HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF A FREELANCE RETREAT

When you’re working as a freelancer without coworkers or a set career path, you can quickly feel lonely, lost and a little uncertain when it comes to the future of your business. But going on a freelancer retreat can be the ideal way to work your way out of a slump and start to feel excited about your goals and where you’re heading over the next few months.

Whether you’ve been on several freelancer retreats before, or if this is your first time, going into the experience prepared and ready to work will help you to make the most out of your investment.

COME WITH CLEAR GOALS

You’ll only get out of something what you’re willing to put in, so knowing exactly what you want to achieve during the retreat is important to think about before you arrive. Spend some time the week before you travel to think about the three to five aspects of your business that you’d like to focus on during the retreat and what answers you’d like to have by the end.

Retreats are the perfect place to think about the bigger picture rather than the nitty gritty of daily work, so think carefully about what you want your business and life to look like over the coming months or year. Don’t forget that your goals don’t have to be all business-focused either. If your dream is to free up some more time in your schedule for passion projects or relaxing, set goals around how changes in your business can enable this.

BE OPEN TO FEEDBACK AND HARD QUESTIONS

Particularly when you work for yourself without anyone else on your team, it can be difficult to take an objective view of your business, what’s working, and what changes should be made. Retreats are the perfect place to open up and be vulnerable so that you can get helpful advice that’s tailored directly to your business and the problems that you’re facing.

We know it’s tough to admit failures or mistakes, especially to a room of complete strangers, but we guarantee that every other freelancer has been in a similar position or knows someone who has. Feedback is important, no matter what type of business you run, and you can learn so much from those who have been there before and have come out the otherside. Be prepared to answer tough questions about your work and be willing to hear the suggestions that others make.

DO THE DEEP WORK

Of course, retreats are meant to be fun escapes from our normal working lives and a chance to meet other people who do similar work to you. But for you to make the most of your time there, and the investment that you’re making in yourself and your business, you also need to do the deep emotional work of identifying your business problems and working towards solutions.

Getting feedback from others is one thing, but you also need to take time during the retreat to think through the problems and possible outcomes for yourself. After all, no one knows your business better than you do, so take the opportunity of being in a new environment with a new group of people to sift through the difficult topics that you might have been avoiding. 

ASK ALL YOUR QUESTIONS

One of the best parts of going on a freelancer retreat is the chance to ask all of your questions to other professionals. It’s not only the host that you have access to; there’s a whole group of other retreat attendees to grill about what’s working best for them and what they’d do in certain situations.

Whether you’re looking for recommendations for a new accounting software or business coach, or you need some help with a catchy name for your next product launch, make use of the group and brainstorm about anything you could use support on. 

ENGAGE WITH THE GROUP

You’ll likely be interacting with the group as a whole or as breakaway small groups (depending on how big the retreat is that you’re attending) during the organized sessions, but you should also make an effort to engage and network with as many people as possible in between sessions or during any downtime that you might have.

Building a supportive community that you can lean on in hard times and celebrate with over every win is one of the most underappreciated parts of being a freelancer. Especially when you might be working in the same field as another attendee, it can feel like you need to be mindful of what you say, but going into a retreat with a “community over competition” mindset can really help you in the long term. 

Plenty of freelancers still find most of their business via word of mouth and referrals, so it really does pay to befriend and connect with freelancers in all kinds of industries.

REST WHEN YOU NEED TO

Regardless of whether you’re an introvert or not, retreats can be draining experiences. Being switched on and concentrating on your business at an intense level for several hours or days at a time can take its toll, so it’s important to cut yourself some slack and enjoy a few moments of peace and quiet where you can.

If you’re attending a multi-day retreat, try not to stay up too late (although, remember to engage and network where you can!) and take a half hour before bed to switch off with a book, some music, or a podcast to help you unwind.

Looking for a freelancer focused retreat with like-minded entrepreneurs? Find out more about the No BS Freelance Retreat, with options for both domestic and international getaways.