vietnam’s fast-paced F&B landscape, where trends explode and vanish overnight, kombucha entrepreneur Faya Nguyen chose a different path — and it’s working. In this episode, Faya shares how she grew her brand Cultra Brewery from her parents’ garage into a premium kombucha supplier trusted by top hotels, restaurants, and wellness-minded consumers across Vietnam. We explore how slowing down helped her build long-term partnerships, why trust and transparency matter in Vietnam’s evolving business culture, and what other founders can learn from resisting the urge to scale fast. If you’ve ever wondered whether patience, craft, and care still have a place in fast-moving Vietnam — this one’s for you.

Send us a text

If you enjoy this conversation or think someone in your network could find value in it, please share it and hit follow to get notified when the next episode drops.

This podcast is brought to you by We Create Content, the content marketing agency that builds audiences for global brands in Vietnam. You can follow our host, Ian Paynton, on LinkedIn, and follow the podcast on Instagram, TikTok and X.

A special thanks to DJ Jase at The Beats Saigon for the soundtrack, and to YOU for listening.