Interview with Jewelry Entrepreneur Ama McKinley of Ilium Wing

In Episode #121 of the Joy Joya Jewelry Marketing Podcast, I interview Ama McKinley, the founder of Ilium Wing. Ama McKinley began making waist jewelry in 2010 after creating her first strands for herself and a few friends. Inspired by the sacred, powerful and divine symbology of waist jewelry to uphold femininity, fertility, protection, and spirituality, Ama followed her calling to reawaken the energy of this centuries-old tradition of adornment and healing. Her use of natural materials such as bone, beads, precious metals and gemstones preserves the origins of this ancient talisman, while her designs add a modern, elevated perspective. She founded Ilium Wing in 2019.

In this episode, I talk to Ama about topics like branding and setting your jewelry brand apart in a crowded marketplace, marketing with a focus on genuine engagement and community building, the power of emerging platforms like Clubhouse, and tips for executing an on-brand lifestyle photoshoot for your jewelry brand. It was so fun to talk to Ama, and I really hope you enjoy this conversation. Listen to the audio and watch the video below.

I loved speaking to Ama about her experiences in the industry and about her jewelry brand Ilium Wing. If you’d like to learn more about her waist beads, you can visit her website or follow the brand on Instagram @iliumwing. If you’d like to check out The Atelier on Clubhouse, you can follow Ama on Clubhouse @amamckinley and then check out the casual meetup every Friday at 2pm EST.

Links mentioned at the beginning of this episode:

“Brands use Facebook Shops as a showroom, but not as a conversion platform“

“‘YouTube tests product detection in videos“

“Anthropologie unveils first digital-only catalog on Pinterest“