In this special episode, check out Heidi’s interview on the Spirit of 608 podcast. The interview, which originally aired in March 2018, focuses on her work as a freelance fashion designer, and Heidi doles out tons of valuable freelancing advice for the fashion industry. Heidi talks candidly about her fashion journey, sharing the highs, the lows, and the lessons she learned the hard way on her way to creating work and a lifestyle she loves.

When she first started out, Heidi thought working as a fashion designer was “one of those unattainable Hollywood dreams.” But her passion and determination took her from a dead-end receptionist job to running a successful fashion brand, working as an in-house designer, and finally creating a career freelancing in fashion. It was a direction she never expected to go! But now that she knows how freelancing can change a designer’s life, she wants to share what she’s learned with YOU.

In the interview (which you’ll love), we will cover:

• Heidi’s journey from graphic design school to Successful Fashion Designer
• Why having your own label may not be as glamorous as it seems
• The “dream” jobs that Heidi walked away from
• How she found her perfect fit as a designer
• Tips for fashion freelancers looking for their first clients
• How doing less as a freelancer actually helps you earn more
• What you should do differently when you’re pitching for freelance work (or ANY type of job!)
• Where to start when setting your rates
• And more!

Press the orange play button below to listen here, or listen on Apple Podcasts:

---

---

 Resources & People Mentioned

• Get all the details on the Successful Fashion Freelancer course!
• The original episode over on Spiritof608.com
• Spirit of 608 on iTunes
• Calendly
• Heidi’s blog series on her fashion journey:
  • “The Painful Beginnings of my Own Fashion Brand”
  • “How my Dream Job as a Fashion Designer Became a Nightmare”
  • “What Experts Don’t Tell You About Starting a Fashion Line”
  • “How to Survive as a Fashion Designer”
• Spirit of 608 on Instagram
• Sew Heidi on Instagram

Enjoy the show? Help us out by:

• Rating us on iTunes – it really helps!
• Subscribing on iTunes
• Subscribing on YouTube
• Subscribing on Stitcher
• Subscribing on Google Play
• Subscribing on Spotify

From the show notes on Spirit of 608:

In rethinking goals news, we have an episode this week diving into a different way to be a fashion designer than we typically talk about on the Spirit of 608 podcast. Yes, it’s true, we’re so often focused on building a business that involves a standalone brands with its own products and services. But this week’s guest is here to tell us how she uses her designer skills to get freelance work that allows her to do her job anywhere she wants (even in a few gorg tropical locales) while also building an online biz that helps others follow in her well-heeled footsteps.

MEET THIS WEEK’S GUEST, SEW HEIDI, FOUNDER OF SUCCESSFUL FASHION DESIGNER.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

Running a business isn’t as glamorous as it seems. It might not be the right choice for everybody. As Heidi says, it certainly wasn’t for her. She tells us, “I actually hated running because at the end of the day, I wasn’t even designing anymore… I was doing sales, inventory, dealing with customer service issues.” Get some real talk from Heidi this week, as she shares her less-than-stellar experience starting a company – and how walking away led her to what she was truly meant to do.

HOW YOU’LL BE INSPIRED

It’s easy to think hitting the goals you have in mind for yourself will lead to happiness. But sometimes, you get there, and the reality is a far cry from what you’d imagined. Listen to the show to hear how Heidi walked away from her own fashion brand to design in-house for another company, then ultimately decided she needed an entirely different direction that, while not her original goal, ended up being an entirely better fit.

WHAT YOU’LL TELL YOUR FRIENDS

So did you know that pricing yourself too low can mean even fewer customers than you’d find if you only charged more? And then there’s this: if you’re stuck making next to nothing for hard work, you’re not actually stuck. There are a number of ways to change the relationship and get paid rates that will actually help you sustain your lifestyle. We get some negotiating tips from Heidi, as she shares some techniques to help you avoid pricing yourself too low.

Find more episodes featuring women at the forefront of FEST online at www.Spiritof608.com.