by Heather Zager
Tips, tricks, and advice on getting a sewn product idea into development and manufacture.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
2/8/2024
Email Addresses
1 available
Phone Numbers
0 available
April 30, 2025
<p>Host Heather Zager interviews Aprille Moyster, creator of FitUWrap, about her journey from having an idea right through to manufacturing. Aprille’s idea for FitUWrap came from personal need. As a runner, she wanted a way to keep her phone from slipping out of her hand while she ran and couldn’t find anything on the market that worked. So she made it. Heather hears about Aprille’s idea, her prototype, the woman who helped her understand the manufacturing process, how Heather assisted in her tech pack, and finally, manufacturing and actually selling her product.</p><p><br></p><p>The journey was not a smooth one, and Aprille learned a lot about the manufacturing process through trial and error and by finding helpful people along the way. She recalls the first helpful woman she reached, who walked her through the entire process with gratitude. Heather learns about all the hurdles Aprille faced once she reached the manufacturing stage - from shipping delays to logo application to decision fatigue - Aprille very transparently shares her whole journey. </p><p><br></p><p>This episode contains a detailed breakdown of the entire process of having an idea right through to selling it, and will be not only interesting but also useful for anyone engaged in the manufacturing process or curious about bringing an idea to market. </p><p><br></p><p><strong>About Aprille Moyster: </strong></p><p>Aprille Moyster developed her product, Fit You Wrap, to solve the problem of carrying a phone while running, without risking it dropping or getting sweaty. Nine years ago, she created her first concept of the FitUwrap. Her initial prototype was a twisted neck gator that would wick away sweat and help secure her phone to her hand. Her refined product, the FitUwrap, is professionally designed with high-performance moisture-wicking materials, comfortable stretch, silicone back elastic bands, and secure Velcro.</p><p><br></p><p>—</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Resources discussed in this episode:</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://americanmademfg.com/">American Made Apparel Manufacturing, Inc</a> - Sunny</li></ul><p>__</p><p><strong><br>Contact Heather Zager | MADE Apparel Services: </strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.madeapparelservices.com/">Website: MADEApparelServices.com</a></li><li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MADEApparelServices/">Facebook: MADEApparelServices</a></li><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/madeapparelservices/">Instagram: MADEApparelServices</a></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/madeapparelservices">Linkedin: MADEApparelServices<br></a><br></li></ul><p><strong>Contact Aprille Moyster | FitUWrap: </strong></p><ul><li>Website: <a href="https://fituwrap.com/">FitUWrap.com</a></li><li>Blog: <a href="https://therunninggeek.com/">TheRunningGeek.com</a></li><li><a href="mailto:[email protected]">Email<br></a><br></li></ul><p>—</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Transcript</strong></p><p><br></p><p><br>Heather Zager: [00:00:00] Hello everyone, and welcome to the MADE Apparel Services Podcast. My name is Heather Zager and I will be your host for this series. I am also the founder of MADE Apparel Services, which is a sewn product development company for small brands. Whether you are just starting out or a seasoned pro, I have a lot of resources to help you on your journey to manufacture. Don't forget to sign up for my newsletter and follow me on social media for other fun updates. Links to both are always in the show notes.</p><p><br></p><p>Heather Zager: [00:00:29] Welcome everybody! Today I'm chatting with Aprille Moyster, who had an idea for a sewn product that she developed and tested many times, and is now in manufacture and selling. Welcome Aprille, I'm excited to have you here today. Let's start by having you tell me a little bit about who you are, what 'FitUwrap' is, and how you got your idea.</p><p><br></p><p>Aprille Moyster: [00:00:49] Thank you Heather, I'm excited to be here. It's been a very long process, which I'm sure other people could probably identify with. The initial idea for my product was probably born about nine years ago, and I would say that it's probably similar to many people. I was looking for a solution to a problem. I didn't find anything that suited my needs at the time, so I improvised my own unconventional solution. The problem that I had was a way of carrying my phone in my hand when I started running, after 20 years of never being able to keep any kind of an exercise routine. I just hit my early 40s, I was looking for having aerobic activity, something sustainable to do three times a week as they recommend. Mainly for the mental benefits, for everything I was coming back to just kept saying that aerobic activity is the one thing that's been known to improve your mental clarity, memory and all those other things. I needed something that was going to be sustainable, and I was never a runner in the past. I was athletic, I played tennis, but never a runner. The easiest thing that I could think of to do that would be sustainable would be walking/running. Because I get bored walking, so I figured I'd work my way up to running. That literally would fit the bill, as the only thing I would possibly need are good running shoes. That part I knew. That would be sustainable, convenient. I had got the shoes, and the phone. I really wanted something that I could carry my phone in my hand because I was doing this interval walk for three minutes, run for 30s. So I'm looking at my phone to see when those 30s are up.</p><p><br></p><p>Heather Zager: [00:02:41] Right, when's it over?</p><p><br></p><p>Aprille Moyster: [00:02:46] Exactly. That's pretty much how this all got born. Like many people in middle age to try to establish an exercise routine when you hadn't already, I knew myself. I knew I needed to have a goal to make myself exercise three times a week. I knew if I just signed up for a 5K, I could literally wake up the next morning and I could walk the whole thing. I'd be sore, but I knew I could. I set this ambitious goal of, I'm going to do a marathon, so don't ask me why. Because I thought, even a half marathon, I was afraid. I knew I'd have to train for months to do a full marathon. And I didn't care how much I walked or ran, I just needed something that was going to force me three times a week to do it. I did meet my goal, except that I did not run a marathon. I ended up doing a half marathon.</p><p><br></p><p>Heather Zager: [00:03:44] I've done a half marathon before, myself, and it is no easy feat. I don't know how people go twice as far.</p><p><br></p><p>Aprille Moyster: [00:03:51] My invention to carry my phone in my hand worked so well that after my event I would still do it. Because then, after I got to the point that I could run the whole time, it was like, how fast am I running? I was always looking at my phone to check the metrics, because even after I was done with the event, I never felt like a runner. To this, I've recently started feeling like a runner, and that was nine years ago and I have run three times a week since then. I never invested in a running watch until, I think, two years ago. And even then, I still use my phone because I listen to the YouTube playlist, and you have to hit the skip ads, so I like my phone in my hand. I'm just not a real techie trying to get all those metrics on your running watch.</p><p><br></p><p>Heather Zager: [00:04:46] If you're talking about the age range you're talking about, for me, I can't see anything anymore unless I have my cheaters on. A small watch is really hard to navigate so I can appreciate having a phone.</p><p><br></p><p>Aprille Moyster: [00:04:59] When I came back to the States, because I was overseas at the time, I kept looking. I was like, finally I'm back in the States, Amazon. I can look fo...</p>
April 16, 2025
<p>Host Heather Zager interviews MADE client and brand entrepreneur William Hardcastle of WannaHug. WannaHug is a clothing line that aims to help every customer make a difference in someone’s life. Every garment purchased allows the customer to select another garment to donate at no extra cost. William talks with Heather about where the inspiration for WannaHug came from, how he set up the brand, what it cost, and how to handle setbacks. </p><p><br></p><p>Heather finds out from William how long it took him to get WannaHug from a concept to where he is now, in online selling. William is very transparent about timeframes, marketing, and the cost of the start-up, breaking down the initial costs for listeners curious about starting their own brands. One of the things William is open about is how he reshuffled his sale garments to better drive revenue and allow for more options in donatable items. The vision William has for giving back to his community is as admirable as his enthusiasm for the manufacturing process, something he truly enjoyed being part of.</p><p><br></p><p>This episode contains insights, detailed itemization, and inspiration for anyone interested in a brand startup, manufacturing, or creating a purpose-driven sales model. </p><p><br></p><p><strong>About William Hardcastle: </strong></p><p>William Hardcastle is the founder of WannaHug, a purpose-driven clothing brand that emerged from his time in Seattle. While working as a commercial diver, William and his wife were deeply impacted by the stark contrast between the city’s wealth and the needs of its underserved communities. This disparity inspired him to create a brand that not only provides high-quality clothing but also empowers consumers to make a meaningful impact. With every purchase, customers can choose a donation, enabling them to contribute to positive change at no additional cost.</p><p><br></p><p>—</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Contact Heather Zager | MADE Apparel Services: </strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.madeapparelservices.com/">Website: MADEApparelServices.com</a></li><li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MADEApparelServices/">Facebook: MADEApparelServices</a></li><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/madeapparelservices/">Instagram: MADEApparelServices</a></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/madeapparelservices">Linkedin: MADEApparelServices<br></a><br></li></ul><p><strong>Contact William Hardcastle | WannaHug: </strong></p><ul><li>Website: <a href="https://wannahug.com/">WannaHug.com</a></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-hardcastle-a63476aa/">LinkedIn </a></li><li>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wannahugclothing/">@wannahugclothing<br></a><br></li></ul><p>—</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Transcript</strong></p><p>Heather Zager: [00:00:00] Hello everyone and welcome to the MADE Apparel Services Podcast. My name is Heather Zager and I will be your host for this series. I am also the founder of MADE Apparel Services, which is a sewn product development company for small brands. Whether you are just starting out or a seasoned pro, I have a lot of resources to help you on your journey to manufacture. Don't forget to sign up for my newsletter and follow me on social media for other fun updates. Links to both are always in the show notes.</p><p><br></p><p>Heather Zager: [00:00:28] Welcome everybody! Today I'm chatting with William Hardcastle who started his own brand called WannaHug. William, welcome. Let's start off by having you tell me a bit about who you are and how you started your brand.</p><p><br></p><p>William Hardcastle: [00:00:42] Thank you Heather, it's a pleasure to be speaking with you again. My name is William and I started the WannaHug brand when I was in Seattle. I was there at the time doing some more professional skills as a commercial diver. And whilst we were there, my wife and I found the discrepancy between the wealth and those in need quite large in Seattle, and it gave me the idea to start a purpose driven clothing brand, which empowers the consumer to make change at no extra cost. Through your purchase at 'Wanna' brand, you get to choose a donation, therefore empowering yourself and making a change in the world.</p><p><br></p><p>Heather Zager: [00:01:19] That's a great idea, I love that. You just got that from what you saw going on in Seattle, the homelessness and things on the street?</p><p><br></p><p>William Hardcastle: [00:01:28] It's a beautiful place for a start, Washington. And Seattle has a certain buzz about it. There's obviously a great wealth there in Seattle, but unfortunately there's also a very large issue with homelessness and abuse that happens on the street. It seemed to me that those people tend to get left behind, even though there is such huge wealth there that could help that issue. One thing led to another and I thought, why isn't there a place for people to go where they can do what they're going to do anyway through consumerism, but make a difference and make the power of their choice, making it a positive impact in society.</p><p><br></p><p>Heather Zager: [00:02:05] And bringing that across everywhere, not just Seattle. Absolutely, it's a great idea.</p><p><br></p><p>William Hardcastle: [00:02:09] It's a good place to start, but we hope to service the Midwest and beyond as it carries on.</p><p><br></p><p>Heather Zager: [00:02:15] Excellent. How long would you say it took for WannaHug to get where it is today, from your concept and your idea up to where you're at right now? And expand a little bit about where you're at right now too. Are you in manufacturing or are you online selling?</p><p><br></p><p>William Hardcastle: [00:02:29] It all started when I came across your profile online back in February. Your page was very helpful, very self-explanatory as to what you'd be looking to do. It was a comfortable place to start because I was new to the industry. I'd never done anything in apparel or clothing or anything like that. I just knew where I wanted to go, so finding somebody like yourself was really helpful in getting my conceptions down on paper and then into design. Which came with a lot of things like the tech pack, your expertise, small business and what you need to have sorted before you reach the manufacturing stage. We worked together for maybe 3 or 4 months where we went through everything from design, cut and sew, choosing materials, everything that you need to get ready in order to go to manufacturing. Now as we approach the 9th or 10th month of WannaHug, we are at the manufacturing stage. We have signed off on all of the designs last week. We have seven garments in production and they will be due to release at the end of the year. And they will be sold through the website and marketed through our social media platforms. Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, the usual ones.</p><p><br></p><p>Heather Zager: [00:03:49] Great, that sounds excellent. What goals are you still trying to reach, if any, with your brand?</p><p><br></p><p>William Hardcastle: [00:03:57] With experience, and the more we experience within the industry, I'd like to get better at streamlining. This is the first time I've done anything myself, and there's always a place to streamline. I think that comes from being more thoughtful and perhaps planning better and being more realistic on timelines. That was a big thing for me. Being more realistic on timelines would be a good goal, because that way it unburdens pressure on yourself. Then a goal is to continue reaching as many people as possible and empowering those people to help others, like I said, at no extra cost. I guess a big thing for both of those things would be planning, I think that always helps to have a good plan.</p><p><br></p><p>Heather Zager: [00:04:38] You ma...</p>
October 9, 2024
<p>Host Heather Zager interviews social media strategist Rebecca Scott about all things social media, including how often to post, where to post, and how much time business owners should spend on the task. Rebecca shares practical tips to help entrepreneurs improve their social media strategy, starting by identifying their ideal customers and choosing the platforms that align with their interests. From there, Rebecca shares tips for what to post, what not to post, and why engagement matters. </p><p><br></p><p>When Heather asks about how much time business owners should realistically spend on their social media, Rebecca outlines a basic social media management strategy for business owners, emphasizing efficiency through content batching and consistent engagement. The approach involves creating monthly content in advance, followed by daily engagement to foster audience interaction. The key steps include establishing content pillars, brainstorming ideas, organizing formats, setting posting frequency, and balancing content types. Time is divided across planning, creating, and scheduling, with daily engagement given high importance to boost algorithm performance. Below is a breakdown of these steps and the time allotted for each. </p><p><br></p><p>This episode contains insights, useful tips, and inspiration for business owners of all experience levels.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Rebecca’s Basic Social Media Strategy for Entrepreneurs:</strong></p><ul><li>1-2 hours planning and batching content</li><li>2-3 hours filming, editing, creating content, writing captions</li><li>1-1.5 hours creating graphics for posting</li><li>30-minutes scheduling posts</li><li>2.5 hours weekly for engagement</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>About Rebecca Scott</strong></p><p>With a decade of entrepreneurship under her belt, Rebecca Scott is an experienced social media manager and founder of Creative Nobility. Originally trained in graphic design, she began her career specializing in branding and print media. However, as the demand for digital solutions grew, she expanded her services to include social media management—developing a new passion that transformed her business.</p><p><br></p><p>Today, social media management makes up the core of Rebecca’s business, serving clients across Canada and the United States in various industries, including podcasting. Known for her dedication to staying ahead of trends, Rebecca is committed to providing her clients with innovative strategies to help them grow their businesses online.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Resources discussed in this episode:</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.canva.com">Canva</a></li><li><a href="https://www.loomly.com">Loomly</a></li><li><a href="https://www.hootsuite.com">Hootsuite</a></li><li><a href="https://sproutsocial.com/">Sprout Social</a></li><li><a href="https://sproutsocial.com/">Planoly</a></li><li><a href="https://later.com">Later</a></li><li><a href="https://www.fiverr.com">Fiverr </a></li><li><a href="https://www.upwork.com">Upwork</a></li></ul><p><br></p><p>—</p><p><br></p><p><strong><br>Contact Heather Zager | MADE Apparel Services: </strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.madeapparelservices.com/">Website: MADEApparelServices.com</a></li><li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MADEApparelServices/">Facebook: MADEApparelServices</a></li><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/madeapparelservices/">Instagram: MADEApparelServices</a></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/madeapparelservices">Linkedin: MADEApparelServices<br></a><br></li></ul><p><strong>Contact Rebecca Scott | Creative Nobility: </strong></p><ul><li><a href="http://creativenobility.com">Website: CreativeNobility.com</a></li><li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/creativenobility/">Facebook: CreativeNobility</a></li><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/creativenobilitysocial/">Instagram: CreativeNobility</a></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/creative-nobility/">LinkedIn: CreativeNobility<br></a><br></li></ul><p>—</p><p><strong>Transcript<br></strong><br></p><p>Heather Zager: [00:00:00] Hello everyone and welcome to the Made Apparel Services Podcast. My name is Heather Zager and I will be your host for this series. I am also the founder of Made Apparel Services, which is a sewn product development company for small brands. Whether you are just starting out or a seasoned pro, I have a lot of resources to help you on your journey to manufacture. Don't forget to sign up for my newsletter and follow me on social media for other fun updates. Links to both are always in the show notes.</p><p>Heather Zager: [00:00:30] Hello everyone! Today we have Rebecca from Creative Nobility with us. We are interviewing her on everything social media. So Rebecca, welcome. Let's just start off by having you tell me a little bit about your business and what it is that you do.</p><p>Rebecca Scott: [00:00:44] Awesome. Thanks for having me here today, Heather. I guess I'll start off by saying I'm a social media manager. I have had my company for, actually this month is year 10. So it's pretty exciting. I'm happy that I made it to 10 years. You know how it is with starting up a company and entrepreneurship, all that fun stuff. I started off just as a graphic designer, that's what I went to school for. It was called Electronic Publishing at a university here in Canada, in Calgary. I started off by doing graphic design, branding, mostly print for my clients, which is kind of dying out a little bit now, which is sad. But that was one of the main reasons that I ended up adding social media to my offerings, because people were looking more for that digital offering to grow more online and to get more online sales. That wasn't something that I originally had planned on offering, but it developed into this new passion that I had about 7 years ago. So I started doing that, and that's about 95% of what I do for my clients now. It's clients from Canada and the US across all different industries. A lot of them have podcasts like yourself, and I fell in love with doing anything social media, and I am on my phone a lot, which is a bit of a downside, but it's good because I'm always learning. Staying on top of trends that way and making sure that I'm giving my clients the best chance at growing their business as possible.</p><p>Heather Zager: [00:02:27] And that makes sense because I think in any industry, the best thing you can do as a business owner is be flexible. You have to see what the customer wants and move towards those trends to stay afloat. So that makes a lot of sense to me. Very cool. I have a couple of questions that I'm going to go over with you and we can take this any direction that it tends to go. Some things that I thought of that my clients might be interested in is, how many times per week should someone spend doing social media, especially if they're doing it themselves. What can they expect to be the percentage of time, if they're really going to do this well, and try to gain a following to sell their product or their brand or whatever it is that they're starting up.</p><p>Rebecca Scott: [00:03:13] That is a great question. That's one that I get asked often by prospective clients and business owners who are looking to do their social media themselves and aren't quite sure. It does depend a little bit on your comfort level with social media. If you're comfortable creating assets and how many platforms you're going to be on. In general, I asked a bunch of my friends who own businesses, and then read a study as well, and it said that 43% of business owners spend around 6 hours each week. So I went through my process of what I would think a business owner with maybe not a ton of experience would do with their own social media. And I came up with a bit of a breakdown that I thought I would share with you. And this might...</p>
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