Kieu My | Real Bean Coffee Sales and Showroom Manager
Please introduce yourself.
My name is Kieu My, and I’m working as Sales & Showroom manager at Real Bean Coffee. I’ve been working with Loan since early 2019, when Real Bean Coffee was first founded. My main responsibilities are sales and office operations. Our factories are located in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, in Dak Lak and Di Linh in Lam Dong Province. I primarily work from our office in Ho Chi Minh City.
What led you to start working with Loan and join Real Bean Coffee?
Before joining Real Bean Coffee, I worked with Loan at an education center. I really admired her energy, and I learned a lot from working together. I had a great deal of respect for her. When I was thinking about what to do after leaving the center, she suggested an idea. What impressed me most was her vision of starting a social business to support Vietnamese farmers. That was when she first shared the story of her family, who had been farming coffee for over ten years.
Loan had a clear dream of building a social enterprise to support farmers in situations similar to her family’s, and eventually to help farmers across Vietnam. I had always wanted to do something meaningful for people in Vietnam as well. I felt that working together with Loan, rather than on my own, would allow us to grow further and sustain the work for the long term. I could tell how committed she was, and I learned a lot from our conversations. Compared to her, I was younger and less experienced, but Loan has always been an inspiring and seasoned leader. She complements my weaknesses and is someone I can truly share a long-term vision with. That’s why I decided to join Real Bean Coffee.
Have there been moments when you felt you’ve grown through working with Loan at Real Bean Coffee?
Working with Loan has helped me approach problems in a much more flexible way. In the beginning, I was afraid when things didn’t go according to plan or when unexpected issues came up. But after working in Real Bean Coffee for six years, I’ve learned that there’s always a solution, no matter what happens and that staying calm is essential.
Loan always responds to challenges in a calm and composed way. I recall a specific instance when we required urgent new packaging for a shipment destined for Japan. We were worried about whether we could meet the deadline. But Loan communicated flexibly with the client, factory staffs, and farmers and we were able to adjust the schedule and resolve everything on time. That moment really showed me that while problems are inevitable, solutions always exist as well.
Watching Loan, I’ve also tried to see things from more perspectives and challenge conventional thinking. I’m learning to think more flexibly and stay calm, like she does. Through working together, I’ve learned how to maintain professional composure when communicating with suppliers and customers, and how to navigate negotiations effectively. Even in high-pressure situations, I’m now able to stay focused on our goals and carry out the work smoothly.
Vietnam is one of the world’s leading coffee producers, with a highly competitive market. In this landscape, what sets Real Bean Coffee apart from other coffee companies?
Real Bean Coffee is more than just a coffee company. It is a women-led business with a clear mission to care for people and the environment while delivering exceptional coffee. We started as a small but dedicated team, and today we are building a sustainable ecosystem together with over 200 farmers in Vietnam’s Central Highlands.
What I see as Real Bean Coffee’s true strength is our focus on the broader environmental impact of the coffee industry and our commitment to growing the business around farmer communities that create social value. We support farmers through education so they can become more competitive, and we grow alongside them. Our pursuit of better coffee directly contributes to improving farmers’ livelihoods, which in turn leads to higher product quality. This virtuous cycle is at the heart of what makes Real Bean Coffee unique.
At the same time, our social mission is firmly supported by our commitment to quality. We continuously challenge ourselves to deliver the highest-quality coffee to our customers. As a result of our unwavering R&D efforts that persisted throughout the pandemic, our new Robusta product received an award at a global competition held in Paris, making us the only Vietnamese company to be recognized.
Even now, Real Bean Coffee continues to rediscover the potential of Robusta coffee. We remain committed to proving that our approach, which is caring for the environment and empowering people can be translated into world-class quality that resonates in the global market.
You mentioned that Real Bean Coffee provides various support programs for women farmers. Could you share some specific examples?
Last year, we provided training on organic coffee and organic farming in Binh Phuoc Province, and we are also offering education on specialty coffee. We encourage women farmers to take part in training programs run in collaboration with the Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Association. In the Dak Lak region in particular, two women farmers, Ms. Phuong and Ms. Diem, play key leadership roles. After receiving training themselves, they go on to share what they’ve learned with other farmers in their communities.
Many farmers have long-established farming practices that they’ve followed for years. It’s almost like habits, which makes change difficult. That’s why having people like Ms. Phuong, who can act as a bridge between Real Bean Coffee and other farmers, is so important. Farmers tend to listen closely to trusted lead farmers. With their support, Real Bean Coffee communicates strict quality requirements and works closely with farmers to maintain high standards.
What does the future of Real Bean Coffee look like to you?
I hope to see Real Bean Coffee continue to grow. At the moment, we work with a factory in Ho Chi Minh City where all the employees belong to indigenous ethnic minority communities, and I would love to expand that kind of collaboration. I hope Real Bean Coffee can operate more factories, create more jobs, and help build communities in Vietnam that support both people and the environment. I’d like to help people from ethnic minority communities gain stable employment and build better lives for themselves.
I also hope to export our products to more countries. While we already export to Japan, Korea, the United States, and some European countries, the scale is still limited. I aim to scale our export operations and amplify global awareness of Real Bean Coffee’s mission. Ultimately, I hope our work encourages more people to reflect on environmental and social impact, and to rethink the way they engage with these issues.
Kieu My | Real Bean Coffee Sales and Showroom Manager
Please introduce yourself.
My name is Kieu My, and I’m working as Sales & Showroom manager at Real Bean Coffee. I’ve been working with Loan since early 2019, when Real Bean Coffee was first founded. My main responsibilities are sales and office operations. Our factories are located in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, in Dak Lak and Di Linh in Lam Dong Province. I primarily work from our office in Ho Chi Minh City.
What led you to start working with Loan and join Real Bean Coffee?
Before joining Real Bean Coffee, I worked with Loan at an education center. I really admired her energy, and I learned a lot from working together. I had a great deal of respect for her. When I was thinking about what to do after leaving the center, she suggested an idea. What impressed me most was her vision of starting a social business to support Vietnamese farmers. That was when she first shared the story of her family, who had been farming coffee for over ten years.
Loan had a clear dream of building a social enterprise to support farmers in situations similar to her family’s, and eventually to help farmers across Vietnam. I had always wanted to do something meaningful for people in Vietnam as well. I felt that working together with Loan, rather than on my own, would allow us to grow further and sustain the work for the long term. I could tell how committed she was, and I learned a lot from our conversations. Compared to her, I was younger and less experienced, but Loan has always been an inspiring and seasoned leader. She complements my weaknesses and is someone I can truly share a long-term vision with. That’s why I decided to join Real Bean Coffee.
Have there been moments when you felt you’ve grown through working with Loan at Real Bean Coffee?
Working with Loan has helped me approach problems in a much more flexible way. In the beginning, I was afraid when things didn’t go according to plan or when unexpected issues came up. But after working in Real Bean Coffee for six years, I’ve learned that there’s always a solution, no matter what happens and that staying calm is essential.
Loan always responds to challenges in a calm and composed way. I recall a specific instance when we required urgent new packaging for a shipment destined for Japan. We were worried about whether we could meet the deadline. But Loan communicated flexibly with the client, factory staffs, and farmers and we were able to adjust the schedule and resolve everything on time. That moment really showed me that while problems are inevitable, solutions always exist as well.
Watching Loan, I’ve also tried to see things from more perspectives and challenge conventional thinking. I’m learning to think more flexibly and stay calm, like she does. Through working together, I’ve learned how to maintain professional composure when communicating with suppliers and customers, and how to navigate negotiations effectively. Even in high-pressure situations, I’m now able to stay focused on our goals and carry out the work smoothly.
Vietnam is one of the world’s leading coffee producers, with a highly competitive market. In this landscape, what sets Real Bean Coffee apart from other coffee companies?
Real Bean Coffee is more than just a coffee company. It is a women-led business with a clear mission to care for people and the environment while delivering exceptional coffee. We started as a small but dedicated team, and today we are building a sustainable ecosystem together with over 200 farmers in Vietnam’s Central Highlands.
What I see as Real Bean Coffee’s true strength is our focus on the broader environmental impact of the coffee industry and our commitment to growing the business around farmer communities that create social value. We support farmers through education so they can become more competitive, and we grow alongside them. Our pursuit of better coffee directly contributes to improving farmers’ livelihoods, which in turn leads to higher product quality. This virtuous cycle is at the heart of what makes Real Bean Coffee unique.
At the same time, our social mission is firmly supported by our commitment to quality. We continuously challenge ourselves to deliver the highest-quality coffee to our customers. As a result of our unwavering R&D efforts that persisted throughout the pandemic, our new Robusta product received an award at a global competition held in Paris, making us the only Vietnamese company to be recognized.
Even now, Real Bean Coffee continues to rediscover the potential of Robusta coffee. We remain committed to proving that our approach, which is caring for the environment and empowering people can be translated into world-class quality that resonates in the global market.
You mentioned that Real Bean Coffee provides various support programs for women farmers. Could you share some specific examples?
Last year, we provided training on organic coffee and organic farming in Binh Phuoc Province, and we are also offering education on specialty coffee. We encourage women farmers to take part in training programs run in collaboration with the Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Association. In the Dak Lak region in particular, two women farmers, Ms. Phuong and Ms. Diem, play key leadership roles. After receiving training themselves, they go on to share what they’ve learned with other farmers in their communities.
Many farmers have long-established farming practices that they’ve followed for years. It’s almost like habits, which makes change difficult. That’s why having people like Ms. Phuong, who can act as a bridge between Real Bean Coffee and other farmers, is so important. Farmers tend to listen closely to trusted lead farmers. With their support, Real Bean Coffee communicates strict quality requirements and works closely with farmers to maintain high standards.
What does the future of Real Bean Coffee look like to you?
I hope to see Real Bean Coffee continue to grow. At the moment, we work with a factory in Ho Chi Minh City where all the employees belong to indigenous ethnic minority communities, and I would love to expand that kind of collaboration. I hope Real Bean Coffee can operate more factories, create more jobs, and help build communities in Vietnam that support both people and the environment. I’d like to help people from ethnic minority communities gain stable employment and build better lives for themselves.
I also hope to export our products to more countries. While we already export to Japan, Korea, the United States, and some European countries, the scale is still limited. I aim to scale our export operations and amplify global awareness of Real Bean Coffee’s mission. Ultimately, I hope our work encourages more people to reflect on environmental and social impact, and to rethink the way they engage with these issues.