8 Years of Entrepreneurship in Saigon with Nicolas Thành

Before COVID hit, Nicolas Thành was enjoying the fruits of his four years of labor put into his hostel DaBlend in Saigon, Vietnam. Da Blend Hostel was ranking number one on platforms such as HostelWorld and Trip Advisor. Nico had plans to expand the business and get involved in other tourism business opportunities.

As you can imagine, this all came crashing down with the closing of the Vietnam borders due to the pandemic. It was hard for Nico to accept that it was all over, and that he had to figure something else out--and fast, before he ran out of his savings. At the same time, he was grateful for the chance to actually slow down and have time back to himself. Having spent 10 days in the hospital in 2018 due to overworking, not eating, stress, and lack of sleep..Nico welcomed the opportunity to learn how to install better systems and habits.

Now, he is a full time business consultant for the company IzyViet, a paperwork service for visas, work permits, licenses, etc. for foreigners in and entering Vietnam. He is also a co-host of our podcast, Creators in Saigon! He also founded a Facebook group community for French Expats in Vietnam (link below). When there aren't government-mandated restrictions, Nico hosts meet ups for entrepreneurs to learn and network.

In this episode we discuss Nico's upbringing, including being a child of divorce, and being a minority in France. We get into his journey coming to Vietnam when he was just 20 years old, starting up two businesses here in his early 20's, and the failures and lessons that came with them. We discuss his relationship with his Vietnamese wife, and how they've managed to stay a strong couple through the ups and downs.

Shout Out to the Seven Million Bikes Podcast, hosted by Niall Mackay! Listen here or on any podcast app!

Connect with Nicolas Thành:

French Expat Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/frenchexpatsvn

IzyViet: https://izyviet.com/

Personal website: https://nicolasthanh.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicolasthanhg/

Connect with Dana Drahos:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dana.drahos/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana.drahos/

Connect with Tue Si Nguyen:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tuesi