In this interview, we talk about:
Pauline and her community, Coworkies
how to make the coworking industry better
the secret ingredient to coworking
Coworking has transformed from a novel concept into a vibrant and essential part of many people's professional lives. At the center of this transformation is Pauline Roussel, co-founder of CoWorkies, who has dedicated her life to fostering and understanding these communities. Through CoWorkies, she explores the unique impacts coworking spaces have on people and cities.
The Birth of CoWorkies
Pauline's journey into coworking started in 2015 during her tenure in Berlin as the Chief Happiness Officer at a coworking space. This role opened her eyes to the rich interactions and collaborations that coworking spaces facilitate. Together with her partner, Dimitar, whom she met in the coworking space, they embarked on an exploratory journey to understand and enhance the positive impacts of coworking spaces globally.
Their shared vision led to the birth of CoWorkies, a platform designed to support the coworking industry by connecting the right people with the right spaces. From the beginning, the focus has been on building a community of communities and providing valuable resources to coworking spaces and their members.
Exploring the Coworking World
From Berlin to Tokyo and beyond, Pauline and her partner have visited over 550 coworking spaces in 64 cities over nine years. This extensive travel has provided them with invaluable insights into the coworking ecosystem. It's not just about spaces; it's about the people, cultures, and communities they support.
Each visit reaffirms Pauline's belief in the transformative power of these spaces. They're not merely workplaces but vital social hubs where relationships and networks grow organically. Pauline has heard many stories about people finding life partners and business collaborators, underscoring the myriad connections that coworking spaces facilitate.
CoWorkies: More Than a Job Board
Today, CoWorkies isn't just about connecting people with jobs. It extends to publishing content, conducting training, and consulting with teams at coworking spaces. Their book, "Around the World in 250 Coworking Spaces," aims to educate and pass on the knowledge gained from their travels. Pauline and her team offer retreats for community managers to help them recharge and reaffirm their critical role in coworking spaces.
The consulting arm of CoWorkies helps spaces with operational challenges and strategy development. Meanwhile, they continue to work with universities and companies, educating them on the evolving nature and potential of coworking.
Looking Towards the Future
CoWorkies' future plans focus on furthering their mission to improve coworking. They're working on new features for their job board and more retreats are in the pipeline to provide further support to community managers.
Pauline and Dimitar understand that growing their team is essential for scaling their efforts. They're committed to bringing in new talent when the timing is right, ensuring that CoWorkies can continue supporting and enhancing the coworking industry effectively.
Pauline Roussel's journey with CoWorkies underscores the significance of community in coworking. It's about connecting people with spaces that allow them to flourish and grow together. As they continue to travel and explore, their mission remains clear: to make coworking better, one connection at a time.
Speakers
Pauline Roussel
Pauline is the founder and CEO of Coworkies, co-initiator of Hack Coworking, and author of the book ‘Around The World in 250 Coworking Spaces’.
Coworkies is a global job board setting the hiring and recruiting standards for the coworking and flex industry.
Check her community, Coworkies:
https://www.coworkies.com/
Fanny Marcoux
I’m your host and passionate about coworking, remote working, nomading, freelancing, and marketing. Many -ing in there.
During the day, I help ecommerce managers manage their Google Analytics and optimize their webshop for conversions.
I also post every day on LinkedIn, where you can follow me:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/fannymarcoux/
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