When it comes to leading a healthy and fulfilling life, it's not just about hitting the gym and eating your veggies. Studies have shown that community and connection play a vital role in our overall well-being, both mentally and physically.
Joining a coworking community can do wonders for your mental well-being by providing a space that fosters and strengthens social connections. It's not just about the physical amenities like a desk, coffee, and Wi-Fi, but rather the built-in network of individuals who can become your friends, support system, or even your future partner (we've seen it happen!).
Happy first day of the Iowa State Fair everyone! I hope you eat your body weight in fried foods over the next 10 days! It's Thursday once again, which means it is time for another #Gravi-Member Spotlight! Jessica Ireland is a floating member at our Valley Junction location in West Des Moines, which means she has access to our space 24/7 and is welcome to come grab any open seat at our tables. Jessica is one of our newer members, coming to Gravitate in April, and we are so excited to feature her this week
I’m sure many of you have heard about the Art Terrarium in downtown Des Moines. But how many of you know about the strong connections between the Art Terrarium and many of the members at Gravitate? It’s a great example of how coworking spaces can foster community.
Happy August everybody! For this week's #Gravi-Member Spotlight we are featuring a very special Gravitater. Jeff Shinrock has literally been with Gravitate Coworking since day one and we are so excited for his next adventure at the end of August (which I will tell you about later)! Keep reading for a little bit of background and some fun-facts about our favorite dude!
For this week's #Gravi-Member Spotlight we will be diving into the captivating life of Kyle Lewis, Gravitate's Valley Junction Community Manager. As Community Manager, Kyle's duties include, but are definitely not limited to: 1. ensuring the coffee is always stocked 2. the community fridge is clean 3. there is a full keg on reserve and 4. that our members NEVER want to go home!
While Gravitate is Kyle's main gig, he also keeps himself busy by owning the premiere cloth diaper service in the state of Iowa with his wife, Lindsey. To stop your brain from heading to...poop, this does not mean that he washes loads of dirty diapers - they leave that to the experts! Babydale Diaper Service acts to remove the barriers of entry to expectant parents that are interested in using cloth diapers, but don't want to go through the hassle of researching the various shapes, styles, sizes, etc. Checkout their website - www.BabydaleDiaperService.com to learn more!
Thought Kyle was done there? Wrong! He can also be found occasionally slinging beer at Valley Junction's Fox Brewing Company, hosting the Facebook Live show sweeping the nation, "Food Fight Friday's," serving on the organizing team for Des Moines' chapter of 1 Million Cups, and taking care of his 3 year old son Vandyn. You could say he is a busy guy...
Kyle describes his initial experience with Gravitate as "his gateway drug to a new way of working." At the time he had been working in a corporate banking position, but the seldom hours he came into our coworking space during open coworking events quite literally ruined the corporate world for him - in the best way possible! He remembers being surrounded by super friendly people who were ALWAYS excited to come into work, which at the time was a completely foreign concept. The creative buzz that came from the space was intoxicating and he craved more! Kyle knew he needed to be a part of the growing community that was Gravitate, even having enough guts to hold a private meeting with our founder Geoff Wood to gush about his love for the space and desire to be involved in the bigger picture. Fast forward 3 years and Kyle is Community Manager! What a story!
"Working for Gravitate has never felt like a job. I constantly tell people how lucky I am to have this gig. The work is rewarding and fun, my team is amazing and our members are truly some of the greatest people you could ever meet. I fell in love with coworking because of the Gravitate community and now it is my pleasure to make sure others have that same experience."
Oof, we got soft there for a minute. Wipe those tears and let's get back to the fun stuff!
This year Kyle began brewing his own beer claiming it's tons of fun, but is also extremely precise. It has definitely had its issues, but according to Kyle everything has been palatable which we can all agree is a win!
Kyle's favorite spot in Des Moines is the Des Moines trail system. He and his wife are avid cyclists and have fallen in love with the beautiful wildlife, lush greenery, and dense forests that make you forget you're in the city! Kyle's advice is this: "The trail system is a treasure! Get out there and enjoy it!"
If Kyle's life doesn't make you want to get out there and start up your own company, get out of that corporate job you hate so much, brew your own beer, or hit the trail system than I'm not sure what will! Thanks for reading and as always, see you next week! #Graviout
Gaby has been using the Gravitate downtown space for 2 years where she works as a graphic designer for Insurance Social Media, "an agency focused on helping insurance professionals harvest the power of effective social media." To add to her awesomeness Gaby is also a freelance designer, jumping at any opportunity that arises! In fact, Gaby just did some work for us where she created a new pop-up banner for Gravitate to use at events - check it out below!
Gravitate is going all in to help families this holiday, and we need your help. Our member Derek Brooks and his wife Kari, have connected us with three local families to learn what could make their holidays extra special. We've setup a Christmas tree at each Gravitate location where you can drop off (or order) presents to be given to the families detailed below
Over the past few months we've been in talks with several community leaders in West Des Moines about expanding the Gravitate community and programming to their fine city and I'm excited to share that we're now officially up and running with a second location: Gravitate Valley Junction at 318 5th Street (yeah!).
We're excited to welcome Paul Singh and Dana Duncan back to Iowa for the second year as part of their 40+ city North American Tech Tour. Last year, we based the majority of the visit in downtown Des Moines with day trips to both Cedar Rapids and Ames. This year, we're changing things up. They'll start the trip with two days in Iowa City and before anchoring their Central Iowa visit at our our new Gravitate Valley Junction location in West Des Moines.
