264: How Jade Strategically Prepared Her Freelance Business During Pregnancy (Part 1)

If you've ever wondered how to keep your freelance momentum going during one of the most life-changing transitions—this episode is for you. Jade Wei didn’t wait until after having her baby to get back into freelancing. She made the bold decision to start rebuilding *while* she was pregnant. With no recent work, no active portfolio, and a toddler on the way, she used this time to reset everything—from her niche to her mindset. If you’re in a season of transition or feeling like you need a fresh start, this conversation is going to light a fire under you.

Resources:
CLO3D
Style3D
Chris Do
The Fabricant AI
Look AI
Nano Banana AI
4 Fashion Designers Battle for $500 - Freelancer Pitching Challenge
265: The Proposal Strategy That Helped This Mom Close High-Ticket Clients (Part 2)

About Jade:
Jade is a seasoned 3D sartorial streetwear designer, pattern maker, and product developer who previously contributed her technical expertise at Alexander McQueen. Since 2013, has led design innovation through her creative studio, Atelier WCMF.

With over 20 years of experience in pattern engineering and garment construction, Jade blends traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge digital tools (such as Clo3D, AI-enabled workflows, and virtual sampling) to streamline development, reduce waste, and deliver consistent high-quality results across collections.

Connect with Jacqueline:
Email her at [e-mail]
Check out her website

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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.)

Heidi [00:00:00]:
Most people think pregnancy means slowing down, but for Jade way it was the perfect time to get strategic. Instead of waiting to come back after becoming a mom, she used that season to realign her niche, invest in mentorship. Full disclaimer. She is one of our fast track grads and credits the program for many of her results. And she also spent her pregnancy time preparing her freelance business for what she now calls version 3.0. In part one of this two part episode, you'll hear from Jade on how she laid the foundation for a more intentional, energy aligned business before, before her baby even arrived. And why that made all the difference when she returned to client work just weeks postpartum. Plus, I'll leave you with a juicy cliffhanger about the custom proposals that Jade puts together to help her land high paying clients.

Heidi [00:00:45]:
So make sure to come back for part two. All right. Well, Jade, welcome back to the podcast. I'm so excited to have you here again. It's been two years since we last had you on the show. You and I have chatted since then, but since everyone else heard from you, it's been a hot minute and we have a very different like party, your journey to talk about and share on the show today, which is all about you having an amazing, beautiful child, Obi, and welcoming him into this world. And also like talking about what does it look like to, as a woman, have a baby and then build your way back into your freelance business? Because that is not, you know, we lose things like maternity coverage and paid time off and there's some benefits and stuff that I think can become really challenging when you work for yourself and you have a child. And so we have a ton of other things to talk about too, like how you've built up your base again without a portfolio.

Heidi [00:01:46]:
So many great things. So that being said, where do you want to start with this story? What feels like the right place in the journey to kind of pick up here?

Jade Wei [00:01:58]:
I think I want to kind of like set the foundation first. Like basically I made a strategic decision like while I'm maybe getting pregnant, that's the time I'm gonna like start rebuilding my fiancee's business. So it's before I even got pregnant. I already kind of like, you know, preparing and for example, like I prefer to join your fast track program. And yeah, just certain other things. I know I need to learn more when it comes to freelancing because even I've been freelancing for many years, but there's so many other aspects when it comes to business side of things. I feel I'm still very immature in essence, so I will. And you know me, I'm like a lifetime learner.

Jade Wei [00:02:48]:
Right. And I just want to learn more to kind of like, first even, like, for my own business. Like, I always feel a brand, have a brand. But then I. At the time, I'm kind of like thinking when I want to go back to freelancing. At first I thought they're very contradictory, but then at the time I go, I feel like actually they're really, like, there's a synergy between the two. So then I didn't kind of like, find, let's say, a superpower stream, kind of like get what I learned from my brand, like, building everything, like, basically all the solution that I found that I can help other brands, like, you know. Yeah.

Jade Wei [00:03:31]:
So then I. I just think, like, for this period of time, I can actually do a different type of freelancing business for myself. Yeah. So I think that's the foundation before I made a decision. So then I think, like, once I was like, in my early stage of pregnancy when I joined Fast Track, I think, and at that time, yeah, I think it was less than three months when I made the call.

Heidi [00:04:00]:
At that point, I feel like you.

Jade Wei [00:04:01]:
Were in the process of trying very, very early age.

Heidi [00:04:06]:
Okay.

Jade Wei [00:04:07]:
Yeah. So then. So then I'm. Yeah. So it's like all the morning sickness, you know, all that.

Heidi [00:04:13]:
That's right.

Jade Wei [00:04:14]:
Yeah. But I still want to make that commitment to the program to show up whenever I can, because I feel this is where accountability bodies are so important for me, because I feel we all have days, we don't feel great, but sometimes you just need someone else, like, you know, give you an extra nudge to show up.

Heidi [00:04:37]:
Yeah.

Jade Wei [00:04:38]:
And I feel like everything. You can't do everything perfect for start, but you got to start somewhere. So by showing up is how you kind of, like, learn and then your words, feel your muscles. So. So I thought that was a perfect time for me to do that. And then through that, I just learned so many different, you know, stages and process about, like, working with a client on board. Like discovery call and then like sales call. That's the call.

Jade Wei [00:05:09]:
But then it's like proposal call, really. Right. And how to do a proposal and how to navigate conversations, you know, in a, you know, life situation. Not just email, back and forth, that type of thing. So I feel like through that course, I really learned a lot. And also, like, workshopping with other freelancers, it really kind of helped speed up my learning, kind of like, pace. Yeah. So that's the beginning of like.

Jade Wei [00:05:37]:
Yeah. Kind of like try to come back into this space. And I think like that was beginning of last year. Right. And then.

Heidi [00:05:48]:
Beginning of 2024.

Jade Wei [00:05:52]:
Yes. And then I think it's just about a year. Yeah. OB Cam summer. So less than a year really. I just feel I have to kind of like speed learning all this because I want to be ready when I'm ready, you know. Yeah. So just that.

Jade Wei [00:06:09]:
So it's a lot of like backend work. And I also did kind of plan to take a year off, invest in learning all this, investing myself, kind of take a pivot and obviously, you know me, I've been learning 3D and all the other things behind things as well. Because I really made a decision I want to do freelancing again. But this is like my, let's say 2.0 or 3.0 freelancing business because I want to integrate all the new technology that blending with my traditional background. Like you know, the design development, physical fashion, cutting. Yeah, yeah, everything. Or even design and product development everything. Sampling all that.

Jade Wei [00:06:51]:
So it's a big like change or should we say transformation like because a lot of people using our world when you adopt 3D. And I really believe that too. So. So it's all this. It just like I have a kind of goal. I want how I want to set this up. So I kind of have those I write down quite clearly. So I'm just kind of like then breaking them back and into steps.

Jade Wei [00:07:14]:
Okay. What steps I can take even in a difficult time. But actually I felt like my pregnancy period was quite peaceful and quite nice. So that's why I get to learn a lot. And then I. And that bring me so much joy. So I really had a great time during pregnancy making this transition as well. So yeah, so that's that.

Jade Wei [00:07:38]:
And then I just do that up until he was born. And it was a bit of shock because I went into name natural birth but then end up in an emergency C section that wasn't planned. And then so but again, I think life really sometimes throw you unexpected events just to see how you, I like to say show up for that challenge. Because I guess prior to Obi came and yeah, people around me know I also lost my dad in March same year. So I had to go back home life to attend his funeral in Taiwan. Which if I'm working that's not possible. But because I decided freelancing also I was taking time of building business, I can do that. I don't have anyone to ask permission to do that.

Jade Wei [00:08:37]:
So I guess going through all that, it really. Yeah. It made me grow differently. Like just mindset or even just how I think about my purpose. Everything changed. Yeah. I was talking about this. Like I feel everything changed for me, but nothing changed in some way, you know, because I'm still in fashion, I'm still helping brands to deliver the same result or better result, you know, and I'm still.

Jade Wei [00:09:16]:
Yeah. Passion for creation. But then it's just how I, how I deal with it are different. Like very different. Yeah. So I think like. Yeah, that, that, that really helped me to go into. Yeah.

Jade Wei [00:09:36]:
Half. Yeah. After OB came there was. I. I think I actually had the rest. But after six weeks I start working again.

Heidi [00:09:46]:
Yeah.

Jade Wei [00:09:47]:
Just building things, learning things. Because I just, I think I need more than just being a mom always even he's my everything, but at the same time I am his everything. But I can't be his everything if I'm not fulfilled myself. And I didn't know how I would feel when I. Everybody will tell you, right. But until that moment, you have your own child, you don't know how you feel. I thought I want to be maybe full time mom. But yeah, interestingly I didn't feel that.

Jade Wei [00:10:25]:
But we still want to do other childcare ourselves. But I want to be able to show him I can look after him at the same time manage my own thing. Because I do believe that. And also I think that's kind of like something because my dad's past that even made me even more like because how he was. It made me want to carry that through. So he lives through me because he never let anything stop him. He's such a like person to there to inspire, be there for, you know, other people. And he wouldn't let anything that happened in his life become an excuse.

Jade Wei [00:11:05]:
He always turning around become a positive thing. And then it's just like how your perspective can change your past. And that I think I learned through and through. Like since my mom passed away in my 20s and then my dad like my early 40s. Because I think like that's quite early for someone to lose both parents.

Heidi [00:11:29]:
Yeah.

Jade Wei [00:11:29]:
And so I would say like that in. It's not easy. But at the same time it really kind of like helped me to build different type of strengths and also like mindset change, like fast track. Should we put it that way? Yeah. So then. Yeah. So I think like, yeah, that. And then I saw.

Jade Wei [00:11:50]:
As soon as he came, I realized, right, I want to be a mom there for him. But at the Same time, I am never going to be a full time mom. Just my priority or my everything is looking after him. Yeah. So very quickly I figured out and we luckily our family are very supportive and my husband is very good with the baby, surprisingly, but not I really have really supporting husband and family for me to continue do this. So I want to address this because I feel this is something like people maybe don't talk enough. Like we only see the result. But there's so many things behind the door, like what are other factors like for this person to achieve certain things.

Jade Wei [00:12:37]:
Right. And I feel sometimes this type of thing maybe it's better to be more transparent. So then people don't compare themselves to something that is not even in the same context, you know. So I guess that's what I do want to share. Yeah, yeah. In terms of like, yeah, client, everything. Interestingly, while I was close the time to give birth, I start getting a lot of like messages from LinkedIn or I have people book calls and they all book calls like for September, October, that type of time as well. And I just feel like this is really interesting.

Jade Wei [00:13:18]:
I know I had OB in August as if it's planned there waiting for me to be ready to go on this journey again, you know. And then everything I feel like the timing just like so perfectly like plan out. Because after I ob, I say to you, like after six weeks I start working and, and then I think you launch another like a monthly subscription type of like support program. And I thought, okay, I want to join that because I want to kind of see people again, chat to other freelancers again. And then I also know, okay, I, I think I have a lot more new time coming. How do I do this differently this time around? So I really want to learn and I want to learn it fast, like in the months or two, basically. So I just kind of tried to be a sponge because I literally, I feel unless I go in with a mindset, I don't know anything. I feel sometimes like we block ourselves.

Jade Wei [00:14:16]:
Like I already done it for so long, I don't need to learn another thing. But then I feel that's, that's the real blocker. That's what I learned over, you know, especially like. Yeah, yeah. Anyway, so that's, that's it. I have open mindset. Just kind of like teach me, you know, like what, what other way works for other people? Because I also get not one way work for everybody. We need to kind of go out and learn.

Jade Wei [00:14:43]:
But then at the same time you got to filter for yourself. Like what works for you and what doesn't. And about this, I feel like, for example, I joined the FAST program, right. And the core foundation is cold pitch. I tried maybe one time, but very quickly I realized that's not for me. But then I then figure out, okay, if that's not a solution for me, what alternative I'm going to look into. So then I guess I start looking for other ways. And I learned actually if you don't want to do that, you gotta put yourself out there.

Jade Wei [00:15:20]:
Hence I stop, I start. And also you gave a little nudge. Hence I start linking and not even posting to start with. Just try to be there, like engage with people's content that I'm generally interesting and passionate about. And also I maybe have a little something I can share to just another perspective. So literally just start from there. And I really enjoy that platform to be communicated that way. And then.

Jade Wei [00:15:50]:
Yeah, so then I guess that kind of cultivated other things coming in, I guess new kind that way. Because some of them, I don't even know why they booked the call really. Only one, I asked only a few weeks ago, she told me because she saw one of my comments in another person's post and she saw I'm very. Yeah, just by that comment, she saw I'm very knowledgeable, but also very approachable. That's why she booked the call. So I thought that's nice to kind of like understand. Right. How they feel by my presence online that way.

Jade Wei [00:16:26]:
Yeah, because for me, like to be on social platform because I, I don't really share my work on social media really. Like until now, I'm slowly on LinkedIn but because in the past my mindset is like, I don't want to be, I don't want to show off what I do on there. But this is just, you know, I don't know why I end up having that mindset in my mind. But then once I reframe it, actually I should share what I know with people or just share what I do. This would be because I guess I. When I thinking about someone younger than me or me as a younger version of myself, I would love to see something like this. Then that literally shift how I feel about posting on social, about work.

Heidi [00:17:15]:
So instead of like, I'm gonna post all the great stuff I'm doing, you flipped it of like, boy, I think I have some things to teach and educate. And if I was, before I knew all this information, I was my younger self, I would be interested in learning these things too.

Jade Wei [00:17:34]:
I think I would even Say not like I don't think like about me teaching someone. I think it's more about sharing my way because I feel, I guess I never see myself as a teacher. Right. But. And a lot of people coming to me to ask my advice or how do I do things certain way. So I like to share my approach or my method because I also understand teaching and learning is such a. It's such a dance because someone's teaching even is good. But certain people, maybe they don't understand that teaching style.

Jade Wei [00:18:11]:
They're still not gonna get it right. So I feel like when you. When I try to share, I'm all kind of go home from yeah, share, not teach perspective. Because I. I just feel like yeah, teaching is such a big world for me. I feel like, you know, you gotta be like a master to teach that type of thing.

Heidi [00:18:32]:
Yeah, okay. I appreciate that perspective quite a bit. I have a bunch of questions about stuff you've already said. Can we pause for a minute? I want to ask a couple nuance.

Jade Wei [00:18:40]:
Yeah, sure. Yeah.

Heidi [00:18:41]:
So first you said you plan to take a year off. Was that after Obi was born, you were going to take the first year off?

Jade Wei [00:18:48]:
No, it's like when I. During my pregnancy. Yeah. So I'm literally already started working six weeks after he was born.

Heidi [00:18:57]:
Right. I realized that.

Jade Wei [00:18:59]:
Let's say I start taking discovery call in September, October. He was, he was born in August.

Heidi [00:19:06]:
Yeah, yeah.

Jade Wei [00:19:08]:
So I. I didn't know. But then everything seems kind of turned out that way for me as well. I plan okay after he bone I will see where it is. And then like if I go work, I maybe just start picking up some work. Right? Yeah, yeah. But then I. Yeah.

Jade Wei [00:19:24]:
So it's very interesting and. But then I will put it into. Some people might say this is like the woo thing but for me I really believe energy. Like if I. I kind of like put my energy or my mind, I align myself with certain frequency. I always believe I'm gonna attract, you know, people. They probably around the same energy or we align with certain things. That's why they were attracted to me.

Jade Wei [00:19:51]:
So that's the thing for me. So I feel maybe. Yeah. In life, I think in the last, I would say maybe 10 years that worked quite well for me. Kind of like you know, doing this kind of self learning and then all the things more than what we can see or what we can tangible understand. It kind of helped me to guide me through tangible thing as well. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Heidi [00:20:18]:
So okay, so your year off was planned to be during the Pregnancy. But you during that time you were hyper focused on learning. It sounds like a lot of it. I know you took fast track with, with us and learning more about building your freelance business. Also up leveling some of your skills within the industry, leaning more heavily into 3D. Is that kind of how it panned out?

Jade Wei [00:20:41]:
Yeah.

Heidi [00:20:42]:
And then also starting to post on.

Jade Wei [00:20:44]:
LinkedIn which that kind of come organically a bit later towards the end of 2024. Because at the beginning I didn't even know if I would like it or I would enjoy it. I just like to be on there like talking with people, communicating with people about okay, the topic around 3D about the topic around pattern making. Because those are the things I'm really like interested in. And also finding okay this 3D thing, how am I gonna be able to use it as a tool to help the process and you know, like why am I gonna like adopting this? Right. And why am I using it? I kind of wanna find out more because I feel if I kind of, I understand more, I can explain better too. Cause I don't wanna try to sell this service to any client come to me and which kind of like you know, align because later on all the new clients come to me. They come to me because they want me to work in 3D.

Jade Wei [00:21:50]:
First of all to start with, I didn't need to sell them that 3D. So at the same time they maybe don't know as much as I do. So I then get to share with them more of the value of 3D they don't even know or the scope beyond what they know as well. So that was a very interesting journey for me. Like basically just going on. I said I don't know anything. I'm going to be a new sponge to learn in this 3D space in this new freelance business page. And then I guess very quickly the freelancing for me because I always have a brand and I always have so many creative solutions for business.

Jade Wei [00:22:33]:
I figure myself more of entrepreneur than freelancer. So I see my position. I'm not really just a freelancer taking project which is like a productized thing. I more, more like a strategic like partner. Like I will help them to think of design solution and you know, but creatively technically give them the support to create let's say the collection or for a launch. But then yeah, so it's just more than that. I guess that those are the things I really like to know about because I personally very interesting all that aspect as well.

Heidi [00:23:15]:
Yeah.

Jade Wei [00:23:16]:
And yeah, so I guess that help Even during my proposal. And somehow maybe that contribute to. I have a really high success rate for closing the proposal, I think maybe because straight away I understand what they need by asking a lot of question and then to understand if we align. And then I think like, after you can say the checklist. Sometimes I feel like, because what I say about that, I, I try to send off a certain. I want to send out the world, my energy. So I attract things already align with me. So when those clients come, I feel it's so much easier.

Jade Wei [00:24:00]:
I don't need to explain myself or even try to convey my value to them, try to sell myself to them. I feel we all like us a star, that we already have a mutual, you know, trust. Or even I, I, Yeah, because respect, I feel you kind of got to own. But then trust is something. Yeah, it's very interesting. I don't even know, like, how do I build that trust just online with someone I don't know as well? But so far that's happening. Yeah.

Heidi [00:24:35]:
So, I mean, I, I now see your post on LinkedIn and I, I see your comments sometimes on other people's posts, sometimes on my posts. And I know the, the thought and intention and the quality with which you approach these engagements is very high. You're not, I don't see you just like, pumping out content or pumping out comments to like, check off the checklist.

Jade Wei [00:25:02]:
Right.

Heidi [00:25:03]:
Or like, meet a certain quota. And I think you approach everything with, with so much thought and intention that I, you know that client who said they found you because the comment, I'm like, I'm not surprised by that at all. And I, and the reason I asked, like, you know, when the timing of all this stuff happened, because you were like, okay, OBI was born in August. You started getting client calls booked for September, October, and they're kind of coming in. You don't even know where they're coming from. And at this point, you weren't even really posting on LinkedIn, you were just commenting.

Jade Wei [00:25:35]:
No, I won't.

Heidi [00:25:35]:
And are you on any other platforms or anything?

Jade Wei [00:25:38]:
No. Okay.

Heidi [00:25:40]:
So we can presumably say these people are coming from LinkedIn, you just don't know exactly how. But this is pre, Even some of them coming in before you even posting. Yeah.

Jade Wei [00:25:52]:
Yes.

Heidi [00:25:52]:
Okay.

Jade Wei [00:25:52]:
Yeah.

Heidi [00:25:53]:
Wow. But I, this is interesting, though, because I talked to a lot of people who are building out LinkedIn strategies and we teach this inside our programs. But like, your engagement on LinkedIn I actually believe should be like, 80% engaging with other people's content and 20% of your own. And when you lead with really thoughtful. Right. Really good, quality, engaging content, comments and. Or your own content that can have a good reach. And like you said, it's your.

Heidi [00:26:24]:
The clients come to you. There's already a level of trust established. And then you have a really high close rate because of that. And I believe it's because all this foundational work that you've done to lead with so much intention. I don't know. Am I grasping at straws here?

Jade Wei [00:26:40]:
I think. I think there's probably that level one. Right. And I believe the level two would be. Because my proposal. I do very. I do very. Yes.

Jade Wei [00:26:54]:
Yeah. I love to share this and to help other freelancers out there, you know. Yeah. Because I see my proposal to clients is. First of all, if during discovery call, I feel we're not a good fit, I wouldn't even want to kind of just, you know, get another project because I feel another thing. I really kind of like practice is feel more comfortable to say no. And I think I've done my. Yeah.

Jade Wei [00:27:22]:
I have to pat myself on the shoulder. I've done really well this year. Like, I really say no to a lot of. Yeah. Even opportunities because I really feel that's just. Will kind of realign where my energy should be focused and all that. And so. Yeah.

Jade Wei [00:27:40]:
Saying no. So then that made me. That kind of gave me the space. And also I feel I can focus on really who I want to work with and the project that I'm going to be the journey on with whichever client that I want to have that journey together with. So it's almost like. Yeah. I chat to other people. Like, in a funny way.

Jade Wei [00:27:59]:
Like, it's almost like I'm not gonna marry to a client until we go on a couple of dates. You know, I want to know like, if we actually a good fit before I even feel. Because it's not just they. They. They feel like I will feel tied down to a project because a lot of project, if it's from design to develop, it could be a year. And I just know, like from my experience, if I don't feel we align, like for example, the purpose or even aesthetically, I just don't want to be tied down to that anymore. So I. That I kind of like, again, very intentional to kind of like being selective about who I want to work with.

Heidi [00:28:40]:
Yeah.

Jade Wei [00:28:41]:
And saying no to the one that just not in this, you know, the category that I put myself in. Yeah. But I feel. Oh, I have to. Yeah. Really. Yeah. I feel grateful because you really pushed Me to work on my niche.

Jade Wei [00:28:55]:
And I feel all this I figure out during a time when I'm kind of figuring out what my niche should be because I feel it's not just about like I pick a category. For me it's about beyond. Okay. Beyond category. Because category is just something for people to very easily to relay you into what you actually do. But I feel ideal more deep into that like category wise who I actually want to work with, what type of clients. Yeah, all that. I feel that's really important because I feel that impact that then kind of like will relate to how I want to price, you know, project or.

Jade Wei [00:29:36]:
Yeah. What kind of service I'm actually interesting in doing for what kind of brand. It's just so many other aspects. Like when you're working on the niche, what niche you want to work. Yeah. So I feel that that really helped me.

Heidi [00:29:51]:
Where are you at with your niche right now?

Jade Wei [00:29:53]:
Oh, I think for me it is like from design to different basically before production. So I can do from concept and to even like the sample.

Heidi [00:30:06]:
Okay.

Jade Wei [00:30:06]:
Actual produce physical sample and then they have tech pack and pattern. So basically the holy trinity to go into manufacturing basically. But then I.

Heidi [00:30:16]:
A specific type of brand like that's really broad design through I. Oh, I.

Jade Wei [00:30:21]:
Think for startup to kind of like small, medium size kind of brand because I mean any category. Oh well, I kind of like put myself in a sartorial streetwear.

Heidi [00:30:35]:
Okay.

Jade Wei [00:30:36]:
Kind of like category because I. It's not really streetwear. But then because I have very strong tailoring background and I think sartorial streetwear is more in. It's more tied with a specific like look or aesthetic as a style. So I'm kind of like going for that rather than my category is streetwear because it's not. Yeah. So yeah. So it's quite like.

Jade Wei [00:31:02]:
Yeah. I spend a lot of time to figuring out what works for me because I feel this could be confusing for other people. Right. But then again I only want to attract the one that see maybe understand this term or they know what I'm saying so they click with me straight away. I don't even need to explain more. So. So I guess niche that really kind of like. Yeah.

Jade Wei [00:31:27]:
Helped me in that sense. Like it really kind of like. Yeah. Clarify in terms of like all that aspect.

Heidi [00:31:34]:
Okay. So design through sampling for small to medium sartorial streetwear brands.

Jade Wei [00:31:47]:
But quite a lot of them basically is like streetwear one but they more high end streetwear.

Heidi [00:31:51]:
Okay. Okay.

Jade Wei [00:31:53]:
Yeah.

Heidi [00:31:53]:
All right.

Jade Wei [00:31:54]:
So it's something like that.

Heidi [00:31:56]:
Okay.

Jade Wei [00:31:56]:
And they might have bespoke or make to measure service within.

Heidi [00:32:02]:
Okay.

Jade Wei [00:32:02]:
Yes.

Heidi [00:32:03]:
Okay.

Jade Wei [00:32:04]:
So it's quite. Yeah, I'm quite like specific on the brand that I want to work with. So these are the very niche that I'm looking to do. And at the moment, my clients are all this type of client.

Heidi [00:32:19]:
Yeah. So if a brand just is looking to produce regular streetwear per se, you might not take the project.

Jade Wei [00:32:27]:
No.

Heidi [00:32:27]:
Okay.

Jade Wei [00:32:28]:
Because maybe the price point doesn't meet because they are looking for different type of scale and maybe just the volume or the way they want to produce design, I don't agree with. It's just not what I align with.

Heidi [00:32:45]:
It's not.

Jade Wei [00:32:45]:
Because I feel that. Yeah, yeah, no, because I really feel there's so many different market in fashion. And as a freelancer, we should look into that to consider ourselves which market you want to be in as well.

Heidi [00:32:55]:
Yeah.

Jade Wei [00:32:56]:
You know, Right. Because I feel like same as for shopping, there will be people always buying high street brand, but they are people, they want to buy luxury brand. So that's how I try to understand all this. Like, you know. Yeah. From that perspective, to understand, like, you know, from a consumer mindset. How do I understand if I am as a business, how do I put all this together for me to understand? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Heidi [00:33:22]:
Okay. So stage one is LinkedIn. And then you said stage two is proposal. But I'd argue there's a stage in the middle there, which is the discovery phase.

Jade Wei [00:33:32]:
Yes. Yeah, actually, yes.

Heidi [00:33:34]:
And I don't feel like we actually really talked about the proposal. So let's get to the proposal in a second. But first, there's some type of a connection on LinkedIn. They find you in some way or who knows what. They schedule a call. Talk to us about the call. How are you leading these calls? What does that look like? And what are you uncovering in those calls? I guess first to decide is this a good match for both of us? And then second, to learn enough to put together your proposal, which I'm gonna push you a little more in the proposal.

Jade Wei [00:34:06]:
Okay. Yeah.

Heidi [00:34:07]:
So talk about discovery.

Jade Wei [00:34:09]:
Yep. The discovery call, generally they are the one booked with me through my calendar link, just LinkedIn. Basically you can instead like contact me or website. I literally just put my basic calendar link. Yeah. So it's easy for them. Just book a call. And then so during a call, I think I just like to get to know them a little bit first.

Jade Wei [00:34:35]:
Right. Like, oh, like thank you for booking the call. That type of thing. And then like one basically like, what do they need help with. I ask questions only during the discovery call and if any, I will ask them. So you found me, I presume you found me on here. Like so maybe you already know a little bit about me. Is there something more you would like to know or question you want to ask or you want me to do another, you know, introduce myself, you know, you know, like just kind of ask, I guess like from the garage I learned this ask permission, like if I want to talk about myself.

Jade Wei [00:35:17]:
But generally I let them tell me like about why they even booked a call with me, what do they need help with and then I will ask why as well. Why are they booking this call and why they want to do that. Just kind of like really having a genuine discussion with them and if I will ask do they have a budget or. I generally don't first because I feel when you ask generally you just get, I don't know because that's the point. Like you kind of like try to understand each other. You don't even know if you want to work together yet. Why are we talking about price? So I guess this is my approach. I decided I want to go down to in some way.

Jade Wei [00:36:03]:
And so far, yeah, the ones they book call with me. Like I say, they somehow already really align with me. So after I ask more questions, I get to understand maybe what they need help with. And I will kind of like understand if I can help them with. And if not I would just, I will give them free resources. Just say maybe you try this first because maybe they have a Thai budget or anything like that. But I wouldn't just say, okay, I'm sorry, bye bye. You know, but it's like you actually take the time to somehow maybe read my content or something and then like you made the time to book a call.

Jade Wei [00:36:46]:
I feel I would love to give you some care attention, you know, so that's just how I am. And then all the client, they would just be very interested in working with me and I would just say, okay, let me kind of like give me some time and I will kind of maybe figure out a few ways maybe we can work together. Right. Again, I learned all this kind of how to address navigating call through the training with you and just learning from other, you know, more specialists in these areas that you know, I'm not. So yeah. And then I normally don't rush back with my proposal. I wouldn't sell, I wouldn't say to them, I'll give it to you like this week because I really want to take time to think about it, how do I put this together? So I guess that's the discovery call. Yeah.

Heidi [00:37:37]:
Okay. Sounds like you lead with a lot of curiosity about them and their project and what they're working on and why they're working on it and what they're trying to build and how they need help and how you can potentially help and all that stuff.

Jade Wei [00:37:50]:
Yeah. Because I feel I can help in many ways because I'm only one person. So sometimes certain things, maybe I can guide them. They don't need my help, but they can get help somewhere like even more beneficial to them. So that's where I feel I need to kind of be more honest. And then at the same time that's tied with my saying no. Right. Because in a positive it could be like I got blinded by this is an extra project that will give me extra income.

Jade Wei [00:38:19]:
But I see beyond that now because there's many other things like when you say that yes to afterwards, you know. Yeah. So I guess like people maybe have more experience in freelance. They know what I'm saying. So. Yeah, yeah. That's another thing very much you're saying.

Heidi [00:38:36]:
You'Re taking on a lot more than just that paycheck.

Jade Wei [00:38:40]:
So I learned. Yeah. The hard way myself too. And I feel it's. And it's like I always try to look at a win win situation. So this is like maybe it's a no for you right now. I'm not working with you, but I'm actually going to help you to guide by me saying no. You might find better solution for you, you know.

Jade Wei [00:38:59]:
So it's this kind of thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Heidi [00:39:03]:
So then talk to us about the proposal. Thanks so much for listening and I know I just left you with a huge cliffhanger about high paying proposals. We are going to be covering that in part two of Jade's episode, which will air on October 13, 2025. So depending on when you're listening to this, this may or may not be ready. Part 2. Watch for that again. Thank you for listening and we'll see you in the next episode.