another town hall in the books!
Work Nicer starts with members and works backwards so we create on your behalf. We promise to continuously listen and learn as we grow together. This is how the Work Nicer that you see today has been built and you’ll be a part of that moving forward. Together we listen, tweak, and reflect on your thoughts and ideas — then look for reasons to say yes. Quarterly Town Halls are part of that. After every Town Hall the slides and a recap are posted here on the blog in full transparency.
Time flies when you’re having fun…and opening two outposts at the same time! It’s no secret – the team has been rather been busy since the last Town Hall! But we love it because it means growing this amazing community, witnessing more collaborations and friendships form, and riding alongside each other on our unique journeys! So here’s a look into what we’ve been up to and what’s coming down the pipeline in the quest to continually add value for all Work Nicer members.
This was the first town hall that was broadcast between Calgary and Edmonton. There were some technical difficulties that will improve for next time but thank you to the 60+ members who attended this Town Hall.
Teaser: Red Mile will FINALLY open. Beaver House is having a party and everyone is invited! Star members will become Community Hosts… and more!
As always, these recaps are a bit lengthy, but we promise it’s worth the read.
In our efforts to communicate our Guiding Principles better, we chose to focus on “We do what is right because character is all we really have.” Transparency with you as members is vital – even when it’s not the greatest news. Because we’re all in this together and we want you to have the best experience at Work Nicer. And let’s face it, that can’t happen without honesty and integrity. So we bring it all to the table.
Briefly, we jumped in to an update about three things announced at the last town hall:
- A Coworking Christmas: Over 125 people attended the Work Nicer Christmas bash with our friends at Trolley 5. It sure was a blast full of your beautiful faces (and if you were lucky, a shower of sparkly glitter – thanks Shawn Freeman). Thank you to everyone who came and made it another success! Based on your feedback, the definite keepers will be the photo booth and the live band!
- Community Hosts: There’s an update on this awesome program launching in pilot form – more details below.
- Referral Program: This is ready to roll as well! Read on to learn more.
Many members have personally reached out to the team asking how they can lend a hand or have been recognized for embodying all of Work Nicer’s guiding principles in the community. So we’re thrilled to officially roll out the Community Host program. This program is designed to to acknowledge and honour those who have made a noticeable impact. We vow to promote you, your company, your brand and treat you well along the way.
Don’t see a name on the list that you think should be up there (even if it’s yourself)? Just let the team know. It would be awesome to see this list grow and further add to the incredible culture and community at Work Nicer.
Frankly, we haven’t done an awesome job at formally acknowledging and appreciating the referrals that members provide to the community. At last town hall we said this was coming and now it’s here. For every member you refer to Work Nicer you will receive $25 deposited into your bank account for every month you’re both members, for up to a year. If you have a referral to a member or if you are a member who was referred by someone please fill out the form on the Work Nicer Member Centre (located in the help desk).
The primary focus of Town Hall is to provide a formal time for feedback, ideas, suggestions, complaints, or whatever else members have for the Work Nicer Team. Every quarter we then report back on the feedback from last time as to where things are at. If something isn’t going to be acted on it’s also reported here with an explanation as to why. Below are some of the requested items from the last Town Hall that were completed, other that aren’t done yet but are being worked on, and the others that just didn’t make the cut… despite the clever ideas.
Up Next: Updates as to what’s up with Work Nicer Beaver House (in Edmonton) and Work Nicer Red Mile (on 17th Ave in Calgary).
First: Beaver House
Work Nicer Beaver House in Edmonton “soft-opened” along-side many of the founding members on January 2, 2019 after almost exactly one year of negotiations and construction. This is Work Nicer’s third outpost and second city! It’s not perfect and the founding members have been incredibly supportive by getting their hands dirty building furniture, setting up the physical space, jumping in to help the team whenever, and providing constant feedback. It’s been amazing watching these members step up, embrace, and build the Work Nicer culture so enthusiastically, organically, and authentically. They even banded together to keep each other warm in a meeting room when the HVAC wasn’t working for a few days. Alas, things are coming together and the official opening will be on March 14th!
You’re invited. Save the date. More details to come in the coming weeks.
SECOND: RED MILE
Last but not least is the (pending) grand opening of Red Mile. Naturally, there’s been a lot of questions about this recently – and for good reason.
It’s above National…on 17th Ave… and patio season is around the corner. We get it and can’t wait either! Trust us, we’re just as eager to see it finished! Construction delays are inevitable and always ruin the fun but we love that you’re all excited for it and we promise it will be nothing short of awesome! Really awesome.
Red Mile is now slated to soft-open in March (2019, of course) with a grand opening to follow about a month or so after. It’s looking awesome and all the big stuff is done (electrical, plumbing, HVAC, etc). The finishing contractors are on site every day working on paint, installation of the signature Work Nicer walls, millwork, tile, and flooring. If you’d like a tour even before it opens, just let the team know.
Now, THIS is exciting too. Work Nicer and ATB have been friends for quite some time. Members get discounted personal and business banking and lending, there’s always been an open door policy between ATB X and Work Nicer. But now, Work Nicer and ATB Financial are officially partnered with ATB X as they launch their sixth cohort. ATB X is the no cost entrepreneur accelerator from ATB. To date there have been over 100 local businesses that have went through the program. This sixth cohort is is a group of 18 businesses receiving guidance though a 10-week ATB X program that will be hosted at Work Nicer. Soon this will also be expanded to Edmonton! Speaking of which, they are hiring a ‘Manager of ATB X in Edmonton’! You can find the job post here.
This also means that Work Nicer members are welcome to sit in on all Wednesday night sessions with ATB X. Additionally, ATB benefits for Work Nicer members will become even better. More details to come!
The main event is always Round Table. The floor is open to Work Nicer members to share their requests and concerns so that Work Nicer can best add more value. This time around we received a short (and very reasonable) list, which we’re getting right to work on implementing. Some of the items include varying up the music playlists, having themed Drink Nicers, making the meeting rooms more conference-friendly and having a relaxation/wellness room. Stay tuned for progress updates!
Thanks again to everyone who attended or is reading this! We always welcome feedback and no idea is too big or too small. The only way to improve is to listen. Thank you, as always, for all your support. You make Work Nicer the special place that it is.
NO ONE SUCCEEDS ALONE,
Alex, Phoebe, Arielle, Bob, and Jenn.
