Ed O'Connell

Founder of SÔZ STUDIOS ATELIER (EX-Amazon)

Cohort 1

From Idea to First Sample — July 2026

Apparel Manufacturing Consultant, LA

Get your first sample made — without the expensive mistakes.

Most apparel founders lose 3–6 months and thousands of dollars making the same avoidable mistakes. They email factories and hear nothing back. They get samples that look nothing like what they intended. They don't know if their tech pack is complete, if their quote is fair, or whether domestic or overseas manufacturing is right for their product.The information exists — but it's scattered across forums, YouTube videos, and blog posts written by people who haven't actually built a brand or run a factory relationship.I have. I built SÔZ Studios from scratch in LA — bought the books, called the factories, made the expensive mistakes. Then I built a consultancy helping founders avoid the same ones.This workshop is two hours of exactly what I wish I'd had when I started: a clear, specific, honest walkthrough of how to get your first sample made — who to contact, what to say, what your tech pack needs, how sampling actually works, and what to do when a sample comes back wrong.No generic advice. No textbook frameworks. Real answers to the questions founders are actually Googling at midnight.You'll leave with a plan for your specific product — not another list of things to research.

You'll know how to find a factory, get a sample made, and fix it when it comes back wrong — without wasting months figuring it out alone.

Know exactly what to say to a factory to get a response

Assess whether your tech pack is ready before sending it

Decide between domestic and overseas manufacturing with confidence

Read a factory quote and know if it's fair

Conduct a fit session and communicate corrections that actually get fixed

Leave with a clear next step for your specific product

The First-Time Founder Has a product idea but hasn't contacted a factory yet. Doesn't know where to start or what they actually need.

The Stuck Founder Started development but hit a wall. Emailed factories, heard nothing. Got a wrong sample. Has a quote but can't evaluate.

The Brand Moving Stateside Overseas brand frustrated with long sample cycles. Wants domestic options without disrupting their factory.

Ed O'Connell Ed O'Connell will get you into production

Ed O'Connell

Workshops

Get Your First Sample Made: A One-Day Workshop for Apparel Founders