Co-work spaces offer more than the standard office space

Brand + Business x Christine Moody*

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Co-work spaces are a new trend emerging both in Australia and overseas.

I have been following this trend for a few years and subscribing to a few sites, but there is nothing like going to experience these co-work spaces. So last year, I spent more than a month running my business from a co-work space in New York.

It was fantastic to experience this new phenomenon first-hand. My verdict: co-work spaces give you a lot more than your standard office space.

…co-work spaces give you a lot more than your standard office space.

Before leaving for New York, I did the rounds of what was on offer in Brisbane. However, I wasn’t inspired. As a Designer, I am used to working in open plan, created spaces. Moving to another creative, open plan space didn’t offer me anything new. They all felt either too creative and not professional enough, or too professional and not creative enough. None of them had the energy or vibrancy I was hoping to find.

However, my New York experience sold co-work space to me completely.

Co-work spaces are meant to be bout working with a diverse group of people. They are also about getting to see how / why other people work. They create an environment where you can have discussions with people outside of your circle of colleagues: an unscheduled discussion or corridor meeting that can spark a new idea or add to an existing project. These unplanned discussions can even help establish collaboration on a future project.

Co-work spaces are about building a community and fostering a feeling of being part of something exciting. And most of all it is about being away from your ‘normal life’.

Co-work spaces are about building a community and fostering a feeling of being part of something exciting.

I tried to put my finger on why New York co-work spaces are so different. It is an exciting city (of course!). The co-work spaces had the energy and vibrancy of a creative community. The founders worked hard to create a space that inspired creativity and ensured that they get the right people on board.

The design of physical environment of a co-work space is so important. As I’ve already said, it needs to have the right balance between creative and professional. However, it also needs to be flexible enough to work for social events as well.

Here are four things my New York co-work trial revealed:

  1. It’s not about selling ‘desk space’ or a place to go everyday. It is about building a community.
  2. It’s crucial to have a mix of spaces on offer from noisy (where you can be on the phone anytime) spaces to private office space to take / make important phone calls and have meetings.
  3. After-hours socials in the space build community and are even better when there are speakers. I went to as many of these as I could and learnt so much from a range of start-ups and VCs.
  4. Getting the right space and the right building in the right suburb is crucial as the journey to your desk is just as important. That is, it has to be in a location that is surrounded by inspiring cafes, shops, and galleries—easy in New York!

While it might look like a room full of people seated at desks, the co-work space is a community and it is the feeling of being part of this community that makes it work. And it is this community that makes all the difference.

*Christine Moody is one of Australia’s leading brand strategists and the founder brand management consultancy, Brand Audits. With more than 30 years’ professional experience, Christine has helped a diverse client base of local and international brands, including Gold Coast City Council, Hilton Hotels, and Wrigleys USA, to develop, protect and achieve brand differentiation. Her particular interest is personal brand audits to assist executives realise their full potential.

For more information: chris.moody@brandaudits.com.au or +61 419 888 468.

Building trust in your brand takes time

Brand + Business x Christine Moody*

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After more than 35 years in business, I understand the value of building brand trust. Trust builds strong brands and makes strong brands even stronger.

Building brand trust takes time and effort. It also means you need to understand your brand promise and consistently deliver on that promise.

The secret to building brand trust beyond social media hype

In today’s market, it’s very easy to create hype around your brand with the increase in ‘likes’ that social media can produce. However, trust takes a lot more (and longer) to establish than hype.

In a Harvard Business Review article, ‘The one thing you must get right when building a brand’, the author talks about the rise of ‘hype’ due to social media and they point out that: “Social media makes it more urgent than ever that companies get the basics right, developing and reliably delivering on a compelling brand promise.”

Social media makes it more urgent than ever that companies get the basics right…

The article continues to outline the analysis of the strategies and performance of a diverse range of companies suggests that great brands share four fundamental qualities:

  • They offer and communicate a clear, relevant customer promise.
  • They build trust by delivering on that promise.
  • They drive the market by continually improvingthe promise.
  • They seek further advantage by innovating beyond the familiar.

These qualities reflect a company that knows and understands its brand fundamentals.

Build trust through your brand fundamentals

Your business may be an instant success on social media, have rolled out the red carpet and operate from an architecturally designed office space, but this won’t build client trust. Instead, you need to go back to basics and get your brand fundamentals right:

  1. Understand the history of the brand and the values that lie behind the brand.
  1. Understand the purpose of the brand and make sure that everyone in the organisation also understands the purpose.
  1. Develop your brand promise—this what you are going to deliver on and the basis for building your brand trust.
  1. Ensure every customer touch-point reflects and reinforces your brand as well as provides an experience that builds trust. That is, from the way a visitor is greeted to how easy the website is to navigate.

Two lessons I’ve learnt

Building trust takes time and once won, you need to work on maintaining trust. Every day, I still work on building trust with my clients as well as my family and friends.

The second important thing I have learnt about building trust is that: it isn’t what I know, but what I say and do. That is, trust is doing what you say you are going to do: always deliver on your brand promise.

How does your brand build trust with your customers?

 

*Christine Moody is one of Australia’s leading brand strategists and the founder brand management consultancy, Brand Audits. With more than 30 years’ professional experience, Christine has helped a diverse client base of local and international brands, including Gold Coast City Council, Hilton Hotels, and Wrigleys USA, to develop, protect and achieve brand differentiation. Her particular interest is personal brand audits to assist executives realise their full potential.

For more information: chris.moody@brandaudits.com.au or +61 419 888 468.

Don’t forget to celebrate along the way

Brand + Business  x Christine Moody*

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Last week, I was invited to present to the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Business School’s Fostering Executive Women group as part of the ‘Executive Conversations’ series.

This series is designed to assist early- to mid-career female executives in their progression through the ranks. The format provides young women executives with the opportunity to have ‘real life’ conversations with speakers from a range of different industry sectors, who can share authentic leadership lessons.

For many years, I was a mentor and then the President of this group. I have always enjoyed listening to the leaders who present: witnessing the speaker’s vulnerability; and hearing first-hand that your career doesn’t always run to plan, but that you can learn from these setbacks and become a better, stronger leader.

…I reflected on the ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’ moments and the valuable insights and lessons I’ve taken away with me.

Well, this week it was my turn to present. I decided to share the career ‘challenges’ I’ve faced over the last few years. In preparation, I reflected on the ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’ moments and the valuable insights and lessons I’ve taken away with me.

While I didn’t want to dwell on the minute details, I did take time to relay how I’ve used the challenges and lessons to leverage up to the next level. I also touched on how to use negative outcomes as motivation to keep going (I shared this in my earlier blog, Turning bad into good).

…I’ve used the challenges and lessons to leverage up to the next level.

Delivering this presentation made me see that I’m getting better at handling challenging situations in my life. I’m also bouncing back faster and higher! The key I realised, is celebrating the wins along the way—no matter how small.

I celebrated when I handed my research thesis in last year. I also celebrated when I handed my book in to the editor this year. While these two events were work-in-progress moments, they were also major milestones that were hard for me to achieve. And these milestones deserved to be celebrated!

…my lesson to you is to celebrate every small achievement

So my lesson to you is to celebrate every small achievement. Each one means that you are further along your journey than you were the day, week, or year before. Celebrate by yourself or celebrate with you family and friends, but whatever you do, don’t forget to do it!

What are you going to celebrate today?

 

*Christine Moody is one of Australia’s leading brand strategists and the founder brand management consultancy, Brand Audits. With more than 30 years’ professional experience, Christine has helped a diverse client base of local and international brands, including Gold Coast City Council, Hilton Hotels, and Wrigleys USA, to develop, protect and achieve brand differentiation. Her particular interest is personal brand audits to assist executives realise their full potential.

For more information: chris.moody@brandaudits.com.au or +61 419 888 468.

 

Leadership lessons from Chef’s Table

Brand + Business x Christine Moody*

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Watching the Netflix produced Chef’s Table, I’m impressed by the lessons this show has for leaders and for their brands.

Chef’s Table is an acclaimed documentary series, which is in its second season. Both Season 1 and Season 2 feature some of the world’s most renowned chefs, with each episode focusing on a single chef who has created a piece of culinary heaven—often in an out-of-the-way and unexpected, but very beautiful place.

In this original docu-series, find out what’s inside the kitchens and minds of the international culinary stars who are redefining gourmet food.

The show takes us inside the kitchens and the minds of these culinary stars who are redefining gourmet food. We learn their unique personality traits, talents, and passions and are also given a glimpse into their personal lives.

Chefs featured include, Australia’s Ben Shewry (Attica Restaurant in Melbourne) and Masterchef Australia‘s Matt Preston, Magnus Nilsson (Fäviken, Järpen Sweden), Francis Mallmann (El Restaurante, Patagonia Sur, Buenos Aires, Argentina), Niki Nakayama (N/Naka Restaurant, Los Angeles, California, USA), Dan Barber (Blue Hill Restaurant, Stone Barns and New York City, USA) and Massimo Bottura (Osteria Francescana, Modena, Italy).

As well as being beautifully shot—with great music and of course mouthwatering food—the series creates drama by detailing the behind-the-scenes struggles of each hero chef. In doing so, the show reveals the chef’s distinctive leadership story.

Each and every one of the chefs featured in Chef’s Table was creating amazing food when they decided to open a restaurant. They all thought they would be successful from day one—or at least have a few customers. However, they all struggled and came close to throwing in the tea towel and closing the restaurant door.

Inspiringly, despite their restaurant ventures floundering, not one of the chefs gives up or looses faith in their food or themselves. Instead, they go back to their culinary roots for inspiration to pivot their offerings. They talk to regional farmers and suppliers, get out into the streets and taste the local cuisine and learn from local cooks as well as chefs in top restaurants. In the process, they find their own voice in the culinary world.

They refuse to compromise on their values or their food beliefs, but they make it out the other end. Through persistence and resilience, they all find success eventually.

It’s not just about the food, it’s not just about the restaurant, it’s about something more…

Chef’s Table isn’t just about the food, it’s not just about the restaurant, it’s about something more…this series has it all. For me, the best part of this show is the lessons that can translate into leadership lessons:

  1. Believe in yourself and do not compromise on quality
  2. Keep going and pivoting to bring great products to market
  3. It takes only one happy customer to make it
  4. The struggle is part of the journey—enjoy the process
  5. Keep making great stuff
  6. Innovation is the key motivator
  7. Get out and see what is happening in your community
  8. Stand out for all the right reasons!

Watch the series and let me know what other leadership lessons you can identify with.

 

*Christine Moody is one of Australia’s leading brand strategists and the founder brand management consultancy, Brand Audits. With more than 30 years’ professional experience, Christine has helped a diverse client base of local and international brands, including Gold Coast City Council, Hilton Hotels, and Wrigleys USA, to develop, protect and achieve brand differentiation. Her particular interest is personal brand audits to assist executives realise their full potential.

The last five per cent

Brand + Business x Christine Moody*

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The hardest part of any project is the last five per cent. With the end so close, your focus wanes and you begin focusing on the next challenge or the next project. You may be exhausted and even bored with the current project.

But be warned, the last five per cent is critical. It can make or break a project. The last five per cent is when the ‘magic happens‘. It’s when you tie up the loose ends; add the finishing details; and make the last 95 per cent count.

In my work with startups and companies with innovative products, I often find that it is in the last five per cent that entrepreneurs give up or lose focus. I can’t help thinking that their business outcomes would have been better if they had given it their all—their 100 per cent focus.

If you invest years of time and money in a project, it deserves nothing less than you fighting for it to the very end with 100 per cent effort!

…the project deserves nothing less than you fighting for it to the very end with 100 per cent effort!

When I was writing up my Masters’ research thesis, I had two months to distill five years of work. It was scary and exhilarating at the same time. There were are few moments of panic and a few times when I thought, “I just can’t do this”.

To get through the last five per cent of my thesis, I gave myself a deadline and religiously stuck to a strict routine that required me to show up at my desk each and every day at 4am.

My days went a little bit like this: write my ‘to do’ list for the day and then write for about an hour and a half before getting ready for bootcamp. Go to bootcamp followed by a post-training coffee. Back at my desk, write until 10 am and then email my work in progress to my supervisors. Start my ‘real’ day, working on client projects solidly until meeting with my supervisors on campus at 4pm.

This cycle continued until one of my supervisors said, “I reckon this is ready to be submitted.” That was it. Masters completed. What an anticlimactic end to an epic journey. Part of me expected something more dramatic. I was hoping for at least the gold ticker tape similar to when they announce the winner on MasterChef Australia!

From my Masters’ experience, I learned that a dedicated focus on the last five per cent makes all the difference between success and failure.

…I learned that a dedicated focus on the last five per cent makes all the difference between success and failure.

This focus is just as important when you are launching a new, innovative product or service. While the outcome doesn’t have to be perfect—like my thesis—it does need your complete focus. And, if you are being honest with yourself, you will only feel completely satisfied with the project if you have given it your all and done your best.

What have you put 95 per cent effort into without paying attention to the last five per cent? Have you given up before the end?

*Christine Moody is one of Australia’s leading brand strategists and the founder brand management consultancy, Brand Audits. With more than 30 years’ professional experience, Christine has helped a diverse client base of local and international brands, including Gold Coast City Council, Hilton Hotels, and Wrigleys USA, to develop, protect and achieve brand differentiation. Her particular interest is personal brand audits to assist executives realise their full potential.

For more information: chris.moody@brandaudits.com.au or +61 419 888 468.
Photo credit: Christine Moody NYC 2015