When Katherine Ruiz launched People Haircare, she didn’t tiptoe into the market.
She went straight into over 800 Coles stores nationally. No soft launch. No boutique trial. Just premium, high-performing haircare on the shelves of one of Australia’s biggest retailers – right from day one.
“From day one, Coles was part of the vision,” she says.
“If we wanted to make high-performing, affordable haircare truly accessible, we had to be where people already shop.”
That idea – of accessibility without compromise – sits at the core of the People Haircare mission:
“To make premium, high-performing, and ethically made haircare accessible to all people with all hair types, giving them the confidence to look and feel like themselves.”
And that’s what makes Katherine’s story so important – not just for the haircare space, but for every woman wondering if she can build something bold, commercial, and uncompromising on her own terms.
Because she has.
Built from identity, not industry
People Haircare wasn’t born in a lab. It wasn’t spun out of a marketing playbook. It came from Katherine’s own experience – years of navigating self-image, identity, and her relationship to her natural hair.
“I’ve always cared deeply about my hair – it’s always been a big part of my identity,” she says. “But for a long time, I struggled with my own self-image.”
People Haircare slick styler
In her twenties, she felt like she was performing who she thought the world wanted her to be. Now in her thirties, embracing her natural curls has been part of returning to herself.
“My curls are now one of my favourite features; they make me feel confident and truly ‘me.’ But that wasn’t always the case.”
Growing up, the embarrassment was real. Katherine remembers the moment when her hairdresser would ask what shampoo she used – and how she’d quietly wish the question away.
“The truth was, I was using something from the supermarket because I couldn’t afford salon-quality products. That feeling stuck with me.”
So, she decided to solve it.
“I wanted to debunk the stigma that you can’t buy quality hair care from the supermarket. I saw an opportunity to create a brand that was high-performing, beautifully designed and accessible.”
And when she couldn’t find the products she needed?
“I had been searching for salon-quality results without the price tag – and when I couldn’t find it, I decided to create it.”
From AFL to retail
Katherine’s journey didn’t follow a straight path – but it always had momentum.
“I wasn’t a big academic, but I loved subjects like business management and psychology.”
She tried advertising at RMIT, walked away after six months, and jumped into full-time work before giving uni another go. Eventually, she took a role at Richmond Football Club – and from there everything started to change.
“I always had the feeling that I wanted to run my own business and be my own boss.”
That vision became clearer as she stepped into the role of Managing Director and part-owner at Anatomy Studios, where she spent years building brands for fast-growing consumer companies like Roll’d, Soul Origin, and Kings Domain Barbers.
“Those experiences taught me how to spot market gaps, scale quickly, and create brands that resonate with everyday people.”
But even while building for others, she noticed something missing from her own world.
“When it came to haircare, something I’ve always personally cared deeply about, I couldn’t find anything inspiring on supermarket shelves.”
And so she created it herself.
How she landed Coles
People Haircare didn’t take the usual startup route of slow and steady growth. It went bold.
“Going straight into Coles… it felt risky at the time, but it’s been the biggest driver of our growth and allowed us to scale quickly.”
So what made the pitch work?
“Preparation and persistence. We had a clear vision, a strong brand strategy, and high-performing products that filled a real gap in the market.”
She knew they needed more than a product. They needed to show up retail ready.
“Retailers see a lot of pitches, so you need to show up not only with a great product but with a brand that feels thought-through.”
“The formulas had to stand up – that was non-negotiable. But equally, the brand story was clear, authentic, and aligned with where consumers were heading.”
And she did it all from her lounge room.
“Our very first pitch to Coles happened over Zoom, just post-COVID. I remember holding up sample bottles and packaging mock-ups to the camera, trying to make sure the team could see every little detail.”
“It was nerve-wracking… but it also forced us to be really sharp about our story and why People Haircare deserved a place on the shelf.”
Growth without compromise
Big retail comes with big demands. Scaling without sacrificing quality wasn’t easy – but it was possible.
“It came down to two things: being resourceful and being uncompromising where it mattered.”
They made trade-offs – labels instead of screen printing, for example – but never on formula.
“We never compromised on formula performance. We partnered with great local manufacturers and leaned on strong supply chain relationships.”
That core product integrity is what’s driven repeat purchase—and earned shelf space alongside global giants.
Standing out in a saturated space
Haircare is crowded. So how did People break through?
“We stand out by offering high-performing haircare that’s locally available and genuinely affordable.”
It’s a full system – wash, treat, style – that meets a wide range of needs across diverse hair types and textures. And it’s available nationally.
“Unlike many brands that focus on one niche, we’ve created a complete system that’s easy to use, beautifully designed, and works across the board.”
But most importantly? It works.
“Performance was non-negotiable from day one. If the products didn’t genuinely work, no amount of branding or marketing would sustain us.”
Brand with backbone
Before visual identity, Katherine invested in something else:
“Brand strategy before launch. We invested heavily upfront in defining our vision, values, and positioning.”
That clarity shaped everything – from packaging to PR to internal decisions.
People All-in-one shampoo and conditioner
“Whether it’s our packaging, our social content or how we show up in PR, everything ties back to our mission of making haircare accessible and empowering people to feel more themselves.”
The name People was also no accident.
“Hair is as unique as the person, and we wanted the brand to feel human, approachable and universal.”
Even the logo?
“The P in our logo was inspired by the gender-neutral symbol – a subtle design choice that reinforces the idea that our products are for all people.”
Founder fuel: what keeps her going
Katherine’s definition of success is deeply human.
“When a customer tells me that our products made them feel more confident, more seen, or simply made their mornings easier – that’s success.”
But she’s honest about the challenges too. Like retail promotions:
“I didn’t realise at first how central promotions and marketing calendars are to retailers and to customers.”
“Looking back, I wish we had invested more heavily in promotions in our first year. It would have accelerated awareness, trial, and repeat purchase.”
Still, she’s just getting started.
“The word I’d choose for this year is evolution. This year is about stepping into a new chapter, building on what we’ve created, and evolving the brand in ways that set us up for the long term.”
And as for the pinch-me moment?
“Walking into Coles for the first time and seeing People Haircare on the shelf. After all the strategy, late nights, to see the brand we created sitting alongside global giants was surreal.”
What Katherine Ruiz proves is this:
You don’t need to follow someone else’s roadmap.
You don’t need to play it safe to scale.
And you absolutely don’t need to wait until it feels “ready.”
You need a great product, a strong brand and courage.
So if you’re a woman with a product in your head and a fire in your gut – build the thing.
Do your homework.
Own your brand.
Lead with proof, not permission.
And show up like you already belong on the shelf. Because you do.
- Tracey Warren is CEO & Bree Kirkham, COO, of venture capital firm F5 Collective.
