Becoming a powerhouse: Jaimee Lupton

When Jaimee headed back to work full-time after giving birth to baby Noa, she called on the help of a full-time nanny, and she knows that is a reality many don’t have. “I wouldn’t want people thinking I’m doing it all by myself, because that’s not the reality. We put so much pressure on women to do everything all at once, and succeed at everything.”

This is the tune that Jaimee sings wherever she goes. In business, she empowers women in every move made. “As far as we’ve come, women are still so underrepresented when it comes to foundership and higher levels of leadership,” Jaimee explains. She offers advice, connections, and support to others looking to make waves as she did, even putting a friend heading into the beauty industry in touch with a previous manufacturer. “There really is room for everyone.”

Jaimee is the face behind the iconic pink MONDAY Haircare bottle, yet she has founded a collection of beauty brands including Osāna Naturals, Châlon Paris, and Being. Jaimee describes MONDAY as “cult haircare without the cult price tag”, and each brand strongly focuses on targeted, nourishing formulas with a luxe feel.

Jaimee was destined for entrepreneurship from the early days. Between jobs like babysitting as a teenager, “I was always convincing my parents to order different things online for my business ideas,” she laughs.  Knowing she would reach that goal one day, it wasn’t until she met her partner, entrepreneur and businessman Nick Mowbray, that the idea began to fructify in her mind.

“I like to say I went to the University of Nick Mowbray for six years,” Jaimee says, and alongside a strong background in brand building and marketing, she sold six months’ worth of MONDAY stock in six weeks. “We were being called “liquid gold” by the press,” Jaimee recalls. Her team knew they were onto something wonderful, but no one could have predicted such an overwhelming response.

That looks like 20 major beauty awards, features in the likes of Vogue and Forbes, and stock sold in almost 40 countries inside the doors of over 70,000 retailers. Huge moments aside, Jaimee finds joy in the little wins, such as seeing someone she admires using MONDAY, or the people she meets amongst her hectic schedule who know exactly what the brand is.

It would appear that Jaimee has very little time to catch her breath. Somehow, she does.

Between back-to-back meetings, product launches, and future planning, Jaimee squeezes in pilates, time with friends and family, and constant cuddles with Noa. “Spending time with my daughter is by far my favourite thing to do.” Considering work a hobby, although that “sounds very uncool”, Jaimee says, means she can pursue her passions in beauty, wellness, business, and innovation daily. Such a drive meant launching three brands in three months, “and Noa is only three months old.” The beauty of it all being her own is the ability to work from home, even if that means Noa in the bouncer under the desk while Jaimee or Nick join business calls. “We’re finding the new normal and just trying to balance it all,” she explains, plus the grateful support from an excited grandmother just up the road. Jaimee tells me she has around 15 brands in the pipeline, and won’t be giving the beauty industry a break anytime soon, with a team who have a constant passion to find the “white space” within it.

“Owning a business is a lot of sacrifice,” Jaimee admits. Work never ends, “which is amazing, but it means I’ve missed birthdays, engagements, the birth of friends’ babies, and time with family and friends.” It’s a hard pill to swallow. “I have to focus on what I’m building and make peace with the things I’m missing out on.”

It’s all worth it for the example she’s setting for Noa. “I want my daughter to know she’s just as capable as her male counterparts. It’s important to me that she sees what dad can do, mum can do too.” Jaimee laughs that there is no pressure for Noa to pursue entrepreneurship, a simple wish that she follows her dreams and works hard for them, “although her dad might feel differently.”

Jaimee’s fertility-aiding charity

Courageous and strong describes Jaimee and Nick, because it was far from an easy road to parenthood. Infertility struggles became IVF treatment, and a pregnancy before a tragic loss at 24 weeks. It was isolating. “It’s like a club that no one wants to be a part of,” Jaimee says. “Gingernut” and her parents are now the reason for better outcomes for others going through the same harrowing pain.

Gingernut’s Angels was founded in early 2024, to ease some of the burden for families in similar situations facing massive medical bills to achieve a pregnancy. “It breaks my heart to think that how much money someone has in the bank would determine whether or not they get to be a parent.”

Fertility grants yet to be announced will receive a total $680,000 boost thanks to the Gingernut’s Angels community just this year. “It’s been overwhelming, people have been so receptive and kind,” Jaimee says. “Total strangers’ receptiveness to Gingernut’s Angels is a testament to the power of that collective support and our worthwhile cause.”

That history meant Noa’s pregnancy was emotional, challenging, and scary, Jaimee explains. “I tried to focus on how lucky and grateful I was to be carrying her and to be her mum,” she remembers, as she pushed those fearful thoughts aside.

Now, in a happy baby bubble, with business only growing, Jaimee is becoming a powerhouse in every sense of the word.

Make your own donation to Gingernut’s Angels and help those on their fertility journey fulfil their hope for a family, at gingernutsangels.com/donate.