5 Takeaways from Launching Notion Consultant Bootcamp

When I decided to launch a Notion consulting course in the summer of 2023, I did so with considerable trepidation.

• Would there be sufficient interest?
• Could I balance this with my full client workload?
• Was I the right person to lead this course?

Now, a week after our inaugural cohort concluded, I couldn’t be happier with my decision to move forward with the course.

We welcomed 35 students from across the globe, coming from diverse professional backgrounds such as product development, change management, and software engineering, enriching our discussions immensely.

By the course's end, I found myself in the student’s seat, learning from the questions, insights, and ideas that emerged over the two weeks, especially regarding building and growing a consulting business with a significant impact on companies using Notion.

Here are five key takeaways from running the Notion Consultant Bootcamp, which I hope will be valuable for those considering launching a course or diving into Notion consulting.

01 | Self-Paced Courses Don't Compare

My initial hesitation with a live (virtual) course was whether students would commit to the sessions.

Not only did they commit, but they also drove most of the conversations during the two weeks.

This was my epiphany:

People are not seeking information, they're seeking transformational experiences.

Even the most comprehensive self-paced course can't replicate the live experience where, in our bootcamp, group discussions were the main conduit for learning.

The diversity of the cohort significantly enhanced the quality of our discussions, and not once did the breakout sessions disappoint.

Towards the end, we dedicated about half of each session to breakout room discussions, and I found myself taking furious notes when jumping into breakout rooms.

02 | Office Hours are the Perfect Vibe Check

We scheduled two office hour sessions over the course duration, and I was uncertain about the attendance.

Surprisingly, the attendance exceeded my expectations, with every attendee actively asking questions about the material.

This group was truly engaged and focused, with office hours providing insights into their questions and interests—valuable information for refining future cohorts and topics.

What's better: in some cases, questions turned into bigger deep dives – either in resources shared with the group, or becoming part of the next live sessions. Office hours are as valuable to instructors as they are for students.

Courses that rely solely on live sessions and surveys miss out on the dynamic, less structured interactions that office hour-style calls can provide.

03 | Integrating Feedback into the Course is Essential

Survey responses—both for individual sessions and the entire course—offered clear, thoughtful insights from the students' perspectives. Adjusting content and agendas based on post-session feedback made the course feel more dynamic and responsive.

The demand for breakout sessions was consistently strong, particularly after our first session encountered technical issues preventing smaller group discussions.

By the second session, it was clear that transformative discussions were happening in these breakouts.

In the second week, I transitioned from teaching to facilitating, encouraging students to apply the resources and templates provided to tackle the most pressing Notion consulting challenges.

04 | Thoughtful Resource Packaging is Necessary

This aspect was a shortfall in the first cohort, but it's a big priority looking ahead to cohort #2.

Sharing pre-organized guides, case studies, templates, and session outlines allow students to mentally prepare, fostering more engaged and productive sessions.

Not sharing resources enough in advance meant spending small moments during live sessions accessing or duplicating resources. In the spirit of efficiency, sharing everything up front means maximizing live session time.

As this was our first cohort, I also found myself tweaking resources on the fly, causing delays in distribution.

For the next cohort, we'll introduce a shared Notion dashboard, offering immediate access to past sessions and resources organized by session topic.

Circle (the platform we used for the bootcamp) also has a nifty feature for 'releasing' lesson content on a schedule, meaning for resources that could be overwhelming or lack context, there's an option to delay sharing.

05 | Cohorts Can Evolve into Thriving Micro-Communities

This was an unexpected outcome from the course, but one I'm super excited about!

Deciding between a Circle space and a shared Notion dashboard for the course was challenging, but opting for Circle proved invaluable.

Channels for introductions, course content, and updates not only kept students aligned with the material but also facilitated stronger interpersonal connections, without having to curate every conversation from the top-down.

Circle’s structure as a course management tool kept all live sessions, links, guides, and templates organized. It also enabled progress tracking and allowed me to support students needing extra help.

While Notion excels at organizing information, Circle was instrumental in nurturing deep, multifaceted conversations.

Conclusion and Looking Ahead

Reflecting on the inaugural run of our Notion Consultant Bootcamp, it's was as enriching for me as it was for the participants. The takeaways underscore the power of community and collaboration in learning environments and the importance of being adaptable and responsive to the needs of learners.

It'll be hard to sign up for another self-paced course, having seen the huge difference when you factor in discussions, peer-feedback, and the impromptu connections made in a cohort-based course.

As we look to the future, I am excited to announce that the second cohort of our Notion Consultant Bootcamp will be taking place in February 2024! We're already hard at work incorporating the lessons learned from our first cohort to make the next even more impactful.

If you're inspired to transform the way you work and empower others with the capabilities of Notion, I invite you to join the waitlist for our next cohort. This is more than just a course; it's an opportunity to become part of a vibrant community of forward-thinkers and innovators.

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