Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Chang.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Lisa. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
When I was growing up, the odds were against me in a lot of ways. I grew up with a single dad. He was financially unstable on top of having deteriorating physical and mental health. My brother and I grew up in a very low-income neighborhood of Dallas where we lived in Section 8 housing. Many of my friends didn’t graduate high school or go to college and, in my environment, drugs and gangs were ever present. However, my father was an entrepreneur and I grew up watching him work for every dollar he made. I learned the value of a strong work ethic from him. Even though I grew up with a lack of resources, what I did have was a strong community around me including family and positive role models. Little did I know at the time, having a strong community would be the key difference maker for me to escape the trappings of poverty.
My career started out working at IBM and I was with them for over 10 years. After a decade in the corporate world, I had my first daughter, Gabby and I really desired more freedom and I wanted to do my own thing. I also soon realized I am someone who needs to pursue creative endeavors to feel complete and whole. While having little ones at home, I wanted to create something that was a low risk in terms of investment and help other moms trying to accomplish the same thing. After flailing around trying to figure out what that was, I stumbled upon the idea of running an online business. I ran an online content business for three years. This is really where I had the opportunity to learn my chops running a business. I also shared my knowledge of what I was learning with business students at Brookhaven College. I made many mistakes running this business, but the experience prepared me for my next venture, Work214.
One problem I had running my online business was working from home and coffeeshops became increasingly distracting. I also began to feel very isolated and less productive. I was starting to go crazy!
At the height of feeling disconnected to the world, I started to work out of a few flexible office spaces in Dallas and became so frustrated with some of the spaces for many reasons. I felt nickeled and dimed and felt like I was being charged for everything and squeezed for money. Many would talk about having a strong community, but I didn’t really experience the community they would talk about. Plus, many of them were faceless and the owner was never around. My husband was also working from flexible office spaces and experienced the same frustrations. So, one day, my husband and I looked at each other and knew what we needed to do. Open our own!
We wanted to create a professional place that was owned and operated by entrepreneurs who understand the challenges and ups and downs of running a business. We know what working from home and coffee shops can be like and wanted a place where community is truly valued more than profits. We have had success with our other ventures and also wanted to give back and help other business owners, which is what really drives us.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Where do I even start?! We had all kinds of challenges we had to overcome and still have challenges. Starting and running a business is never a smooth road and is really a series of trial and error most of the time. Some challenges early on to mention: 1. When we first decided to open a flexible office space, the industry was very niche. But when we opened, there was an influx of other spaces, so we really had to hone in on how we are different and how we are going to serve our members. 2. I had to really learn how to work with my husband! How to make sure we still separate our marriage from the business and communicate effectively with each other so when we go home, all is good! Luckily, we have different skill sets so dividing up the work was very seamless. 3. Building brand awareness. Being a brand-new local company, we’re starting from ground zero. We believe we have a better-quality product and experience so it’s all about getting our name and brand out into the marketplace.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Work214 story. Tell us more about the business.
First of all, I can’t tell you how many times we have talked to business owners who are frustrated and unsatisfied with their current work environment. Work214 was founded on a simple idea – We believe everyone deserves to have an empowering work environment. We offer premium office space but with the heart and soul of a mom and pop. We’re really blending the high end amenities of a traditional office space with the flexibility and perks of coworking. What I’m most proud of are the relationships we have forged with our members. We have the best members!
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I think luck plays a huge role. It started from the time I was a child. I had no idea when I was younger that I would be an entrepreneur and business owner. When I graduated from college the popular path was to work for a big tech company or a big consulting firm. I was pretty much on the path of staying in corporate America for my entire career. I really enjoyed my experience at IBM, but then I met my husband and started talking to other business owners and that opened my mind in terms of there being other successful paths besides working for someone else. It also took me back to my own dad’s journey as an entrepreneur. That just shows how accidental careers and career paths can be. I always think about – What if I never met the women mentors, I had that strongly influenced who I am today? What if I didn’t end up getting into college and getting the scholarships I got to even go? What if I never met my particular husband, who I have learned so much from? I believe luck plays a huge role in anyone’s success. Yes, hard work does too, but I cannot dismiss the role luck plays in the trajectory of my life.
Pricing:
- All of our offerings are here.https://www.work214.com/pricing/
Contact Info:
- Address: 3400 Oak Grove
Dallas, TX 75204 - Website: https://www.work214.com/
- Phone: 214-214-7001
- Email: lisa@work214.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/work214dallas/?hl=en
Image Credit:
Work214
Suggest a story: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
