On the occasion of Vietnamese Women’s Day October 20, Knowledge and Life Newspaper had a conversation with actress Lan Phuong about the story of starting a business, being a mother, and being a wife behind the image of a famous actress.
– As a famous, successful actress, entering business with many challenges, are you “taking risks” or “making things difficult” for yourself?
When deciding to do business, my family was probably the first people to describe me with those two words!
Honestly, before opening Lalina Kids Cafe & Restaurant, I had never done any business. But one day, after reading the book “Rich Dad Poor Dad”, I suddenly felt like a “new horizon” had opened – a place that was extremely magical, strange, and different. I want to challenge myself more, something inside keeps urging me to go into business. It can be said that this is the “turning point” in my life.
I still remember, at that time, the question always stuck in my mind: “What business should I do now?”. Then that thought kept motivating me, everywhere I went I saw ideas and opportunities. Finally, I decided to challenge the Kids cafe model.
– Why did you choose Kids cafe to start your business and not another product or model?
Lalina is named after my first daughter Lina. I consider Lalina as my second child, after Lina. I conceived, gave birth to her, took care of her, made clothes, found suitable food for her, and gradually helped her grow up. I hope this is an ideal destination for many families with young children. That’s also the reason I chose this model to start a business.
– In recent years, the Kids cafe model has not been very popular in Vietnam, although it is considered to have great potential, but is still considered a “niche” market. What is the biggest challenge when building and developing a brand?
The biggest challenge is that I started from zero in terms of experience. I have absolutely no experience in F&B, business or human resource management… The only guideline that helps me stay afloat is probably “consistency”. Once I have decided to do something, I will pursue it to the end. I learn very quickly, and wherever I do it, I will learn the lesson.
In addition, imagination and visualization of plan implementation as well as the ability to connect and solve problems are also strengths that help me be steadfast in my choice.
I must also mention the initial mistakes such as human resource management, choosing raw material suppliers, choosing contractors… which made my startup process initially more challenging in terms of both time and cost. Among them, the difficulty of human resource management must be mentioned, especially for “outsiders” like me. How to understand and connect human resources with your business philosophy? How can human resources bring the quality they want to customers?
– Have you ever wanted to “give up” because you were so tired? What made you bounce back after “difficult” times?
The time I was pregnant and gave birth to my second baby, and at the same time I had to take care of the first baby alone, was also when my husband had just transferred his job to Da Nang. I had the intention of transferring the brand because I felt I no longer had a job. strength and clarity for business. In the last months of my pregnancy and at the beginning of my pregnancy, I almost wanted to let go of the brand I had built for more than three years. However, when many people offered to buy the shop, I realized I couldn’t give up so easily.
Lalina brings me experiences and lessons that no one can give me unless I experience them myself. Keeping the shop is not only keeping my spiritual child but also being a home for many employees who have been with me from the starting line. Therefore, I decided to keep the brand to challenge myself further, giving myself another opportunity to try my best to maintain the business when my spirit and health are at their weakest.
– What is the long-term and sustainable development strategy in business that you aim for? How do you plan to meet the needs of the market?
First, I recruited managers. Luckily, we work very well together. Currently, one of the biggest changes we have made is to complete a standard menu with more than 50 dishes. Next, we aim to continue to increase service quality to bring customers the best experience.
– Can starting a business be considered a step forward in your career journey? What changes has this step brought about in you?
Not really a career step! But business can be seen as a new step in discovering and perfecting oneself.
Since building Lalina, I feel more mature, profound, empathetic, wiser. Business pushes me to new limits, helping me develop more personally in both life and work. I feel like I’m much better at acting since I have more business experience.
– Listening to you share, there are so many things you gain from doing business, so do you feel you have to change anything?
Up to now I have not regretted anything at all! When I first started my business, my husband and I encountered some disagreements. Mainly because I was too pressured with brand management, taking care of my children and at the same time still filming “Love on sunny days”.
Going through challenges, I realized that business is not the cause of disagreements in marriage. We are simply in the process of understanding each other and improving ourselves.
– Entering into business, she built an image for herself as a businesswoman. So is the image of a businesswoman any different from the image of an actress Lan Phuong, ma’am?
Actually, I don’t put much emphasis on role-playing or creating a businessman image. I am simply a mother, wife and devoted to acting and business. I don’t draw a clear line between these roles. More important is the working attitude, approach and problem solving.
– Between acting and business, do you ever feel like you have to choose between the two?
I have never had to choose! Why should I choose when I have the ability to do both at the same time? I feel capable and like to do many things at the same time.
– The secret to helping you and your husband stay in harmony, be able to accompany and support each other in work and life?
The most important thing is sharing and listening to the other person. I am willing to share with him the joys and difficulties to find solutions together and understand each other better.
– In your family, who is the economic breadwinner?
My family is economically balanced and independent. Both my husband and I have our own careers, sources of income, and each person keeps the money.
As for the general expenses in the family, it’s quite comfortable. If he spends one item, I will actively pay for another, but it doesn’t have to be clear and detailed with each other. The only thing is, when I go out to eat, my husband will pay, simply because I like the feeling of being paid by my man at such times.
I don’t care about the concept that a wife must keep money in the family. Because, sometimes when I keep that extra amount, I have to calculate and measure my expenses, and sometimes I even feel more burdened! (laugh).
– Are you satisfied with your current reputation and success?
To me, success is a very limitless concept. I am happy with what I have, including what I have tried until today. Every day, I try a little harder to become a better version of myself. Because what we have will never last forever if we don’t try.
– Thank you for the conversation!
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