Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
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]:
There are more than just dinky one off projects on Upwork. I know it's not the norm, and, yes, sometimes people get lucky. But this story of how Katrina Martin, a freelance fashion designer specializing in tops, landed a massive 140 style project on Upwork is just too good not to share. Katrina has over a decade of fashion industry experience, and her plan wasn't to go out and become a freelancer on Upwork. She joined Fast, and after going through some of the trainings that we have that are specific to the platform, she decided that it might be a good way to get her feet wet with a smooth few small projects off of Upwork. She was transitioning from corporate, and she felt like that was a good place to start. So she submitted a proposal for what she thought might be a few styles and was shocked when it turned into a massive 140 style project. We cover how she got a higher rate than the budget dictated, things she could have done differently in her contract, the exact pitch she sent to the brand to land this project, and how she plans on turning this opportunity into more work.
Heidi [00:01:00]:
You're gonna love this episode. Let's get to it. Let's get to the details. 1st, I I wanna get to know a little bit more about you. I don't really know, like, your backstory.
Katrina Martin [00:01:11]:
Well Who are you? I'm in Portland right now. K. But, I went to school in LA, hated LA, moved back to Portland which is where I started working, I freelanced a lot, I was very fortunate to have an older cousin who is a designer like, agency. Oh, tell me about that. Like, agency.
Heidi [00:01:41]:
Oh, tell me about that. What do what do you mean when you say a freelance agency?
Katrina Martin [00:01:46]:
So, this woman who I worked for definitely was a freelancer and hired people people under her. And, we all went into an office, it was like a Monday through Friday, 9 to 5, but she we definitely worked like freelance projects, a lot of different clients, really got to learn men's, women's, kids, underwear, like, pretty much anything you could think of, I did a lot of print work and printing graphics.
Heidi [00:02:17]:
Yeah.
Katrina Martin [00:02:18]:
So I really just got to, like, learn what I liked, which was awesome, like, first out of school. Yeah. Actually, funny story, when I was looking there, I actually met Rachel Kranick, who I think you know.
Heidi [00:02:30]:
Yeah. I do know No. We worked there together. Podcast. Well, she was on for, I think, a strategy session. But, yeah, I do I do know Rachel. Yeah.
Katrina Martin [00:02:40]:
Yeah. So we actually worked there together, and she is kind of the one who turned me on to your program. Oh, thanks, Rachel.
Heidi [00:02:49]:
Okay. Okay. So you what's the timeline of all of this? When did you finish school?
Katrina Martin [00:03:00]:
So I started working there in 2012.
Heidi [00:03:04]:
Okay. So while back?
Katrina Martin [00:03:06]:
Yeah. Definitely. Okay. I worked there for about 2 years, and then, my big freelance gig was for Wilson Sporting Goods. Mhmm. And they decided to move their headquarters to, like, Colorado or something like that, so I kind of lost that gig and was pretty disappointed. Okay. And then, from there just decided to take a leap and move to New York, and worked corporate for one company for a very long time.
Katrina Martin [00:03:35]:
Yeah. Very long time. Yeah. I started out doing, suiting, so jackets, pants, and skirts, for about 5 years until COVID hit. Wow. And then I decided to move back to Portland to be with my family and, was really fortunate enough to have this company give me a remote contract. So I was the only designer I was the only designer that they had who worked remote permanently.
Heidi [00:04:11]:
How did you negotiate
Katrina Martin [00:04:13]:
that gig? I honestly had the best boss in the world. She's still, like, one of my best friends and, just she just really advocated for me. I was, like, we have to have her, so she is gonna be remote. So really worked out in my favor, and, I was then moved to tops. So I worked on woven and knit tops. At this time, the company had kind of undergone, like, bankruptcy and was bought out by somebody else and it became a completely different company that was honestly just horrible to work for unfortunately to say. The workflow was outrageous. I was by myself responsible for a 100 styles a month and that was A 100 a month? Yeah.
Katrina Martin [00:05:16]:
80 to a 100 every month. And this was everything from, like, concept and sketching, like, tears to CADs to fabric selection to tech packs, and then I also did fittings via Zoom.
Heidi [00:05:34]:
Oh my.
Katrina Martin [00:05:36]:
Yeah. So I was working every weekend. I really stuck it out because clearly I was being paid New York wages while not living in New York. So it was really fortunate that I was able to do that and saved a lot of money. I bought a house, just did a lot of things that I wouldn't have been able to if I was in New York. Mhmm. And, when that gig kind of ended in, February, just a few months ago
Heidi [00:06:13]:
Okay. February 2024, and right now it's June. Okay.
Katrina Martin [00:06:18]:
That's when I was kinda like, well, what do I do now? You know? Like, there are places to work here in Portland. I'm not, like, middle America. There's Nike, Adidas, those kind of places, but I really don't specialize in active at all. And I think I was applying for jobs a lot through these companies, but I wasn't getting any callbacks. I I did get a couple interviews, but the pay was just so much lower than I was used to that it was just doesn't seem realistic to me. So that's when I was, like, I'm gonna try to freelance. And, I actually saw that Rachel was tagged in one of your posts on LinkedIn, and I immediately, like, messaged her and was, like, okay, you have to answer my questions about this, like, should I do it?
Heidi [00:07:17]:
Literally, she said good things because you're now in town. Yes. But yeah.
Katrina Martin [00:07:22]:
And then I ended up attending one of your, one day events, like, the 4 hour class Yeah. And then, signed up after that.
Heidi [00:07:31]:
Yeah.
Katrina Martin [00:07:32]:
But, yeah. I've just been making my way through FAST and have learned a lot and got my first project, and it was Yeah. A way bigger project than I ever expected. Ever. Oh,
Heidi [00:07:47]:
I can't wait. Oh, there's so many things to talk about. Okay. 1st, when you messaged Rachel, like, I'm curious because it's funny, we just started, our whole business has been grown organically, like via Google and YouTube and stuff. And we just started running ads, like, in the last year. We've been really trying to figure out ads and, you know, people comment on the Instagram ad. They're like, this is just another marketing scam. And I'm like, but it's not.
Heidi [00:08:12]:
I'm a real funny type person. And and so, you know, you messaged Rachel and you were like, I have all these questions. Like, what were some of your hesitations, I imagine, about,
Katrina Martin [00:08:23]:
Yeah. You
Heidi [00:08:24]:
know, some online person.
Katrina Martin [00:08:25]:
Was just, like, when you're job hunting, your algorithm will just turn to, like, all of these online marketing, like, classes. I was getting targeted for, like, build a, Amazon shop and sign up for my class on how to build an Amazon shop and just things like that. And so I was just like, oh, is this another one of those things? But I did follow you on Instagram already before I I saw you on LinkedIn. But I think I was also just so hesitant because of the price, and I was unemployed at the time. And, you know, it's kind of a little risk to take, you know, to be paying this money when you're unemployed and have a mortgage. And
Heidi [00:09:18]:
Okay. So you joined you you your job situation within remote New York gig Mhmm. Ended in February 2024. Yep. And then in March 2024, about a month later, is when you joined FAST. Yep. It's June 3rd right now. So, like, talk us through what's happened the last few months.
Heidi [00:09:41]:
So a lot of stuff.
Katrina Martin [00:09:42]:
Yeah. A lot. I really just as soon as I signed up for FAST, just started going through all of the courses, taking each step, like, super seriously, and really when I had first gotten, let go from this job, I, my corporate job, I had spent all this time working on my portfolio for, like, another corporate job. And then when I went through the fast courses and, you know, you teach us to niche down and, make more of a process portfolio, so I felt like, oh my gosh, I have to start over. So I did. I spent a lot of time on my portfolio, and I think I told you that because we did a, we did a portfolio critique together, and, I spent a lot of time on that. But other than that, I also had already jumped into Upwork and was just kind of putting myself out there and seeing if I could get little jobs here and there, and I wasn't. I wasn't getting anything.
Katrina Martin [00:10:54]:
So, I do think that my niche maybe is not a perfect thing to be on Upwork. A lot of people on Upwork, I feel, are looking for active, or Clo3D, not really anyone looking for a tops designer.
Heidi [00:11:13]:
Yeah.
Katrina Martin [00:11:13]:
So I ended up submitting, for this job. It was $45 an hour. I offered them 50, and they never got back to me, but then they called me. And I think they just didn't wanna go through Upwork because it's such it's kind of a more corporate freelance thing. It's not, like, working for a start up. So that was
Heidi [00:11:44]:
Also, what a lot of freelancers don't know is that the client pays more on the back end to Upwork. So
Katrina Martin [00:11:51]:
Right.
Heidi [00:11:52]:
If you negotiate 50, the client actually pays, like, I don't know, 5% more than that.
Katrina Martin [00:11:58]:
So Yeah. 51 hours or
Heidi [00:12:00]:
whatever the math is. Yeah.
Katrina Martin [00:12:02]:
That makes sense because you're actually not even paid out how much you are bidding.
Heidi [00:12:07]:
Yeah. And they take so so not only you if you guys agree on 50, the client pays, let's say, 51 and then you're or 52 and then you're actually paid 48.
Katrina Martin [00:12:17]:
So they're Right.
Heidi [00:12:17]:
Upper takes money from both sides is where we're tracking the thing. So they are. So maybe that's why they wanted to get it off. So they called you, like, legit phone?
Katrina Martin [00:12:26]:
Yes. Oh, like, right in
Heidi [00:12:27]:
the cell. How old school?
Katrina Martin [00:12:31]:
And What did they say? They were, like, we found you on Upwork, and we want to hire you for this job, and I was, like, is this legit? You know, like, this just seems so crazy. They basically, what they were saying is it's a 140 styles, and you have to be done in 3 weeks.
Heidi [00:12:51]:
Oh, k.
Katrina Martin [00:12:53]:
And I was like, I got nothing else going. Let's do it.
Heidi [00:12:57]:
We can do that.
Katrina Martin [00:13:00]:
So we jumped on a Zoom call the next day, and then I was, like, okay, this is this is legit. Yeah. Yeah. So but it's been going really well. I'm doing sketches and tech packs. K. A 140 is actually the buy. So, obviously, we're overdeveloping.
Katrina Martin [00:13:21]:
I think I'm at a 180 sketches for the past week and a half that I've been working.
Heidi [00:13:27]:
My are they giving you the Zion inspiration? Or where how are you doing the sketches? Okay.
Katrina Martin [00:13:32]:
So they're giving me, like, multiple images and letting me, like, mash them together to create each style.
Heidi [00:13:38]:
Okay. Gotcha.
Katrina Martin [00:13:39]:
Yeah. So they'll be like take the pocket from here, the front of this, the back of this, that kind of thing.
Heidi [00:13:45]:
So Okay. Yeah. I see. I see.
Katrina Martin [00:13:47]:
So I'm not really, like, designing, but, it's it's kind of the busy work of of designing.
Heidi [00:13:54]:
Yeah. And also, it's I mean, you told me the name of the brand. I don't know if you wanna say it out loud on the podcast, but, I hadn't heard of it. But you said it as though it was it felt like a big deal.
Katrina Martin [00:14:05]:
Oh, okay. I actually hadn't heard of it either until I looked at their website and then realized, like, oh, this is a pretty big deal. It's called Wantable, and it's actually, like, a clothing box subscription company. Wow. Yeah. So I think the main one that people hear of or or subscribe to is Stitch Fix, so it's a little bit like that. Okay. But I think their their hook is that they kinda sneak in a few of their own designs into these boxes Okay.
Katrina Martin [00:14:37]:
Under labels that they have, like, trademarked.
Heidi [00:14:42]:
Okay. That was my question. I was like, I haven't heard of, like, Stitch Fix doing their own thing. But so the label doesn't say watchable. It says this other label, but, like, who cares as long as the codes are keyed, the people like them, and then they make a larger profit margin off of that.
Katrina Martin [00:14:56]:
Yep. Exactly. Exactly. Oh, so brilliant. Business model.
Heidi [00:15:01]:
Totally. Makes a lot of sense.
Katrina Martin [00:15:03]:
Yeah. Yeah.
Heidi [00:15:06]:
Okay. And you're doing is it all women's tops?
Katrina Martin [00:15:10]:
No. It's not? It is women's all categories. So there's a lifestyle label that I've been working on, which is all categories that you can imagine. K. And then there's also an active and lounge line, which is also all categories.
Heidi [00:15:28]:
Okay. Mhmm.
Katrina Martin [00:15:29]:
So and that includes denim, sweaters. Yeah. It's a lot. How are
Heidi [00:15:36]:
you specking sweaters and denim? Yet. Okay. You're not there?
Katrina Martin [00:15:40]:
I do have, a tech team that I'm in touch with that I've been going back and forth about that kind of stuff, so it's not like I'm solely on my own, which is nice, but, yeah, you know, fake it till you make it. Right? Yeah. You figured it
Heidi [00:15:56]:
out. Yeah. So you found the job listing on Upwork. You applied at above the rate they were advertising. They said 45, you said 50. Yep. And then they called you.
Katrina Martin [00:16:10]:
Right.
Heidi [00:16:10]:
And then here
Katrina Martin [00:16:11]:
And at the time, I had no idea how big of a project this was. They had just posted, we need help with sketches and tech packs on a tight deadline.
Heidi [00:16:19]:
It was a super vague post.
Katrina Martin [00:16:21]:
Very vague. Yes.
Heidi [00:16:23]:
Oh, that's interesting to know.
Katrina Martin [00:16:25]:
Yeah. Yeah. I think they did say, like, women's categories, something like that. But, and also at the time, like I told you, I was really not hearing back from anybody on Upwork. So what I did was I went on to Fast and I seriously watched every single video about, like, submitting proposals and, like, there's a few about Upwork on there. I watched, like, every single one of these videos, and I just started, like, applying for Upwork jobs using, like, all of these different strategies that people other people have used.
Heidi [00:17:03]:
Yeah.
Katrina Martin [00:17:03]:
So I think that was also really helpful and to figure out kind of, like, what strategy is gonna work for me. Yeah. There's just so many there's so many different ways you can go about and so many different ways of phrasing your proposals that are, you know, gotta figure out what works for you. So Yeah. That's kinda what I was trying to do.
Heidi [00:17:25]:
So two questions. Do you remember how you pitch them? Like, what what flavor was your pitch for this? They got you a phone call and then basically, like, hired on the spot?
Katrina Martin [00:17:36]:
You know what? I actually pulled it up because I knew you were gonna ask me about this.
Heidi [00:17:40]:
I love how proactive you are.
Katrina Martin [00:17:44]:
So, basically, I just told them, like, I'm happy to help with your project, and I know how important it's, like, all of these sketches and tech are because of this. And, I said, you know, I know that I'm new to Upwork because I don't have any jobs listed on my profile that I've completed. Mhmm. So I just said, like, I'm new to Upwork but I have over 12 years experience, and these are some brands that I've worked with before, and, I just post put a link to my website and said, let's let's jump on a call and talk through your project. And they, I guess, took that really literally and called me. Yeah. They did. So it was really short and sweet, my Yeah.
Katrina Martin [00:18:32]:
My, proposal. So I guess You didn't give
Heidi [00:18:35]:
me much to work with.
Katrina Martin [00:18:37]:
Right. Right. It was very vague. So.
Heidi [00:18:40]:
There was no mention of the brand. You couldn't tell who the brand was?
Katrina Martin [00:18:42]:
No. No. Okay. Nothing. Yeah.
Heidi [00:18:46]:
So when you talk to them my second question was when you talk to them or at any point in time, do you have you gotten any insights from them as to why they decided to hire you? Like, what stood out? Because sounds like it happened really fast. Like, I imagine they got a ton of responses on Upwork. They called you or raised it like you're hired. Like, something stood out that you were the person versus all these other I gotta imagine 20, 30 people that applied at least.
Katrina Martin [00:19:15]:
Yeah. No. What they told me was, just how much they loved my sketches. I do have a pretty unique way of sketching. I sketch on an iPad. I feel like this is something that people don't really talk about.
Heidi [00:19:29]:
Talk about it.
Katrina Martin [00:19:30]:
I know. I love it. More people need to do this. I have an iPad with an Apple pen Apple Pencil, and, I use the Adobe Illustrator app on the iPad, and you can plop your Kroki in there and just sketch right on top. There's even a feature where you can sketch one half of the garment and the other half pops in automatically.
Heidi [00:19:57]:
Mhmm.
Katrina Martin [00:19:57]:
So it's super awesome, and I know a lot of people have done, other programs that are on the iPad, but they aren't, like, seamlessly transitioned into Illustrator on the computer.
Heidi [00:20:12]:
Mhmm.
Katrina Martin [00:20:13]:
So this is an awesome way to go and also so much faster which I think is how I've been able to get a 180 front and back sketches done in, like, a week and a half.
Heidi [00:20:25]:
Yeah. And so you, I imagine, like it because you like the, like, direct pen on paper type of experience?
Katrina Martin [00:20:37]:
I also just think it's so much easier to get your sketches to look like they're draping, and not just, you know, pancake flat kind of garments. So what I like to do is really take in the fabric and the fabric attributes and try to sketch, like, how it would actually drape.
Heidi [00:21:03]:
Yeah. We're gonna need to include some of this some of your sketches in the show notes, so people can go look. Yeah. For sure. Else. Yeah.
Katrina Martin [00:21:11]:
Yeah.
Heidi [00:21:12]:
Okay. So they like the salvia sketches, and they were fine with you charging a little bit more than where they were asking.
Katrina Martin [00:21:20]:
Yeah. So actually, on this Zoom call, I tried to, negotiate with them and get a little bit more
Heidi [00:21:29]:
Okay.
Katrina Martin [00:21:30]:
Than the 50 after I learned what the project was, but they could not get it approved by their, like, HR. So I did try. You did.
Heidi [00:21:41]:
What did you, like, what was your strategy? How'd you go into that conversation? What'd you say?
Katrina Martin [00:21:45]:
Well, after they told me the project, I was, like, wow. These deadlines are pretty crazy, and it's a lot bigger project than I had anticipated. Is there any way that we could kind of up the hourly rate for this? And, I kind of told them the number, and they they did go to their HR, but it did not get approved. So I said, okay, let's do the 50, and I'm just hoping that this turns into, you know, a long term relationship. The other designers that I'm working for or with are actually freelance also, so it would be an awesome connection even if they're working for a different company, maybe they can call me for help. You know?
Heidi [00:22:30]:
Yeah. You're building a great old network.
Katrina Martin [00:22:33]:
Yeah. Hopefully. That's the goal. Yeah. Where are you based out of? Funnel. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Katrina Martin [00:22:39]:
The company is in Milwaukee, but the other designers are in LA. Okay. Yeah. So they really are all about the remote working, which is awesome, this company. So
Heidi [00:22:51]:
Yeah. Okay. So you've been busting out sketches on your iPad? Yep. And, like, what else are you I know earlier you said, you started going through fast, like, learning a ton, even doing this project, learn a ton. When did you actually start? So it's June 3rd. When did you start? A week and a half ago or something, I think you just told me?
Katrina Martin [00:23:11]:
I started on May 22nd.
Heidi [00:23:16]:
Okay. So, like, 10 days. Yeah. We can have Mhmm. So it's still pretty new.
Katrina Martin [00:23:20]:
Yeah. But I sent my, first invoice today for a full week of work, and it was 2550.
Heidi [00:23:31]:
Amazing.
Katrina Martin [00:23:33]:
Yeah.
Heidi [00:23:33]:
Which is let's just pause here a minute to do the math.
Katrina Martin [00:23:38]:
If you get
Heidi [00:23:38]:
a month of work with them, that's $10,000.
Katrina Martin [00:23:41]:
Right.
Heidi [00:23:42]:
I don't know if you did that math yet.
Katrina Martin [00:23:44]:
Not yet.
Heidi [00:23:45]:
That's a nice number.
Katrina Martin [00:23:47]:
Yeah. I mean, that's amazing. That's more than I could have hoped for for my first project. You're really project.
Heidi [00:23:55]:
Yeah.
Katrina Martin [00:23:55]:
My my only, like, hesitation now is, like, wow. I've really dove into the deep end, and I'm I'm need to figure out what I'm gonna do next. Like, I I'm kind of scared for that, like, lag in work. So, you know, we'll see. We'll see. I need to, keep networking and get my next project going, I think.
Heidi [00:24:19]:
Yeah. That's what I was gonna ask. Like, what are you doing in the little bit of spare time you have to think about, like, okay, what do I line up after this? Because it will end and then
Katrina Martin [00:24:29]:
Exactly. Exactly. So far, I have not even had a chance to breathe.
Heidi [00:24:38]:
Except I'm on the podcast. Thank you so much.
Katrina Martin [00:24:40]:
I should be sketching right now. Okay.
Heidi [00:24:43]:
Thank you. Appreciate you.
Katrina Martin [00:24:47]:
No. I, I I honestly don't have anything lined up next. So I guess that's my my biggest my biggest fear right now, which I think for any freelancer, that's relatable. Yeah.
Heidi [00:25:02]:
But you, like, have barely dove into freelancing and, like, jumping in and and building, you know, your network and these relationships and stuff, and you got this big project. So, obviously, taking care of your client has to come first. Right. And then you'll figure it out. You'll keep tracking.
Katrina Martin [00:25:23]:
That's the goal. Yeah.
Heidi [00:25:28]:
What are some of the biggest things you've learned in this project so far?
Katrina Martin [00:25:34]:
Definitely to kind of negotiate on the pay when it comes to the hours and the deadlines. I know I've heard some freelancers charge like a little extra fee for rush projects. Like I told you, I was thinking about maybe implementing something that's like, hey. If I have to exceed 40 hours in order to meet your deadline, Like, I need to be paid a little extra for those hours. So, like, last week, I think I worked 51 hours. So I know it seems like, oh my gosh that's a great paycheck, but I'm really working, like, overtime, you know?
Heidi [00:26:18]:
That's true.
Katrina Martin [00:26:20]:
So and I'm this is not the pay that I want to be at, obviously, I do have another client who comes to me probably quarterly for, like, one project here and there where I charge them at least $15 more an hour than what I'm getting for this project.
Heidi [00:26:40]:
Okay. So
Katrina Martin [00:26:43]:
Mhmm. So hopefully, if they do hire me again, I can say, hey, you know, I I did this project, I met your deadlines, and, I think I I need a little bit more this time. So.
Heidi [00:26:56]:
Yeah. You're also really fast, which is something that should be compensated for, which is where hourly pricing gets really tricky.
Katrina Martin [00:27:02]:
Yeah. For sure. Yeah. That is true.
Heidi [00:27:06]:
You mentioned a contract. Did they I mean, they're a bigger company, and it sounds like they work with a lot of freelancers. Did they have the contract put together and you had to sign that, or you put something together and they signed that?
Katrina Martin [00:27:16]:
I put together something, and they basically approved it.
Heidi [00:27:20]:
Oh, great. Yeah. Yeah. Would you include in there? Do you remember?
Katrina Martin [00:27:25]:
I included, like, everything that they had talked to me about on our Zoom meeting. So that was sketches, tech packs, and a few details that went into that. So, fully cutting out all of the sketches based on the buy. So that should be interesting too, because that gets really time consuming. Mhmm. And, specs and callouts in the tech packs.
Heidi [00:27:59]:
Yeah. So, basically, you called out the exact deliverables that you are responsible for.
Katrina Martin [00:28:05]:
Right. And they had given me deadlines that I included in my in my, contract to them.
Heidi [00:28:13]:
Okay. Gotcha. Mhmm. So the buy is a 140 style. So how many are you sketching to look at initially before you narrow it down to this 140?
Katrina Martin [00:28:23]:
A 180. Okay.
Heidi [00:28:24]:
So you said you did a 180, and that is Yep. And then they'll 40 will get dropped.
Katrina Martin [00:28:29]:
Yep. Okay. Yeah. And then so that that's 40 that I won't be doing tech packs for, which will be nice. No need to do. So it sounds like they're really buying off of my sketches and CADs, which, I think that's that's probably why they want their sketches to be so particular and, you know, as realistic as they can be.
Heidi [00:28:51]:
Yeah. How exciting.
Katrina Martin [00:28:56]:
Thank you. I have been very excited too. A little overwhelmed, but definitely excited.
Heidi [00:29:02]:
Yeah. So these other freelancers that are they're all the rest of them are all in LA?
Katrina Martin [00:29:09]:
Yep. Yeah.
Heidi [00:29:11]:
And they're, like, technical pattern makers, like, what have you, just a ton of different things?
Katrina Martin [00:29:16]:
I would say one of them is acting as more of a senior designer, and one of them is acting as, like, a creative director. Even if that's not, like, their freelance title, that's kind of, like, the roles that they've taken in this project.
Heidi [00:29:32]:
Okay. Gotcha.
Katrina Martin [00:29:33]:
Yeah. Yeah. So and then I guess I guess I would be considered more of, like, designer level when it comes to this project.
Heidi [00:29:42]:
I see. Mhmm. Yeah. One random thought I was having, I was like, you might wanna see if you can get him to hire you for, like, 10 hours on at work just to get that first rating.
Katrina Martin [00:29:54]:
I know. I I definitely have already thought that I'm gonna ask them to they can leave little reviews.
Heidi [00:30:02]:
Oh, even though they require you directly through there?
Katrina Martin [00:30:04]:
Yeah. Yeah.
Heidi [00:30:05]:
Oh, okay.
Katrina Martin [00:30:06]:
So that will definitely be something that I'll ask them for. So but, yeah, it will be really nice if I can have that on my Upwork. At least I did one little project. So yeah.
Heidi [00:30:18]:
One little project. Let's see here with how we heard this.
Katrina Martin [00:30:23]:
True. One gigantic project. Yeah.
Heidi [00:30:28]:
I'm curious. What inspired you to jump on to Upwork? You have a tremendous amount of experience, and people who are this experienced, I don't always see going to Upwork.
Katrina Martin [00:30:38]:
Yeah. I think my main thought was I just wanted to start on Upwork to kind of, like, dip my toe in and start, you know, going from free from corporate to freelance is, like, a very different mindset, and I really needed to shift what I was doing in my head as far as, you know, thinking about who you're designing for, and how to do these contracts and, you know, that kind of thing. So I've honestly, I was just searching for, like, a couple tiny projects that I could just kind of dip my toe in. And to be honest, I didn't even get to start cold emailing that. So maybe that'll be my next that'll be my next step after this project is over, in the, fast program. I just I hadn't even gotten to try that yet. So Yeah.
Heidi [00:31:43]:
Okay. So
Katrina Martin [00:31:45]:
But, yes, my goal is not to stay on Upwork and do that. Yeah. No. Okay. The other freelance, jobs that I've done are actually for, like, vendors. So I work with a couple vendors who sell to, like, discounters, like Ross and TJ Maxx, that kind of thing. So I would much rather work with bigger companies and not these little Upwork jobs that you see. You know? I need I need one athletic short sketched, and I'm like, okay, 30 minutes later, here you go.
Heidi [00:32:29]:
But I see what you're saying. It's a good it can be a good place to get your feet wet.
Katrina Martin [00:32:34]:
Yes. Exactly. And I was obviously still going through fast and learning, so I was, like, well, at least while I'm going through fast, maybe I can do a project here or there. Mhmm. And, yeah, obviously, was not expecting to get something like this.
Heidi [00:32:50]:
You're like, I don't need these little tiny Upwork brands. Oh, wait. Look at what I got off Upwork.
Katrina Martin [00:32:55]:
Yeah. I mean, that's pretty crazy.
Heidi [00:32:57]:
It is. It is.
Katrina Martin [00:33:00]:
Yeah. Very crazy.
Heidi [00:33:02]:
You mentioned there's a lot of mindset shifts and differences between corporate to freelance. Like, what talk about what some of those are, or where your head was at, at least, with it.
Katrina Martin [00:33:13]:
Yeah. I think my main my main concern when I got out of this corporate role was that I really felt like I had kind of lost my creativity, and was really, instead of doing what I felt like was best for the product or the customer, I felt like I was doing what the buyer wanted. And that's not a place that I wanna be. That's not a job that I want to be doing, you know, and, unfortunately, I felt like in this role, the buyer's voice was kind of above the designer. Mhmm. So, I think a lot of corporate jobs are like that especially in New York, The merchandisers and the buyers really have the upper hand, and, it's pretty unfortunate. And I felt like through that, I really kind of lost, like, the creativity that I used to have when I was working freelance years years years ago. So that's kind of what I wanted to get back to.
Katrina Martin [00:34:30]:
Yeah. How do
Heidi [00:34:34]:
you sorry. Go ahead.
Katrina Martin [00:34:37]:
I was just gonna say, like, I know that I'm not necessarily being super creative in this role right now. Yeah. But just the opportunity to kind of stretch my brain to design for different customers and not just one customer. I mean, I had been designing for this one customer for at least 8 years. That's pretty crazy.
Heidi [00:35:02]:
Mhmm. Yeah. And, like, stretching to, I mean, draw and simulate different fabrics. I mean, denim is a completely different fabric to, you know, knit blouse or woven blouse or I don't know. And then even active, like, just how you render your flats. Yeah. Like, was that a little bit of your brain going, like, okay. Let me think about how to make this fabric.
Heidi [00:35:39]:
Like you said, you really make them want you really try to translate that into your sketches. Yeah. So I imagine that, like, got your brain churning in a really cool way.
Katrina Martin [00:35:48]:
Definitely. I mean, I obviously can sketch tops a lot faster than probably everything else, but I'm kind of an illustrator nerd.
Heidi [00:36:01]:
Cheers. Me too.
Katrina Martin [00:36:02]:
I love illustrator. I am, like, the girl who will, like, find a shortcut for everything, and, I love doing ads. I love sketching. It's, like, my heart and soul. So Yeah. So that's helpful.
Heidi [00:36:18]:
Yeah. That's been super fun, I bet.
Katrina Martin [00:36:20]:
Yeah. Definitely.
Heidi [00:36:22]:
How do you feel about all these tech packs that are coming up?
Katrina Martin [00:36:24]:
I'm nervous.
Heidi [00:36:26]:
What are you nervous about?
Katrina Martin [00:36:28]:
I guess just, like we were saying, like, stretching my brain to work on other categories. Mhmm. It's gonna be interesting. I do have, like I told you, I have a ton of experience in, like, bottoms and jackets Mhmm. As well as tops, but when it comes to, you know, denim, dresses, sweaters, that kind of thing. I mean, sports bras, I am gonna be doing, like, at least 15 sports bras, so that should be interesting. Yeah. Yeah.
Katrina Martin [00:37:00]:
Yeah. It's definitely a little bit of a learning curve, but it's good.
Heidi [00:37:06]:
Learning curves are good.
Katrina Martin [00:37:08]:
Yeah. Yeah. And especially when I'm getting that I don't wanna say low rate because I'm getting a great rate, but it's a little bit low for where I want to be at. Yeah. So that's I think that's a good thing for where I'm at, trying to learn all of these different categories.
Heidi [00:37:24]:
Totally.
Katrina Martin [00:37:25]:
Yeah.
Heidi [00:37:26]:
Well, massive congrats. I mean, just to, like, let everybody know the backstory, like, you won one of the or you got one of the bonus portfolio critiques at the launch. And I did your critique, and you sent me a really nice message on LinkedIn saying thank you so much for the critique. And then I forget exactly, but then you wrote back and you go, holy cow, Heidi. I just landed this massive project. And I was like, tell me more. And we've kinda chatted back It
Katrina Martin [00:37:52]:
was actually funny because I think I had just hung up with the Zoom call with these other designers, and you had messaged me, like, within, like, 2 minutes, and I was, like, I have to tell
Heidi [00:38:04]:
somebody. Yeah.
Katrina Martin [00:38:06]:
I think I even told you, like, I'm still in shock. You did.
Heidi [00:38:12]:
You said, I think I'm still in in shock. The head designer of Watchable found me on Upwork and just told me how swamped they are launching 2 private labels and how much they love my sketches. Yeah. I am so excited for you.
Katrina Martin [00:38:27]:
Thank you.
Heidi [00:38:27]:
This is amazing. You deserve it.
Katrina Martin [00:38:30]:
I, like I said, I'm just excited but nervous to see what comes next after this and, start my start my cold emailing journey. Yeah. And, see what see what else is out there. I mean, I know, like, when you say to niche down, like, I was so nervous to do that, and it didn't hinder anything. Like, these these people still wanted to hire me for something that was all categories. So that's also something to say about your, suggestions is it definitely didn't hinder them from hiring me for multiple things that were not in my portfolio.
Heidi [00:39:19]:
Was your Upwork profile, was it, like, tops designer with okay. Yep. It was super niche.
Katrina Martin [00:39:25]:
Yes. Yep. I did I think I have on my website a few sketches of, like, tops with bottoms, like, little outfits. Yeah. So they probably did see that, but I didn't I wasn't marketing myself as, like, all categories designer.
Heidi [00:39:41]:
Yeah. So Yeah. Yeah. I also think there's something to be said for and I I think, you know, I think you caught a rare gem here, but, like, those vague Upwork posts, you just you never quite know. They just might be a big diamond
Katrina Martin [00:40:01]:
in the Exactly. Yeah.
Heidi [00:40:04]:
And I imagine the pitch didn't take you too long. Like, you read it. I mean, they always take longer than it sounds like, but still, like, you just kinda sent it. You kept it short and sweet, and then Yeah.
Katrina Martin [00:40:14]:
Yeah. Short and sweet followed the kind of suggestions that are in fast, you know, give them a compliment. Tell them how you know how important their project is, and, like, I think I said 2 sentences about myself. Yeah.
Heidi [00:40:34]:
And, like, the 4 about them.
Katrina Martin [00:40:36]:
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Heidi [00:40:41]:
What was I gonna say? Oh, gosh. I had a really good question. Oh, yeah. How timely were you to apply to the posting? Because I know that that's something that a lot of people who have who've had great success on Upwork. They talk a lot about how the timeliness as to when it's posted. Like, you gotta be like, the sooner you are the better. And, like, after 24 hours, like, you can be dead in the water because so many other people have applied.
Katrina Martin [00:41:12]:
I think that I had applied on a Wednesday. They called me on a Thursday, and then on Friday, we had the Zoom interview.
Heidi [00:41:22]:
Do you know when they had originally posted the job posting?
Katrina Martin [00:41:24]:
They had posted it that Wednesday. So it looks like I did it by, like, really right away.
Heidi [00:41:30]:
Yeah. Yeah.
Katrina Martin [00:41:31]:
So that is that's very true.
Heidi [00:41:33]:
Was it by chance or had you, like, set some alerts up into Upwork?
Katrina Martin [00:41:36]:
No. I had no alerts set. I just was kind of working on other things and kind of refreshing it once in a while and if something interesting comes up. But like I said, like, for a designer who's more into, like, lifestyle apparel and not active, there's really I mean, the jobs on Upwork are not the like, it's few and far between. Everything I nearly everything I see on Upwork is for active
Heidi [00:42:05]:
Yeah.
Katrina Martin [00:42:06]:
Or graphics. So, you know, I I was kind of just doing a little refresh here and there in between other things I was doing. Yeah. And this one, I think they had labeled it as fashion apparel. K.
Heidi [00:42:21]:
So that's pretty broad.
Katrina Martin [00:42:22]:
Yeah. That's for sure. Yeah.
Heidi [00:42:27]:
I'm so glad you just went for it and hit submit.
Katrina Martin [00:42:30]:
Yes. Me too. You never know
Heidi [00:42:32]:
what's gonna happen. That's for sure. Connects.
Katrina Martin [00:42:36]:
Yeah.
Heidi [00:42:37]:
This has been so lovely to chat with you, Katrina. I'm really, really excited for you. I think this is very much I know this is the first of so much to come.
Katrina Martin [00:42:48]:
I hope so.
Heidi [00:42:49]:
Yeah. Thanks for taking a leap on your on yourself and jumping into freelancing and jumping into, you know, figuring your figuring this journey out. It can be a scary it can be a scary leap for people.
Katrina Martin [00:43:03]:
It can be. Yeah. For sure. Yeah. I felt like I was just in the right place in my life, like, I hadn't stepped into an office in 4 years, and I didn't want to. So Yeah. Good for
Heidi [00:43:19]:
holding that boundary. Yeah. Good for holding that boundary.
Katrina Martin [00:43:23]:
Yeah.
Heidi [00:43:24]:
Thank you. I would love to ask you the question I ask everybody at the end, and that is what is one thing people never ask you about being a freelance fashion designer that you wish they would?
Katrina Martin [00:43:40]:
I guess I would say I just wish more people would kind of ask me, like, my intentions in doing this. I feel like I get a lot of comments from people saying, like, oh, well, hopefully, they hire you full time. Or, like, oh,
Heidi [00:44:00]:
oh, or
Katrina Martin [00:44:00]:
I I get a lot of friends in the industry who send me job postings for, like, in office things, and I'm like, no. Like, this is not this is not what I'm doing, or, like, will send me, like, the kind of permalance type of job postings, you know, with obviously good intentions, but I think, like, the freelance this type of freelance, a lot of people don't understand and don't understand, like, that this is a choice. Mhmm. Like, no. I don't want them to hire me full time. Like, that is not the goal here.
Heidi [00:44:35]:
Yeah.
Katrina Martin [00:44:36]:
Yeah. So I think especially, you know, like, New York based designers, this this is pretty rare for designers based there. Mhmm. So, I guess just bring more awareness, like, this type of freelancing, and, our intentions with helping multiple brands. Yeah. Yeah.
Heidi [00:45:00]:
I mean, that's my goal with my entire business.
Katrina Martin [00:45:03]:
Yeah.
Heidi [00:45:04]:
So I'm doing my best and
Katrina Martin [00:45:07]:
Well, you're doing great. You helped me a ton. So
Heidi [00:45:09]:
You're so kind. Thank you. And and thank you for, you know, holding that line for yourself of, like, this is my intention. This is what I want.
Katrina Martin [00:45:18]:
Yes. Exactly.
Heidi [00:45:19]:
Yeah. Maybe helping educate some other people out there. That there is another option. It might not it's not right for everybody, for sure. Right. Yeah. Option is there. Yeah.
Heidi [00:45:29]:
Where can everybody connect with you and find you online?
Katrina Martin [00:45:33]:
You could find me on LinkedIn. Katrina Martin. Just look me up there. Or my website is Katrina marie martin.com.
Heidi [00:45:40]:
Okay. Awesome. I'll link to all that in the show notes. Thank you so much for coming on and sharing your huge win. I'm so happy for you.
Katrina Martin [00:45:46]:
Thank you, Heidi. It was good chatting with you.