Passion leads to success.

Many young people boldly venture down paths contrary to their trained expertise, writing their own colorful stories with passion and courage.

Tran Phuong Mai (from Ninh Binh province) is the owner of a brand of designer fresh flowers and gifts, operating in Nha Trang, Hanoi , and Ninh Binh.

Breakthrough thinking

Mai is a keen observer and eager learner. Despite difficulties, she constantly seeks opportunities, maintains a positive mindset, plans her activities, and anticipates risks. This personality trait has been very helpful to her when she changed career paths.

Phuong Mai hopes to contribute to redefining the fresh flower industry: not just selling flowers, but providing services, caring for customers' emotions, and creating meaningful experiences.

Graduating with a degree in Television from the Academy of Journalism and Communication, this young woman in her 20s worked in a field related to her studies. However, her love for beauty and passion for creativity led her to become a full-time floral designer and businesswoman. Flowery Garden by Maifam was conceived in 2022 as an online flower shop in Hanoi. She hopes that people can confidently convey their messages through bouquets and gifts. In 2024, Flowery Garden opened in Nha Trang – a garden-style flower shop with a classic and romantic atmosphere, a popular check-in spot for tourists. In 2025, a new branch will be added in Ninh Binh , maintaining the same unique and youthful garden style.

At the beginning of her journey, Mai was still an office worker with almost zero experience running a flower shop. Her only advantage at the time was the recovering economy after the COVID-19 pandemic, and the demand for emotional care, experiences, and spiritual values ​​had increased. From the second half of 2023 to the end of 2024, due to market impacts, the demand for fresh flowers dropped sharply. "With limited capital and meager financial management knowledge, I struggled. To maintain growth and achieve breakthroughs, I had to seriously address each of my own problems and those of my staff," Mai recalled. She set more specific and short-term revenue targets, focused on improving products and services, enhancing customer care, and strengthening skills to create differentiation. Instead of serving multiple customer segments, the shop consolidated its presence with its target customer base, not lowering prices even during off-peak seasons to maintain brand value. Expanding collaborations into fashion, photography, and F&B will create a service ecosystem that meets diverse customer needs. Mai is about to open her third branch. According to her, if you don't dare to try new things, you won't know if you'll succeed or not. However, young people should prepare themselves well in terms of health, finances, spirit, and knowledge, and not forget to "leverage" the support of family and friends. "Starting a business is not a game; it's a long-term race that requires courage and perseverance to pursue," Mai shared.

For Phuong Mai and Duy Hien, taking a different path from their professional field wasn't simply about changing jobs – it was about listening to themselves, accepting challenges, and starting over.

Dare to dream, dare to act.

For Ly Nguyen Duy Hien (31 years old, residing in Ho Chi Minh City), every choice is worthwhile, and each trip is an opportunity to see the world and find inner balance.

Duy Hien's journey is becoming increasingly diverse, not simply about experiential travel, but also about expanding his network and meeting extraordinary people.

Duy Hien is a travel content creator whose videos inspire exploration and camping experiences through his YouTube channel "IKUBAI - minivan camper". "Ikubai" is a dialect from the Hakata region (Japan) meaning "to go," and it also marks a turning point, recalling the first time he stepped out of his comfort zone and pursued what he loved.

Before becoming a visual storyteller, Hien had a childhood marked by a lack of literacy. At the age of nine, he still couldn't read or write. He went through a long and arduous journey, from literacy classes to graduating from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Architecture. He held a position as a design engineer for a Japanese company's odor control system at a factory. In addition, Hien worked as a freelance tour guide, specializing in tours for Japanese and Vietnamese tourists. This allowed him to accumulate observational, communication, and problem-solving skills, especially knowledge of the cultures of both countries. Despite a good income and promising career prospects, Hien wanted to leave the professional environment to realize his dream of traveling the world. At the end of 2024, Hien quit his job to fully dedicate himself to his dream, which he had been nurturing for four years.

He and his "travel companion," a minivan over 30 years old, journey through many places, quietly connecting with nature. Hien personally modified the vehicle into a "mobile temporary home" with all the basic amenities: a folding bed inside, sleeping bags, camping equipment, a mini stove, a first-aid kit, a flashlight, a backup battery, water, and trash bags. Despite the small space, he understands the importance of living a green, clean, and high-quality life. His trips are usually short and inexpensive. Hien diligently records glimpses of nature and life through deep, immersive footage, preserving the sounds of the scene. The videos, without commentary, create a sense of authenticity and continuity.

Hien usually plans early, researching the characteristics of the local population and thoroughly studying the campsite, from the terrain, weather, and insects to how to protect his belongings. He compiles lessons on handling situations and survival skills such as saving water, repairing a vehicle, and cooking. Once, while camping by a lake near a residential area, he coincidentally met children who were homeschooling, whose families followed a home education philosophy and designed their own learning programs for their children instead of sending them to school. These unexpected encounters gave him the opportunity to learn from many strangers and reflect on education, responsibility, and paths different from the majority. "Temporarily disconnecting from social media and traveling extensively helped me develop a fresh perspective and perceive the world more clearly. Each journey left me with insights into human relationships, emotions, and connections. Through this, I learned to live a more minimalist, independent, and profound life," Hien shared.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/dam-me-dan-loi-thanh-cong-196250628224601648.htm