"There has never been a better time to be a creator"
10 Questions with Rob Mayhew
From agency floors to TikTok feeds, Rob Mayhew has become one of the most recognisable (and relatable) voices in the creative industry today. Having spent over 20 years working at some of London’s top agencies, he now creates hilarious – and painfully accurate – sketches about agency life for a living. We sat down with Rob to talk about career pivots, backing yourself, and why there's never been a better time to start creating.
1. What was your first job in the creative industry – and what did it teach you?
My first job was during my year's placement at Nottingham Trent. I kept getting rejected by all the usual companies like Boots and P&G that take students. One day one of my tutors told me to apply to this small agency just off Baker Street called Team LGM. I got the job and from day one I loved it. Everyone was so nice. It was there that I fell in love with Shopper Marketing. To this day I can write T&Cs for any on-pack promotion!
I was doing Shopper right up until the birth of social media. I still miss it. I think everyone in marketing should spend time learning about the science behind the shopping experience. I still get excited when I see campaigns like the McDonald’s Minecraft movie meal. Nothing beats a gift with purchase. I love that Teens on TikTok are going crazy over the Grimace toy.
2. You've worked at some of London’s top agencies over the past 20 years – how would you describe the evolution of agency culture?
I always gravitated towards the agencies that had a more fun culture. I got into the job to be creative and have a laugh. Most of my friends at my wedding were people I met at agencies. It just attracts the sort of people I like to spend time with.
I think the industry still has a lot of work to do in terms of toxic men, being better for parents, an option for people from poorer backgrounds. I also worry that the industry will never recover from Covid. No one goes to the office on a Friday anymore. It used to be the best day to be in the office. I am also at an age where I like flexibility, but when I was in my 20s - I needed to be around people to learn and get inspired. Also the job just isn’t as fun when you are stuck behind a desk in your bedroom.
3. You've recently ditched life behind a desk for being a creator full time. How has that transition gone?
I moved to New York in January 2024 and worked at a social agency for 8 months. They were super supportive but I just didn’t have the time to do what I wanted to do.
It has been a big transition as New York is not cheap. So I have to keep creating content and evolving so that brands see what I am doing and see a way to partner with me. My biggest lesson from 2024 was that I needed to back myself. And since I took the leap last november to go full time creator it has been amazing.
4. What made you start making sketches about agency life – and did you ever think they’d blow up the way they did?
I had fallen out of love with social media. Which was not great as my job at the time was head of social. When I discovered TikTok in 2020 everything changed. I immediately wanted to become an expert in it.
I quit my job and spent 6 weeks learning everything I could about it. That also involved me making some sketches. I quickly realised that I could have an idea and 10 minutes later I could post it to the world. I had been doing stand up for 6 years until Covid so TikTok was a great creative outlet for me.
After about 6 months I realised that people loved my posts about agency life. Brands started to reach out to me and I started to make good money from it. When i first started I knew that TikTok would change my life. But I didn’t think it would be as a creator. It just made me fall back in love with social media again and it brought the fun back into the industry.
5. You’re now a regular feature in people’s WhatsApp chats and Teams threads – what’s it like being that person in the group chat?
I love it. I just want to make people smile. I think sometimes it's nice to realise that you are not the only one who messes up on video calls or in client meetings. The second biggest compliment people can write in the comments is “this is me”. Even better is to create content where people think “this is us” and tag their mates and share in the group chat. That is the difference between 45,000 views and 2 million views.
6. Has your comedy ever landed you in hot water at work – or has it actually opened doors?
I have been very lucky to have worked at agencies where they enjoy what I do. On many occasions my sketches have resulted in new business for the agency. I still get brands contacting me to write their TikTok and Linkedin playbooks. I am actually working on one now for a big FMCG brand. So although I am full time creator - I still can’t resist helping a brand if the right one reaches out and needs my help.
7. Do you think humour helps us deal with the chaos of working in creative agencies – or are we all just in collective denial?
I think humour does help - but I think the industry does need to address some of the issues I hold a mirror up to. The pitching process needs improving. We need to give more support to new parents to make it easier for Mums to transition back into work. We need to stop working with oil and gas clients. I think humour is my way of highlighting these issues. But it will take more then a 30 second sketch to make real changes.
8. You’ve built a huge audience on TikTok and LinkedIn – what advice would you give to creatives who want to post more online but feel a bit cringe about it?
You are not too old. You are not too late. No one cares what you post - they are only thinking about themselves. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Your first 100 posts won’t be great - but you won’t get to the amazing 101 post unless you start posting. Start today. There has never been a better time to be a creator. I wish I could look everyone in the eye and tell them that if they posted every day for 6 months. It would change your life. Almost without exception it will change your life for the better.
9. What’s been the biggest high of your career so far – and what’s one lesson you had to learn the hard way?
For me it was going to the bCreator awards with my agent and wife (two separate people in case you were wondering) thinking it would be a fun night out at the Round House in Camden. To win Business and Finance bCreator of the year was just incredible. It was so nice to share that moment with my wife. Every creator needs a supportive partner. And so it was nice to celebrate with her. One other highlight was being selected to be on the Cannes Lions jury last year. It was an incredible experience. To be one of 10 people in the world judging the best social and influencer work was so awesome. I always dreamed of going to Cannes. This year will be my forth year. It's my favourite week of the year.
The biggest lesson is to back yourself. There is so much I want to do (in May I am launching a YouTube Show called Friday Revival Club) but even I sometimes think “will this work”. But like I said earlier it will take 100 shows before I start to see any success. You just need to back yourself and start creating.
10. What does success look like to you now – and has that changed since your early agency days?
I feel so lucky that I have found after 45 years something I love to do and that I am good at. Isn’t that what we are all looking for? Success for me is to keep being creative, make enough money to keep doing it and every year get better and better.
Success is being free to work on the YouTube Show, Spend Fridays writing the book I have in my head and get to travel hosting awards and performing at events. I will never stop being grateful for how my life has changed in the last 5 years. I am excited to see what the next 5 years has in store.
Rob’s story is a brilliant reminder that success doesn’t come from following a traditional path – it comes from trusting your instincts, staying creative, and making people laugh along the way. We can't wait to see what he does next!