Working for myself has afforded me a lot of freedom. Thank goodness, because if I were to have a personal tagline, it would probably be, “You’re not the boss of me.”
I love the freedom I have to work from anywhere, and control my own schedule – you know, for taking your freshman to physical therapy once a week for her dance injury. Or when the school calls saying they’ve called 911 for your fourth grader. (Crisis averted…he was simply dehydrated. Although mommy’s heart might be in jeopardy now.)
I absolutely adore working from home. It is such a lower-stress way of life for me. It’s hard enough to leave the house with both kids at 6:40 in the morning, let alone having to worry about getting myself showered and dressed and to an office by 8:00. I honestly can’t even imagine doing that, considering how tired I already am on a daily basis. (Let alone even think about going back to a cubicle situation.)
But if there’s one downside of working for myself, I would say it’s the isolation. There are days when I don’t see or talk to anyone else besides my children and the dog, and even though I need way more alone time than the average person, sometimes, you just want to be around other humans.
In a town like mine, though, that limits me to a couple of coffee shops that are always packed – and cold. There actually is one co-working space in our small town, but unfortunately for me, it’s in the basement of a building, with little to no natural light that I can see. And I need natural light. That kind of environment might help some people focus, but not being able to see outside makes me twitchy. I don’t even like to close the blinds in my house until I absolutely have to, once it’s so dark outside that it feels like living in a fishbowl.
When I started researching co-working spaces, I wasn’t too surprised that there aren’t many close to where I live. There are plenty closer to the city of Denver, but none within a quick commute of my town that would make the drive worth it.
But what I did stumble across in my research made me wish I lived closer to an urban area: coworking spaces created just for women! Apparently, these have been a thing for a while, but like I said, I don’t get out much.
As I browsed through photo after gorgeous photo of the spaces that entrepreneurial women have created for other women, I got jealous. (Well, first I wiped the drool from the corners of my mouth, but then I got jealous.)
Here are the five co-working spaces for women that I wish were in my town:
1. The Hivery
“The Hivery is a collaborative and creative coworking space where you can pursue your work, passions, ideas and what’s next.”
If aesthetics are as important to you as they are to me, then you will love The Hivery, located in Mill Valley, California. In fact, a line from their website even says, “Inspiration comes from the space you inhabit.”
In addition to their regular memberships, they also offer events like new member coffee talks, workshops for topics like the Enneagram, and brown bag luncheons. Be right back…I’m moving to Mill Valley. #womendoingcoolstuff
2. ModernWell
“A women-centered collaborative space that balances independent spirit with holistic well-being, championing a one-of-a-kind, work-life community.”
A writer friend of mine shamelessly flaunted this brand new space in Minneapolis, when she was there during their opening week. And I have been coveting this space ever since.
In addition to their memberships, they offer books clubs, Happiness Hours, a private wellness room for quiet relaxation and pumping for new mothers, and regularly scheduled teen girl empowerment and mother/daughter wellness workshops and events. Sign. Me. Up.
3. The Wing
“A home base for women on their way. The Wing was born out of the belief that women need and deserve a multi-purpose space designed to make their lives easier, and that magic is created when women gather together.”
Of course, co-working spaces for women would be in urban areas like New York City and this one is setting the bar high. With two locations currently and another two opening any moment now, they are one of the originals. (P.S. I love that they call their locations “Covens”…)
Their membership perks include discussions on what it means to be Latina today, their own version of Bingo called Wingo, and a recently held conversation with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.
4. RADIANT
“RADIANT is a place to work but at its core, it is a community. We support female entrepreneurs as much as we can to empower our diverse community, and to change our little patch of the world, one empowered woman at a time.”
San Francisco-based RADIANT offers an impressive variety of membership bonuses, including classes about Fashion Writing, Make-Your-Own Bath & Body products, wardrobe styling, and learning to code!
“We dreamed of a place where girlcode is honest, real, true and legit. Where women really do support one another and celebrate each others’ successes and joys. We believe this is not only possible, but vital for our future. This is why Circle+Moon was created. To provide a safe place for women to find their voice and shine their light. We envision a community of girlbosses and change makers working along-side each other for a more beautiful future.”
Based in Roswell, Georgia, this quaint, historic space offers events like Pop-Up Success Café, Female Rebels, and Nurture your Essence.
Are you drooling now, too? Well, while I start dreaming of creating one of these amazing spaces for my own area, here’s a great resource to help you find a coworking space of your own!
Photo credit: The Hivery/Pinterest
This post was originally published on She Owns It.