IAM809- Friends Bring Women Together Through Coworking Space

Best friends Amy and Kate were celebrating their shared birthday in 2017 when the conversation turned to how amazing women are when they joined together for a common goal. A few months an official idea was idea sprouted and the Rowan Tree coworking and cogrowth community was born. Offering both virtual and in-person memberships, they are pioneering a new way to work. Geared for women and welcome to ALL, Rowan Tree offers an inclusive, safe, and open community and coworking space. Within their growth ecosystem of women entrepreneurs and passionate allies, they intentionally foster a community of connection, collaboration, and inspiration. They infuse a mix of wellness, creativity, laughter, self-health, and kindness into their Rowgramming. In the last year, they offered over 200 workshops on professional, business, personal, well-being, and creative growth.

• CEO Hack: I listen to Happier on Hollywood Podcast I relate with and note some nuggets that I learn from and can implement
• CEO Nugget: Ask for help when starting a new business and trust your guts in your mindset
• CEO Defined: Having the freedom to have an idea and execute it

Website: http://workrowan.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/workrowan/

Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/workrowan

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Transcription

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00:02 – Intro

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkness values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I am CEO podcast.

00:29 – Gresham Harkless

Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gretch from the I AM CEO podcast, and I have two very special guests on the show today. I have Amy D'Agliano and Kate Janich of Rowan Tree. Amy and Kate, it's awesome having you on the show.

00:41 – Kate

Thanks, man. You so much.

00:42 – Gresham Harkless

No problem. Super excited to have you both on. Before we jump in, I want to read a little bit more about both of them so you can hear about all the awesome things that they're doing. And best friends, Amy and Kate, are celebrating their shared birthday at twenty seventeen. We're celebrating their shared birthday at twenty seventeen when the conversation turns to how amazing women are when they join together for a common goal. A few months later, an official idea sprouted, and the Rowan Tree co-working and co-growth community was born.

Offering both virtual and in-person membership, they are pioneering a new way to work. Geared for women and welcome to all, Rowan Tree offers an inclusive, safe, and open community and coworking space. Within their growth ecosystem of women entrepreneurs and passionate allies, they intentionally foster a community of connection, collaboration, and inspiration. Infuse a mix of wellness, creativity, laughter, self-help, and kindness into programming. In the last year, they offered over two hundred workshops on professional business, personal well-being, and creative growth. It's great to have you both on the show. Are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

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01:43 – Kate

Yeah. Awesome.

01:45 – Gresham Harkless

Let's do it. So to kick everything off, I want to hear a little bit more about how this incredible idea got started. Could you take us through what I like to call your CEO story? We'll let you all get started with all that that you're working on.

01:54- Amy Dagliano

Sure. I'll kick it off. Well, you mentioned some of it in our bio, but we are best friends and have been for about sixteen years. The night we met, we actually discovered that we had the same birthday, same date, same year, everything. A few hours apart though. But so we were best friends from that moment on and never had any inclination to run a business, never in our wheelhouse. We just both worked our own separate corporate jobs. But one night, as you mentioned, two thousand seventeen, we were out celebrating our birthday at karaoke, having a couple of beers, and we said, oh wouldn't it be nice if there was a space where women could get together and they could really focus on themselves, but also connect with one another and, just really collaborate?

Yeah. That would be nice. And just didn't think anything of it, but, like, good ideas sometimes do. It just kinda kept, you know, popping up in both of our heads. And a few weeks later, I went to Kate's house. She was working from home and I was working from home. This was before everyone worked from home. And, we didn't know we were co-working, but we had a great day together. Just hung out, and got our work done. We went for a walk at lunch. And on the walk, Kate said that idea we had on our birthday? Like, I kinda feel like there's something there. I kinda feel like we should do something about it. And I was like, like, yeah. Me too. So we had no idea what it was but just jumped up and down and said, okay.

Well, we better tell our husbands we're starting a business. And so from there, I started to do some research about what it meant to bring women together and how they worked together and collaborated. And we saw this niche of female-focused co-working that was really starting to spread across the US. And we knew that was the direction that we wanted to go. And so we just, you know, started one person at a time building our community and getting feedback from women in the community about what they loved about work, what they didn't like, what they wish they had more of in their lives, and use that to really help shape our initial decisions, about building our space.

And then even started doing some pop-up events to make sure people knew who we were and knew what it was like to work at Rowan Tree. That helped us build our community so that when we finally opened we did a soft opening in November of two thousand eighteen. We had thirty people who were members already, so it was great to open our doors and be able to fill the space that way.

04:00 – Gresham Harkless

Nice. I absolutely love that, and I always feel the best ideas come from karaoke and a couple of beers. So I love how everything got started. But like I usually say in true entrepreneurial form, so many times we have ideas of things that we wanna create and build, but it's the true entrepreneur that really decides, hey. Let's actually do this. Let's actually build it and create this. So I love, that you all have been able to do this. So could you take us through a little bit more about Rowan Tree, exactly what we can find there, and how you serve the clients that you work with?

04:27 – Kate

Yeah. So we decided we're more than just a co-working space. We are a co-working and co-growth community. So we do offer a beautiful co-working space for people, specifically women who are working from home, whether it's because they run their own businesses or they have a remote job. It's a beautiful place where people can go and work and work in a space that's really community-focused. So you're surrounded by other like-minded people. You have it's an open community where you can kind of sit wherever you want, but we have different zones. So there's an area we call the community hub, and that's where you're kind of working, where you're kind of chit-chatting and throwing ideas across the tables together.

But then we have a focus zone as well. So that's where it's almost like the quiet car, where if you just need to put your head down, you can go work. We offer conference rooms for rent, so if you have a client or a team you wanna bring in, you can actually use those rooms as you need. So it's a place where it's kind of in the middle of a coffee shop and a house. So it's like home with all the business amenities and friends. But then on top of that, we felt like it was important to offer more than just a place to work, even though you do naturally connect. We wanted a place that offers programming that helps us be our best people, both in work and in life, because we feel, and we all know this, if you're happy at work, then you're a happier parent.

If you're a happier parent, you're happy at work. It all feeds into itself. And the better people we can have, the better communities we'll have, and the better world we'll have. So we wanted to create programming that's available to our members, and we have it as it goes across our core pillars. So we our our tagline is work, connect, be well, and create. So we have professional-focused programming. It ranges from anything from, you know, how to create a video, how to sell even if you're a non-salesperson, how to think strategically, to wellness. We offer yoga, we're actually about to offer a whole new perk to our members where they're getting access to different yoga classes totally for free by amazing yoga instructors.

But we also have programming that's more around not just spiritual, but creativity and personal growth as well. So even yesterday, we had an Ask the Expert Birch session where she talked about setting realistic expectations as parents for the school year. I mean, it's very practical stuff, but altogether, it's a holistic approach. And it so we feel like you're making your business better, but you're also making yourself better as well. And the other piece that we oh, actually, you know, I was looking into something else, but we really try to foster connection and collaboration.

So everything we do, we try to encourage our members to share, to promote each other. So as you're even though you're a member, you're part of the community and our job is to help each other grow. So that's really all included in the membership. We have different levels. We have one that's focused on the workspace, one that's focused on the programming, and then the hybrid of both. But no matter what, you're a part of the community, and it is incredibly powerful.

07:13 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. Absolutely. And I love how you kind of, you know, touched on that word holistic because, as we sometimes kinda zoom through in our workdays and our work lives, we sometimes can forget how everything's not either or. They're not in pillars. They're not, you know Right? They're completely directed from each other. It's all integrated together.

07:30 – Kate

Yeah. Intertwined. It all is. Yeah. There's no such thing as leaving, you know, the whole separation of work and life. That just doesn't exist. So we just need to strengthen them all.

07:40 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. Absolutely. And I've gotten, I love this phrase. I guess you can say the work-life integration because I think so many times you're trying to escape from one thing or the other. But to bring those two things together is great, and I love, like, all the programming. Obviously, you wanna have a space to work, but I think that that that ability to be able to create that community where you can grow as well too, you can excel in so many of those different aspects is such a huge thing. So I love that you all have created that and, are giving back to all the entrepreneurs and business owners and busy professionals in the world. Thanks. Very, very welcome. So I wanted to ask you now for what I call your secret sauce, and this could be for you personally or your business as a whole. But what do you feel kinda sets you apart and makes you unique?

08:17 – Amy Dagliano

Yeah. So I will before I jump into that, I did wanna add one point that Caitlin mentioned. So with COVID nineteen, our business actually did pivot quite a bit from being a hundred percent in-person to a hundred percent virtual. And, now we're open a little bit, you know, in person but also virtually. But that ties into kind of what makes us so unique. As Kate said, we're we're focused on community. We're focused on, you know, collaboration over competition here. And I think that that's a really different model than a lot of other places maybe put forth. And so it's not just a workspace. It's not just a networking group. It's this hybrid of both where it's really about building those relationships, building your community, building your tribe, or your support people around you.

And so when we had to pivot from in-person to virtual because we had such a strong community, really everybody kind of seamlessly integrated over into a virtual environment. And I think our members needed the stability and the support during, you know, the beginning of of COVID nineteen when everything around us was unknown and and somewhat chaotic. So we kinda provided that really nice structure and stability as I said. And so I think because we had such a strong community, that is why we were able to do that. And because we don't focus on just business and we are looking at the whole person, there was so much that we could offer and support our members with and so much that they get out of it. But it's valuable to them to stick with us even in these toughest times.

09:43 – Gresham Harkless

So I wanted to switch gears a little bit, and I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an app, a book, or a habit that you have, but what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

09:53 – Kate

So I nerd out all the time over a couple of podcasts, and most people, especially in DC, like really the power podcasts and, you know, the DC-focused podcast, I tend to draw towards the real ones that I feel like I can truly relate to. So there's a podcast called Happier in Hollywood, and it's actually it's it's this woman's called Happier in Hollywood. And it's actually it's this woman Sarah Fane, and Liz Graff, and they're both Hollywood TV writers, but they've been best friends, a lot of best friends. They have been good friends since high school, and they decided to become writing partners, and they write for TV.

So they're in Hollywood, but they have this weekly podcast where they talk about, you know, how to deal with the profession of Hollywood writing, but it really lends itself to any career, especially working with a partner, especially making tough decisions where there's really no roadmap, and also how to work together while also navigating your life and your marriages and everything else that comes in between. So they often provide just little nuggets every week of stuff that I actually use, both in my personal and work life. And it's just more like how to prioritize or how to, you know, remember to not sweat the small stuff. I actually hate that phrase, but you know what I mean, like it's but the idea is that it just helps you remind you what really matters, and it also reminds you that, we always have these glossy images on everybody looks perfect.

And what I like about it, is if you just saw these two women from afar, you're like, wow, have they got it together? And I do. But there's also a lot of mess behind the scenes, and they openly share it, which I think makes us all stronger and more confident because of it. And then we're able to not waste our time worrying about how we look and looking so strong and powerful but being confident that, oh, this is totally normal. I can keep forging ahead and all this nonsense that's going on is normal and that's fine. And so then I can actually focus on what matters. It's happier in Hollywood. It's it cracks me up. Highly recommend it.

11:51 – Gresham Harkless

I love, that as well. So I wanted to ask you now for what I call a CEO nugget, and that could be a word of wisdom or piece of advice. It might be something you would tell a client, a a community member, or if you hopped into a time machine, you might tell your younger business self.

12:04 – Amy Dagliano

So I was thinking a lot about this, and I thought of two, but I'll make them short so I can tell you two. And they might seem relatively simple, but it's the weight of them is very important. So the first is to ask for help. When you're starting a new business, I've had so many people come to me and say, oh, Molly, you know, I don't know how to do this. I've never done this before. Well, I've never done this before. And you just kind of figure it out as you go, but you also know your strengths and you know what you're not good at. And so you have to be willing to ask for help because this takes a village to run as most businesses do, and you often can't do it all by yourself. And you often do need support from people who are experts in a field that you're not.

And it's okay to ask for help. It's okay to say, I'm not sure how to do this. You know, can you help me? Can you be a resource? And, you know, that was something we learned at the beginning. But even now more than ever, no one has been in this current situation, in this current landscape, and it's okay. We all need to reach out to each other and say, look. I excel here. You excel here. Let's put these together and see what we can do and how we can help each other and lift each other up. And so I highly recommend that and it kinda goes hand in hand with that. The second thing is trusting your gut. You know, often when you're starting a new business, you're saying, okay.

Well, people told me I should be on this platform and I should be using this thing and I should be doing over here doing this, going to this networking event. But none of that might be applicable to who you are in your business and who your target audience is. And so it's very easy to get swayed by trying to do all of the things and go all the places and be everything that people tell you to be but really trusting, excuse me, really trusting what's in your gut to say, yeah, I'm not sure that this is right for me. I'm not sure this is where I'm gonna find my client, or I'm not sure this is how I wanna sell, or I'm not sure that just because these five people over here did it and we're successful that this is right for me.

And it's hard in the beginning to kind of trust in that and say that, but truly that has been what has helped Kate and me the most in asking for help. But, you know, like, we know what we're doing is a little bit different. So what worked for WeWork, say, may be different than it is for us or what worked for, you know, a global networking group might be a little bit different for us. And so it's just being okay with, like, this feels right or this doesn't.

14:20 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. So I wanted to ask you now my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO, and we're hoping to have different quote-unquote CEOs on the show. So, Kate and Amy, what does being a CEO mean to you?

14:30 – Kate

Being a CEO means having the freedom to have an idea and to run with it. For years of working for other organizations, which, you know, I still need some part-time, there's so much bureaucracy and red tape. If you have an idea, it is so hard to execute it. And having that open field of just, you know, let's try this. Okay. Why not? And it doesn't matter if you fail. You're not gonna get fired, you know, but you can try. It opens up this creativity that you knew was always there.

15:02 – Gresham Harkless

I appreciate that. I appreciate your time even more. What I wanted to do is pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional you want to let our readers and listeners know, and, of course, how best they can get ahold of you, get a membership, and find out about all those and things that you're working on.

15:14- Amy Dagliano

Awesome. Thanks. Well, I'll say that part first so I don't forget it. You can find us at work rowan.com, and all of our membership information is on there as well as a link to our events page because we we literally have events on a daily basis. Most of these are internal for our members, but we do a few times a month have external events for the public. But anyone's always willing we're always open to having people come and try it because we feel it's important that you feel like it's the right fit for you before committing to be a part of this community. So the only other thing I wanted to mention is as we talked about earlier, from the beginning, we've been very upfront that we follow a model of collaboration over competition.

And something that we did at the beginning of our journey is we reached out to other female-focused co-working spaces and said, wow, you're doing this really amazing thing. We're thinking about creating something similar. Could you could we pick your brain for a few minutes? Could you give us a few tips? What have you learned? And we were really nervous to do it at first. Actually, at first, we were protective of the idea and didn't realize that the more that we shared, the more we would get back. But we reached these other spaces, and they were so open and they were so helpful.

16:18 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Truly appreciate that again, and I hope you have a great rest of the day.

16:22 – Outro

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.

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