Design Won’t Replace Care: Why People Still Matter Most
Every improvement we’ve ever made at The Hub has started with a conversation. In a world focused on AI, technology and beautifully designed workspaces, I’ve been reflecting on why listening, relationships and genuine care still matter most.
The Hidden Pressures of Running a Coworking Space
From the outside, running a coworking space can look deceptively simple. Open the doors, fill the desks, and let the community take care of itself. But anyone who has ever run an independent or neighbourhood coworking space knows that behind every thriving workspace is an operator quietly carrying an enormous and often invisib
Leading With Heart: Creating People Centric Coworking & Flex Workspaces
I was delighted to be a guest on the Baseworx’s Flex That Worx podcast for an open and thoughtful conversation about what it really takes to create people-centric coworking and flexible workspaces. Hosted by Graham Clarke and Anne-Marie Murphy, this episode goes beyond design trends and productivity metrics to explore th
What Small Business Really Looks Like: Voices From the Inside
Welcome to this special episode of Powering Productivity, created in celebration of Small Business Saturday and our place in the UK’s SmallBiz100. Over the past few years, I’ve had the privilege of sitting with founders, freelancers, independent coworking operators, community leaders and small teams, all people who’v
S4. Ep.12 Leading With Heart: The Emotional Realities of Coworking Leadership, with Lucy McInally
What it really takes to run a coworking space without running yourself into the ground. From the outside, running a coworking space can look beautifully simple: open the doors, fill the desks, host a few events and “let community happen”. But for most independent and local operators, the reality is far heavier and far more
Scaling With Heart: Mantle’s Growth to 8 Sites While Staying People-First, with Jo Hart
What does it really take to scale a coworking business without losing the soul of what made it special in the first place? In this episode of Powering Productivity, I’m joined by Jo Hart, who has been at the heart of Mantle Space’s growth from a single serviced-office centre to eight thriving locations across the […
S4E10 Quiet Strength: How Introverted Founders Build Community, Cashflow & Belonging in Neighbourhood Coworking, with Melissa Richards
What does it really take to build a thriving neighbourhood coworking space as an introverted founder especially when you’re juggling cashflow, confidence, and community in equal measure? In this episode of Powering Productivity, Suzanne sits down with Melissa Richards, founder of Buick Mackane, a vibrant creative coworking,
Finding freedom in frameworks: Why structure isn’t the enemy of flow
If you run a small business or lead a coworking space, you already know that structure & systems can be a double-edged word. You crave it the rhythm, the calm, the sense of knowing where things fit but it can really go against the whole human led feel of your business. Yet for all its […]
The Heart of Work: What Rural Hubs Teach Us About Community & Resilience, with Maria do Ceu Bastos
What if the future of work is being quietly shaped in small, rural coworking hubs, places built around belonging, creativity, and care? In this episode of Powering Productivity, Suzanne speaks with Maria do Céu Bastos, founder of NOWHERE Desk in Portugal – a rural hub that’s become a home for freelancers, founders, an
A decade of growth, sustainability & community at The Hub Newry
Some partnerships are built on contracts, ours are built on trust, shared values, and a whole lot of heart. For over a decade, the Hub Newry coworking community has been home to Brack Tours, one of our longest-standing member businesses. In that time, we’ve truly grown together. Through Brexit and COVID, and during renovatio
We’ve been named one of the UK’s 100 most inspiring small businesses
I’m so delighted to share some exciting news. The Hub Newry has been named one of the UK’s 100 most inspiring small businesses for 2025 by the Small Business Saturday campaign. When Patrick and I opened The Hub in 2012, our aim was simple: to create a place where people could work without feeling isolated. […]
How neighbourhood coworking hubs can turn challenges into growth opportunities
Neighbourhood coworking hubs are more than just office spaces. They’re community anchors where micro businesses, freelancers and small teams find connection, focus and the support they need to grow. But right now, many local hub operators are feeling the weight of juggling occupancy, visibility and the emotional labour of ho
Structure that supports: Smart systems for small workspaces & communities
Smart systems for coworking & micro business leaders – structure that supports growth and confidence. What comes to mind when you hear the word structure? If you’re anything like me and most micro business or coworking space leaders, I know it’s probably not a feeling of ease. Maybe it’s more like: More
Why embracing uncertainty is key to sustainable small business leadership
For years, I believed I was resistant to risk. But in truth, embracing uncertainty has become one of my greatest strengths. Moving from London to Ireland not knowing anyone apart from my husband, starting a coworking business in 2012 when the model was almost unknown locally, and steering through Brexit, the absence of governm
More time, less noise: Finding balance in people-led business
Running a micro business or managing a neighbourhood coworking space doesn’t fit into a tidy job description especially a people-led business. One minute you’re deep in planning, the next, you’re tracking down an HDMI cable or figuring out who prefers oat milk. This is hands-on, people-first work, real, human and often d
Stronger together: How the right partnerships support a sustainable, strategic & human way to work
I didn’t start out thinking partnerships would be the thing that sustained me, but looking back, they’ve made all the difference. When you’re running a coworking space or a micro business, it’s easy to fall into the trap of doing it all. But some of the most powerful progress, both emotionally and operationally has com
