Bucketlist Bombshells Review: The Work Online & Travel the World Course

With so many opportunities to take online courses, especially in the “start your business” realm, it can be hard to sift through and find one that might actually be helpful. 

Having purchased and taken many courses in the past two years, I can say that The Work Online & Travel the World Course is EASILY one of the most helpful things I’ve done as a new online business owner. Hopefully my Bucketlist Bombshells review will inspire you to take action on your business dreams, too! 

Full disclosure: I have been paid to do a review. That being said, this is a course I 100% believe in and everything I’m sharing is my own opinion. If you’re interested in starting an online business, it could change your life. 

Where it All Started

In April 2019, I started a blog. I wasn’t happy at my day job, and it’s been a lifelong dream to be a “real writer.” I was determined to make that happen...somehow. 

I quickly learned that there are SO MANY opportunities for writers online, but blogging to make income really wasn’t what I wanted to do. I wanted to tell stories and make a bigger impact - to help people like me who struggled with creative confidence for many years before finally breaking free of self-doubt to pursue my dream. 

Fast forward to April 2020 when I purchased The Work Online & Travel the World Course. I’d been on The Bucketlist Bombshells - Cassie & Shay’s - email list basically since the beginning of my journey. I think I saw a Facebook Ad one time and thought: “Oh, they’re doing cool things while they travel the world, I want to know more.”

What appealed to me was that these ladies had started their business so young and had been doing it successfully for years! It wasn’t their first rodeo, even though we’re about the same age. I also thought “They look so normal!” That probably sounds silly, but some of the courses you see ads for are so glamorized that it’s intimidating to a beginner - at least it was for me. 

While I didn’t want to travel full time - and still don’t - the idea of being able to create stable income while being my own boss greatly appealed to me. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve worked with some fantastic people in corporate jobs, but none of the jobs made me as excited as the thought of being able to be a writer. 

And so I became one! 

These days, I am a writer, as well as a writing coach. Much of how I’ve learned & built my business started with this course. After so many options, this is the one that finally helped me narrow down what to offer, how much to charge, and how to keep track of the money (because that’s SO important, but not something that most other “start your business” courses are offering, even still!).  

What’s Included in The Work Online & Travel the World Course?

Inside the course, there are plenty of resources: 6 full modules, plus some fun bonuses. 

Each module is packed with helpful information, and the format is video tutorials + self-paced workbooks. I particularly like the way the videos do tutorials, but don’t “give you an answer” about your own business. In other words, the tools are available, but you have to do the work in order to be successful. 

The course is broken down like this:

Productivity & Goal-Setting - Getting Started

At the beginning, there’s a short introduction to the course, materials, and how to use everything in the course.

It’s nice because you can quickly see approximately how long the lesson is going to take, and the resources are linked right next to the videos so there’s no confusion about what you’re supposed to be working on after the video.

Module 1 - Define Your Online Skills

The very first module sets the stage for the whole course. 

It includes some pretty major topics, such as: 

• Defining Your Online Skills

• How to Use Your Past Experiences

• Choosing Your Online Skills

There’s no fluff. This module will, right off the bat, get you thinking about what the heck you can do online - based on what you already know! The materials give you plenty of space and ideas for thinking about what you’ve already done and how that can translate into online work. 

Module 2 - How to Rock the Freelancing World

The next module is about freelancing and how to define your skills. It also shows you how to get set up in the freelancing world. 

It includes topics like: 

• Defining Your Freelance Services

• How to Choose a Quality Job Posting & Write a Killer Proposal

What I liked most about this module was that it provides the ideas (like defining your skills), but also tech how-tos about getting set up on different freelance websites because they’re all a little different.

Module 3 - Build & Launch Your Online Business

Module 3 is all about how to set your business up from hourly rate to defining your deliverables. 

It includes topics like: 

• How to Research Your Industry Average Hourly Rate

• Defining Deliverables & Setting Client Expectations

This was one of the best lessons of the whole course because it gives you a way to think about how to start charging for your services. If you’ve been around the online business industry for any length of time, you’ve probably seen the posts on social media and on some coaching websites that advise you to charge “what you’re worth” and “what feels right.”

Now, I’m all about charging your worth! But in the very beginning when you’ve never been in business before, it’s super hard to tell what that might be. It’s so nice to have an actual formula to start off with, and to know how to find out what other people with similar skills are charging! 

Module 4 - Find, Network, & Land Clients

This module is all about making the move from freelancer to “solopreneur” and how to set up your business online. 

It includes topics like: 

• Becoming A Solopreneur & Structuring Your Packages

• Building Your Solopreneur Website

• Finding & Landing Clients

This is the lesson that took me the longest because I redesigned my entire website. I moved to Squarespace and never looked back. It is SO MUCH EASIER than WordPress, and honestly, as a service-based business, I don’t need a lot of the things I was trying to use in WordPress. 

I built my new website in probably about a week or a week and a half, and it’s easily 100x better than what I was doing before. So easy, so professional, and with a clear business focus.

Module 5 - Running & Rockin’ Your Online Business

This module is about how to create a streamlined workflow and different tools you can use to make your business professional and manageable to maintain. 

It includes topics like: 

• Establishing & Streamlining Your Workflow

• Tutorial: How To Manage Projects & Clients Using Asana

• Tutorial: How To Track Your Time & Send Invoices Using Harvest

• Managing Your Solopreneur Finances

So, these tools are pretty cool - I tried them all during the course. They don’t all fit into my workflow, but that’s okay! The videos talk about what the tools do and why you need them, which is important because there’s a lot of things about business that you don’t know about when it’s still brand new. 

My favorite part of this section was the finance piece. It was something I’d been struggling to figure out before this, but the BB Finance Sheet makes it super easy. I still use a version of it today! 

Module 6 - Run Your Biz & Jet Set Around the World

The final module is about how to travel while you’re a solopreneur. 

It includes topics like: 

• How To Choose The Best Cities While Globetrotting

• How To Create Your Ideal Lifestyle On The Road

This was probably my least favorite section, only because I don’t have any intention of traveling full time. The tools are interesting, and I think they’re great for people who do want to travel more while owning their own business, but I was in the course for the other materials. 

Bonuses! 

Of course there are bonuses, too. My favorites are access to the BB VIP Lounge Facebook Group and the Guide to Solopreneur Set Up. The Facebook group has been great for getting advice, as well as connecting with other like-minded ladies who are running all kinds of online businesses. 

The Guide to Solopreneur Set Up was really helpful, too, because it’s all about business and tax questions. Cassie & Shay teamed up with their CPA to create the guide, which has sound advice and information about getting started legally and tax-wise, which are both really important.

Pros & Cons

Cons

• If you don’t want to travel all the time, there’s a good amount of information that won’t really apply to you

• You still have to take the travel module in order to pass the “quiz” at the end and get your completion certificate

• The videos, while still great, can be a little outdated at times for setting up the tech pieces; the information is still similar, but there are areas you’ll have to figure out by doing a little trial and error

Pros

• Great information

• Self-paced

• Builds your confidence & decision-making skills

• Multiple ways to learn; videos, workbooks, bonus interviews, etc.

• A way to connect with the BB community (through the Facebook group) & ask questions

• Live masterminds with Cassie & Shay once per month

• Reasonably priced for what you can get from it

Overall, I think it’s a great course, and you definitely get good value for your investment!

Is The Work Online & Travel the World Course for Writers? 

To wrap up my Bucketlist Bombshells review, I wanted to talk about who this course is actually for, because you may still be wondering: Could this really help me?

This course is for you if: 

• You’re self-motivated and ready to take action

• You can process information when working on your own & are willing to ask questions when you need help

• You’re willing to do the work it takes to be your own boss

• You have an idea for an online business or you know you want to start a business but aren’t quite sure what you could do

• You’re open to new tools & frameworks you can use to be successful

This course is NOT for you if: 

• You need someone to keep you accountable

• You want someone to tell you what kind of business to start

• You already have a functioning framework for your online business

• Aren’t sure if you want to start an online business 

• You’re not willing to put in the work to figuring out your business

What this means for writers is that this course could ABSOLUTELY be for you!

It helped me launch my writing & coaching business, and there are many other BB Alum that also have writing-related businesses, too. It’s a great place to get feedback on what you’re doing and maybe even make some new business friends. 

If you’re still not sure (I get it - I waited almost a year before purchasing!), you can check out these resources to get a better look:

Student Success Stories & Features

3 Steps to Build A Wildly Successful Service-Based Online Business Free Masterclass

3 Steps to Learn the Skills You Need to Make An Income Online Free Workshop

4 Reasons Online Writing Courses are Totally Worth the Money

For many of us, this month marks 5 months since we’ve been at home due to the pandemic. Whether it’s because we were furloughed or laid off from our jobs, or simply working at home - it’s been a minute since things have been “normal” or the version of normal we had before COVID-19. 

During this time, there has been such a surge in online learning, not just for kiddos who had to switch to eLearning to finish out the year, but for adults, too! 

Although it’s been a tumultuous time, there has been an exceptional opportunity for learning.

Although it’s been a tumultuous time, there has been an exceptional opportunity for learning. I’ve seen a pretty awesome variety of online courses throughout the last few months, many of which are teaching skills people can use to get jobs or find freelance work online. 

But what I’ve been most interested in lately are online writing courses. I have a little bit of a bias because writing is my favorite thing, but writing is an incredibly marketable skill people can use during these abnormal times!

What Do You Mean by Online Writing Course?

There are lots of different types of writing courses. The ones we typically think of might happen in colleges or at the local community centers, which are both valuable options. 

But when I’m talking about an online writing course, I mean a writing course that is: 

Completely Remote

There aren’t any face-to-face components, meaning you don’t have to go somewhere specific to learn the material. There might be videos to watch, or even live teaching, but you can stay at home (or travel wherever you want) to complete the course.

Self-Paced or Specific Program

Some online writing courses give you full access to all the modules and information up front when you buy it. These are self-paced, meaning you can complete them all at your leisure. 

There are also online writing course programs that are a predetermined number of weeks, where you complete tasks and learn information incrementally more like a classroom experience.  Common lengths for these are usually between 8-12 weeks. 

A Course that Teaches You an Aspect of Writing

We couldn’t talk about an online writing course without stipulating that it’s actually about writing. There are so many options for you to learn online - things like marketing, sales, wellness, etc. - but when I say online writing course, I mean skills for writing like the writing process, editing, proofreading, copy editing, and the like. Things that you do writing for during the course. 

Why Take Online Writing Courses? 

If you’ve read my other posts or talked to me in person, you probably know that I always talk about how writing is a skill, not a talent. 

Do some people naturally like it better? Yes. 

Do some people seem to excel at it more easily than others? Also yes. 

That being said, almost everyone has the ability to learn a new skill, which means that almost everyone can learn to write. 

Not only is it a good personal skill in terms of communication, but it’s also a powerful professional skill that is highly sought after. Employers want good writers, at least the ones I’ve seen do.

But knowing that writing is a super valuable skill, why would someone choose to take an online writing course to learn it? 

Quick to Gain New Skills

An online writing course can be a quick way to gain a brand new skill, especially if you find yourself with free time. You likely won’t have to spend 3-6 months learning from an online course, unless it’s a more specialized program. If it’s a self-paced course, you could potentially cram it all into a small block of time and start practicing right away.

Grow & Hone Skills You Already Have

If you already know the basics of writing, you can take an online writing course to learn different types of writing and hone those skills you already know how to do. An example might be copy writing or editing. There are also creative writing courses available online.

Self-paced

Probably one of the top reasons people opt for online writing courses is the ability to be self-paced. Because everyone learns differently, some people need more time in certain areas than others. Sometimes people just want to take their time and not rush through. Whatever the case, many online writing courses have the great benefit of being self-paced. 

Flexible with Location

A lot of people like online writing courses because they don’t have to be in a specific place to learn. Sometimes you’ll hear this flexibility called “location independent” and right now there’s a huge number of people who would love to travel the world and be able to make money from anywhere. Learning writing skills online makes a whole lot of sense for this lifestyle. 

Cheaper Than a Degree

Last, but certainly not least, online writing courses are chapter than getting a degree in writing. That’s not to say that all writing courses online are cheap, because that’s definitely not the case! The fact is, you can learn a specific skill online and potentially make money from it faster and cheaper than getting a degree in writing. 

This isn’t to say I’m in any way against college or going to college for writing - I’m definitely not! I was an English major myself, and it was an incredibly valuable experience. I’m an English major advocate. That being said, if you just want to hone a specific skill, especially an online skill, online writing courses can be a great way to do so. 

4 Reasons Online Writing Courses are Worth the Money

Online writing courses clearly have some pretty awesome benefits! 

There’s definitely no shortage of people making excellent money from writing online, and the number of people who do freelance writing is and has been on the rise for years. 

But is it really worth it to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars to take online writing courses? 

The short answer: Yes. 

Here’s why:

You Take Charge of Your Learning

When you’re in the online learning space, there’s not one “right” path, or even a path that every single person takes. 

Pretty much everyone will tell you their course will change your life - and there’s a good chance it might. 

But the fact is, unlike a more traditional learning path, you get to choose: 

• What skills to learn

• Where to learn those skills

• How much you’re willing to pay to learn those skills

• What’s valuable to you

You’re the one making the decisions, not an institution or a salesperson. Whether or not you find this scary (it definitely can be!), it’s the truth. Everything is a la carte. You can buy one thing from 5 people or, if you find someone who’s really helpful, 5 things from one person. Either way, you get to make that decision.

You Control the Time Frame

When you take online writing courses, you know ahead of time exactly what you’re getting. You have the option to purchase a course that’s self-paced so you can do it on your own time.

There are also plenty of options to join a program that walks through things step-by-step, if you think that will be helpful in keeping you accountable and moving forward. 

You’re free to choose whichever sounds more appealing to you. 

You Have the Opportunity to Network & Connect with a Community

In most online writing courses, you will get an invitation to join a community of like-minded individuals who are completing the program with you. It’s kind of like a class, but without the mandatory butt-in-seat time & forced group work. 

Being able to network and be a part of a writing community is incredibly valuable, though, because not only do you hear what other people are thinking about, struggling with, and winning at, but you can also get a little slice of that human connection with people who know what you’re working on. 

You Can Go Wherever You Want (as Long as You Have Internet)

Probably one of the best things about taking an online writing course is the ability to go anywhere and still have access to the same quality of learning - as long as you have the internet, of course. 

It’s an added bonus that you could even potentially stay at home in your own bed with your favorite grungy PJs and absolutely no one will know or care. Who doesn’t want that option to learn such a valuable skill?! 

Where to Take Online Writing Courses

By now you’re probably wondering where the heck to find these online writing courses because, hey, there are awesome perks and maybe you’re tired of being at home doing nothing. Or maybe you’ve been at home doing everything and you want to start spending some time on you!

Either way, there are some pretty great places to take online writing courses. These are just a few ideas because I have used them personally, but I would encourage you to look at all the options for any skill you want to learn! Have some fun, do some dreaming, and then decide. 

1. Masterclass -If you want to learn writing from some master writers, Masterclass is an awesome place to go! You can take classes from such writers as: Dan Brown, Margaret Atwood, Judy Blume, and Malcolm Gladwell. These writers are bonafide writing successes!

2. Udemy - You can find almost any skill with a huge variety of teachers on Udemy. They have anything from creative to technical to academic writing skills courses available. Just make sure that you look through the options and look at the teacher before choosing so you know you’re getting information from someone who really knows their stuff! 

3. From Me! - I won’t toot my own horn too much, but I’ve worked with a lot of students over the years. One of my main focuses, aside from the actual skills building part, is to increase student confidence. And I’ll tell you a secret, I’ve been focusing on building student confidence with my teaching since I started - I’ve always worked on it as a teacher. 

The program I’m offering starting in September is 8 weeks long, and I designed it to take writers from the very beginning (we start with brainstorming) through the writing process and come out at the end with a “good” first draft of a creative project. 

I couldn’t be more excited if I tried! If you want to read all about it, you can click here. It will take you to the program page and fill you in on all the juicy details. 

Next Steps

So there you have it! Online writing courses can be a great way to gain practical (and fun) new skills that will help you in your career, and probably at home, too! You’ll love the flexibility, the options, and the decisions you get to make about what you’re learning. It’s a good deal! There’s a reason there are so many choices. 

But what do you do with this information?

1. Decide What Writing Skills You Want to Work On You’ll probably want to choose one or two skills to start with before you try to look at classes to take, otherwise you might get overwhelmed by the variety. Thinking about what you want to do with your new skills will help.

2. Look for Classes You Could Take to Improve Your Skills If you’re not able to pinpoint which skills you want to learn, you can always take a look at what’s available, although I’ll warn you it’s a lot! Sometimes it’s fun to window shop before you decide on the must have, though, you know? 

3. Sign Up for a Class/Course! Once you’ve looked around, pick one and buy it! 

4. Get Help if You Need It - If all of this seems overwhelming to you, you’re definitely not alone. The first time I bought a course and invested in myself I was so scared! And honestly, the times after that, too. 

With creative work, especially, it can sometimes be harder to see the value of an investment. If this is you, let me help! I do offer an 8 week program, but I also offer 1:1 coaching for writers, too. 

If you send me an email at rachel@capturingyourconfidence.com telling me a little about yourself and what you want to do, I’ll give you a complimentary 30 minute session to help you figure out what you want and you can decide what’s best. Sound good? 

My challenge to you is to think about what kinds of writing skills would be valuable to you right now and take an online writing course about it. 

Have you taken an online writing course before? Used one of the options I listed? Or found something awesome you think should be on the list? I’d love to hear about your experiences and recommendations! Find me on social media, drop a comment below, or email me at rachel@capturingyourconfidence.com! 

Let’s chat because you, my friend, are on your way to great writing.