GCUC Blog

Edition 24: Mara Hauser

By Stormy McBride On March 24, 2020 In Community Cultivators Blog Series

Community of Cultivators

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 interviewed Mara Hauser, Founder of 25N Coworking. Mara began bringing shared workspace concepts to corporate environments early in her career, and, since then, businesses and developers have leveraged her experience to bring successful coworking concepts to their organizations through flexible partnerships with 25N Coworking. Give her answers a read.

Photo of Mara HauserWhat in your life are you most proud of cultivating or creating? Why?

Without a second thought– my daughters. My husband and I have raised two confident, powerful women that I can’t wait to spend time around, and that’s an achievement I don’t think I’ll ever top. An easy “second”, though, is building a life that I love waking up into each day. I think it’s easy to find oneself pouring all of your energy into one narrow aspect of life at a time, without taking a step back to build a “collage” (more on that later) that’s balanced and sustainable; the stuff that really makes life. I’ve built a full life of work I’m passionate about, friends that inspire me, and family I love; and I work hard to uphold boundaries that support it.

Where do you personally feel the most sense of community?

Of course, any time I walk into a room filled with my family or dearest friends, I feel an immediate sense of safety and belonging. However, a group I’ve been especially grateful for recently is LExC– The League of Extraordinary Coworking Spaces. I just got back from a week-long meetup with the leaders behind the most free-thinking and collaborative coworking spaces in the world. These people are the movers-and-shakers of the industry; the ones who aren’t afraid to take risks and get their hands dirty; who understand the challenges that come along with building industry-leading workspaces that don’t bend to traditional metrics for success. Every time we get together, I’m blown away by how we make a synergetic group that has each others’ backs and are generous with our resources. It’s a community that’s not easy to replicate.

What podcast would you recommend to others and why?

I’m a firm believer in the concept that everyone has a story and that sharing those stories with each other is the best antidote to imposter syndrome. It’s why one of my favorite podcasts is “How I Built This” with Guy Raz. They get beyond the hyper-polished “tell me about how successful your company is now,” and give insight into the struggles and frustrations that so many startups go through. It shows the “human” side of a successful company, and I find that refreshing. If you’re looking for the side of business that has life and authenticity, this podcast is a must-listen. Get ready for a lot of “Oh! I see myself there!” moments.

Of course, Jamie Russo has created an invaluable resource in her podcast Everything Coworking.

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

Imagine your life as a collage; you need a thoughtful balance of many different pieces to make up a full life. Some pieces will be larger than others for a time, but may shift to a smaller section of your collage later. For example, my collage currently includes my daughters, my husband, and my father; but it also includes coworking, my love for exercise, a passion for cooking, and many rich friendships. In some seasons of life, your collage will have pieces that collide. You might have a sudden project that comes up and takes up more space than you thought–pushing other pieces of your collage to the side. Trust that it’s temporary and embrace your limitations! It’s okay to not have time to make every piece fit. Let your values guide you, and your collage will find an equilibrium over time even as you navigate the twists and turns that life sends your way.