I know I haven’t been in touch for a while. There’s been a lot going on lately! Some has been challenging, most has been really exciting, and at times, some of it has been a bit stressful.

And that’s the journey of a business owner, as you very well know.

During some of the challenging and stressful moments, I’ve found myself actively reflecting back on the reasons why I do what I do, and I always find that incredibly renewing.

I share this for two reasons…

• The first is that, as I’ve been able to spend a bit more time at a coworking space lately, I’ve been reminded of the importance of what you, as a coworking space owner, offer to people like me. It’s powerful.
• The second is that I wanted to share my story with any of you who might be interested as a means to encourage you to share your story with your members and prospective members.

To make a long story short…

I spent the early parts of my career in public relations working with all kinds of brands—from fashion to lifestyle and cosmetics, automotive, food and beverage, cannabis, parenting goods, and more. You name it.

I loved the power of organic storytelling and connecting corporate brands with their consumers in a meaningful way—one that extended far beyond just advertising to them.

But as the years went on, that industry began to change. Social media changed the way news was shared. People began wanting their news for free and, given that TV and radio stations, newspapers, and magazines had staff to pay, “pay-for-play” started to largely take over from traditional organic pitching.

Then came influencers and paid blogger partnerships.

To me, the industry had changed forever.

Then, I discovered content marketing. It felt like the new public relations—it stayed true to that organic storytelling and the often-neglected importance of building relationships with your customers, not just shoving products or services down their throats.

So, I left the career I’d known and started my own business.

Fast-forward three months later, I was sick and tired of sitting at home in my sweats all day. So, I joined a coworking space.

Immediately, it changed everything I had ever known about work. It was incredible. I met new people, learned new things, and started to feel like a real business owner.

It was that, mixed with chance, a great mentor, and some opportunities in the coworking world, which made me realize I wanted to focus my business on this industry.

I wanted to connect coworking space operators like you—and the hugely valuable support you offer to members—with the people who could benefit the most from it.

The rest is history.

It felt important then, and it feels just as important now. So, when I bump up against the inevitable challenges of being a business owner, I think back on that mission and I’m energized all over again.

The point of this email is that I wanted to share a few thoughts with you today:

1. I wanted to share with you (and remind myself) why I do what I do
2. I wanted to remind you of how valuable of a service you offer to people, even if it can be challenging sometimes
3. I wanted to say how proud I am to be able to work with some of you to connect you with the people like me who need your spaces the most
4. I wanted to encourage you to share your story more actively with your members and prospects because I believe it helps to create deeper and longer-lasting connections with them

I appreciate you all for reading these newsletters and for taking the time to indulge me in my story.