Wednesday, August 4, 2021. Just another day in the life of Gather Midlothian, the newest of seven Gather coworking spaces in Greater Richmond and Hampton Roads.
7:45 a.m. The doors aren’t even open, but people are already coming in. It’s board meeting day for the Midlothian Business Alliance, and MBA President Frank Petroski, a web strategist and founder of Midlothian Web Solutions, has his office on the third floor and enjoys 24/7 access. As people enter, they see a bin by the front door. A school supply collection? Not this time. DiveRVA and Richmond Police are collecting swimsuits so that disadvantaged children can enjoy pool time. “One of our members asked if we could put that there,” says Gather co-owner Polly White.
8:00 a.m. Gather’s doors officially open, and the MBA meeting comes to order, members seated casually in the first-floor kitchen, where lime- and basil-infused water is available to all. (The basil comes from Gather’s patio garden.) Polly and her husband and co-owner, Doug White, are temporarily staffing the front desk, greeting members by name as they arrive.
8:15 a.m. Renee Mancuso, a Realtor with Hometown Realty, begins setting up for her weekly Two Twelve Referral Network meeting in the large first-floor Diamond conference room. Team Elite members begin to trickle in.
8:30 a.m. Polly leads a couple of potential Gather members on a tour. A nonprofit group, Conexus, begins a meeting in the Gold room. “All of today’s meetings are with organizations that have a Gather membership except this one,” Polly says.
9:00 a.m.: Catholic Theatre begins recording a podcast in Gather’s specially equipped booth. Sycamore Presbyterian begins an all-day meeting in Onyx. Gather Midlothian’s 10 conference rooms come in a variety of sizes to accommodate three to 34 people, are all equipped with audio-visual equipment, and are named for gemstones and minerals. Phone-booth cubbies offer privacy for lengthy calls.
9:05 a.m. Rabbi Patrick Beaulier of Kehillah, a 3-year-old synagogue, begins to work on his Yom Kippur sermon and logistics for a Rosh Hashannah event. Kelillah is an independent, progressive Jewish synagogue that instead of having a building holds “pop-up events” in Midlothian and Richmond. “When you’re trying to create an inclusive community, typically people think that’s about attracting people ‘out there’ to come to you. We think of it as going where people are,” Rabbi Patrick says. “By being in a place like Gather, we’re in the community, which is where we want to be.”
9:30 a.m. Decorating Divas begins an all-day meeting in Quartz. Gather member Shannon Adee, owner of Sparks Solutions, a digital marketing agency and a Google-certified partner, exits the Team Elite meeting with a guest who asked for a tour. “I don’t even know him,” Shannon says. “He mentioned how nice this space was, and I mentioned some of the amenities that I love. That’s usually how it happens.” Shannon is one of several unofficial ambassadors for Gather; she’s had an office at the Midlothian location since shortly after it opened in December at 14321 Winter Breeze Dr. “I love this space. I love that it’s positive. That as I walk to my office, I’ll see positive quotes to inspire me. The décor is very much my style. I feel motivated and productive while I’m here. And there’s someone at the front desk to greet my guests.”
10:30 a.m.: Frank Petroski, who’s also a Chesterfield County planning commissioner, holds a meeting in Emerald with a local developer. For Frank and other busy executives, Gather is a convenient spot for holding meetings. “I advocated for the Whites to bring a Gather to Midlothian, so of course mine was one of their original letters of intent,” Frank says. He also enjoys the community feel. “A handful of us make the Gather happy hour a regular thing on our calendars, and it’s not for the drinks,” he says. “It’s not about networking or getting business; it’s about conversation and building relationships, with no motive.” Gather is the perfect place for entrepreneurs and people who want to be engaged and “in the know” about what’s happening in Midlothian, he adds.
10:35 a.m.: Solopreneur Colin Chapman of Hypnosis is Amazing arrives. On his schedule today: Practicing new routines for his comedy show, including a new “induction” – that’s hypnosis-speak for how a person is guided into a trance. “Moving to Gather is one of the best business decisions I’ve made,” says Colin, who had spent 11 years in office space at Hull Street Road and Pocoshock Boulevard. “I had been the only person on my floor. I needed to be around people. Being at Gather brings a whole new energy to everything, especially after COVID. Here I get to meet new people at least once a week.”
11:00 a.m.: Another Two Twelve Group, River City Resources, meets in Diamond, with members getting tips on the best time of day to prospect for new business leads. Member Reiner H. Smith meets in Jade. Informal conversations are under way in the kitchen and on the adjacent patio, which, with temperatures currently in the low 70s, is a perfect outdoor meeting spot.
12:30 p.m.: Some Gathers have a “mayor,” an involved member who occasionally helps staff and offers the “member perspective” to visitors. At Midlothian, that’s Mac Maccaroni (given name: Michael), a CPA and owner of RVA CPAs. “Mac is someone I can leave at the front desk,” says Polly. Mac, who spent three years at Gather Scott’s Addition before switching to Midlothian, is a frequent stop on tours with prospective members, attends most events (“a great organic, genuine networking opportunity”), and often answers questions about Gather. “I like being a part of the community,” says Mac, who bikes two miles from his house and dismantled his home office to work full-time at Gather. “I’m finally able to separate work and home life,” he says. “Now when I’m at home I’m 100% with my family. I don’t even bring my laptop home anymore.”
2:00 p.m.: Lend Grow meets in Amber. More people gather on the patio; in the afternoon, it’s in the shade, so even with temperatures now in the low 80s, outdoors is still a pleasant environment for a meeting or impromptu conversation.
3:00 p.m. Every Wednesday at 3 is “cookie hour.” Today, the choices are sugar and oatmeal chocolate chip. But cookie hour is more than just an afternoon snack. Cookies “cost”: Staff pose a question, and you must give an answer to get a cookie. “It’s always an interesting question that gets people talking and connecting,” Shannon says. “The networking here is amazing.”
4:00 p.m. It’s happy hour! That means more networking opportunities, and members gather in the kitchen and on the patio for end-of-day socializing over a glass of beer or wine. Midlothian Lifestyle Account Manager Steven Casupanan, who co-works at Gather for his SC Marketing Group business and his full-time job in healthcare data analytics for Gainwell Technologies, has booked the Gold room until 5:30. Concurrently with happy hour, there’s a surprise party in recognition of Midlothian Lifestyle Publisher Aaron Swart’s upcoming birthday. (There’s a whole story about why the party was a week early, but we don’t have space here to explain!)
5:00 p.m.: This is when Gather’s staff leave, but as with Frank and his MBA board, members enjoy 24/7 privileges. Aaron’s party is continuing until 5:30, with a custom chocolate cake and a champagne toast. The party’s been engineered by a friend of Aaron’s and executed by Steven, who also helps run a nonprofit out of Gather’s coworking area.
Are you looking for a lively office space? Gather Midlothian can accommodate about 450 people, currently serves just less than half that, and is at about 45% capacity. Call Richmond’s Regional Director Ashley Sill at 804.664.0782 to learn more! Other locations are in Scott’s Addition, the Arts District, and Short Pump, and in Hampton Roads in Newport News, Norfolk and Virginia Beach.
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