The Birth


"WHAT IS IT?! What is it?!"

It took every ounce of energy I had to contain my anxiousness to the form of toe-tapping and glancing out the smudged glass. The sentiment was shared. For what seemed like hours, my entire family sat hypothesizing the gender of my sister's newborn baby. The wait was almost unbearable.

Finally – finally – after practically pressing my nose against the window pane, the delivery room doors parted and I observed my brother-in-law strut to share the highly-anticipated news, a smirk spread across his face from being the bearer of secrets. As he threw up his arms in triumph, he could barely get the words out before we were all out of our seat. "It's a GIRL!"

A chorus of cheers and shouts of congratulations pinged off the whitewashed walls in the hospital waiting room. Hugs, high-fives, and pats on the back... and a collective sigh of relief. The wait was over.

I wish I could say the same about our coworking business. This precious little girl wasn't even a twinkle in her father's eye when my dad and I dreamt about opening The Root. This business proposition formed over two years ago, and just now we're starting to see it come to fruition. We've acquired the art of patience, which has paid off on multiple occasions. Instead of twiddling our thumbs, getting upset with obstacles, and focusing negative attention on things outside of our control, we are using this calm before the storm to carry out the things within our control.

For entrepreneurs and startups, patience is fundamental.

  • It allows us to focus on the present
  • It gives us the opportunity to practice self-control
  • It prevents us from making rash and detrimental decision

Finding the right location was merely the beginning. Waiting through the renovation has actually given us more time to prepare for opening day. Here are some things we've been able to achieve:

  1. Network
  2. Form partnerships within the community
  3. Recruit potential members
  4. Develop a marketing plan
  5. Design a website and the coinciding platforms
  6. Determine our processes, like "Day One" protocol for how we accommodate members, write out our rules, and discuss different membership scenarios
  7. Order our signs
  8. Peruse for furnishings
  9. Tour other cowork spaces and connect with their managers
  10. Line up the necessities, like who we're buying coffee from and how we can get the best wifi options 

So even though we're stuck in the waiting room, toe-tapping and glancing through the smudged glass window, we're okay. We know what we have to look forward to. And that's enough for now.