monday's workspace inspiration :: curt barker

Today's workspace inspiration is from writer/artist and gravy member Curt Barker.

"Vacation doesn't always mean not working. So if you DO have to work while you're on vacation, it's great to have a nice view. This is Lake Como in the background. Not pictured are 25 other vacationers and we're all "geeking out" on our laptops and iPads. After a long day of bike rides or boat rides or just kicking it by the pool, it's fun for us all to "work" together checking email, editing photos, and in my case, coding a website. Want to see what I'm working on from the shores of Lake Como? Here it is."

Curt's abstract paintings are on display at New Village Arts Foundry in downtown Carlsbad. He's got a solo exhibition with an artist's reception from 5:30 to 8:30pm on Thursday 9/22. Come join the fun!

celebrate national coworking day with us!

To celebrate this spirit of community, connection and collaboration, coworking spaces all over the country are doing something special, San Diego included! gravy is part of a collection of local coworking communities that are collaborating to increase awareness and promote coworking as a resource for the local business community. Together, we are asking attendees to pay an entrance fee of $10 which will benefit the Boys and Girls Club! Let's pay it forward by helping kids get a leg up in life! 

Want to join in? Here's what gravy's servin' up for Carlsbad!

Tuesday, August 9 :: 10am - 3pm

Vital Climbing Gym

6102 Avenida Encinas, #L

Carlsbad, Ca 92011

Vital is located behind the YMCA Gymnastics Center. Get your free ticket here. 


Participate in the workshops of the day and have a chance to win a service/product donated by our fabulous gravy community!

Timeline:

11-12pm :: Social Media 102 :: Designed for someone who's on Facebook and/or Twitter but doesn't really have a strategy. Short topic discussion and 1-on-1's presented by gravy member & entrepreneur, Carol Farrar of NCSD Properties.

1pm-2pm :: Bring Your Idea to Market :: Have a product/business idea? Find out how one entrepreneur took her idea and got it on the shelves! Short topic discussion and Q&A's presented by gravy member and entrepreneur, Nanette Meneses of Happi Tummi.

Here's a sampling of the services and products that will be raffled off to attendees:

+ Custom Stationary Package, donated by Erika Firm of delphine

+ 1 hour free of graphic design services, donated by Kim Viernes of zoom in design

+ 2 tickets to any New Village Arts Theatre performance in Season 11

+ 1 hour free of IT consultation, donated by Hung Vu of Vu Consulting

+ $50 gift certificate to Three Sisters Jewelry, donated by Zoe Mohler

Would like to come but can't get kid coverage? gravy's got your back! Knuckleheads Gym (next door to Vital) is offering gravy attendees a super special rate of $5/hour per child for a maximum of 2 hours. 

Hope to see you there! Get your free ticket here.



If you can't make it to our event, check out the participating San Diego coworking spaces near you!




Thank you to our contributing gravy community!

gravy girls strike a pose

thank you so much to megan of megan ann photography for donating her time and talent to gravy at our last coworking jelly! she did headshots of our members at the beautiful studio of paper and thread! we are grateful to have such inspiring entrepreneurs around us!

hey this coworking thing's kinda fun. can't you tell? ;)

some work and lots of play...gravy style

gravy in training...triathlon and mile pier swim bound!

that's right, when we're not coworking, we are coplaying.
we love the balance of life, because that's what keeps us going.

come join us!

jelly sponsor :: 3 questions for kam shave ice

How's this for an actual edible summer treat? Shave ice, people! Ilima Martinez of Kam Shave Ice is going to share with us her passion, her process and, you guessed it, her shave ice! Come share in the aloha at our friday jelly!


How did you get to where you are now? With a sincere love and yearning for my family's homeland, I knew bringing a piece of Hawai'i to San Diego was something that I would be happy doing in my business. As a long-time hula dancer on the mainland, this is what I'd spent over half of my life doing, now I was able to do it in a different way with Hawaiian Shave Ice. Almost everyone has a favorite story about a trip to Hawai'i and nothing makes me happier than hearing all about it and seeing a customer's excitement as the relive their memories all over again with the simple pleasure known as shave ice.


What's the most fulfilling work experience you've had? Once, a kupuna (elder), born and raised in Hawai'i was so touched when she had our shave ice, it brought tears to her eyes, she gave us honi (kisses),  and a huge hug because she said it brought back her childhood memories of growing up in Hawai'i.


What's the most challenging work experience you've had? It's funny but I have so much fun making and serving shave ice, that I actually forget to ask customers for money. It almost makes me feel guilty to get paid for what I do!

monday's workspace inspiration :: hera hub

Felena's inspirations

Today's workspace inspiration is from Felena with Hera Hub, a coworking space for women.

"Being able to connect with beautiful, passionate, enterprising women like this is my workspace inspiration.  It’s so fantastic to watch new collaboration opportunities sprout every day! It has been said so well by so many involved in the coworking movement… 'just because you work for yourself, doesn’t mean you have to work by yourself.'”

jelly sponsor :: 3 questions for megan ann photography

We are in for a treat. megan ann photography is offering FREE headshots for gravy members at our 7.22 jelly! check out her amazing urban, journalistic style!


How did you get to where you are now? If you would have asked me five years ago where I would be now (in my career), I would have never thought the answer would be "professional photographer".  I was on a path in the "corporate world" to pursue a longtime dream of working in sports.  It was a great path that fulfilled my goals and perfected my skill sets in business.  But then a funny thing happened, I got my hands on a camera, started taking photos of my friends kids...and I'd found my new passion.  The past five years have been spent building my business while having a full time job as a project manager.  In March of 2010, however, a layoff at my corporate job allowed me to finally do what I've always wanted and have full time photography business.  It was a true blessing and I've never looked back.

What do you love most about your job? My clients.  Seriously, I work with some amazing people and am so blessed to be a part of building memories through photography.  My clients are my friends, my encouragement and my biggest fans.  I can't build a business without them and am grateful for all of the beautiful moments I am able to be a part of.

What do you find the most challenging? There are so many photographers in Southern California. This is not a bad thing, but it definitely puts pressure on photographers to continually improve and differentiate themselves from one another.  It's not a competition...instead it's a chance for us to learn from one another and strive to build a business that reflects how hard we work and the connection we have with our clients.  We live in one of the best areas of the country for photography, so it's extremely motivating to be the most passionate and dedicated businesswomen we can be.

jelly sponsor :: 3 questions for paper & thread

Please welcome Lori Ruedi, owner and designer of paper & thread, an invitation design studio. gravy's next coworking jelly will be hosted in her beautiful carlsbad studio. Come join us friday, july 22!


How did you get to where you are now? I started my professional career teaching high school English.  I loved teaching, but loathed my nightly homework (grading) and just didn't feel the passion for teaching that I saw in so many of the great teachers at our school.  Crafts, sewing and invitations have always been my creative outlets, so I took a leap and opened an Etsy shop.  With my first orders, I got a taste of working for myself and knew that I needed to be running my own invitation business.  I continued to grow my business while teaching.  At the same time, I had my son and was trying to be a teacher, business owner, mom, wife, etc.  Something had to go, so I took a giant leap that many people couldn't understand, and I took a leave of absence from my full-time job.  I figured if things didn't go well, I could always come back.  Thankfully, that wasn't the case.  With a lot of hard work, a little bit of luck, and what I feel is a unique product, I have been able to work from home and continue to grow my business.  I now have 2 assistants that help with production, an in-home studio/workshop where I meet with clients, teach workshops and produce all of our digital work, and what I consider a very blessed life.  

What's the most fulfilling work experience you've had?  I'm so lucky because each of my clients are at the start of new chapters (weddings, new businesses, etc.) and the experience of designing for them is such a joyful one.  Probably the most fulfilling recent experience was designing the logo and business collateral for a photographer, where I used her own handwriting for the logo and stitched the business cards and dvd sleeves.

What's the most challenging work experience you've had?  Every work experience has been a challenge in its own way, but my own biggest challenge is trying to find a balance between work and family. 

gravy on tap

you've heard it. gravy is all about work, eat, and play. and that's exactly what we did on friday.
worked a little, played some, and then eat (ohh...that's right, drink too). the lost abbey provided a great workspace amongst the beer barrels, great vibe, and then the most educational and fun beer tasting event to "tap" off the day.

come join us next time for more work, eat and play.

gravy team

dynamic views for blogger

gravy blog in mosaic view

ok this is too cool.

if you have a blogger account, here's a quick way to change up the look/feel/navigation of your site using blogger's dynamic views.

are you feelin a bit tumblr-ish? try out mosaic. old skool polaroids? check out snapshot. reorganize by recent, date, label or author. can't decide? just toggle back and forth on the right drop down menu.

send your viewers your new (albeit longer) url for a fun new way to check you out. have fun!

thank you how about orange for the heads up!

monday's workspace inspiration :: clay a go go

today's workspace inspiration comes from gravy member, devonee at clay a go go. a great inspirational story for celebrating the 4th!


"My inspiration comes from so many places…the color of the sky, what side of the bed I wake up on or the sound of the ocean on an early morning stroll.  However, this Monday, I am inspired by the FREEDOM to inspire to do and be anything that I want to be.  How amazing it is that we have the ability to dream and create anything we want in this beautiful country we live in. 

I often look at an American Flag that was given to us by a dear Marine family who lived in our neighborhood during 2 tours in Iraq.  This family exemplified the sacrifice that so many have made for me and you!  This flag was proudly flown over the Iraqi desert on the anniversary of September 11th!  WOW!  It still gives me chills when I think about that image…scorching desert, dust, proud marines, and my flag!  So, every national holiday, we fly this special flag to remember and thank all of those who have served to allow me to create and play with paints, colors and clay!  What an amazing gift!  The gift to freely inspire to be anything!

Happy Fourth of July!  Celebrate in our freedom!"

jelly sponsor :: vital climbing gym

the people. the space. the vibe.

you just feel it: energy. freedom. fun. it just oozes out of the roll-up garage door. we love everything about vital climbing gym. co-owner, david sacher, was fully on board when we proposed the business idea of coworking in their vibrant, inspiring space. the exposed natural materials (wood, concrete, steel); the low, modern couches; the loft. all of these touches are beautifully and simply done to make way for the stars of the show: the climbing walls and the people on them.

shoe rental: 2 bucks. 

coffee and snacks: a buck. 

wifi: free. 

the steel framed signs not only tell you the what's what; they also convey the culture and values of the company. vital climbing gym does something unique - they give you their trust. open 24/7 to their members, you have the freedom to explore and have fun day or night. more importantly, their honor system nudges you to think bigger than yourself -- to be accountable, to "be cool." 

want to be a part of their community? ladies' nite on mondays, a bouldering clinic, movie nite. vital climbing gym mixes it up and keeps it fresh. yup even for the little kids! friend them on facebook, stay in the loop and check them out for a little inspiration - business or pleasure!

monday's workspace inspiration :: hocoa

today's workspace inspiration comes from gravy member, sam at hocoa. 

"My father was a pilot growing up, so my brother and I grew up around airplanes. We always wanted to fly. My dad thought it would be a good idea to buy a salvaged airplane and park in front of the house.  I was 5 years old when we got it. All of the neighborhood kids loved it, we had more adventures in that plane. Oh yeah, we also crash landed it 90% of the time! I have that picture hanging in my office to always remind me of the good times and to always think outside of the norm.  Whoever would have thought to have a salvaged airplane instead of a tree house?"

thanks for the inspiration, sam!

rethinking gravy

pop-up office : literally out-of-the-box

gravy's been simmering for a good while with our core ingredients: inspiring spaces, a wealth of community exchange and most importantly, friendly folks! thank you all for being the flavorful ingredients in our gravy! but, hold on, our recipe’s not done yet - it's time to spice things up!

inspired by coworking communities all over the world, including colleagues on tap, we began to rethink: how gravy can more actively support and inspire out-of-the-box, creative thinking? here’s what we’ve come up with:

1.   increase frequency. by popular demand, gravy coworking jellys will now be appearing the 2nd and 4th fridays of each month.

2.   get outa town! why not use our nomadic status to our advantage? as a "pop-up office," we can go anywhere. by hosting our jellys at cool spots around north county san diego, we hope to engage individuals and businesses across communities.

3.   keep it free. our challenge is to find spaces at no cost or for mutual exchange, actively participating in the world of collaborative consumption we now live in. want to get involved? help us find and promote the next spot!

4.   play around. inspired by google, we’ll be actively promoting 20pc time at our jellys to stimulate creativity and just plain fun!

gravy’s changing. growing. large scale, our goal is to connect independent working communities in north county; small scale, we’re determined to find creative ways to inspire and support each other. but we’re not done yet. we need you! we hope you’ll continue to participate as our coworking community takes shape!

first “pop-up” stop: work and play at vital climbing gym! 

work + play survey results

Who is gravy? What do they do? What do they like?


Being creative outside of work can also extend to being creative at work. In addition to polling our coworkers about what they want to learn more about in business, we asked them what interests them when they're not working. Here are the results.

Top 3 Work Interests:

1. Blogging
2. Social Media, Email Newsletters, Marketing, SEO
3. Bartering/Time Dollars

Runner-up topics include Small Business Strategies, Startups, Mac Workshop, Public Speaking & Web Design.

Top 3 Play Interests:

1. Wine Appreciation/Pairing
2. Gardening, Paddle Boarding
3. Yoga

Runner-up topics include Cooking/Baking, Photography, Fashion, Walking & Swimming. 

Time to use this collective creative energy in work and in play! Want to contribute/participate/join in? Take our survey!

Now. Who's up for some Paddle Boarding?

monday's workspace inspiration :: gravy | zoom in design

now accepting work from my outdoor patio! forecast: sunny, winds from the (hold on, gotta do the finger trick) northwest, i think...

a bit of furniture arranging, a tablecloth, extension cord, some greenery, bruno on slacker and i'm set!

have a great monday everyone!

jelly cliff notes :: writer's workshop on elevator pitches

thank you to carol farrar for hosting the writer's workshop at last week's jelly. we got some much needed practice on putting vision into verbalization. we started the week with tweets of carol's tips on perfecting your elevator pitch:


tip1: Keep it short, sweet & engaging. Leave people asking 4 more.

tip2: Practice makes perfect. Know ur key pts, memorize & own them! 

tip3: Smile. People like people who are friendly & approachable. 

tip4: Don’t “throw up” all over ur audience. Slow down. 

tip5: Speaking fast won't get ur msg out quicker. Only confuses listener 

tip6: Avoid ahs & ums. Pause. Then speak.

my key takeaways. the nitty gritty. 

have an intro, body and a close. 

ask questions to engage your listener. create a visual. tell a story. 

talk conversationally. no need to talk in complete sentences. 

use everyday language. don't get tech-y.

have several pitches at the ready depending on your audience.

end with a close. what is your goal? a sale? a referral? a facebook like?

we wrote. we shared. we fumbled. we laughed. we constructively criticized. we rejoiced in our outtakes!


so. what do YOU do?

jelly sponsor: 4 questions for Carol Farrar | NCSD Properties

Please welcome Carol Farrar, a beer aficionado turned real estate agent who enjoys blogging about her passion of the community. She will be moderating this week's roundtable Writer's Workshop on Elevator Pitches.

When did you begin speaking in public?

I joined Twin Oaks Toastmasters in May of 2008. I was terrified of speaking in front of an audience & couldn’t imagine delivering a speech in public. I knew that would be my biggest limitation in business so I joined Toastmasters & never looked back. In 2009, I attained the competent communicator designation which requires 10 speeches ranging from 4 to 12 minutes. I’m now two speeches away from the Advanced Communicator Bronze.

How did you get to where you are now?

It’s been quite a journey. Since 2000, I’ve been immersed in the craft beer industry (yes, I’m a beer snob). It was 5 years in the making as Distribution Supervisor at Stone Brewing Company where I managed the logistics of distributing a portfolio of craft beers nationally & regionally. 2005 was a pivotal year for my life & with it came the decision to change careers. Looking back, it certainly wasn’t the best time for jumping into the Real Estate Industry but everything happens for a reason. I worked as a mortgage consultant through 2007 until the housing market crash which brought me to another fork in the road, make another career change or segue into a different avenue of the industry. The choice I made is what I do now passionately. Serving the community of North County as an independent real estate agent who enjoys helping people navigate through one of the most critical & expensive changes in their life.

What do you love most about your job?

The people of course! I couldn’t do my job without them. My clients become my friends & vice versa. Plus, being a native to San Diego, I also enjoy finding creative ways to share my expertise of the area through my blog, 365 Things to do in North County San Diego.

What do you find the most challenging?

With the ever evolving changes in the real estate, it requires daily education to stay sharp on the latest rules & regulations. It’s essential to keep a pulse on marketplace. Relevant branding is also constant challenge.  People expect more than just a face on a sign, they want a reliable resource. 

jelly sponsor: 3 questions for zoom in design

An Architect turned Graphic Designer, Kim approaches design in a simple and modern way.

How did you get to where you are now?

After coming from an architectural program that was pretty heavy on design, I found the actual practice of architecture a bit stifling. Graphic design held a better balance of scale and design for me. In 1999, I started creating graphic pieces for my life (my wedding, my son's baptism and birthday invitations), as well as for my friends' and family's celebrations. In the past 5 years, my projects have been mostly identity design projects (logos, flyers, business cards) for small businesses. I love being a part of synthesizing the visions/feelings/hopes a client has for their business into physical form!

What do you love most about your job?

The design part of course! Sketching, brainstorming, finding that perfect fit and feel for a project.

What do you find the most challenging?

I love the flexibility that comes with working on my own, but disciplining myself to work at home is tough sometimes! Coworking helps me get out of my own mind and into an interactive work environment. 

how creative are you at work?

gravy board 3/25. inspired by artist, candychang.com

possessing creativity is not only about being able to draw or paint. being creative is a way of thinking.

don't feel creative in your everyday workday? why not take a hint from Google and try out "20pc time?" Google has long allowed their employees to use 20 percent of their time working on projects that interest them apart from work. maybe you've heard of Gmail or Google News: they're a result of 20pc time.

so why not make room in your workday for non-work activities? when i refinish furniture, do yoga or color with my kids, i find i'm more inspired, more motivated, more open to ideas.

have you always wanted to learn how to make furniture? knit? be in a running group? as a coworking community, we have the power to harness this collective creative energy on a personal level as well. so tell us what you're into, what you've always wanted to try, share what you have a passion for outside of work. we're interested in joining you on your creative journey!

coworking 101

So. You're interested in coworking.
You're taking a risk and checking out our coworking jelly.
So far, so good. You're in control. All is well.
Until you arrive.
What do you do? Where do you go? How's this thing work?

We get these questions often prior or upon entry to our space. Most of us are used to some kind of structure. But besides the initial greet, sign in and business card pin-up, the rest is up to you. Do you want to focus and work quietly? You can do that. Do you want to meet new people and share in conversation? You can do that too. Just don't forget to "rest" and "refuel" as you go!

To help you along, here's a bit of a coworking 101 for you:

1. ENTER.
Meet/greet optional
Check bulletin board for news/updates/events
Find your spot, setup shop and start working

2. GET CONNECTED.
WIFI: UserID/password on board
People: meet/greet your coworkers. Keep it short and out of quiet zone

3. BE AWARE OF SOUND.
Employ audio etiquette
Take calls out front our outside

4. BE CONSIDERATE.
Share the space
Take care of the space

5. PARTICIPATE!
Contribute your knowledge
Add to the community board
Connect with people
Bounce off ideas
Have fun!

think | make | inspire : diy dry erase board

have you seen the prices on dry erase boards? what a serious rip. 

after a craigslist search full of unworthies, i got serious. enter google and "diy dry erase boards." one look at this and i was on a mission. i found out that dry erase works on glass. glass, friends!  i recognized brittini's name from the oh hello friend's blog which is always full of amazing design/craft ideas and clean + simple photography. 

so i went a thrifting. i wanted something large scale, possibly free standing and full on cheap. $25 later, i took the 36x40 frame home with giggles + diy butterflies in the tummy. i broke it apart and decided to spraypaint the matting and artwork. after it was all nice + white, it looked like a mistake - like an empty picture frame you see at the store waiting to be bought. i wanted the board to feel purposeful, not accidental. good thing i picked up some $2 linen fabric (tablecloth) from my kids' school's thrift store JIC. a wash, dry and iron later, i put the final product together. and the kids can't get their markers off of it!

before: tacky art in amazing silver frame

after: fun for the whole family!

gravy inspirations

 via designer jason taylor

2011 coworking unconference: sharing and coworking

one of the most inspiring sessions i attended at the coworking unconference last week was about sharing. 

in the toddler years, we teach kids to share. take your turn, be patient, she'll share with you too. what happened to this sharing spirit as we become adults? we live in a culture that's more about this is mine, that's yours; you stay on your side, i'll stay on mine. 

excitingly, this is changing. sharing, swapping and bartering has become an alternative currency and is sparking a new economy. ever do a clothing swap? trade for business services? offer up your grandmother's bureau on freecycle? then you, my friend have been participating in collaborative consumption!

coworking is a part of this new sharing economy - the sharing of space, resources, ideas. how can coworking spaces continue to promote sharing for not only the benefit of its' coworkers but for the larger community as well? 

neil at shareable design was leading the final breakout session on the rooftop of the hanger lounge in austin. the sun was setting, it was getting cold, energy appeared to be fading. but all of a sudden a renewed vitality appeared when ideas were tossed out about how coworking communities can continue this sharing spirit.

how about food sharing like grubly? here, local chefs get together to make and share their dishes with a community of people. form a meetup like this near you!

what about instituting a time dollars system where swapping for services is not just one to one but within a group? the web designer helps the photographer who helps the artist. being a mom, i liken it to babysitting swaps.

what about a hosting a pop up shop saturday? temporarily sharing space with another business for mutual benefit. 

why couldn't a coworking space copy lululemon's free yoga saturdays? find one near you, get a workout and recenter yourself to allow more creative sharing ideas to come!

c'mon, you like to share. hit the buttons below :)

Money Monday

Did you know that startups are at a 15 year high? Why? Unemployment rate is at its highest. So what do people do?...become entrepreneurs and create their own jobs.

What does this tell you? It's never too late to start your own business.

Don't be afraid to bring out your idea, start something new, or take a venture.

Really, you have everything to gain and nothing to lose.

Financial markets: oil at a high and stocks taking a dive. How do we hedge against this, we buy commodity funds. Wow...gold still reaching another all time high!

ie. If we're paying more $ at the gas station, we may as well buy up the oil stock to make up for it. So really, there is a win situation.

carlsbad coworking jelly-"productive?"

inaugural jelly - workin the coworkin

hello jelly friends! yep, that's you in the picture. live and in jelly-o.

prepping for last friday's inaugural jelly filled us with feelings of anticipation, excitement and a little uncertainty. how's this all going to go down? how many people are going to show? are we gonna get punk'd?

one person i met noticed the fact that the people at one end of the table were talking/socializing. i know, the horror! this is supposed to be a work event! it's not supposed to be fun! he commented that it didn't seem to be "productive." i challenged him on the definition of this. if you're working at home by yourself and you're self-disciplined, yes, you could probably get more done in your own space. but the point of a coworking jelly, however is to come into a community and open yourself up to being "productive" not only by standard definition, but in non-linear ways as well. getting small business advice. making business contacts. participating in the community. giving and getting. getting out of your own shell, rethinking and if you let yourself, feeling inspired.

so was friday's jelly a "success?" did it live up to our vision? was it "productive?"

if we connected just two people, if we inspired someone in some small way, if we helped to make part of their friday workday...brighter, i say, hell. yeah.

think | make | inspire : sidewalk sign transformation

in the spirit of gravy (think make inspire) we've been hard at work for tomorrow's big event.

mission transformation: kids easel into modern sidewalk sign!

kids chalkboard easel: $0 (thx e for your donation)

1 sheet of 220 sandpaper: $.75

chalkboard spraypaint: $4 

coworking (well, sanding) with your almost 4 year old: priceless.

hope you'll join our coworking community tomorrow!

opening event

Come join our Carlsbad Coworking Jelly 2/25 @10am-2pm!

What is this Friday's gravy event all about?

gravy's goal is to build a community of people who work from home, and bring them together into one space. A space that would inspire creativity, productivity, and networking ability. This will be the first of many that we will conduct, in order to access the demand for such a place in San Diego North County. Once we've established a solid community, gravy would build a permanent location where we could call gravy. An office where everyone can call their own.

Thank you for your support!

five things about co-founder Curt

curt | professional writer, amateur artist

1. loves to play with legos and hot wheels and his two young sons
2. favorite activities are surfing and backpacking and see number one
3. finds extreme satisfaction in checking things off the endless to-do list
4. fictional founder of "Amelie's Army" for anonymous do-gooders
5. looks inward for answers and outside for inspiartion

top 5 gravy traits: co-creator anne

anne all about business

1. loves the challenge. of anything.

2. lives to eat and travel. would love to be on amazing race.

3. her journal describes how she WILL live her life, not how she wants to.

4. finds the financial markets a fascinating thing. make your money work for you. not work for the money.

5. happy in life as mom, wife, and friend.

top 5 gravy traits: co-founder kim

kim | architectural + graphic designer

1. avid right brain explorer
2. work/family/life juggler mom of three
3. would travel the world for the swell season
4. successfully summons the universe when parallel parking
5. firm believer in letting the road lead the way - literally + figuratively

why #coworking is like architecture school

i've asked myself. why this creative coworking space journey? where does this uncontrollable, christmas morning feeling/passion/need/motivation come from?

*ding* i finally figured it out.

i'm trying to recreate architecture school.

architecture/planner  "A" as the first "coworker?"

the people: the diversity, the talent, the shared passion.

the space: drafting tables in an open space (yeah, that long ago). great window wall of light. the freedom to make your space your own. the bottomless stack of stuff that can only be described as "creation in progress."

the workshop, the darkroom, the couches, the beer machine, the rooftop (via window). places to make stuff and places to take a break from making stuff.

the cameraderie, the collaboration, the bonding, the spontaneous breaking out in song/dance/scream/sleep/laughter/hanukkah ritual. the right-braining all the time.

the all-nighters, the physical, emotional, mental pain.

the creativity, the inspiration, the energy.

why can't work feel like that everyday (well, minus the pain part)? is that too much to ask?