Ms. Mai Hang
Why did you give up your job with big companies to start a startup with XanhShop and stick with farmers?
Because at that point I had had enough.
I read a sentence in Muhammad Yunus’s book Banker to the Poor: `In the past, slaves did not have wages, but now slaves are paid.`
What has your courage brought you?
Luckily I’m not `dead` yet.
How did your company start?
Initially, I only used old skills, did consulting work, and assessed the social impact of export production activities on a land and community.
Previously, I was involved in long supply chains, sitting in one place controlling work around the world, and then taking care of serving customers in another place.
Not to mention, customers buy goods just because it’s cheap, because it’s visually appealing, because it’s interesting… Is that good?
What I want is for people to think before doing something.
You are the person who connects farmers with customers, so how are your customers served?
Until now, perhaps no one has told customers the same things we say: Think of XanhShop as your own garden, you can eat whatever you get, farmers can only do so much.
Customers in general always think that if they pay money, they will be served whatever they want.
For you, the purpose of XanhShop is to…?
I want to raise awareness for customers, build capacity for suppliers, and sell products.
With the current development of XanhShop, she must also be approached by organizations looking for help.
I am still invited by foreign organizations to do jobs related to CSR (corporate social responsibility) or Quality Management consulting and guidance for factories and farms that want to receive certificates.
They also told me, farmers are always at the bottom, we have to come and help them.
