A very special blog is going up today. 

I'm sharing the story about how a dream I've had for over 9 years came true.

I'll start out by saying that Madewell is a brand I've looked up to for many years as a long time customer but even more as a business owner. Their marketing is always so on point -- how they capture their images, their copywriting and their ads -- it's all aligned, well put together and captivating. I love it all! 

Naturally being a Madewell customer I look forward to getting their daily emails and as fate would have it, during the height of the pandemic, I opened up one of their emails and noticed they were promoting the work of independent artists. This piqued my interest because I was always searching for new outlets for the jewels and new ways to expand ...not to mention one of my longest standing goals was to have Madewell sell Katie Dean Jewelry. 

After a little research I discovered that Madewell had teamed up with Nest to create a special program called Hometown Hero's Collective. The program was created to support local creatives and small businesses across the U.S. and help them grow their businesses. I immediately thought, how cool that a big brand like Madewell is helping the independent artists out there. Then I thought: this is exactly what I need! 

I applied and honestly was not sure what to expect. Months passed by without hearing anything and then one special day I opened up my email and there was an acceptance letter for the program. From there the program was the perfect balance of training and mentoring lead by the Nest team in coordination with Madewell. Together with my Hometown Hero's Class (which means the group of artists accepted into the program for that season), I followed a curated list of steps that lead me through tactical training on integrating better organization into my business as well as how to use new technology systems which were needed to work with a larger corporation like Madewell. This program truly does nurture small businesses and creators.

I am proud and honored that we were accepted into this incredible program put on by Madewell x Nest. We have successfully been selling a select curation of Katie Dean Jewelry pieces on Madewell.com alongside other very talented artisans since mid October of 2021.

I can't say thank you enough to the Madewell and Nest Team for putting this program together. It has been one of the best experiences of my career.

I encourage every artist out there to learn about their program and apply! The skills I've learned have built up my confidence in many areas and my businesses has expanded in numerous ways as well. Like I said earlier, I've had Madewell on my vision board for Katie Dean Jewelry since I started my line. It truly was a pinch me moment and marked a huge milestone for myself and the brand.

It’s been an amazing journey being a part of the Hometown Hero’s Collective — I’ve learned what it takes to work with a larger brand, how to integrate new systems and how to prep for different seasons.

Some of you may be saying, “Didn’t you know all that? You’ve been in business for over 9 years.” The truth is I learn something new almost everyday! There’s always room to grow, especially for an online based brand in a fast moving technological society like today.

Thank you to everyone who has supported Katie Dean Jewelry during this season and if you haven't already, I would love for you to head to Madewell to shop jewelry from me and fun stuff from other artisans on their site. 

Lots of love, Katie ❤️

p.s. thank you @em_blumberg for snapping these studio pics of me!