268: Solo to Scaling: How This Booked Out Footwear Freelancer Is Building an Agency

Imagine being so booked out as a freelancer that you can’t take on a single new client—so you start building a team. That’s where Louise Ryan found herself. In this episode, she shares how she went from solo footwear designer to scaling toward a full-blown agency. We talk about the mindset shifts, growing pains, and strategic moves that helped her evolve beyond a one-woman show. If you’re feeling maxed out and wondering what’s next, Louise’s story is the blueprint you’ve been looking for.

Resources:
209: From £4k to £12k A Month: How this Freelance Footwear Trend Consultant Did it!

About Louise:
Louise is an exceptional creative thinker, designer, and trend forecaster who is passionate about the footwear industry. Her drive to stay up-to-date with the latest innovations and fully comprehend the entire process of footwear design and development is truly inspiring. By collaborating with global trend agencies, brands, and factories, she can provide valuable insights that will shape the future of this dynamic industry. future of this dynamic industry.

Connect with Caroline:
Email her at [e-mail]

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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.)

Heidi [00:00:00]:
Louise Ryan didn't wake up one day. Booked out, she built her freelance footwear business brick by brick. From cold pitching and nurturing long term relationships to consistently marketing herself and landing premium clients, Louise has worked hard to grow what she has today. In this episode, she shares how all of that effort led to her hitting capacity and why she's now focused on scaling beyond herself. If you're wondering how to grow your freelance business with intention, this one's for you. Let's get to it. Super excited to have you back on the podcast, Louise. So last time we spoke, and we'll link everybody to the episode you had come off of, you were just crawling out of maternity leave and your second son was just born and you had gone from basically three to four thousand pounds a month, to zero a month, to twelve thousand pounds a month.

Heidi [00:00:53]:
And it was quite an exciting growth and trajectory. And I'd love to catch up with you today and hear a little bit more about the growth you've had since then, which has been well over a year since we've talked and everything that's going on, because I know you've, you've built a pretty incredible business.

Louise Ryan [00:01:09]:
Yeah, yeah, it's been, it's been quite crazy in a good way. I managed to kind of establish, I think last time we spoke and I'd been planting all the seeds and they were starting to grow and had kind of like a bit of a rush of work. But I've just really been nurturing those seeds over the last year and really building on some of those clients. So I've actually been getting a lot more work through some of my clients. They're passing some of their clients onto me, which is really, really good and just kind of like really getting those roots down with the connections that I've got. I've also, I can see what, I basically am at full capacity now. I can't take any, any more clients on or do any more work. So I'm at the point where I'm starting to, I have started to use a couple of freelancers very lightly but with the intention to kind of pass a lot more on so I can work on, on the business because I can see where the areas are that can grow.

Heidi [00:02:28]:
I can see where there's new gaps in the market starting to emerge. So I really want to like tap into those. And yeah, if I've started, loads of things have happened. I actually got offered, actually got offered a full time role in between all this and I was considering it for a little bit, but I actually Reached out to all my clients and just kind of gave them a heads up and like all of them came back and gave me, they were like, no, please don't take the take. Take it. And they kind of, all of them kind of like pitched together in their own little ways and they gave me like an 18, 18 month, like schedule of all the work they can give me just to kind of secure me. So I did. Yeah.

Heidi [00:03:13]:
So it was amazing. Wow. Yeah. And so from that, I think that really spurred on the fact that because I had that kind of secured, I could see how I could grow. It kind of freed up a bit. Bit of my brain so I could see where I could potentially grow more and gain more clients. Yeah, I've taken on, I've been working with a coach more for like, mindset and dealing with some of those tricky conversations you have to have sometimes, you know, day rates, project rates, things like that. But I'm actually talking to a few people like a business strategy session or because I wanna, I really want to like, put it down, have a strategy.

Heidi [00:04:02]:
I need a little bit of help with that now. That's the next.

Louise Ryan [00:04:05]:
Yeah.

Heidi [00:04:05]:
And I know we've got a call in as well for some coaching for like gaining more clients. And so, yeah, I'm kind of at the stage where I'm able to invest back in the business. So, yeah, it's really exciting. I'm super excited.

Louise Ryan [00:04:22]:
That's amazing. Well, first of all, congrats. It's huge what you've built. And I want to know, I have so many questions based off of what you've already shared. So your initial planting of seeds, so to say, was all done via cold pitching?

Heidi [00:04:37]:
Yeah.

Louise Ryan [00:04:38]:
And so is it those relationships and contacts and nurturing that has continued to grow over time? And. Or what else have you added to continue with your network? And then I know you said your. Some of your clients are passing you their clients, so we'll talk about that. But separate from that, what exactly are these seeds that have continued to grow and, and how have you nurtured them?

Heidi [00:05:02]:
So, yeah, most, I'd say half of them are the cold pitching that I did in the beginning. And then I think, I mean, I've been working, I could be better, but I've been promoting myself a lot more. That's come from like, the coaching. I've been kind of establishing myself more on my LinkedIn and socials and that's really helped in terms of like people coming to me. So I've had, I've. This year, I think I'VE had three new clients and they've been in a space a little bit more of a premium space. That was one of my strategies. I wanted to get more premium clients.

Heidi [00:05:47]:
So. So it's been working. My strategies have been working. But yeah, most of the half of them. Sorry. Have been those seeds that are really planted and then just kept nurturing, kept contact and then. Yeah. I seem, some of it's kind of word of mouth as well.

Heidi [00:06:08]:
I seem to, I seem to be lucky like that people have, they go other places and they take me with them. So that's happened a couple of times as well.

Louise Ryan [00:06:18]:
Oh, people like leave a company and go. I see.

Heidi [00:06:21]:
Yeah. But I kept the old company as well, so I stayed there. I could.

Louise Ryan [00:06:28]:
Great.

Heidi [00:06:29]:
Yeah. Yeah. I think because I've worked really hard on like really establishing myself with it with my clients in terms of like making sure I'm definitely giving them exactly what, what they want and a little bit more. I'm always kind of, I've kind of become integrated as an arm of their team rather than just delivering the work and, and walking away. So I think they trust me and I'm adding that extra support that a lot of these businesses are missing at the moment with kind budgets and things like that. So.

Louise Ryan [00:07:05]:
Yeah, yeah.

Heidi [00:07:06]:
Working on the relationships this year.

Louise Ryan [00:07:09]:
Okay, cool. So with the cold pitching, you said about half the clients have come from that. Like how have you. Was it like you had sent these pitches and they said like maybe not right now, but maybe. And then you kept nurturing those relationships?

Heidi [00:07:24]:
Yeah, yeah, definitely.

Louise Ryan [00:07:26]:
And what are you doing exactly to do that? So they say like maybe later but not now. Then how do you get back in touch with them? Like hey, just following up or like what are you saying in those follow ups?

Heidi [00:07:39]:
So some of them I like connected with on LinkedIn as well and then kind of start interacting in that space with them. Some of them, there's one, for example, who I've been nurturing for maybe two years and they're quite, they're very, very slow on getting back with things. They say yes and then they kind of, I don't hear from them and. But I'm at the stage now where I've actually, I'm going to do like a little bit of a project, tiny little snippet of projects and be like, this is what, this is what I can do for you. This is what it could be. And I, I feel like that could push over the next line a little bit more because I am finding with the market at the moment, people Are is definitely the relationships I'm having to nurture because people are quite wary or sometimes I feel like maybe they're lacking insights of where freelancers can add value. So I'm really happy to kind of show that through examples. But yeah, I'm just, I'm just keeping enough, keeping them there enough so that when something does come up, they come to me.

Heidi [00:09:02]:
I'm the first person they come to kind of thing. So yeah.

Louise Ryan [00:09:08]:
And then you said one of your goals was landing more premium clients and you've gotten a couple of those. When you say premium, do you mean like the product is more in that luxury space or premium is in like the price of the project? Maybe both.

Heidi [00:09:24]:
The, the products. The product. So yeah, I've been wanting to kind of tap into the like entry designer level I'd say just for my, my kind of credibility really. I have got elements of that through my insights work I do. I work with some really high end brands but the design side I wanted to get a bit more premium and also I want to have like an array of countries that I work with for manufacturing on my portfolio because that's, that helps me as well how the market's changing with all the tariffs and all that that's happening. So I've, yeah, it's quite important that I can shift in that, in that way when things like that happen. So I've been quite strategic with things which I think has really helped me just kind of plot it out.

Louise Ryan [00:10:27]:
But yeah, so what have you like what strategically did you do to land those premium clients? And then you said you went in on like an entry level designer capacity talk. Those are two very separate questions. So first you can talk about what did you do strategically and intentionally to land those clients.

Heidi [00:10:44]:
I think just making myself more visible and marketing myself and having those discussions and kind of owning that space, making sure people know that I know what I'm talking about. I've had to like create content for those spaces which is, which is, I'm sure you know, it's, it does take a lot of work and planning and stuff like that. But that is definitely helping me. And then really just like tailoring my work, tailoring the research for those type of brands for when I'm pitching to them because I, I mean I feel like there's. The industry is lacking creativity in certain areas. So I've been kind of trying to tap into that. I'm doing a lot of like, I mean I do a lot of research anyway just on like the market and trends and stuff. Like that.

Heidi [00:11:45]:
But where I'm noticing gaps are that I'll reach out to those companies and kind of say, hey, I noticed, you know, you're kind of missing this. Have you thought about that? Or just kind of having those type of discussions or. Yeah, so just kind of. Yeah.

Louise Ryan [00:12:06]:
So when you said like marketing yourself and making yourself more known and creating content around that, is that LinkedIn and. Or Instagram?

Heidi [00:12:14]:
Yeah, it tends to be more LinkedIn just because there's more. I find there's more industry people there. Those, the level of the levels within the industry that I'm trying to target, like the heads of the, the directors, the owners. Yeah, I, I favor that more. It is, it is in my planters to mimic some of that from LinkedIn into Instagram. I think that could be an easy fix. But yeah, it's just, it just, it's gone to the bottom of the pile. That's why I need some help.

Louise Ryan [00:12:47]:
I hear you. And I will just say from personal experience, people say repurposing content is so easy. And I find it not that easy.

Heidi [00:12:57]:
Because I'm like, I wrote this post because I, you know, I find that Instagram has to be so short and snappy, whereas LinkedIn, you can have a bit more depth and a bit more like question, like open questions and engage. It's quite, it's easier for me to engage. So yeah. Plus I'm kind of bored of Instagram so I'm having to like reunite my love. Love for it.

Louise Ryan [00:13:23]:
Yeah. Okay. So creating intentional content on LinkedIn to market and validate yourself as knowledgeable in the luxury premium space. Step one. And then you're going and actually pitching these brands directly via email.

Heidi [00:13:47]:
Some email, some LinkedIn, some. I've kind of got contacts like at trade shows and it's very much like I'll meet one person and they might work with a person who knows a person and I, and then I kind of try and connect through that or I ask my peers as well. Like, do you know anyone that works at so and so. And there's always, there always is someone somewhere who knows somebody. So yeah, I've been doing a lot of that. So just kind of like planting the seeds in different ways and just making myself going to like new trade shows or going to existing trade shows, talking to like the, the, the people who set those up, trying to get my. Myself in front of those. I'm in discussions actually going to New York with one of them to do like a print a trend presentation.

Heidi [00:14:47]:
So just getting myself out there really and putting myself in front of those people who might like me, hopefully be insightful.

Louise Ryan [00:14:59]:
I love that. Well, I find you very likable, so I hope that they feel the same. And then you mentioned something about like starting off with them in an entry level designer capacity because you said you have the strength and the skill and the experience in the trend and insight space within luxury, but not so much on the design. Did I hear that right?

Heidi [00:15:22]:
So you kind of. So I've, I'm not, I've been designing for like the last 20 years, but it's, I've is kind of been more high street level, I'd say. Whereas my insights work, I do like luxury performance brands, sportswear brands, big global brands. So part of my strategy was I wanted to start working with more premium brands on a design capacity because I wanted to use some of those insights to kind of like influence their ranges. Going back to my comment about the lack of creativity and like craftsmanship and stuff within people's ranges. So I was, I've kind of linked the two or three where I'm helping brands with those type of insights. I wanted to put the practical side to use as well. But I've been quite picky with those because they, they do take more time in terms of more design work, longer processes.

Heidi [00:16:24]:
So. But yeah, I wanted to have more, a couple of more premium brands like on my books because it helps as a win, you know, when you're pitching to people, you can say I work with these type of brands, they love it.

Louise Ryan [00:16:40]:
So yeah, like shoe in, they're like, oh, you know how to do this, you get it.

Heidi [00:16:44]:
Yeah, yeah, exactly, exactly the kind of strategy. But I also love product development. Like I love really designing into stuff. So yeah, I, I wanted to keep doing that. So yeah, that's amazing.

Louise Ryan [00:17:02]:
And then you said your clients are then sending their clients to you. How does that work? Can you talk about that structure?

Heidi [00:17:13]:
They're not giving me their clients, but that as they're, as I'm building up their work, they're gaining more clients through kind of the work we're doing together. And then when they get, when they get new clients, they give them to me as well. So with some of like my trend work, I consult for them and they might give me like two of their clients to be their footwear expert and work on projects for them. But as they're building the work together with me and they're gaining more clients, they've been giving me the work. So it's been really good to kind of build those they're, they're quite strong relationships now, which has been. I am their like footwear expert. So, yeah, it's. I've got.

Heidi [00:18:00]:
I'm growing their business as well, which has been good.

Louise Ryan [00:18:04]:
Okay, so this is like, for people listening and for my own clarity, this is what I think you're saying. So you work with brands on design development and obviously you sometimes do trend for them as well. But in addition to that, you do a lot of trend and forecasting and insight work in the footwear space in general. And it sounds like you're working with some trends agencies, let's say WGSN as an example. And then as those agencies gain more brands as their clients, then you get connected with the brands as a client to work directly with a brand for their trend design development, what have you.

Heidi [00:18:43]:
Yes, yeah, yeah. As they, as I help them grow their business through my work, they're gaining more clients. Yeah. And every time they gain a new client that's a foot. Like they then give me the work. So I've, I've actually like doubled my work with them this year.

Louise Ryan [00:19:02]:
Yeah, that's amazing.

Heidi [00:19:05]:
Yeah, yeah, it's. Right. It's been kind of like they. Yeah, they keep just adding more days and I'm like, yes, absolutely. So, yeah, that's been really great because it's actually like, as I want to grow my business is really exciting. But it is really exciting when you're helping somebody else grow theirs as well. Yeah, I'm finding that quite rewarding as well. So.

Heidi [00:19:33]:
Yeah.

Louise Ryan [00:19:35]:
How did. Because I don't think we talked about this on the first episode we did. How did you get into slash gain those trend clients? Because it feels like a different path than a brand.

Heidi [00:19:53]:
So after. I can't remember when it was. It was maybe not just before COVID but maybe a year before COVID I actually, I kind of was burnt out with the industry, with the design. I'd been in the. I've been a designer for about 15 years maybe, and I was really burnt out with the lifestyle. I'm sure you hear this all the time. I was always wanting to go freelance, but. But I just didn't have the guts at that time.

Heidi [00:20:30]:
So I actually went to work for a trend agency and I helped them set up their footwear and access nurseries department because they were starting to gain some footwear clients, but they had no, no one with any experience. So I went and did that for a couple of years and then Covid hit and I had a baby. So that's when I was like, my life has changed so much. The world has changed so much. I'm going to freelance. And I just pitched to a competitor. Okay. Was wgsn.

Heidi [00:21:03]:
And they were like, yeah, yeah, absolutely. So. And then I started doing a little bit of work for them, and then that grew. And then I just pitched myself to some other trend agencies and said, I am this. I am the footwear expert that basically everyone uses. And they were like, okay, cool. And then, yeah, it just kind of went from there. I just sold myself as.

Heidi [00:21:29]:
As that, and it seemed to work.

Louise Ryan [00:21:33]:
Wow, that's amazing.

Heidi [00:21:34]:
Yeah, yeah. But I really kind of. I think because I'm such a nerd when it comes to, like, the product area, and I kind of don't ever stop looking at shoes or designing shoes. I'm just constantly in that. That's kind of helped build those relationships as well. So. Yeah. And obviously, the more work I get with them and the more people I can put on my CV or in my, like, pitch document, like, that kind of makes you more established in that area anyway.

Heidi [00:22:17]:
So. Yeah.

Louise Ryan [00:22:19]:
Yeah. Do any of those trend agencies. Because then they obviously know that you have worked or maybe even are still working with the other ones, which arguably are competitors. Is there. Does that ever come up? And then you're like, doing trend for all these different trend agencies who are going after the same clients and all the things.

Heidi [00:22:44]:
No, not really. Because, I mean, at the moment, I only work for one. Okay. And that, like I said, they've doubled their work me, so I kind of don't have much capacity for anyone else, but I only work on, like, tailored projects, so it's specific for that client that they have. So it's completely different type of work.

Louise Ryan [00:23:07]:
Oh, you're not creating these broad, sweeping trend reports. Okay.

Heidi [00:23:11]:
No, no, no, no. Sec. One could be a performance brand, like a pure running brand, and I'll do, like, all their product innovations. Or one could be like, I don't know, like a kids she brand. It could be completely, completely different markets, completely different products. So it's. Yeah, it's all bespoke, tailored, gotcha work. Yeah.

Louise Ryan [00:23:40]:
Okay. That makes a lot more sense then.

Heidi [00:23:42]:
Yeah, yeah.

Louise Ryan [00:23:43]:
Have you found. Because I know you're like, you're like, in two words, a footwear. Well, three words. Footwear consultant and designer. Yeah, but like, that is a big bucket. And you just said you can do like, athletic kids. Luxury is.

Heidi [00:24:08]:
Design wise. I don't. I stick to women fashion. I design my. Why I don't. I would never try and design, like a performance sneaker or anything like that.

Louise Ryan [00:24:20]:
Okay.

Heidi [00:24:21]:
With the Insights work, I, I do cross category. Okay. Yeah. So I probably could try, but I don't, I, I don't want to design anything else but women's. Sometimes we do a bit of men's, but it's always fashion, so. Okay. Yeah.

Louise Ryan [00:24:38]:
Okay. That makes a lot more sense then like from a high level you can approach some of the trend stuff with a specific strategy that more easily crosses over to the different categories and, and genres versus the design components are so new. I mean what goes into a running shoe?

Heidi [00:25:00]:
Yeah, I wouldn't even. I just, and I, and I actually, it actually doesn't interest me because it's so complex.

Louise Ryan [00:25:06]:
Yeah.

Heidi [00:25:08]:
But yeah, that's why, that's why I enjoy the Insights so much because I'm working with teams of like cultural strategists, data analytics, like we all work together to create these kind of like insights for brands. So it's all kind of, yes, really interesting. And I bring the like footwear knowledge from a trend perspective. But yeah, I wouldn't design a sneaker.

Louise Ryan [00:25:36]:
Okay, gotcha.

Heidi [00:25:37]:
Yeah.

Louise Ryan [00:25:37]:
And then you mentioned earlier too like trying to get a more global presence. So it sounds like. And you just commented on the, you bring the cultural presence into the trend report. So when you are working on these bespoke projects for a specific brand through the trend agency, you're considering you wanted to get some more diversity and like not just designing for Europe or the US but, but like other markets. Is that, Did I hear that correct?

Heidi [00:26:04]:
Yeah, so that, that's actually one of my strategies. At the moment. I'm trying to target the U.S. okay. But yeah, at the moment, at the moment my design stuff is mainly UK based but my insights work is, is global. So I work with global brands. But one of my strategies is I would like to get a couple of US clients that. Yeah, solely for me.

Heidi [00:26:31]:
Yeah, but yeah, that's part, that's why I need a business coach or something. I need someone to help me plot out the strategy for the next five years.

Louise Ryan [00:26:41]:
Yeah. So currently, I know you said you're at capacity with work. What does that mean? Because I know you've mentioned a couple times working day rates. Are you working day rates with most brands and they're just blocking X days. Days or how does that work?

Heidi [00:26:55]:
It's a mixture. Some summer day rates, summer project rates. Project rates, but some summer day rates. So my goal is to get to project rates. Yeah, actually some of my, some of my day rates clients, they are shifting to put the projects way There seems to be a little bit of resistance with some people, but I've kind of been trying to twist their arm about that. Just easier for everyone. But yeah, the full capacity is. I just can't, I can't do any more work.

Heidi [00:27:36]:
I haven't got any more time. I'm actually working like most weekends as well at the moment while I'm just kind of trying to train some of the freelancers. So then I, and then I don't want, I need a bit more balance. So. But I also don't want to turn work away. So that's, that's why I like guidance in that area in terms of how to grow because I never actually thought like you always want to grow your business batch. You, when you're at that, pretty difficult to know what to do. Like it's quite hard to know how to grow it because you, you don't really know what to do, which is a bizarre, it's a bizarre thing to say.

Heidi [00:28:24]:
But yeah, I just, yeah, it's a good place to be. But yeah, I didn't think it would be as difficult to know what the next step should be. So, yeah, I'm quite excited and interested to see what happens next Friday. Yeah.

Louise Ryan [00:28:43]:
So what you said you've started working with some freelancers to start like what are some of the tasks that you're starting to outsource and then. Yeah, go ahead.

Heidi [00:28:55]:
Mainly research because I find. Okay, you know, even if a client gives me their own research, I always, you kind of always need to do your own research as well to layer on or thread in. I, I, yeah, and just being. It's really important for me to like know everything new that's coming in, everything that's happening, even like on every level of, of the market. So I've been trying to continue to do that while working all the time. But yeah, I just need someone there researching in the background really just kind.

Louise Ryan [00:29:34]:
Of like feeding that to you.

Heidi [00:29:36]:
Yeah, yeah. And then I can, I'll always layer my own research in there but it can be a lot more. I can just see where the gaps are and then I can fill them in rather than starting from scratch. So yeah, I've got two, two freelancers at the moment doing about, it's combined like three days a week quite a bit. Yeah, yeah, at the moment because it's quite busy time but I, I guess that will go in peaks. But I, yeah, I'd like someone to kind of help with like marketing a little bit as well. So I need, I need to find someone to help with that. So, yeah.

Heidi [00:30:22]:
Yeah.

Louise Ryan [00:30:23]:
What have been like some of the growing pains with working. Actually, I'm not even going to plant that seed. I'm just going to say what have been some of the growing seeds, Growing pains with the growth that you've had so far.

Heidi [00:30:41]:
So the beginning that I was kind of in denial. Denial about it because I kind of got myself into a bit of a catch 22 situation where I was just kind of having so much work and not having any time to even think about trying to change that. That was just going round, round, round, thinking I'm kind of stuck. And then I went through a period of being really scared of trying to find someone or give them any work because, like, I've. I've had such. Well, I've been working on my own for three, maybe four years now. And part of the reason I started freelancing was just because of some of the toxic environments that I was being. Being in and some of the, like, roast teams and people within the team.

Heidi [00:31:36]:
So I started, like, kind of freaking out about that. Like, what happens if I ask someone or like, find someone in that? They end up speed like crazy or. But yeah, all these, like, that was kind of interesting that that kind of came. Came up. But then I just, like. Yeah, I kind of just looked back at some people that I'd worked with and enjoyed working with, and luckily they had started to freelance as well. So that was good. I kind of divvied out some of the work there, but the briefs and the prepping them for the work and stuff is very time consuming.

Heidi [00:32:18]:
So that's been, you know, like, it's been. It's. It's been a bit painful in that way without being. Without it being their fault because it's just part of the process. It's nothing to do with them. It's more the time it takes to make sure that they really understand what they're doing. But that's natural, you know, that it takes a little bit of time. But yeah, it's kind of.

Heidi [00:32:46]:
I was putting that off, I think, because it's a lot of. A lot of effort. But, yeah, it's something that I'm. I'm. I feel almost like relieved. Like last week one of them did some work for me and I felt so relieved that I didn't even have to think about that task anymore. So, yeah. Yeah, it seems really nice.

Louise Ryan [00:33:08]:
It's a chunk. It's a lot more work up front. But when you get it working, the relief does come.

Heidi [00:33:15]:
Yeah. Yeah. And like, I'm quite excited because one of them, she actually has only done a little bit of work in the industry, but I can tell she's really enjoying it. So that's really nice to see that you can, you can quickly see who's going to be like, willing to learn or start offering things to the table that. Because I can't, you know, I, I can't have all the great ideas all the time. That's just not. It doesn't how you need other people to bounce things off. So I'm, I'm quite excited to see what that can bring into the business as well.

Heidi [00:33:49]:
Like different mindsets, different angles.

Louise Ryan [00:33:52]:
Yeah.

Heidi [00:33:53]:
So, yeah.

Louise Ryan [00:33:55]:
And then you mentioned. So it sounds like it's going well with the two freelancers you have.

Heidi [00:34:00]:
Yeah, yeah.

Louise Ryan [00:34:01]:
Okay, good.

Heidi [00:34:02]:
Yeah.

Louise Ryan [00:34:02]:
And you mentioned wanting to bring someone in to help with marketing. Are you thinking like a social media person? Are you thinking like someone to kind of start finding and nurturing the leads and pitching? Like, what do you think? Like in your shoes almost, or what are you thinking?

Heidi [00:34:20]:
Not sure, because I'm. I don't know. I. I really don't know if I don't know, because I need to. I feel like I need to do a bit more setting up of the freelancers or give it a few months with them because at the moment I'm not sure I could take anything else on still. But I. Yeah, it's like that weird crossroads where I, I think I want someone to help me with like, leads and stuff, but at the moment, if that happened, I wouldn't be ready, so.

Louise Ryan [00:35:00]:
To take the work.

Heidi [00:35:01]:
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And also it's really difficult with the marketing and stuff because it's so expensive. I've actually done like, quite a lot of like, like studying around it, like in my own time. And it's so complex that you do. I do just think I want to just pay someone to do this, but it's just, it's probably the most expensive part of the whole process in terms of how. And I feel like I kind of. It needs to be refreshed a little bit. Like, I just want to do things slightly different.

Heidi [00:35:36]:
So I'm hoping, I don't know, I'm hoping I find something along the way that says, let's try this and we try it and it works. Like LinkedIn posts, sometimes I'm like, oh, this feels bought. Like, it feels like the same recipe I'm doing. And yeah, I just want to be mindful that I can catch because I've, I've always Kind of had a bit of an odd strategy of like, I have this tiny little book that I write sometimes once a year. I'll write one person's name in it, a brand's name, and it. Sometimes I write five different brands that I want to try and get. It depends on what's happening that year or who. Who I think I want to work with.

Heidi [00:36:19]:
And most of the time I get the brands that I've written in that book by thinking I need to. I need to meet someone who knows that person. That's how I'll do that. Or I'm just going to go direct to them. I don't know how I make it up as I go along, but I always just have a feeling and it's always seemed to work for me. So I. I kind of want to do that with the strategy and the marketing as well. Yeah.

Heidi [00:36:44]:
So, yeah, it sounds a bit crazy that. But it has seemed to work for me. Yeah. Yeah.

Louise Ryan [00:36:50]:
So I'll ask you really candidly, is your goal to get more work and take on more clients with more capacity, which you could do by creating a team and. Or is it to increase your own personal revenue for the time you're putting in? Or like, what is the goal?

Heidi [00:37:14]:
The goal is to be kind of like the go to agency for footwear. And I've already kind of come to peace in my mind that my revenues, my personal revenue is going to have to go down for that, to spend some money to invest in people. But I can't get any more revenue at the moment because I can't do any more work. So it's something I have to do and I want to invest in things like the coaching, the business coach. I wanna, I want to really, like, give it a really good go. And I could easily just carry on as I am. I'm making a very good salary, but I can see that there's a gap and I want to. Yeah, I want to fill it and I want to be part of that.

Heidi [00:38:09]:
So, yeah, that's my goal.

Louise Ryan [00:38:14]:
The footwear agency, is that on trend? Mostly. And then design, because your design is more specific to women's fashion. Or like, what do you like?

Heidi [00:38:25]:
Okay, I would. I would like to step away from the design side a little bit and just have maybe a couple of clients that I do that for, the really exciting ones and focus more on the insights. But I would like a team, I'd like somebody within the team who could still design. So. Okay, it would be like a design and foresights consultancy agency. The specifically for footwear? Because there, there is no, there is none at the moment. There's no one who just does footwear.

Louise Ryan [00:38:58]:
So that was my next question. It just doesn't exist.

Heidi [00:39:02]:
No, no there was, there was1 maybe 20 years ago but they. Then they're no longer. But yeah, that's. Yeah, it's very much apparel focused first with those type of agencies. So we're such a specific product area that needs kind of specialists working on it. So yeah, yeah, that's my goal.

Louise Ryan [00:39:29]:
Why do you think it's not being. I mean it's such a huge market. Why do you think it's not being served in that capacity?

Heidi [00:39:35]:
No, I honestly don't know because it's like why do they make sneak. They don't make sneakers for women. They just make them better and put them in pink. They just is something within the industry. That's why. I mean the industry is quite flawed in certain areas. But. And that's why I feel like it's now time for a bit of a change and a bit of a shake up and a different approach to, to the, to the area.

Heidi [00:40:03]:
But yeah, it's, it's a, it's a strange industry for industries is. Yeah it can be quite backwards even though it can be super forward in technology and manufacturing and stuff like that. So it's a, it's a tough industry to work in especially if you're. But yeah, things are going to change. So. Yeah, and I want to be part of that change. So.

Louise Ryan [00:40:27]:
Yeah. Yeah, that's amazing. Outside of the growing pains that you mentioned of like some of your fears around the toxicity of building a team and the upfront effort of offloading some of your workload, what have been like some of the other challenges that you've faced during this period of huge growth and struggles.

Heidi [00:40:57]:
I guess the balance, finding the balance has been very, very difficult with having two young children and having that kind of like boundaries putting more boundaries in place around work and sometimes saying no. Yeah, I think it's been quite a, a personal growth for me because I'm definitely an overachiever. I will always go above and beyond and do more than I should. Yeah. So it's been. The coaching has really helped me with that. I would. It's more like counseling, more like creative counseling I feel.

Heidi [00:41:49]:
And it's been quite eye opening as well. Some of the like habits I'd got into just like you know, maybe not having as much confidence or not. Not just like saying well done to myself like now I make sure that yeah, celebrate. But If I've had a really good week or if somebody's given me a new client or if I've gained a new client, I make sure I really celebrate that rather than just thinking, right, what's next? Which I was doing before. So, Yeah, I feel like I've grown myself as along with the business. Yeah.

Louise Ryan [00:42:33]:
Yeah.

Heidi [00:42:33]:
It's been. It's been a bit tough sometimes in terms of, like, Trying to, like, look in rather than just being in it. Like, having those checking points of myself. And I think that's another reason I'd really like to grow a bit of a team. I would like to have some more input on things because I am. I don't want to get stuck in. Because I. I think we can get so stuck in within ourselves that you can kind of lose it as well.

Heidi [00:43:09]:
Like, I always want to be bringing the freshest ideas and. And you can't always do that on your own. Sometimes you have to have a little bit of help, so.

Louise Ryan [00:43:18]:
Totally. Yeah.

Heidi [00:43:19]:
That's been quite a big mindset shift because I think I mentioned before, I do have quite a big ego. I like to, you know, perform. I like to do well. I like to make the money. That's how I, you know, that's a reward of all the hard work. But that is like the road to burnout, so. So, yeah, it's been like I could feel like a brother personally as well.

Louise Ryan [00:43:46]:
Yeah. That's amazing. I feel like you and I have so many parallels.

Heidi [00:43:51]:
Yeah.

Louise Ryan [00:43:52]:
Just as people. And then also in business and stuff. I see a lot of similarities with some of the stuff. Yeah.

Heidi [00:43:58]:
And like, it sounds crazy, but so, so much of the work I've been doing on, like, my mindset for the business has actually helped in my, like, the way a parent or like, the way AI approach other things. Like, I'm being able to take some of that into my personal life as well, which has been really, really interesting.

Louise Ryan [00:44:21]:
Yeah, that's amazing. Well, it has been phenomenal to see and hear about all of your growth and I'm really excited for this next stage. We'll have to bring you on again in another year or two and see where you're at.

Heidi [00:44:36]:
Like, I'd like to, like, when I kind of get the. Because I've got a concept, I'm just kind of. Like I said, I'm working with someone to kind of build a strategy. Like, I'd love to speak about that when it's kind of in motion. And, yeah, things are starting to happen to put that all together because I feel A little bit secretive about it at the moment because obviously no. No one's in that space. So. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Heidi [00:44:59]:
But yeah, I'm quite excited about what it could be. So.

Louise Ryan [00:45:04]:
Yeah, well, I'll be excited to hear about it when the time has come. Yeah, of course. Where can everybody connect with you and find you online? Louise.

Heidi [00:45:14]:
So I'd say LinkedIn is probably best. I am actually getting a new website which is exciting as well. Instagram. I need to do a bit of work on that, but it's not creative. Maybe if I had more followers, I might still be on. But yeah, LinkedIn. I have quite a lot of chats on LinkedIn, even from people who's still listening to the old episode. They.

Heidi [00:45:39]:
They message and say, oh, my God, it's like really good to hear it, like, resonates so much with me, like some of the things you were saying. So that's really nice.

Louise Ryan [00:45:49]:
That's so cool. I love hearing.

Heidi [00:45:51]:
Yeah.

Louise Ryan [00:45:51]:
Well, we'll link to all that in the show notes and I'll end the interview with what I ask everybody at the end. What is one thing thing people never ask you about being a freelance footwear designer that you wish they did.

Heidi [00:46:07]:
People never ask, how long does it really take?

Louise Ryan [00:46:12]:
What part of it?

Heidi [00:46:14]:
Yeah, well, just the. I guess. I guess they just. Most people just think, yeah, if you're like creating product, you just have all these ideas and you don't. I don't think they ask. They don't ask about the process. They don't understand what goes into the process. And yeah, I think that's a real shame from every level, even down to like, the consumer really has no.

Heidi [00:46:42]:
When they're purchasing, they really don't know all the hands that products touched, all the hours, all the amendments, all the tweaks, all the fits, everything. So I'd love the world to know how long you take because they would probably get paid.

Louise Ryan [00:47:00]:
Well, yeah, maybe you have a few LinkedIn posts to think about with that.

Heidi [00:47:05]:
Yeah, yeah, definitely. How many hours goes and teach you? That'd be quite interesting.

Louise Ryan [00:47:11]:
I love that. Well, thank you so much for taking the time and coming on to chat with us. It's been great to hear all these updates and all this growth from you, Louise. We appreciate you sharing it all.

Heidi [00:47:21]:
Oh, thank you so much for having me again.