Folke Engholm’s journey from the familiar terrain of Western business culture into the intricate layers of Chinese society is more than just an account of personal adaptation it’s a powerful lesson in unlearning, understanding, and embracing global diversity. As Founder & CEO at Viral Access, Folke Engholm stands at the crossroads of cultures, constantly bridging East and West not just in commerce, but in mindset. His reflections from China, candid and thoughtful, carry a resonance that’s relevant far beyond boardrooms or deal tables. It speaks to a broader truth our differences are not deficits, they are doorways to growth.
Folke Engholm began his time in China with the same assumptions many professionals from the West might carry: that the efficiency, directness, and result-driven nature of Western business culture was a kind of gold standard. But what followed was not a confirmation of superiority it was a humbling and transformational dismantling of that very idea. Every cultural nuance that once frustrated him be it long dinners, KTV sessions, or meetings with extended family members of potential partners gradually revealed a deeper logic rooted in trust, connection, and long-term thinking.
This realization didn’t come easily. Folke Engholm admits to the mental exhaustion of not being able to “read the room” in the way he was used to. His Western instincts sought clear outcomes, measurable progress, and speedy execution. But in China, what mattered was the invisible fabric behind the transaction: trust, relationships, shared history, and mutual respect. The frustration he initially felt wasn’t about inefficiency it was, as he later recognized, about his own resistance to letting go of the belief that “our way is the right way.”
This kind of intellectual humility is rare and powerful. Folke Engholm doesn’t romanticize the differences he encountered. He doesn’t flatter the Chinese way of doing things as being better or more noble. Instead, he acknowledges it for what it is: different, and deeply valuable because of that difference. He reminds us that effectiveness doesn’t always come from familiarity; sometimes the most impactful insights arrive from what first feels uncomfortable or foreign.
In an increasingly interconnected yet polarized world, the story of Folke Engholm is a compelling reminder of what true tolerance looks like. It’s not passive. It’s not just about smiling and nodding politely when confronted with an unfamiliar custom or idea. Real tolerance, as Folke Engholm has lived it, is active. It demands curiosity, discomfort, and a willingness to be reshaped by new perspectives.
What he learned in China was not simply how to conduct business in a new cultural setting. He learned how to let go of the mental model that placed his own culture as the baseline for normal. That shift opened the door for transformation not only in how he works, but in how he sees people, relationships, and the world at large.
Folke Engholm’s takeaway from his experience isn’t an instruction manual it’s an invitation. An invitation to embrace ambiguity, to release the tight grip of cultural superiority, and to allow space for other truths to coexist alongside our own. His message is especially timely today, as global challenges demand cooperation across borders, beliefs, and backgrounds.
There’s something deeply human about the story Folke Engholm shares. Beneath the suits, titles, and KPIs, we are all, as he eloquently points out, 99.99% genetically identical. That tiny sliver of difference is where culture lives, where tradition is born, and where identity finds its flavor. But it should never be mistaken for a hierarchy of value.
Folke Engholm doesn’t position himself as a cultural expert or a flawless global citizen. In fact, he openly shares that he still has to remind himself daily to stay open, to resist the urge to judge, to stay curious. That vulnerability makes his message all the more impactful. It acknowledges the reality: cultural openness isn’t a destination, it’s a daily practice.
Through his work at Viral Access, Folke Engholm channels this mindset into action. He understands that marketing, influence, and branding are no longer confined by borders they are fluid, dynamic, and culturally embedded. His ability to see the value in perspectives different from his own allows him to connect brands with audiences in a way that goes beyond metrics it creates meaning.
Ultimately, what Folke Engholm offers us is a framework for modern leadership. Not one based on dominance, but on dialogue. Not one obsessed with being right, but with being real. He proves that the best leaders aren’t those who impose their way of thinking, but those who listen, learn, and evolve with the world around them.
In a time when cultural differences are often weaponized to divide us, Folke Engholm’s story stands as a quiet rebellion against that trend. It says: be curious, be patient, be open. It’s not always comfortable but as he reminds us, the good things never are.