The Designer CEO Podcast

16 Ways to Boost Your Creativity

We’ve all been there. That feeling of being creatively STUCK - leaving you bored, tired, and generally just apathetic about getting it finished. It’s creative burnout - that “meh” feeling that leaves you without any inspiration or motivation to keep you on task. But that’s just not going to work Designer CEOs -- your creativity is your money maker and is what makes you and your brand well….YOU!

In this episode I’m sharing my favorite ways to boost your creativity and covering 16 different ideas that you can do RIGHT NOW to re-energize yourself and help you when you are feeling creatively stuck so you can move past your burnout, start creating again, and get back to business.

Getting Started With Manufacturing With Kelly Mutsch

Do you know how to find a manufacturer for your fashion brand? What to prepare before your very first meeting? What questions to anticipate from a manufacturer? What hidden costs to expect when you are just getting started? Knowing what to expect will ensure that you are discovering and developing the best partner for you and your fashion brand.

In this episode I’m chatting with Kelly Mutsch who knows the in’s and out’s of the apparel manufacturing process and will be sharing exactly what you need to think about and prepare before you begin a relationship with a 3rd party manufacturer. We’ll cover finding the right manufacturer, what services you can expect from a manufacturer, some of the biggest mistakes to avoid, and how to manage expectations of your new partnership.

How Designer CEOs Build Strong Business Relationships To Take Their Brand Next Level

Building strong and effective business relationships is one of the best strategies for any fashion startup or fashion brand and will be critical to the success of your business. It is a strategy that you can start doing TODAY for FREE and will have a dramatic impact on your business as well as accelerate your success.

In this episode, I’m sharing how to build strong and effective business relationships including finding your tribe, what to do to get the dialogue flowing, who your greatest partners will be, and how to maintain your current relationships to create and develop those meaningful business connections that will help you and your business flourish.

Q&A: Opening a Brick & Mortar, Getting Started With Instagram, & Defining Your Competition

Hear answers to the questions that Designer CEOs just like YOU have been wondering about.

On this episode, you’ll hear answers to the questions that you’ve been wondering about including…

  • As a designer is it worth it to open a brick and mortar store?

  • How do I get started with Instagram? I know that I need to be posting but don’t know what to be posting for my fashion brand.

  • I plan to launch my fashion brand with an online presence only. When researching my competitors should i only be thinking about other designers with similar products online? Should I be concerned with my competitors locally or on a national level?

I’ll share my advice and get you Designer CEOs the answers you’ve been looking for so you can launch, grow, or scale your fashion brand now.

How To Know If You Have Lost Sight Of Your Customer

Brands that have lost the pulse on their customer is becoming a common and devastating problem that I see happening all too often in today’s retail marketplace.

You’ll hear the three most common warning signs that you have lost touch with your customer, the main reasons it happens (even to the best of brands), and what you can do about it TODAY to get your fashion brand back on track and begin to win back those lost customers.

If you are a new Designer CEO’s that hasn’t clearly defined your customer, just getting started and realizing that you may need to dig a little deeper to get to know your customer better, or perhaps even a bit more established but realize that you need a refresher on keeping your customer top of mind than this is for you.

How to Create A Design Strategy That Your Customers Will Love

What would it feel like to design a fashion brand that is not only a manifestation of your design talent and vision but will also sell and increase your profit margin?

I’m sharing how to develop a design strategy for your line that your customers WANT and will generate sales. I’m laying the process for exactly what I used to do to plan my assortment strategy as a corporate product manager. You’ll hear what you need to do to get started and step by step how you should break down your design strategy. I’ll keep it nice and simple so you can plan EXACTLY what you need to do design your way into your customer's hearts and maximize your sales and profits.

So if you are a Designer CEO just starting to plan your first line launch, working through your first year of your fashion brand, or if you are an established brand looking to improve your current design strategy process, this episode is for you!

Welcome to The Designer CEO Podcast

Each week The Designer CEO Podcast will bring you brand and retail strategies, merchandising how-to’s, organization and productivity tips, and business and professional advice simplified for Designer CEOs who are ready to make their dream of launching their own line a reality. Along the way you’ll hear insider tips from those who have “made it” in the fashion industry, including industry execs, entrepreneurs, and fellow designers who’ve successfully launched their lines.

The goal of The Designer CEO Podcast is to help you connect all the dots to see the big picture of what it takes to for your fashion brand to thrive. Sarah is here to be your go-to resource for navigating the retail business, help you master all that "business stuff", and support you as you launch the line of your dreams.