We recently connected with Ashley Kilgore and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Ashley thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

In spring of 2020 I was on a conference call with over 50 other people being told that we are being let go from our position due to Covid. So over night I became unemployed, a stay-at-home mom and a teacher. I fell into a deep depression from losing my job and just needed something to get me out of the funk I was in. I thought it would be fun to make 90s inspired clay earrings. This was a medium I have never used before and thought it would be fun to learn something new. So I started posting them on my person Instagram page and people loved them! Making them is therapeutic for me. I would start and just get lost. It was a creative outlet I really needed. People started asking me to make pairs for them. So I would. I did my first market in July 2020 and had a blast. I was hooked from there. It wasn’t until December of 2020 that I really wanted to turn this into something. By then I was working a part time job. During my shifts I was constantly thinking about earring ideas or techniques I wanted to learn. So after a lot of talking with my husband I decided I was going to do this full time. It’s what I loved doing the most! I was constantly thinking about it and felt like I was being lead to take this full time. I felt ready and boy was I wrong. There is so much learning involved with owning a small business. I am still learning new techniques, I’ve added a laser cutter and that is a learning process and behind the scenes is a new learning experience everyday. It’s been the hardest thing I have ever done but it has been the most rewarding. I’ve learned a lot of myself and what I am capable of. I honestly wouldn’t change this for anything.

Ashley, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I started out selling at markets mainly in Fort Wayne. This year I have moved out side of Fort Wayne and surrounding states. My goal for this year is to travel more and to build my online store. You can also find my stuff sold in stores in Fort Wayne and Indianapolis. Hoping to add more stores this year as well. Getting to where I am was not easy. It has been a lot of work building relationships with other business owners and a lot of research. I pretty much work 7 days a week 24/7. It’s a lot but it’s been such a fun ride. Always learning and growing. For the most part I mainly make earrings out of polymer clay or acrylic. Every once in awhile I will make jesmonite trinket trays or wall hangings. I like to have variety but always seem to be inspired to make earrings. I just love the way they make people feel while they are wearing them. My collections are created with love. Full of bright colors, organic shapes and textures. They are big. They stand out and are funky. I think that is what makes my earrings stand out. I want you to feel like you are wearing an art piece or your personality is showing and you are proud of it. I am most proud of helping people break out of their shell with my earrings! They give you confidence! I’ve spent so many years worrying about what people thought of me and putting myself in a shell. This business has helped me break out of my shell and get to help others to the same.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

A huge step in faith was buying my glowforge. It was a huge financial risk. It took months for me to commit to buying this huge purchase. I constantly had thoughts of what if it doesn’t pay itself back, what if no one wants to buy your acrylic pieces or what if I can’t figure out this machine. Constantly had these thoughts. Finally I bought it. I had this fear over me after buying it. I was so worried I wasn’t going to be successful with it. Well, it finally came in and it took me a little bit to take it out and fire it up. That fear was so strong that it kept me from taking the next step. I finally got it up and running. The machine would not cut through all the way. With their policy I could only get a refurbished machine. I was so upset with myself. I started regretting my decision. So I got a second machine. It worked for about 2 months before it stopped cutting through on the right side. So now I am on my third machine. By the third machine, I was determined to have a working machine and not let it win over me. I’ve been successfully cutting with it, learning to design my own files and having a lot of fun with it now. I am the type of person that gives up easily but not this time around. I was not going to let it defeat me. I am here to build my business and I was not going to let a machine to knock me back down. It felt really good to overcome this and see myself as someone to overcome this obstacle. If there is one thing this year has shown me is how resilient I can be.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

This business is about building relationships. I take the time to talk to my customers and to get to know them. I get to see these people on multiple occasions and they buy from me. So why not build a relationship with them? I’ve made friends with my customers and it’s so awesome getting to see their families grow online or in person. It’s so awesome! I build relationships with other makers because you will get no where if you see them as competition. I’ve been able to become really close with other makers that either do the same medium as me or something else. We reach out to each other if we need help with techniques, vent about where things are with our businesses or just need advice on something. I feel like these things are the reason why I am where I am.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.Etsy.com/shop/wayamomma
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/wayamomma