“If we devote ourselves to sacredness in our vocations, the world will rise to meet us”.  (TEDxMidAtlantic – Joel Salatin – 11/5/09)

I just listened to a great TED Talk by Joel Salatin and that statement stuck out for me. It occured to me that it goes to the heart of what so many of the members of Cowork Frederick are doing. Most of our members have struck out on their own, are doing what they love and are passionate about, what they can whole-heartedly devote themselves to.

Cowork Frederick Member James Hersick comes to mind. His company RocketFuel Design Company. RocketFuel DC has been “launching awesome ideas and clever design into the universe since 2003.”  Their mission? “We focus our design firm on work that heals, helps, educates and celebrates the stuff that makes life great. We’re use our process to help large and small businesses, organizations and communites succeed with their products, services and initiatives. We help them make a positive impact on their bottom line, their communities and beyond.” On the RocketFuel DC website, you’ll find sayings like “Life is short, make it awesome!, “Be nice and make friends”, and “Do work you love and have fun”.

So does our February featured member, Kimba Green, who, like so many of our members, left “Corporate America” to start her own social media and marketing company. Michael Gray. Matt Edens, Beth Conny, and Shannon Morgan are all writers, doing what they love or, as Beth puts it, who she IS. Derrick Miller’s Axis 80 Interactive builds “Web sites with more than just good looks.” If I keep going, I’ll name every member we have!

This is one of the best things about having a coworking space. We have met and are getting to know so many people devoted to their vocations, working to perfect not only themselves, but to elevate their industry, to do what is right.  We’ve always said that what’s most important about Cowork Frederick is our members and I guess this is one more way of saying that again. They are Cowork Frederick.

Cowork Frederick is devoted to the sacredness of coworking and upholding the values defined by the broader community of coworkers. From the Coworking Wiki: “Coworking spaces are about community-building and sustainability. Participants agree to uphold the values set forth by the movement’s founders, as well as interact and share with one another. [It’s] about creating better places to work and as a result, a better way to work.”

Coworking spaces are differentiated from rented office or even shared space or a business incubation service, which do not seem to fit into the coworking model because they often miss the social, collaborative, and informal aspects. Coworking spaces function in a model that more cooperative than corporpation. Partipants are members, not customers. It’s a community, not a company. We’re really fortunate to be a part of the one called Cowork Frederick.