Endless coffee and friendly dogs; unique d\u00e9cor; gourmet breakfasts, pool tables, and private screening rooms; and best of all, a warm and welcoming community.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s because of these things, and much more, that I have an affinity for the culture at WeWork. \u00a0I\u2019ve been a member since I left my cushy strategy-consulting gig about a year ago to pursue a startup of my own.\u00a0Upon becoming my own boss, I quickly realized that working from home was undermining my chances for success, and I craved the company of other entrepreneurs. \u00a0I made finding an exciting community workspace a high priority.<\/p>\n
Originally based in Washington, D.C., my startup has taken me all over the country \u2014 from meetings in New York, to pitches in Seattle; from networking in Los Angeles, to selling in San Francisco. \u00a0The beauty of it all is having a home office in each city: one which I am completely familiar with and comfortable in. I can get down to business without a fuss, and I often just kick back with others and learn from them. \u00a0WeWork has afforded me this comfort while on the road.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve been to just shy of 20 locations, and yet, they all share these comforts: a warm welcome by the front desk, those couches, black mugs, glass offices, cool stickers, free food, and the bustling atmosphere generated by all the entrepreneurs inside. There\u2019s also high-speed internet, easy printing and shipping, and an abundance of office supplies.<\/p>\n
It turns out that mixing work and play has had a synergistic effect on my business. \u00a0I met one of my designers at WeWork, where, just as I was about to take a power nap on some beanbags, I struck up a conversation with another member who works at a design firm. \u00a0I\u2019ve made new friends who\u2019ve led me to potential customers and investors, as well as those who have taught me about brand new industries. \u00a0At every location, I\u2019ve met great people who have made introductions or helped me in some way. \u00a0And I\u2019ve been privileged to return the favor many times. \u00a0One Sunday in Los Angeles, I was even fortunate enough to meet a couple guys testing out an Oculus Rift. \u00a0I played in virtual reality for a bit, allowing my mind to be at ease and more focused when it was time to get back to work.<\/p>\n
There are other fun ways \u00a0to give your brain a chance to unplug and recharge. \u00a0You\u2019ll often see dogs running around. You can play Mario Kart in San Francisco or sing some tunes at open mic night in Seattle. In Washington, D.C., you can relax your mind through Wednesday meditation, and in Los Angeles, you can hang on the balcony overlooking the Hollywood Hills. \u00a0Ping-pong tables and arcade games are additional ways of \u00a0relaxing your body and mind in between strenuous tasks. \u00a0My favorite activity of all is grabbing a fresh haircut at the office-cum-salon in Seattle.<\/p>\n
But even with all of the fun activities, it\u2019s the people, not activities, \u00a0that bind this strong community together. \u00a0At Summer Camp, phones and technology are non-existent (save the GoPro drones), whereas socializing and networking are to the max. \u00a0There are thousands of WeWork members in every city; that\u2019s thousands of talented, motivated, like-minded individuals who are also very welcoming. In a few months, I will be taking a trip to Israel, where I will definitely spend some time meeting the community in Herzliya.<\/p>\n
Next time you travel, stop by a WeWork. \u00a0If you\u2019re in a city with multiple locations, spend an occasional day at an alternate to your main office, and if you\u2019re traveling where there is a WeWork close by, stop in for a few hours. \u00a0Grab some snacks, chat with someone new, learn about an up-and-coming startup, and see who you might meet that could become a life-long friend or a connection to serious investors. \u00a0Word has it that the number of locations is about to triple, so you know what that means: triple the amount of people to interact with, get to know, and befriend.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Endless coffee and friendly dogs; unique d\u00e9cor; gourmet breakfasts, pool tables, and private screening rooms; and best of all, a warm and welcoming community. It\u2019s because of these things, and much more, that I have an affinity for the culture at WeWork. \u00a0I\u2019ve been a member since I left my cushy strategy-consulting gig about a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1447,"featured_media":12563,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43903,43911],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11682","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community-stories","category-member-spotlight"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n