Do freelancers need to be with other people? with Melanie Marconi, founder and CEO of VIDA coworking space

08/22/22 • 31 min

Melanie Marconi, founder and CEO of VIDA coworking space in Portland, Oregon, discusses why she went all-in coworking, why women need particular types of support, and why she feels it's important for freelancers to be with other people.
Find VIDA at www.vidacoworking.com
Melanie's bio: A longtime entrepreneur, philanthropist, and passionate advocate for change, Melanie Marconi is committed to helping women achieve their most ambitious personal and professional goals.

Melanie launched her first company, BDI Development Group, at the age of 23. This mission-driven company is a boutique consulting firm that provides fundraising, event planning, and strategy services to nonprofit organizations across the country. Since taking on the leadership role at BDI Events in 2004, Melanie has achieved annual business growth of 10% to 30% while setting and achieving long-term strategic goals, developing nationwide partnerships, and managing day-to-day company operations. Three years ago, she and her partners launched a spinoff business, Where Will They Stay?, to help clients find and secure custom hotel room blocks for their guests.

In 2017 Melanie was seeking a space for her growing team and realized that there was nothing available to support the day-to-day needs of working women like her and her colleagues. In early 2018, after receiving much social validation of her concept and vision, she committed to building and launching VIDA.

Melanie holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism and Communication, with an emphasis in Public Relations, from the University of Oregon. She is also active in the nonprofit community, having served as a volunteer, donor, and board member for several different nonprofit organizations around the country. She has also presented on productivity and work/life integration to a range of different audiences at workshops, conferences, and through podcasts and webinars.

Since becoming a single mom six years ago to her daughter, Ellie, Melanie has been searching for innovative ways to get the most out of each day. VIDA stemmed from her desire to have all of life’s daily needs in one beautiful space, surrounded by other inspiring women entrepreneurs.
Notable quotes from the episode:
"There's like this energy and productivity vibe that is created when a bunch of people are doing their thing in the same space, even if it's completely different things."

Previous Episode

Why work-life balance is a waste of time and other words of wisdom from graphic designer and brand strategist Gage Mitchell

Gage Mitchell, graphic designer and brand strategist, discusses why a good brand is like a movie, why work-life balance is a waste of time, and how "I can't" is really "I'm scared" in disguise, among many other things.
Gage’s bio: Design has the power to bring about massive change. That power comes with a responsibility. Whether designing an object, a business, a community, or anything in between, Gage believes that both the process and the solution must aim to bring about a better world – for all. His work, thought leadership, and commitment to this ethos have garnered countless awards, features, interviews, and speaking engagements. Gage's passion lies at the intersection of design, business, sustainability, and food.

A few current projects:

Modern Species: helping better-for-the-world brands launch, evolve, and grow through strategic branding, packaging, and web design.
Evolve CPG: a podcast and community for purpose-driven leaders of CPG brands who not only believe in a better, but actively pursue it.
Path to Impact: guiding design, business, and community leaders through an inclusive process of designing for measurable, sustainable impact.
Kindship Group: a collaborative full-service marking agency elevating purpose-driven brands and helping them grow for good.

Notable quotes from the episode:
"I've been a big advocate for life design. Design your life to be more fulfilling."
"My theory is that the most time-saving thing you can do is to marry your passions with your work, so that every hour you spend working benefits your life, and every hour you spend making your life rich and fulfilling benefits your work."
"When you have to say no to a project that's not ideal, you create space for a more ideal project to show up."

Next Episode

What it's like to launch a freelance legal career, with freelance music lawyer Randy Ojeda

Randy Ojeda, a freelance music lawyer, discusses how freelance lawyering works, the importance of choosing who he represents, and why and how to build a network of others in your field.
Randy’s bio:
Randy Ojeda is a freelance lawyer living in Tampa, Florida. A graduate of Loyola University Chicago School of Law, he is licensed to practice law and is a member in good standing with The Florida Bar.

As a lawyer, Randy understands the struggles and needs of independent artists, as well as what motivates the major music industry players, via not only his legal education but his practical experience as an artist manager, A&R, record label owner, and musician. He prides himself as a music lawyer who understands the full picture, and not just one small aspect of the industry.

Outside of his law practice, Randy Ojeda is the CEO and Co-Founder of Cigar City Management LLC, a Tampa based Artist Management company. Cigar City Management has hosted official showcases at festivals like SXSW, CMJ Music Marathon, and Brooklyn’s Northside Festival. As an artist manager, Randy assists clients with all aspects of the music industry, including marketing, design, recording, touring, merchandising, and more. In addition, Randy provided business development and A&R to Symphonic Distribution in Tampa, FL. He is an Associate Member of the Florida Chapter of the Recording Academy.

Find Randy online at randyojedalaw.com and on social networks as @realrandyojeda.