Our Story
Getting to know our brand
Beau & Mai as a business was founded by in 2023, but the name and business idea started back in 2020.
We are from a small town just outside of Birmingham, in the UK. But have an ambition to be known across the UK and wider.
We often get asked‘ Where does Beau & Mai come from?’. Beau is the middle name of the Jason's daughter (the Founder), and Mai is the name of one of Jason's best friends, who has been there through thick and thin over the years.
Sometimes things just fall in to place and we think this was one of those moments.
So, let's introduce Jason, the Founder of Beau & Mai and give a little background and meaning to who we are. We want you to be as invested in the brand as we are.
Why did we start Beau & Mai?
Jason had an idea to launch a clothing business during 2020, having always enjoyed good quality and stylish clothing. But we also wanted to build a brand to help create a voice to highlight mental health awareness and support.
So, our passion is twofold. It took a little while for us to get our ideas together, which included many designs and samples (which will continue to evolve), but to launch Beau & Mai in May 2023 is something we are very proud of.
Mental health has had and continues to have an impact on all our lives, and some days, weeks and months can be harder than others, none more so than Jason. Thankfully, through a good support network for Jason, days are better than they have been and now it's time to help ensure everybody has the right support network that works for them in battling mental health.
Personally, we feel one of the biggest challenges with mental health is knowing when, who and how to reach out and talk to people about how you feel. To have someone who is going to understand you and point you in the right direction of support; whether that's family, friends or organisations that can help you take the positive step of managing how you feel mentally.
The world has changed in the past few years, in a positive way, mental health is spoken about more across families, friendship groups, workplaces etc. There are more options for support available (and we all know it could be better) but the challenges those that suffer face, continue to be real and we still need to ensure we keep learning and help in different ways.
Jason's story
"I wanted to share a little bit about my journey with mental health challenges over the years, which has heavily influenced Beau & Mai as a business, its values and mission, but also influenced who I am today.
Back at university, which feels a long while ago now, I remember not enjoying the experience, I can go as far as say I hated it most of the time – not so much the learning and academia side, it was everything else. University allows us to meet new people, party, have fun, obtain life skills, and start to find our way in life.
You hear people say it was the best 3 or 4 years of their life, memories that will last a lifetime (for me the last bit is true). In short, from the first year of my 4 year course I became a shell of myself, which for someone who was extroverted, outgoing, sporty and happy to ‘get involved’ socially, was hard, I had changed, and I didn't know why. But, I found a way to put on a ‘front’ to get through what I needed to, but it was difficult at times.
I made a small group of friends at uni, of which 2 of them have become some of my best friends today. Along with my friends at home, they helped me 'get through' to the end of uni without really knowing.
For me socially, my late teens and early 20's, were some of the most challenging to date.
At uni I started to question myself on multiple levels, this sent my mind on weird and wonderful journeys. These mind journeys (which would happen at uni, home, work, anywhere) as I called them, made me feel like I couldn't feel truly in control of my mind, for sometimes long periods of time. No matter how illogical my thoughts and mindset was I let it control me. It felt horrible, and I felt it was no one else's problem but my own. I got stuck in a rut.
Anxiety and depression were and are very real to me – something I had to learn to understand what it meant.
I often reflect on what started this sudden change in my mindset, honestly, I don't know. It could have been a few personal experiences throughout my teenage years but, there wasn't that 'trigger point' or 'defining moment', it felt like my mental health challenges just kicked in overnight.
My mental health affected my life; my uni experience, work, education, friendships and relationships with my family. I stopped playing football, something I have loved since an early age, and did only what I really had to for quite a while. I stopped going out as much with friends. I just didn't want to be a burden on others because I felt I could not be the sociable person people used to know me as.
I put on a front (hid) what I was going through in those early years from everyone except a small few. My now wife, parents and co-founder Alex, along with a couple of close friends ultimately became my support network - and those along with a few more are still my closest support network today.
When I began my career post uni, my mental health challenges were still rife, I chose to create a 'front' no one would ever find out. It was really exhausting but I felt it was necessary to help give me a good start at building a career for myself, my rationale was, ‘why would anyone want to employ someone who could be a potential liability?’. Also back 10 plus years ago before starting Beau & Mai, not very many people spoke or understood mental health. I know now that was the wrong approach completely and something I regret, the company I started my career with, which I'm still heavily involved and invested with today, is truly supportive and understanding, and looking back, I shouldn't have hidden my challenges for so many years.
I'm now in my 30's, I have a wider (not large) support network who now understand more about me. Being honest, my worries about people 'judging' me (and therefore hiding who I am) for my mental health challenges was something I regret, as I’ve now accepted I will continue to have my challenges, and whilst the experience isn’t pleasant, I’ve accepted that anxiety and depression is something I will manage for the rest of my life.
My mental health challenges won't define me. but has helped make me who I am today and who I want to be moving forward, I just wish looking back my 18 year old self would have been a bit braver to reach out for help sooner and talk more, maybe then my ‘front’ won’t have lasted as long.
Back at the start, I didn't know who to turn to for help, how to express what I was going through, and the support options professionally were available but felt limited.
After seeking help through therapy, developing coping mechanisms and medication (for long periods) I am well enjoying life again, experience with family and friends and trying to appreciate life, for all that it has in store.
No one should feel ‘ashamed’ of their mental health struggles, and we shouldn’t feel a ‘burden’ to anyone either.
My mission as part of this brand is try and encourage people opening up to others, and also to help promote the support that is available professionally.
Even if I can help just one person think differently and more positively about how they manage their mental health, it would mean a lot to me personally."
Finally, let's' not forget the dogs
The brand is also associated with 2 dogs, a Cockapoo and a Dachshund.
But why?
Jason has grown up and been surrounded by dogs throughout it life, and no more so than recent years, they have provided priceless support in managing the struggles of mental health. So, it's also an underlying appreciation of what our 4 legged friends can provide without them really knowing.