Interview with Spur Projects Founder, Ehon Chan

Ehon Chan founded Spur Projects, an organization committed to improving the well-being and mental health of young men in Australia.  Spur’s first campaign, Soften the Fck Up, will shift the stereotype of what is considered to be a “real man” so that the stigma associated with mental health issues can be broken down.  Only then can young men feel comfortable talking openly about their mental health issues and subsequently seek help.  Soften the Fck Up raised $3,175 on StartSomeGood.  Recently, Ehon shared his thoughts on overcoming stereotypes, the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship and his experience raising funds using StartSomeGood as a platform.  To learn more about Spur Projects and its Soften the Fck Up campaign, visit softenthefckup.com.au/. 

The notion of what constitutes a real man in Australia, as well as other parts of the world is usually contentious whenever it doesn’t support the alpha male stereotype. Spur Projects has not been deterred by the strength of this stereotype and has challenged it. Why do you think that Spur Projects has been so successful?

I think the biggest part for us is the involvement and participation of a diverse group of men in the creation process. Everything from the strategy to the development was done in conjunction and consultation with a diverse group of men and we were also very careful with the use of our language, branding and colour. I have to say that all credits go to my super talented team.

Were you initially worried about challenging such a profound stereotype and the reactions you would get from it?

Absolutely. It would be a lie to say that we weren’t prepared for some heavy criticisms, which we did but I think for the most part, people were generally very supportive and really resonated with the message.

How did you go about dedicating time, effort and ultimately seeing your idea reach fruition? 

With a lot of difficulty?

No, seriously, as previously mentioned, I had a wonderful and amazing team working with me and they make everything so much fun and easy. I think the most important thing about making ideas happen is to remember that progress is better than perfection so sometimes it is important to implement and execute more than planning, but reiteration is the key.

Which aspects of entrepreneurship, through starting Spur Projects, have you found particularly challenging and what would you consider to be the most rewarding?

I think the most challenging part would be just taking that first few steps - think of it like building a house from scratch. You need to find the right people on board, you need to get all the quotes and you need to find the perfect material to build the house of your dreams. The tricky part to this is, this is a shared accommodation which means there is more than one vision so you need to take into consideration everyone’s contribution and also, you aren’t paying any of these people.

The most rewarding part is to be working with my team - they make everything absolutely worthwhile and to see some of their lives transformed, I could not have asked for a better project. Also, from time to time, I receive emails and feedback through blog posts, comments on news and posts on forums which reinforce the importance of the campaign and why we did it in the first place.

How has reaching your tipping point made a difference to Spur Projects, in terms of increasing mental health awareness and connecting young men with such issues with the help that they need?

We’re able to pay for many of the things that would have cost us money from our own pockets such as hosting, domain name, istock photos and several other things we need to promote the campaign. I think having the help from several people and agencies probono really helped get the project out there.

Do you have any tips for running a successful campaign on SSG?

The majority of this money will come from people that you have already connected with so reach out to your peers, families and friends and also don’t be ashamed to put it out there through other means like social media and networking sites. You will also find a few new supporters along the way and these people can be key to the success of your campaign. More importantly, be transparent with what you are going to do with the money. 

What advice would you give budding entrepreneurs on how to get a head start with their ideas?

There will be a lot of obstacles including fear and patience. Get over the fear, start a community and get things done. Respect others and celebrate with your community. Progress is better than perfection.

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Asibi Danjuma

I am a 23-year-old Londoner currently in law school. I have a BA in Politics and International Relations and an LLB in law. I have worked as a Student Facilitator for the British Red Cross, taught at local schools in Berkshire and have done a lot of pro bono legal research for Amnesty International and the Arizona Capital Trials Project. When I finish law school, I hope to start saving the world by working in developmental research and perhaps move to Paris to eat macaroons, dabble in photography and write stories. I’m also an avid reader, white wine drinker and world traveler.

Are you inspired by Ehon’s passion and success?  Do you have a world changing idea, but need a way to fund it?  Learn more about running a campaign on StartSomeGood here.