Hey hey FWA!
Say hello to Flexible Workspace Australia’s newest member (hello it’s us!)
Our goal with Somewhere Here Co is to build a richly connected community of professionals living locally to Beechworth. To help equip us to do this, we wanted to find a community of like minded practitioners working in a similar realm. A community of practice, if you like. We found this in Flexible Workspace Australia, the peak body for coworking and flexible workspace providers and partners across all cities and regions of Australia, and have just become a member!
The first FWA event we participated in was a webinar focused on supporting regional and smaller coworking spaces to thrive. Hello, perfect timing!
The regional and small space providers sharing their experiences included:
Matt from Happy Spaces Torquay
Anna from Keep Co Canberra
Kate from WorkLife (multiple locations on the South Coast)
It was so good, and it really brought home some good reminders about why community is important!
Things can get a bit lonely otherwise
When you’re toiling away on your own, it can sometimes feel a bit flat and isolating. Inspiration and energy can be hard to come by. Plugging into the call yesterday I was immediately connected with other people who have embarked on the journey of building place-based communities around shared workspaces. Hearing from them was so validating and motivating, I felt a renewal of energy. The knowledge that I can belong to, contribute to and benefit from this community going forward makes me feel a greater sense of purpose.
It can feel like you’re walking along in the dark
You’re making it up as you go along and doing endless google searches to try and glean helpful information. Having the opportunity to hear about and learn from the experiences of others is like someone turning a light on. I can see many different potential pathways to go down, and can make decisions informed by the insights, knowledge and support of real people who have traversed these different paths. It is invaluable.
It’s easy to start to second guess yourself
What am I doing??? Does this even matter? Should I be doing something else?? When these questions start to creep in, you need to reconnect with your why.
When meeting others and learning about their ‘why’, it inevitably stimulates you to reflect on your own motivations and values. I love this. I find re-visiting my why can help with clarity and focus in moving forward, confidently making decisions about what to prioritise. Those on the call reminded me that cultivating community is generous and important work. It doesn’t bring the big bucks, but it’s an immensely rewarding and valuable pursuit.
Very excited about being a part of FWA going forward, and grateful to already benefiting from this fabulous community of people.