After working out of my 8’ x 10’ bedroom for two years while building my web design business and riding out this crazy pandemic, I thought I had mastered the whole “work from home” thing. I did my best to stay productive by tracking my work hours, experimenting with different morning routines, and avoiding distractions at home, such as doing excessive amounts of cooking and cleaning throughout the day. 

I *thought* I was doing a pretty good job of keeping myself motivated and excited at home, but I really had no idea what I was missing out on until I recently joined a local coworking space called The Her Connection Hub. 

The Her Connection Hub, a.k.a. “The Hub,” is a lively coworking space for women here in downtown Bellingham. Anyone who identifies as a woman is welcome to work at The Hub. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a student, or a remote employee at a company, you can sign up for a monthly membership to access the space from 8:30 am - 5:00 pm Monday through Friday. The Hub has an array of community desks to choose from each day, and you can also rent out one of their four meeting rooms if you need a more private workspace for a few hours. In addition to the beautiful space with tall ceilings, good natural lighting, and lots of indoor plants, The Hub has monthly community breakfasts and happy hours to cultivate authentic connections among its members.

So about three weeks ago, I finally got out of the house and decided to join The Her Connection Hub! Since joining, I've had a massive boost in productivity and passion for my web design work while making several new friends!

So why has this membership been so transformational for my life and business?

Well, to be honest, The Her Connection Hub has made me completely re-think my relationship to my work and to human connection. At the beginning of the pandemic, working from home felt easy and natural for me. It was actually pretty fun! But slowly, over time, I started to feel really lonely and isolated with my work. The more isolated I felt, the more I doubted myself (and compared myself to other people on social media), and the more difficult it became to muster up the same level of confidence that I used to have in my work. In addition to these feelings, I had also developed certain beliefs and misconceptions that kept me stuck in my little 8’ x 10’ bedroom/office at home for way too long. Below are 2 of the big misconceptions about work that I’ve now dispelled since joining my incredible coworking space!

Misconception #1 - Ditching the 9-5 schedule is the way to go

I hear so many entrepreneurs talk about “Ditching the 9-5 schedule.” And sure, working flexibly, whenever you want, can be great, and it can be done in a healthy way with good boundaries. However, when I was working from home and didn’t have consistent work hours, I was actually working ALL THE TIME! I would stay up late, work on weekends, and shift my schedule around depending on whatever client projects or plans with friends came up. Even when I would put my laptop away for the day, thoughts and anxieties about work would creep into just about every other activity I did. Not fun.

My coworking space is only open from 8:30 am - 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, so guess what? That’s the hours my business stays open now too. By having these clear boundaries between work and home life, and also having my refreshing 15-minute bicycle commute into town every day (even in the rain), I’ve been able to plan my weekly schedule more effectively while setting clear boundaries between work and play.

Misconception #2 - You should somehow be able to “Figure it all out” on your own

Oh man, this misconception took a lot of work for me to dismantle and I’m still working on it. I’ve gotten so accustomed to Googling and YouTubing my way through running a business, that I had forgotten I could simply ASK other people for help.

Being a part of the incredible community of women at The Hub has made me realize that we’re all here to help one another succeed and grow! Just as I have valuable website design expertise to share with the women here, there are accountants, business coaches, and social media experts who I can reach out to for professional advice as well. All I have to do is ask in person, or on our private Facebook page.

Just last week, I collaborated with Her Connection Hub member Dr. Jo Anne Bates on a VIP Day. Dr. Jo Anne had been waiting for several months to update her Squarespace website. We were able to rent out a private meeting room at The Hub and knock out all of her website edits in a single day. That’s the power of collaboration and community!

I’d love to leave with a final thought…

I saw an Instagram post recently that really hit me. It said, “Next time you think something is your fault, remember this: If a flower doesn’t bloom, do you blame the flower? Or do you blame the environment?” Of course, if a flower isn’t blooming, our natural instincts are to check the soil, sunlight, and water levels. We don’t assume that something is inherently wrong with the flower itself. That would be silly!

So imagine that you are a flower. If you’re not growing, sprouting, or blooming right now, maybe it’s time to look at your daily environment. Who are you talking to on a regular basis? What kind of environment are you living or working in? What social media content are you absorbing every day? What sort of thoughts are carrying the most weight in your mind?

This week, I challenge you to go out and try something new! Maybe you join a coworking space or try out a new restaurant with friends. Maybe you hire a photographer to take some new photos for your website! Or you reach out to an expert to help you with something you’re struggling with. Whatever the case may be, I invite you to take one small action towards upgrading something in your life to make your daily experience even better.

Let me know what you end up doing in the comments below! I’ll be here cheering you on!

With love and gratitude,