The article chronicles the ups and downs of solo workers who find coffee, company, and connectivity inside their local coffee joints.
Thom Singer, a professional speaker and entrepreneur from Austin, Texas, understands you. Though he doesn't pay for office space, he jokingly remarks: "I like to say I have 'South Austin, North Austin, and downtown offices.'" Those spots, however, are the locations of the Starbucks coffee shops he frequents.
"I am the type of person who would go crazy without being around other people. Working from home or a rented office would get lonely fast," Singer says.
You can read the rest of the article on the PCWorld.com website.
Looking around as I write this blog post I see the familiar muted earth-toned yellow and green walls. The smell of fresh coffee fills the air, and the availability of free Wi-Fi keeps me connected to the outside world. The comfortable nest of my "movable-feast" of an office location gives me comfort and peace of mind no matter where in the world I find myself.
It is my place.
I work from Starbucks. As a professional speaker, consultant / adviser and author my location is often on sight for a client, but the rest of the time I need a place to get stuff done and hold meetings. My house does not always serve me as a place to work effectively, as my wife runs her business from home, and the kids come and go all the time. I like the hustle and bustle of a coffee shop, and Starbucks has served me well as my office of choice for several years.
They do not know it, but they have become a strategic partner in my success.
I have free office space regardless of being in Austin, Chicago, Dallas, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Detroit, Las Vegas, Cincinnati, Phoenix, Sacramento, Houston, Boston, Washington DC, Denver, Laguna Beach, Tucson, Seattle, San Antonio, El Paso, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Atlanta, Orlando, Nassau (Bahamas), Barcelona (Spain), Ottawa (Canada), Toronto (Canada), Dublin (Ireland), Paris (France), or nearly any other city I have found myself in the last three years.
I can connect to the internet, meet with clients, write a blog post (as I am doing right now), grab a cup of coffee, eat my lunch, and ask directions and other local questions of interest from those who work there (they are always nice and have become my own personal concierge service when I am in a strange land).
From my side, I am both a loyal customer and advocate. They keep up there side of the bargain by providing predictable products and services that allow my business to prosper. Oh, and without caffeine, I am not sure I could ever take the stage and speak to hundreds of people at 8:00 AM at an industry conference, law firm meeting, or sales kick-off. They fuel my pizazz some days when sleep does not come (I have trouble sleeping in hotel rooms sometimes).
There is so many things that compete for our attention these days. A generation ago when someone left the office they were removed from much of the pressures and demands of their job. When at the office they were unconnected from home and friends. And on vacation or the golf course they were free from everything.
No so today. Communication technologies and the social media have linked all aspects of our lives together. We all carry electronic leashes that make us attainable at all hours. People get angry when you do not respond quickly, as immediate is the expectation. There is little time to be unconnected and just inside your own head.
I take an hour to read in Starbucks in the early morning before my day begins several days a week (not everyday, but often enough). I try to leave my computer and iPhone in the car during this short reprieve in my day, as it might be the only downtime I encounter. Not only can I not be interrupted by a call, but I am not tempted to check email or read the blog of a friend. It is just me, a book (or newspaper) and my brain.
Now, Starbucks is not totally free from distractions, as I love to people watch and often see people whom I know, which leads to face-to-face conversations... but for me, this is energizing. A not-pre-planned chat with a friend can be a very nice experience. No agenda, just talk, can make for a better encounter.
These mini-vacations are not enough to make up for the constant bombardment of information, expectations and responsibilities - but it is a start. In a world with little freedoms from being "plugged in", you gotta take what you can get!
One morning last week my friend, Diana Holford (of Jones Lang LaSalle), called me to see if I was in my office. She and a co-worker had been at the Starbucks nearby my office and on their way out they decided to buy me my favorite "Grande Non-Fat Vanilla Latte" and drop it by my office. They called and instructed me to meet me in the parking lot outside my office, where they handed me my cherished hot beverage "just because".
Wow. That was cool. Out of the blue someone who is near your office buys you a treat and drops if off for no reason (other than being a nice friend).
The kind gesture made my day. No, it probably made my whole week! It was a simple act that was neither time consuming nor expensive -- but it made a big impression.
What can you do for the people in your network that will be remembered?
Story Two:
My six-year-old is currently selling Girl Scout Cookies. I took her to the University of Texas on Saturday morning to stand on the corner of 24th and Guadalupe to sell the boxes of baked goodness. My thought was that hung-over college students could not say "no" to a cutie pie such as Kate.
The strategy worked, except for the fact that it was freezing cold in Austin this weekend so the foot traffic along "The Drag" was light. It took a little longer than expected, but she sold out her supply of cookies. However, the cold and wind was awful.
I suggested a hot chocolate at the nearby Starbucks on 24th. She agreed that this was a great idea (ummm, what kid would say no to that??!!). The very nice person behind the counter recognized the familiar Brownie brown vest that my kid was sporting. She engaged Kate in conversation about how cookie sales were going, and then told her since she had worked so hard to raise money for a good cause (she, too, had been in Girl Scouts as a child), that Kate's hot chocolate was going to be free.
Wow. To Kate this was really special. She had never seen a person working somewhere reward a customer with a free hot chocolate just because!
All day she was telling people that her hot chocolate at Starbucks was given to her for free because of her charity cookie selling activities.
The $1.50 that was waived by the woman behind the counter was much more valuable to the 6-year-old customer (whose dad was going to pay for the delightfully chocolaty beverage, anyway). It made Kate feel special.
See, the little things do make a big difference. Always look for ways to make others feel special and you will be a big success in life!!!
