Coworking Is For Community
In 2017 I was a few years out of college, working as a graphic design freelancer and retail associate while trying to figure out the next step in my life. I had driven past a building in downtown Lafayette many times with a sign out front advertising Confluence, A Small Business Collective. It piqued my interest. What exactly did ‘small business collective’ mean?
When I went to investigate I met Tom, who offered to show me around the space. It was small, but comfortable. There were people from a variety of different companies, working on their own projects in a shared space that lent a feeling of focus and productivity. While on my tour, I saw a couple of people wander over to another to chat. The relationships were relaxed and friendly. As we walked around, Tom introduced me to a concept I had never heard of before — coworking. It made sense to me.
Coworking is an industry developed out of the frustration of working from coffee shops and libraries, when setting up an office in your apartment with your dog barking in the background or young children running around wasn’t feasible.
It’s about providing a space where freelancers, remote workers, non-profits, and small businesses work comfortably and productively, freeing up their home to be a place of relaxation and family time.
It’s about alleviating the feeling of isolation from missing water cooler chats and quick “what have you been up to?” hallway conversations that you would normally have at a traditional office.
Coworking is about connecting with people in your local community, discovering new work partners and friends in the process.
Member lunches at the original Confluence Small Business Collective building off of Public Road.
The more I learned about the Confluence community and coworking, the more passionate I became about the purpose behind it. When Tom gave me the opportunity to be a part of it all, I jumped at the chance. Here was something that was making a positive impact in the world and bringing people from all walks of life together, and I wanted to contribute to that mission.
What I didn’t expect was the positive impact it had on me in return.
I have met with members who generously took the time to help me improve my freelance side business and answer my questions about design, sole proprietorships, and LLCs.
I have learned resourcefulness by watching small business owners at Confluence develop, build, and expand their businesses by teaching themselves new skills.
I have spoken with members who have taught me about industries I didn’t know existed, like energy trading, geo mapping, and UX/UI design.
I have seen members support others when they were struggling with next steps in their business or offered advice when a fresh perspective was needed to solve a problem.
Best of all, I have watched professional partnerships and camaraderie bloom between members (and have been lucky to develop friendships with many of them myself).
Confluence Book Club, showing off an advertisement for a member’s upcoming book.
Over the course of five years supporting members and managing the community, I’ve been a part of its growth from a relatively small proof of concept in an older leased space to an 8,000 square foot facility, owned and curated by Confluence exclusively for its members. More desks, more offices, and more interesting, hard-working coworkers.
I tend to get a little sappy whenever I talk about my work, because Confluence isn’t just about renting out private offices and desks; it’s about the people you find when you’re here.
So come join us, and maybe you’ll find yourself discovering what I did. We’ve saved a seat for you.
Posted by Kira Gehle, May 18, 2022