Walkabout Elevations Podcast

Walkabout Pathways
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Walkabout Elevations is a bilingual podcast hosted by Paul Allen Benavides and Ami Ho, featuring leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, academics, creators, and professionals from Vietnam, Asia, and beyond. The show explores ideas, stories, and experiences that elevate how we think about business, leadership, culture, communication, and personal growth. Conversations move beyond polished success stories to examine failure, difficult decisions, changing perspectives, relationships, opportunity, and the lessons people carry forward from the experiences that shape their lives and work.

  1. 4d ago

    The Future of Luxury Hotels: AI, Branding & the Human Touch | Neha Pandey

    What does luxury hospitality really mean in 2026?In this episode of Walkabout Elevations, recorded at HORECFEX Vietnam 2026 in Da Nang, I sit down with Neha Pandey, Vice President of Branding at PN Consulting in Singapore, to explore how branding, artificial intelligence, personalization, and guest expectations are reshaping the hospitality industry.For decades, hotel brands were built around standardization. Travelers knew what to expect because brands created consistent rooms, service standards, and operating procedures across their properties.But luxury hospitality is moving in a very different direction.Today’s guests are more informed, more discerning, and increasingly expect experiences designed around who they are rather than what is easiest for the hotel to deliver.Neha and I discuss the shift from cookie-cutter hospitality toward locally authentic and highly personalized experiences, and how AI can help hotel operators remove repetitive back-office work while improving their ability to understand and respond to guests.We also explore an important tension: how do hotels embrace AI and technology without removing the human connection that makes hospitality special in the first place?Neha shares a fascinating example from her own luxury travel experiences, where a casual conversation about enjoying picnics ultimately became a personalized experience in a forest treehouse. Even more interestingly, another luxury property achieved an extraordinary level of personalization not through sophisticated technology, but through old-fashioned communication, observation, and service.We also discuss:• The evolution of luxury hotel branding• Why storytelling matters in building strong hospitality brands• AI and automation in hotel operations• Guest-generated content and online visibility• Personalization versus privacy• Why listening remains one of hospitality’s most important skills• Locally authentic guest experiences• The difference between technology-enabled hospitality and truly human hospitalityRecorded live at HORECFEX Vietnam 2026 in Da Nang.Walkabout Elevations is presented by Walkabout Pathways.

  2. Aug 30

    Why Startups Should Be Looking at Vietnam | Shimna Chandan of Vantage Point Asset Management

    At the Vietnam Financial Forum 2026, I sat down with Shimna Chandan, Managing Director and Head of Private Assets at Vantage Point Asset Management in Singapore, to discuss why international investors are increasingly looking at Vietnam, and why Da Nang may have a particularly interesting role in what comes next. Shimna and her firm have been actively investing in Vietnam for several years. What makes her perspective particularly interesting is that she isn't simply talking about Vietnam's potential from the sidelines. She is looking at where capital can actually be deployed. We discuss: • Why foreign institutional investors are increasingly interested in Vietnam • Whether Da Nang could become a major regional technology and fintech hub • How Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang could develop different roles within Vietnam's International Financial Center • The emerging opportunity around carbon markets and climate technology • What international investors need from Vietnam's regulatory environment • Why execution and follow-through now matter more than promises • Vietnam's talent advantage and remaining language challenges • Why entrepreneurs may increasingly look beyond Singapore • The combination of lifestyle, affordability and business opportunity that makes Da Nang unusual • Why Shimna believes the timing for Vietnam may finally be right Shimna also shares a fascinating vision of Da Nang developing around fintech, climate technology, carbon markets, AI and blockchain while Ho Chi Minh City continues to grow as Vietnam's primary commercial and institutional financial center. The question is shifting from Does Vietnam have potential? to How quickly can that potential become reality? Recorded at the Vietnam Financial Forum 2026 in Da Nang, Vietnam.

  3. Aug 27

    Vietnam Is Creating Wealth. Can It Make It Last? | Lu Zhou of Vanquour Wealth Management

    Vietnam is creating wealth at remarkable speed. But creating wealth and preserving it across generations are two very different challenges.At the Vietnam Financial Forum 2026, I sat down with Lu Zhou, CEO of Vanquour Wealth Management in New York, for a conversation that moved from Vietnam's financial ambitions to China, Wall Street, family offices, women in finance and the surprisingly difficult question of how "new money" becomes "old money."Lu Zhou brings an unusual perspective. Originally from Beijing, she moved to the United States 26 years ago and spent two decades working on Wall Street, where she witnessed the rapid creation of Chinese wealth and the movement of Chinese investors into American markets.We discuss why she believes Vietnam could develop into a major Asian financial center, what Vietnam can learn from China's extraordinary growth, and why talent, legal institutions, capital markets and international expertise will matter as the country enters its next phase.But economic growth is only part of the story. What happens after wealth is created?Lu Zhou explains why generations of Chinese investors looked to American family offices to understand how wealthy families preserve capital across generations. We also explore financial literacy, teaching children about money, women's confidence as investors, the coming generational wealth transfer, and why more women are needed in wealth management.Finally, we return to Vietnam and a larger question: can the country build the institutions required to turn today's economic momentum into enduring prosperity?Recorded at the Vietnam Financial Forum 2026 in Da Nang, Vietnam.

  4. Aug 25

    What Makes a Great Financial Center? | Jochen Biedermann of the WAIFC

    Can Vietnam build an international financial center capable of competing in one of the most competitive regions in the global economy? At the Vietnam Financial Forum, I sat down with Jochen Biedermann, Managing Director of the World Alliance of International Financial Centers and a member of the advisory council supporting Vietnam's International Financial Center. Jochen brings a rare global perspective. The World Alliance represents 27 financial centers across five continents, giving him firsthand insight into what makes financial hubs succeed, why some struggle, and what Vietnam must get right. We discuss the different models behind financial centers such as London, Dubai, Hong Kong and emerging fintech hubs; the importance of talent, regulation, infrastructure and international connectivity; and the challenges Vietnam still needs to address as it builds its own financial ecosystem. We also explore the unusual dual-city model between Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang, why a little competition between the two cities might actually be healthy, and how Da Nang could combine fintech, technology, sustainable finance and quality of life to create something distinctly its own. Perhaps most importantly, this conversation moves beyond the question of whether Vietnam has potential. The more interesting question now is how that potential gets converted into institutions, talent, investment and businesses. Recorded at the Vietnam Financial Forum in Da Nang, Vietnam.

  5. Aug 1

    Why Smart Entrepreneurs Stay Stuck | Joel Rickard

    Why do so many successful people still feel like they're not enough?In this episode of Walkabout Elevations, I sit down with entrepreneur and leadership coach Joel Rickard to explore imposter syndrome, entrepreneurship, men's mental health, childhood programming, comparison, self-worth, and the psychology behind lasting success.Joel shares how he went from studying aerospace engineering to coaching ambitious entrepreneurs, helping them overcome fear, procrastination, limiting beliefs, and the internal stories that quietly shape their decisions.We discuss:• What imposter syndrome really is• Why successful people still struggle with self-doubt• Childhood programming and limiting beliefs• Why entrepreneurs undercharge for their work• The pressure men face balancing business and family• Self-awareness versus action• Why fulfillment matters more than success• Morning and evening routines that shape your mindsetGuest: Joel RickardIf you enjoy conversations about leadership, psychology, mindfulness, entrepreneurship, and personal growth, subscribe to Walkabout Elevations for more interviews like this.

  6. Jul 29

    Vietnam's Whisky Industry is About to Surprise the World | Mikey Brenker of Ve De Di Spirits

    Can Vietnam produce world-class whisky? According to the World Whisky Awards, the answer is yes. At Vietnam Financial Forum 2026, I sat down with Mikey Brenker, co-founder of Ve De Di Spirits, Vietnam's first single malt whisky producer and Southeast Asia's first craft whisky distillery. In this conversation we discuss: • Why Vietnam is surprisingly well-suited for whisky production • The science behind tropical whisky maturation • How Vietnam won recognition at the World Whisky Awards • Building a premium global brand from Vietnam • Entrepreneurship and manufacturing in emerging markets • Exporting Vietnamese products to the world • Why authenticity matters when building an international brand Recorded at Vietnam Financial Forum 2026 in Da Nang, Vietnam.

  7. Jul 28

    Vietnam Is Changing Faster Than Most People Realize | Ho Le Khanh Uyen of An Binh Securities

    Vietnam continues to attract investors, entrepreneurs, manufacturers, and innovators from around the world. But what is driving that growth, and what challenges still remain? At Vietnam Financial Forum 2026, I sat down with market analyst and senior customer consultant Ho Le Khanh Uyen (Ami Benavides) to discuss Vietnam's rapid transformation and the opportunities emerging across the country. In this conversation we explore: • Why Vietnam is attracting record levels of foreign investment • The growth of AI, technology, logistics, energy, and semiconductor industries • Government reforms supporting economic development • The importance of communication and English skills in attracting international business • Why Da Nang remains one of Vietnam's most exciting cities • The unique combination of business opportunity and quality of life that keeps people staying in Vietnam Recorded at Vietnam Financial Forum 2026 in Da Nang, Vietnam.

  8. Jul 27

    The Skill Vietnam Must Master to Compete Globally | Merianne Sontillanosa of Connect Better

    As Vietnam attracts more international investment, technology, and global business, one critical question remains: Can people communicate clearly across cultures, industries, and borders? At Vietnam Financial Forum 2026, I sat down with Merianne Sontillanosa Nosa, founder of Speak Better and Connect Better, to discuss communication, networking, business relationships, and the human skills that remain essential in an increasingly digital world. In this conversation we discuss: • Why communication skills remain critical in the age of AI • The importance of pronunciation, articulation, and clarity • Challenges facing Vietnamese professionals in global business • Building stronger cross-cultural relationships • Why networking still matters • The future of digital business cards and event technology • How Connect Better is changing professional networking A fascinating discussion about the human side of economic development. Recorded at Vietnam Financial Forum 2026 in Da Nang, Vietnam.

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About

Walkabout Elevations is a bilingual podcast hosted by Paul Allen Benavides and Ami Ho, featuring leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, academics, creators, and professionals from Vietnam, Asia, and beyond. The show explores ideas, stories, and experiences that elevate how we think about business, leadership, culture, communication, and personal growth. Conversations move beyond polished success stories to examine failure, difficult decisions, changing perspectives, relationships, opportunity, and the lessons people carry forward from the experiences that shape their lives and work.

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