Hygge Coworking

This week you'll get to hear from Gerard Littlejohn, easily one of the coolest guys we know. Gerard is insanely kind and compassionate and is basically helping to change the Charlotte community in a million different ways. He does this mostly through his role at the Steve Smith Foundation. In this particular episode, we wanted to hear more from him on education in Charlotte because that's been on a lot of our minds for the past few months as schools have grappled with inviting kids back in person or doing virtual learning. Listen to learn how Gerard is working to provide better education for disenfranchised children here in Charlotte.

It's voter registration deadline week! This Friday is the deadline to register to vote in NC, so expect a ton of info coming at you this week about how to register and why. In addition to talking about the importance of voting, Kamaria and Angel also break down what we can expect on the ballot this year, including some early voting, absentee voting and poll voting tips and tricks. 

Meet Brent LeVasseur, VP of Propellant Media here in Charlotte. There’s one thing you should know about Brent: he has a lot of random thoughts. And this week’s episode of Zero to Ten is full of them. Like his idea for a new YouTube show: purchasing the entire discount cart you see at Food Lion’s and taste-testing each of the questionable alcohol placed inside. We also learn that one of Brent's 2020 goals was actually to stay up later (weirdo).

Even if you've never heard of or met Brian Mister, you've probably heard of the Around the Crown 10k, the monumental race that happened for the first time last September and shut down I-277. Just a few months away from their second race, we sat down with him on Zero to Ten to learn a bit more about him, and boy, did Mary Johnson deliver. On this episode we learned that Brian and his wife, Chelsea, have a goal to run a marathon in all 50 states. They've already knocked out 16, which if you ask us, is pretty damn good. They even make up their own marathons in some states, like Utah, where they charted out their own 13.1 mile run in the middle of the Arches National Park. Talk about running goals

"I think 2020 has a lot of bright, shiny things potential in the horizon but also has an incredible amount of work ahead of it for myself," he told host Mary Johnson. We recorded this episode a few weeks ago on Garrett's birthday, so we got to hear a lot of his outlook on the new year and on him turning 36. It's a damn good episode - and we're not just saying that because he's the one who pays the bills. 

This week on Zero to Ten, we're catching up with hygge's director of marketing, Alyssa Pressler. If you've never met her, Alyssa is The Person (a title she got in this very podcast episode) at hygge west charlotte, and she's also the person you've probably interacted with on any hygge social media. (She's also the one writing this caption about herself, which yes, is very, very awkward). On this podcast episode, host Mary Johnson asks Alyssa about her openness with her mental health struggles, her tattoos (including 2 that she's tattooed on herself), and why in the heck she's sniffing the microphones in the podcast studio (it's one of those 'you've gotta listen' things). It's a pretty fun episode (and I'm not just saying this because it's me, Alyssa, awkwardly writing this caption).

"If you keep happiness in the front of everything, or kindness, love, whatever it is that keeps you happy, that shifts your perspective." This is just one of the incredible tidbits from this week's Zero to Ten episode with Megan Pastor, hygge's phenomenal Director of Membership Experience. If you've checked out hygge since March, chances are you already know Megan. She's our human confetti cannon on staff, spreading sunshine and rainbows and laughs and hugs like no one's business. But how well do you really *know* Megan? Like, do you know that she used to write cute notes for her grandpa for his lunch every day? Or that she was offered her job at hygge without even realizing she had been interviewing for it? On the latest podcast episode, we get to learn more about about Megan, how she stays so positive and where she got her incredible baking skills from (if you're ever the lucky recipient of a Megan Pastor baked good, be grateful). You can listen to the whole dang thing below.

This week, we're getting a bit of a deeper dive in the life of Tyler Ford, aka the guy who single-handedly started the coworking trend here in Charlotte with Industry Coworking in 2009. Tyler's history is a really cool one: after school he started out working for Tommy Hilfiger in various positions for 15 years (yes, he knows Tommy, he's kinda awkward; and no, he did not pay for clothes, which was a culture shock after he left). During that time Tyler and his wife moved to Charlotte, where, after leaving retail, Tyler started working from home on graphic and web design. You see where this is going, right? He did the work from home thing for about 6 months before he started going a little stir crazy. He and some other friends bounced around the idea of splitting an office space together... and from there, the idea for Industry Coworking grew. Then in 2018 he decided to join the #hyggefam. "Most of us meet our friends at our workplace, our spouse at our workplace. When you don't have that at all, it makes it ea

With coworking, ya never quite know what you're gonna get. For example, on a Wednesday at about 3:45 p.m., you may just randomly get approached by someone you've never met, Mary Johnson, and asked to be on the hygge podcast Zero to Ten. Ethan was kind enough to jump right in and talk about what it's like watching film when you work in the industry, what his favorite movie is, the garlic crusted lamb chop he just made recently. He also said probably the kindest thing about hygge we've ever heard: "The internet is good, the people are nice and the coffee is way better than you think it would be." (shoutout to @enderlycoffee, the coffee he's talking about)

Hey world, meet one of the newest members of the #hyggefam, John Tinkelenberg. John is the first employee of Brave New Word, one of the earliest businesses that we had in the hygge walls and the business owned by our podcast host Mary Johnson.   In this episode of Zero to Ten, we're getting to know John on an even deeper level. For example, we found out he plays guitar and has actually cut together an album before - how cool. He's also been charged by an alligator and lived to tell the tale, he's an Eagle Scout, and he's basically Willy Wonka because he's worked at a chocolate factory before. So, long story short, he's a pretty cool guy with some pretty cool stories. 

A lot of people know Greg Schermbeck, the guy behind education reform at SchermCo. For 5 years now, SchermCo has been specializing in strategic services for education reform initiatives across the country, particularly for K-12 students. Basically, he's a big deal, and he's been at it for a while now. But the best part about coworking isn't connecting with people about what they do... (okay, that part is a ton of fun, too). The best part about working alongside strangers is you get to learn some quirky things about them you may never have before - like that Greg used to play football, he grew up in a low-income area and he just recently hired his mom to help him out with his business (hey, mama Schermbeck!). This week on the Zero to Ten podcast, host Mary Johnson sits down with Greg to talk all about the things people might not know about him, and you can give it a listen by heading to the link in our bio.

"The reason I started doing burlesque and pole dancing is one of my friends was a dancer, and I went to see a showcase she was in and it was the first time female sexuality and performance had been presented as not for the male gaze. It just seemed so lovely to be in this environment where we could celebrate this on our own terms for ourselves rather than trying to impress someone else."   For the first time ever, this is probably not someone you'll see at one of our hygge locations if you ever stop by. Meet Ruby Skyscraper, the burlesque alter ego of one of our #hyggefam. Ruby has been doing burlesque and pole dancing for a few years now. It all started when she was in Germany, but since then she's brought her performances here to the Queen City. We were lucky enough to have her on the Zero to Ten podcast with Mary Johnson to hear all about the burlesque community and how she got into it. As a woman in a male dominated industry, Ruby found burlesque - which is very, very different from stripping, btw - was a

Boy... this guy. DC is a firecracker, a force to be reckoned with, a true "party person," and an absolute blast to be around. He brings in an undeniable amount of energy to everything he does, and we truly love that he's a part of the fam it was only a matter of time before we had him on the Zero to Ten podcast so you all can see just what a fun guy he is. If you've never met him, DC is the founder and owner of Well-Run Media. He's also an avid runner - like, he runs 100 mile races. Yeah, crazy. It all started when he was in high school and it's never stopped. For him it's a great way for him to keep himself well, explore new areas of places he's living or visiting and meet new people. It's a way for him to unplug totally and be alone with his thoughts. In fact, he doesn't even listen to music or podcasts while he's running: "When you have that opportunity to spend some time in the outdoors like that and can appreciate what's all around you and that creation, it's like danggg, I am one lucky son of a gun to

LaNaria is the Director of Finance over at Love146, a nonprofit that is fighting to end child trafficking across the world. It's incredibly important work, and as the keeper of finances in the organization, LaNaria's role is crucial. "I'm at this point in my career where whatever I do, I want it to mean something," she says. "When I reconcile a bank account, I'm able to save a child, maybe not directly, but indirectly." LaNaria is a numbers girl at heart - she's always loved them. She even loves excel... which is a thing pretty much everyone hates. She's always worked in accounting, but she says she's found something special with Love146 because it allows her to do meaningful work. This week on the Zero to Ten podcast, host Mary Johnson asked her about chicken salad, what she'd have as her last meal on death row, what child trafficking looks like in Charlotte, how running the finances for a nonprofit is different than a for profit business... a little of everything. You can listen in to the full, fun convo be

Well, folks, this might be the first time we've ever had a dog as a podcast guest. If you've been around hygge jay street, you've probably met this friendly face. If not, this is Luka, one of the many #dogsofhygge who comes to work with his person, Kelly Koier, each day. Like many of us, Luka has a side hustle: he's officially a certified therapy dog as of just a few weeks ago   This week on Zero to Ten, we get to learn a bit more about one of our favorite furry friends, as well as what it takes to be a therapy dog that does things like visits people in the hospital. Listen to learn more.

This week on Zero to Ten, we're getting real with ya and talking about a difficult topic: divorce. Shit happens, people grow apart and it's tough as hell, but it can force you to grow. Everyone, meet Melissa Brokaw, a member of the #hyggefam and half the team over at Well-Run Media. About two years ago, Melissa got divorced after nearly 20 years with her husband. It was a pretty dramatic change for her, and since then she's gone through a period of growth, to the point where Melissa says a lot of people don't even recognize her anymore.   

Sales lead by day, farmer by night (and morning). World, meet Jacob Felts, a member of the #hyggefam who works remotely for Safewood Designs at our hygge jay street location. He does some pretty cool stuff at work, don't get us wrong, but we had him on the Zero to Ten podcast this week to talk about something different. A few months ago, Jacob and his wife decided to fulfill a dream that started out as a joke: buy a farm, homestead the land and grow/raise their own food. Totally cool, right? That means Jacob starts his day out early with his farm chores, which include walking the goats to the pasture, feeding the laying chickens they have, taking care of the barn cats, feeding the rabbits and so much more, all before heading in to the office for a full day. Then, at the end of the day, he's back outside and doing more work, like fixing up the barn, clearing his acres of land, chainsawing trees... the list never ends. His story is cool as hell, though, especially because they've learned how to do every bit of

Does anyone really know what they want to do when they grow up? Michael Trivette is on this week's Zero to Ten podcast with host Mary Johnson to talk a little bit about everything... what he wanted to do when he grew up and what he's doing now with College Transitions, the company he founded to help students through the college admissions process, the book he has coming out later this year, traveling, and so much more. There's a little bit of everything in this week's episode, so check it out. 

"To be honest, I've never believed in something like I do us, myself and my brothers and our ability to make it happen." World, meet brothers Khaleel and Maleek Loyd, two of the three dynamic guys behind Loyd Visuals. The pair founded their company with their third brother, Najm a few years ago. If ya ask us, running a business with family would be tough, but not for these guys. The trio perfectly compliments each other to create incredible videos and run a successful gig. This week on Zero to Ten they're talking with host Mary Johnson about what it's like to be in business with your brother and what they're up to around the Queen City.

What happens when your wife calls you and says, "Guess what?! We're getting chickens!!" Well... you get chickens Sebastian Williams is on the Zero to Ten podcast this week to talk not about Skipper, which is the company his wife, Meggie, and he started years ago, but about their recent adventure into chicken farming in the city of Charlotte. They've got a handful of chickens (and an accidental rooster, #oops) that live in their backyard, and, honestly, it's a cool story.