Entrepreneurship in the communications industry is not uncommon - but what does it truly take to build an agency and scale it over time?
Telum Media sat down with Jonathan Tan, Founder and Managing Director of VoxEureka, to learn about his journey from communications practitioner to agency founder.
Serendipity Finds its Way
“I had no intention to start a business,” Jonathan recalled. “I was just going to take a sabbatical and enjoy my honeymoon.”
At the time, Jonathan was serving as the Associate Managing Director at Cohn & Wolfe Malaysia. He has built his career with big agencies like FleishmanHillard, established XPR’s operations in Malaysia, and spent over four years at Cohn & Wolfe following its acquisition of XPR.
Beyond numbers and targets, broader industry pressures weighed on him. Jonathan observed that the Malaysian market was evolving and required agencies to become more agile.
“There were a lot of restrictions in what we could or could not do,” he reflected.
Amid shifting market demands, and with a personal milestone - he was newly married and ready for a pause - Jonathan decided to take a sabbatical in 2017.
Three months in, he received an unexpected call from Justin Then, then CEO of Hill & Knowlton Malaysia. Despite never having worked together directly, they had crossed paths within the WPP network. What began as a casual chat turned out to be something more. Justin was working on some client pitches and had asked Jonathan to join him.
“In business, you cannot just simply close doors.”
Jonathan took on the offer and soon found himself pitching to several major brands, including Nokia, McDonald’s, and Heineken - and winning all of them. That marked the end of his sabbatical.
As projects started to multiply rapidly, he pulled together a small team of five from his personal network. This group eventually grew into VoxEureka, a communications agency with a team of 70 and growing.
A Purposeful Voice
Reflecting on the agency’s name, Jonathan shared that it was inspired by both the U.S.-based Vox Media’s strong investigative journalism and the film The King's Speech. Drawing from the Latin word vox (meaning "voice"), he explained:
“Every brand has a voice, and we want to be the partner that helps them find their voice and bring it to life.”
But beyond helping clients speak up, Jonathan believes agencies should also express their own voice.
“PR agencies are forever trying to convince clients that the intangible matters. So you have to look back at all these intangibles - your own internal social media branding, awards, and all these kinds of things.”
Still, he is clear about the importance of staying genuine and authentic - whatever is shared online should be a true reflection of the experience within VoxEureka.
He also challenges his team to go beyond what’s presented on social media.
“Looking like a fun place to work is one thing,” he noted, “but we want to be known for doing great work.”
Leading with Heart and Accountability
Leadership has long been a part of Jonathan’s life, but his perspective continues to evolve through the years.
“It’s so cliché, but I think I’m very big on empathy and making sure that I always lead by example.” Whether the team was five or now 70, getting to know the people behind the work remains a priority.
“They can’t just be employees and workers, and I can’t come into the office every day and not knowing them as a person.”
Even as the agency expanded into Singapore and Indonesia, Jonathan remained attuned to the emotional needs of the team. Upon learning that some of the new country teams felt disconnected, he invited them to spend time at the Malaysian HQ - to experience the vibrancy and energy of the home base.
And as VoxEureka grew, so did the complexity of leadership. One of his key lessons is learning to accept that not every leader leads the same way or has the same emotional bandwidth.
Becoming a father also reshaped how he views leadership and growth, as it taught him that people go through different seasons and that change, whether in priorities or personalities, is part of the journey.
Jonathan also came to understand that the higher he grows, the greater the weight of responsibility and sacrifices that comes with it. “With every bit of power, there’s an equal weight of risk and vulnerability,” he expressed. “It’s always a double-edged sword.”
For him, true leadership means taking accountability. “If something goes wrong with this agency, the buck stops with me.”
There are decisions, he adds, that leaders must quietly wrestle with that can’t always be explained or shared but are carried for the good of the team.
Advice on Entrepreneurship
When asked what advice he’d give PR professionals who are thinking of launching their own agency, Jonathan said:
“I will always advocate for people to take a chance, try something, without making it a cliché like just chase your dreams - but always be grounded in pragmatism.”
Starting VoxEureka involved many considerations.
“Financially, don’t blow your life savings and put your family in trouble.”
He stressed the importance of being mindful of life stages. Starting a business with a newborn, for instance, may not be the best timing.
“You’re going to have to work really long hours. And it’s not just the hours - it’s your head space, it’s your focus, it’s your prioritisation and all that. And it’s not fair to think that you can balance everything perfectly at the cost of your family and your child.”
He noted that having a reliable support system is also key.
"Make sure you have strong enough connections, and you have a sense that if you go into this, you have some footing, you have some support, you have some people cheering you on.”
Jonathan draws inspiration from ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky's words: “If you don’t take the shot, you miss 100%.”
A timely reminder to embrace opportunities - but with eyes wide open.
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