Bad things happen to good people. CYA: Make sure your resume and StyleCareers.com profile is up to date…
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After 34 years as a designer in NYC and LA, and living full time in LA with no desire to relocate out of the area for work, I have finally said Adios to the fashion industry.
Too tired of the ageism ( I am 56), layoffs, dying retail, and shrinking pay over the last 12 years.
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Congratulations! What’s next in store for you?
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During COVID I got certifications in an entirely different field and gradually built up a clientele of subscription based fitness memberships in the Health & Wellness space for an over 40 community living in the wealthy beach enclave I live in. No fixed costs, no brick and mortar needed as clients purchase home based fitness training brought to them either live in person, in their own home gyms, or digitally through website memberships. I also design and customize meal plans for optimal health, weight loss, etc. People will pay for this and spend larger amounts of income each month to maintain their health, especially a remote work force earning a good income but sitting alone at a computer all day where I may be the only person they see all day that gets them physically moving.
I earn 25% more per hour doing this than I did as a Design Director BUT I work half the hours by choice. I created a stylish website using my fashion background which gives me an edge with a more sophisticated clientele who relates to me, and I use my Adobe skills to create all of my own email marketing and videos quite easily. I have my own YouTube channel related to Health & Wellness, all clients are auto charged each month in advance via my Stripe account, for their monthly training and coaching so my income is steady, and I can build in my vacations. I also get paid to work out all day. Most clients are dual income, living in large homes on or near the beach and business owners. I don’t have to worry about layoffs, toxic work environment, not having control over my schedule, being in a rundown windowless building all day, never seeing my child, etc. Over it.
I got tired of freelance recruiters contacting me with $25-40/hour temp tech design jobs, when I was a design director for 15 years and owned my own business for 5 years in my 30s. It’s just oversaturated in LA with designers and not enough jobs, and the design schools are pumping more and more out.
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Good for you! It is not easy to leave behind a career and re-invent yourself. The industry has changed so much in the last few years. It seems like no one cares about getting people with real skills to develop great product efficiently. And no one wants to pay for the skill set. They think anyone who graduated from a fashion program can design & fit garments, which shows in so much of the ill-fitting product available in the market now. And the race to the bottom in salaries is even worse - there were tech design jobs listed at 75-85K during the pandemic, but now I see listings at 55-65K. Unrealistic for the level of responsibility required in tech design roles. I am pivoting to teaching in addition to my freelance design work: I may be working in a fashion program that is pumping out newbie designers, but at least I can say I have given them a good foundation of skills.
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incredible! I could you also monetizing your story of your how you switched industries. Heck, I want to take you out for coffee and visit your brain and figure out to also mine the “wealthy beach enclave” in a lovely non-competive way!
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