The inside scoop on my experience of the Contra Bootcamp.

Starting anything new can be daunting. You worry if you are doing the right thing, making the right move and of course the imposter syndrome voice starts to chatter. But, once I was a week into the Contra Bootcamp I knew something felt right.

Let’s go back to the beginning. Actually, before the beginning. What were my expectations going into the Bootcamp?

Well, I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew that I’d be committing a certain time a week to learn the ins and outs of working as an independent. I was also aware I’d be making connections with other Bootcampers and Contrans along the way. Having chatted to Olivia Jones on a call, who gave a synopsis of how the Bootcamp will work, I was eager and excited for what was to come!

Having completed the Contra Bootcamp I can confidently say it was the right move at the right time.

Before the Bootcamp I was kind of winging, what I know now, to be really important aspects of independent working. The biggest learning curve for me was getting into the nitty gritty of things I was apprehensive about in the past. Being a Copywriter, words are what I do. So anything that required a number or related to account management, I steered away from. The Bootcamp prompted me to see these things as opportunities to expand my business, rather than hinder them.

One specific thing I learned in week four of the program was managing client relationships. Particularly, setting and navigating boundaries. I learned it is important to put yourself first when it comes to charging and services. Add on jobs and edits are not “little jobs”, they’re also work — and all work needs to be compensated for. Another learning curve was doing tasks to help me define my Contra services. Before the bootcamp my services were live without pricing and the descriptions only included vague one liners. Now, they are plush, full descriptors that say what 👏 I👏 do👏 for real. I have my packages laid out clearly, including word counts, with costs, and how my services can help prospective businesses.

Before the Bootcamp I kind of hurled previous work onto my Contra profile in the hopes something would stick. Kind of like throwing paint at a wall — sometimes it works okay, but there’s something to be said for sitting down and painting the picture you want (Copywriter, not analogy master). My key takeaway was that I need to make work that aligns with my prospective clients and also, myself.

With the Bootcamp over, it’s now time for us to take the wheel and begin steering our own independent journeys.

If I’ve learned anything over the past four weeks it’s that Contra isn’t a one stop shop where you check-in and say goodbye. Quite the opposite. I now have an online community of independent workers to chat with, bounce queries off of, and share the odd meme from time to time. 😎

Going forward I hope to continue implementing the things I’ve learned from the Bootcamp into my career. I’m excited to work a bit more objectively and steered off of the back of everything I’ve learned over the last few weeks.