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.

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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.

Meet Ankita Ghosh, a creative director and stand up comedian who is based in Ho Chi Minh City and runs Saigon International Comedy. In this episode of You Don't Know Vietnam, she talks about the state of stand up comedy in Vietnam right now, what you can joke about and what you can't, and how the comedy scene changes from north to south. She explains what it was like moving from Bangladesh to Vietnam as a creative director in advertising, and talks through her role on the Durex Vietnam account, which became famous nationwide for its hilarious always-on social media content that tapped into real time global trends to generate buzzy local conversation.

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.

Vietnam’s Gen Z may get all the attention but there’s another demographic with deep pockets and untapped potential. In this episode, Ian Paynton speaks with Lai Tien Manh, Managing Director of market research and branding agency MiBrand to uncover what global brands often miss when entering Vietnam. From the rise of local brands and the north–south cultural divide to the boom in digital payments and livestream commerce, Manh explains what’s changing fast — and what brands need to do to keep up. He also reveals why Vietnam’s over-60s, shaped by decades of war and quiet investment, may be the richest and most overlooked consumer group in the country. Whether you're building a product, planning a campaign, or just trying to make sense of Vietnam's shifting market — this episode is packed with insight.

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.