Can you believe that a grooming bag could be the reason for a major turning point in your career? Well, for Alva Svensson, that’s exactly what happened. In fact, Alva first got in touch with Maya Delorez while working as a professional groom for Peder Fredricson.  

“I think Maya Delorez reached out to me shortly after the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Back then, I was working as a groom for Peder, and I was offered a Kevin Grooming Bag, which I always had with me at shows from that moment. Later on, I had the opportunity to try more of their products, including their breeches, and I was instantly hooked. We also found ourselves in the same places frequently. When I was at shows, Maya Delorez was often there too, so our contact naturally evolved from the beginning.” 

After just a few years at Peder Fredricson’s stable in Grevlunda, Alva had the incredible opportunity to experience every groom’s dream – traveling to the Olympics in Tokyo with none other than her beloved partner, Allan. But what’s the next step after reaching such a career peak? When it was decided that Allan would retire in 2023, it became a driving force for Alva to explore new opportunities in the industry she’s most passionate about.  

“I had the privilege of sharing the most significant moments with Allan and Peder, even though I had only been a groom for a few years. Usually, it takes many years of hard work before you get a shot at the Olympics. But for me, everything happened pretty fast. Allan and I had this incredibly unique connection – it’s tough to put into words the bond we formed. When they decided Allan, who had been my main responsibility, would no longer compete, it gave me the push to move on and explore new options. After all, I’d spent five years as a groom, and it’s a very special lifestyle to say the least. It was time for me to try something different, even though it meant a big change.” 

The transition from working as a groom to now working at Maya Delorez, came just at the right time for Alva. After some meetings, email exchanges, and a bit of thinking, Madelene, the Founder & CEO, offered Alva a role she couldn’t say no to: the position of Influencer & Tournament Coordinator. This job involves working closely with Maya Delorez’s team riders and ambassadors and handling the organization of fairs and shows around the world. 

“I thought to myself, why not give it a shot? The timing just felt right.” 

“I thought to myself, why not give it a shot? The timing just felt right.” Given my previous job, I had a solid grasp of show jumping and equestrian sports in general, which is always a plus when bringing new riders onto the team. I’m used to handling multiple tasks at the same time, and, above all, putting in physical effort. That’s an advantage when it comes to carrying stuff, setting up and organizing everything related to our stands. Going to fairs also suits my role because shows are where we naturally meet our riders. It creates a more personal connection and makes it easier to sign up new riders since they can swing by our stand and try out our products. It allows the products to speak for themselves. I also have a pretty good sense of what equestrians are after, having practically lived in riding gear for the past few years. Sure, working in an office in front of a screen is new for me, but I believe you should always be open for new things. All in all, I’m 100% sure that this is the right role for me at MD, and I can really put my previous experiences to good use.” 

Alva’s first fair also happened to be Maya Delorez’ first time in Norway, at no other fair than the Agria Oslo Horse Show! But what’s it like to be at an international show for the first time without Allan and Peder as the main focus? Strange – but also fun!  

“Above all, I felt: Wow, it was so much fun! Meeting all the customers was a completely new experience for me, which was really thrilling. However, I must admit that it felt a bit odd to be on the ‘other side’ in that kind of setting, without Allan and Peder as my primary focus. One thing I’m taking with me is that it’s a team effort, even in my new role. The whole team has to work together to ensure the customers have the best possible experience at our stand.”

I definitely underestimated how much time it takes to set up a stand – all the little details have to be just right for things to run smoothly when the fair gets going. It’s quite similar to when I worked as a groom. It’s the details that eat up the most time, but they also make the biggest difference, haha.” 

“One thing I’m taking with me is that it’s a team effort, even in my new role. The whole team has to work together to ensure the customers have the best possible experience at our stand.” 

Alva highlights some memorable moments from the weekend, including wonderful interactions with our Norwegian community and, notably, a successful lunch event. 

“It seemed like a lot of people were already familiar with us. Everyone was incredibly friendly, and we had a great vibe at our stand. Most importantly, our Norwegian community was incredibly enthusiastic about shopping! Once the classes ended, and it was time for another prize-giving ceremony, you could feel how the arena started buzzing with people. That’s when you knew it was about to get busy, haha. I’d say that some top picks from the weekend were the Maya Chloe Compression Breeches and our winter collection, which included winter jackets, winter breeches, and, of course, our cozy teddy jackets. 

We also hosted a lunch event that was super fun! We invited various Norwegian riders and equestrian influencers, and we received some really positive feedback. It felt like they were genuinely curious about us as a company and wanted to learn more about our products. It was a few hours of mingling, a nice lunch, and a chill vibe. I think the goodie bag, which included a complete outfit, was particularly well-received. I really felt that the event was important for my role at Maya Delorez. It gave me an opportunity to meet the riders in person and ask them what is most important to them when it comes to riding clothes and collaborations.”  

After an eventful weekend, what’s Alva bringing with her to the next fair? 

One thing for sure is that I should have studied all the product names more, haha! If you’re not familiar with the product names and a rush is on its way, things can get a bit tricky. However, I did notice that most of the names started sticking after the first day. Memorizing them is an advantage, especially when customers are looking for quick answers. Now I’m looking forward to the next stop on the Maya tour, the Reitsportmesse Niederrhein in Germany. Hope to see you there! 👋 

Where are we going next? Find out here