Cat Johnson

  • About
  • Newsletter
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Events
  • Contact
    • Login

      Login with your site account

  • About
  • Newsletter
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Community
  • 23 Things I Love About Coworking Right Now

Community

09 Aug

23 Things I Love About Coworking Right Now

  • In Community, Inspiration, Just for Fun, Lists
  • 0 comment

For Coworking Day 2018, I wrote an open letter to community managers.

They are the heartbeat of coworking, they have an almost-impossible job, and they deserve our undying praise and gratitude. So don’t forget to say thank you to the people who run your coworking space today.

This year, I decided to share a glimpse into what I love about coworking—not from a big picture view, but in a single moment.

  1. I was greeted this morning with three hugs.
  2. Earlier today, I had a heart-to-heart with a fellow member about anxiety-reducing strategies.
  3. I have a quick question for our in-house SBDC advisor, who I’ll likely see later today. Last week I met with him for an hour to go over next steps for my business. For free. Just down the hall.
  4. Our mug wall includes Hello Kitty, Stumptown Coffee, handmade ceramic creations, one from local social purpose marketing agency and an enormous NextSpace stein that’s been floating around forever.
  5. When I go to an off-site meeting later today, I’ll leave all my stuff in the space.
  6. We have an inflatable unicorn with a rainbow mane on top of our fridge.
  7. Our beer fridge includes several varieties of sparkling water.
  8. Bennett’s “What Do You Want?” question is in the main hallway where it serves as a reminder every day to focus on what is real and not get caught up in a chase.
  9. We have a rotating art show in our hallways.
  10. Ed, a fellow member, has his amazing metal art all around the space.
  11. We have a conference room just down the hall that has everything three friends and I need for an impromptu video project later this week.
  12. Of the 12 people in my immediate vicinity, I’ve collaborated with seven of them in the past year.
  13. Our fridge has half and half, soy creamer, coconut creamer, milk, almond milk and a few other options.
  14. There’s a statue of Kwan Yin next to me and four small, orange, stuffed moose staring at me.
  15. I’ll likely take a mid-day mental health stroll with Sue. Sometimes these walks end at the beach.
  16. Our podcast room has mics, tripods, an o-ring light and sound-absorbing foam.
  17. Our member wall is a reminder of where we’ve all been, and where we’re going.
  18. Our washroom is designated by a pirate flag. This is a long-running NextSpace tradition that I adore.
  19. I may have teared up during a recent conversation about authenticity and vulnerability with Iris.
  20. Jules and I just looked up, caught each others’ eye and, at the same time asked, “You good?”
  21. After that, I waxed poetic for a while about the joys of analog music and record pressing plants. Jules smiled, nodded and agreed that records were/are the best.
  22. We have a three-hole paper punch, which you don’t really need…until you do.
  23. Many days people bring snacks to share. Today there was homemade sourdough bread.

Honestly, this post could go on forever. In another hour or two, I’ll have 23 more things I love about coworking right now.

Coworking is a way of being. It’s how we spend our days. It’s how we choose to move through our work.

Our coworking community has very little to do with our actual building. If we could no longer use this building, our community would just move to wherever we were going next.

If you’re a coworking space operator, spend less time fixating on the design of your space and more time participating in your community.

If you’re looking for a coworking space, don’t look for the most fabulous space, find the one that feels like your home community. Design aesthetic matters, but after a couple of months, it won’t matter that much.

What will matter is the circle of people you surround yourself with.

Find the community that inspires you and that you can contribute to.

Then get to work doing your life.

Coworking space operators: Subscribe to the Coworking Out Loud Newsletter to get hand-picked articles, resources and coworking content tips.

  • Share:
Cat Johnson
I'm a writer, podcaster, teacher, speaker and content strategist focused on coworking, community and creating our best lives together.

You may also like

Real Connection vs. Fair Weather Readers

  • December 2, 2019
  • by Cat Johnson
  • in Community
These two things are true: 1. Every Thursday I send out the Coworking Out Loud...
women-who-cowork-crowdfunder
12 Ways Women Who Cowork is Transforming Coworking (and How You Can Help)
November 20, 2019
storytelling-build-trust
Storytelling to Build Trust: 5 Tips for Coworking Space Operators
October 2, 2019
GCUC-UK-2019-Follow-up
22 Thoughts, A-ha’s and Takeaways from GCUC UK 2019
September 30, 2019

Leave A Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Get a weekly dose of workspace inspiration in the Coworking Out Loud Newsletter.

1,730+ space operators get curated articles, content tips and community resources every Thursday.

“Cat Johnson is the marketing maven of the coworking world. She delivers content that is real, actionable and on-point. If you want to learn how to ignite your marketing and storytelling, you found the person. Enjoy the journey.”
Liz Elam
Executive Producer, GCUC

“Working with Cat is like a breath of fresh air. Cat knows the coworking industry inside and out, and her understanding of what makes great content is second to none. And if that weren’t enough, she’s organized, thorough, and simply a delight to work with.”
Susan Dorsch
Cofounder, Office Nomads

“Cat is the go-to when it comes to content strategy for the shared workspace industry. Not only is she an expert but she is immersed in coworking. She really gets it. Her newsletter is one of the few in my inbox that gets opened every week.”
Jamie Russo
Everything Coworking Podcast, GWA

© 2019 Cat Johnson

COWORKING · CONTENT · COMMUNITY

Get a weekly dose of workspace inspiration in the Coworking Out Loud Newsletter.

1,730+ space operators get curated articles, content tips and community resources every Thursday.