Live on Google Meet · Los Angeles
Get Your First Sample Made.
Without the expensive
mistakes.
A 2-hour live workshop for apparel founders — the exact process for finding a factory, getting a sample built, and knowing what to do when it comes back wrong.
Reserve Your Spot — $97 Or book a free discovery call firstSecure checkout · Recording sent to all attendees within 24 hours
Sound familiar?
—
You've emailed factories and heard nothing back — and you don't know why
—
You got a sample but it came back wrong and you don't know how to communicate corrections
—
You don't know if your tech pack is complete enough for a factory to build from
—
You have a quote but can't tell if it's fair or what it's missing
—
You're about to spend money on development and you're not sure you're doing it in the right order
What You'll Walk Away With
Six things you'll know
by the end of the session.
01
Why factories aren't responding — and what to say instead
The exact information your outreach email needs to include and the five questions every factory is silently asking when they read it.
02
Whether your tech pack is factory-ready
A complete checklist walkthrough so you know exactly what's missing before you send your specs to anyone.
03
Domestic vs overseas — the right answer for your product
A decision framework built around your specific volume, timeline, and margin requirements — not generic pros and cons.
04
How to read a factory quote and know if it's fair
What CMT pricing actually includes, what it almost always leaves out, and how to compare quotes on equal terms.
05
How to run a fit session and fix samples that come back wrong
How to document and communicate corrections so factories build what you actually intended — and how to minimize revision rounds.
06
A clear next step for your specific product
Live Q&A time on your actual situation — bring your product, your factory conversations, your quotes, or your samples.
Workshop Agenda
Two hours.
One complete system.
Hour 1
Getting Factory Ready
What factories evaluate in your outreach. How to assess your tech pack readiness. The outreach templates that get responses. Domestic vs overseas — how to actually decide. Red flags to look for before you commit to any factory.
Hour 2
Sampling, Quotes & Live Q&A
How sampling actually works. How to read a factory quote. How to run a fit session and communicate corrections. Then open Q&A on your specific product, factory situation, or development challenge. Bring your real questions.
Who This Is For
You're ready to move.
You just need a roadmap.
First-time founders
You have a product idea and designs but haven't contacted a factory yet. You want to do this right the first time without the expensive mistakes.
Stuck founders
You've started but hit a wall. Factories aren't responding, samples are wrong, or costs feel out of control. You need someone to diagnose what's happening.
Brands moving stateside
You manufacture overseas and are frustrated with 8–12 week sample cycles. You want domestic options without disrupting your existing factory relationship.
Founders about to spend money
You're about to invest in development and want to make sure you're doing things in the right order before you commit your budget.
Your Instructor
Built from real
factory relationships.
Ed O'Connell
Founder, SÔZ Studios Atelier · Los Angeles
I built an apparel brand from scratch in Los Angeles — SÔZ Studios, coastal menswear in organic cotton, wool, linen, and silk, made domestically. I bought the books, called the factories, made the expensive mistakes. That experience became SÔZ Studios Atelier, a product development consultancy working with founders and established brands on domestic manufacturing, sampling, and production management.
Current clients include a posture-wear brand with over 1 million units sold, for which I serve as domestic sample-bridge partner — delivering first samples in 4 weeks and revision turnarounds in 1–1.5 weeks. Everything I teach comes from active client work, not a textbook.
