Hey there, If you're reading this, you probably already know who I am, but in case you missed it, let me reintroduce myself. My name is Oluwafemi, but you can call me Femidigital or simply Femi, which I'm mostly known as. I am a Brand and Experience Designer, born, bred, and based in Lagos, Nigeria.

Uhm… So I’d like to tell you about my journey so far as an independent professional and my connection to the future of independent work at Contra, so grab a seat and a snack because it’s about to go down.

Getting into tech and design wasn’t something spontaneous or something I later discovered I want to do in life. Right from when I was a little kid, I was always very attracted to anything that had to do with technology and creation of things because by then I didn’t really have a definition for these things I had so much zeal for. But as I became older, I began to learn and understand it and was absolutely sure that it is what I would love to do.

Luckily for me, my parents were in full support because they had observed how passionate I was about technology. It gave them so much joy to see me build things like little paper cars that could move with rotors and batteries, so they had an idea that eventually, what I would do professionally would be in relation to computer and technology, they just couldn’t place it because they didn’t understand it [still don't, lol].

As time went on, I evolved. I began to get attracted to graphic design, so whenever I got the opportunity, I would sneak in to use my uncle’s desktop computer to create some things on Paint. It gave me so much joy and fulfillment and it was a reaffirmation that this would be my future profession.

Fast-forward to now. I am living the dream, I have grown over time to become an independent professional with a good understanding of design and branding, having collaborated with different business owners and teams from different countries to create timeless brands and memorable experiences.

During my engagement on social media, I came across a tweet that mentioned Contra and I clicked the link to check it out because I am a very inquisitive person and I love trying out new things.

As soon as I landed on the first page, I fell in love with the visual aesthetics and powerful messaging, given the fact that I am very big on freedom and flexibility in regards to my work so I was sold with what I encountered on the landing page at first sight.

This prompted me to join the Slack channel and I began to engage actively. I believe so much in Contra as the future of independent work because it promises things that I am big on in regards to how work-life balance should be, most especially, freedom and flexibility. I believe these things enhance my productivity and improve my outputs as an independent creator.

I am grateful to Ben for the opportunity and I am glad to be a part of the building story of this revolutionary platform and I am looking forward to a longer time with them.