New Year Challenge:
Step outside your usual bubble and meet the coworkers you don’t know you’re missing.

Successful social media strategist and blogger, Brynne Krispin, recently gave coworking a try at Cowork Frederick.

She’s spent her career translating complex ideas into clear, compelling content that moves people to action. She specializes in empathy-driven brand strategy and LinkedIn thought leadership. She empowers experts to become visible, trusted voices in their space. She’s a badass.

She’s also a self-professed introvert.

Here’s what she had to say about her recent experience:

“A few weeks ago, I did something I’ve been putting off for years: I joined a coworking space.

“For an introvert who’s been very content working from my peaceful home office, this was a big (and honestly, intimidating) step. I love my quiet. I love my routine.

“But as I cross the 3-year mark as an entrepreneur, I’ve been reflecting on what I want more of, and it’s not more screen time or strategy decks.

“It’s connection. Real, face-to-face human connection.

“And this one small (slightly scary) step has already brought so much to be thankful for:

🧠 Whiteboarding ideas with other curious humans
💬 Swapping business tips between calls with fellow founders
🥹 My first Friendsgiving
🙌 And a shared energy I didn’t even know I was missing

“Hands down, the connection far outweighs any discomfort.”

[Read her full post here.]

Brynne’s experience was familiar. We’ve been doing this coworking thing for over 13 years, and some of our favorite stories are about people who are more introverted finding their home office away from home, dare we say a sense of belonging, here, at Cowork Frederick.

But it’s not just us. Deskmag, an online magazine about coworking who gathers and reports industry data, had this to say about introverts and coworking in their 2018 report:

• Introverts are more likely to enjoy relaxed and small spaces.
• Though generally not big on ‘community’, they often feel strongly connected to the community of their coworking space.
• The majority of introverted members chose to work in a coworking space on their own.
• Coworking spaces develop creativity and the skill-set of ‘more introverted’ members.
• They enjoy better workdays and get more done.
• Most importantly, they feel less isolated since working in a coworking space.

I chose Cowork Frederick because of the community you feel.
I’m really an introvert, and sometimes it’s hard to step out of that, but
Cowork Frederick gives you space to interact with others how and when you want to.

(Kisha W)

About half of Cowork Frederick members describe themselves as at least somewhat introverted. That’s higher than the industry average.

Reflecting Deskmag’s points, it could be because our coworking space is tucked nicely into the rooms of a former home, an 1840’s historic building in downtown Frederick. Instead of one big space, we have many rooms, each with its own vibe, some more social, some less. We’ve taken advantage of corners and alcoves and even invested in a couple of Nooks to create cozy spots to sit.

We’re a smaller (85 or so members), perhaps less overwhelming, community. We carefully curate a variety of events and activities, small and large, some more quiet, some more social. From game nights, indie movie nights, members organize events of their own as well.

Over the years, we’ve listened and observed as people joined our community and used our space, evolving our workspace to suit various work preferences. We now have private and semi-private offices, meeting rooms, and both dedicated and flex desks in our shared office space in rooms that hold between one and ten people (no huge open spaces here). There are six phone rooms/booths for private phone calls and even an “office for a day” that can be reserved for alone work. But, we’re still not about the desks or offices. Our focus, our purpose, is still connection.

“Cowork Frederick makes it easy for me to find out-of-the way spots for quieter work and reflection. […] I can go back and forth between quiet, less-trafficked areas to more social areas depending on what I want at the moment.”

(Amanda L)

It could also be that I am an introvert.

Yep. True fact. I’m an introvert, a person who prefers to sit in the corner and observe or to occupy herself with tidying up or restocking at parties, and I chose to cultivate a coworking community.

Cowork Frederick creates for me the sense of connection that I need, without requiring me to work hard at building it. People just show up and hang out with me in the kitchen. We chat about all manner of things, our work struggles and successes, the silly or endearing thing a kid did the night before, an obscure movie everyone should see, why your biscuit should definitely include cream of tartar, the pros and cons of building more data centers, or anything else that sparks. It’s pretty great. When I’ve had enough, I head back to my desk where I quietly work.

So. It’s a New Year. To all you introverts out there, here’s your challenge: give coworking a try. Every coworking community is different, so don’t give up if the first one you visit isn’t right for you. Even smaller cities like Frederick, Maryland, have multiple options. We’re just one of them. We think we’re pretty great, but encourage you to try several and see if one is your “just right”, Goldilocks fit.

“I can choose when to interact with people and when to be in my own world. I’ve spent many days writing with people around with my headphones on! People at Cowork are understanding of my quietness and have always made me feel welcome!.”

(Emily M)