How PlantBro Became TikTok’s Self-Styled Life Coach

SHAWN SOH, 37, CONTENT CREATOR, GRAPHIC DESIGNER AND ADJUNCT LECTURER 

TikTok account: @plantbro

Started on TikTok: “I started my TikTok account in August 2021.”

TikTok stats as of press time: 93K followers and 5.3M likes

Why know him: This is the kind of guy who seems easy to hate because he’s Korean pop star-handsome, seems to love documenting himself and is a bit of a self-styled life coach. “My content champions self-love, encourages personal growth and advocates for equality and inclusion,” he says. Is he for real? The thing is, he absolutely is. From his struggles with social anxiety to “being a feminine man in Singapore”, he’s an open book, discussing life and identity with sincerity and empathy so that it’s less about him and more about what viewers can take away from listening. One then realises that everything else on his page – the goofy memes and dancing, the OOTDs and day-in-the-life videos – is simply him enjoying life having found confidence and a community online, and documenting it all. How not to love? (And, yeah, the guy’s super into plants too.)

His background and how it’s shaped his content: “Before being PlantBro, I was not on social media at all. You could say it all was a bit of an accident. I had just moved back to Singapore after living in London for 10 years. It was during the Covid lockdown and I wasn’t doing well mentally and did not have friends. I was seeing a therapist about my social anxiety and she encouraged me to find a controlled environment in which I can meet and connect with people. TikTok was new then and the idea of meeting people digitally seemed like a fun experiment. I used the platform to document my mental health journey and my videos resonated with introverts who also struggled with anxiety. Fast forward to where I am now. I can honestly say that I have grown so much and my community has also grown with me. I want to continue using my voice to create a safe space where people can feel accepted for who they are and have the freedom to be themselves unapologetically.”

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His best talent: “Telling stories and building communities.”

How TikTok has helped him to nurture his creative talent: “Content creation on TikTok has allowed me to combine and hone all the different skill sets I have: branding, visual communication and community building. This has allowed me to not only build my own platform, but also do more meaningful work such as volunteering for AWARE Singapore as its content strategist. For the longest time, I had been trying to find something important that I can do with my life experiences. I am so glad that the skills I’ve picked up through my content creation journey can now be used to help educate the public on gender equality and promote visibility on the specialised support for women that AWARE does.”

On making an impact: “The reason I create LGBTQ+ and self-love content is because I struggled with my queer identity while growing up. I experienced discrimination and bullying in school. My parents and friends initially did not accept me when I came out to them. I developed a lot of internalised homophobia and self-hatred.

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Today, I am someone who celebrates being queer. I am surrounded by my family and friends who love and accept all of me. This is a huge privilege considering that many other Singapore LGBTQ+ people might not have the same experience of feeling safe and accepted. That is why it is important to talk about these topics: It gives visibility to the struggles LGBTQ+ people face here. Even more importantly, it validates the ones who might be still struggling. It is my way of letting them know that they are not alone.”

His goal: “I would love the opportunity to speak at a TED Talk and write my own book. Do send me your good vibes because I really hope that dream manifests someday!”

On the importance of staying authentic on TikTok: “Being authentic wherever you present yourself be it in the digital or physical space is important. When you are real with yourself, you feel aligned with who you are as a person, which can help bring a holistic sense of contentment towards life. Being able to speak your truth is also extremely empowering. You attract like-minded people, and the relationships you build with them are deep and real.

I acknowledge that social media can have a negative impact, but in my experience being PlantBro, I have seen the positive side of social media. A couple of years ago, for example, I received a message from one of my followers saying that a few of them were doing a little gathering and would like me to come by to say hello. I was curious about who ‘they’ were so I went. When I arrived at the bar, I saw a group of people of different nationalities. They ranged from Singaporean to Malaysian to American to Swedish. I then realised that they were – and still are – my TikTok followers who frequent my Live and comments section, which made me feel very moved.

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They went on to explain that they had met each other through my account and had been connecting online outside of TikTok for over a year. They even call themselves the Sushi Gang, and that it all started when they noticed I would get anxious on my TikTok Lives, so they created a group chat to take shifts and look out for me. Through that, they got to know each other better and would go so far as to do hours-long Zoom calls to be each other’s emotional support. Once they even created a Zoom call when one of them went on her first date (she turned on the app on her phone and placed it on the table face down) so they could be there for her in spirit. It was then that I realised that social media – if rooted in authenticity and the building of genuine human connections – can make such a positive impact on others. Till today, everyone in that group is still friends.” 

So how much of his TikTok personality is true? “PlantBro is a part of me, but not all of me. I think in order to thrive on social media, I have to reserve parts of myself for myself. My PlantBro personality is dynamic and fun-loving – I’m definitely all that, but it is not always switched on. My whole person is more nuanced. I have another side of me that is a lot more soft-spoken and reserved, which my close friends and loved ones get to experience.”

What’s a day in his life like? “My mornings start with getting dressed and I document my outfit – if it’s good. Then it is off to the arts university to teach. I would have a cheap cai fan lunch and then treat myself to a nice oat white latte. After that, I usually either have meetings or catch up on my design work. In the evenings, I go to my gym, the Trapeze Rec Club, for strength training and Muay Thai. On Saturdays, I let loose with my friends at queer parties such as Baby Boy while Sunday is sacred as it is family day. My entire family gathers. I catch up with my siblings and play games with my nephew, while my mother and father prepare us a beautiful home-cooked dinner.” 

Most memorable comment he received on TikTok: “From time to time, I receive DMs sharing that my content has brought them comfort or changed their life perspective in some way. The most memorable one would be from Toni. She shared that my videos helped to make her feel seen and that while she aspired to create a community of her own in which people can connect, she was scared to do so. I encouraged her to ‘feel the fear, but do it anyway, girl.’ She now runs a weekly social book club for lonely girls to meet new friends in Liverpool called Girls On The Go (@girlsonthegolpool). I am so proud of her.”

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Best thing about TikTok: “It allows me to build communities that can validate and bring comfort to others.”

Worst thing about TikTok: “It’s why my iPhone is always out of memory.”

His favourite TikTok account: “I am a big fan of Darshen (@kdarshen) because not only is he vividly entertaining, but he also has a distinct and authentic voice and his content creation comes from a deep care for his community.”

Will he continue to be on TikTok when he is older? “You do know that I am a millennial cosplaying as Gen Z-er right?!”

If there was no TikTok: “I probably would not have grown and evolved to be who I am today.”

Lastly, how many plants do you own, bro? “More than 100, but the number of plants that are still alive… 23.” 

THIS INTERVIEW HAS BEEN EDITED FOR CLARITY AND BREVITY.

COORDINATION EMMA ASHLEE GOH PHOTOGRAPHY ATHIRAH ANNISSA STYLING DAMIAN HUANG, ASSISTED BY DANESSA TONG HAIR & MAKEUP KEITH BRYANT LEE, USING NARS & OUAI

This article first appeared in the June 2024 TikTok Edition of FEMALE