Beauty Boss

As the co-founder and CEO of Beauty Bioscience—the uber-popular line of skincare products including at-home microneedling device, GloPRO—Jamie O’Banion spends her days making industry waves and selling millions. But that’s not the only important title on this Dallas-based boss lady’s resume! She’s also a mother of three to kids Benton, Aubrey, and Gracie.

MINI | Thank you for inviting us into your home! Tell us about the place!

JAMIE O’BANION | Airy, light and minimal. With the chaos of each day, it was really important to me that our home was a place of zen with light color palettes and minimal décor while still feeling cozy. I turned to Caitlin Wilson to help execute the vision and she did a beautiful job.

MINI | Do you have a favorite room in your home?

JAMIE O’BANION | Yes! My bedroom. I am curled up on a soft white velvet settee, still in my work clothes at 11:15 PM trying to wrap up email after getting the littles to bed, but nonetheless feeling completely comfy as I type away. Crisp white Matouk monogrammed linens on the bed, always fresh white blooms (usually hydrangea, roses, and peonies when in season), a candle lit and enjoying my favorite time to catch up while the house is silent.

MINI | What are some of your favorite elements in your home?

JAMIE O’BANION | I love all of the natural light in our home. I opted to only add draperies to a few rooms in the front of the home to allow for a beautiful airiness to the space. I like to incorporate iconic modern pieces such as our original production Eames chair in the office or a pair of Knoll Barcelona chairs in the family room with clean but comfy pieces we can live in.

MINI | Tell us about your daughters’ rooms. What are some of your favorite elements in their room?

JAMIE O’BANION | I love their canopy beds. When I was a little girl, I used to dream of having one and I love closing the curtains when reading a magical story together. Those beds have turned into boats lost at sea and ridden down rainbows! We’ve also had such fun decorating each room in their dollhouse they got for Christmas last year. I think a few rooms have now have several layers of wallpaper from redecorating each month!

MINI | Let’s talk motherhood! What has surprised you most about motherhood?

JAMIE O’BANION | Great question. I don’t think you’re ever really prepared for how deeply you will love and how tired you will be. Motherhood personifies the most tender of emotions. You’ve never felt unconditional love until you stare at your child for the first time. I anticipated the caretaking piece of motherhood but don’t think I appreciated how much I would genuinely enjoy watching and interacting with them. There is no one else I would prefer being with any night of the week than my little family.

MINI | What is your greatest parenting worry or fear?

JAMIE O’BANION | My greatest parenting fear is that somewhere along the line one of my children will lose that fearless confidence they now have that anything is possible. When we stop believing in ourselves at any age, failure is certain. My kids could probably finish this sentence for me, but I tell them regularly that they can do anything they want in life if they work hard and stay close to God.

MINI | What is most important to you in raising your girls?

JAMIE O’BANION | There’s a saying that states ‘if you want to change the world, educate a girl’. It’s most important to me that my girls feel empowered and expected to go out and do great things in the world. Whether that’s staying home as a full-time mom, having a passionate career, racing horses, becoming an author— the ‘what’ is far less important to me than the ‘how.’ I hope they each do something they are deeply passionate about and do it to the absolute best of their ability. Knowing and believing that they can achieve anything they set their mind to do is the greatest gift I could hope to give them.

MINI | What is your greatest joy of motherhood?

JAMIE O’BANION | Watching your children love each other, those around them, and doing the right thing— especially when you aren’t watching. Our entire purpose as parents is to launch capable, contributing, kind humans into adulthood. There’s nothing I find deeper joy in than watching your child’s joy when they accomplish something they set out to do, standing up for the underdog and then of course the ultimate joy when they love and protect each other. No words to describe that feeling. And selfishly, there is nothing better than being loved completely by your little ones in a way that no one else can ever love you. Early morning snuggles, watching them sleep, the screams, and smiles when you walk in the door after a long day. Nothing beats that.

MINI | What have you found to be hardest aspect of motherhood thus far?

JAMIE O’BANION | Self-inflicted mommy guilt. Whenever I’m having one of those moments, I step back and think ‘wait a second, I would be over the moon if any of my children ends up getting to have a career they are deeply passionate about.’ I hope they each do something they are so excited about that working hard doesn’t feel like work. I’m reminded of this when I am on a flight and I will find a sweet note from one of the girls in my work bag with something along the lines of ‘I love you and thank you for working so hard for us! You can do it!’ All children of working mamas are so proud of what you are doing and know that you are working hard for them.

MINI | What helps you to juggle motherhood and career?

JAMIE O’BANION | An amazing assistant, strict calendar, and discipline carving out time with the family. I’ve learned to say no more than I say yes and lean on my team more. I literally schedule time in my calendar for the family and stick to it as if it’s a client meeting. Discipline is key and making some sacrifices that might seem crazy to others but make sense for you. If I can make it a day trip, I always do. I try not to be gone more than two nights in a row and ideally one if at all possible. Family time is precious and putting phones and electronics away to have it is critical. I make sure important school dates are on the calendar from the Valentine’s Day party to Meet the Teacher night immediately when they are published and protect those times when it’s important for your child to be there with them. It’s not a perfect science but it’s possible to make it happen.

MINI | What does a typical work day look like for you?

JAMIE O’BANION | It’s go go go! As soon as my eyes open I do a quick scan of my email and get a few last minute snuggles in with the kids. We make breakfast together every morning, usually some form of healthy breakfast tacos, pancakes, or a smoothie. Then it’s school dropoff and at my desk by 8:30 am! My workday consists of back to back meetings, conference calls, photoshoots, really anything that needs to get done to make it happen! I always try to pick up the kids from school two to three times a week and drop them off at activities. Sometimes I pop back by the office to cover a few more items with the team. Then it’s homework, dinner and bed time! Once the littles are asleep and the house is quiet, that’s when emails get answered! I am very productive after 10 pm!

MINI | Talk to us about BeautyBio. How did the brand come to be?

JAMIE O’BANION | Beauty is in my blood! My father became an owner in one of the top skincare R&D labs in the US when I was a young girl, and I grew up going to the lab, testing products, and asking a million questions! I started traveling to Asia and Europe at a young age as new raw materials were being developed. I have always been fascinated by the cause and effect reaction great technology can have on our skin. It’s still magical to me watching someone’s skin visibly transform after using GloPRO and our BeautyBio topicals. BeautyBio is all about providing truth in beauty. Part of why I wanted to start BeautyBio is to help share my inside knowledge to take the beauty blinders off for consumers. For years, I would see my father’s lab develop an incredible new raw material and then sell it to one of the big four to only have them use fairy dust amounts in the finished formula just to make an ingredient claim. Every product in the BeautyBio line is clinically tested to ensure clinical trial participants see visible improvement in their skin. This sounds basic but unfortunately it is rarely done in our industry. Coming from R&D roots, a formula has to prove itself to me first via the in vitro data before it ever even makes it to a clinical trial and then into the hands of our BeautyBio Babes.

MINI | Do you ever experience self doubt with running such a successful brand? How do you get past it?

JAMIE O’BANION | I believe discouragement is the number one cause of failure. We doubt ourselves, we get discouraged, and pretty soon that fleeting thought of fear grows until it becomes self-fulfilling prophecy. I have moments, like the first time I walked on set at QVC and thought, ‘What if NO ONE buys a single product when we go live?’ But I always think immediately after that, ‘So what? If no one does, what’s the worst thing that can happen?’ And you know what, the worst thing is never actually the worst thing. Rejiggering a sales plan, or moving a launch date or a partnership, is it unfortunate? Sure, but it’s not a crisis. It will all work out. You just have to pivot, plan and proceed.

MINI | If you could give your girls one piece of advice, what would it be?

JAMIE O’BANION | I had a sign I made taped to the back of my bedroom door growing up my sister just reminded me of for our Sephora launch. It read “Reach for the moon, if you fall short, you just might land on a star.” In a nutshell, that’s what I would remind them to do. Dream big, work hard, and make it happen.

FAST FACTS

BEFORE KIDS, I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD Have to take a last-minute conference call hiding out in my car.

FAVORITE LOCAL SHOP Hadleighs. My dear friend Gable is the most talented designer and I live for her timeless pieces.

FAVORITE LOCAL RESTAURANT Probably Le Bilboquet. Food is consistent, it’s close and I end up hosting most of my dinners or luncheons there.

FAVORITE KIDS BOOK The Kissing Hand (great for working mamas)

ALWAYS IN MY FRIDGE Kize almond bars! Great on the go if no time for breakfast. Lots of good fat which enables brain function.

FAVORITE KID-FRIENDLY DALLAS LOCALES Arboretum, Dallas Zoo, and Klyde Warren!

TYPICAL COFFEE ORDER I’m a tea girl. Love a good floral tea or jasmine.

ON MY NIGHTSTAND Notepad, pen, bottle of water (always drink a glass of water before bed and first thing in AM), bible, book, family pictures, a note from Gracie.

IF THERE WERE MORE HOURS IN THE DAY... I WOULD CUDDLE THE KIDS!

CAN’T STOP LISTENING TO... TAYLOR SWIFT!

photography by CHELSEA RALEIGH