Fashion Designers Get Paid: Build Your Fashion Career On Your Own Terms

247: Attracting Premium Clients on Upwork: How Carolyn Landed A $2700 Project (without pitching)


Listen Later

Ever wonder how some freelancers land big-ticket clients while others struggle to get responses?

Imagine setting up your Upwork profile in just half a day and scoring a $27,100 project just weeks later. Sounds unreal, right? That’s exactly what happened to Carolyn. In this episode, she breaks down the key moves that helped her attract premium clients—without years of trial and error.

Carolyn shares how she went from working with high-street brands in the UK and navigating the job market in Hong Kong to building a thriving freelance career in knitwear design. We dive into her approach to pricing projects, crafting pitches that actually get responses, and the simple tweaks she made to her Upwork profile to stand out in a sea of freelancers. Plus, she spills some insider tips on using Illustrator for knitwear design and how she landed repeat work with top clients.

If you're looking to boost your freelance income, attract high-quality clients, and learn real-world strategies from someone who’s been there, hit play now!


About Carolyn:
After studying Fashion Knitwear Design at Nottingham Trent University in the UK, Carolyn moved to Hong Kong for a one-year graduate trainee placement. More than 20 years later, she is still there. Initially, she worked for a small, family-owned knitwear manufacturer that supplied the UK and EU markets. Later, she transitioned to a large corporate sourcing office, just before the pandemic. In April 2024, Carolyn was made redundant but quickly adapted. She started FAST in May and began freelancing in July, securing her first project that same month. Her expertise lies in knitwear, with extensive experience in women's and men's wear, as well as some experience in children's wear. Ultimately, Carolyn chose to focus on womenswear as her niche.

Connect with Carolyn:
Email her at [email protected]

Follow on Instagram

Connect on LinkedIn
Connect on Upwork


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

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Fashion Designers Get Paid: Build Your Fashion Career On Your Own TermsBy Sew Heidi

  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9

4.9

304 ratings


More shows like Fashion Designers Get Paid: Build Your Fashion Career On Your Own Terms

View all
Modern Love by The New York Times

Modern Love

8,823 Listeners

Afford Anything by Paula Pant | Cumulus Podcast Network

Afford Anything

3,535 Listeners

The Glossy Podcast by Glossy

The Glossy Podcast

251 Listeners

The Marie Forleo Podcast by Marie Forleo

The Marie Forleo Podcast

1,645 Listeners

The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

110,854 Listeners

Up First from NPR by NPR

Up First from NPR

55,906 Listeners

The Business of Fashion Podcast by The Business of Fashion

The Business of Fashion Podcast

574 Listeners

Business of Home Podcast by Business of Home, Dennis Scully

Business of Home Podcast

430 Listeners

EXPANDED Podcast by To Be Magnetic™ by To Be Magnetic™

EXPANDED Podcast by To Be Magnetic™

3,281 Listeners

The Run-Through with Vogue by Vogue

The Run-Through with Vogue

697 Listeners

Giggly Squad by Hannah Berner & Paige DeSorbo

Giggly Squad

14,813 Listeners

Astrology of the Week Ahead with Chani Nicholas by CHANI

Astrology of the Week Ahead with Chani Nicholas

618 Listeners

The Professional Creative by Bonnie Christine

The Professional Creative

429 Listeners

Good Hang with Amy Poehler by The Ringer

Good Hang with Amy Poehler

7,904 Listeners

Aspire with Emma Grede by Emma Grede | Audacy

Aspire with Emma Grede

463 Listeners