Why Coworking Works

Working from home has always seemed to be the dream, right? No loud co-workers to distract you, no boss hovering over your shoulder, freedom, the list could go on and on. However, being your own boss or working from home can provide its own batch of problems. Today, we’re going to dive into how joining a coworking space can benefit the solopreneur!

One of the biggest struggles of working from home or a coffee shop is finding the motivation to get started. Not to mention, sitting at home all day crunching out emails can get rather lonely. Being surrounded by others who are passionate about getting work done is one of the quickest ways to light the spark in yourself. Whether they’re knocking out e-mails on the couch or planning out next month’s goals upstairs at their desk, you can always count on someone working on something around The Mill. Being surrounded by passionate people not only motivates you but ultimately expands your network as well. Chatting with other members can open up opportunities for new business, feedback, and more.

Another perk of coworking is the low-cost and flexibility that comes with a membership. At The Mill, all members receive free coffee, snacks, WiFi, printing, parking, and more! This is the easiest way to get yourself into an established environment without having to foot the bill for a private office (or coffee and snacks all day). We offer several levels of memberships to fit each person's needs. With the Flex Membership you can enjoy cafe style seating downstairs amongst our other amenities. This membership is great for a free-lance writer, blogger, photographer, or anyone that needs somewhere to knock out a couple hours of work each day and hold client meetings. If you’re looking for something a little more personal, we offer Dedicated Desk memberships as well. This is a great membership for Solo Entrepreneurs looking to grow, IT Professionals, Social Media Managers, or Remote Workers. These members get to enjoy large, premium desks that they can set up however they see fit and leave it that way! With 24/7 access, members can pop in whenever they have the itch to work and feel confident that their belongings are safe while they’re away.

The best part of coworking, however, is the community. When you join a coworking space, you immediately join a community of like minded people who are ready to support and cheer you on! The Mill hosts several member events throughout the month to help bring everyone together and get to know each other a little more on a personal level! It’s easy to get caught up in the competition sometimes, however, with coworking everyone is able to come together and all achieve the same goal: SUCCESS.

So what are you waiting for? Come join us for a Free Trial and see what you’ve been missing! Visit themillcoworking.com for more information.

The Importance of Work/Life Balance and How to Achieve It

In a world where everything we need is at our fingertips, people find themselves struggling more and more with finding the perfect work/life balance. Studies have shown that more than 50% of workers are putting in 50+ hours of work a week. You can’t help but ask yourself, when is there time to do anything for me? Outside of our careers, we also have to balance relationships, personal care, and day to day tasks. This balance can be even harder for solo entrepreneurs or remote workers whose home is their office. After a while, the line between work and home seems to somewhat disappear. Everyone deserves time to take care of themselves. Well rested, happy employees will always perform better than overworked and stressed out. So what do you do about it?

On the Job:

• Start each day by setting clear goals. Prioritize your tasks from most important to least important and start from there. Breaking down each task into smaller tasks will help you stay on track to reach your goal. You may also find it helpful to set a time limit for each task. Your goal should be to work smarter, not harder. Use the most of the time you’ve set aside for work by focusing strictly on what’s most important at the time.

• Take a break. One good practice is to allow yourself a short 5 minute break after completing each task on your list for the day. Small breaks allow you the opportunity to clear your mind and better deal with stress when you’re back on the job. Take a walk outside, grab a snack, pretty much anything to take your mind off of work for a moment. Your brain will thank you at the end of the day.

• Stop obsessing over perfection. It’s hard to not feel the pressure to be perfect at what you do, especially in the age of social media. You have to remember that we’re all humans and everyone will have an off day. Instead of dwelling on what you could have/should have done differently, focus on the positives from the situation and learn for the next time.

At home:

• Get support. Everyone needs a support system. Find your person and set aside time for them as often as you can. Chatting through your problems or just venting is the quickest way to relieve stress. Find your tribe and keep them close. They’ll be your biggest fans in the end.

• Don’t over commit. Over-stretching yourself outside of work ultimately ends with lack of rest. We all know that we’re far less productive when tired. You have to remember to limit your commitments and set aside for time for just yourself (even if it means missing a couple Happy Hours after work).

• UNPLUG. We’ve already talked about the struggle of work constantly being at your fingertips. Now you have to overcome that by learning how to unplug. This doesn’t necessarily mean turn off all electronics and go off the grid, however, it does mean setting boundaries and no longer responding to work related alerts after a certain time. This allows you a few hours each day to not have to worry about anything work related and recharge your brain.

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed or like you’re drowning in work 24/7, try some of these out. The New Year is right around the corner, which means it’s the perfect time for the beginning of the New You. Remember, you are your most important asset. Take care of yourself.

Feature Friday: Pop the Top Craft Beer Shop

It’s that time again, friends. This week we’re featuring one of our favorite after work pit stops, Pop the Top!

Located across from the East/West Blvd Light Rail stop, Pop the Top is a craft beer shop that offers handpicked options from The Carolinas, cider, wine, and local kombucha. On top of their delicious selection of drinks you can also expect to find locally made goods in the shop as well! Pop the Top loves to host unique and fun events. From special beer releases, bottle shares, or animal rescues, you can count on always finding something cool going on inside.

A little background story for you on the owners, Ketan and Kathy--both have been in North Carolina for over 30 years and actually met while attending NC State! We had the pleasure of chatting with Ketan and asked what his favorite part of being a part of the South End community was. His response, “the support for small businesses has been tremendous and it really shows during different events that the South End community puts on. Plus we love dogs and there are SO many cute pups in the area.” Can’t argue with that one, we love all the puppies as well! Speaking of pups, you may notice that Pop the Top’s logo is a Black Lab, this is a tribute to their late Labrador, Louie (excuse us while we melt).

Be sure to give these guys a follow (@popthetopclt) and check out their next event or just swing by to say hello. You never know, you might just see us there! Their patio is pet-friendly as well, so feel free to bring along your furry friend when you stop in!

Photo provided by Pop the Top Craft Beer Shop

Member Spotlight: Ryan Lugabihl

Everyone say "hi" to Ryan! Ryan joined us here at The Mill a few months ago. Check out what he's got going on!⁣

Ryan Lugabihl graduated from Miami University with a degree in Psychology and focus in Adolescent Development in 2010. Since then, he has been using his undergraduate education and leadership experience to work with students and professionals primarily in the higher education industry all across the country. In 2015 he started his own company, The Catalyst Agency, managing a roster of the top speakers in the Higher Education industry operating their business and executing contracts.⁣ ⁣

Ryan lives in SouthEnd with his dog Barc Jacobs and loves to travel, cook, and brunch! When not traveling for work, he finds time to make a positive impact on the Charlotte community volunteering for Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Humane Society, Leadership Charlotte, and the United Way of the Carolinas.⁣

Feature Friday: Max & Lola Bodega

Happy Feature Friday, friends! This week we had the pleasure of chatting with Holly Rodriguez, owner of Max & Lola Bodega! 🤗

Photo provided by Max & Lola Bodega

Max & Lola Bodega is a bottle shop here in South End that carries a selection of wine, beer, cider, and they just recently added CBD products to the list. Holly has lived in South End since 2011 and loved the area so much that they bought a house in Wilmore in 2014. Ever since then, they knew they wanted to have a business close to home. “South End is diverse and has a great young energy that’s awesome for new small businesses like Max & Lola Bodega” Rodriguez said.

Photo provided by Max & Lola Bodega

We asked Holly what their favorite thing about being a part of the South End community was. She responded with “One of the best things about living and working in South End is that there's always something to do! All the breweries, restaurants, bars, shopping and festivals make South End an awesome part of Charlotte.” We have to agree with you there, Holly! 🙌

Photo provided by Max & Lola Bodega

Their incredible patio and laid back environment makes this the perfect spot to come unwind after work or catch up with friends over the weekend. Did we mention the dog friendly backyard? 🐶 Speaking of dogs, Max and Lola actually got it's name from 2 sweet pups! You can also expect daily drink specials and rotating food trucks! Join them for Wine Tasting on Tuesday or some yoga (yoga is offered on Saturday as well) or stop in for some trivia fun on Thursdays.

Photo provided by Max & Lola Bodega

Next time you’re looking for a place to unwind with your friends in South End, we highly recommend going by to say hi to our friends at Max & Lola! Don’t have a ton of time? That’s ok, you can get your 6 pack to go. 😉

Feature Friday: Big Ben Pub

It’s Friday and this week we’re excited to be featuring Big Ben Pub in Atherton Mill! We had the pleasure of chatting with Marcus, one of the managers at Big Ben, about how the pub landed it’s home in Atherton Mills, the changes in South End, and so much more!

Photo from Big Ben British Restaurant and Pub Facebook

Named after the famous clock tower in London, Big Ben is Charlotte’s only authentic British pub and restaurant. Big Ben Pub has been open in Charlotte for 12 years but only in South End for 8. An unfortunate fire took out Big Ben’s original home in Plaza and, as Marcus said, “from the ashes to South End” they went. Their menu is loaded down with all the traditional meals you’d expect to find at a pub in London. You can find things like Bangers N’ Mash, Cottage Pie, South End Haddock and Chips, and Westminster Steak N’ Kidney Pie. We asked Marcus what his favorite thing on the menu was and his response was quick, “easy”, he said, “fish and chips all the way!”

Not only is their menu banging but their specials are incredible too! They offer a special pretty much every day of the week--Happy Hour Apps on Monday, kids eat free Tuesday, Wine Wednesday, Specials on Traditional English meals on Thursday, and live music on Friday! Not to mention the daily drink specials they offer as well (hello ½ price bottles of wine and bottled beers on Wednesday!).

As we continued to talk to Marcus about the neighborhood, we asked our favorite question to ask--what do you personally love about South End? Marcus smiled and responded, “I love the laid back feel the neighborhood has, it’s funny though, I’ve been in South End for a long time. I can remember when there were only 3 restaurants open and pictures of people walking the streets showing what South End could be one day everywhere. It’s really fun to see all that coming to life now.”

If you’re looking for a cozy spot to enjoy a delicious meal and great drink specials, Big Ben Pub is a definite win in our books!

Feature Friday: South End Market at Atherton

Happy Friday, everybody! It's our favorite time of the week--Feature Friday!

This week we had the pleasure of chatting with our neighbor, Lynn Caldwell, with the Atherton Market (recently rebranded as the South End Market at Atherton). Atherton Market opened up shop in the former trolley barn in 2010 as a farmers market, small business incubator and event space. As they grew they added Not Just Coffee, Queen City Pantry, and Chef Alyssa's Kitchen which all operated six days a week. Flash forward to today and they've all grown to their own new spaces! 

If you've been on South Blvd lately, it's kind of hard to miss the mass amounts of construction happening around Atherton. Once construction started, they made the decision to scale back and are back to their farmers market roots operating on Saturday mornings from 9a-2pm for the time being. Their new home is in Atherton Mill behind Living Kitchen!

We asked Lynn the best part of being located in South End and she gave an answer I think we all agree with- the sense of community throughout our neighborhood. She continued saying, "the relationships that have developed between our customers and our vendors have grown into something you’ll never find online or in a traditional shopping environment. The farmers, food artisans, and crafters who make up our vendor population are truly our inspiration. The passion behind their businesses is obvious because of the pride they show in what they have to offer."

Their offerings change with the seasons, and fall is one of their favorites! Lynn says with the cooler weather, "expect to see more greens, winter squashes, and things that should remind you of the holidays." Stay up to date on a weekly basis by signing up for their newsletter here :https://buff.ly/2R7eL2Ror or go give them a follow on Facebook and keep your eye out for a link to the newsletter every Thursday!

📸 : South End Market

Member Spotlight: The Penrose

Everyone say hello to our friends from The Penrose! 👋 Alex and her team have made our semi private loft at The Mill Coworking home while the construction of The Penrose is completed! 

The Penrose is a brand new apartment community off West Tremont Avenue expected to open December 2018. Featuring one and two bedroom luxury apartment homes and a wide variety of amenities.Their unique amenities will include a salt water pool, 24 hour fitness studio, club/game room, multiple courtyards with grilling stations, makerspace, rooftop lounge, bike maintenance and storage, and an onsite event planner. Did we mention that they’re doing FIRST MONTH FREE?!

If you’re in the market for a new place to call home in Charlotte, we highly recommend giving these guys a shout!