A Day In The Life of a Co-Working Space

I recently received an interesting invitation - to come to the COin Loft in Wilmington to work for a day and share the experience with others.

I've been talking for months about what an exciting concept co-working is, but had not had the experience - so I gladly accepted the invitation.

Friday, July 9, I showed up at the COinLoft shortly before 8:00 am to find Steve Roettger and Wes Garnett  already busy at work, their skateboards parked at the front entrance. After a tour of the facility - two floors of work space, a larger conference room, smaller idea room, and lounge area - I plugged in my laptop and started getting some work done.

First realization - these guys did not skimp on the connectivity - I don't think my laptop has ever had faster access to the interwebs - seriously, awesome wireless.

Second realization - there's a very simple code to let people know that you're not available for conversation - earbuds. I guess earbuds might be the new "Do Not Disturb" sign.

Third realization - this is quite simply the ideal working environment. I mean, just by the nature of what it is, it seems to attract people who are creative, motivated, friendly, and professional.

While the space, the equipment, and the furniture are all great - and certainly set the right tone for work, it's the people that bring the energy, ideas, and excitement that make this such a revolutionary concept.

Here's a couple of videos to give you a better feel for what it's like: