why we started a co-working space in Beechworth

“It sure is hard to get work done with a three year old and a one year old in the house!” (Maggie)

When we moved to Beechworth at the end of 2020, we had just started the process of handing over the ownership of the clothing label we were running (Magpie Goose). After the transition process was completed in mid-2022, we were ready to move onto our next challenge. The trouble was, it was hard to get the space and inspiration we needed. We needed a community of people to bounce ideas with, a place to think that would enable deep focus and the motivation to be productive (especially when there were many competing priorities).

Then it finally came to us - what if our new business could be creating this very thing that we wanted to exist??? 

We set about finding our dream space. It needed to be affordable enough to be viable. It needed to have character. Natural light was non-negotiable. Ideally it would be close to childcare/kinder facilities and not too far from town. Could we dare to hope for big windows overlooking tree-top views, with a reliable nbn connection and enough space for our soon to exist cohort of interested peers??? Enter level three of The Birches, Mayday Hills! 

We secured the space in September and throughout the last few months of 2023, we tested the idea. Were there people like us that wanted the option of coming to a space that wasn’t their home office? We put the word out and our coworking community started to grow. It was clear that people want the option to get out of the house, have incidental conversations and make meaningful connections with other local professionals, creatives, and entrepreneurs. 

Our early coworkers helped us to finesse the idea and finalise the offering. We are forever grateful to Eliza, who has used the space to plan her next career move and land her dream job; Marie, an architect-extraordinaire who was wrangling her own home-build alongside a slew of clients; Leanne, a mediation practitioner supporting families’ through difficult transitions; Justine, a brand specialist delivering world class branding and creative wizardry fovr clients across the country; Tom, a design professional flexing his talents for his Scandinavian-based company; Lara, an academic researcher, creative writer and school play director; Lou, a communications specialist crafting stories highlighting regional living; a smattering of interesting casuals doing cameos and us, Laura and Maggie - working on our business consultancy Silent Cofounder, while seeing if we could get our new venture somewhere here co off the ground! 

We became confident that this coworking offering could fill an important need. The term ‘post covid world’ has become a cliche and I am banned from using it, but it is true that from the depths of covid darkness we realised that relationships actually do sustain us, and connecting with people in real life, in the places that we live, is important. It’s important for mental health, for physical health, for creativity, to feel alive and the best version of yourself, to feel challenged, to grow, think expansively and to belong. 

That’s why, as well as creating a space to get work, study, create things - we want to create events to cultivate these things too. Not everyone needs a coworking space but people will always need community. So we’re planning a series of events that we’ll be offering throughout the year. 

For now - book a quick walk-through of our coworking space, or if you’re ready to sign up, you can download our app and select one of our many plans and passes. We look forward to seeing you in the space.