Turning Coworking Members into Community Builders – Liz Barney on Cahoots’ Experiment

Coworking spaces often promise community—but what does it really take to build one that’s engaged, vibrant, and truly member-driven? Liz Barney, Director of Marketing & Community at Cahoots in Ann Arbor, Michigan, joins us to share how her journey from remote worker to coworking leader led to a game-changing experiment: a member-led approach to building community and social events. In this episode, we dive into: - How Cahoots launched its “Community Committee” and empowered members to take ownership of events and initiatives. - Why structured, member-led engagement can be more effective than traditional coworking social events. - Lessons learned from different types of community-building experiments (what worked and what didn’t!). - The surprising ways introverts and extroverts engage in coworking spaces—and why a variety of offerings matters. - How this approach fosters deeper connections, improves retention, and makes coworking spaces truly feel like home. This episode is packed with practical takeaways for coworking operators who want to level up their community strategy—without putting everything on their community team. Resources Mentioned in this Episode: - GCUC discount code: EVERYGCUC for 20% off - https://na.gcuc.co/ - Liz's LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-barney-6629301b/ - Blog post describing the experiment: How Shared Purpose Creates Community For Remote Workers - https://cahoots.com/blog/how-shared-purpose-creates-community-for-remote-workers - Cahoots website - https://cahoots.com/ Everything Coworking Featured Resources: - Community Manager University - https://www.everythingcoworking.com/communitymanager - Masterclass: 3 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets to Opening a Coworking Space: http://www.everythingcoworking.com/masterclass - Coworking Startup School: https://courses.everythingcoworking.com/coworking-startup-school-2 🔔 Hit subscribe now & stay tuned for valuable tips, interactive podcasts, industry trends, and expert interviews on building and running a profitable coworking space! https://www.youtube.com/@everythingcoworking/?sub_confirmation=1 🔊 Listen to my podcasts 🔊 → https://www.everythingcoworking.com/podcast ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Audio Podcast is currently on your favorite platforms: 👉ApplePodcast:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/everything-coworking/id991355914 ============================= 🎬 Recommended Playlists 👉 Coworking Education https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfZE25IKRGiPEyB1WWerqofvHZoNh8DvJ 👉 The Everything Coworking Podcast https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfZE25IKRGiNG_v8lEhiJRnqUmnREmeHN 🎬 WATCH MY OTHER VIDEOS: 👉 Meagan Slavin, COO of 25N Coworking on Management Agreements and Leadership https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFfSSAxiycs 👉 Shlomo Silber, Founder of Bond Collective, Dishes on His New Venture https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XtQoj-dkuY 👉 Co-Warehousing Pioneer with Philip Freeman, CEO of Murphy’s Naturals and Founder of The Loading Dock https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNEsl1I4jIU 👉 How Maryann Baldwin Drives Economic Development in a Town of 1,000 with Her Coworking Space https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGGf4cLy2fA 👉 From Bronx Roots to Coworking Success: Ramon Gonzalez's Journey with Thrive https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hAq6FK5OX4 ============================= ✅ About Everything Coworking. Welcome to Everything Coworking! I help you launch and run profitable coworking spaces that fit your business and personal goals. Tune in for tips, advice, and insights on creating a successful coworking space. Learn from my weekly podcast, which features expert interviews and industry updates. Whether you're just starting or looking to improve your space, I've got you covered. 🔔 Hit subscribe now, and you won't miss expert tips, industry updates, engaging podcasts, and expert interviews on launching and running a profitable coworking space! https://www.youtube.com/@everythingcoworking/?sub_confirmation=1 ================================= #coworking #office #podcast #community #coworkingspace #vision #flexibility #communitybuilders #experiment ⚠️ Disclaimer: I do not accept any liability for any loss or damage incurred from you acting or not acting as a result of watching any of my publications. You acknowledge that you use the information I provide at your own risk. Do your research. Copyright Notice: This video and my YouTube channel contain dialogue, music, and images that are the property of Everything Coworking. You are authorized to share the video link and channel and embed this video in your website or others as long as a link back to my YouTube channel is provided. © Everything Coworking