Fashion Designers Get Paid: Build Your Fashion Career On Your Own Terms

Welcome back to another episode of "Fashion Designers Get Paid"! Today we have a fantastic guest joining us - the talented Mari Medina, a freelance knitwear designer. In this episode, Mari will be sharing her journey of building and growing her fashion career as a fashion designer, navigating the world of freelancing, and the valuable lessons she has learned along the way. From the importance of hands-on experience to seeking feedback and constantly evolving, Mari's insights are sure to inspire and educate. So grab a cup of tea, sit back, and get ready to dive into the world of freelance fashion design with Mari Medina. Let's get started! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

Welcome back, fashion friends! It's Heidi here, and I am beyond excited to announce that we're back with some BIG changes on the podcast! Our break was far from idle - we've been reflecting, brainstorming, and working on some exciting things behind the scenes. But let's dive right into what you can expect from our revamped show!First off, we are zoning in on our ideal listeners. We want to reach fashion professionals who are feeling burnt out and looking for more opportunities in their careers. Maybe you're considering a couple of options but aren't sure if it's the right move or maybe you're unaware of the freelancing option. No matter where you are in your fashion journey, this podcast is here to support and inspire you.We recently conducted a survey, unrelated to our podcast name, and were blown away by the responses. Many of you expressed feeling undervalued and underpaid in the fashion industry. That's why we've come up with a brilliant idea to tackle this issue head-on - finding a simple solution for fashion designers to get paid what they deserve.In the coming episodes, we'll be shaking things up to provide you with diverse insights and perspectives on financing, freelancing, and the business side of fashion. We're talking successful fashion freelancer stories, interviews with industry experts, solo episodes with yours truly, and even coaching sessions with our students!To ensure we cover all aspects of the industry, we'll be inviting brands and clients who hire freelancers to join us. You'll get an inside look at the hiring process, what they look for in freelancers, and the resources available to you.But wait, there's more! We've made some changes to our schedule too. Starting today, we'll be publishing new episodes every Monday. So mark your calendars and get ready to start your week with fashion inspiration and knowledge.Now, here comes the cherry on top - we've rebranded! After some soul-searching, we're now proudly known as "Fashion Designers Get Paid." We're confident that this tweak will resonate more and help more fashion enthusiasts discover our show.So buckle up, fashionistas, because we're here to empower you, educate you, and make sure you get paid what you deserve. Stay tuned for our upcoming episodes full of industry knowledge, success stories, and game-changing insights. And don't forget, if you know any industry experts or have any suggestions for guests, shoot us an email at podcast (at) sewheidi.com.Thank you for your unwavering support, and let's make this fashion-forward journey even more fabulous together! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

This episode is a little bit different than our normal episodes. In this episode, I’m going to talk about some of the amazing benefits of being your own boss while sharing some announcements about the podcast. You’ll also get to hear some very exciting news about an upcoming event that we are pumped about! For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

Referrals are one of the best ways to grow your freelance fashion design business but they don’t just fall in your lap! If you’ve ever struggled with the confidence to ask for a referral or have trouble finding the right time or words to say, then this episode is for you! Meghan is joining me as we dig into her referral strategy to discover what’s working, what’s not, and what could be improved. You’ll also hear Meghan share her challenges of asking for more work and being afraid of taking on anything outside of her comfort zone. Between being a mom and working on her freelance career, Meghan has some legit questions about how to overcome the fears of asking for referrals and overcoming her comfort zone. Listen in to learn effective strategies for being confident and taking the right steps to ask for referrals to get consistent income. For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

We love all of the great things being a freelance fashion designer has to offer, but what about the tasks that seem really intimidating? In this episode, Stayce and I are jumping into these intimidating tasks head first (literally…we’re going to be tackling mindset!) Find out how Stayce wraps her mind around tackling some of these intimidating tasks and landed a $10k project on Upwork! Join us as she talks us through the very strategies that she used to pitch to that client, get them on a phone call, and put the proposal together to land the project and how you can, too! For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

We’ve all been there – struggling to figure out what in the world to include in your tech pack portfolio as a freelance technical designer, what NOT to include, what’s relevant and irrelevant… That’s why Christina and I work through exactly what her goals are and how to create the optimal portfolio to attract the right brands while doing the work that Christina loves! You’ll also hear about Christina’s struggles figuring out what aesthetic to pursue, since she was told she wouldn’t find work in the industry that she loves. Listen in on why I think this could actually be a really amazing opportunity for Christina to find clients and brands while not compromising on the work she’s passionate about. For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

On this episode of the Successful Fashion Freelancer Podcast, we bring on Darci, who took an interest to sewing at a young age and followed her interests to fashion school. But, after moving to Florida, USA she quickly found that the only market for her skillset was in factories as a seamstress. This didn’t stop her from continuing her education, since along the way, she picked up crucial skills in software for patternmaking, started listening to the SFF podcast, and took a few of Heidi’s courses. Then? She took the leap and QUIT her job to pursue fashion freelancing. Listen in to hear about Darci’s journey in more detail including her struggles in confidence with business skills, English as a second language, navigating projects, and how she started getting clients as a freelance patternmaker. Plus, she did all of this with NO formal portfolio! For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

Have you ever wondered how much is too much when reaching out to brands? You want to be a proactive freelance fashion designer and let it be known that you’re available for projects, but the clients keep giving you the old “not now, maybe later” and you don’t want to be overbearing…What do you do? This episode of the Successful Fashion Freelancer podcast is a clip from a Strategy Session I have with FAST: Freelance Accelerator student Renée, and we work on verbiage and strategies for keeping in touch with brands in a sustainable way, while not turning them off from over-outreach. For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

Can you imagine having the flexibility and resources to just simply… take 2 months off from work? Well, in this episode of the Successful Fashion Freelancer podcast, I bring back a former FAST: Freelance Accelerator student and we discuss how she did just that. And get this: she funded it by quadrupling her income as a freelance patternmaker in the first half of this year alone! Definitely take a listen with Alexandra as we discuss how she accomplished this as well as the personal and philosophical growth she experienced as a freelancer in the fashion industry. (Spoiler alert: she lives her life on her own terms!) For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

One of the most common topics students ask about freelancing in fashion is pricing. Do you charge hourly or by project? How do you know you’re getting paid enough? What do you tell clients when you end up working more than expected? If you can relate to any of these questions, this episode is for you. In this strategy session with Laetitia, a lingerie fashion designer from France, we discuss these issues and work through strategies that help you make sure your project prices are up to par, and that you don’t undercharge when you end up doing more work on the project than expected. For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

You’ve tried everything to get clients – Upwork, cold pitching, you name it. In this interview with Aashika, a freelance lingerie fashion designer, she shares the same sentiment and advice on how she handles this hardship. She also shares literally ONE thing that she changed on LinkedIn that not only got her more clients, but made them approach her! Plus, keep listening for some valuable tips and transparent experiences on charging wages based in India, including getting a fair wage both inside and outside of India. For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

We can all agree that no matter what you have going on – life can get really busy sometimes. Between your job(s), freelancing, social life, family life – the list goes on – it can get so difficult to keep track of everything while building a freelance fashion career. Productivity and time management skills are quintessential to your success in the fashion industry and beyond, so this is a major talking point on today’s episode of the Successful Fashion Freelancer podcast. While pregnant with her second child and already raising a 3 year old, working, and freelancing, Lindsey knows how crazy life can get. We cover advice on balancing your career and family responsibilities mom-to-mom, as well as all things freelance fashion design – including finding your niche, searching for clients, and refining your pitches to make yourself more attractive to a brand while needing to do less customer research. For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

There are millions of reasons we might leave the fashion industry – burn out, starting a family, a big move, or just life in general… And I often find people asking if it’s possible to break back into the industry, whether they’re too outdated and not up with the trends, or that they don’t know the latest software. In this episode of the Success Fashion Freelancer podcast, I’m here to tell you that it’s TOTALLY possible, and how one of my former students did it. In this episode I interview Kate Knight, a cashmere sweater designer who took a whopping 10 year long break from fashion after pursuing a different career and having a daughter. Now, she’s killing the game – and we walk through the challenges she faced and the strategies she’s used to break back into fashion design. For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

Setting your rates is one of the hardest aspects of freelancing, and it might be holding you back. Such was the case of Chad Robertson, a freelancer who was severely undercharging for his services in the book editing and formatting industry. After Heidi hired him for a freelance job to edit her first book, Chad followed her advice to raise his rates and turned his annual earnings from $20,000 a year to a whopping $100,000! In this episode, we discuss how Heidi found Chad through his niche, the conversation they held about his rates, and how that turned his earnings into a 6-figure income. While it’s not the fashion design world, Chad’s story is inspiring and relatable for all freelancers as he had to overcome mental barriers to raising his rates and finding the confidence to charge what he was worth. TRIGGER WARNING: Chad discusses his early career as an immigration paralegal and touches on sensitive topics including severe poverty, suicide, and family separation. To skip this conversation, start listening at 11:50 into the episode. For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

Everyone has to start somewhere in the fashion world. In this episode of the Successful Fashion Freelancer podcast, you’ll get to know Kayla Marshall – a fashion design freelancer who didn’t go to fashion school, is totally self taught, and doesn’t have any formal industry experience. This can be suuuper daunting, but together we will talk through some great tips for getting started as a freelancer! Plus, it can be hard to know when you’re “ready” to start offering skills to clients you aren’t 100% confident about. You’ll hear some valuable advice on ways to learn these skills such as creating tech packs, fashion flats, and using Adobe Illustrator, which will help you gain some confidence on offering new skills such as pattern making to clients. For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

Starting your own fashion brand is the dream for many – but it’s not a walk in the park. In this episode of the SFF podcast, Sofia Luzon recalls the late nights of sewing, packing & shipping, talking with suppliers, and more sewing for her lingerie brand. Not only was it overwhelming, but it took 5 years of dedicated work for Sofia to even pay herself – and even that was less than minimum wage! Then, after attending our Freelance Week last year and learning from some of my free resources, Sofia decided to dip her toes into the world of fashion freelancing. After creating a portfolio, an account on Upwork, and working up the courage to start pitching, she had her first client in just 10 days. Not only is she in complete control of her work life, but she is consulting for brands and hasn’t been without a project since. Listen to this episode to learn how Sofia started her career, and you might want to rethink your journey in starting a brand. Plus, get tips on how Sofia found clients, sent pitches, and gained confidence to have a sustainable income as a fashion design freelancer. For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

Surface pattern design is a broad category that includes textile design and print and pattern design for all sorts of applications, from dishware to packaging to office supplies. If you’ve been listening to the SFF podcast for long, you know how important niching down is for finding freelance clients. But in such a diverse specialty, figuring out what to focus on can be a big challenge! In this episode, I walk surface pattern designer Rachelle Fields through choosing the niche she wants to focus on. Then we go on to talk about pricing, and what to include in a textile design contract so both you and your client walk away happy. For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

If you’re interested in freelancing in the fashion industry, but you don’t know where to start, this one’s for you! Learn what services freelance fashion designers can offer (spoiler alert: It’s way more than just “design”!), how to decide what YOUR services should be, and the secret that makes getting started as a freelancer 10X easier! Plus, get inspired by stories of real-life Successful Fashion Freelancers who are loving their flexible careers in fashion. For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

Struggling to find a job (even after attending a respected fashion school)? Stuck at a job that sucks the joy out of life (but feel like it’s your only option)? Laid off (and not sure if fashion is worth the struggle anymore)? If you’re fed up with the fashion industry, but don’t want to give up on the work you love, this episode is for you! If any of those situations sound familiar, Textile Designer and Successful Fashion Freelancer Katerina Dimovska has been there too. But her transformational story is proof that you don’t have to leave the fashion industry to have creative, fulfilling work that lights you up! Now she’s earning more than she did in her full time job, she has the freedom to travel between her family in Macedonia and her partner in Italy, and she’s finally doing work she truly loves. For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

Are you charging too much as a freelance fashion designer? Money is one of the most awkward subjects for many newer fashion freelancers, and a fair rate can deter some clients. But your time is valuable! If you’re setting or raising your freelance rates and worried that charging what you’re worth will scare potential clients away, this one’s for you. Listen for tips on how to avoid this tough scenario, and to learn why losing freelance clients because of your rate might not be a bad thing! For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

Whether you’re new to the fashion industry or you’ve only worked for bigger brands, sourcing fabrics and trims for smaller brands can be a daunting task for many freelance fashion designers. How do you find fabric suppliers with low minimums? How do you know if a fabric supplier is any good? And what are the basic steps to buying fabric for a small fashion brand? In this episode of the Successful Fashion Freelancer Podcast, I’m once again chatting with Jay Arbetman, the founder of The Sourcing District. Since he started helping out with the family coat business at age 14, Jay has accumulated 50 years of experience in the fashion industry. A lot has changed since the last time I interviewed him in 2017, especially when it comes to startup brands, sustainability, and freelancing in fashion. Don’t miss The Complete Guide to Sourcing Fabric with Low Minimums. And for the complete show notes and links to all the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

On the surface, it sounds like Krystal has it all—a thriving freelance fashion design biz, FIFTEEN solid clients, and a connection that regularly sends her more work. The problem? Her 15 clients are all in different niches, from hunting & fishing to swimwear to golf. Krystal’s killing it and her clients love her, but switching between so many different categories leaves her feeling scattered, disorganized, and frantic. She wants to niche down and do the work she’s most excited about, but how do you tell good clients that you’re letting them go? And how do you find the time to update your portfolio, find potential clients in your new niche, and pitch when you already have more on your plate than you can handle? Listen to this Freelance Strategy Session for actionable advice on how to offboard freelance fashion design clients in a way that leaves them feeling great, how to change your niche, the different kinds of brands that hire freelancers and tips on finding them, avoiding permalance roles, and more. For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

“I can’t freelance—I need a stable job.” One of the biggest misconceptions about freelancing in fashion is that it’s feast or famine. So many people imagine freelancers stuck in an endless job hunt, never knowing where their next project is coming from (or if they’ll get one at all!). But the truth is that, when you know how to build your career the right way, freelancing can actually be MORE stable than a full-time job. Hear how once-reluctant freelancer Sam Shammas has created her dream career doing fashion illustration and freelance bridal design, and get inspired… because it’s possible for you, too. For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

One of the MOST common reasons aspiring fashion freelancers put off building their freelance career is not having enough time. There’s this myth that you need to find a two-hour block of time every day to “hustle” and “work your business.” And the only way most of us mortals can carve out time like that is to sacrifice our sleep (get up at 4 a.m.!), or to sacrifice that precious bit of leisure time we all need at the end of a long workday. Well, there’s good news: You can create space in your day to build your freelance career without giving up your social life, your sleep, and your sanity!! For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

The high cost of fashion school shouldn’t be the thing that keeps you from working in the industry you love. Yes, it is possible to break into the fashion industry without a fashion degree, without industry experience, without connections, AND without living in NYC! Today’s guest, Arya Mishra, is a 20-year-old, self-taught designer in India. She started out as a freelancer exclusively offering fashion flats, and within the first two months she already had multiple clients paying her $20 an hour—and more lined up! Don’t let fashion industry myths keep you from pursuing your dream. Fashion is a challenging industry, but with the right tools and a lot of determination, you CAN become a Successful Fashion Freelancer. For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

You’ve landed a new client, and the trial project they requested went great! You’re ready to start the full project with them. But then, they suddenly stop replying to your emails. You try following up, but it’s like they’ve vanished. You’ve been ghosted. And it sucks. Were your rates too high? Did you do something wrong? That’s what I explore with this week’s guest, Anna. She’s a FAST student with a couple of years’ experience freelancing. But when she was ghosted by a couple clients in a row, she started to lose her confidence. Is she really a good enough designer? And if she is, why did they bail? For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

Successful Fashion Freelancer Alison Hoenes has grown her freelance business to 75% more than her old full-time income in just 4 years. She has plenty of clients and more projects than she can take on, and she needs help! In part two of the interview, we dive into what Alison can do to keep growing her business without losing her work-life balance–one of the best things about being a true, remote freelancer. We cover hiring, deciding what tasks to delegate (or dump altogether!), and how Alison can help even more clients without lowering her rates or burning out. For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

How do you grow from your first few clients to a thriving, fully booked freelance biz? After four years as a Successful Fashion Freelancer, Alison Hoenes is earning 75% more than her old full-time salary, booked out months in advance, and still growing. And she’s doing it all without working insane 60-hour weeks (like most traditional fashion jobs). If you’ve established some steady clients and are ready to grow your freelance business, this episode is full of strategies to get you there. And if you’re just getting started, you’ll be inspired by how far Alison has come in just four short years. This episode is a follow up from Alison’s interview two years ago: Episode 103: How to Make More Money as a Fashion Freelancer (than in a Full Time Job)! For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

A common myth about freelancing is that it’s unstable, and you have to hustle 24/7 to get enough projects to survive. That was how this episode’s guest, PK, felt. When she had her son and started freelancing, she got burned by a client who refused to pay, and felt like she was constantly searching for a job. Now, she works with brands in her home country of India and around the world, and she has so much work that she had to hire other freelancers to help out! Listen to hear how she did it, and what it takes to build a successful freelance career anywhere in the world. For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

You’ve put in the time and the work. Now there's only one thing standing between your side hustle becoming your full time source of income: getting more freelance clients. In this episode our guest Connie reveals the simple change that allowed her to transform her side hustle into a design agency within 18 months. For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

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! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

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! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

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! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

"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! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

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! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

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! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

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! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

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! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

“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! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

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! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

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! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

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! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

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! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

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! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

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! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

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! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

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! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

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! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

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! Click here to join the last round of FAST!

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! Click here to join the last round of FAST!