The Spring Women Who Cowork retreat in Denver was everything we hoped for, and more.
The WWCO community continues to grow in size, reach and impact, and the retreat was the perfect warmup to GCUC, where our cofounders represented the organization on the global coworking stage.
There were lots of takeaways from the retreat. Here are four of our favorites.
1.It’s vital to be authentic as we create our communities
It can be easy to fall into the comparison trap, in which we feel that our coworking community must look and feel the way others do on social media.
Or we’ve been told what the ideal coworking community “should be.”
We, as a community, are moving away from what “should be” and embracing what “could be” by letting our essential selves lead the way.
2. It takes a village to raise a leader
It was evident, through our time together and from the group shares, that we need more time together to tap into the collective wisdom and encouragement of the greater WWCO community.
Being a leader of a coworking space requires that we carve out community for ourselves, as well as time for connection and self-care.
3. We can all benefit from more stillness, reflection and downtime
We were all like sponges, soaking up the sweetness of slowing down and being more intentional with ourselves.
Somatic meditation, yoga, journaling, massage and roaming the grounds of the beautiful WWCO mansion put us all in a better place, feeling less stressed and more spacious.
4. We are building a sisterhood that lifts one another up
It was wonderful to see all of the collaboration during the retreat.
The Women Who Cowork mansion was not a competitive environment, with people holding their cards close about their own space or business. It was a supportive and caring space created by a community of peers.
We put it all out there on the table to share, support, laugh and cry.
It was beautiful to see the vulnerability expressed and the ways everyone stepped up to hold a safe and supportive space for one another.
We’re already thinking about our next Women Who Cowork gathering! We’re also in the process creating several valuable tools to support women coworking space operators and further the WWCO mission. Stay tuned.