Some people shy away from the spotlight. Others bask in it. Few, however, give it to others. Micka Chu is one of those few. That’s not to say she’s afraid of center stage — she shines when it’s her turn — but after talking with her and learning about her story, the moments in our conversation when she truly lit up, when her eyes flickered and her tone changed, were when she spoke about giving the light to others.
Born in Russia, Micka moved to Angoulême, France at 10 years old where she lived until her early twenties. She earned her Bachelors in French literature and a Masters in International Business at Neoma business School in Reims, France. After a short time working at L’Oréal, Micka spent six months studying abroad in China before moving to Vietnam for an internship with the local company Francia Beauty. After the internship ended, she went down a path common to most foreigners in Vietnam: teaching. In her case, both French and English. She had a few positive memories related to teaching, but even with such experiences, she seemed to have an innate understanding that this route wasn’t fit for her. As luck would have it, she started getting into modelling around that time which opened up a different path she could walk down. It was more suited to her given her love for fashion and being in front of the camera. Ultimately, though, the biggest change at the time came when she decided to learn Vietnamese.
It was the voice of Sơn Tùng M-TP that did it. Once Micka heard the Vietnamese singer’s song Lạc Trôi, it was over. She was entranced. She found his lyrics beautiful. So much so that she actually wrote a script in Vietnamese and produced a short film about him titled Lưỡng lự - Hesitation. From that moment on, she set out to learn more Vietnamese by enrolling at HCMC University of Social Sciences and Humanities, which she claims is the place to go if you’re serious about learning the language. It’s important to keep in mind here though that leading up to that point, Micka was already a polyglot. Russian. French. Spanish. English. While Vietnamese is a difficult language to learn for many, for someone like Micka, she was wowing audiences with her Vietnamese on national TV in a matter of months.
Her first experience was as a guest on a dating show, Đại chiến kén rể. From there, the ball started rolling. Starring on a travel show. Making appearances on VTV, Vietnam A to Z on VTV4, and Where in Vietnam. Eventually she came across The Ho Chi Minh City Youth Cultural House (Nhà Văn Hoa Thành Nhiên) hosting a class to become an MC. She was part of the very first class where she did all of the lessons in Vietnamese. Just like listening to Sơn Tùng M-TP for the first time, she was hooked. Being recognized by her teacher MC Quynh Hoa for her sincere effort was gratifying. She realized then and there the immense joy she felt inside giving the spotlight to those around her. It’s what she wants to do. It’s who Micka is.
Similar to how taking Vietnamese classes has opened unexpected doors, taking MC classes opened even more doors for Micka. International events. Company events. French events. Gala Dinners. Tech conventions. Diplomatic parties. Weddings. All of which led to hosting her very own show shot at Sofitel Saigon Plaza in 2022: The Micka Show. Topics of conversation included personal development, business, entrepreneurship, leadership, and more. Guests included her husband and comedian JK Hobson, Youtubers such as Phúc Mập, Mike Dee, and Van Vu, Creator of What The Pho, as well as model Khanh Hoa, and many others. Although the show only aired on YouTube for roughly a year, Micka recalls that time of chatting with guests and working with director Milan Smets fondly.
Up to that point in Micka’s life, she had experienced several big changes in her identity. Moving with her family to a new country at an early age. Studying abroad on the other side of the world. Moving alone to another new country in her twenties. Learning that country’s language and effectively unlocking a whole new life in Vietnam. Discovering her passion for MCing and making people feel warm, welcome, and excited to be a part of an event. The biggest change for her, however, happened recently when she gave birth to her daughter, Vera, last year.
In Micka’s words, pregnancy was a spiritual experience. She felt proud to be pregnant. She felt lucky to create, carry and deliver life. She also felt a sense of surrender. In that time period, your body is changing in a multitude of ways you have little control over. During that process she discovered how important it is to listen to yourself and your body. To trust yourself and your body. Delivering a baby in a matter of four hours without an epidural was a positive life changing experience and a reminder of how incredible the female body is — or, as she summed it up half-jokingly, “Best. High. Ever.”
Micka added she was well prepared for pregnancy, but not prepared for what would follow. She felt anxious, had difficulties sleeping, and struggled to take the time she needed for herself. However, once she worked on her sleeping pattern, she felt a lot better. Evolved, even. From her perspective, society tells you you’re going to lose your freedom, but in her experience becoming a mom has made her gain a deeper sense and appreciation of freedom. Everything feels even more precious and special than before — relationships, time, and so on. Now at 34, she is experiencing a peace that comes not from chasing but from slowing down. As she put it, in your 20s you focus on doing something, in your 30s you focus on being something. And as far as age goes, Micka added, “I feel I am like a good bottle of wine, I don't get old I just get better with time.”
Through her experiences, Micka’s learned many lessons related not just to relationships but also to work — the most pertinent being to do less but better. That means, choosing work opportunities carefully. Micka tells me pregnancy never stopped her from working. Point in case, she hosted a diplomatic event when she was 8 months pregnant. Currently she still MCs at events but is much more selective. Though she’s always happy to be a part of weddings. Who doesn’t love a good wedding? Beyond learning to choose work opportunities carefully, she’s also come to understand that as time goes on you naturally lose some relationships while others recenter in your life. As I mentioned before, this makes time feel even more precious to her. It’s also why she started the Facebook community, Mummy ơi, a channel for mothers to support each other, share ideas, plan play dates, and so on. Lastly, Micka’s learned that when it comes to planning her days, she aims to focus on doing one thing that day and doing it well. Thankfully, her now one year old daughter Vera was on board for this too. She patiently sat with us throughout our entire chat listening to her mom tell her story.
Micka’s story feels like a graceful rotation of light — from the light she discovered within herself, the light she passes onto others, and the light she brought into the world. These days, she’s still hosting, creating, and showing up, only, she’s doing so with even more intention than before. Slowing down instead of chasing. Choosing quality over quantity. Doing less but better. Sitting down and spending an afternoon listening to Micka reflect on her decade in Vietnam, her story shows that giving the light to others doesn’t take away from your own, instead, it multiplies, refracts, and returns brighter than before. And that’s what Micka does. She gives the light to others.
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Header Photo courtesy of Tran
