In her day job at a Fortune 10 energy company, Ulka Wilson traveled the globe and gained expert-level knowledge about procurement, negotiation, and the world economy. It was the kind of life her schooling in business and computer science prepared her to do.
Yet Wilson’s creative side kept pace, gaining an understanding of gemstones, fashion, and craftsmanship. By the time she became an executive in the corporate world, Wilson also had her own jewelry business, Ulka Rocks, and a hobby that has grown into her full-time gig.
As she approaches retirement from her day job, Wilson now says she is jumping into Ulka Rocks with renewed vigor, creating one-of-a-kind pieces along with custom work from her base in Houston. She’s thankful for those 30-plus years in the corporate world, but she is happy to let her lifelong interest in design rule her 9-to-5 schedule.
Wilson recalls sewing as her first craft, gaining a skill level that enabled her to make her own clothing, following the designer labels her classmates wore. In high school and college, she worked in retail sales at smaller department stores, waited tables, and even cut hair. After college, she married her college sweetheart and had three kids.
Travel also has been key to her career, especially in jewelry. Family and work trips allowed Wilson to see Europe, Africa, India, Thailand, and elsewhere. She found satisfaction in her everyday work, but her off-hours were devoted to exploring local markets, getting to know area merchants, and discovering beautiful jewelry and gemstones that sparked new design ideas.
That “shopaholic” period, as Wilson jokingly refers to it, led her to jewelry classes, allowing her to make her own jewelry instead of buying it. These educational opportunities also let her bond with her sister, who was fighting cancer. They took beading classes, learning how to piece individual items together in a way that created a cohesive whole. As time went on, friends and new customers fell in love with her creations.
By 2017, Wilson had started Ulka Rocks and was selling her rings, bracelets, and necklaces on Etsy. Her work expertise in comparing costs, understanding customer needs, and giving great customer service got her high marks from her clients—and made her start daydreaming about her retirement so she could play with jewelry every day.
“I love doing all of it—I love the design work, website development, photography, procurement, and customer relations,” Wilson says. “As an entrepreneur, you get to do so many things, and this makes it so enjoyable.
“My favorite part is meeting new people and, of course, being able to be creative on a daily basis,” Wilson says.
That’s not to say Wilson hasn’t learned a lesson or two in her jewelry business. Because she loves making unique pieces, she’s now more open to doing custom work, for example, using her visual skills as an artist to put together a combination that the client may not have expected. Her goal is to take natural stones, a favorite medium of hers as a jewelry designer, and create something that honors their innate beauty—and that of its owner.
“These are statement pieces that you can wear every day,” Wilson says. “You should always strive to look your best and bring on compliments. You rock. You deserve it. Be unique!”
Top: Former corporate executive Ulka Wilson turned her natural talent for fashion and design into a thriving full-time jewelry business (photos courtesy of Ulka Wilson and Ulka Rocks).
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