256: From $15 to $100K: Afroditi’s Fashion Freelance Journey on Upwork (Part 1)

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

What if your first freelance project paid just $15 and took a week to complete... would you keep going? In this first episode of our two-part series, I sit down in person with Afroditi, a Greek fashion freelancer who started on Upwork with no clients and no portfolio. She opens up about landing that first $15 sketch job, the fear and uncertainty she faced, and why Upwork felt safer than anything else.

Afroditi shares the raw, unfiltered truth of her first year freelancing: her strategies, the emotional toll of working without boundaries, and the surprising reasons she didn’t give up.

Listen to this powerful story of grit and growth, especially if you’re just starting out or need a reminder that every expert was once a beginner.

Resources:
Afroditi's Upwork Profile
253: Tabitha’s First $1K Month (and Why She’s Quitting Her Day Job to Go All In on Freelancing)

About Afroditi:
Afroditi is a fashion technical designer based in Athens, Greece. She transitioned from teaching cello to fashion, and after a tough start in the industry, she built her career on Upwork (eventually crossing $100K on the platform).

Connect with Afroditi:
Follow on Instagram
Connect on LinkedIn

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