How I Made It The founder of O&M had one big idea. It became a global haircare empire
Sep 21, 2025
Jose Bryce Smith, the founder of Original & Mineral (O&M), chats about her whirlwind journey from a holiday in Australia to creating a global haircare empire. She shares how personal tragedy fueled her work ethic, her innovative shift to low-chemical products, and the challenges of launching O&M. Jose dives into overcoming manufacturing crises, battling gender bias, and the strategic decisions that propelled her brand forward. With 320 products in 21 countries, her story is a testament to resilience, vision, and community.
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From London Secretary To Salon Founder
- Jose Bryce-Smith left a London media role to move to Australia after meeting an Australian hairdresser and quickly fell in love with the country.
- She began working in his empty salon and turned it around by marketing it as an ammonia-free organic salon.
Vogue Moment Sparked Rapid Growth
- Jose invited Vogue's beauty editor to try her ammonia-free colour and used fake bookings to create buzz during the visit.
- The Vogue write-up turned them into a beauty editors' secret and the salon made $1 million in its first year.
Performance Wins Skeptical Pros
- O&M's early advantage was removing fumes and smell by making ammonia-free colour while maintaining salon results.
- Demonstrating equivalent performance reduced resistance and won salons and consumers over.