We have all heard the horror stories of the working world. It’s the stereotypical confining cubicle, away from any windows, with a harsh fluorescent light illuminating a drab working space where you spend countless hours waiting for the clock to tick away. At some point, society collectively accepted this, but it doesn’t need to be that way. Imagine a vibrant place, filled with color, life and people working collaboratively. You might assume that these places only exist in areas like Silicon Valley, however that’s not the case. If you are unfamiliar, let me introduce you to coworking.

 

 

Coworking is a style of work that involves a shared working environment, often an office, and independent activity. Unlike typical offices, people in coworking do not have to be employed by the same organization. Typically, it is attractive to work-at-home professionals, independent contractors, or people who travel frequently. It usually attracts people interested in the synergy that can happen from working with others. Coworking offers a solution to the problem of isolation that many freelancers experience while working from home, while maintaining the flexibility that working from home offers.

This sounds great, right? Don’t just take it from me though, I asked Rachel Dantess of myEZBZ.com and Hannah Hart of Sabik Design, who have both benefited from this style of work. The first thing I asked them was how they were introduced to coworking. Hart had an interesting tale:

“I was first introduced to coworking when I moved to Bali in 2014. After college, I packed up my design degree and moved overseas to pursue my freelance career as a graphic designer. There was a massive digital nomad scene over there and I really started to adapt to the whole “work from where you want” type of life. It was incredible. It wasn’t so big in America at the time, but I started to love and appreciate the freedom and the people that I would meet. It seemed that the "norm" was for people to graduate college, get a big paying, corporate job, move to the city, and work long, tiring hours. But who's to say that’s the norm? As I like to say- a laptop is still a laptop- no matter where you are. Why pay for an expensive office space when you can be surrounded by so many other inspiring individuals and become part of a larger community?”

With Hart’s story, we see the freedom that coworking allows as a huge part of the introduction. This freedom has allowed her to travel the world. “The coworking life got me.” Hart said, “As an avid traveler and someone who can’t stay in one place too long, I since have worked at coworking spaces in Chicago, Austin, Denver, and New York and I always seek them out in any city I go.”

 

 

Another common thread with many people who cowork is that they originally started working in coffee shops, surrounded by similar individuals. This is true around the world and Dantess is an excellent example of this:

“I started working from home right after college and there were days that I felt I needed to see people and change the energy around me. I lived in Tel Aviv, Israel and used to go to coffee shops with my laptop and work there the entire day. At these coffee shops, there were so many freelancers and entrepreneurs like me, spending the entire day at coffee shops. Around 2012-2013, coworking spaces started to pop up, and that was my first time experiencing this type of working.”

This shows that even before coworking took off in Tel Aviv, people were already ready to work that way. Coffee shops served as the space to work for freelancers, but there were still things missing. These coffee shops never felt like a true community, something that freelancers miss from not being in a normal office setting. Coworking spaces, like the ones that started to appear in Tel Aviv, provided the community atmosphere.

 

 

So, after finding out how Hart and Dantess found coworking, I wanted to know how it has impacted their life. Hart along with the others, mentions the atmosphere of coworking spaces as a significant factor:

“Coworking and the whole entrepreneur/digital nomad/work remote life is something that has greatly impacted me as a whole… and maybe ruined me in regard to ever getting a full-time 9-5 corporate job. I am happier, I am more inspired, and I LOVE going into work every morning. There is something so special about being surrounded by so many other like-minded individuals that share the same outlook and aspirations as you.”

The atmosphere of being surrounded by those with similar values and ideals can light a spark to help drive you forward professionally. Dantess noticed this spark in coworking spaces. “It definitely affected my way of life.” Dantess said, “I was used to working from home by myself every day, it was very energizing to meet people who were in the same boat as me.” Surrounding yourself with people in similar situations can help keep you at ease, but it can also motivate you and push you to reach new levels. Dantess also touched upon that aspect of coworking spaces:

“When you are in co-working spaces, on one hand you have the freedom to make your own schedule that a traditional office doesn’t provide, but on the other hand you see people similar to you, hard at work, and that gives you motivation to put in the hours needed to succeed.”

The freedom and atmosphere seem to be the big reason those experienced with coworking point to. Not being constrained to cubicle or office can be liberating to the mind. Hart phrased it best. “I think it is so detrimental to be cooped up in a small cubicle every day. That is not how we get inspired. Connect, collaborate, mix, mingle, share, inspire. It is truly an amazing environment to be in.”

 

 

After going through the coworking experience with these two people, some common themes have shown themselves. Freedom is one that keeps popping up. Being able to come in when you want or move around seems to keep the energy up and the mind fresh, in the experience of the people I have talked to. Another common reason is the creative community atmosphere that a coworking space provides. Coworking spaces connect like-minded individuals and give freelancers and small business the community atmosphere they desire. Being a smaller company, or even a one-person operation no longer means you are all alone, and coworking is a significant part of that. At Upward Hartford we know this, and we are striving to create the strongest community of coworking possible. By connecting people with similar goals, and creating a space that nurtures creativity, we believe we can help people reach the next level in business, through coworking.

If you have been thinking about trying coworking, and are still on the fence, Hart has some final advice:

“I would say- DO IT. There is no better place to connect with and be inspired from other people. If you are that nervous- go trial it. But I can guarantee that after the first step in the door, you won’t look back. As someone once said to me, it is a heck of a lot more exciting to live your life on your terms versus having to be somewhere because somebody told you so.”

Thanks to Hannah Hart from Sabik Design and Rachel Dantess from EZBZ!