Hello Patricia. Great to have you here on Marketing In Asia. Patricia, you walk the talk. Being a fitness fanatic has given you the unique understanding and insight of how it all works from a holistic standpoint. Tell us about it.
I wouldn’t quite call myself a fitness fanatic but I am most definitely a fitness enthusiast and an avid runner, and yes, it has surely helped a lot in the business. Having said so, my personal fitness journey started long before the business.
But in the course of running SCORE, I figured that to truly understand our customers, what better way than to put ourselves into their shoes. So, whenever possible I would participate in fitness events so as to gain insights from the point of view of a participant. I’ve had the advantage of understanding from the perspective of a participant as well as an organiser.
It has helped me make decisions that are beneficial to all parties.
You have branded yourself exceptionally well in the fitness industry. My question is, have you always wanted to be involved in this industry? If not, what was your dream job when you were younger?
I was always active back in school but I never imagined myself to be in the fitness industry. In fact, growing up, I always dreamt I would be a lawyer. But I’m glad that my fitness journey has brought me into the business.
In the world today, many people are busy spending their time indoors and they need to be reminded to go out and engage in physical activities and lead healthier lives. I’d like to think that I play a little part in someone else’s journey towards an active and healthy lifestyle, and I’m happy to be a part of this.
Doing this, I think I’m probably able to help more people than I would if I had become a lawyer. LOL.
What are your motivation factors, Patricia?
Our vision for SCORE is, “One Person, One Sport.” Whenever we organise a fitness event, we put in our best to give participants the best possible experience, so as to inculcate their love for the sport. I’m always excited to hear when someone picks up a sporting activity, be it running, cycling, badminton, or anything. I get especially motivated when people tell me that I’ve inspired them to run. I hope it’s something that I continue to do.
You have a philosophy where in managing brands and others alike, it needs to be developed through years of asking hard questions and identifying the truth with all its complexities and relaying it in a way that makes real sense. Has it always been this way?
The day we stop learning is the day we die. I realised early on that I can’t lead a business by just learning from books. For me, asking hard questions is the best way to learn. Every brand and every company has its own uniqueness, and you manage it better if you dig deeper and ask difficult questions. Confronting the brutal truth can be painful at times but it is important for any organisation that wants to excel. Through asking and learning, I am able to understand and make better decisions.
How would you describe your job in five words?
Challenging yet exhilarating and inspiring!
What’s next for Patricia Tan?
Aside from running our own SCORE branded events, we also help clients and brands organise their events. But since the start of the MCO, the government has put a halt to mass participation sports and fitness events. Accepting that and doing nothing was not an option for us. We had to pivot.
Besides organising virtual events, we have also embarked upon a new venture, KlikBoy – alive entertainmerce (the combo of livestream, ecommerce and entertainment) platform. One of the programmes that we’re building brings sports and fitness brands, fitness gurus, and KOLs in a livestream to engage with our community. But we’re also expanding outside of sports and fitness to other brands that want to sell products on this exciting platform.
I am very excited about this new venture and will be focusing most of my time in it. Meanwhile, my fitness regime and running will continue to be a big part of my life.
For those who wish to get in touch with you, what is the best way?
I can be reached at patricia@score.my or on LinkedIn, but you can also always hit me up on Instagram.
