Truthfully, I never set out to create permanent desks at ko&co. I thought flexibility would be enough and what everyone would want. You would come in, move around, find your flow.
But then Monika – my best gal and first member – asked me to consider something different. She told me she would work better if she had a permanent place to call hers.
That single request made me stop and think. Because I knew she wasn’t really asking for just a desk. She was asking for something deeper: to be anchored. To know she belonged here every day, had a rhythm and could build momentum.
And when I looked closer, I realised I needed it too.
FROM INVISIBLE TO WITNESSED
The reality is, running a small business can feel invisible.
Invisible to clients who don’t see the late nights and early mornings behind your work.
Invisible to family or friends who may think ‘working for yourself’ means endless freedom.
Invisible even to yourself, when your days blur together between the laptop, laundry, and endless list of things only you know you have to do.
Humans don’t need WiFi from coworking hubs, they need witnesses.
And the Anchor memberships was my way of building that into ko&co – deliberately and intentionally. It wasn’t just a response to Monika! It was seeing the truth of what founders, creatives, and small business owners really need.
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF BEING SEEN
And it turns out, the instinct was right.
Psychologists call it social mirroring – our brains light up when someone else acknowledges us, whether it’s a nod of understanding or a ‘good job’ at the right time. Recognition fuels motivation, focus, and creativity.
But invisibility wears us down.
Research from Harvard Business Review shows that prolonged isolation doesn’t just make us lonely — it can reduce creativity and problem-solving ability by up to 30%.
That’s why coworking has grown worldwide.
It is also interesting that for some people, Hot desks can provide flexibility, but they can also make them feel like visitors in their own workday! And this goes to the point of what Monika was trying to avoid.
Monika wanted an anchor, a permanent desk. A desk that said this is
my space.
my rhythm.
my commitment to showing up for myself, my business, my clients.
And the research agrees. According to Deskmag’s Global Coworking Survey, members with dedicated desks report:
Higher productivity
Stronger community bonds
Why? Because permanence breeds rhythm. And rhythm breeds momentum.
WHY ANCHOR MEMBERSHIPS EXIST
Anchor isn’t about the furniture or selecting your desk! It’s about what happens when you stop being invisible.
For me, having Anchor members means walking into ko&co each morning and preparing the space for people I know I’ll see most days. Together we celebrate the wins, big and small. And, we chat about the hard things too so solutions form.
It means I’m not just a founder behind my laptop or the vacuum!
I’m the builder of a place where people can belong. And what makes it powerful is that we all contribute – noticing each other, backing each other, shaping this place as we go.
That’s the culture and the workhub that we are bringing to life. And while all the members make ko&co, it is the Anchors who hold it together.
It means to
- Be witnessed and never invisible in a crowd.
- Belong knowing ko&co is your place, every day.
- Grow with rhythm and momentum over time
- Feel backed by a community that gets what you’re carrying.
WHO I BUILT ANCHOR DESKS FOR
I built Anchor desks for:
The founder who’s tired of working from the kitchen table and wondering if anyone even sees what they’re holding.
The creative who loves their freedom but misses the rhythm of a workday and being surrounded by other likeminded creatives and solopreneurs.
The small team who wants to create a HQ of their own within a shared office space that feels warm, human and intentional.
The business owner who wants to belong somewhere, not just to rent a desk.
