More about the Loh sister duo
Rachel and Nicole are the founders of Stray Tales Society, a non-profit initiative on a mission to feed, neuter, rescue, and foster stray and injured dogs and cats in Asia - starting with Malaysia.
Rachel is a Consultant at Boston Consulting Group, and also the co-founder of AgriMatch, a digital platform with an aim of democratising and optimising the agri-value chain by matching farmers with each other and middlemen ethically. Whilst Nicole is a Treasury and Trade Solutions Analyst at Citi, balancing this very demanding job with her mission of saving strays.
Their parents (especially their mum) and network of partners have helped them build STS to what is today, and they are excited to take it to new heights through a social enterprise model and expanded partnerships across Asia.
Key takeaways and quotes that made us go ‘a-ha’
When running a business with family, communicate your expectations quickly and openly
“Being able to argue and communicate ‘what we think is right’ constructively has been key in this relationship”
“We tend to overcommunicate and try and nip it in the bud [when there are issues that arise]”
Running a non-profit can be difficult to financially sustain especially if you depend on donations, but diversifying your income can help
“We started a a non-profit by sourcing through donations, but moving forward, we are thinking about other social enterprise models e.g. selling pet apparel…to have a more sustainable business model moving forward”
Community is a crucial part of building a pool of resources and support
“For us, it’s very much a multi-stakeholder approach, and how we can actually partner with people who provide materials / medical services, the middlemen who are independent rescuers, and linking them to the strays”
“We maintain these relationships through partnership agreements, and we have goals and KPIs that we want to achieve together. Forming this network was hard but very important”
“We went to pet fairs, and met many people…My mum was very opportunistic to introduce us to different people interested in the same field”
Innovation comes from thinking through how to continuously improve different parts of the business. Your product is never perfect at the start
The Self-feeder device invented by the Loh family, for strays to self-feed. Each feeder can feed 10-15 dogs, and needs to be replenished 2x a week. Source: myforeverdoggo Instagram page Have a sense of the goals / success metrics that you want to see in your business, to help you feel fulfilled in your journey
“It’s a bit more subjective in how we quantify the success of our business…every dog we rescue has changed the way we think about success…those are the moments we treasure”
When you run a non-profit, your goal should be to ultimately become obsolete which shows you that the problem is solved
“I wish the stray problem would be solved and we become obsolete! But
while we can be useful, I see us expanding it throughout Malaysia, and then across Asia”
Nicole and Rachel’s advice to women who want to start non-profits on their own terms
“Just start! Initially, what was holding us back was perfectionism…many women say they don’t have the right qualification to do things but when we look at our male counterparts, they are a lot more confident. Start with a MVP, and build confidence along the way. Focus on giving it your best effort, it won’t ever be perfect and if it doesn’t turn out the way you want, it is still a wonderful learning opportunity”
“Reach out for help, for advice and also manpower. The experiences our mum had for example really helped us in this journey and I’m glad we took her help and advice, alongside the other partners we’ve developed in this process.”
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