Meet the Workaholics
Because innovation doesn’t always happen between 9 and 5.
If you know our Entreperneur-in-Residence, James Chapman, chances are you associate him with the word “hustle”. James is always working on his next big idea.
They say “necessity is the mother of invention.” Last year James realized that he needed a space to work after hours. In true Causeway fashion, James came up with an idea to solve his own problem, and we encouraged him to pilot it using our space. A year later, it is still clear that Workaholics is not only filling a need, but building a community and a pathway to get connected in Chattanooga. We asked James to fill us in.
Where did this idea come from?
The idea for Workaholics started back in February of 2015. I was constantly working late nights because I couldn’t get everything accomplished that I wanted to during the day. It was often too easy to get distracted while working home alone. Places like coffee shops that may have a more energetic or suitable environment for work, typically closed around 6pm. I figured that others were likely having the same struggle that I was having. To test that theory, I simply asked my Facebook friends if they had been struggling with working alone late at night. The response was overwhelming! From there, I started a Facebook group and kept Causeway’s space open late for anyone to come work.
Who are the people who come to workaholics?
There are a lot of budding entrepreneurs who can’t fully chase their dreams during normal business hours. So, they come to the space to work, collaborate with others, or get help with their ideas. But, it’s not just those looking to start or grow a business. UTC students may come to the space to study. There are also folks who come because they sometimes have to complete tasks after work. I think my favorite example of this is the night two high school teachers came to the space. One was a first-year, black math educator teaching at public school. The other was a more experienced, white math educator teaching at private school. They both originally came there just to grade papers, but by the end of the night, the more experienced teacher was assisting the first-year teacher with her study guides and giving her best practices to assist in the classroom. Those are what I like to call uncommon collisions.
Paint a picture of the vibe at Workaholics: what is a typical night like? There is really no typical night or typical crowd at Workaholics. You never know who may come, and that’s the beauty of it. It’s people from different sectors, backgrounds, and ways of life coming in to the same environment. Some people come and work independently in a quiet area. Some people end up networking and being more social, or just sharing perspectives. People are white-boarding and brainstorming. Artists even have the tendency to stop by and create pieces.
What is your vision as workaholics grows?
As workaholics grows and evolves, I want to be more intentional about the opportunities for mentoring. The meetups have been great for peer-to-peer mentoring, but there have been so many times that more established professionals have shared knowledge with up-and-comers in the space, that I feel it’s only right to place more focus on it. As I mentioned earlier, the instance of the two educators is one of my favorites. So, the question becomes: how can we be more purposeful in creating those type of interactions?
We will begin to build a database of business leaders in the community that are willing to be mentors to those seeking mentorship. A relatively low commitment of 2 hours a month for one year would be ideal. I believe in the investment of human capital. It has changed the trajectory of my career, and I’ve witnessed it boost the careers of others. We also want to make this opportunity worth it for the mentors. While we likely won’t be able to pay them what their time is worth (because it’s invaluable) we will pay them a stipend for their time.
Okay, I want to come to workaholics, what do I do?
Workaholics takes place every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday night at Causeway (16 Patten Parkway) from 6pm — 12am. To stay in the know about what’s going on, join the Facebook group. If you’re interested in being a mentor, or if you’re seeking mentorship to advance your career, shoot an email to eir@causeway.org.
