June Convo: Monetizing Idle Areas in Your Coworking Space
In 2012 I joined my first coworking space. And I disliked it so much that I stopped going.
In 2013 I joined a coworking community and it transformed my life.
I went from a sidegigging freelance writer working full time at a record store, to a full time freelance writer, to the owner of a marketing business helping coworking space operators with content, to the founder of Cat Johnson Co, a platform to help coworking space operators around the world learn, share and connect through Coworking Convos, The Lab for indie operators, and Coworking Out Loud.
And over the years, one thing has become magnificently clear: You are not selling desks and wifi.
People can get that anywhere.
You’re selling belonging, professional support, connection, flexibility and purpose.
That’s what your members want.
That’s what makes coworking a transformational part of the future of work.
And we’re just getting started!
Coworking is growing at a ridiculously fast rate, with estimates being that there will be five times as many coworking spaces as there are now by 2030.
What does that mean for you?
It means you need to better differentiate and position your coworking space, brand and community.
Starting right now.
Your perfect-fit members need to be able to see themselves in your community before they can join your community.
And the best way to help them do that is to build a strong brand community.
Building a brand community involves having a clear and intentional content game. It also includes community outreach, becoming a resource hub, word of mouth, events, thought leadership, entrepreneurial savvy and adopting a community-first mindset.
Doing these things will differentiate your brand from the pack and position your space as the obvious choice for your ideal members.
Because your members want so much more than a desk and wifi.
Yes, we love nice amenities. But we’re in our home coworking space every day, week after week, year after year. We want belonging, connection, collaboration and opportunities to share our skills and interests.
As a key-holding member of seven different coworking spaces since 2012, I know what your members want and need to thrive.
And as a longtime content strategist and brand community coach for coworking space operators, I know the overwhelm, emotional toll, challenges and all-the-balls-in-the-air nature of being a community builder.
I also know that you are transforming the lives of your members and making a massive impact on your local community.
And you don’t have to do it alone. Let’s build your brand and community together.
Get started:
✅ Join 3,000 coworking space operators who receive weekly letters from me.
✅ Check out the Lab, our club for indie operators.
✅ Book a 1:1 call to discuss your content and brand community strategy.
Further together,
Cat
My CJ Co teammates and I are here to help you grow your coworking space, business and brand community.
We believe coworking has the potential to change the world and we’re here to help you do just that.
Through our blog posts, Coworking Convos, the Lab, LinkedIn and Instagram posts, events and Coworking Out Loud, we help coworking space operators learn, share and connect.
As a human-first organization, we’re all about exploring the deeper side of coworking, content and creating a brand community.
The Lab – The Lab is our club for indie coworking space operators.
Coworking Convos – Coworking Convos is a monthly virtual event series for operators to learn, share and connect.