Office Nomads: Seattle Success Story #2
We spend a lot of time helping people get comfortable marketing their essence, rather than their everything. (Check out our 1,2,3 Marketing Tree and you’ll see what we mean!) As this can be tricky and very hard to do, we wanted to showcase a local business or organization that really had this concept down. Office Nomads, this week’s success story, definitely does.
Office Nomads rents space to independents, freelancers, and professional refugees in a shared Capitol Hill office building. They are singularly fantastic in their unwavering focus on their essence, which can be summed up in one of their mantras: “Community cannot be built by the hour.” To learn more about this super-focused, community-building business, we went and talked to the co-founders, Susan Evans and Jacob Sayles.
Office Nomads targets community-building, independent workers like a laserbeam. Susan and Jacob started the project when co-working was still in its infancy, particularly in Seattle. Their clear understanding of the essence of their business explains why they’ve attracted their ideal customers and built a thriving nomad community.
In the following audio files, you can listen as Jacob and Susan share their insights on staying laser-focused, especially when it means going counter to how business has historically been done.
What is co-working anyway? Jacob defines co-working and Office Nomad’s role in the field. Susan explains the pillars of co-working.
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Painting a clear picture of the ideal Office Nomads customer is an essential first step to success.
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Switching automatically from features to benefits, i.e. it ain’t about the coffee!
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Susan and Jacob understand the essence of Office Nomads and aren’t afraid to say ‘no’! The clarifying process includes a lot of second guessing.
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The essence of your business creates genuine marketing. Be sure of your brand, live it, and market through outlets you’re passionate about.
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Office Nomads gets out the word through the web, word-of-mouth and by local, in-person networks. And it all feels natural to them!
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We wrap up the interview with a nod to local businesses and small businesses that intend to stay small and low-stress, yet successful. As Jacob says, “I don’t really need to own a boat to be happy.”
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Jacob and Susan worked for two years to nail down Office Nomad’s essence: building community through co-working. It’s not about the desks, phones and coffee; it’s about who sits next to you, or across from you, and the fact that you’re all in it together!
Very cool! Great words of advice from two of our favorite people. Thanks Jacob and Susan for saying such nice things about Common Craft and to Erica for the interview. Small and special is where it’s at!