Meet Ashley Kilgore | Jewelry Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ashley Kilgore and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashley, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My thought process behind starting a business was pretty much full panic. It was covid times, the thought of owning a business was scary, terrified of doing the whole process of setting it up and complete worry of failing. Doesn’t sound like the thought process someone should have when starting a business. These last 7 years I have been working on myself to do stuff that makes me uncomfortable. So thankfully, I had 3 years under my belt to do the things that scare me. I always said and prayed to be shown what it is I can do with my hands but also still be creative. Well, that prayer was answered and I’ve never been more sure that this was the business I wanted to pursue. I had a photography business before starting Waya Momma. There was always something missing. By 2020 I was exhausted at pursuing it. Jewelry design felt different. I would get completely lost making stuff. My husband told me he has never seen me so excited about something and could see how focused I was to making it something. I constantly was thinking of new ideas and techniques. I was so excited to get to work on my pieces. That is when I knew I needed it to be more than a hobby. So in 2021, I quit my part-time job and decided it was time to do Waya Momma full time. It was extremely scary but it has honestly been a fun and wild ride!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I create big, unique, funky pieces out of polymer clay or acrylic. I think my use of color and organic shapes sets me apart from other jewelry makers. I get a lot of comments from customers that my stuff is so different from other makers they see. I take great pride in that. I want my stuff to help someone really show their true personality. I don’t want people to hide that side of them. I have to say I am so proud of my 90s inspired hair clips! People tell me it’s something they have never seen before. It feels good to hear that and validates that you are creative.

I got where I am today by hustling and building community. Every market I do I get to know other vendors and organizers. Networking is key! Just getting to know people in the same community is a must. Not only do you build friendships with them, they also become your support system. The community I am apart of is fantastic about suggesting markets, stores, techniques or other people to reach out to for help. Owning a small business is not for the faint of heart. It is extremely hard. It is mentally and physically demanding. I struggle with imposter syndrome a lot with owning this business. I want everything to be perfect and I want people to like my stuff. You put so much of yourself into your work and when it’s not selling or getting much attention online it starts to wear on you. One of the best things with owning a small business is I have really been able to work on my mental health. Getting my mental health in check has been huge for me to overcome a lot of the obstacles I have faced. All the people I have met during this journey is how I have overcame a lot as well. I don’t know if they all know how much of an impact they have all had on me.

Lessons I have learned on the way is, nothing is ever going to go the way you think it will. So many times I think a design is going to be huge and it is an actual huge flop. I will think a certain market is going to produce high sales and it will be one of the worst markets I have done, but something smaller will be a huge success. So I am always being taught a lesson that I really don’t know how anything is going to go.

Waya momma means Wolf Momma. Waya means wolf in Cherokee. My great great grandmother was half Cherokee. I have always felt a strong connection with Native American culture and when I found that out it made so much sense. My spirit animal is the momma wolf. The leader of the pack and protector. I am a momma of two boys and feel extremely protective of them and those I love. My whole goal with my business is to be able to create pieces that represent me but also help push others to express their personality. I want you to feel so confident and beautiful! I struggle hard with self confidence and know others do also. So I hope that at least one of my pieces does help someone feel confident.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love starting out with a coffee shop visit. Here in Fort Wayne we have a handful of good local coffee shops. Conjure is my favorite but we do have a coffee/cocktail shop called Penny Drip that has great options also. Next would be to hit up the thrift stores. The Rink is new but has a lot of great vendors that have great items to choose from. Food is hard to narrow down to just one place. For Cali-Mexican style food I would go to Mercado. Tacos are so delicious! Tolon is a great farm to fork style restaurant. I have not had a dish I did not like there.

Personally, I enjoy things that don’t involve a lot of people around. I am more introvert than extrovert. I enjoy being out in nature. One of my favorite places to go close by is Eagle Marsh. Nothing fancy but just a place to be still and decompress from the real world.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to give a shoutout to my husband, Adam! He is the reason I took the leap of faith and continue to stay on this wild journey. When I become overwhelmed and feel like I want to give up he gets me back on track. He has supported me since day one and continues to support me.

Website: https://wayamomma.etsy.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wayamomma/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wayamomma