There is a place where everybody knows my name.
The Cheers dream is real. There are overflowing draft beverages (consisting of kombucha and drip coffee), and an ergonomic chair beckoning me to sit that adjusts perfectly to my 5’10” frame. There are regulars, intriguing new people coming in and out, and the most incredible team running the place that know just what I like. Co-working, you’re my muse. My co-working space is my Cheers. It’s there for me always, but not in an overbearing way like an office is. I even have co-workers, thank goodness. I was becoming a complete societal liability as a work from home shut-in. My co-workers are the best kind of people - they’re as driven as I am, they “get me”, and they don’t play office politics. They do, however, chat beside the water cooler, celebrate big occasions, and high-five me if the moment really beckons. I feel like I hit the co-working jackpot with my space, FLDWRK. But in all reality, there are many of these freelance and solopreneur meccas popping up. I sought out FLDWRK when my business was just barely making it, but working from home was starting to break me. 
I figured it was worth the investment in my sanity, even if my business proved unsustainable. Within one month, my productivity skyrocketed.
The co-working model was… working. What happened was not revolutionary, but was beautifully designed to deliberately fill that gap between nine to five full-timer and on-your-owner. Co-working is a great solution because it creates a dedicated space to work, be creative, and set aside any distraction. There’s the perfect amount of ambient noise, and background music set at a researched volume most conducive for productivity. Of course, there are resources like wi-fi, printers, scratch paper, and mail services. But one of the best benefits is this buzz of human life around you marked by self-motivation and pursuing a common goal. With my co-working space, FLDWRK, I found a place that was uniquely fit for my particular business - one that was defined by social good and double bottom line purpose. I actually couldn’t believe a place existed that spoke so squarely to me and my business, but that is part of the co-working gig. A space can be perfectly suited for your mission and purpose, therefore making the others there the perfect co-workers for you too. 
The co-working model is not just about being an open space that houses the creative entrepreneurs of the world. It has its own business with a mission and purpose too. At FLDWRK, they are working to build stronger and better communities. They run many workshops, facilitate leadership and coaching groups, and launch their own start-ups with an incubator - all for businesses that pursue a deeper social benefit.
It’s about more than just a desk you can go to - it allows those of us mad enough to chase the wild passions we have do so in a space designed and meant for us.
It’s about support and drip coffee, and people knowing and loving what you do, whether you ‘make it’ or not. It’s about cultivating that pursuit. In an era where freelancing and side gigging is becoming an overwhelming norm, I bet we’ll see more of these brilliant hives pop up, nurturing all the people buzzing around with their dreams. I for one have seen my business and personal identity as an entrepreneur thrive within a co-working space, and highly recommend you find your Cheers of a work home - it’s out there! For more information on FLDWRK, and their many programs including the start-up incubator, go to fldwrk.io
Photos by Iron and Fern of FLDWRK