Modern design + hive office

Posted by random olio

Crowdsourcing? Maybe. Utilizing the talents of your neighbors? Yes. I read the other day that we are better innovators by surrounding ourselves with a variety of individuals. Why not find office space that gives you the crowdsourcing environment, with great design, and a variety of talent just a wall or pane of glass away? Think of it as a new neighborhood with like-minded individuals, with great taste. You each selected a beautiful office, your home away from home, the place you spend most of your day. You might just find that you have more in common than you ever knew. You might find out when you get your morning cup of coffee in the communal kitchen.

Many have called sharing office space “co-working” where individuals rent space at large shared tables or desks, and work alongside people from different companies. Members are surrounded by a community to interact with and support their business. Why is this good? It is cheap, and works for those that are basically on laptops and do not need to talk much or worry about privacy, or security of assets. Other individuals might rent “executive office suites” that are rented on a short-term basis that gives the feel that they have a physical office space. Why is this option good? Physical location with privacy and security of assets. However, there’s no office community.

If co-working and executive office suites do not solve what you need, then maybe try a “hive” office. A key component to a “hive” environment is a balance between privacy and community. Whether you are in the start-up mode, trying to raise money, or a budding company that thrives on the inspiration that a community of entrepreneurs brings, then a hive environment might be just the thing. You might think, why not just rent or lease a typical office? You could, but many times those can be expensive, with long lease terms, and often without the community aspect available to you. Who knows? In a hive environment, that lawyer you need might be your neighbor down the hall. You might collaborate with a web designer and find that you can help each other out.

Industrious Office future “Hive” space

We have a few co-working or hive office ventures in Portland. Recently I came across a great venture in the River North district of Chicago. It is called “Industrious Office” that focuses on modern designed offices in a hive environment. It is a 17,000 square foot building with 72 offices in total that can each accommodate 1 to 10 people on a month-to-month basis. Office rates start at $400 a month, which is a steal! Amenities include: 24/7 access to free wi-fi and electricity, printing services, private phone booths, onsite storage, lounges, complementary mail services, access to conference and collaboration rooms, a kitchen and a full service coffee bar. In addition, Industrious offer members a wide variety of classes and events in its space.

Industrious Office draws the best elements of co-working, executive suite offices, and traditional office space by creating individual private offices using glass partitions so that individuals feel that they are part of a larger community, but still have the privacy of their own private office.

I can see it being the perfect setting for designers, writers, start-ups, non-profits, lawyers, or anyone that wants to have a beautiful location to spend most of their working hours. Industrious Office is scheduled to open later this summer. If you live in Chicago and work from home, or bounce around from Starbucks to local coffee shop, have been craving a quiet space, and a clean and modern place to bring your clients, then be sure to check out the lofts at Industrious Office. I would love to spend my days within the modern feel of high ceilings, exposed brick walls + glass walled private offices, conference rooms and common areas.

Updates can be found on twitter.com/IndustriousHQ and facebook.com/IndustriousOffice

I hope she is proud.

Posted by random olio

Another year has gone by and Sunday is, yet again, another Mother’s Day. I am still not yet a mother myself. Each year, I have a bit of nostalgia and a bit of numbness for a day that comes each year. It has been 19 years since I have celebrated Mother’s Day with my mom. It is hard to believe that it has been almost two decades. How is that even possible? I struggle with the concept that I have spent more of my life without my mom then I ever spent with her in my life.

my mama

Has it made me independent? Hell yeah. Has it made me miss her? Hell yeah. I have often been asked by others: “What is the hardest part about losing a loved one?” Many think it is the days and weeks surrounding their passing. Yes, that part is hard. What is harder? The months later. For a child, it might be a future “bring mom to school” day. For a teenager, it might be going to prom and wishing their mom was there to see them off, or wishing their loved one was there to watch them receive their diploma. Whatever the situation, it can be incredibly hard months and often years later when the depths of pain and sadness rip you apart in ways you never expected.

I can tell you this from experience. The day before my wedding, Chris and I made the decision to get married — just the two of us on a beach in Hawaii. It felt so right for us to start this stage of our life together, just us saying our vows together. No fluff, no commitments to others, just two lives joining together. That day, before we got married, I got sad. I had no idea I would miss my mom so much. Just thinking about it almost ten years later I have tears streaming down my face. I wanted her to be able to watch me with pride join my life with Chris, and yet I had no idea her absence would be so hard for me until that moment when I was preparing for my special day.

Chris might have thought my oddness that day meant I was afraid of getting married and that I might back out of our wedding. Yet, I was not afraid of marrying Chris, I was just sad. I had no idea the absence of my mom would hit me so hard on such a happy time in my life. I do not remember if I missed my dad that day, only that my mom should have been there and watched me marry this wonderful man.

Happy Mother’s Day, mom. I hope you can see all that I have become in life and all that I have. I am a grateful daughter with so much to be thankful for every day. Life has not always been easy, but I have learned so much along the way. It has made me speak up, say what is on my mind (whether Chris likes it or not) and I think you would be proud.

Unwind and abandon your funk

Posted by random olio

Do you ever have those days that start out all wrong? Your clothes feel tight, or nothing you want to wear is clean, and to top it off you are having a bad hair day? Sometimes your funk permeates your entire day and all you do is dream about doing a few things that will let you unwind and block out the rest of your day.

What would your list of favorite things be to unwind from a hellish day? Would it involve your kids, your spouse, or an empty, quiet house? Does it involve exercise, a massage, or gorging on amazing food? Does your list change based on your mood?

A list of my favorite things to do to unwind (in no specific order):

Going for a long run.
Taking a long HOT bath.
Hugs. Need I say more?
Finding a new journal, finishing a journal, starting a new journal.
Completing a shit-ton of items on my to-do list.
Snuggling with Chris during a movie, on a lazy Saturday morning…whenever I can cozy up with him.
Finishing a book I cannot put down.
Coming home to a clean house (knowing I do not have to clean it).
Salt. Anything with it, most often in the form of chips.

Some days I can come home and pick one of these items off my list, and the mere act of shifting my focus or pampering myself will change my outlook and let me forget my funk. Other times you just have to ride it out, crawl in bed, close your eyes and wake up freshly the next morning.

How about you? What do you do to unwind after a funky day?

#wouldlovetohearfromyou

Excellence is a habit

Posted by random olio

Have you ever thought about how you bring you, yes YOU, to each moment of your day? Each moment is an opportunity to shine, to be honest, to speak up. So often I think that we glide through our day, waiting for it to end so we can commute home, hang on the couch, and then start the entire process over again the next day.

What if it were different? What if you could truly see and know that each moment of your day was leading and building up to a much bigger and better life? It is. Remember when you spoke up in that meeting the other day, or you confronted a co-worker, or you gave that presentation without fear? Now that you have done that, you can take the next step and the one after that. Eventually you will give that presentation without sweat in your armpits, and you will not hesitate for a second to speak up to your co-worker or in that meeting.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” Will Durant

I love this quote I found the other day. Excellence happens in moments that build upon moments. We do not just wake up one day and decide: “I am going to kick ass today. I am going to win and wow folks.” No, we kick ass moment by moment. Just as it becomes a habit for a runner to lace on their shoes each morning, or the chef to walk into their kitchen and pull out pans and ingredients.

Build on each passionate moment and create excellence.

Anything.

Posted by random olio

A few months ago I finished reading: “The Advantage” by Patrick Lencioni. There was one particular quote that resonated with me. It reminds me of previous job situations and how we sometimes really do not know our bosses or employees well. Should we?

“A friend of mine worked for a management consulting firm for about six years. He was paid well, but after putting up with as much neglect and politics as he could stand, he finally decided to leave. When he was called in for his exit interview with a senior manager who had never taken an interest in him before, he was asked, ‘What could we have done to keep you here longer?’ My friend was a little stunned by the hollowness of the question. After a moment, he just smiled and replied, ‘Anything’.” (page 168)

I love this. It actually brings tears to my eyes, and for those of you that might read my blog regularly, tears do not flow that freely for me. It has to affect me either deeply, or in a way I would not normally expect. Usually the unexpected emotion means it hits a part of me that understands and relates. I wonder how many of us could say the same thing as this individual, that they could have done anything to keep us. I could count more than my fingers and my toes the number of people in my life that have felt this way. Is it because at a deep level we all want to feel valued and appreciated? Even in just the smallest of ways?

Yes. Should that be that hard to make happen in any and all organizations? No. Feeling valued and appreciated on a daily basis to me is like drinking water, when you are parched, dehydrated, thirsty, all it takes is a glass of water. It nourishes us and helps to quench our thirst. We are relieved and refreshed. A little appreciation goes a long way, it nourishes and hydrates us for a long time. What are you doing to share your gratitude and appreciation to your co-workers, employees, and even your boss? Do you think about the reciprocal potential of sharing your appreciation to leadership, peers, and direct reports? It is a two-way street.

It amazes me how easy we can reach out to another person in our life. Do something. Do anything.