Well, friends, here we are. It’s the end of November and I have ZERO idea how we’ve gotten here. I’d venture to guess I’m not the only one who feels like we’re living in a time warp as of late, and frankly I don’t know quite how to snap out of it.
You might remember back in January 2021 when I made a prediction:
If 2020 was the year of the ‘pull back’, 2021 is the year that an overwhelming abundance of pent up energy, ideas and determination all come flinging forward. Most won’t be ready for the surge. Some will. We’re riding on a slingshot. Or better yet, a catapult.
And wow, what a catapult this year has been.
Social connections matter
As we do our best to pause (!) and reflect this week, I’m struck by a podcast I listened to a few weeks back that hits on the heart of the very thing that makes this place we call Vibe so phenomenally impactful: the power of tiny interactions.
Introvert, extrovert or ambivert, social connections matter, even if it’s little more than a passing hello shared with someone outside of our family over the office coffee pot. In fact, social connections are the root of all that I am thankful for at Vibe this year.
After all, it’s the tiny interactions that have helped us reignite relationships, reminding us how good it feels to be in the presence of others again, and powering some of our best new ideas.
For many of us, it’s the tiny interactions we share here at Vibe that bring joy to our lives, and interesting new topics of conversation to our dinner tables.
Sometimes, tiny interactions turn into big ones
As we step out of office for a breather this weekend, here are five things I am most grateful for right now at Vibe—all thanks to tiny interactions that have turned into big ones:
- A front row view into the collaboration and networking that is driving some of the most promising companies in our region.
We started this place with one goal: to create a space where people could do the work that they love from the place that they love—a space that serves as a launchpad to connect, get inspired, and find the support we all need to do truly game changing things.
Today, Vibe Coworks is home to companies like GovGig that were founded by people who met at our tables; pipe dreams turned into real life businesses like Ographika because there were enough people here saying ‘you should really do the thing’; and a multitude of client referrals and new collaborations that are benefiting everyone involved.
It’s an incredible privilege to be in a position to help smart people find one another—to watch partnerships form, new businesses launch, and see extraordinary ideas put to the test in a give-first environment that exudes trust, possibilities, and a mindset of abundance.
To those of you here at Vibe doing such inspirational things, thank you for allowing me to have a front row seat to your success as those tiny interactions evolve into big ones.
- The return of events and programming at Vibe Coworks that are better and more intentional than ever.
Yes, we’re an office. But anyone who knows us also knows that Vibe is much more than a world-class workspace. The heart of who we are lies in the company we keep, and the ways in which we learn, share, and interact with one another.
Events like Waffle Wednesdays and First Friday Happy Hour have never faltered on our calendar, yet I’m uber thankful this year to be bringing back the professional-related programming we so dearly missed through COVID.
I’m thankful to the team at the Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA), with whom we’ve forged a multi-year partnership that supports dedicated monthly events and workshops like Startup Community Day for startup business founders, and people seeking a supportive community as they step up their entrepreneurial dreams and aspirations.
The quality and caliber of these events are second to none, and I’m grateful to community partners such as Kitsap Bank for helping us extend the rich community-building experience they provide by sponsoring our first-ever West Sound Startup Mixer this past month.
On the wellness front, partnerships with community partners including Live Well Kitsap are making it possible to host a meaningful line up of monthly Lunch + Learn speakers on a variety of personal health and wellness topics, as well as offer (much loved!) on-site chair massages at Vibe twice a month.
For this, too, I am thankful.
- The launch of our brand new website.
I’m going to shout this one from the rooftops: I’m so thankful for our new website. Too geeky?
Let me put it this way: I’m not a website developer. Our old site? Built by yours truly from the floor of my living room in 2016, long before there was ever a building standing where we are today. It was like the house that’s been remodeled twenty times over. It worked… but getting from room to room was hugely inefficient and far less logical than it should have been.
Enter our shiny new, and vastly improved website, which makes it easier than ever to take a tour (online or in-person), rent a conference room in Bremerton or Poulsbo (no membership required!), purchase a Day Pass, schedule your 24/7 key activation, or even set up a business mailing address.
Go ahead: take a wander through it. Believe me, you’ll be feeling thankful, too.
- The support of the entire Greater Kitsap community, naming Vibe Coworks 2022 Business of the Year.
I still can’t believe this one. I never really meant to start a business. My husband and I were really just trying to figure out how to work remotely from Kitsap in an environment that would keep us thinking creatively and excited to go to work each day. And yet, here we are.
THANK YOU, Greater Kitsap Chamber, for naming Vibe Coworks 2022 Business of the Year.
More importantly, thank you to each and every one of you who has supported us over the last five years by coming in for a Day Pass, renting meeting room and event space, signing up for a membership, attending events at our place, and simply helping to spread the word about who we are and what we do.
Dozens of coworking spaces in our region have closed over the last two years. In an incredible tribute to our community, we made it through because our members stood by our side and continued to support us, and we are stronger now because of it.
Without all of you—without the tiny interactions we share in this space—there is no Vibe. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
- Our team.
Last but absolutely not least, I am beyond grateful for our team past and present who has been part of our growth: Amber Sallay, Allison Wachtel, Briana Ryan, Bradly Franco, Clare Krawitz, Dani Wasia, Jennie Hoffman, Leah Persinger… and all of our ‘retired’ membership trade Space Captains, too.
If you’ve been through our doors, you know what a difference this exceptionally hardworking crew makes to the whole of the Vibe experience—from that very first smile at the door, to endless pots of fresh-brewed coffee, and seemingly effortless introductions that elevate the work of hundreds of professionals in our community… the Vibe Team is the very definition of unstoppable, and is ultimate driver of tiny interactions within our doors.
It is such a privilege to work with such a dedicated, supportive and enthusiastic team, without whom there would be no Vibe. Thank you.
Thank you for being a part of our circle
Whether you’re a Vibist, a guest, or a Vibe Champion, thank you for continuing to walk alongside us on our journey through all the ups and down these last years. You make us better with each passing month, and your commitment to flexible work options and support for entrepreneurship in the Greater Kitsap region is what drives us to greatness.
I cherish the interactions I have with each and every one of you, and wish you a restorative holiday season filled with laughter, love and health.
With gratitude,
Alanna