Remember when “work-life balance” was just a checkbox HR put on job ads? Yeah, Rosie Collins actually lives it. She’s the Founder of Deja Marc, a personalised jewellery brand that’s grown from side hustle to global ecommerce success.
And here’s the kicker: she’s done it without the 16-hour days. No “rise and grind” energy. Just solid systems, smart decisions, and a business aligned with her values (plus her eight-hours-a-night sleep schedule).
In this episode of Add To Cart, Rosie dropped gems on content, community and building with intention.
Here’s what stood out.
TikTok to stop the scroll
Awareness and storytelling need different lanes. Rosie’s first TikTok hit 16 million views. Sixteen. Million. With one video. No trending dances, no Get Ready With Me To Build A Business video, just a pendant spinning to a sentimental caption and a cracking bit of audio. Emotional hit, quick scroll, boom.
But here’s where it gets interesting: TikTok gets the eyes, Instagram keeps the hearts. Deja Marc uses TikTok for discovery and emotion. Instagram? That’s where the community lives, the DMs light up, and the real story unfolds. Because at the end of the day, that’s what sets Deja Marc apart: the story behind every piece of jewellery.
🚀 QUICK ECOM LESSON: Match your message to the medium. Not every post needs to do everything. Let TikTok be the party and Instagram be the lounge room.
Community without confetti
A couple of weeks ago, we had James Johnson, Director at Shopify, talking about the evolution of online shopping. That chat had a few AHA moments, but one that really stuck was the difference between adding AI to your business, and actually using AI to make your business more human. Didn’t expect that, hey? James nailed it when he said that “AI should let your team spend more time with customers, not just answering questions. That’s where joy (and brand value) lives.”
Rosie’s approach is a real-world example of that. By systemising what can be automated, she’s freeing up time and energy to create genuinely human moments, like Mum Walks, that tech alone can’t replicate.
Yep, alongside going viral on TikTok, Rosie’s kicking off weekly “Mum Walks” around Sydney. No fancy venues. No grazing boards or branded tote bags. Just a bunch of mums, some prams, and a chance to talk about the chaos of parenting in real time. That’s how you build connections beyond campaigns.
It’s grassroots. It’s low-cost. And it works. Why? Because frequency beats flash. When you’re building for real people (especially tired ones), consistency is queen.
✋ PRO TIP: Think about what your version of a Mum Walk could be. It might just be your secret retention play. Just saying.
Profit with purpose
If you didn’t see anyone you love, was it worth it? Rosie’s not chasing unicorn status. She’s building a profitable, scalable business that fits her life: not the other way around. Mondays are for her daughter. Work happens in 25-hour weeks. And her team is mostly part-time, all values-aligned.
She’s built custom production systems to handle complexity, hired specialists instead of DIY-ing everything, and made peace with slower (but smarter) growth. As she puts it, “If you didn’t see anyone you love, I don’t care how much you made.”
That one’s going on a tote bag, by the way.
The jewellery’s personal and so is the leadership
At the end of the day, Rosie’s proof you can scale without selling your soul, and that values-led ecommerce isn’t just nice… it’s smart.
Just don’t expect a flashy founder video from Rosie anytime soon. She’s probably on a walk with her daughter.
🎧 The full episode with Rosie is now live:
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