(10:43) Pre-pandemic then, what was the biggest challenge for Work Nicer?

Well every time we grow, it's something we've never done before. We're constantly learning and growing. From a practical perspective it's the same challenges every business faces, from cash flow to training and hiring new staff. But at the end of the day, we can figure all of that out if we know the community is taken care of - that is the hardest thing to do. Sometimes we have to make some hard decisions to stick to our vision and values. For example, sometimes we have to say no to members that might come in and spend $30,000 per year. We might need that $30,000, but they might not be the right fit. Those are hard calls to make, but when we stay dedicated to our principles and values, the right decision becomes clearer and is easier to make. 

(12:49) As the founder, do you often find yourself being the "values police", or is this something your team has embodied as you grow?

That's always the hope (that people embody our values). My job as a leader is to set that path, and guide people to understand and embody our values. Ultimately, it is me, but I can't do it alone. Having the right team that's bought in and open to feedback and pointing out not only where we succeed but also where we struggle is very important to our success.

(14:00) Has the pandemic been difficult to navigate?

It has. In a lot of ways what we do has been made "illegal" for the last year and a half. But I'm very thankful - so many people out there have said community is important to them. The pandemic certainly put us to the test, but the fact that we're still standing is evidence that what we're saying is true. We don't do it perfectly every time, but fundamentally this is a human organization, not just an office space. Why would we have any customers at all if we were just a place to work? People say they stay because they want us to be here after the pandemic. We did a lot for our members who needed help, but ultimately it was members helping other members. We were just in inbetween for them. Some members kept paying, and others needed more support, so we were moving things around between them and trying to pay our bills the rest of the time.

I think we're coming out of the pandemic STRONGER than when we went in. We have more problems than ever before (growing pains and all that), but we've never been stronger. Early on, this was a conscious choice we made. It would have been easy to sit back, wait things out and see what happens, but the right decision is often not the easy one. We found opportunities and solutions on a case-by-case basis for our members. With our hundreds of members, that can be exhausting for our team (at the time) of five to six people. We've since grown to 20+ staff coming out of the pandemic. I definitely wasn't this gray going in but it wouldn't trade it for anything.

(18:44) What's your plan for growth into the future? Are you planning to capitalize on low real estate prices and expand, or be more cautious?

We're not slowing down - our foot is on the gas. We have lots of opportunities, but the hard part is choosing what to say yes to because that means you have to say no to something else. There is a lot of cheap space out there, but not all of it is great. It's not always the buildings themselves either. Who your landlords are really matters - we've had some tough conversations and I'm glad we've been able to work it out with most of them, but it really makes you think about the people you partner with. We really do want to grow, but we're looking at each opportunity carefully. It's not like we have a plan that says we need to add a certain number of square feet at a certain time - if we're able to grow and maintain the experience, or make it better, then we're going to take the opportunity. 

(21:47) If you had to start over again knowing what you know now, what would you do differently?

That's not an easy question to answer. I love the journey, and so every problem that's come up has influenced the way we do things and the time we do them. What we have right now is the result of what we've done along the way. That being said, I did learn a lot from the company I was with before Work Nicer. We've put in better processes and procedures from day one because I've seen the problems that can arise from that. I would also say to start bringing on a team as quickly as possible, even if you have to do it through interns and student workers. That forces you as a founder to do the work that needs to be done, because they force you to deliver and avoid putting things off.