Being PAWsome with Travis Tan

Hindsight is 2020 (#HI2020) is a ground up initiative founded and led by a class of 2020 graduate - Jessica Lee Yi Ling from Singapore Management University (SMU). In this series, she uncovers personal stories of resilience, courage and love amidst this crazy year we call 2020. Through the reflections and learnings shared in #HI2020, she hopes to empower internship and job seekers to improve their status quos and encourage aspiring entrepreneurs and volunteers to pursue their passions in 2021.

Being PAWsome with Travis Tan

Many would be able to guess that SMU penultimate student, Travis Tan, is a sportsman due to his build – yes, they are spot on with that. He is indeed trained in Muay Thai and used to be a dragon boater . A lesser known fact, however, is that he advocates for animal welfare! This Lee Kong Chian School of Business student has been blessed with the opportunity to serve as the 16th President for SMU People for Animal Welfare (PAW), a club that lends its voice against animal welfare issues such as illegal pet trade as well as animal abuse. Let’s see him in action with his furry friends!

Here’s 3 key things you will learn:

1)     Believing in yourself is the first secret to being PAWsome.

2)     Action cures fear, inaction creates terror.

3)     Be self-aware and have the courage to ask for help.

When did you find out you were passionate about animal welfare?

Here is how the story goes. Tiger, my pet dog, came into my life when I was in primary 2. As a first-time pet owner, the young and ignorant me was not exactly the best owner. I did not know how to train him properly. Being a male dog, Tiger would try to mark his territory as he roamed around the house, which would upset my family.

In hindsight, that was one of many mistakes I made while raising Tiger.

While there were many beautiful memories made, I felt that some situations could have been avoided if I had known better.

This prompted me to consider the possibility that other first-time owners like me might have similar struggles. I began to think more about responsible pet ownership and how to better love and care for our furry friends.

What motivated you to join PAW as a member and then later the 15th Executive Committee as the Events Director?

If I recall correctly, I first found out and joined SMU PAW as a member during our annual school Co-Curricular Activities (CCA) event, Vivace. As summer 2019 approached, my close friend, Jean, then a SMU PAW executive committee member, share enthusiastically about how the club was preparing for their annual signature event, SMU PAW Animal Day (SPAD). The very fact that I would be able to work with animals was a definitely a huge draw factor for me and without hesitation, I joined SPAD 2019 as an Events Executive.

The experience was enriching as I had a hand in planning SMU PAW’s signature event, advocating for the voiceless and leaving a meaningful impact on the animal welfare community. As time went by and SMU PAW became a bigger part of my university life, I learnt more about the animal welfare situation in Singapore. Albeit it is not being a commonly spoken topic, cases of animal abuse and cruelty, abandonment, and even wildlife smuggling are real problems that are happening even today. 

Seeing how my peers were dedicated to this cause, I too was inspired to be a part of something that was bigger than myself and joined the 15th executive committee.

When you first stepped up as PAW’s Events Director in 2020, what ideas and plans did you have in mind?

Having been part of SPAD 2019 organising committee, I was definitely excited to plan for SPAD 2020 , exploring ways to hold an event that was even larger than the previous one, with obstacle courses for dogs, and even more games and activities to encourage non-pet owners to participate as well. Ultimately, I wanted to grow the brand of the club while providing meaningful and engaging activities for everyone!

Subsequently, there were other plans to conduct food-raising walkathons and jogathons. This was to encourage both pet owners and non-pet owners to exercise while at the same time, every mileage leads to a donation of dog food for Animal Welfare Groups (AWGs).

When social distancing measures were introduced and Circuit Breaker rained on us on 7 April 2020, what did that mean for SMU PAW?

As an events-based CCA, physical events were our bread and butter. Circuit breaker meant that our events such as SPAD 2020 were put to a halt. It was a hard pill to swallow, knowing that we would have to set aside many initial plans. Moreover, the uncertainty that came with venturing into new territories were slightly daunting.

Thankfully, instead of letting this send us into a frenzy, we consciously tried to keep our cool and brainstormed ways to continue to provide value for our audience, while remaining true to the core of our club.

SMU PAW Animal Day (SPAD) is a signature event and I definitely remember the large crowds that came to campus green when I was still an SMU student. Given that this was the first-ever virtual SPAD, what were some challenges that you and your team faced?

One thing for sure was the need to enter unchartered “virtual” territory. 

We needed to find a suitable streaming platform for the SPAD showcase. With so many platforms to choose from, we found ourselves stuck in decision paralysis at one point. When we finally nailed down on our decision to use zoom, we initially received push back on this given the cases of hacks and misuse.

Instead of immediately taking no for an answer, we took the route less driven and did more research and platform comparisons to back our proposal.

Eventually, we received permission and could progress onward with our planning.

In addition to the technical obstacles, the activities too needed large rework. We needed to ensure we would be able to effectively engage the audience, both the non-pet owners and pet owners alike, given the screen barriers. It was imperative that we presented SPAD as a professionally organised events with its elements of fun.

Having served SMU PAW for a full year as an events director, what motivated you to still step-up to lead as the President of the 16th Executive committee?

Heard of the Knowledge Paradox? The more you think you know, the less you know.

Similarly, the more involved I was with SMU PAW, the more I wanted to contribute. Covid-19 may have thrown a monkey wrench on our 2020 plans but I was determined to improve the situation for 2021. With that in mind, I made that choice to step up and see through the club as it navigated through these turbulent waves.

?I recently found out that you were previously the President of the Mixed Martial Arts during your time Singapore Polytechnic. What’s the biggest difference in leading a sports team and an animal welfare club.

The biggest difference would be the dynamics. In sports, the key concerns often revolved around the regular trainings – how they can be conducted both smoothly and safely. It was more of internal team management.

In the latter’s case, we hold many events across the year, each having its own unique flavour and objectives. Being advocates of a social cause and part of this larger animal welfare community, we work with many partners too and have many public eyes on us. Stakeholder management is a big part of my role with SMU PAW.

As a penultimate student, how did you juggle your leadership role with your studies, internship search and family commitments?

Sounds cliché, but it really boils down to time management skills.

Having this leadership responsibility, in addition to my SMU-X modules, internship search and family commitments, meant being willing to make sacrifices too. That said, I have no regrets. In the words of Jerry Rice, “Today I will do what others won’t so that tomorrow I can do what others can’t.”

One thing that works well for me is the religiously asking myself at the start of each new day: What are my top 3 priorities for today?

This helps me to orientate my mind and focus on delivering quality work for a few tasks as a time as opposed to producing many pieces of shoddy work. This has helped me tide through 2020 and I hope it’s a tip your readers can consider too!

How did Covid-19 affect you on a personal note?

Unexpectedly, I went through a lot of personal growth in 2020.

The stay home arrangements led me to reflect on my “Why”.

What gives me meaning? What inspires me? What energises me? While I would not say I have the final answer, it is comforting to be able to share that I now understand a little bit more about who exactly “Travis” is.

Share with us three learnings you took from 2020 that you’re applying now in your position as President of SMU PAW and/or in your personal life.

Believing in yourself is the first secret to being PAWsome.

Each and every day comes with its own set of challenges and expecting to have all the answers is crazy. What’s more important than actually having the solution, is believing you will be able to overcome these obstacles, just as you have done before. One can’t expect others to trust them if they can’t trust themselves.

Action cures fear, inaction creates terror

When presented with an uncertain situation, do you run away or do you face it head on? Do what scares you until it does not anymore. Even if things do not go as planned and you “fail” due to unprecedented setbacks, view this as an opportunity to grow stronger and give yourself a pat on the back for having tried your best.  

Be self-aware and have the courage to ask for help

Many might have the false notion that doing so means we are weak and perhaps lacking as person. On the contrary, it actually reflects your self-awareness and that you know which areas you can afford to do even better in. Have an open-mind, dare to learn from others and find ways to provide value in return.

Thank you so much for your candid responses throughout this interview! Final question! What are you looking forward to in 2021?

This year’s SPAD would be the 3rd run that I will be involved in. Having experienced this event both physically and virtually, I am excited to see what’s in store for this year and come back even stronger, even if this year’s event will need to be a hybrid version. Seeing this event come to life each time is extremely rewarding.

For my family and loved ones, I hope that everyone continues to stay healthy and happy and that 2021 will be the year they live their dreams.

Personally, I intend to double down becoming a better marketer and learn more about branding. This summer, I plan to do a Linkedin weekly book/podcast/Ted Talk review challenge too!