Zane and Omar Sabre

Have an infinite goal that keeps growing. Infinite mindsets don’t have goals, it’s about advancing the mission.

 

Zane and Omar Sabre are Australian Entrepreneurs that have carved their way to success along a rugged path. They started off on the brink of severe financial hardship. Their business started with a need to fund Zane’s university tuition fees. Sadly, at that time their Father was also diagnosed with cancer (leukemia) and could no longer work. As their family’s funds dried out they were faced with two options: either find a way to pay the fees themselves, or have Zane drop out of University. They chose to find a new pathway that would be able to sustain both his tuition and living costs. They were always fascinated with the small leather goods space, as they were products that required careful attention to detail, similar to dentistry.

They started with a small loan from Omar, which he was saving to purchase an apartment. From there they poured everything they had into turning their dreams into reality, and their hardships into prosperity. They wanted to create a brand that was a reflection of their values, and they named their company MAISON de SABRÉ (House of Sabre). They incorporated their family name into everything they did.

When they started, they lived in two different countries. With Zane studying in Australia and Omar working in New Zealand, as a recently graduated Dentist at the time. They routinely worked 15 hour days, where they would undertake their study/work duties during the day and come home to work on the business. This continued for 18 months, before they were able to support themselves full time with the business, and Zane graduated from Dental School. They were both emotionally and physically exhausted, and it was one of the hardest periods of their lives.

They’ve created a brand that evokes a lifestyle. Their company’s slogan is “Make Your Mark,” and it refers to their community, who monogrammed their name on their products. It’s a statement of authority and confidence, and it’s a story in itself. A monogram is a reflection of a journey, and this is what their customers share with them. The primary focus of their company is quality and a wonderful customer experience.

Where did the idea for MAISON de SABRÉ come from?

We were always fascinated with the small leather goods space since they were products that required careful attention to detail, similar to dentistry.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

We both get up at around 6am and firstly catch up on business updates and the latest news. Afterwards it’s gym and a light breakfast. Once that’s complete, we’re typically in the office by 7:30 to kick off the morning meetings with our teams. Goals are assigned to each team for the overarching week and for that day.
Around 1PM we do a productivity check-in, followed by a 3PM productivity check.
We encourage our staff to self reflect and ensure they are consistently progressing in their roles – as a company we aim to improve by 1% every day.

How do you bring ideas to life?

Conceptualize ideas in great detail in your mind and you can see the end result before it even happens. We see a world with endless opportunities and plan everything we do from A-Z.

What’s one trend that excites you?

The art of personalization is one of the biggest trends happening right now

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

Self-reflection is the single greatest asset a person can have. As a team, we aim to improve by 1% each and every day, reflecting on what we did well, didn’t do so well, and opportunities for improvement.

What advice would you give your younger self?

There isn’t a button to push that can transform you overnight. It’s about being patient, persistent and persevering.

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

Mistakes are a sign of success.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

Listen. All the answers are on the table already.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

Being a social or mobile brand first and leveraging off the opportunities that are presented to us in this day and age as millennial’s. Opportunities are all around us and it’s up to us to capture them.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

Hiring too quickly. We grew at a rapid pace and saw ourselves having new staff in our office every week. It diluted our company culture and we had to learn how to fire unproductive staff fast, while still ensuring we had a system in place for new staff to align themselves to.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

Everything can and should be negotiated.

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

Contracting a photographer in New York to shoot a small campaign segment, and saving us from hiring a large media company.

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?

Asana: Assigning tasks to staff and allowing staff to track their own productivity.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

Atomic Habits by James Clear: it taught us the value of the 1% improvement.

What is your favorite quote?

“Chased my dream so I won’t have to work for someone who did.”

Key Learnings:

• Keep your vision alive, always see your dreams through, with no doubt of success.
• Have an infinite goal that keeps growing. Infinite mindsets don’t have goals, it’s about advancing the mission.
• Cash flow is king, be good at numbers and accurately forecast your growth to stay ahead of the game.

Connect:

www.maisondesabre.com