Today we’d like to introduce you to Ann Mayo-Smith.
Hi Ann , we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
The idea for Maison Matcha came from a period in my life where I needed to slow down. I was going through a difficult time with my mental health and making my matcha in the morning became something I genuinely looked forward to. It was a simple ritual, nothing complicated, but it brought me joy and reminded me that there is real value in the small, everyday things. I was also reading the book Ichigo Ichie at the time, which is about the Japanese philosophy of being fully present in each moment. Everything started to connect.
That is where the brand came from. Two things came together: wanting to build something around a product I truly loved and used every day, and wanting to share that philosophy with other people. The idea that slowing down and being present, even just for the few minutes it takes to make a cup of matcha, is worth something.
I come from a tech sales background and had always wanted to build something of my own. With Maison Matcha I finally had a reason that felt real. A product I believed in, sourced directly from Japan, organic, and a brand message I genuinely wanted to put into the world. That is how it started. Today, Maison Matcha is a small but growing business and we are just getting started.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, it was not a smooth road. And I think that is worth being honest about because I don’t think people talk about the early stage enough.
The first few months there were no sales. Not slow sales, no sales. There was a lot of trial and error figuring out what worked, what didn’t, and how to get in front of the right people. There were months where nothing was coming in and I was not making any money. That is the reality of starting something from scratch. It is not an overnight thing and it does not feel good while you are in it.
What eventually changed was consistency. Trying new things, staying in it, not pulling back. Slowly the ball started rolling. Sales picked up, customers came back, and we got to a point where keeping stock became a priority rather than finding customers.
Which brings me to one of the bigger ongoing challenges: the matcha shortage in Japan. This is something a lot of people are not aware of. Global demand for matcha has grown significantly over the last few years, particularly in the US and Europe, and Japanese farmers simply cannot keep up. Matcha production is a slow, labour-intensive process. The tea plants take years to mature, the shade-growing and harvesting process is precise, and stone-grinding is done in small batches. You cannot scale it overnight.
The result is that many established suppliers stopped accepting new clients entirely. Prices have risen. Lead times are longer. For a small independent brand trying to source directly from Japan, this was a real obstacle. It took a long time to find the right supplier, one that met our quality standards and was willing to work with us. Now that we have that relationship, we order in bulk and plan well ahead to make sure we never run out of stock. But it is something we manage carefully and continuously.
As you know, we’re big fans of Maison Matcha . For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
At the heart of Maison Matcha is ichigo ichie, a philosophy deeply rooted in Japanese culture and the traditional tea ceremony. The concept dates back centuries and translates as “one time, one meeting.” It carries the understanding that every moment in life is singular and will never occur again in the same way. In the tea ceremony, it was a guiding principle for how each gathering was approached: with complete presence, care, and intention. Nothing was taken for granted because nothing could be repeated. That same spirit is what we bring to something as simple as making a cup of matcha every morning.
We want people to find simple joy in the everyday through the art of making matcha. To slow down, be present, and appreciate that small ritual for what it is.
Our main product is an 80g ceremonial grade matcha powder, first spring harvest from Shizuoka, Japan, shade-grown, stone-ground, 100% organic and USDA certified, smooth and low in bitterness, for traditional preparation or lattes.
We are also launching a hojicha powder in the coming months. Hojicha is a roasted Japanese green tea with a warm, toasty flavour and lower caffeine. A natural next step for the brand.
Branding and creative direction are a big part of what I do and honestly one of the parts of this I enjoy most. I am half Vietnamese and half American and it was important to me to incorporate that into the brand. The artwork on the back of our packaging was created by Luong Duong, a Vietnamese illustrator whose work I deeply admire. I handle all the creative direction and social media content myself. Getting the brand to a place where everything feels intentional and cohesive is what I am most proud of.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
The ability to keep moving when things go wrong. And things always go wrong.
When I started previous businesses, any problem that came up felt like a signal to stop. A legal issue, a supplier falling through, something I didn’t know how to handle. The self-doubt would come in and that would be it. I walked away more than once because of that.
What I have learned with Maison Matcha is that problems are not a sign that something is wrong. They are just part of running a business. They come up daily, weekly, and they will keep coming. The question is not whether you will hit a wall. It is whether you believe there is a way around it.
I think of it like a puzzle or a game. Every problem is just the next level. There is always a move, always a solution, even if it is not obvious straight away and even if it takes you off the path you originally planned. The goal is to stay in it long enough to find it.
That mindset is what has kept Maison Matcha going.
Pricing:
- $59.44 – Organic Ceremonial Grade Matcha Powder
- $34.99 – Organic Hojicha Powder (Coming Soon)
- https://www.amazon.com/Organic-Ceremonial-Authentic-Japanese-Harvest/dp/B0CLGHNRCV
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.themaisonmatcha.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themaisonmatcha/
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/Organic-Ceremonial-Authentic-Japanese-Harvest/dp/B0CLGHNRCV
