Ilya Koltygin - Russian General Director of Doi Dep shared that the pace of life in Vietnam is slower, making it less confusing and easier for foreigners like him to integrate. In his first year coming to Vietnam, he celebrated Tet with his family here and this year is the same. "I am Looking forward to picking fortune at the beginning of the year to pray for hundreds of wishes," Ilya Koltygin told Tri Thuc Tre newspaper in an interview.
The warm gathering atmosphere during Tet is not only for Vietnamese people but also attracts foreigners working in Vietnam. And one of them is Ilya Koltygin, a Russian with more than 20 years of experience in the field of tourism and consumer goods, running a Vietnamese business with a rather strange name "Doi Dep" with hundreds of products bearing the name "Doi Dep". slogan "Indispensable without each other".
Many foreigners choose to come to Vietnam to live and work because of low costs and high job opportunities, as a recent report from HSBC mentioned, what about you?
Before returning to Vietnam, I worked at international companies in different management positions, the main field being international trade. When choosing Vietnam as a destination, I did not consider costs and job opportunities. Because if we talk about job opportunities, I think there are opportunities anywhere as long as you are brave enough to grasp and evaluate the cost based on comparison with income level.
The reason I came to Vietnam to work is because this is a potential market and will develop further if properly invested. And most importantly, Vietnam has many good brands but have not expanded beyond the territory. That is not only a disadvantage for Vietnamese businesses themselves, but also a disadvantage for the whole world when they do not have access to valuable and unique Vietnamese brands, and I look to this market to hope. Acting as a bridge to bring Vietnamese goods further to all markets.
In addition, Vietnam is a beautiful country, with a mild climate and gentle, likable people. After a period of research, I found that I really like the Vietnamese people. The Vietnamese people have a saying: Time is right, time is good, people are harmonious. Great, excellent, wonderfull! And I have no reason to refuse such completeness.
How do you feel about Vietnamese business culture?
The corporate culture of Vietnam and Western countries does not have much difference in structure, but is much different in mission. Western companies are created entirely based on rules and regulations, but in Vietnam rules are not as important as the relationships between members, and personality is the top priority in business.
For example, the culture of Doi Dep where I work is to be loyal to the mission I have chosen, which is "indispensable without each other". Each product and service launched is an indispensable part of creating an ecosystem and creating value for customers, indispensable to make life better. Each member of the Doi Dep family is indispensable to success, to write the story of the brand's mission.
Working in Vietnam in a company with the philosophy of "indispensable", how did you feel at first?
Surprised! I don't think a business has such a profound business philosophy. It is meant to be truly beautiful and needs to be embellished. A clear mission serves as a guideline for each step of the company's development. What's special is that the more I understand the business philosophy, the more closely I feel attached to the brand. Not to exaggerate, but I feel my mission is closely tied to this brand's mission.
After more than 1 year here, what do you feel is different from other countries you have worked in?
For many people, the first time getting used to a new environment abroad will be difficult, but that was not the case for me. Except for traffic problems that are different from Russia and other places I have worked, the pace of life in your country is slower, which makes it less confusing and easier for foreigners like me to integrate.
So what about your own discovery with Doi Dep and the philosophy of "indispensable each other"?
Doi Dep originates from a poem of the same name by author Nguyen Trung Kien that is loved by many Vietnamese people. Even though I'm a foreigner, I was immediately impressed with this poem when I first read it. In the poem, it is a story about a couple's love, in which people also see profound philosophies in life. And in the Slippers of today's business story is an entire ecosystem, where each product and service is an indispensable part of creating value for customers, indispensable to bring a better life. .
The "Indispensable Each Other" ecosystem has developed throughout the city's golden triangle. Ho Chi Minh -– Bao Loc – Nha Trang and will soon enter the world market with the first destinations being the US and Germany. The ecosystem revolves around three main pillars: tea and coffee; Tourism and fast-moving consumer products such as Tea Garden coffee chain, Tea Shop chain, Tea World, restaurant accommodation services including Sandals Star, Sandals Hotel, Tea Villa, Tea Resort mineral mud resort, and hundreds of products. other products.
Doi Dep's products and services seem to only serve the "rich"?
Every customer deserves to use truly quality products and services. This not only brings value to customers but also contributes to establishing common standards to improve the quality of Vietnamese products. .
In recent years, the disposable income of Vietnamese people has tended to increase. Consumers are increasingly concerned about safety, health and product and service experience. The quality of life is increasing, leading to the demand for quality products. Doi Dep does not focus on customers who have money, but rather focuses on the trends and needs of the market. Positioning ourselves in the high-end customer segment is to meet the inevitable needs of the market, while also being consistent with our strategy of becoming an international brand in the near future.
Entering the Vietnamese market since 2018 and having spent a Tet in Vietnam, what do you feel about Vietnamese Tet culture?
Traditional Tet is a long-standing cultural feature and has important meaning to the spiritual life of Vietnamese people. Therefore, the first year I came to Vietnam, I arranged to celebrate a true Tet reunion with my whole family here. And of course this year is the same. I'm looking forward to picking fortune at the beginning of the year to pray for hundreds of wishes (laugh)!
Vietnamese Tet contains and is rich in national cultural identity. Despite many changes in history and time, Vietnamese people still preserve good national customs and traditions during Tet. Thanks to this opportunity, I understand more about the precious cultural values of Vietnam and feel more attached to your country.
And what impressed you the most?
What impressed me most was Tuc Reunion. Vietnamese people have a custom that every year when Tet comes, no matter how busy they are with work, or where they have settled or lived, they return to reunite under the family roof. Many people want to pray in front of the altar and visit their ancestors' graves or churches. Tet and Spring are days of reunion and union, otherwise they will be the days that are missed the most.
Thank you for your sharing!
