In this episode of You Don’t Know Vietnam, Ian Paynton is joined by Gauthier D'haenens, a Vietnamese-born Belgian adoptee who returned to Vietnam as an adult searching for his biological parents — and instead found a very different sense of belonging.

Gauthier shares his deeply personal journey of growing up feeling like an outsider in Europe, returning to Vietnam to reconnect with his roots, and ultimately choosing to build a life here despite never fully fitting into one box or another. Together, Ian and Gauthier explore what it means to live between cultures, how Vietnam can strip away old identities and force new ones to emerge, and why grief, distance, and belonging are some of the least talked-about realities of long-term life abroad.

The conversation also dives into Vietnam’s evolution beyond the usual Hanoi–Ho Chi Minh City narrative, why Danang is emerging as a serious tech and lifestyle hub, and what global leaders consistently misunderstand about building businesses and teams in Vietnam.

This is a reflective, honest episode about adoption, ambition, wonder, and the quiet sacrifices that come with choosing Vietnam — and why, for many, the country has a way of confronting you… and changing you.

In this episode, we cover:

• Growing up Vietnamese in Europe and returning to Vietnam as an adult
• Searching for biological parents — and making peace with not finding them
• Identity, belonging, and the emotional cost of living far from home
• Why Hanoi can break you — and why that matters
• Danang’s rise beyond tourism into tech and innovation
• What Vietnam’s future could look like, and what it risks losing along the way

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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 is no longer just a fast-growing economy or a low-cost manufacturing hub. It is entering what many local leaders now call an era of rising — defined not only by economic momentum, but by diplomatic agility, cultural confidence, and a new generation reshaping the country’s future. In this episode of You Don’t Know Vietnam, Ian Paynton speaks with Hang Vu, Managing Partner at RSI Consulting, about what Vietnam’s rise really looks like on the ground — beyond GDP headlines and investor hype. Drawing on her experience as a corporate leader turned market-entry advisor, we unpack

• What Vietnam’s rapid growth looks like on the ground — from mindset shifts to changing consumer behaviour
• The move from resilience to reinvention in Vietnamese business culture
• The rise of cultural confidence and creative industries
• The role of Vietnamese women as both guardians of tradition and pioneers of change
• Common mistakes international companies make when entering Vietnam
• Bamboo diplomacy and how it shapes Vietnam’s global positioning
• What success could look like for Vietnam’s era of rising over the next decade

This episode is essential listening for global business leaders, investors, and anyone seeking a deeper, more human understanding of where Vietnam is heading — and what it takes to succeed here in the years ahead.

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.

Tết has always been Vietnam’s most important moment of the year — culturally, emotionally, and commercially. For some categories, it can account for up to 40–45% of annual sales. But something feels different now.

In this episode of You Don’t Know Vietnam, Ian Paynton sits down with Cimigo's Richard Burrage, a long-time Vietnam resident and one of the country’s most experienced consumer insight leaders, to unpack how Tết is changing — and why many brands and marketers haven’t caught up.

Drawing on nationwide consumer research and focus groups, Richard explains why Vietnam is spending differently, gifting less, celebrating more quietly, and approaching Tết with a very different mindset.

For senior leaders looking beyond the hype, this episode offers a grounded, on-the-ground view of cultural change — and why understanding the “new Tết” may be critical to getting Vietnam right.

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.