Mustard Seed Jewelry’s founder Marcie Finney Ditto took a leap of faith when she started her brand based on a vision of a final piece of jewelry.
Despite having no experience creating jewelry, she worked for three years toward the goal of launching a product. She said prayer propelled her forward.
“I know that sounds interesting and different to people, but I think sometimes God gives you things that you don’t even know how to do yourself,” Ditto said.
Seven years after the business began on Ditto’s kitchen table, she will be sharing her products with more than 300 million QVC and HSN viewers across the world. Ditto won The Big Find competition out of thousands of brands who applied to be a part of the jewelry category.
“I’m somebody that started with a very small dream from a kitchen table, wanting to give to the charities in my community and create beautiful pieces that would inspire people,” Ditto said.
Ditto began her career as a graphic designer. She worked as an entrepreneur, helping other business owners to create a personal brand. She took that experience and put it toward creating her own brand.
A higher purpose
Her studio space in South Fort Worth is covered with white, gold and turquoise – the brand’s colors. She designed the space herself, and it matches the little turquoise boxes all her pieces come in.
Ditto’s brand identity goes deeper than colors, though. Paying it forward is a guiding principle through her brand. Ditto includes “seed money”’ of two dollars in every purchase, to encourage her customers to perform an act of kindness for someone else using the money.
The practice stems from Ditto’s tradition of taking a day to pass out money and cards around the Fort Worth community.
“The gifts that would come through that were so amazing,” she said. “Two dollars is a small amount, but just like a seed when you sow it and you get to see the power of it being used in kindness you find that it’s just enough.”
The company has also donated $600,000 to Fort Worth based and national charities. The brand’s identity as a Fort Worth based company remains important to Ditto – even as her customer base expands.
“I feel like there are so many genuine beautiful people here that when you launch a business – they want to see you thrive,” she said.
It is impossible to separate Mustard Seed Jewelry from its biblical origins, and Ditto doesn’t want to. The name and design stem from the biblical idea that faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains.
“God has always directed my life in baby steps,” she said. “Like really small things, and then they come out to be this amazing enormous movement in my life.”
Just as the business began in prayer, Ditto continues to pray about every business decision she makes, including applying to QVC’s competition.
“I literally pray about every single thing I do and I really wait on an answer in prayer, which sometimes it can be years until I get answered which seems odd but it really is the best way to lead the business,” Ditto said.
From that practice, she said, she knew she would pursue QVC three years ago, but it wasn’t until the height of the pandemic in July, through the encouragement of her family and friends, that she took the plunge and applied.
“In the worst of times, the best of things can roll through!” she exclaimed, laughing. “It’s a dream come true, it really is.”
Ditto has been preparing for the influx of customers her debut on QVC will no doubt bring. They added over 130 products to their website and included a variety of limited edition pieces which she showcases through her social media channels every week.
Mustard Seed Jewelry will be releasing QVC exclusive products as the partnership continues. The increasing reach of her business will also impact the reach of her charitable efforts.
“Because we love to support local and national charities, we’re going to be able to do that in an even bigger way,” Ditto said.
To Watch:
Marcie Finney Ditto will appear on QVC with her new jewelry products sometime between 3-5 p.m. Tuesday. You can watch the segment wherever QVC streams live.
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