Community of Cultivators: Edition 51

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.

Michelle Stiegler has over 20 years of Flex Office Industry Experience. Before joining Premier Workplaces (formerly Premier Business Centers) in 2007, she worked for HQ Global/Regus for 9 years and held several leadership positions including Corporate Sales Director, Area Sales Manager and General Manager. Michelle is Vice President, Corporate Sales and Partnerships for Premier, overseeing our large partners, broker relationships and Enterprise/Corporate accounts. Michelle has also held positions of Vice President, Business Development; Vice President, Regional Sales and Regional Manager with Premier. Michelle serves on the GWA Advisory Board, WANY Board of Directors and has held leadership roles for NAWBO-OC and other community boards. Michelle is a graduate of The University of Southern California. Michelle is married to her husband, Jason and has two Golden Retrievers, Bourbon (Bo) & Rye.

Where do you personally feel the most sense of community?

In the last 20 years, I have seen much change and amazing communities built both by companies that I worked for and other companies in the industry. In my beginning years at Premier, I ran our Orange County area that had 20+ centers and 10+ centers were in a couple mile radius by the airport. I helped build a better community with our Orange County GM’s to make the best decisions for our company and clients and not their specific centers. I helped encourage cross referring/selling among those centers concentrating what was the best interest for our clients and company. We would host team building events often and overall having them come together helped increase our business and encouraged a team environment.

Three years ago, my husband and I took a leap of faith and left California and moved north of Dallas. We found a great neighborhood but had no idea at the time how great the neighborhood would become. Between a Community Director arranging parties and kids activities, food trucks at pools and green spaces, the neighbors always rally around one another. One of our neighbors lost their home in a lightning storm and the whole community stepped up. Each “village” made gift baskets with gift cards for restaurants, cash donations and the community also did a fundraiser to help this family short term. Around the 4th of July this year, our neighborhood golf courses are hosting a large LPGA tournament that follows with a huge fireworks celebration, food trucks and a concert. It feels great to finally get back to normal!

I also love that the Dallas area has a great Coworking community with other Flex Space and Coworking operators. We often get together for Happy Hours and other events. It’s great to run ideas by one another and hear about challenges and successes we are all experiencing!

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

Always do the right thing is something that we try to live by at Premier. Whether a client has an office issue, billing issue, or even something that is out of our control, we always try to fix the problem and create a solution keeping our client in mind. My parents taught me at a young age The Golden Rule (treating others as one wants to be treated) and I feel like we also do a great job at that too. Being kind, thoughtful and trying to make someone’s day better.

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

I am all about a great pair of shoes, a new handbag and spending money on travel, but it also feels good to give back to community. A few times a year my husband and I donate to different charities that are usually smaller and donations really help their efforts.

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

My friends used to joke that “It is what is it” was going to be on my tombstone. I think the last year challenged everyone both personally and professionally and it really changed my outlook. Always try to make things better and not settle. I look forward to a normalized life now that we are opening up. I think we are going to see amazing things in our industry in the next few years and I look forward to seeing business coming back!

Come back next week for another community interview.