259: Why Max Said Yes to a “Cheap” Project—and Doesn’t Regret It

You’ve probably been told never to say yes to cheap work. But what if that project could launch your freelance career? That’s exactly what Max Guemto did. With no reviews and a fresh Upwork profile, he got a message from a client offering just $150—and instead of walking away, he saw a smart opportunity. In this episode, Max unpacks the mindset, strategy, and communication that made this “cheap” project totally worth it. If you’ve ever debated whether a low-budget job is worth your time, this story will shift your perspective.

About Max:
Max Guemto is a freelance 3D fashion and activewear designer currently based in Korea. After earning his degree in textile and clothing technology in Germany, he interned across the globe—from lingerie brands to spinning factories—before diving headfirst into freelancing. With a sharp eye for detail and a deeply strategic mindset, Max helps brands bring functional, innovative activewear to life.

Connect with Max:
Email him at [e-mail]
Check out his website 

Follow on Instagram 

Connect on LinkedIn

Download my Freelance Price List just for fashion (it’s free!): sewheidi.com/price

Creators and Guests

Host

Heidi Weinberg {Sew Heidi}

Heidi (aka Sew Heidi) is a self-taught freelance fashion designer who built a six-figure business without a degree, portfolio, or industry connections. After years of burnout in the fashion industry, she went freelance—and never looked back. Now, she helps other designers ditch toxic jobs, land better clients, and build flexible careers they love. Through her podcast, courses, and resources, Heidi has helped thousands of designers take control of their fashion path and finally get paid what they’re worth.

What is Fashion Designers Get Paid: Build Your Fashion Career On Your Own Terms?

This is a show for burnt-out fashion designers (and TDs, PDs, patternmakers, textile designer and beyond) who want more flexibility in their career while still doing work they love.

You'll learn how to build a freelance fashion business, so you can do the work you love on your own terms. Freelancing in fashion is the only way to get freedom in your day (instead of being tied to a desk).

Whether you want to earn extra money on the side, fund your fashion brand, or replace your salary, the FDGP podcast will help you get there. Listen in for actionable tips and strategies to kickstart or grow your career as a freelance fashion designer, build your confidence, and create the life you want.

Hosted by $100k+ fashion freelancer Sew Heidi, the show features interviews and strategy sessions with successful freelance fashion designers from around the world who've ditched toxic fashion jobs and taken control of their own destinies. This is the only place to get REAL insights from REAL freelancers who have built REAL careers on their own terms. (Formerly the Successful Fashion Freelancer podcast.)

Maximilian Guemto and [e-mail] - May 13
VIEW RECORDING - 53 mins (No highlights): https://fathom.video/share/R4hhu8xa6UaeGuBwqVYTE7V9vy6kCuGY

---

0:02 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Hi, Max.

0:03 - Max Guemto
Hello. Hi, Heidi.

0:06 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
How are you?

0:07 - Max Guemto
I'm doing good. And you?

0:09 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
I'm good. Hold on. I'm keeping my audio selection here. Okay. That should be the right audio recording. All right. I'm excited to chat. I had no idea we'd be hopping on this call after our strategy session, but my team shared your win, I thought it was so intentional, what you did, and I thought it was a great story to share.

0:34 - Max Guemto
So thank you for agreeing to come on. Thank you for having me. Thank you for having me.

0:41 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Awesome. Have you listened to the podcast before?

0:45 - Max Guemto
Yeah, I've listened to a lot of podcasts. I just finished a podcast of today with Daniel Steinmann.

0:54 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Oh, yeah.

0:54 - Max Guemto
It was quite interesting. Yeah, yeah, I listened to every every time one get out, I listen every time and

1:00 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
I like it. It's okay. It's good to see what other people do. Yeah. Okay, cool. So, you know, kind of the routine. It's very casual. I don't prepare questions in advance. We'll just kind of chat. And yeah, I'll kick it off. Does that sound good? Or do you have any questions?

1:17 - Max Guemto
That sounds good. That sounds good.

1:18 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Awesome. And so to clarify, this was your very first client, correct?

1:24 - Max Guemto
Yeah, this was my very... Okay. On Upwork, that was my very first client. But overall, that wasn't. I had a client before.

1:34 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Yeah. Yeah. Okay. It's your first client on Upwork. Okay.

1:37 - Max Guemto
Yeah.

1:37 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
All right.

1:38 - Max Guemto
Yeah. But I didn't really count the customers before because that were friends. And it was really on the path.

1:49 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
I just did it as like a trial project. Okay.

1:51 - Max Guemto
Yeah. Which was not bad because I could see the way I delivered on the first time to them. And they did. They happened to have like a second contract with me and after I did the first and I tried to use like the template and try to have like a very good delivery package and I could see from the very first contract and the second, they even said that the delivery package is way better.

2:23 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Okay, let's I'm going to pause you because I want to talk about all this in the podcast.

2:27 - Max Guemto
Okay, so this was your first client that wasn't a friend. This one I just talked about, the upper one, it wasn't a friend.

2:39 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Right, the first one that wasn't a friend.

2:42 - Max Guemto
Yeah, yeah.

2:43 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Okay, okay. All right, cool. All right, all right. All right, well I'm going to hit record then and I want to talk about all the stuff you just started chatting about because that was really interesting too.

2:52 - Max Guemto
So we'll jump in. Does that sound good?

2:54 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Okay, is that okay that my background is blurry or should I even go away? We don't really wind up doing it. Too much with the video, but yeah, that's good too.

3:02 - Max Guemto
That works. Yeah.

3:04 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Okay. All right. Welcome, Max, to the podcast. I'm super excited to chat. You have a win to celebrate, which is your first client on Upwork. It is nothing massively huge, but you approached the sales process so strategically and intentionally and what I felt was a very smart move from a marketing perspective. And so I wanted to bring you on to talk about that. So to give everybody some context, first, tell us about the win and the client that you landed on Upwork.

3:42 - Max Guemto
Okay. So first, thanks for having me. Yeah, I'm glad to be here. And the clients, I learned the clients on Upwork, as I said, and it was very random because he just started texting me and I had opened some account on Fiverr as well. And I experienced a lot of people texting me and just wanting my email and when I saw this message, it was a very new account. So I thought it's a scam. But I didn't want to waste the opportunity that it might be actually a client, actual customer. So we started talking and I noticed that he was very clear about what he wanted. He had prepared the whole file and that was like more like a green flag because I knew, okay, he knows what he wants and he was very clear, made some inspiration and everything. So we kind of like pushed on and talked more and more and more about the project. One thing I noticed quite early is that he wanted the product to be very cheap. Like he was looking for someone to work with after this project. So this was sort of a trial project. And yeah, although the pay was cheap. Um, which was, um, $150. I don't know if it's okay to set it on a podcast, but yeah.

5:06 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Yeah.

5:08 - Max Guemto
Um, yeah. So it was like $150 for three designs. So three set design for active wear collection, one for male, female, and one unit extra. And he didn't want the treaty design as I offered a treaty design as a service. Uh, he wanted the flats, um, originally, but then I said, I am doing a treaty design, which is, uh, it's better for visualizing, visualizing the product before everything. And it's okay to make iteration. And since it's like the first time we work, um, I'm going to pack the treaty design as if it was just normal, um, fashion flats or like, um, technical designs. So I said, I'm not going to increase the rate. I'm going then he wanted six designs. At first, and I decided to charge it for like $300, but then he came back and said it was too expensive and that he couldn't work, and that's the first place where I noticed the Fath program helped me there, because if it was to hold me, I would have said, this customer, he doesn't want to work with me, he doesn't want to pay, does he want me to give him the six designs for $200? Or what, like, I cannot do that, but I was like, okay, I cannot throw this customer, so I said, okay, let's work this around together, how about reducing the number of, like, designs, so instead of six, we do three, and since it's just a trial, and he was also inquiring on other professionals, other designers, so he wanted to select which one he likes most, so I just told him, okay, let's just, I would do three for half of the price, So for you, you, it's you. Okay. And for me, I'm not going to below my price because there's a certain level. I'm not enjoying the work anymore if I get paid a certain amount. And yeah, and that worked pretty well. He took some time to finalize everything, which made me think one more time, is this something actual? But I think we had the last text on the Thursday in the week and on Sunday. Sunday, I just received a mail that he confirmed everything and that he set the contract and I was supposed to deliver it 10 days later. So that's how it started. Yeah.

7:43 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Okay, cool. So some of the nuances I think that you did here are really interesting. And I know you explained some of them in email before we got on the podcast here, but you really looked at this opportunity. So first of all, you saw some green flags with him in terms of How he was organized, he was clear about what he wanted, etc. And you looked at this very specifically as like a trial project, which you said, I wanted to clarify, you were really clear with him and that this is not the normal rate. I'm doing this just to show you what I can do.

8:17 - Max Guemto
And there's a potential of more work afterwards. Is that correct? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like I made that very clear. Even before the first, very first pricing of 300 for a six style, I said it was clear for him. He was looking for someone for the trial project, which he will take for the longer project. So I told him, okay, this is the trial project. I know it's a risk for you. And it is also some kind of a risk for me. So I will offer you a low rate for this project. And if you think it's okay, if the work you are satisfied with my design and design language, and we can work well together, we can go to the normal rate, but I made very clear. It was that this was way below my rates. I used that term, but I say I'm willing to do that because of this opportunity. I didn't tell him this way, but I think he got that, okay, my account was new. I had no reviews. So I didn't say, oh, I need the review, but maybe he just understood, okay, he's doing that. He's good, maybe. And he needs this for the review for like a kickoff. So it's okay. Yeah. So this was the idea. And he was very good at communicating. Like when he wasn't, when he didn't set the contract, he told me Upwork is having some issue with his account. That's why it's delayed. So he always kept me updated. So that was like pretty nice. And like even more green flags, even though the pay was low, working with him was very comfortable, to be honest.

9:56 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
It wasn't like annoying. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like some of the, like, Lower-priced projects and clients that really just push for a lower price can tend to be a really big pain, but you were very smart. You saw all these green flags up front, and you thought, okay, I think I can make this work, and then communicating that the rate was just for the trial. Did you tell him what the normal rate would have been if you were doing this, not as a trial?

10:24 - Max Guemto
I don't think I did so, but on Upwork, there's always like your rate per hour, and mine is like $30 per hour. So I just specify that for the ongoing project, we're just going to like tax on the number of hours we work on, and he knows my rate. Yeah, so I didn't talk on the price for the later on project, because it was also something we will have to discuss more to know what it will actually cost. So it wouldn't have been a good move, I think, to just say, oh, for the big project, I'm going to need this amount of money.

11:00 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
I would have made more information. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Gotcha. And then you like the other thing I want to highlight, you mentioned, but like you were very intentional to grab this project because you were like, I want to build my Upwork presence and starting from zero with no reviews can be a challenge. And so you looked at this as more of like a strategic move to build that base and less so about like making all the money.

11:25 - Max Guemto
Yeah. Yeah, definitely. It wasn't really about the money. It wasn't at all about the money, but more, I wanted a good review and I wanted some work on my profile. I, because since, ever since I had the profile, I landed no jobs, but I have to be honest, I didn't really apply also. And, and yeah, and I took it as a small opportunity because I've been coaching and then I just received this Upwork request and then I thought, okay, um, I need to take on, on these chances to build my Upwork. And. Yeah, it was more of a strategic, and I was also hoping that I would land the bigger project with him, so like I did the best for the work and I tried to be as communicative as possible and deliver the best performance I could, so I could land the bigger job. It's not confirmed yet, but yeah, maybe.

12:22 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Okay, so you've finished the first trial project with three designs, and that's been completed and you're waiting to hear on the update because you said he was working with a couple designers to see who best matched his aesthetic.

12:34 - Max Guemto
Yeah, yeah, He still hasn't answered yet, but I followed up on him recently to ask for feedbacks after I started the Module 5. And I said, okay, feedback is also some sense of like value, so I just sent him a nice chat and say, oh, I would like to have like a small feedback. Did you like it or so? of really, And I also updated my Upwork so I did like a full tech pack so I also told him I got like my profile updated on the tech pack so you can go on my profile and watch like the tech pack to be more confident about how a tech pack will look if we work together. So yeah, that was smart. Yeah, yeah. So he hasn't answered yet. But yeah, we also a different time zone. And I think I think with this, I just need to be patient. I think I designed the tree piece in 10 days. I think it was a little bit fast. I could have like a little bit more. think the other professionals are going to take a little more time. I hope that's not going to play against my favor. But yeah, let's see.

13:53 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Let's see. Yeah. Okay. You mentioned time zones. Where are you located?

13:57 - Max Guemto
And where was he located? He is in London time. And I'm in Korean time, Japan time.

14:02 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
You're in Japan. Are you in Japan or you're in South Korea. You're in Korea. Korea. Okay, gotcha. Okay, well, this is exciting. I think a very smart and intentional move. You have mentioned a lot of small things that I want to get a little bit more context and insight into. You mentioned how you were extremely communicative throughout the process. Can you talk about that and just little things that you did? And the reason I ask this question is because I've worked with and hired so many freelancers who are, I would say, one of the number one challenge with freelancers in general from a client's perspective is lack of communication on a lot of levels, whether it's before the project kicks off or during the project. And so can you talk about some of the things that you were really specifically mindful of to be really communicative on and give some exact examples?

14:57 - Max Guemto
Okay, first. Before the project I made sure I asked very specific question also kind of like to scoot the customer to know if it's something actual because I wasn't sure. Also I kind of made clear I'm not going to start working I'm not going to do any work if he doesn't set the milestone because the Upwork contract he sent was like the full contract and for me it just looked like he wants me to start working without searching the milestone so I just made clear not like you have to set the milestone before I start working but I kind of made really clear I made my point you have to make the milestone and then we can kick off that was like for the beginning and once we started I I didn't know how I should communicate with him so I just went into the fast chat and I asked okay how is it going when you land the project like how often do you communicate with the what where they're Customer, and I felt like I needed to tell him a lot about the project and how it's going, but also at the same time, it was like a week time of designing, so I didn't know how often, but I just decided to go for the, let's just communicate as much as possible, and if it's too much, it's probably going to tell me. So what I did, I was usually doing one design for two days, so I was doing like one set for, let's say, Monday and Tuesday, then like one design for every two days, and after the first day, I will always send him like, oh, I did the first draft for the first set, and you can check it if you like this direction, or if there's anything you think should be different, that we should change, and I always explain him, like when I send him the daily design, I will send him with the full explanation, like okay, this area is like functional, because he wanted some Very functional, activewear, and very specific for the target. So I specified the design I used based on his requirement also to prove him. I read through his script and all the description so that he can visually see how I implemented the guidelines and he can read it through, like not just how to imagine. So I made it clear in the, I just did some canvas and send it every day, like with some arrows and stuff. So I basically send the text every day or every two days once I got the new design. And once I, when he gave his review, I do the new version and like I save it because there was not much to review. He was pretty much satisfied with like each versions. He does the unisex shirt when I send that to the end and he didn't react to it. Um, but I sent two versions. He reacted So I just guessed, okay, he didn't really like the second version. So I proposed him something completely different and yeah, but since it was also for each design, I made it clear. I just take one revision. So even though he didn't like the design I suggested, I still considered that as one trial. He didn't approve the design direction because at the end it's about him. I'm matching with my creative direction. So I just did one revision. did something completely different. And I said, okay, like, I'm not going to do anything more. And yeah, like it's, it's a bet. If you like, then you like, I didn't say this way, of course, but that's a little bit the idea. Just to, to also set my own boundaries of not overworking and doing endless revisions. So I just sent them. the delivery files and he directly confirmed and the payment went through like he didn't really like he didn't spend much time like because normally you can even ask on Upwork I need revision but he just saw it and then you say oh it's all fine and thank you very much so it went pretty smoothly and and yeah and but just again for the communication it was pretty much daily um on the weekend I didn't text him because it's the weekend. yeah um but yeah I kept him updated throughout the project he didn't say specifically that he was happy about that but he didn't say he was mad and the the text sounded very very nice so yeah I had a good feeling yeah no I mean from a client's perspective it feels like a dream like a couple of things that I feel really stand out with that process that you just walked through was first of all like asking questions

20:00 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
up front about the project, and I know you said you did it to validate the project and make sure that it was real, but from a client's perspective, it always feels really good because when the freelancer asks questions and asks the right questions and leaves with curiosity about the project to learn more, it shows me that they really care. It validates their experience and their expertise a little bit, and it shows me that they're going to do thorough enough discovery to learn enough about the project to actually do a good job on the delivery, because without certain context and information, you can't do that great of a job. So I think that was the first thing. And then the second thing was keeping in touch often, I think was great. Specifically, you mentioned you would send over the initial design and you're like, let me know what you think of this direction before you get too deep into it. I've worked with freelancers who like, you know, do the whole thing. And then I'm like, oh, we were not even quite on the right that. track. So I think, especially at the beginning and with a new client, it's good to check in early and check in often to make sure things are going in the right direction.

21:07 - Max Guemto
And yeah, that was definitely, I also noticed that because the first design of the day, like I did like some long sleeve, but he directly said he doesn't want any long sleeves. And yeah, that was good to know because when I started designing, was looking more into long sleeve because. Just based on his guidelines, that's just what I felt was like most appropriate, but he didn't want long sleeve. And I could like see it directly from the first design or he doesn't want long sleeves. Okay, fine. We cut it off. So yeah, yeah, yeah.

21:44 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Yeah. And then the last thing too, that I just remembered was you said you like took notes from his initial design brief of very specific features or design aesthetic that he wanted in the. In the design, and the added arrows and colors Callouts to specifically say, here's this thing that you asked for, which I think just shows a really nice level of attention to detail you mentioned so that he knows you actually did read the instruction and you're consciously pointing it out. It's so subtle, but it makes a huge difference from a client's perspective because then when I look at it, I can visually kind of go through and I'm like, okay, yeah, first at a glance, I do see Max is paying attention, but also it's like a little bit of a checklist. I'm like, oh yeah, there's that extra special pocket that we wanted and the, you know, whatever detail. So just, it just, I mean, you delivered everything to him from my perspective, what it feels like on a silver platter. And that's what I think really good freelancers do. And that's what clients really, really love, like make their life easier. Don't make them have to think, don't make them have to come back to you and be like, wait, did you get this pocket? You're like, yeah, it's this one here. Like you can't quite see it or something. So as long as you're calling things out, it's really showing just kind of holding the client's hand through the process and it. It really goes far. It might sound like small things, but it goes really, really far.

23:03 - Max Guemto
Yeah. I was really thinking about that, how I can just make the process of reviewing for him better and faster, because it also makes my life easier if he can just understand the vision. And I've worked in some designs before, and I just know it's important to explain why you do some things, because sometimes you have a very good idea. But if the customer cannot build the connection, then he's probably not going to lie, because at the end, the design is also about the emotion of the function. And if he doesn't directly seize the function, then he's probably not going to approve the design. So I wanted to make sure he understands everything I did.

23:51 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
That's awesome. Well, I'm excited you'll have to keep us updated on if he decides to move forward with the larger project. It sounds like you've been a dream to work with. So So hopefully you're in the top of the list for that. We'll be excited for an update. I hope so.

24:07 - Max Guemto
I hope so.

24:07 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Yeah, please keep me updated because if we get an update before this goes live, I'll definitely record a little blip to put in the intro so that we know that you got the project.

24:16 - Max Guemto
Okay. I want to talk, like, let's rewind a little bit.

24:20 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
So I asked you before we started recording if this was your first client and you said, no, you said it was my first client on Upwork. And you said it was your first client that wasn't a friend. So you started sharing some stories about projects you've done with friends in the past. And I'd love for you to maybe talk a little bit about, like, you know, how you got those projects and then what the process was like. And you started mentioning something of, like, you know, the first time you worked with them versus the second time you worked with them and how things went differently after you implemented some strategies that you learned in FAST. So can you talk a little bit about those? Those projects and those clients?

25:02 - Max Guemto
Yeah, sure. So it's basically some friends, like long time friends, and they are now like running some fitness trainer and they want to build like a small brand around them. And yeah, it was just on the time I was starting to freelance in 3D. So they say, okay, are we going to like try to do something together? And yeah, so I like first the project was very underpriced, but again, it was okay for me because I wanted the experience and I wanted to get the first momentum, like what I'm doing is real. And yeah, and I think it was okay because the way I delivered on that time compared because I did two contracts with them. So the first contract I had to. It was also like sportswear and I had to do some patterns and some visuals and everything because they wanted to produce it and just the way I delivered the files I just sent like in like documents and I sent on WeTransfer which was okay they could like see through but it could be very much complicated to go through it it's not we don't have a good overview and I did send them a feedback a couple of days ago a feedback form to say okay what would you like to improve and they were the one that actually say we would like to have something where we can oversee in a better way in the second delivery I did do a way better job because like I entered the first program afterwards and the great thing about it is like the content in the but also right The wide range of community, and I just started stalking their Upwork and seeing how they deliver files, how they deliver work, what they put on there. And I said, oh, OK, I need to do something different because let's say that time, if I have to deliver some design, I will send like the PNG, and this time I had like my own little design, like form, all already pre-made, and I put the design inside, look professional, and they said that, yeah, this looks way better, this looks way professional, and it's also better for them to see the design, because then I send like one PDF, and they can see everything, like this is one design, this is the second, we don't like this one, and they can directly tell me, OK, page two, we don't like, we have to change this and that, and they can even even like go on their computer, and just like do some drawing. drawings and send back so it was also just way better for like the review and like the communication and it was just like and it also looked like more professional and I then also use this like for because I did land like also cover product from like friends and I did use the same forms and they were all kind of like happy about this and and yeah it's not perfect but it it gives a certain sense that um I take my time to to make sure that my clients receive a good work and and yeah yeah um it's uh first of all I applaud you for asking for feedback because most people don't and if you don't learn firsthand from your clients what went well because there's likely things you're doing that they really appreciate that you might not even realize and so you're like great I need to keep doing that

29:00 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
But then also like what you could have done better. And so this was like such a great little bit of feedback you got from them in terms of how they can overview the entire process and the delivery. And so you jumped into the Fathom community, got some examples from how other people were doing this, more or less, it sounds like, and then put together your own delivery package to make the client, like you said, looks more professional, it made their life easier. But then you also said like, it made the project run more smoothly, because you were able to get the revisions back and forth more seamlessly.

29:33 - Max Guemto
Is that correct? yeah, yeah, yeah.

29:35 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Yeah.

29:36 - Max Guemto
Yeah, because you have to imagine, like before that, that was sent like a file. And then inside the file is like maybe five folders, and they all names like here's the pattern, here's the images, here's this and that. And then you always have to get in and the images, maybe like 10 renders, and then they will have to send and they're like heavy files. So it was just like too many clicks inside and out before. Or we get to actually see things, but when it was like the PDF, then we have the PDFs with all the overview and the separate files for them to use it for whatever, but for the project, we can just stick within the PDF and go on and forth. Yeah. Yeah.

30:15 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Like such a small change, but it feels like it made your life and their life so much easier.

30:20 - Max Guemto
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It was definitely a good decision. I'm happy I made that. Yeah. Yeah. the feedback is just when I watched the module five, I think, or end of module four. Yeah. Not sure. I saw about the feedback and I said, I don't know why I'm not doing it until now. So I just, I just put the form on Google form to make it look little professional.

30:43 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Yeah.

30:43 - Max Guemto
And I, and I started to all the, I send it to all the customer I work with and yeah.

30:48 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Yeah. So smart. So smart. I'm glad you implemented that. And you're not the only one. I think most people just don't really think about that, but, um, most clients are happy to give feedback if you ask. So I think that's really, really smart. It's to help you grow in big ways. What is your background in fashion? Did you go to school or do you have experience? Like, where did you get started?

31:11 - Max Guemto
I'd say it's a pretty long story. Like first, I come from a family. My parents had this textile company, like a factory in Cameron. I wasn't really implicated in everything, but when I had my I finished high school, I decided to start sewing because I wanted to earn some money. I started about launching a clothing brand and but doing everything myself and selling. So I was around it was 2019. Then I started sewing. That was like my first real contact with in the fashion industry and everything. And then I just went on with my clothing brand. And in Germany, I moved like to Germany in 2020. I started studying textile and floating technology, and I graduated recently in January, but always throughout my studies, I've always did like some internships, I've worked part-time in company and product design, product development, production management, I've have kind of like a lot of overview of the big pictures, I know how it works from A to B. I also went to, I had an internship in Uzbekistan in a spinning, in a gin spinning and knitting factory, so I could oversee the, from the very beginning, from harvesting cotton baking to the gin, and I did write my bachelor thesis there, so I really know a lot of in-depth knowledge of the wool process. So my, my knowledge is kind of like very broad. Not very fashion and design specific, but more like technical. Yeah. But, and I started, I started doing the 3D design during university, but I wasn't really taking it seriously. And when I decided to freelancing in September, I started learning on the side of writing my bachelor's thesis. Um, and the plan was to start freelancing in January.

33:27 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Okay. So you, so right now we're recording. It's May, 2025. You graduated in January, just a few months ago.

33:35 - Max Guemto
Yeah.

33:37 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Um, and it sounds like your school was about four years long.

33:41 - Max Guemto
Yeah.

33:41 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Okay. But alongside all that, you had a lot of interesting experiences and opportunities to, was that all through your school?

33:50 - Max Guemto
Uh, not necessarily. It, I, the job I had two years in, uh, premium lingerie. I applied it myself. Um. Yeah, so I did have an internship at the school, it's like mandatory, but most of the time, the two years that I worked, it was just on me, because I wanted to know about the industry and see how it actually works, because the theory, what we learn in the university, can be different from the practical experience, so I just wanted to have my own idea on that. And the internship in Uzbekistan, it was a must to write the bachelor thesis, but again, it was my choice to go in that direction, and to go in that country, I didn't have to go there, I just wanted to, yeah.

34:46 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
And where, your school was in Germany, was it?

34:48 - Max Guemto
Germany, yeah, Germany.

34:49 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Okay, alright, so, you're so driven, I'm like, you did all, you literally, literally, like, got a job while you were still.

35:00 - Max Guemto
I was a fashion student, so were you just like working part-time on the side? Yeah, was working part-time. Yeah, I was working part-time, but let's say the part-time job I had was 2021 to 2023.

35:16 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Okay.

35:17 - Max Guemto
Yeah, because then I started moving a lot between exchange programs, semester, yeah, but I did work just part-time. Okay, okay, and you said that was with a lingerie brand? Yeah.

35:33 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
And you were doing like technical stuff or?

35:37 - Max Guemto
Not really, unfortunately. I was more doing the student work, let's say that way, but I had the chance to have a very cool boss, so he was always telling me, just because what you're doing is not necessarily very technical, it doesn't mean that you cannot ask questions, so...

36:00 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Mm-hmm.-hmm.-hmm.

36:00 - Max Guemto
I was really much asking, like, I will work in the design department, but I will be responsible for the measurements and checking the samples and filling the, they were working with ERP systems, so they were not building the tech bugs manually, so they had everything that they list and I was the one checking that everything was correct and yeah, but I could ask any time, everybody, why will we do this in the design? What's important in the pattern? And I got a lot of materials from like some of like the work I did that gave me in terms of like pattern making and yeah, like I learned a lot, but my responsibility was not something very interesting, I'd say that way.

36:52 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Yeah, but you still got exposure and real first-hand experience and like you said, you were able to ask a lot of questions and learn a lot of things that would It would have been hard to learn without that. So I think it sounds like you really took the opportunity and made the most of it, even though you were not doing the most exciting tasks, as you said. Yeah. Yeah. So what made you decide in what would have been September 24, a few months before you graduated, that you wanted to go freelancing?

37:21 - Max Guemto
You were going to start freelancing in January. So that's very, very interesting story. I was first planning to go to move to Berlin. And I actually got a position also, because I started applying quite early and I landed a position, but some personal thing happened, and I decided to move to Korea. Yeah. And also, I've always wanted to be independent. The option of working in the company was more because I wanted to move to a bigger city and I wanted a way to live. Leave. And it was just like the most logical option. But then when the change in the plan came and I said, okay, I'm going to Korea, I don't know the language that well. So my only option to thrive is to start freelancing and find a way to make money with it. And it was also very good because I felt like, okay, I'm giving myself a chance to be on my own. Because now I am responsible for how I progress. I'm responsible for if I fail or if I'm lazy or I don't know. I just feel like everything is on me. And I enjoy that very much. And yeah, the reason why I moved to Korea, I don't really want to talk about. But let's say I couldn't do anything different. It was like, I have to go. So I was like, I need to find how I can make money, how I can build a career. Um, even though I'm there and, and yeah, that, that's, that's how it went. And I just saw 3D as the, it, I enjoy doing it first. I wanted to learn it more during my studies, but I didn't. So I said, okay, now is the time. Let's, let's, let's dive in.

39:20 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Yeah. So you've been kind of learning it alongside as you go.

39:24 - Max Guemto
Uh, I, I, I really started learning in September. Like I had, I had the introduction course in 2021, but I, I never really did anything special with it. So it's right in September where I really like dive in and started also like making my own patterns because the pattern making in 3D was what really amazed me. So was focusing on that a lot and yeah, yeah, yeah, that's awesome.

39:58 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Um, you seem so. And so ambitious. And you're so young still. I'm like, you have such a huge future ahead of you. I'm very excited to watch your freelance business grow and see what you build. I'm sure it's going to be amazing.

40:14 - Max Guemto
I'd love to know real quick. I mean, you landed this client on Upwork. Hopefully it turns into another big project.

40:20 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
But what are some of the things currently that you feel like are challenging for you? What are some of the things you feel you're struggling with in your freelance business? Some real talk here, because it's not all amazing.

40:38 - Max Guemto
Yeah, there is a lot. And I'm currently dealing with it. It's the little bit of comparison, or maybe I don't feel as hardworking as I feel like I should be. Because you said it quite often during the master class. You have to put yourself out there, but like, for example, the last two weeks, or like, I've been sending some cold pitches, and I am, I struggle with the fact that I don't get answers. I mean, that sounds a little bit counterintuitive, but I am rather, I would rather think on why didn't I get answer and try to like fix that, instead of sending 100 pitches, which may have an issue. So, I was, I had a 3D portfolio, and I sent it out, and I always check how many times do people open the mail, if they click in the link to watch the portfolio, and if they come back, and I check those, and I had to notice that some do write, read my mail two times, but then they don't have interest. So I think the 3D only was maybe not that interesting. So I was kind of like reconsidering everything and I, I decided to go back and do also like the tech flex and tech tech flats and the tech pack. And so it was, it took me like a week to watch all your other ability straighter, no, no. Like, yeah, we can, I already know Adobe Streeter, so it was fast and the tech pack a week, but it was a week that just felt like I'm not out. I'm not posting myself, I am not applying and also like Upwork, I watch my account, my profile, and then when I compare to other people, I realize my profile kind of sucks and it doesn't really convey the message it should convey. So I was working a lot on my portfolio and my profile like these days and it's just task, it feels so heavy and I feel bad because I'm not applying. And every day that passed, it's a day that I lose a chance to land the clients. Because at the end, right now, I'm still living on my savings and I feel like I should be doing more, I should be doing faster and every time when you find yourself scrolling on Instagram, then you're thinking, should I be doing this? This is not the way to spend my time while I am in front of my laptop to work. So, I don't really know how to put it simple, but it's a little bit frustrating not having clients, but also feeling a little bit overwhelming by all you have to do. Like there's the social media, you have to check, you have to be active and post what kind of content you post, you post on LinkedIn or Instagram, you have to poll page. And then it's the portfolio of sending right for the for the brand and then the artwork, you have to update and build. But some kind of like mini portfolios that you have to post because applying without that, it's just like wasting your money. And and I mean, I actually enjoy writing pages, but I enjoy having answers more. So I am kind of like trying to have like the good sets prepared like like right now I did for my Upwork. I built a tech pack and I showcase and today I finished like a portfolio for like design streetwear. And now I feel confidence about posting because it's also I also don't want to just work on portfolio too much and not apply. So I think from now I'm going to start applying back, but work on the portfolio, like on more versions and showcase more. And yeah, but it's just the frustration of like. Lending clients and some clients don't answer. I think I told you that I had a customer that answered and he wanted to call, but then he ghosted me again.

45:12 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
But I think it's underway because I really liked that brand and I followed them on Instagram and they followed me back and they sent me a message.

45:25 - Max Guemto
I just think the brand owner is very busy. And I can see that on his stories also. But yeah, I think it's going to be something. I just like the whole vibe and stuff. So I'm kind of curious, like how it goes. And just like you said, just trying to connect, like set a comment on the story. Oh, I would try to post a little bit more these days because if I post and he got to see me also.

45:57 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Yeah.

45:58 - Max Guemto
if he sees me more than you. Reminds him, okay, I could work with him. Yeah, totally. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

46:06 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Well, thank you for sharing all of that. I mean, it's real. And I've heard all of these things from multiple people multiple times. So you're not alone. And I think that us overachievers are really good at being hard on ourselves, that we're not doing enough. So maybe you could give yourself a little bit of grace. I know the feeling all too well. I think you and I have a lot of similar character traits. So from what I hear, it sounds like you're doing an amazing job and you're continuing to put one foot in front of the other. And yeah, I think you're at a little breaking point here with this Upwork project and some of the momentum that you're building. So we'll have to have you back on in a year or so to do some catch up and see where you're at. I think that'd be really fun.

46:56 - Max Guemto
Yeah. Yeah, thank you for your kind words that gave me some. Motivation.

47:01 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Yeah.

47:02 - Max Guemto
I'd love to end the episode with a question I ask everybody, which is, what is one thing people never ask you about being a freelance fashion designer that you wish they would? I've thought about this question a lot, but I couldn't come up with something. But I don't know. I don't know. I don't know the question, but I would rather just say something that I want to say about freelancing.

47:31 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Okay.

47:33 - Max Guemto
I feel like it's less about the dream that we sell, or I want to work from everywhere. But I just feel like I am happy that I can manage how fast I progress. And because from my experience in a company, it feels like you only progress as far as you're allowed to progress. And if you are in a good company and in a good environment, then. And you can progress a lot, but if your company just sets you to a limited amount of responsibilities, that your progression is limited to that. And a good example is the Fashion Flats. My skills with your program went from like 10 to 100 in just a weekend.

48:22 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Yeah, and you already knew for Illustrator.

48:24 - Max Guemto
Yeah, I'm very proficient in Illustrator. But the course you have just made me have like everything professional, everything streamlined and fast with all the brushes. Like I didn't have that kind of professional knowledge, but I am very much akin with everything I need, with the shortcuts. I'm very fast. So that's why I could also binge watch it in a weekend, but just to say the company I applied for that got me the job, they took me with my skills before your Your master class. And I think if I was working there, maybe I wouldn't have progressed as fast as now where I feel like I need this skill for me. I want this. And then I can say, okay, I'm going to like sit there and finish this. And if I feel like after a year of freelancing and I'm set, I can define how far I want to go if I want to bring some automation or whatever. I just feel like I'm happy about the fact that I can use my full potential, or at least I can give myself a chance. And if it doesn't work, I'm the only person responsible for it.

49:39 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Yeah.

49:39 - Max Guemto
And yeah. And also it's, it's, fun. It's, it's gives kind of a sense of accomplishment when you, you do something, it feels real. Like, yeah, yeah.

49:50 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Yeah. It's very empowering. It sounds like if I could sum it up in one word, it's this empowerment that you have to like make your own decisions, to be in charge of how fast you progress.

50:00 - Max Guemto
and then to like reap the rewards yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah that's cool um where's the best place for everybody to find you and connect with you online max um i'm pretty good reachable on like instagram instagram and linkedin that's where i'm the most um i'm also on behens but i'm just starting over there okay um yeah well all right but we'll link to all that in the show notes and upwork for everybody that wants to work yes all right we'll add links to all of those in the show notes thank you so much for coming and chatting with me um it was really cool to hear more about your story and i'm excited to watch you grow yeah thanks to you thanks for having me i'm very glad i could be here and share a little bit about this yeah there we go awesome thank you oh i'm so glad we did this that was really fun thank you thanks to you i i was i was actually hoping a little bit to land the podcast one day but i wanted to have a bigger achievement yeah so yeah yeah

51:00 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Yeah, I'm serious about, I think it's cool, like, and my team shared your story, and I thought about it, and I was like, hmm, I want to know a little bit of background, and I really, I just thought it was so, I could just see how your brain worked when you sent that email, and I was like, this is so intentional, and I knew there was a lot to dig in, that I thought it would be a really interesting conversation, and it was, and I think people really enjoy listening, so I'm serious. Yeah, we'll have to do a follow-up in a year, or whenever, as you grow, it'll be cool for people to be able to track your journey, so you're doing amazing things, I truly mean it.

51:38 - Max Guemto
Oh, thank you very much, thank you, thank you.

51:41 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
yeah, yeah, you have a lot of traits that, that, I can spot these things from a mile away now, I've worked with thousands of people, like, you have a lot of traits that predict success.

51:53 - Max Guemto
I'm glad to hear that from someone successful, yeah, but I gotta work on it, I want to see it.

52:00 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Yeah.

52:00 - Max Guemto
Yeah.

52:00 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Awesome. Well, let me just tell you real quick, this will go live on July 21st.

52:10 - Max Guemto
July 21st.

52:11 - Successful Fashion Designer (Heidi {Sew Heidi})
Okay. Yeah, my team will reach out once it's live and send you the link and all that. Yeah, and I'll post it. It'll get shared on LinkedIn and Instagram and stuff, and we'll be excited to get it out in the world. Awesome. Thank you, Max. I appreciate it. I'll talk to you soon. Thank you, Heidi. Okay. Bye-bye.