Episode Overview
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.
Episode Highlights
Introduction to Connie Bourgeois
- Heidi introduces Connie Bourgeois and describes her impressive transition from side hustle to full-blown design agency during the pandemic.
Connie’s Early Freelance Journey
- Connie shares how she started her freelance career by working for a former employer and got more clients through word of mouth.
Misconceptions About Freelance Work
- Heidi and Connie discuss the common misconception that there isn’t enough consistent freelance work available.
Taking the Leap
- Connie talks about how she managed freelancing on the side of her full-time job and what prompted her to eventually hire her first employee and transition to freelancing full-time.
Hiring the First Employee
- Connie explains how she hired her first employee and what processes she followed to make sure it was a great match.
Growth Through Factory Relationships
- Connie reveals the strategy of partnering with factories to get client referrals and describes how this contributed significantly to her business growth.
Managing Remote Clients
- Connie details how she manages remote clients, especially the logistics of fittings and product reviews.
Taking Care of Employees
- Heidi and Connie discuss the importance of treating employees well and how Connie ensures her team feels valued and supported.
Client Types and Market Niches
- Discussion about the types of clients Connie’s agency works with, and the variety of products they design, including items sold at non-traditional outlets such as grocery stores.
Future Plans and Business Growth
- Connie shares her future plans for expanding her business, including hiring more employees and moving into a commercial space.
Key Questions and Responses
1. How did your freelance career actually start?
- Connie’s freelance career began a few months before the pandemic when a former employer needed a designer for a small project. When COVID-19 hit, she was transitioning between jobs with uncertainty about her future role. She reached out to her previous employer for contract work, which they agreed to. Word spread among her former colleagues, who then began reaching out to her for freelance work. This built the foundation for her freelance career.
2. How did you manage to grow your freelance career from a side hustle to a full-time agency?
- Connie leveraged connections and resources available through Heidi’s Freelance Accelerator program, which provided her with new client leads. She also took a strategic business trip to LA to visit factories and fabric mills, during which she built a referral network by suggesting potential clients not ready for factories be referred to her. This led to a steady stream of new clients and subsequent growth, necessitating the hiring of additional employees.
3. How did hiring your first employee impact your business and what roles did they take on?
- Connie’s first employee was a recent college graduate who handled sketch modifications, line sheets, and eventually took on new design work with specific direction. This hire allowed her to manage the influx of client projects while still holding a full-time job. Over time, this employee demonstrated the capability to take on more responsibilities, and although she eventually left for a full-time role elsewhere, the next hire continued to support the agency’s growth.
4. What strategy did you use to find and work with factories?
- Connie visited several factories and fabric mills in LA, where she presented her portfolio of tech packs and samples to demonstrate her expertise. This visit not only identified reliable manufacturing partners but also established a referral system for potential clients not ready for factory production. This strategy proved effective in gaining new clients quickly and strengthening her professional network.
5. How did you handle the remote aspects of your business, especially during the pandemic?
- For remote clients, Connie emphasized the importance of adding extra time to account for shipping back and forth. She would fit samples in her office, make initial notes, and then ship items to clients for their assessment, followed by Zoom meetings for feedback. Subsequent revisions were managed similarly, with clients shipping items back to her for comparison and further adjustments.
6. How do you balance taking care of your employees and scaling your business?
- Connie prioritizes her employees’ well-being and job satisfaction by ensuring financial stability and providing a positive work environment. This approach includes offering fair wages, involving them in significant professional experiences like trips to LA and New York, and fostering a respectful and valued team culture. Although profit margins may be modest, she considers reinvesting in her team crucial for the long-term health of her business.
7. What are your future plans for the business?
- Connie aims to expand her workforce by possibly hiring one or two more employees and transitioning from a home-based office to a commercial space. She is actively seeking new clients and negotiating whether to raise rates or diversify her client base. The goal is to continue growing sustainably while maintaining the quality of service and the well-being of her team.
About Connie Bourgeois
After 12 years in the fashion industry with roles at companies large and small across the product life cycle, Connie decided to go freelance. Offering design, sourcing, development, and production management services, Connie’s client roster and workload quickly exceeded her 40 hours per week, so she hired a team and launched her own firm, Conjetta Designs.
Loved this episode? Don’t miss Episode 126: How to Find Freelance Fashion Design Clients!
Resources & People Mentioned
- Free resources for SFF Podcast listeners!
- Check out Connie’s website
- Connect with Connie on LinkedIn
- Follow Connie on Instagram
- Want to work with Connie? Email claire@conjettadesigns.com
- Check out Upwork!