The Successful Fashion Designer

Congrats! You’ve landed your first big freelance client on Upwork… now what? It appears you got your work cut out for you, is it even feasible to accomplish the scope of this project within the client’s expected time frame and budget? Before you start to convince yourself that you are in way over your head, you need to get your bearings. So let’s come up with that game plan! In this week’s episode of Successful Fashion Freelancer, I strategize with our guest Amna on how to guide a project and have open communication with a client after she landed her first $4k project on Upwork.   For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer!

Pitching on Upwork can be tough. Despite knowing that you're THE perfect fit for projects, it can be a struggle to get the right clients. Today’s guest, Lucia, found herself in the same situation. After six months of failed pitches, it left her thinking, "Is this really it for me? Why can't I be a mom AND a Successful Fashion Freelancer?" In this episode, Lucia shares the small changes she made in her pitches that immediately started landing her clients, how she got her first project for $1800, and more. For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer!

Starting a new career is scary, and it can be easy to underestimate what you bring to the table when you do. In this interview, Heidi helps new freelance pattern-maker Vanessa dissect Vanessa’s current outreach approach and strategize how to receive more email responses, starting without experience, what her pay rate should be, how Upwork can help grow her business, and create a plan of action. See more about the episode here!

"Just realized I'm permalancing and I hate it! How do I 'Quit'?" Finding yourself in the world of permalancing can be unexpected. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned professional, it can still come as a shock to find that your part-time gig has become a full-time drain. What are the telltale signs that your freelance work has become permalancing? And how do you leave? In this episode of Successful Fashion Freelancer, we dive in with today's guest Michelle Arrubla about her permalancing situation and how to be clear about those important work needs. For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer!

One place new fashion freelancers get stuck all the time is figuring out what services to offer. If you’ve been spinning your wheels thinking you need to learn flats, repeats, tech packs, patterns, sourcing, and maybe graphic design? before you can start freelancing, there’s good news: You don’t have to offer every service under the sun in order to present yourself as a freelancer. In fact, the secret you’ll learn in this short solo episode will make every aspect of freelancing easier, and make you MORE marketable at the same time.  For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer!

Ever wondered what your clients & potential clients are thinking? What makes them decide to hire a freelancer from a cold pitch? What are they thinking while you’re working together? And how do they decide whether to lose your info, or hire you again (and again, and again)? In this interview with freelance graphic designer Atara, you’ll hear a client’s perspective on what makes a freelancer irresistible.  For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer!

Ah, puberty. That fun phase we all go through. When surprises pop up that NO ONE prepared you for, everything is awkward AF, and you’re just trying to figure yourself out.   Puberty may suck, but it’s a mandatory phase--there’s no getting around it.   But I’m not talking about middle school, body hair, and braces. I’m talking about the cringeworthy, painful, but absolutely necessary phase of Freelance Puberty.     If you’re… Breaking into a sweat before every potential client call…  Putting off sending that cold pitch for weeks (because you don’t want potential clients to laugh at you!)... Or just feeling the freelance growing pains...  … then this episode is for you!  For the complete show notes and to register for the free training on finding freelance clients, head over to Successful Fashion Designer!

Even if you’ve been in the fashion industry for years (or decades!), transitioning to a freelance career presents a unique set of questions and challenges. Today’s guest has a decade of experience, but she still has tons of questions about how to turn that knowledge into a thriving freelance business. And we cover it all, from pricing to portfolios and so much more.  For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer!

“It’s practically impossible to break into fashion.” If you’ve ever believed this myth, you’re not alone. And that’s how today’s guest, Brittany, felt after she graduated from fashion school. For 15 years, Brittany couldn’t get her break. But within two months of launching her freelance career, Brittany has already landed her first client and completed two projects--her first paid work in the fashion industry. And this is just the beginning.    For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer!

If you’ve ever felt rusty or worried that you’re losing your edge in your fashion career, this episode is for you. Tina is a freelancer in Germany. Coming from the activewear category, she now exclusively designs workwear, and loves it! But will her workwear clients notice that she’s “lost” her activewear skills? And how can she get them back?   For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer!

You shouldn’t have to choose between your fashion career and your family. That “9 to 5” (more like 7 AM to 10 PM!) corporate job might feel stable and safe, but sometimes sticking with what you know isn’t worth the trade off. As a freelancer, you CAN build a stable, fulfilling career in fashion--and still have time to spend with your family (and live your life!).  I’m not here to judge--if you’re a parent who loves your demanding job and crazy long hours, then you do you! But if you’re craving more balance, you’re not alone. Listen to hear how designer Lori Paradis changed her life through freelancing… and how you can do it, too.  For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer!

As a freelancer in fashion, should you offer the skills you already know how to do well, or learn new skills so you can do what you really love? Some aspiring freelancers get so stuck on this question that they end up doing neither (and putting off their freelance goals yet another year... or two... or ten!).   In this Fashion Freelancer Q&A, we tackle the services you should offer, how to offer a service you haven’t perfected yet, and why doing what you love is a recipe for freelance success.   For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer!

Freelance patternmaker Alexandra doesn’t have a fashion degree, and she doesn’t live in a fashion hub. Yet with only a couple years of experience, she is now making more in one day as a freelancer than she made in two weeks at her old full-time job. Better yet, she loves the freedom to make her own schedule, choose the best projects for her goals, and actually have a life--all while still working in fashion.   For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer!

If you’ve never considered freelancing as an option for your fashion career, you’re not alone. Today’s guest, Amy, liked working in-house and was never interested in becoming a freelancer. But when she became a mom and needed just a little more work-life balance, she came face to face with how inflexible this industry can be. She started freelancing as a temporary fix while her son was young, and always intended to go back to in-house. But once she experienced the flexibility, freedom of choice, and better hourly wage she now has, she fell in love with freelancing.    For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer!

In this Fashion Freelancer Q&A you’ll hear from Mari, a freelance knitwear designer who’s working on perfecting her pricing strategy. She’s built a successful freelance business, and she loves her work and the “limitless opportunities” that freelancing provides. But like most new freelancers, she still has questions about charging for her services. From undercharging to retainers, listen for tons of tips to help you navigate freelance pricing. For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer!

One of the most common myths about freelancing in fashion is that brands won’t pay a fair hourly wage. Today’s guest blows that myth out of the water--sharing how she’s been charging up to $85 an hour over the past year (yes, during the pandemic!). From tips on finding clients, to pricing, retainers, and contracts, this interview is packed with the kind of freelance advice no one else in the industry is talking about.  For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer!

Sometimes the thing you *think* you’re stuck on is just a distraction from what’s really holding you back. In this Fashion Freelancer Q&A, technical designer Jaylene asks where to find freelance clients. But over the course of the conversation, she realizes that it’s not finding the brands that’s most challenging, but putting herself out there to pitch her services. For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer!

Launching a fashion brand is expensive. And many designers who dream of having their own brand find themselves stuck in this dilemma: You need to work to support yourself while you’re starting your brand. But a full time job hardly leaves any time to work on your line! In this interview, Atlanta-based sustainable designer Christina Yother shares how she launched and funded her fashion brand while working full time, freelancing, and navigating the effects of the pandemic on the fashion industry! For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer!

This is a very special episode--and the last episode of the Successful Fashion Designer Podcast. But don’t worry. Better things are coming, and we hope you’ll be along for the ride! In this episode, Heidi & Tara chat about the future of Successful Fashion Designer, and what this huge change means to you.  For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer!

This is my second interview with Noémie Jouas, a young designer who started creating bespoke dresses from her college housing in small-town Scotland. Since I spoke to her last, she’s had her first runway show, adapted to the pandemic, and gotten her work featured by both Teen Vogue and Vogue.  For links to Noemie and her original interview, head over to Successful Fashion Designer!