Freedom Without Isolation

How To Connect To Your Tribe In The Gig Economy

Published in

On the table

5 min readMay 23, 2017

Everyone’s talking about “The Future of Work”. The robots are coming to steal your job, they say. You’ll have a personal AI assistant to do all your tasks so you can just sit back and collect universal basic income, right? But let’s get real. What about now? How and where do you work, and what can you do to take your success to the next level? We’re here to help.

Gig economy outsourcing platforms like Upwork, TaskRabbit and Freelancer have changed not only how we think about “work”, but also how, where, and when we show up to our jobs. Teams and tools (think Slack or Google Drive) are distributed across time zones, and allow for efficient communication throughout the workforce. We’re increasingly finding that our jobs may not be tied to one company, one boss, or one desk.

Gains in freedom, however, come with added responsibilities. Health insurance, for instance, might not be covered across multiple employers, and gigsters may find they need to research and configure their own retirement plans. The need for some of the attractions and comforts that come with a traditional job — wifi, a fixed office, and medical benefits requires diligence and a whole new kind of decision-making.

This shifted paradigm demands flexibility with another key element of work: making connections. In the traditional workplace, where you clock into a physical office space every day, networking happens organically — in meetings, in the cafeteria or at the company gym. Your team or your division becomes your network.

But when you’re flying solo as a freelancer or entrepreneur, who helps shape your professional identity? Who challenges you to take your performance to the next level or make the next career move? Who makes you laugh at the watercooler?

Building a meaningful network of contacts who support you throughout your career is critical to your success. In the gig economy, it’s more important than ever.

Beat the DIY Blues

As a woman, balancing work-life demands can be extra challenging when you’re running your own business. Chances are, you didn’t launch your startup in your garage. Working from home may mean setting up shop at your kitchen table while family members compete for your attention. You may find yourself making business calls from your car, or trying to tune people out while grabbing some connectivity at the local coffee shop. Navigating this daily obstacle course requires optimism and focus. But are you moving forward toward your goals? And, where’s the fun?

Loneliness, insomnia and work-related stress are among the most common challenges women face when shifting from a centralized team to freelancing or starting our own business. How do we stay on track in the face of such threats? After all, we broke free of the cubicle for a reason, so what can we do to celebrate our liberty and thrive in our new roles?

We have some ideas. As experienced co-workers, we’ve found success in the gig economy, and in the spirit of sharing, we’d like to pay it forward. Here are some tried and true strategies to connect to your tribe, whatever your job or circumstance:

Find an office space that works for you, through the LiquidSpace network.
Use modern networking tools like the GUILD, to keep building connections with like-minded and inspiring women.
Join a community in your industry that has a local presence (e.g. XX in UX, Product Manager HQ).
Take some classes through online educators like Creativelive, Udemy, or Lynda, to keep your skills fresh while meeting new people.
Start working out at different gyms. With services such as Classpass, you can find somewhere new to try nearby, and your body will thank you!

Are you ready to escape your home office yet?

A workspace with inspiring role models and peers can make all the difference in your day and career. That’s where the GUILD comes in, with a supportive network of women to provide support and a reason to get up every morning excited about reaching your goals and connecting with inspiring people along the way.

Since networking and co-working complement each other quite well, LiquidSpace and the GUILD have partnered up to offer GUILD members a special deal on booking day passes and meeting rooms.

Through LiquidSpace you can find high quality office space in over 750 cities for any length of time — from just one hour to up to three years. San Francisco boasts over 160 co-working spaces available by the hour and 360 co-working spaces with monthly memberships. LiquidSpace offers a variety of workspaces from co-working to business centers, to companies sharing space, to those growing into needing their own space. The altSpace plan provides a custom fit-out, prefab office solution for teams of over 20 leased directly from landlords.

To get started on finding your new favorite flexible office destination, we’ve selected a few great spaces in San Francisco we think you should try.