Huy Nguyen, a close friend of Julian and former AWS colleague, took a career break in 2024 to focus on human connection. They discuss the importance of being present, using the motto 'show up and be curious.' Huy shares insights on combating disconnection and why reaching out isn’t as daunting as it seems. Their conversation emphasizes connection as self-care, the joy of rekindling relationships, and the power of community. With warm anecdotes, this discussion is a heartfelt reminder to prioritize genuine human connections.
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insights INSIGHT
Year of We: Connection Focus
2024 was intentionally chosen by Huy Nguyen as a "year of we" to focus on connection and community. - He used this year to travel and reconnect deeply with friends worldwide, emphasizing belonging over sightseeing.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Show Up and Be Curious
To maintain community, "show up" by reaching out even with simple messages like "I was just thinking of you." - Follow it by being genuinely curious about their lives to deepen connection.
insights INSIGHT
Connection as Self-Care
Connection is a vital form of self-care, not selfishness. - Reaching out to people fulfills emotional needs and nurtures well-being.
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Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi is set in Funiculi Funicula, an underground coffee shop in Tokyo where visitors can choose to return to the past to relive specific moments in their lives. The story follows four different women who each have unique reasons for traveling back in time, such as reuniting with loved ones, retrieving lost letters, and seeking forgiveness. Despite knowing that their actions will not change the present, these characters embark on emotional journeys that explore themes of regret, love, loss, duty, family, and hope. The novel is known for its quirky and magical elements, as well as its poignant and sometimes comical portrayal of human experiences[1][2][4].
This episode is a bit special. Julian is joined by one of his closest friends and former AWS colleagues, Huy Nguyen, to talk about something we often overlook in our careers and lives — the power of genuine human connection.
In 2024, Huy made an unusual choice. He chose to get off the hamster wheel and take a career break to focus the entire year on being present with friends and community. From a Big Fat Greek wedding in Greece to conversations on balconies in Vietnam, his travels weren’t about sightseeing. They were about belonging.
Together, Huy and Julian unpack what it takes to build a strong community over time. Huy shares two timeless principles that guide his approach: show up and be curious. You don’t need any plan or intention beyond these two things. Making time and being interested is enough. Messy is still effective if you show up with curiosity.
They also dig into:
The quiet epidemic of disconnection, and what to do about it
Why texting someone you haven’t spoken to in years is never as weird as you think
How connection can be one of the most overlooked forms of self-care
Why moments of “I was just thinking about you” matter more than you realize
This episode is warm, honest, and full of the kind of reflections that tend to stick with you. If you've been meaning to reconnect with someone — consider this your invitation.
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