Q&A with Sam Abrahart | The Mayfair Group, CEO & Founder

Photo courtesy of The Mayfair Group

When did you first come up with  the idea for The Mayfair Group and how did you go from idea to execution?

I worked in the fashion industry for 6+ years and through that experience, saw there was a missing opportunity for an all-inclusive service based company. We have always wanted to revolutionize the way service-based companies are not only perceived but how they operate in the industry. Mayfair is one of the first all-inclusive companies in this space that offers the following services in house: PR, Social Media, Graphic Design, Sales, and Creative Content. We also wanted to show brands how we can grow their brand by doing it ourselves. We had a strong identity and brand message in mind for Mayfair from the very beginning. We wanted to be the virtual big sister for females on Instagram - giving them advice on life, career, love, and how to embrace that inner *boss b!tch* that we all have inside of us. As someone who struggled with anxiety and depression - I always wanted Mayfair to be a safe place of inspiration and empowerment for other females on Instagram. I knew if we continued to put innovation at the forefront of what we do - down the line the company could itself be a brand of its own. There are so many long term goals with Mayfair that we are excited about and working towards - the sky is the limit!

Did you always see the company taking the direction it did or have you experienced pivots over the last few years?

I think companies have to pivot in order to survive. We have always believed in having multiple streams of revenue (not putting all your eggs in one basket!) and to be honest, I am SO thankful we did this. It's been really hard to see but so many businesses struggling during this pandemic. A lot of times it can be a result of being one dimensional. It's always been my mindset to have Mayfair be multi-faceted. We have definitely had to pivot and re-evaluate our service sector (especially right now) to make sure we are focusing efforts on sectors that are growth based and profitable. You have to be nimble - its probably one of my biggest pieces of advice as a business owner. 

Have you experienced a "can I do this?" moment and if so, how did you overcome your fear to keep going?

Haha! Yes, way more than you would probably think. I've never thought of doing anything else (since I started Mayfair) but running a business is HARD. There is no time off and your mind is constantly consumed! There's been some hard times where I've thought to myself, "how the hell are we going to get through this?" During those times, I am motivated by how far we've come in 3 short years. I also am inspired by my team. They are so innovative and hardworking that on the few days I feel down - I look to them to re-spark my fire. I can also say that I as an entrepreneur never dwell too much on what we've done (I am working on this!) It's important to take time to reflect and be proud but there's always this relentless energy in me to push even further, break more records, and continue to excel in our innovation and strategies. We have too talented of a team and too big of goals to not keep pushing and innovating! 

How have you seen social media evolve since you started The Mayfair Group?

Social media is constantly evolving and if you don't evolve with it, you get left behind. There is always going to be new features on current platforms and even entirely new platforms (like Tiktok) introduced. It's our job as a company to be one step ahead and figure out our place within each of those spaces. 

What has it been like putting together a team and balancing growth with making sure the brand integrity stays in place?  Any advice for others looking to hire but may be nervous to outsource tasks?

I actually was just having a conversation with our web team the other day about this. So many of the girls that work for Mayfair remind me of myself. We want to do it all, and it's nearly impossible. It is so important to identify (in the early days) not only your strengths but more importantly your weaknesses. You have to delegate and trust people although finding people to trust is the hardest part. However, as the company grows, it's physically not possible for you to manage yourself and sometimes people try to manage it beyond their control. It actually ends up harming the business. Understand your individual strengths and the companies strengths and outsource or delegate anything you aren't as strong at. You also have to find people who fit within your company, culture, and big picture plan - again not an easy task at all! You will have to fire people along the way (who don't evolve with you) but you will also find people that you see within the company forever - and that's a good feeling. 

What has been the most important lesson you've learned since starting The Mayfair Group?

It's so hard to just name one! There has been SO many lessons. One of my biggest is never compromise your company identity. We get offers to work with brands every single day - and we turn down 95% of them. For us it's important to set the standard and make sure we are working with brands that we believe in and identify with. In the early days it was harder to pick and choose, we needed the business. Lesson learned I guess ;). Honestly that and being open to evolving your model. If you don't evolve, you wont survive. 

Photo of Founder Sam Abrahart

Advice for someone looking to start their own business or take their career to the next level?

Get experience, find mentors, and be ready to work harder than you've ever worked before. However if you truly love what you do you will never work a day in your life. Even though I am working more hours than I ever have - it never feels that way. I wake up every single day excited about Mayfair, our team, and our direction. Its the best decision I've ever made. I guess what I am saying is - DO IT! That and NEVER stop learning. The minute you do is the minute you fail yourself and your business. You can NEVER know enough - always have that mindset. 

How did you come up with the name of your brand?

Mayfair is actually one of my favorite districts in London. More importantly though my parents met at a nightclub in London called Mayfair. They now have been married for over 35 years so it's a little shoutout to them and their love and respect for one another.️ 

What have been some of your favorite campaigns and projects produced by The Mayfair Group?

There has been so many. I truly feel our campaigns get better and better every time.
Girls Can Do Anything was definitely one of my favorites. I also loved the Hailey Bieber/Princess Diana Vintage Sportswear campaign. Our next couple drops are going to be insane. We just dropped a campaign called "Be The Effect" where we encouraged everyone to be the positive change and effect right now in society. We are donating 20% of all proceeds to Direct Relief and gifted a bunch of frontline healthcare workers just to say thank you for being true heroes. My favorite Mayfair campaigns are the ones we have huge positive message and a storyline narrative to go along with it.