Episode 62: What Actually Happens on a China Sourcing Trip

This week, Erin recorded her very first solo episode — live from China.After flying overseas for a fast-moving cosmetic bag project, she takes listeners behind the scenes of what actually happens during a sourcing and product development trip, why proximity matters, and how seeing samples in person can dramatically improve both speed and quality.From factory visits and material selection to sample revisions, market research, and difficult conversations with vendors, this episode pulls back the curtain on how products really get made — and why some projects absolutely benefit from being developed on the ground.She also shares the biggest misconceptions people have about manufacturing in China, the realities of overseas production, and why communication and iteration are such a critical part of the process.If you’ve ever wondered what actually happens during a sourcing trip, this episode is your backstage pass.