Mosaic Minds Podcast — Episode 21

Guest: Solène Martel | Sales & Marketing

What does it mean to belong to two worlds and to rebuild yourself when life breaks you open?

In this deeply moving conversation, Mosaic Minds host My Holland sits down with Solène Martel, a Vietnamese-born, French-raised woman whose journey spans cultures, identities, and a profound return to her roots.

Adopted at four months old and raised in the quiet countryside of Normandy, Solène grew up knowing love, but also feeling the unspoken gap of a story she couldn’t yet name. Her life carried her across continents: Turkey, the Dominican Republic, Australia, Southeast Asia… until a life-threatening illness forced her inward, demanding that she confront the silence she had carried since childhood.

In 2024, Solène returned to Vietnam. What she thought would be a visit became a turning point—a search for her birth mother, a reckoning with identity, and a moment of recognition that went far beyond words.

In this episode, Solène opens up about:

🌿 Growing up Asian in rural France

🌿 The quiet ache of belonging and cultural hybridity

🌿 Her survival through a rare illness and the spiritual awakening it triggered

🌿 The emotional journey of finding her birth mother

🌿 Why she refuses to live with a victim mindset

🌿 Her vision to support other adoptees through storytelling

🔔 Subscribe to Mosaic Minds for more episodes on leadership, resilience, and cultural intelligence.

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📩 Know a woman leader in Vietnam who would like to join this podcast? Contact My at: 📧 Email: [email protected] 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/myholland/

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𝗠𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗰 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱: 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆

Leadership isn't a one-size-fits-all canvas. It's a mosaic! Join My Holland, your French Aussie Vietnamese host, as she uncovers the layered lives of leaders who think differently, lead deeply, and live fully.

🌐 Website: https://www.equestasia.com.au

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/equestasia

▶️ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@equestasia/podcasts

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/42rgfiUBtVe7Gdun0oWcHA

🎧 Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3O1mn6E

Join our VK Nữ community of overseas Vietnamese 🇻🇳 women: https://vietkieunu.org/

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Mosaic Minds Podcast – Initiative for Women by EQuest Asia

✨ Music: Anthony Holland | Researcher: My-Lan Holland | Editor: Cam Tuong

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📍 About Our Guest: Solène Martel

Solène Martel was born in Vietnam and adopted into a French family in Normandy, where her journey of identity, belonging, and resilience quietly began. After years of traveling, navigating a life-altering illness, and reconnecting with her roots, Solène now lives in Ho Chi Minh City and works in Sales & Marketing.

Her story bridges cultures, healing, and the courage to face one’s origins with openness and grace.

Connect with Solène: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sol%C3%A8ne-xu%C3%A2n-martel-765636162/