Okay, so, I’m sitting here in the commons area of CoMotion On King and just witnessed one of those chalkboard moments – a coworking chalkboard moment. What do I mean? Well, I’m going to hit you with a sports analogy.
Generally, coaches across the land will fill dressing rooms with clouds of chalk-dust attempting to devise plays or strategies. On the board, they make so much sense and seem so easy. But witnessing them flawlessly executed is, well, less likely than seeing a garbage can kicked over in frustration.
In the ideal world of coworking, or, at least the chalk-talk version of it, diverse groups of people converge in a super cool environment and draw on each other’s skills and services. So far in my time at CoMotion, I’ve certainly heard rumblings of that happening – and, I’m definitely not shy to admit that it’s a big part of the coworking allure to me.
But for the first time, I actually saw this happen. Almost like it was a staged set up! Let me quickly set the scene. Two members here at the CoMotion On King coworking space, Josh Dueck and Todd Griffiths, found themselves working away at separate tables in the open “Commons” area. Yet, they were in conversation range – and just barely. Then, a simple “Hey, how are ya?” turned into a pretty cool and mutually beneficial opportunity.
Like me, Josh Dueck is an ad guy. And he is pretty much a one-stop shop. Hand him a business challenge and off he’ll go – from devising a strategy, to managing the projects, to booking media, to shooting the images, to editing the video, to writing the copy. (Actually, a tad humbling when I read that. Better step up my game.)
Todd Griffiths is a key cog in the wheel of Pulse Medical Solutions. Their team provides medical monitoring devices that elderly people often wear so they can alert responders in case of an emergency. And, of course, generating awareness among some defined market segments is pretty high on their priorities. But how does one reach and communicate to those audiences? Hmmmm… Well, insert a cup of coffee, our multi-talented, right-place-at-the-right-time Josh and, boom, there ya have it.
It was really interesting to see the simple benefits of proximity and the coworking culture at work. No resumes were passed around and reviewed, no endless attempts to set up an interview, and none of the anxiety that goes along with trying to ace that interview. It was just a conversation. A conversation that became a discussion of ‘what I need’ and ‘what I can do’. It was casual, friendly, and about as effective as it gets.
Not 15 minutes after this interaction, the pair were riding off into the proverbial sunset to some meeting together.
That, ladies and gentlemen, was a 30-minute clinic on how coworking can open the door to a world of unforeseen opportunity.
