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This is a show for burnt-out fashion designers (and TDs, PDs, patternmakers and beyond) who want more flexibility while still doing work they love. As a freelance fashion designer, you can build your fashion career 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]:
If you're offering sourcing for your freelance clients, how do you make sure that your factory is legit? Maybe it's a new factory you found for them, and you've never pushed anything through this factory before. It's really hard to know, are they a really good factory? Are they gonna deliver on time? They do quality work. Do their ethics, meet your standards. And here's the reality is that if they have someone that's really good at sales, they can sell you smoke and mirrors on a Zoom call. 1 of my fast track students, Deb was facing the same issue, and she wanted to know how she could dig in a little deeper to vet some new factories she found for her clients. We talked through multiple ways she can do this so that she can feel confident she's not setting herself or her clients up for a nightmare. Let's get to it.
Deb Barraza [00:00:40]:
But I've been able to actually source a couple new factories. Oh, no. Just so you know them. So I feel a little more confident in in that, aspect. Yeah. The only thing is is, obviously, I don't have I don't have any experience with how they work yet because I don't have anybody to send them. So that's always everything. Mhmm.
Heidi [00:01:04]:
The first project.
Deb Barraza [00:01:05]:
Especially if you're gonna refer a new client to a new factory. Yeah.
Heidi [00:01:11]:
Totally.
Deb Barraza [00:01:12]:
So that I'm I don't know if you have any suggestions for me as far how to deal with that.
Heidi [00:01:19]:
I mean, it's interesting because it's a similar thing that I'm coming up across with, like, I've been getting a lot of inbound inquiries on LinkedIn for doing brand partnerships. Like, these software companies or these factories, like, want me to, like, promote them. And I'm like, I don't know how great you are. And, like, how do you vet a factory without actually running something through it? And so I think that, like, you can do a couple of things. 1st is ask for, like, contact information from some of their clients that have been happy. Or if you can, like, backwards figure out who some of their clients are, and then, like, reach out that way. That would be, like, my first and foremost is to, like, talk try to figure out a way to talk to someone who's actually run something through that
Deb Barraza [00:02:07]:
and
Heidi [00:02:07]:
see, like, what their experience is. And I think that, like, them handing you a referral is great, but can be jaded. If you can, like, figure out somehow, like, maybe they have, like, on their website or on their LinkedIn or something, like, some case studies or, like, brands they've worked with or something. You know, you can even, just reach out to your direct network and see if anybody happens to know. I mean, even if they're listed as a case study on the website, it can still be like, you know, is this, like, a favorable opinion versus, like, reality?
Deb Barraza [00:02:50]:
Yeah. I've run into that before and not necessarily industry I'm in, you know, or in the sector that I'm in now, but I've definitely run into that before where they are, like, yeah, we work with so and so. Yeah. Once. They work with them once, and, obviously, that person did or that company didn't like what happened or what the product they got. So he was just like, no. Not again.
Heidi [00:03:09]:
That's why I say you wanna, like, go to the source of like, here's the interesting thing. I've been here I've been getting intel. You know, I've been hanging out on LinkedIn a lot, and I've been getting intel from a few FAST students that people that are interested in FAST are, like, coming up in their DMs and being like, what is Heidi's program really like? Like, what do you really think? Like, she's using you as a case study. And as far as I know, people are saying really great things, and I'm feel like I'm very ethical about the product that I sell. And so that's really cool, but, like, you could also find out the opposite. Right? And so I think it's up to you to do your due diligence and see what is the experience what was the breadth of the relationship and what was the experience actually like. Right? So that sort of thing one is vetting those case studies and testimonials firsthand.
Deb Barraza [00:04:04]:
Mhmm.
Heidi [00:04:05]:
And then thing number 2, you know, is getting on a call and doing some type of Zoom, if you haven't already, to, like, really feel like I'm talking to a person, like, really get a good gut check on this and everything. Asking those hard questions. I know you know how to ask when it comes to sourcing and all that type of thing. And then the last thing is sort of like when you are introducing your client to the factory or however that arrangement works, being really honest with your client. Hey. This is a new factory. I haven't run anything through them, but here's what I did to vet them. I did this, and I did this, and I did this, and this is what I found out.
Heidi [00:04:47]:
So I feel in my gut that they're qualified, that it's gonna go well. But, of course, we don't know until we do something firsthand. So I want us to proceed slowly. I want us to proceed with caution. I'm gonna be on the continual lookout for, like, any red flags as can you. And if you ever feel like anything's off or if I ever feel like anything's off, like, we can talk about it. So, you know, at some point, you have to start with a factory for the first time, and I wanna be really transparent with you. I don't wanna, like, mislead you.
Heidi [00:05:15]:
I think at the end of the day, it comes down to, like, setting those expectations with your client and being really honest and transparent with them, so they know what they're getting into. And if they're comfortable with that, maybe they're not comfortable with that. Maybe they're like, gosh, Deb, you know, I'd really rather go with something that is a little bit more you've run some stuff here before. Do you have anything else that's already validated? And and so first setting that expectation with your client and then second showing them what research you did in order to vet them. Like, showing them, like, I really did my best to do my homework on this. And so that's like giving them a little bit of comfort and showing that, like, you know, I don't just like Google and find some factory and, like, throw you to the wolves. Like, I really dig into this to do the best that I can. Not just showcases you your level of professionalism, your level of knowledge saying that, like, I know how to dig into this and what red flags to look for, what questions to ask upfront, what questions to ask the factory, what questions to ask these other brands that have put production through the factory.
Heidi [00:06:25]:
That's how I would approach it. How does that feel to you?
Deb Barraza [00:06:30]:
Yeah. No. That feels good. My only not even hesitation is I just wonder how open do you think people would be giving me feedback? Because I'm sure if the factory is like, Hey, yeah, we do work with this person and this person is is fine with you contacting them and letting you know. I'm sure that, yeah, that I'll get an answer. But how do you go about it if they're just like, these are the people and they're like and I'm like, well, can I reach out to them? And they're not necessarily maybe hesitant about that. And that doesn't necessarily make me suspicious because sometimes people don't want necessarily to be bothered. Or I see.
Deb Barraza [00:07:11]:
They feel like they're telling their competition anything.
Heidi [00:07:17]:
Oh, okay. So, like, if you reach out to this brand that did production at the factory, then they don't wanna give you any intel because then you're gonna use that in their competition. So I think a couple things. One is that some people will talk, some people won't. I think that you could combat that competition component by saying, I work with clients of some general flavor that do not compete with what you're doing. Like, on some level, you could put that in your initial inquiry. Like, you know, obviously, there's competition in in the fine jewelry space, and I just wanna let you know, like, I have a very specific type of client that I work with, and it does not, like, cross over directly into what you're doing. I would not consider a direct competitor.
Heidi [00:08:16]:
So you could combat that initially. Because, surely, they're not only working with one type of brand and all those brands are competitors. Right? At some point, there's variation in maybe price points or aesthetic or I don't know something. Right? So you'll probably get some people that won't reply for sure. But it's up to you. Like, if you really wanna do your due diligence and vet the factories, then I would say, like, I would reach out to as many as I could. And if I can at least talk to, like, 1 or 2 people that wasn't directly streamlined to me through the factory. Because obviously, they're gonna likely only give you clients that are gonna say all these amazing things.
Heidi [00:09:04]:
Yeah. So I don't know. I think at some point, that's your job. And you're gonna hear some will get some will ghost you. And I think too, like, if you can get those introductions from the the factory, that's great, and they'll likely be positive. But then also, it's really up to you to think about, like, what are those hard questions that I wanna ask? And and then doing a gut check, like, in that conversation of, like, oh, they kinda hesitated on that, or, like, that answer sounded a little bit, or you're digging in, like, really leading with curiosity. Like, you know, what would be the top qualities that you're looking for in a factory? Like, reliability, meeting deadlines, quality of work, you know, and then thinking about, like, okay. How do I ask the hard questions that are really going to validate if that factory meets those criteria.
Heidi [00:10:10]:
So, like, what would be the top one for you? Craftsmanship, quality, just
Deb Barraza [00:10:17]:
Well, definitely, yeah. Quality would be 1, but also how quickly they respond.
Heidi [00:10:24]:
Okay.
Deb Barraza [00:10:25]:
So and then, you know, how much is done in house and how much is paid to somebody else Okay. You know, do something. Yeah. Do they have their own supply chain already, or do I need to to provide them with the stones and the diamonds or whatever it happens to be? So
Heidi [00:10:47]:
So those would be questions I think you should first get answered from the factory directly and then validate through talking to other people. And I think that, like, for example, the how quickly do they reply. I would think very hard about how you ask that question because you could say, oh, I really need a factor that replies quickly. Do they reply quickly? And the person will say, yeah. They reply quickly. Great. Check that off. Or you can say, that's a very leading way to ask the question.
Heidi [00:11:23]:
You're leading them to the answer that you want. And and just human psychology, they know that, and they're just gonna say yes. Alternatively, you can say, what was their response time like when you worked with them? Now that's super open ended, and you're asking them, like, for specifics. Right? So they might say, oh, you know, they responded every 3 days. And for you, that might be like a deal killer. Like, that's too slow. But for that person, maybe they thought that was fast or something. I don't know.
Heidi [00:11:53]:
Right? But so really thinking, like, how do I ask the questions in a way that, like, does it lead them to the answer that I want? Right? And so with the sourcing or with the the supply and the supply chain and stuff, the stones, like, you could think about it. Let's see. You could say What parts of the process and what materials did the factory help you with? And, like, just get them talking, and it'll be like, oh, and, you know, they supplied the stone, or they, you know, they did and you can start, like, feeling out versus, like again, leading would be saying, you know, I'm just looking for kind of some a a place where everything they do everything in house. Mhmm. You've planted that seed already.
Deb Barraza [00:12:53]:
Mhmm.
Heidi [00:12:54]:
Right?
Deb Barraza [00:12:55]:
Yeah.
Heidi [00:12:55]:
So there's a there I mean, I've done a lot of surveys over the years, and I've learned a lot of, like, how you ask the question, it will, like, shift your answers drastically. You know? Yeah. Another thing that I've learned is, like, I've, so I I think you've probably heard me and my woes about hiring high quality people. And something I've learned is that when it come and, again, you're basically looking to, like, hire the factory. Right? So you're vetting them. So you can say things, like, in in a in a typical job in review or application, you could say something like, how do you like, let's say something I'm trying to think of a good example that's gonna really cross over into your space. How do you deal with this scenario when production's running late? And they're gonna give you the answer that you wanna hear. Versus you can ask, tell me about a time when you had a client where production was running late.
Heidi [00:14:23]:
What happened, and how did you solve that? And you're asking them to tell a specific story. Tell me a time. I don't wanna hear how you I don't want the answer you think I want. Don't give me the answer I want to hear in this fantasy world. Right? I want you to tell me about a time that that happened. Or tell me about a time when bulk production like, you could say, like, have you ever had anything go wrong in bulk production? No. No. No.
Heidi [00:14:56]:
Everything's great in bulk production. Versus, how many of our time things went wrong in bulk production? Mhmm. You know, usually things go really well in bulk production, but we did have this one time that this thing happened. And then you can, like, really feel out, like, what happened? Why did it and you can start asking more questions. Oh, curious. What what do you what went wrong that made that happen? Okay. Cool. And then how did you guys solve that for the client? And now you're getting an actual story.
Heidi [00:15:19]:
I mean, unless they're really good liar on their toes, like, chances are they're gonna you're forcing them into tell tell me about a time when.
Deb Barraza [00:15:27]:
Mhmm.
Heidi [00:15:27]:
That's how you asked the question. When you paint it the other way, everybody just gives you the answer you wanna hear, and it's unrealistic. It's not reality.
Deb Barraza [00:15:37]:
Yeah. Definitely. Especially if they're a good salesperson.
Heidi [00:15:40]:
Totally. And a lot of them super are super good salespeople.
Deb Barraza [00:15:45]:
Mhmm. Definitely.
Heidi [00:15:47]:
So and you'll and and then it's up to you. Like, if you start feeling like they're skirting around the question or something, like, no. Nothing's ever gone wrong in production. You're like, come on. Things have gone wrong in production. Everybody's experienced it. You know, you can start to feel out. Like, are they just sugarcoating everything? Are they being really humble and being really honest? And and those in themselves could be enough red flags for you to say, this is a great factory.
Heidi [00:16:12]:
This is not a great factory. Because what I have experienced in any vetting process is that those red flags in the beginning, they just get bigger. They magnify with time.
Deb Barraza [00:16:26]:
It's true. It's true. Mhmm. Okay. So I have another question. I in a couple of months, I will be going to a big, jewelry show where a lot of, factories will be from k. All over the world. And so, obviously, I'll be introducing myself and that whole deal.
Deb Barraza [00:16:45]:
And now, obviously, I don't want to full on interview them on the spot, but do you think asking 1 or 2 of those question about, you know, tell me about a time, do you think that's totally valid in a
Heidi [00:16:57]:
sort of, like, degree? Totally.
Deb Barraza [00:17:00]:
Okay.
Heidi [00:17:00]:
Is it is kinda like a jewelry sourcing show ish, or there's a sourcing component to it? Yeah. Yeah. Oh, a 150%. I mean, you wanna be mindful at any type of event like this of, like, fully monopolizing someone in their time. Right? And you know that etiquette. But I think it's more than appropriate to ask those questions, and I would go in very prepared. I would go in with, like, okay, what are the top three questions that I can ask to really vet them? And I would I think, you know, tell me about a time. It could be multiple question.
Heidi [00:17:34]:
Like, on our on our application, we're in the process of hiring a new person right now. Like, on our first written application, before you even get to an interview or anything, I think we have, like, 4 questions of, like, tell me about a time. And each one is very like, we really consciously designed each question to, like, vet a specific thing. Like, we run we use a lot of tech and a lot of software. And so one of the question is, like, tell me about a time you had to learn a new software and you weren't sure how to use it. And if they're like, oh, well, I just wouldn't ask my boss. I'm like, versus other people say, oh, yeah. I was learning Illustrator.
Heidi [00:18:18]:
Whatever. I was learning this software, and I wasn't trying to use it. So so I went to YouTube, and I and, like, you can start to see the people that are proactive to find a solution. And and that's the type of people we wanna hire. So we really strategically thought this question. So I would like think like, what are the characteristic? What are the ideal characteristics and traits that you want in a factory? And how do you ask questions to uncover that? Right? Yeah. So, maybe it's like I don't know. You got to think through this, but I'm like, okay.
Heidi [00:18:53]:
Where are the factories typically located?
Deb Barraza [00:18:57]:
Either Italy, Asia
Heidi [00:19:01]:
Okay. Turkey. Okay. I mean, like, we all know I don't know how relevant this would be, but, like, we all know Chinese New Year is a big thing. Right? And everything shuts down. So, like, tell me about a time that your client had an emergency during Chinese New Year, and how did you deal with that? And and at some at some point, you're like or some type of big holiday. Right? And and at some point, you're like, you you had to be mindful. Like, you can only expect a factory to, like at some point, people do shut down and stop working.
Heidi [00:19:31]:
Right? But also, like so that might not be the best question, but I'm just trying to think of I I my first thought was like, you know, if there's an emergency on the weekend or something. And at the end of the day, like, how big is an emergency on the weekend? Like, it's on Saturday, can be resolved on Monday. Like, that might not be the right question. But, like, you mentioned communication. So I know that that's a really important thing to you. So you might just have to do a little brainstorming. Like, we we did a lot of brainstorming to, like, come up with these 4 questions, and each one was very strategically worded to, like, extract an answer. Like, one time, we we ask, tell me about a time you were assigned a really complicated task.
Heidi [00:20:11]:
And so you can see, like, what do they consider a complicated task. Like, one person was like, oh, well, I had to learn how to use Google Drive, and it was so complicated. And I was like, if you think Google Drive is complicated, you're not the right match. But you can really start to see. Right?
Deb Barraza [00:20:27]:
Mhmm.
Heidi [00:20:27]:
And so I'm I'm trying to brainstorm on the fly here with you. Like, you're probably gonna wanna put some thought into these questions.
Deb Barraza [00:20:34]:
Mhmm. Yeah. Definitely.
Heidi [00:20:36]:
Prioritize what you what are the top three traits that you want in the factory, and then think about what are the questions will you be able to see real life experiences of of that? And I would have, yeah, a list of 3 questions prepared, and for sure, it is more than fair to ask all 3 of those at that event.
Deb Barraza [00:20:59]:
Okay. That sounds good. Yeah. I like that. I'm glad you feel that that's comfortable.
Heidi [00:21:05]:
Totally. I mean, that's the point. Like, why would you not ask them at the event?
Deb Barraza [00:21:11]:
I am not not that I wouldn't ask some questions. Obviously, gonna ask them but when if I'm gonna ask them a couple of hard hitting questions, I don't wanna take up too much of their time, obviously. But if you feel like 3 is good, then I'm like, okay. Good. Because I feel 3 is good too.
Heidi [00:21:28]:
Again, it's a feel it out type of thing. How busy is the booth? Is maybe you ask one question and it goes into this, like, 20 minute conversation, and then someone you know, like, you get off track. But everything you're talking about is, like, feels really good and feels really productive, then let that conversation flow organically. Like, I think you just I think 3 questions could work.
Deb Barraza [00:21:51]:
Mhmm.
Heidi [00:21:51]:
And for some people, you might have to cut it short if there's a bunch of other people waiting, and you're like, I'm taking up too much time. I'd love to follow-up with you. Let me grab your card. Here's my card. I'm gonna follow-up and and we can talk more after the event. I don't wanna monopolize your time. That's it. You're just going to have to fill it out.
Heidi [00:22:06]:
But I would definitely have the 3 questions prepared on your side. So you know
Deb Barraza [00:22:11]:
Mhmm.
Heidi [00:22:12]:
What you wanna lead with.
Deb Barraza [00:22:14]:
Okay. Yeah. That sounds good.
Heidi [00:22:16]:
Yeah. When is the event?
Deb Barraza [00:22:18]:
It's all for another 2 months.
Heidi [00:22:20]:
Okay.
Deb Barraza [00:22:21]:
Yeah. So I'm planning to think it over. And, obviously, I already have my ideas because I have a couple of issues that come up at different factories, different issues. So thinking how to question, you know, develop questions around those issues.
Heidi [00:22:38]:
Totally.
Deb Barraza [00:22:40]:
See how the, you know, any other potential factory would, would handle it. Yeah.