From Vision to Impact - A Design-Driven Entrepreneurial Journey: Joshua Breidenbach (Vietnam)

In this conversation, Dr. Ramesh  is joined by a branding and creative design expert, Joshua Breidenbach, who is the co-founder and executive creative director of Rice, a Vietnam-based company for branding strategy and design.

Enjoy their deep dive into the dynamic world of entrepreneurship that explores the power of good storytelling, navigating crises and striving for sustainability as a system.

Prepare to be inspired, as we journey through entrepreneurship, creativity, family, and the interconnectedness of life. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, looking to build resilience to overcome crises, or simply curious about the stories that shape the changemakers of our world, this episode is your gateway to a world of insight and inspiration.

Top 5 Takeaways from this Podcast:

1. Problem-Solving: Gain insights into how Joshua applies creative problem-solving to find solutions, in building success for his clients' brands and his own business during crisis.
2. The Power of Storytelling: Discover how Joshua, a branding maven, crafts compelling brand narratives that creates positive impact for businesses.
3. Navigating Crisis with Focus: Hear about how Joshua's company weathered the storm of a global pandemic, and how unwavering commitment and adaptability saved the day.
4. Sustainability as a System: Explore sustainability beyond just eco-consciousness, as Dr. Ramesh and Joshua discuss the concept of sustainability as interconnected systems.
5. Living Simply, Living Fully: Learn the art of being present in the moment, focusing on what truly matters, and finding joy in the everyday.

Host: Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra, Author, Podcast Host, Founder of Talent Leadership Crucible & Founder of Impact Velocity

Guest Speaker: Joshua Breidenbach, Founder & Executive Creative Director, Rice Studios, Vietnam

Tune in, and together we'll be Thriving in the Age of Disruption.

Transcript

To learn more about the entrepreneurial mindset with Dr. Ramesh, get your copy of The Big Jump into Entrepreneurship 2.0 on Amazon.com or www.Dr-Ramesh.com.

If you're interested in building crisis resilience, Dr. Ramesh will be launching her new book on the crisis ready mindset - Make sure you follow Dr. Ramesh on LinkedIn so that you’ll get her new book alert!

Host: Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra, Author, Podcast Host, Founder of Talent Leadership Crucible & Founder of Impact Velocity

Guest Speaker: Joshua Breidenbach, Founder & Executive Creative Director, Rice Studios, Vietnam

Tune in, and together we'll be Thriving in the Age of Disruption.

#EntrepreneurialMindset #Vietnam #JoshuaBreidenbach #Dr.RameshRamachandra #TheBigJumpintoEntrepreneurship2.0 #TalentLeadershipCrucible #Thriving #AgeofDisruption #CrisisResilience #Branding #RiceStudios #CreativeDesign #UNICEF #Marou #PlasticPeople

Ho Lai Yun  00:00

Welcome to Thriving in the Age of Disruption with Dr. Ramesh. In this conversation, we’re joined by a branding and creative design expert, Joshua Breidenbach, who is the co-founder and executive creative director of Rice, a Vietnam-based company that creates branding strategy and design. Do enjoy today’s deep dive with Dr. Ramesh and Joshua into the dynamic world of entrepreneurship that explores the power of good storytelling, navigating crises and striving for sustainability as a system.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 00:38

Welcome to the Thriving in the Age of Disruption podcast series. Joshua, we're excited to have you here today.

Joshua Breidenbach 

Thank you. It's wonderful to be here.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 

Well, we can start off by having you introduce yourself.

Joshua Breidenbach 00:42

Okay. I start with what I do. I co-created a company in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam called Rice. And our focus is building brands, we partner with visionary business owners and new organisations to bring clarity to what they do in a way that empowers teams inside of those organisations. And from that, we are able to build a strategy around how to construct the brand’s communication, visual identity, messaging, these organisations have so much to say and not enough space or time in which to do it. So a partner like us is interesting to bring on board to bring that message out. Branding is something that is seen as an external deliverable. But it really starts from that internal story. So, I think I'm a storyteller. I'm also a bit of a campaigner. If I'm part of something that I believe in, and somebody's doing something good that I want to be a part of, I'm quite fervent in being a useful partner in making sure that thing comes to life. 

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 

That's great. And how old are your kids?

Joshua Breidenbach

I'm a father of two very happily, very proudly, that sort of life-changing shifts always brings that focus, making sure you're using your time well and doing something that may be important and lasting and make your kids proud.

Joshua Breidenbach

My daughter is seven, and my son is thirteen months now.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 02:13

Nice.

There're two kinds of mindset that we need to have in today's world of disruption. And the first mindset is an entrepreneurial mindset, I define entrepreneurial mindset is one where we are being resourceful in life, we know how to define it as the right problem and go to work in finding the solution. Number 2, be able to take risks and manage uncertainty. And number 3, is to create value, which is just not financial, but it can be other kinds of value and not for just us but also for our other stakeholders. So, what I wanted to do was to explore with you entrepreneurship, because entrepreneurship is a journey in getting that idea and making it into a business, and you've done both. 

Joshua Breidenbach

I think that's a great introduction to entrepreneurial mindset. I think all entrepreneurs should be pretty proud, no matter the scale of their endeavours. Yeah, a mindset about taking risks, like you said, being committed, having a vision about something that is principled, and you have a set of values around. I was always committed to creativity, to create solutions to problems or things that don't exist yet, new futures. It's all so huge and enticing and exciting. I was working in the United States in this branding industry and found a lot of answers to what I wanted to do there. Being able to create visuals that no one had ever seen before and approach real business challenges and solving them with creative solutions. But it wasn’t until I came to Vietnam that I saw that there wasn’t this sort of prescribed way in which to do this kind of work. And then I’d started to discover this mode of branding. It’s a really amazing way of telling stories, because you're also able to, through your client’s projects, talk to millions of people, potentially. I went to art school. I would consider myself an artist to some degree. But I think that a practice in branding of creating things that people find artful that can send like a great message or touch millions of minds and maybe set the bar around what somebody thinks about a place. Brands can do that. Land in a country you've never been to before, you start getting exposed to brands, or the brand of the place itself. It’s very powerful. And it put a lot of responsibility on me, which I really appreciate it. 

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 04:48

You highlighted some interesting aspects of your own background in the entrepreneurial journey. You shared how do you bring creative solutions to a problem. And that’s what an entrepreneur does, right? Because we’re looking at problems. And we’re trying to solve that for our customers. And you shared your own vision for what entrepreneurship is about, which is, “How do I tell the story from Vietnam to the rest of the world? Be that storyteller who sets the bar to excite people.” You also talk about the great responsibility that’s there with branding. How do you deal with that creative tension when you've got to create a brand which is inspirational, but the current reality of that brand promise is nowhere close to that? 

Joshua Breidenbach

Yeah, that's really interesting. In my role today, I get to work with all of these amazing visionary entrepreneurs, and I select who worked with we're going to spend six to eight months with. Usually it goes really well, we end up working together for years, and I want to be part of that thing. And what we're doing to ensure that it's coming out authentically, it's coming out inspirational, is that we're always centring around that future that brand imagines, because they may not be there yet. But the work that we're doing is helping them get there. So, there's a current reality, like you said, to use your words, there's a gap, there's a future, and we can start working on projects inside of that gap and work towards that future. And so, there's some reaching, but it also has to be really firmly rooted in what is authentically there within those people and what they're banded around. We do a lot of workshops, we get people together, what are we trying to do here? What's your part of that? And through that process, we actually find that teams come together even more. And it was part of our work that we got really excited about what we're doing. And then it's just transmitting that up to the world. It's also something that those teams are able to all be banded around…

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 

Interesting. And share with us what's been the most eventful moment in your entrepreneurial journey.

Joshua Breidenbach

Wow, I wanted to be involved in things that were making an impact, we were involved in creating this quite well-known chocolate brand from Vietnam called Marou. And we always talk about that impact of people around the world picking up this package and say, “Wow, I didn't know Vietnam did something like this.” Early on, we did a big job with UNICEF that was very impactful. UNICEF was saying to us, “We need to start soliciting funds from Vietnam because, actually, the funds are here, but nobody knows who we are.” And we created this whole campaign that did. It raised a lot of money for their causes. So that was a moment that really sticks out to me too, that I'm not just making pretty pictures, I'm actually doing something.. 

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 07:47

You’ve elevated the global branding conversation with those examples. Thank you for that. 

The next piece is about a crisis-ready mindset. A crisis is a setback or a failure that you experience that new experience, and most times, when we come to that moment, we sort of freeze or run away. And the question is, when you face those crises, what do you do normally? 

Joshua Breidenbach

We definitely faced some crises over the past couple of years. I think Vietnam had a bit of a delayed reaction from the rest of the world from the pandemic. The earlier part of our experience, we were just focused on quality, building equity in what we're doing, building our brand as a fantastic partner. And we weren't extremely focused on business. We were profiting, doing okay, we were taking care of the team well, which we're very proud of. We're able to hire people whenever we need, and we're getting by. Then suddenly, no one was signing on for projects, and all of our retainer work halted. Okay, ot much back up there. Amazingly, we remained completely committed, being so focused on the integrity of our work, and our business got us to a point where that was the expectation from us, and people around us were supportive. That was paramount. However, we were very concerned, “How are we gonna make it?” I still having these personal crises, saying, “God, I really am so naive, like, I'm just this guy, all he cares about is doing something good for this brand. And do something that’s meaningful. And we need to just really just make some money.” And we pivoted, we've always been, I would say, like, on the edge of what's possible in the market and branding. We’ve always been the most expensive, not because we're trying to be expensive, but because we're just making sure that we're compensated properly. A lot of companies are saying there's a lot of other branding companies there to do what you do for a lot less. We were in a very vulnerable position when this happened. So, we did find that we can do packages for startups where we don't have to do this moving of a mountain, in terms of all of this internal alignment work. We can leverage what we've learned throughout the years and give startups just what they need to get going. And we got that kind of package started. And we did it, I think, maybe once or twice. But actually, business started to pick back up for us for what we actually love to do and want to do. I think there were moments where we thought we might lose the business, though we're still ourselves, we made it through, and I guess the mindset was just stay committed and stay focused.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 10:30

What do you think had you stay grounded? Was it the vision of Rice?

Joshua Breidenbach

Yeah, it was definitely the vision, our focus is the branding work. But we see ourselves as a creative company that does all kinds of things around that core. We worked with a local company here that we created the brand for called Plastic People, they create materials from 100% upcycled plastic waste. We had done the brand for them, and they were struggling, they have their own challenges, because the material is actually seen as expensive, because it's still a bespoke, made, kind of thing. And our team came together, and designed this extraordinary furniture. We wanted to show what was possible with those materials through design and be really like talking about sustainability. And our team did a beautiful job. And we created our own brand. I meant to introduce the furniture to MOMA, it’s real fantastic design piece, there was a lot of interest in Japan, it's in the Panasonic Museum. So, these things can come out of our studio, the people that are around us, I think really helped us keep grounded. We certainly weren't generating revenue from this, but just that everyone was banded together.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 

From your perspective, you're responsible for staff salary, and in your family, you've got to keep your cool, you've got to look like everything is together. But then there's the burden that you're carrying... So, what had you be grounded? What sort of practices you've developed, because you can't do those practices in that moment of crisis? It has to be something that you've been doing before, that becomes part of your daily life.

Joshua Breidenbach

I was reading more, I was introduced to some really great books, sometimes stories of people in history that went through extreme crises and stayed committed to what they were committed to. That puts things in order. Also, just exercise, actually running, being in touch, what your physical body is capable of, and clearing the mind. So, I think probably meditation through exercise, reading and spending time with family. I think taking care of the family requires that security that was more and more at risk, but something about also feeling everything passes. The only constant is change.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 

That's really great because self-affirmation and mantra is so important. To me, writing a book on crisis-ready mindset and even just saying, “The only constant is change, that this will pass”, can inspire me. 

Joshua Breidenbach

Yes, identifying what is the absolute worst that can happen, actually talking about it. And actually being in touch with it. I was in touch with losing my company, with what we would do if we had to move, all of these things thankfully, weren't at the doorstep all the way. But being in touch with them and actually being okay with kind of letting go, I'm still myself, I'm still talented. Rice has been a system of daily practice that has connected me to all kinds of things creative and all kinds of opportunities. We're just surrounded by opportunity all the time. So being in touch with that, looking around, getting your head up above water, it's not always easy to do. But I was able to see what would happen maybe if I let go, and that we’ll figure things out.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 

That's really moving. Because in the process of letting go in, facing that reality of, “I could lose this, and I have to do something else.” I think what you really got connected to was who you are when I had that moment for myself way back in my 30s. Because of another personal crisis that I had; it was so liberating because anything could happen. And I knew who that me was. It's like a badge of confidence that no one can take away from you.

Joshua Breidenbach

I can definitely connect with that. I'm so glad to hear that you had that moment,

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 14:44

What is spirituality for you and where are you in your journey?

Joshua Breidenbach

I grew up in a household that was not religious at all. Jewish immigrants, my grandparents left Europe and came to America. My parents didn't practice any religion growing up. Now, I'm married to a woman who grew up Buddhist, and I find that a very, very comfortable way of looking at the world. We practice various Buddhist ceremonies, especially for the family. I find that really interesting because it's holistic and thinking in systems and very peaceful and in touch with nature. Being spiritual, “Yes, I am”. Maybe I'm just at the beginning of a journey. I've always found spirituality in the connections between me and people that I find unexplainable and fantastic and amazing,

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 

All the best with that journey. And I want to move on to a related point, and that is living a simple life, do you think it's possible to do that?

Joshua Breidenbach

Simple life for me would certainly be focused on the family and being really tuned in. It's observing my children and my wife and my family and actually connecting. I've had four meetings here today. They were great. They happened. Now, I've moved to this wonderful discussion. And then I will go home. And first of all, consciously say, “I'm home.” I'm going to look into everyone's eyes. And I'm going to connect as much as possible. Because there's one thing at a time, this idea of focusing on the moment, being in the moment, something that when you're walking, walk, when you're eating, let's eat. When we're playing, let's play that simple. We're enjoying it and getting the most out of it.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 16:29

Yes, that's true, especially when we watch our children  up from being babies to kids to teenagers to adults. You've articulated simple life as being conscious, being focused, but more importantly, taking the time to enjoy that one thing at a time. Being in the moment, no multitasking here. That's great. 

What are your views about sustainability?

Joshua Breidenbach

It's a very big topic, people tend to think of packaging and straws and plastic. Through working with partners that are experts in sustainability, it's really opened up my mind about how sustainability is really a system. It's all about harmony, really, it's all about being autonomous yourself but also ensuring resilience around you. So, thinking in systems, thinking big, how is what I'm doing affecting the other and what I'm doing day in and day out? How can I do that? But it's a really big topic,

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 

We take the view that sustainability is about the ongoing thriving of a living system. We are all made up of sub-systems and everything we do is inter-connected. And sometimes, there are unintended consequences. If we understand sustainability from that perspective, then the world becomes a better place, like you said, rather than just focusing on one aspect, which is all about climate crisis. There are other aspects of the environment, the social and the governance piece, which is also important for our next generation.

Joshua Breidenbach

Thats right, yeah, it can be pretty overwhelming. But it's important to pull back and begin to see those connections and those systems working with systems and all those little minutia of details throughout your life that are, of course, part of the systems that you can do something about. It can be also just taking little actions here and there.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 18:25
That's right, those little actions are really where and how each one of us as an individual can contribute to making that big change over time. 

We now have the top-of-the-mind questions that you don't have to overthink, and you just say the first answer that comes to mind.

Joshua Breidenbach

I’ll try my best. 

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 

Okay, what's your favourite book? 

Joshua Breidenbach

Oh, gosh, 

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 

Yeah, that always stumps people, even though they read a lot of books, right?

Joshua Breidenbach

There's a book that's always stood out to me. And it's like required reading in high school, A Clockwork Orange. There's a Stanley Kubrick film made of it. But the incredible story behind the book is the writers went through a crisis, you witnessed an attack on his family, and he was very hateful towards the attackers, and some now, he was for giving them or letting go. By creating this book, writing this book about these hooligans. He went so in-depth that he created a language for them. He created the most incredible characters, and you almost also hate them, but at the same time, you forgive them. Wow, what a work of art. That is the depths of the humanity. That book, Yeah, and maybe it's my favourite book.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 

That's great. And what's your favourite travel destination?

Joshua Breidenbach

I have so many places to go. I'm really happy to be still living in Vietnam. And there are still many places for me to visit in Vietnam. I love the warmth of people. I love the stories of humanity coming through challenge and maintaining a real light. And you find it everywhere you go. That's still my favourite place. I live here.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 

 That's really great. So, if you could have dinner with anyone, who would it be?

Joshua Breidenbach

Maybe Yoko Ono

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 

Okay. What's your guilty pleasure?

Joshua Breidenbach

I guess watching nature documentaries. That's how I veg out.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 

And if you could have any superpower, what would that be?

Joshua Breidenbach

 To speak any language. 

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 

Okay, then, what's the worst advice that you've ever received?

Joshua Breidenbach

Sell your company.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 

Okay. That's a good one. 

Joshua Breidenbach

All right.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 20:34

Oh, that's great. We've done all these questions Thank you, Joshua.

Joshua Breidenbach

Thank you. 

Ho Lai Yun  20:38

Thank you, Dr.Ramesh and Joshua for taking us on that journey through entrepreneurship, creativity, crisis-resilience and the interconnectedness of life. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, looking for inspiration to overcome the challenges in your life, or simply curious about the stories that shape the changemakers of our world, this podcast series is your gateway to a world of insight and inspiration. Be sure to subscribe to the Thriving in the Age of Disruption podcast, or follow Dr. Ramesh on LinkedIn and other social media so you become a part of Dr. Ramesh’s thriving network.