You Don't Know Vietnam

Quang Dung is the Chef Patron of Chapter Dining and Grill and Tales Saigon, which are two restaurants helping to raise the bar and push the boundaries in Vietnam's rapidly changing F&B scene. While Chapter in Hanoi takes its guests on a journey through Vietnam's northern mountains with an EPIC tasting menu and drinks pairing, Tales Saigon is Vietnam's first plant-based and zero waste restaurant, which opened its doors just weeks ago. Today, Dung shares why now is the most exciting time ever for Vietnam's hospitality sector. He describes the difference between building business trust in Vietnam's cities compared to building trust with his foragers in the countryside. He gives his tips for global audiences looking to come to Vietnam to do business, shares what he thinks the biggest mistake is that foreigners make, and drops massive insight bombs on how he manages and retains talent in his finer dining establishments. 

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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. 

TK Nguyen is as high energy as the industry he's working in: Esports. As the CEO of GAM Entertainment, TK leads Vietnam's most successful Esports League of Legends team as they continue to represent Vietnam on the world stage. Today, TK tells me about the explosive growth of Esports in Vietnam, and how it's become a legitimate sport and career for Vietnam's young people. He tells me why Esports could be THE thing to put Vietnam on the global entertainment map, and what needs to happen to make this a reality. He breaks down what League of Legends is and why it's so popular in Vietnam: 67% of Esports players choose to play League of Legends and 68% of Esports fans choose to watch it. He also reveals what he's doing with GAM sports on social media to truly connect with Vietnam's Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences.

Send us Fan Mail

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 #YouDontKnowVietnam, we speak to HR expert Hanh Ngo, who recruits teams for new hotels for the Intercontinental Hotel Group in Southeast Asia and Korea. With 15 years in HR, Hanh has a lot of insight to share with global brands or business owners who are looking to enter Vietnam to build a team. 

She explains the difference between a good workplace and bad workplace in Vietnam, and covers that all important topic at this time of the year: the Tet bonus. 

Is it REALLY compulsory? Why is it SO important? Do staff expect a whole month's salary? And will they do a runner if your business can't deliver? 

Listen now to find out. 

Plus:

🇻🇳 Her top 5 tips for recruiting (and keeping!) staff in Vietnam
💡 The mindset you need when recruiting a team here 
🤔 Why Vietnamese employees like to work in teams
🎯 The current trends driving Vietnam's hospitality sector

Send us Fan Mail

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 your company is looking for a piece of the action in Vietnam this year, this episode is for you. In this instalment of You Don't Know Vietnam, Ian talks to Jerome Buzenet, a business lawyer with 20 years of experience in Vietnam.

As Partner at DFDL Vietnam, Jerome helps businesses enter and navigate the Vietnamese market, shedding light on the complexity and fast-paced nature of Vietnam's business landscape. 

Today, Ian and Jerome discuss key milestones that have shaped Jerome's understanding of doing business in Vietnam, including the influx of investment bankers in the early 2000s and the first private equity investment in the country. They explore the challenges faced by international businesses in Vietnam, such as differences in respecting intellectual property and dealing with bureaucracy. The conversation also touches on the unique role of Vietnamese women in the workforce, the importance of embracing Vietnamese culture and work practices, and the significance of trust and building long-lasting relationships. 

Topics discussed:

🇻🇳 The complexity and fast-paced nature of Vietnam's business landscape
🇻🇳 Key milestones shaping understanding of doing business in Vietnam
🇻🇳 Challenges faced by international businesses in Vietnam
🇻🇳 The role of Vietnamese women in the workforce
🇻🇳 Embracing Vietnamese culture and work practices
🇻🇳 Building trust and long-lasting relationships

Send us Fan Mail

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 anyone knows about Vietnam's foodies it's Dao Chi Anh, the Director of Corporate Brand & Marketing at Golden Gate Restaurant Group. In her role, Chi Anh is across a massive 500 restaurants from 50 brands, from hotpot concepts such as Manwah to BBQ joints like Go Gi, plus steak houses, western restaurants and Vietnamese outlets, too. Today, Chi Anh tells me about her 14-year F&B journey in Vietnam, from a food blogger and entrepreneur and her recent return to the world of corporate. She explores the trends in Vietnam's F&B scene right now, how restaurant brands are adapting, and what makes Vietnam's foodies unique. She also unpacks what really happened at The Kafe (her pioneering restaurant group that fell apart almost as quickly as it shot to fame) and shares key learnings for global brands coming to Vietnam to do business.

Send us Fan Mail

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. 

Angélique Masse Nguyen and Duong Phan founded NOI, an agency that helps brands understand and communicate better with Vietnamese women. In this episode, they explain how Vietnamese women hold most of the purchasing power in Vietnam but still feel underrepresented in Vietnam's advertising and media landscape. They give insight about women's spending behaviours and share tips on how brands and marketers can authentically connect to the head of the family firm. They explore what brands are doing right, what they are doing wrong, and discuss the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs here. 

Send us Fan Mail

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. 

On this episode of You Don't Know Vietnam, we have the pleasure of talking to Michael Brosowski, the Founder and Strategic Director of Blue Dragon - a children's foundation that's been doing some of the most important and awe-inspiring work in Vietnam. To date, Blue Dragon has rescued almost 1,700 people from human trafficking. They've helped send 6,400 kids to school, placed almost 500 teens in jobs, and was instrumental in rescue efforts during the recent Typhoon Yagi and the subsequent landslides that ravaged through communities in northern Vietnam. Today, Michael talks about the darker sides of Vietnam's rapid economic development and describes which communities are most at risk. He tells the story of how Blue Dragon began, recounts the first ever rescue mission, and outlines what success looks like for Blue Dragon in Vietnam. He also give tips for global business to ensure their migrant works aren't being exploited, and talks about the best ways to give back to Vietnam sensitively through CSR initiatives. Head over to www.bluedragon.org to learn more about what Michael and Blue Dragon do in Vietnam. Donate at bluedragon.org/donate to support Vietnamese children in crisis.

Send us Fan Mail

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. 

Meet artist, DJ and producer Dan Nguyen, or Demonslayer. From archiving and reviving Californian V-wave from the 80s to DJing the Hollywood premiere of HBO's The Sympathizer, Dan has been representing Vietnamese creativity for as long as we can remember. Today, he tells us why Vietnam is finally getting the global recognition it deserves, what it was like growing up in a Vietnamese household in L.A, and what shocks him most when he returns. 

Send us Fan Mail

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. 

Diep Hoang is a content creator and mother and baby influencer on the channel Love At First Shine. She also has a podcast with her husband where they talk openly about the challenges faced by couples in the modern Vietnamese family. On this episode of You Don't Know Vietnam Diep tells us about the pressures faced by young mums in Vietnam and how she juggles traditional Vietnamese values with modern parenting. She also shares how the Vietnamese family is changing, how Vietnamese women have all the purchasing power, and what brands should consider when attempting to market their products to them.

Send us Fan Mail

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. 

Marina Tran-Vu is the founder and CEO of EQUO, a Vietnam-based startup that produces eco-friendly products to tackle the big problem of single use plastics. EQUO makes everything from takeaway food containers and cutlery to tote bags, tumblers and super cute pencils you can plant once you're done drawing. Today, Marina tells me why she chose Vietnam as a place to tackle plastic and whether or not Vietnamese consumers care about sustainability. She shares why Vietnam is a difficult place to do business and how -- rather than giving her the boost she needed -- her appearance on Shark Tank Vietnam dramatically dented her confidence as a founder.

Send us Fan Mail

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.