Coworking Out Loud

When I set up a call with my friend Garrett Tichy from Hygge Coworking in Charlotte, North Carolina, my intention was to talk about how the recent shooting on the UNC campus affected Tichy and the Hygge community. We touched on his experience, and got into so much more. Garrett is one of the leaders […]

My first great a-ha moment with coworking came in 2015. I was in Berkeley covering GCUC for a publication. Tony Bacigalupo, who I didn’t know at the time but who has become a dear friend, opened GCUC by asking the audience who thought coworking was about dividing up commercial real estate for a profit. No […]

Tara Everett is passionately pursuing her vision to open Canoe Coworking, an indigenous coworking space in Manitoba, a Canadian prairie province. Tara’s plan for Canoe is to create a space that honors indigenous cultural roots and traditions while supporting local entrepreneurs, independent professionals and small businesses. Talking with Tara is always a reminder for me […]

Sam Rosen from Deskpass is a self-described “coworking grandpa.” He’s been active in the coworking movement since the early days, he has the perspective of a coworking member, a space operator and a visionary as a founder of Deskpass. And, Sam is an absolute blast to talk with. He always makes me laugh…and think. Sam […]

Kaya Lindsay of One Chick Travels inspires me daily. A fellow member of the NextSpace Santa Cruz community, Kaya lives, works and travels in her Sprinter van, she climbs rocks like a rockstar, and she’s a savvy social media pro making her best life happen. Kaya is also one of the most authentic people I […]

Susan Dorsch, who co-founded Office Nomads, the longest running coworking space in Seattle, is a quiet giant of coworking (and a dear friend of mine). I’m thrilled to have Susan as my first guest as the Coworking Out Loud Podcast relaunches as an interview show. Listen in as we dive into how Susan’s Quaker roots […]

Belonging is a core part of being human. Without a circle of people around us, life on earth would be challenging, indeed. Some people find that sense of belonging in our family and friends. Others find it in social groups, church, gangs, coworking spaces, work. I was talking to my mom the other day and […]

My mom is from a musical family and she made sure my siblings and I learned to play instruments. She said we’d thank her one day, and she was right. I’m really grateful to have a solid musical foundation. My mom also encouraged us to get out of our comfort zones. One day she had […]

Recently, one of my best coworking pals found herself back at NextSpace Santa Cruz after a year away. Her second day back, something magical happened in the space—and I happened to catch it on my recorder. This episode is a quickie, but it’s the story of one of my favorite things that has ever happened […]

You might have noticed from all the rainbow flags in your social media feeds that we are well into Pride Month. In this week’s episode of the Coworking Out Loud Podcast, I dive into the deeper meaning behind community pride, share a somewhat embarrassing story of trying to find community as a young, queer person, […]

I recently found myself at a gathering of introverts. It was new territory for me, but I learned a lot about myself…and about how important it is to find ways for everyone to contribute to conversations. It’s not always the people who are talking the loudest that have the most interesting stories. Coworking space operators: […]

My worst interview ever was with Erika Wennerstrom from the Heartless Bastards. I was a mess, everything was going wrong, and it was not great. At all. Recently I had the opportunity to change the ending to that story when I re-interviewed Wennerstrom. The experience proved to be absolutely amazing. Here’s the story. Links: Erika […]

I think of my grandparents pretty much every day. Bud and Ethel were great role models. They were loving, accepting, committed and fun. Grandma and grandpa taught me a lot about the importance of community. Several times a week they did things with friends and their various communities. They were active, engaged, members of clubs […]

Whew, last week’s episode on vulnerability was a doozie. As you might recall, I waited days to publish it because I was not at all sure that I wanted to share such a raw, emotional post. But I did, and I’m so glad I did. Since then, probably 12 people have reached out to me […]

Heads-up: This episode is emotional, raw and real. If that’s not your thing, or if you’re not in the space to go there right now, better skip this one. This episode of the Coworking Out Loud Podcast terrifies me. The first version of episode 005 was me chatting about getting started with your content—not letting […]

I come from a family of storytellers and bookworms. Stories were an everyday part of my childhood, especially stories about our family. The stories helped us understand who we were and where we came from. Storytelling is an important part of your coworking brand. How did your workspace and community come to be? Why are […]

At GCUC Canada in October I found myself unexpectedly singing and crying among hundreds of coworking friends. It was a flawed, human moment brought on by beauty, sadness, loss and a collective spirit of vulnerability. Subscribe to the Coworking Out Loud Newsletter Episode links: GCUC Canada Coworking with Iris Music by Grip Grand

When I was in my early twenties, I moved by myself to Santa Cruz, California. I was doing some soul-searching at the time, trying to figure out what I wanted from life. One day I was walking, asking for clarity, when something unbelievably-true happened. Make of it what you will. 🙂 Music by Grip Grand Subscribe […]

Expanding our comfort zone only makes sense if we’re expanding it in ways that bring us closer to our goals and vision. In episode 001 of the Coworking Out Loud Podcast, I share a story of trying, in vain, to expand my comfort zone by jumping off a high dive. Music by Grip Grand Subscribe […]

The Coworking Out Loud Podcast is an exploration into storytelling, community and the art of marketing. Episode 0 is the origin story of the podcast and an overview of the vision for it. The Coworking Out Loud Podcast is hosted by coworking insider and content strategist, Cat Johnson. More information at CatJohnson.co. Music by Grip […]