From goldsmith to community management: interview with product and community manager Van Anh

Hi Van Anh! Thank you for taking the time today. Please briefly introduce yourself again.

Hi, I'm Van Anh Nguyen, I'm 25 years old and I actually come from the south of Baden-Württemberg. I moved to Hanau for my studies and education and have now been working here in Mainz at Local Brand X as a product and community manager since November 2023.

Have you always been interested in product management or how did it come about that you finally ended up with Local Brand X?

I originally studied design management and also completed an apprenticeship as a goldsmith. After that, the big question came up for me as to whether I would rather pursue a craft profession or would like to remain in the area of study. I then had the feeling that I could develop better in a management job and had more opportunities to work, and that's how I became aware of Local Brand X.

As a community manager, you are primarily responsible for maintaining and supervising the community center, which has been live since March. What is your experience with the Community Center so far?

The Community Center was my first big project at Local Brand X. It took a lot of time to set up and prepare, but it was also a lot of fun and I had good support from the marketing team. I think the Community Center is currently constantly evolving. We have already held several Q&A calls and webinars and many customers have already signed up. I regularly fill the community with contributions about the local marketing platform, i.e. assistance, training videos or marketing contributions. I hope that more customers will sign up in the near future and that mutual exchange and interactions on the platform will increase even more.

In addition to maintaining the Community Center, you also have a few other responsibilities at Local Brand X. What else do you support our team with?

As a product manager, I am also responsible for maintaining the demo portal, the knowledge center and the master system. From time to time, I write concepts for new functions in the local marketing platform. Documentation is also a big point, i.e. that all content in the Knowledge Center is up to date and that everything is visually appealing. If necessary, I also create new articles in the system. So on the whole, I create and update new content and contribute to the development of systems and platforms.

How would you describe the working atmosphere at Local Brand X and what do you like best here?

I find the atmosphere here generally very relaxed and humorous. Sure, work is work, and of course that is sometimes associated with stressful phases, but the atmosphere here is always pleasant. The people in the office are very funny and always ready to help you out. You simply feel in good hands here. I have to admit that I had previously imagined working life with a strict dress code and little fun. I was very happy to see that the exact opposite is the case with Local Brand X!

Team events and office parties are always a highlight for me. I also think it's great that our office cook makes food for us twice a week and that we also have regular home office days here. There is also always plenty of tea, snacks and fruit. So that little hunger that comes more often is catered for here.

And what do you like to do when you're not working?

I like to relax, sleep a lot and watch series, especially K-dramas and animes. I also love going out to eat. Whether Korean, Japanese or Vietnamese — the main thing is authentic and delicious! Otherwise, I like to paint with acrylic paints on canvases or draw with pen on paper in the classic way. As a result of my long commute, I've even started a new hobby — crocheting.

Thanks Van Anh for the interview and continued fun and success with Local Brand X!