Walkabout Elevations Podcast

Walkabout Pathways

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

    Traveling to Every Country on Earth | Ric Gazarian

    This interview blew my mind!**190 countries visited. Three left to go. And Ireland is being saved for last.**My guest on this episode of Walkabout Elevations is Ric Gazarian, founder of the Extraordinary Travel Festival and host of the *Counting Countries* podcast, where he interviews some of the world's most traveled people.We met at HORECFEX Vietnam 2026 in Da Nang, and within the first few minutes of our conversation, I realized that Ric operates in an entirely different world of travel than most of us.Ric has visited 190 of the 193 United Nations member countries. He's traveled through destinations that rarely appear on traditional tourist itineraries, including Libya, Eritrea and Afghanistan, and he's spent roughly 17 years pursuing the goal of visiting every country on Earth.But what makes his story particularly interesting isn't simply how many places he's been.It's what he's learned along the way.We talk about the remarkable community of extreme travelers, the places that surprised him most, and why some of the world's least-visited countries have given him his most memorable experiences.Ric also shares a story about a conversation in Moscow that challenged his understanding of international politics and reminded him that our own perspectives are not necessarily shared by everyone else.And then there's Ireland.Of all the countries he could have chosen to complete his journey, Ric has deliberately saved Ireland for last. His reasoning is simple, and I think rather brilliant: after spending so many years chasing an extraordinary goal, why not finish somewhere you can celebrate with friends and a Guinness?We also discuss the Extraordinary Travel Festival, the remarkable people who attend, and the strange realization that even traveling the world can eventually feel restrictive when you're working toward a list.**In this episode:**- What it takes to visit every country on Earth- Why Ric has saved Ireland for last- The countries that surprised him most- Travel beyond the 193 UN member countries- Antarctica and the world of extreme travel- How travel changes our understanding of other cultures- A surprising conversation in Moscow- Why completing a travel goal can mean regaining freedom- Living between Thailand, Chicago and Boston- The Extraordinary Travel Festival and its remarkable travelers- Why Vietnam remains one of Ric's favorite destinationsAfter traveling to 190 countries, Ric has plenty of stories to tell. But I particularly enjoyed hearing what those experiences have taught him about perspective, curiosity, and the way we see the world.Recorded at HORECFEX Vietnam 2026 in Da Nang.**Walkabout Elevations** is presented by Walkabout Pathways.Walkabout Pathways: https://www.walkaboutpathways.comExtraordinary Travel Festival: https://extraordinarytravelfest.comCounting Countries Podcast: https://countingcountries.com

  2. Oct 11

    From Sandhurst to Vietnam: Leadership, Purpose & Reinvention | Daniel James

    What happens when you achieve financial success at a young age, lose everything, rebuild your life through military service, and eventually discover that success means something entirely different?In this episode of **Walkabout Elevations**, I sit down with Daniel James, a former British Army officer, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Centrepoint, a people-focused leadership and wellbeing consultancy he runs with his wife, Lily, in Vietnam.Daniel's story is anything but conventional. In his twenties, he built a jewelry and precious metals business in England that was turning over more than £1 million annually. Then, following a devastating business betrayal, he lost everything and spent months living in his car while working multiple jobs.His journey eventually took him into the British Army, through the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, and into training with the Royal Marine Commandos. But after more than eight years of military service, Daniel began questioning the relationship between leadership, personal values, organizational culture, and the wellbeing of the people he was responsible for.Today, Daniel and his family live in Hoi An, Vietnam, where he and Lily have been building Centrepoint around a philosophy that people are more than metrics.Our conversation moves through business success and failure, military leadership, the importance of trust in organizations, and why collecting employee feedback means very little unless leaders are prepared to act on it.We also explore a more personal side of Daniel's journey: fatherhood, marriage, modern masculinity, men's circles, the importance of vulnerability, and what it means to rebuild an identity after leaving the military.Having served in the US Air Force myself, I found plenty of common ground with Daniel, but also some very different perspectives on leadership, discipline, service, and the transition into civilian life.We discuss:- Building and losing a million-pound business- Homelessness, resilience, and redefining success- Sandhurst and Royal Marine Commando training- Servant leadership and organizational culture- Why employees are more than performance metrics- Employee surveys, trust, and the cost of turnover- Why work-life balance may be the wrong goal- Masculinity, vulnerability, and men's circles- Building a business with your spouse- Raising a family and starting over in Vietnam- Finding purpose beyond money, rank, and statusOne of my favorite moments comes near the end, when I ask Daniel which version of himself was the happiest: the successful businessman, the soldier, the commander, or the entrepreneur.His answer says a great deal about the journey that brought him here.**Walkabout Elevations** is presented by Walkabout Pathways, exploring the people, ideas, and experiences that shape how we live, lead, and work.Learn more about Walkabout Pathways: https://www.walkaboutpathways.comDaniel James and Centrepoint: https://centrepointlifestyle.io

  3. Oct 1

    A Legendary Hotelier on the Future of Hospitality in Vietnam | John Gardner of Optimum Hospitality

    Few people have watched the evolution of hospitality in Vietnam from the vantage point John Gardner has. With more than four decades in the industry, John's career has taken him from New Zealand and Australia across the Asia-Pacific, including senior hotel leadership roles with Accor and IHG. In 2007, he arrived in Vietnam to become General Manager of the iconic Caravelle Saigon, later becoming General Director of the hotel's owning joint-venture company. He would spend more than 15 years helping lead one of Saigon's landmark hotels. Today, John is Founding Partner and CEO of Optimum Hospitality, bringing that experience to hotel owners, developers and operators across Southeast Asia. I had the opportunity to sit down with John at HORECFEX Vietnam 2026 in Da Nang and ask a fairly simple question: after everything he has seen during his career, where does hospitality go next? We talk about AI and why John believes it could actually make hospitality more human, the growing divide between standardized and experiential hotels, the industry's struggle to attract the next generation of talent, and the opportunities and risks facing Vietnam as hotel development continues. John also makes a compelling case for something deceptively simple: Vietnam doesn't need to imitate other destinations. Its greatest tourism advantage may be Vietnam itself. As John puts it: “People come to Vietnam to experience Vietnam.” A conversation with a veteran hotelier who has spent decades operating hotels, developing people, navigating change and watching this industry evolve from the inside. Recorded at HORECFEX Vietnam 2026 in Da Nang. Walkabout Elevations is presented by Walkabout Pathways.

  4. Sep 21

    The Future of Tourism in Vietnam | Miquel Angel of MQL Sustainable & Tourism Services

    Vietnam's tourism industry is growing rapidly. But is visitor growth really the best measure of success?At HORECFEX Vietnam 2026 in Da Nang, I sat down with Miquel Angel, founder of MQL Sustainable Tourism Services, for a candid conversation about what Vietnam is getting right (and what still needs attention) as it develops into a major international tourism destination.Miquel has lived and worked in Vietnam since 1999. Over nearly three decades, he has watched the country transform while working across tourism, sustainability and destination development.One of his central arguments is simple: attracting tourists is only part of the equation. The real test is whether they want to return.Our conversation explores the entire visitor experience, from researching a trip and arriving at the airport to transportation, hotels, local communities, public spaces and eventually returning home. A five-star hotel can deliver an exceptional stay, but the guest still experiences the destination beyond the hotel doors.We also discuss overtourism and carrying capacity, waste management, coordination between the public and private sectors, the growing shortage of hospitality workers, tourism education, and why sustainable tourism is about much more than environmental protection.Miquel doesn't shy away from the challenges, but his perspective is ultimately about opportunity: Vietnam has the chance to learn from destinations that developed decades earlier rather than repeating the same mistakes.Recorded at HORECFEX Vietnam 2026 in Da Nang.Walkabout Elevations is presented by Walkabout PathwaysHosted by Paul Allen Benavides | Walkabout Rojo

  5. Sep 10

    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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. 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.

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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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