Hello, Charlotte! I’m Lindsey Hook, the new Community Manager and Marketing Coordinator at The Launch Factory. I’m so excited to be involved in the great coworking community we have here, and to get to know all the ways our members are driving innovation and entrepreneurship in the Queen City. First off, a little about me: I grew up in Greensboro, NC, and studied Apparel Merchandising at Auburn University (War Eagle!). I’m an avid traveler, and lived for Paris for a year after graduation as an au pair, sampling le fromage and speaking questionable French. I love indie rock, true crime podcasts, and am a pop-culture junkie; if you need someone for a serious discussion of your Netflix lineup, I’m your gal. Apparel merchandising and a stint as a foreign domestic servant/amateur cheese critic may not seem like the obvious path to being a coworking professional, but I’m so glad to have found myself here. I believe that the early years of your career are best spent wearing many hats, and the coworking industry by nature requires that. It’s so much more than just managing a shared office space. Joining a coworking community in Charlotte as a member has innumerable advantages, and so does working for one. Here are the top four reasons I love working in coworking:
Coworking Spaces > Traditional Offices
One reason I love spending my days in The Launch Factory is the design. Coworking spaces tend to have much more of a focus on aesthetic and user experience than a traditional office, where the only break from the mundanity of your cubicle might be a water cooler. The Launch Factory is designed to project positive energy and foster connection, with comfy collaborative areas, an open kitchen to congregate around coffee and snacks, and a Feng Shui-friendly living wall courtesy of our members at Suite Plants. It’s a highly functional space, too, whether you’re functioning at a level 10 (giving a tech-savvy presentation on a smart TV in a conference room) or at a 3 (post-lunch haze, in one of our hanging lounge chairs). Personally, a change of scenery about halfway through the day keeps me from getting antsy, so the variety here works well for my productivity.
Coworking = New Connections
Before I started working in this industry, I was skeptical of networking. I thought it required a nametag, abrupt introductions, and a bit of sleazy hustle; hints of American Psycho, but more boring. Working in Charlotte’s coworking industry has completely changed my mind. Networking can be much more organic than the awkward picture I had in mind, and can lead to genuine growth and opportunities. Coworking is uniquely beneficial in this arena; joining a coworking space does foster easy introductions, but rather than handing someone your business card and walking away, you’re working alongside these connections and building respect and friendships. This relationship-building is the true linchpin of networking, in a way you might not expect. Called “the strength of weak ties” by sociologists, the 2nd and 3rd degree connections you gain from growing your relationship with a new acquaintance can be much more impactful than any number of one-off introductions. I’ve seen this “friend of a friend” phenomenon benefit so many entrepreneurs and independent professionals in coworking spaces. Personally, I consider the networking skills and connections I’ve made as a coworking professional to be invaluable.
Coworking is Diverse
To piggyback on the above point, coworking spaces feature a diverse range of members across industries. In my experience, traditional offices tend to silo employees within their specific departments, to the detriment of collaboration, innovation, and diffusion of knowledge. Beyond that, if you work for, say, a construction firm, most of the people you meet in your day-to-day will be construction focused. As the Community Manager of The Launch Factory, I’m exposed to slices of work from industries across Charlotte, and people in all different phases of their professional life. One of the most impactful lessons I’ve learned so far in a few years of working is that everyone you meet knows something you don’t, and this applies doubly when you’re meeting people outside of your demographic or usual professional circle.
Serving Coworking Members
Despite what my mother would tell you re: housework, I love being helpful. At the end of the day, as the Community Manager of a coworking space I’m here to serve our members. I would make a dismal waitress (one hot coffee spill away from a lawsuit) but as long as the task doesn’t require physical grace, I’m here to help your working day go smoothly. That could mean preparing a conference room for your big meeting, helping you track down a missing package, or just making sure we have enough K-cups. My job is to keep The Launch Factory clean, vibrant, and, most importantly, the best spot in Charlotte for your business.
