Military spouses Brooke Barnes and Jessica Johnson today announced the launch of edge co-working, llc, (“edge”) an independent co-working space located in Clovis, New Mexico. Through edge co-working, the founders aim to provide military spouses with a place to work outside of their home office, as well as networking and professional development opportunities to grow their careers.
Co-working is a fast-growing concept in larger metropolitan areas. It is ideal for remote workers, entrepreneurs, small business teams, independent contractors, and freelancers. A typical membership provides access to private or collaborative workspaces, high-speed internet, drinks and snacks, and regular networking events. edge co-working will provide all the benefits of traditional memberships with a military spouse twist. Networking and professional development events will focus on maintaining and growing a career as a military spouse.
“We want to help members tackle the unique challenges of having a career as a military spouse,” said Brooke Barnes, edge co-founder. “And, it’s personal for us. Jessica and I both moved here and started working remotely for the first time. It is not easy. It can be lonely. It’s easy to feel like you are losing career momentum, which is scary.”
“Once we started talking about our situation, we couldn’t believe how many people felt the exact same way,” added Jessica Johnson, edge co-founder. “At that point, we knew we had to go for it and start a co-working space. Not just for ourselves, but for the community.”
Military families are subject to frequent relocations that make it difficult for spouses to attain and build a career. Most families don’t have a choice in where they move and job markets can be limited near certain bases. These factors make remote or freelance careers an attractive option for spouses.
“edge stands for ‘empowering, doing, growing, everywhere,’” said Johnson. “That’s what we’re building here and what we plan to take to other areas of the country in the future.”
Membership levels vary depending on the number of visits to the space each month. A conference room is available for rent and the space can be rented after hours for special events as well.
“We want edge to be a space that meets the career needs of the community,” said Barnes. “If you have a business where you just need a place to meet with clients occasionally, or you host direct sales events frequently or an artist who needs a space to host painting parties, edge is here to help you grow your business.”
As for networking and professional development, the duo is putting together a calendar for 2017. They plan to cover topics such as resume writing, building a personal brand, and how to set up a business.
“We learned so much setting up our own consulting businesses and going through the steps to launch edge as well,” said Johnson. “We feel that we can help other people get started with their own business ideas. We’ll put together content and resources for members, but also bring in experts for more complicated topics such as taxes and legal information.”
About edge co-working
edge co-working exists to help members navigate the unique challenges of developing and growing a career as a military spouse. We provide collaborative office space, standard amenities, and networking and professional development services. edge co-working is owned and managed by Brooke Barnes, a communications consultant and Jessica Johnson a medical device consultant and engineer.
