Community of Cultivators: Edition 35

Here at GCUC we are immensely fortunate to cross paths and work with so many amazing people. Through our work, we’ve cultivated a global community of people we think you should know about.

Community of Cultivators is a blog series we created to introduce you to coworking game changers and connectors. Each month, we’ll release new interviews that we hope inform and inspire you.

This week we had the absolute pleasure of interviewing Karina Patel, Marketing Director at CloudVo and Pacific Workplaces. Karina is a total power house and so much fun to be around. If you have been to GCUC USA or UK, it is likely that you have run into her. Check out her answers below.

Where do you personally feel the most sense of community?

For me, community is not a place. Pre-pandemic, I was splitting my time between California and Washington each month, so this is more of a when question instead of where for me, and at the risk of sounding cliché, it’s anytime I am collaborating or spending time with colleagues, friends or family. Whether it’s work or social, I thrive off of purpose, conversation, and direction. I’m an extrovert (though quarantine has taught me to live my best life as an introvert), so that feeling of community is when I am surrounded by people I trust, admire, and/or draw inspiration from. These days, it’s been when I am staring at those faces on Zoom or FaceTime.

What podcast would you recommend to others and why?

I am an avid listener of Superwomen by Rebecca Minkoff. With social media, stories and content are presented with filters. This is why I like listening to this particular podcast; the storytelling of how women have built brands and communities without a pretty filter. Each week, Rebecca interviews female founders on their vulnerabilities, failing forward, and how to curate a community. I’ve gained quite a bit of insight and direction from this podcast.

What is one piece of advice you give everyone that works with and/or for you?

Trust the timing in your life. It’s that simple. I know it’s easier said than done, but nothing good comes from comparing your timeline to someone else’s. This is challenging at times since I am inherently competitive and determined. However, learning to be patient, relying on my intuition, and having faith in certain processes is my tactical, alternate solution – one at which I am still a work in progress at mastering. Social media doesn’t make it any easier.

If you had $500 to spend- what would you buy?

A flight. If I can go explore a new destination, I look at my calendar and start planning.

What is the best habit you ever started? What habit do you want to start but haven’t yet?

I’ll answer this in reverse order. I want to stop hitting snooze five times in the morning. The start of my day is still a struggle, and I want to form a better habit of rising early and establishing a healthier morning routine, both mentally and physically. The best habit I formed was establishing boundaries and compartmentalizing. From a young age, I juggled a lot of activities with school, extra-curricular activities, and clubs, and I had to learn how to stay organized and compartmentalize to focus on the task at hand. It became one of my greatest skill sets with school, work, and life. Being able to work within time blocks and separate “all the things” is especially important with my job since I oversee marketing for two companies – Pacific Workplaces and CloudVO. It’s like closing a book and opening a new one mid-way, but several times a day.

If you had to put a quote on your gravestone what would it be?

“There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” – Nelson Mandela. With almost everything I do, I think of this quote and consider how I am navigating through decisions. I tend to lean toward the cautious side with each year passing, but I believe in testing my boundaries and capabilities. I’ll bide my time with certain things and be completely whimsical with others. Balancing this while living life to my fullest capabilities is where the art lies.