We were lucky to catch up with Doretta Ellsworth recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Doretta thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

I have a 20+ year career in Customer Service and Operations Management; and have always had the desire to own and operate my own business. In 2018, while on a work hiatus from the Corporate world, I became more active in serving at church and was baptized again (the first time as a child). Being an introvert, I began asking God how someone like me could share his word with others. In 2019, he gave me my first design in a dream. I woke up and sketched out a cross, with slips of paper nailed to it. On the slips were words like, doubt, fear, anxiety, depression, addiction, etc…I saw that when Jesus got off the cross, those things stayed there. That’s how my first design came about, He Suffered, so I don’t have to. I never considered myself to be an artist or creative designer, so I had to ask God again, what does this mean? What do I do with this? He gave me the idea to put the graphic on a t-shirt and that’s how Wear the Promise (registered trademark) came to be…when you can’t speak the word, wear the word! And little did I know, that the following year, the world would go into a shutdown due to a global pandemic. People started feeling & experiencing all the emotions God showed me in that dream of the initial design!

I officially launched my online T-shirt shop, Wear the Promise, in July 2020 in the midst of the pandemic, which is crazy, because everything that people began to feel, God had shown me in my first design. In the midst of chaos & confusion, people, myself included, needed to be reminded that God is in control. I started selling t-shirts online through a 3rd party printing/drop-shipping fulfillment service but took over full operations in Dec. 2020 because I was less than pleased with the quality of product they were producing. Now I have full control over my entire operation and provide drop ship services for several other businesses.

The problem Wear the Promise helps solve is allowing Christian introverts to comfortably and boldly share their faith without having to verbally speak a word. Our faith-inspired graphic tees are conversation starters. In addition to that, we help small business owners get their brand known by providing customized branded apparel and promotional items.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I was born & raised in sunny Los Angeles, CA. When I meet and talk to people not from here, the first thing they want to know about is Hollywood and the “celebrity life.” Well, for naturally introverted people like me, we’re not into the Hollywood scene and don’t care for large crowds, so I found my passion and calling when I started my business, Wear the Promise which is founded on and guided by the word of God! All product designs are inspired by biblical principles and scripture.

Wear the Promise provides a comfortable outlet for those who love God to show it. When I wear my gear, I get many compliments or people wanting to know more about the design. You won’t find me out in public evangelizing or anything, but, if you comment on what I’m wearing, it opens the door for me to share my story and faith. I’ve been told our merch inspires people to be more bold when talking about their faith, which is awesome & totally the point!

I am most proud of the fact that I get to stay true to self. In this internet “go viral” age, a lot of people are willing to do and say anything just to “make it’ or have their 15 minutes of fame. Yes, I am a business owner with product to move and sales quotas to meet, but first and foremost, I am a child of the Most High God, which means, I need to act and conduct business with a higher level of integrity. For me, it isn’t about the here & now, it’s about working with a Kingdom Mindset and not just how Wear the Promise can prosper, but how can we also give back and help others along the way.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

Funding is what keeps a lot of people from moving forward with their dreams and calling in life. A lot people who desire to start a business often do not because of the lack of financing and or lack of financial knowledge. They don’t know all the programs available for start-ups and sadly, some are unwilling to invest in themselves, whether it be investing time in research & personal development or investing from personal finances.

When I started my business in 2020, I found low-cost ways to get my brand known. I worked with 3rd party drop shippers & order fulfillment services. Most of these sites require no money up front, but will take a percentage of sales to cover their operating cost to ship your product. The only downside to that is, you aren’t able to quality check the orders prior to shipping. I also funded my business from personal savings as well as donations and contributions from friends and family who believed in the vision and my ability to deliver.

I also worked with graphic artists and designers and was able to negotiate fair pricing for getting my designs printed from my scribbled notes and sketches. Ultimately, people will find money for whatever they want to do. If funding your business is your primary reason for not moving forward, the #1 question I would ask is “is this something you really endeavor to do long term?”

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I’ve had to make many pivots in life over the past 10yrs or so. I left the Corporate world in 2017, walking away from a successful career in Operations and Accounts Management for the sake of my sanity & mental health. My work and travel schedule were extremely demanding which resulted in me developing some unhealthy habits to deal with the daily stressors; but praise God for grace and mercy! I stepped away and took a nine month long work hiatus to get back on track. During this time, I started working out and really focusing on my health and building my relationship with God. I was raised in the church, and it was time I got back to my roots so I started serving more and becoming more active in church events and small groups as a way to break out of my comfort zone.

In business, as mentioned before, when I initially launched Wear the Promise, I used 3rd party drop shippers to save money and get my brand known. The only problem with that was, what I wanted my brand to be known for. I had no control over the packaging of my product, I wasn’t confident that quality control measures were in place for each shipment, and I wanted my shoppers and supporters to feel love and inspiration when receiving their items. Someone did a live unboxing on social media of her order from my shop, and I was absolutely horrified! There was nothing special about her order and she said so. At that moment, I knew I had to take over all aspects of my business which included the shipping of my own products. I stopped using those big name “professionals” and started printing my merch in-house in the spare room of my home. Now, I beam with pride when people do lives and comment on the quality of my products, how each item is packaged with care and attention to detail.

I strive for excellence with each order. This is also true for those I partner with. Now that I drop ship for other business owners, I treat their shoppers as if they were my own. Every order is packaged with great care & attention to detail because I know what it is like to be on the other end and I want nothing but smiles with each unboxing!

Contact Info:

• Website: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wearthepromise/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wearthepromise
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wearthepromise/
• Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/wearthepromise/