3rd Birthday for CoLab Nashville

The environment at CoLab Nashville combats one of the most taxing drags on employee productivity and efficiency, a situation characteristic of the old-fashioned cubicle world: plain and simple loneliness. Employees are cut off from the knowledge and stimulation of their fellow workers, which could be harnessed and applied – if only they saw each other!

Loneliness isn’t depression or solitude. It’s an isolation from, well, everything! In Cubicle World, the whole company takes a hit when it comes to the notion of employees talking together, thinking together, bouncing ideas off one another, sharing fresh points of view – in other words, being a vibrant company instead of a group of workers who are all islands, left to stew in their own juices, build resentments over this and that and generally fall into a rut of negativity. Throw in fear, suspicion and distrust that drive employees apart. I hear them talking quietly over there. They’re talking about me. I just know it!

Researcher Sarah Wright of the University of Canterbury explained to the New York Times, “Loneliness tends to distort social cognition and influences an individual’s interpersonal behavior, resulting in increased hostility, negativity, depressed mood, increased anxiety, lack of perceived control and decreased cooperativeness.” In other words, it’s not good.

Sigal G. Barsade and Hakan Ozcelik, professors at the University of Pennsylvania and California State University respectively, studied 650 workers and found that loneliness pretty much decimated progress on team-oriented and individual projects alike. And the office holiday party won’t fix anything. The already lonely employee may find his social inhibitions aggravated by such gatherings instead of benefiting from them. According to Ridiculouslyefficient.com, Ozcelik says what are needed are the simple things — short chats, communal coffee breaks, actually seeing another human’s face.

Coworking is a fairly new movement, but its core values are old as the hills, namely, people need interaction and the trust that comes with it, the whole ambience of the building they all share.

A study conducted by the 2nd Global Coworking Survey showed that 93% of respondents say that their social circle has increased since moving into a coworking environment; 86% say their business network has expanded; 76% say productivity has increased. Vast majorities also noted that their health, private life and ability to relax at home have improved.

At CoLab Nashville, entrepreneurs share funky common spaces with 70 or so like-minded folks whose businesses range from private investigating to house painting. We’re located in the heart of downtown Nashville, within walking distance to tons of fun restaurants, shops and art galleries, perfect for those much-needed mental breaks.

We have shared kitchens, a dart board, a Ping Pong table and a lot of fun after-hours events our CoLab community is welcome to participate in. We’re located at 230 4th Ave. S. in the Wells Fargo Building. Contact us at 852-6522 for a tour of our spaces.

]]> http://nashville.colabusa.com/colab-nashville-combats-loneliness-with-coworking/2345/feed/ 0 http://nashville.colabusa.com/coworking-offices-collaborate-beyond-the-space/2273/ http://nashville.colabusa.com/coworking-offices-collaborate-beyond-the-space/2273/#comments Wed, 01 May 2013 18:51:02 +0000 admin http://nashville.colabusa.com/?p=2273 CoLab Nashville is on top of coworking trends

Kailey Hussey Faber, Community Director, CoLab Nashville

This was the first year both CoLabUSA founders were able to attend the GCUC Austin, a full two-day conference on coworking trends. With more than 300 attendees and 100 spaces represented internationally; we were in good company.

The current stats compiled by DeskMag say that 4.5 coworking spaces are opening internationally per workday, and the amount of coworking members increases by 245 people on average per day as well. Those are incredible stats. If anything, it simply shows us the coworking concept is not going away, and not only is it growing in popularity, it is constantly evolving.

It was inspiring to be around so many innovative thinkers at the Global Coworking Unconference Conference. This ultimately touches upon the movement of work, and how our communities are progressively evolving.

One of the most beneficial sessions was based on comparing the many fresh spaces on the coworking scene to those that are not so fresh; 1 in 6 spaces closed between February 2011–2013. Why is that? Well, of the 78 that closed internationally in the last year, 75 of those were isolated spaces. Which means they had no connection to other coworking spaces in their city, or no connection to any type of greater collaborative effort. Proving that spaces that preach community also have to practice it.

It’s key to make those connections. A collaborative space cannot be its own self-contained ecosystem, it has to connect beyond its members. This statistic still echoes in my ear and is probably the greatest thing I took away: Connect and collaborate with your city and other coworking spaces. The fruits of this will abound beyond what you can foresee.

Thanks to Liz Elam and the whole GCUC team for a great conference! We’re looking forward to next year!

Miguel Sanchez, founder, Wild and Local Foods

With a sustainable and local food distribution startup growing like a weed, Miguel Sanchez needed a bigger office base. He and his partners — Michael Chapman, Josh Kaywood and Brent McMahan — had already outgrown the tiny office behind the Farmers Market retail space for Wild and Local Foods when Josh stumbled across CoLab Nashville.

Once they were here, Miguel finally had enough time and space to work the kinks out of his business’ wholesale purchasing structure. They figured out a way to purchase food for about half of what they’d been paying, and their sales volume doubled in two months.

“We were able to sit down and brainstorm and bring a lot of seafood products to Nashville from vast distances without creating any new carbon emissions,” Miguel says. “We figured out where there were options with Southwest and Delta cargo and started loading some products on their flights that were coming to Nashville anyway. Sustainability is something I’m very serious about.”

Tell us about yourself and your company.
I graduated from the University of Louisville and have a master of science from Lipscomb University. Our company is essentially as the name says — we focus on wild-caught seafood and locally raised proteins. We are a sustainable version of a fish-and-meats market.

There are a lot of benefits in wild-caught seafood, and there are a lot of unsustainable things when it comes to aquaculture.

It’s fair to say the aquaculture world is making a lot of strides, allowing us to purchase some farm product … On the local side, we source local protein because it reduces carbon emissions. It’s got a lot to do with supporting local farmers and the local economy. These large processing plants are taking in lots of animals and essentially doing damage in terms of animal welfare. You’re ultimately sacrificing animal welfare and a lot of the sustainability issues. Also, having so many animals in one place makes them vulnerable to disease and infection where they end up forcing producers to inject antibiotics into the feed or the system. It creates a lot of issues with the actual quality of the meat in a lot of cases, as well.

Animals are so stressed out going into these processing plants, they’re releasing different types of chemicals, like endorphins and adrenaline, into their system, and that makes the meat tougher. At the end of the day, when you purchase local from a farmer who has taken the time to create a more relaxed environment for the animals, taken the time to verify his practices and taken care of his feed, and he processes and slaughters them in the right way, you’re getting a more quality, sustainable product with a lower carbon footprint.

What drew you to this kind of business?
I was always passionate for animal welfare, even more than sustainability. I wanted to be able to make an impact. I could stand outside some government plaza or some processing plant parking lot with a sign, or I could start my own business and use my purchasing power to create a real impact. Three years ago, I had zero impact on the industry. We now do easily $1 million a year. While we’re still small, we do take pride in the fact that we’ve supported the good guys. We’ve spent $250,000 on local products and supporting local farmers, and we’ve easily spent another $250,000 on the fishermen who are going after the right species.

What’s your favorite part of the job?
I actually enjoy the sale. I enjoy walking up to a fine dining establishment, going in and talking to the hotshot chef and being able to educate him, while being educated myself, on food and sustainability. Obviously, we’re negotiating a better way for him to serve his customers a high-quality product that doesn’t have a negative impact. Some of my clients include City House, Flyte, Watermark, The Southern, 1808 Grille, Table 3 and F. Scott’s, and I have also worked with The Catbird Seat, Merchants, Sambuca, Silo, Silly Goose, Holland House and BrickTop’s.

Tell us something about yourself nobody knows.
I’m pretty much an open book.

When did you join CoLab?
Three months ago (January).

How did you hear about CoLab?
One of my partners brought it to me; he just Googled it.

What made you want to use a coworking space instead of a coffee shop?
We had opened a retail store (at the Farmers Market), and our wholesale side of the business had outgrown the small offices that we have available. We needed a bigger place to work. My ideal situation was a place that offers a short commitment for a growing company. I don’t want to sign a year lease, considering we’re doubling the volume of our sales on a two-month basis. I don’t know how big this thing is going to get in a year. The advantages are it’s a great opportunity to work, meet and network with others, and the amenities are all included. That’s very nice. It was just a desirable, efficient work environment with a low commitment.

Door open or door closed?
Door open.

What are your thoughts on the CoLab community?
I think it’s absolutely great. I’ve obviously enjoyed and taken full advantage of the amenities here. It’s great to be able to come in and work late at night, too. Kailey and Ashley have been very, very helpful in everything I’ve looked at doing. The biggest thing is that since we came into the office, it gave us the ability to focus on our wholesale division, and since then we’ve seen the highest rate of growth since we started the company.

What are your favorite places to eat downtown? Downtown actually lacks in a lot of good food places. But I will say we are within five minutes of the Nashville Farmers Market. If you walk in and go to Bella Nashville — I’ve been to Naples and I’ve had real pizza, and that’s as close as you can get to the real deal. I would highly recommend it.

]]> http://nashville.colabusa.com/colab-nashville-new-member-spotlight-miguel-sanchez-founder-wild-and-local-foods/2264/feed/ 0 http://nashville.colabusa.com/colab-nashville-member-spotlight-jc-hite-of-advint-international/2241/ http://nashville.colabusa.com/colab-nashville-member-spotlight-jc-hite-of-advint-international/2241/#comments Thu, 28 Mar 2013 03:27:04 +0000 admin http://nashville.colabusa.com/?p=2241 Adventure seeker launches latest thrill — his business — at CoLab

JC Hite has packed more experience into his 24 years than most do in their lifetimes. The former financial advisor has visited several countries, picking up a bit of Swahili and Spanish along the way.

And he isn’t done. His sense of adventure has led him to start his own company, Advint International, which partners with Latin American schools to offer Spanish-language programs to American college students. He operates his business out of an office on our third floor.

Tell us about yourself.

My company is Advint International. Our mission is taking on adventure with intention. We partner with language schools all around Latin America, and we are their sales, marketing and accrediting team. We look for the safest, most unique and fun language schools, and we come back and market those schools in the United States.

How did you get interested in this business venture?

I was a financial advisor for Fifth Third Bank for a while, but I’ve been blessed to be able to travel. I lived in Africa for a while and worked in Latin America in banking as well. I went to a language school two years ago, and at that time, I couldn’t decide who to go with. There’s no way to find a good school on your own, and most of them want your money up front. There’s no way to know if it’s a safe deal. So I started truly dedicating my time to developing Advint International about a year ago. We’ve got five employees and 10 interns.

What’s your favorite part about your job?

I get to do what I love for a living. I love to travel, I love adventure, I love going out and meeting new people. That’s exactly what I get to do at this company.

Where were you working before?

I was working from home for a little bit after I left Fifth Third Bank.

How did you hear about CoLab?

I actually wanted to start a similar concept — my goal was to create an environment similar to CoLab and invest into each business there and really help. Someone mentioned to me that a place similar to my idea already existed. So I took a tour of CoLab and thought it was really neat. I was looking for an office, and I found that CoLab served that purpose.

What made you want to use a coworking space?

One of the advantages I’ve found is that it’s fairly inexpensive. But more important, I walk down the hall and there’s a guy who’s trying to make it in the marketing world. Down the other hall, there’s a lawyer. It’s collaborative and a neat space that everyone can benefit from.

What makes being involved with CoLab so great?

The interaction between the other people. Everyone is trying to grow their businesses around here. When you have a collaborative space like that, you can feed off other people’s energy.

]]> http://nashville.colabusa.com/colab-nashville-member-spotlight-jc-hite-of-advint-international/2241/feed/ 0 http://nashville.colabusa.com/colab-nashville-plans-birthday-bash-open-house/2223/ http://nashville.colabusa.com/colab-nashville-plans-birthday-bash-open-house/2223/#comments Mon, 18 Mar 2013 17:17:07 +0000 admin http://nashville.colabusa.com/?p=2223 Cherry blossoms. A really big contract. Finally finishing that cross-stitch portrait of Edward Cullen.

There are plenty of things to celebrate this spring, so why not hook your wagon to the CoLab Nashville birthday bash at the end of this month? From 5 to 7 p.m. on March 27th, CoLab Nashville will celebrate its third birthday as Nashville’s premier coworking space. We’ll also hold an open house and help celebrate all the successes of our members.

You can expect all the trappings of any awesome party. CoLab member The Nashville DJ will provide the music, and PictureBooth will be on hand with a really fun photo booth.

Deg Thai Food Truck will hand out the first 50 entrees on us! And there will be Yazoo Hefeweizen to pair and, of course, a giant cookie cake to share. Also, our pals at lilDRAGON Entertainment will document the entire evening.

Josh & company over at Fort Houston will be delivering a surprise birthday present for the community — but you have to come to the party to find out what it is!

Although it was quite a roller coaster the first few days, months and even years, we have learned a ton about being a creative and collaborative space for the Nashville community. And we are so grateful to those who chose us as their work space.We want to not only celebrate three years in business, we also want to celebrate you and your accomplishments. So what are you celebrating? Did you make your first full-time hire? How about that sales goal for the first quarter? Or did you get your taxes in early?

Beginning Wednesday, March 20th, we’ll display white boards where you can post those accomplishments, milestones and your latest kick-ass success. The idea is that we’re all celebrating something, so we want to celebrate together. After all, our members’ success is our success!

Please join us March 27th on the first floor, and feel free to invite your friends.

Andy Merrick of the nonprofit organization One Life International prefers to stand up in his CoLab Nashville office. Studies have shown there are many health benefits to standing vs. sitting at your desk all day.

At CoLab Nashville, we’d like to think everyone is living their best, healthiest life. That might mean enjoying the Bongo Java roasts we brew up every day, or taking a walk downtown on your lunch break or even eschewing the common desk chair at work.

Now, don’t get us wrong — we have chairs, and lots of them, at CoLab Nashville. We have great mini-meeting spots throughout our common spaces, and we just so happen to have some very comfy couches scattered about, too. But recent studies have shown there are plenty of health benefits to standing on the job, and some of our tenants have taken that to heart.

Andy Merrick, of One Life International, a nonprofit group that aids impoverished communities in Calcutta, works in his office at an adjustable desk that rises to a height where he can comfortably work standing up. In fact, his office doesn’t have any chairs at all, though he concedes he may bring them in when interns join his company.

“About four years ago, I saw for the first time a report about how people who sit all day long have an increased likelihood of dying from heart disease and heart attack. I comforted myself, saying I’ll be fine, I’m a marathon runner,” says Andy.

Not necessarily. After reviewing some of the studies on standing vs. sitting, New York Times blogger Olivia Judson concluded:

Indeed, if you consider only healthy people who exercise regularly, those who sit the most during the rest of the day have larger waists and worse profiles of blood pressure and blood sugar than those who sit less. Among people who sit in front of the television for more than three hours each day, those who exercise are as fat as those who don’t: sitting a lot appears to offset some of the benefits of jogging a lot.

Rather sobering. There are several studies that corroborate the unpleasant findings that sitting, aside from being a passive way to spend the day, does a number on your hips, glutes and leg muscles, making you stiffer-hipped with a wider rear end and weaker legs.

Standing, on the other hand, burns more calories, promotes movement, helps with posture and in general ups productivity. It may indeed help ward off obesity and related disorders like heart disease.

That has certainly held true for Andy. Already in shape, Andy says he lost five pounds the first month he got his stand-up desk without changing his diet — and during a month he happened not to get in any of his usual daily runs.

“Hopefully, I’ll increase my chances of living longer. I want to live to be 95,” Andy says.

Not 100?

“I feel like I’m being greedy with God to ask to live to 100,” he says.

What a stand-up guy.

Amber Kaset joined the Metro Public Defender’s office in 2003, eventually moving into an investigative position. A couple of years ago, she started AK Investigations, a firm that investigates criminal cases for defense attorneys and offers services in Spanish and Arabic. Amber and investigators Barnabas Batarseh and Marshall Weber moved into a space at CoLab Nashville last fall. The three are passionate about their jobs and and love being close to the courthouse, police department and the culinary delights of The Arcade.

Marshall Weber, Barnabas Batarseh and Amber Kaset

Tell us about yourself and your company.
AK: I worked at the Public Defender’s office for seven years and worked with all kinds of clients, Spanish speakers and everybody else. I went into business for myself a couple of years ago. Barnabas came to work for me — he helps run the business — and Marshall just started last year

BB: Our work primarily is criminal defense investigating. Our clients are attorneys who represent people charged in all kinds of crimes, from misdemeanors to capital murder. Our job is to provide investigative work that informs the defense strategy.

What’s your favorite part of the job?
AK: My least favorite part of the job is billing. My favorite? I can’t imagine doing anything else. This is my calling. I find a way to like some people who’ve done the worst things you can ever imagine and give them a chance.
BB: It’s a real exercise in finding redeeming qualities in someone who’s at the lowest (rung of society), but it’s really about defending the Constitution. It boils down to the dignity of a human life. As a culture, if we value life, we should value life … My favorite part of the job is working to rehabilitate difficult witnesses, those who could be significant to the case but could be reluctant to talk for fear of repercussions.

What drew you to CoLab?
BB: Our entering into CoLab was because we were working out of a home office for a couple of years and felt the need for separation into personal and professional, and the need to expand (Marshall joined the firm last fall). We were between the need for a space and the ability to pay for one. It’s been great spot for us so far.
AK: It’s nice not to think the work is there for you in the other room … You would have days where you were sitting behind your computer and you didn’t see a soul.

How did you hear about CoLab?
BB: We just happened upon the name in the process of looking for space.
AK: The location is perfect because our attorneys are right here at the courthouse.
BB: There’s a really cool energy in the area, being downtown.

What are your favorite places to go in The Arcade?
AK: We go to Khan’s a lot and The Peanut Shop.
BB: I’m about to break in the shoeshine guy.
MW: The fried pie place (Arbuckle Mountain Fried Pies); I like the bacon and egg.

What are your thoughts on the CoLab community?
BB: We haven’t gone out to dinner with people yet, but Mike from Harvest is cool.

Door open or door closed?
AK: A lot of times we have to be door closed because we’re saying things like, “Did you see him pull that gun on that guy?”
BB: Or our conversation between ourselves might be like, “Did you see those autopsy photos?,” or Marshall might be editing a sensitive video. The information we handle is all protected by attorney-client privilege, and a lot of material is pretty graphic.

What’s something interesting about yourself or your job that most people don’t know?
BB: I’m fluent in Arabic, and I come from a background of motivational speaking and life coaching.
AK: I used to box. And my unborn child, who is now 2, probably went into more jails and prisons (in utero) than most people in their entire lives.
MW: I used to work with special needs children at H.G. Hill School. And I produced and directed “William Shakespeare Presents Terminator the Second” using only lines from Shakespeare plays. I’m now editing the DVD.

Kevin Sexton is one of the cofounders of Medvisory, located inside CoLab Nashville.

Kevin Sexton is one our busiest CoLab members. During the day, Kevin is a general surgery resident at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, assisting surgeries. At night, he comes to CoLab to work on two businesses he’s helped launch.

Despite his full schedule, his dream job is to be a full-time, stay-at-home dad. Combining his passions of technology and medicine through small business helps him move toward his goal. He works alongside Richard Boyer, a medical student  doing a research fellowship in the Department of Plastic Surgery at VUMC, on the third floor.

Tell us about yourself.
I’m a sixth-year medical school resident, but I’ve been interested in technology for as long as I can remember. We have two companies that work out of CoLab — Vitalnx, a medical diagnostics startup where we combine backgrounds in biotechnology, engineering and medicine to develop new ways to monitor patients in real-time. The second company is Medvisory, a boutique healthcare technology consulting firm that aims to provide product developers with access to healthcare providers.

What’s your favorite part of your job?
I get to help people on a daily basis. It’s actually funny that by being a successful entrepreneur, I will probably help more people than I could operating every day. I also love to build and create, whether it’s a device or a computer program, and these businesses give me the opportunity to do that.

What’s something interesting about yourself?
The thing about me that most people don’t know is that my goal in life is to be a stay-at-home dad. I love working and helping people, but I’ve seen too many people in my profession sacrifice their personal life to do so.

How long have you been at CoLab?
We started in October of 2012.

Where were you before CoLab?
We worked out of our home.

How did you hear about us?
We were looking to move into a place where we could operate both of our businesses. We wanted to find a cost-effective option downtown, and CoLab was the most fiscally responsible choice in Nashville. When we had a tour of the facility, we loved everyone we met. We really liked the atmosphere of the coworking environment and the opportunities for collaboration it provided.

What made you want to use a coworking space instead of a coffee shop?
The atmosphere is infectious. My experience has been that people in coworking spaces are entrepreneurs — they’re excited about what they’re doing. When you’re in close proximity to these people, their excitement rubs off on you. It’s a great place for networking. If I’m working on a project where I need a designer, I can walk down the hall and find one.

What are your thoughts on the CoLab community?
We’ve enjoyed everyone we’ve met. Everyone has been extremely kind and outgoing.

Melissa Wyllie owns Found Feather Communications.

Melissa Wyllie fits right in at CoLab Nashville: She’s smart, personable and has her mind and heart set on owning a successful small business. She owns Found Feather Communications, a public relations firm that helps clients tell their brand stories. We’re happy to have Melissa join us on the third floor.

Tell us about yourself and your company.
Our company, Found Feather Communications, started last year. We do integrated communications, including marketing, PR, social media and strategic consulting. Our clients have stories to tell, and we tell them that if they don’t take charge of their story, it’ll just exist anyway, but you just won’t have the reins.

I come from a background in journalism. I went to the University of Alabama and was the editor of the Crimson White newspaper. I was a devoted journalist. Right out of college, I moved to Dallas for a job in public relations. I moved to Nashville in 2005 for another job.

What made you want to start your own business?
I think our economy is going to be less supportive of full-time employees. When it came to me making my next full-time move, I wanted to think a little bigger. I particularly think people working in creative services, like the kind of work I do, will find it more and more difficult for them to find a fulfilling job in a traditional corporate space.

What’s your favorite part about your job?
The clients. We have a great group of people. We interact in a very organic way, so I think that helps to bring more value to the relationship. We’re really lucky to work with people who are open to that.

Tell us something interesting about yourself that many people don’t know.
I write a food blog. It’s called, “Two Soups and Cold Beans.” Growing up, my sister and I would go to my grandparents’ house in Alabama every summer.

We’d spend the day at a daycare, and my sister thought she was being treated really shabbily. Every day, grandpa would ask, “What’d you have for lunch?” She’d bow her head and say, “They just gave us two soups and cold beans.” She was, like, four or five at the time. I don’t know where she came up with that name, but it stuck, and I named my blog after that.

How long have you been at CoLab?
About four or five weeks.

Where were you before working at CoLab?
I worked from home.

Found Feather Communications.

How did you hear about CoLab?
One of our clients is here. We came to meet with him one day and I thought, “Wow, this is awesome.”

What made you want to use a coworking space?
Coworking gives you the benefit of being in a corporate environment while doing your own thing. Interacting with people is good for you and your business, so it’s great to be working in a place where that can happen.

What’s your favorite part about working downtown?
The old buildings. I take a break and look at the architecture like a complete nerd.

What are your thoughts on the CoLab community so far?
Everyone is so nice and smart, and it’s great to work in the same space with them. It’s the kind of interaction you can only get while coworking that I enjoy so much.

January signals fresh starts, life overhauls and resolutions to live better in the new year. Unfortunately, many of those resolutions fall flat a few months in.

As a coworking family, let’s vow to hold each other accountable to be the best versions of ourselves — both physically and professionally — in the new year. Here’s how:

Reduce things that suck up your time

We’re sure there’s a time or two that you’ve surprised yourself with how much time you’ve spent in front of the TV and on social media, which can eat away valuable time you could have used to develop your business.

So make small changes: Designate a certain amount of time during the day that you’ll allow yourself to peruse your Facebook and Twitter feeds. Instead of a date night with your DVR, opt to watch your favorite show when it airs, eliminating the temptation to marathon several episodes in a four-hour block.

Eat better

What you put into your body has a direct effect on your energy levels. Looking to commit even more to growing your business in the new year? Start first thing in the morning by eating a healthy breakfast — don’t skip this meal! — and packing a healthy lunch with all the necessary nutrients to get you through the day.

When you feel the 2 p.m. slump, resist the urge to reach for an energy-depleting sugary snack. Instead, munch on protein-rich foods — such as salt-free nuts or a low-sugar protein bar — that will give you the stamina to finish a good day’s work.

Get organized

You’ll feel much more productive when you get organized. Now is the time to launch yourself into that decluttering project you’ve always been meaning to do. Make a list and tackle the small tasks first — these will keep up your momentum to tackle bigger ones.

Network

There’s a world of new partnerships waiting to be formed. Get out and network with people in your industry. Set up coffee chats or lunch dates. Every time you put your business out there, you’re one step closer to a new client.