June 1st marked our 3rd Anniversary at HAYVN! It has been a remarkable journey so far, as we continue to foster a community at our suburban coworking space. To commemorate the moment, we are revisiting our first hubcast (podcast) with Founder and Chief Collaborator Felicia Rubinstein.
Felicia Rubinstein is among many trailblazing women that have sat down with co-hosts and HAYVN members Nancy Sheed and Sue Yasav. Together they sit down to talk about fostering a community through coworking, and Hubcasts as an audio hub to help small businesses learn and grow.
A Quick Q/A With The Chief Collaborator at HAYVN
Nancy Sheed (left) and Felicia Rubinstein (right)
Q. How would you describe HAYVN?
A. “HAYVN is a coworking space based here in Fairfield County where people can connect, create and get stuff done. Wherever you are, in your personal or professional journey, we have the programs to support and space for you.”
Q. What was the vision that led to the creation of HAYVN?
A. “I always wanted to be an inventor when I was a kid. I went to school for engineering and got a job as an engineer working for Apple Inc., really going around and talking to engineers about how they could use a Mac to get their job done.
I loved my job in New York City and never intended to step down, but in my 30s, I thought it was time to start a family. I had left New York and had started my own business that allowed for a work-life balance. That company grew as my kids grew up.
It wound up being 16 women, where we were all working virtually. At that point, we wanted a physical office space where we could meet occasionally and sit down with our clients, but there was no location to do so.
Later on, as I thought about the next steps in my career, I heard someone talk about this solution called coworking. It was a fabulous idea and something I knew that I could use and many of my friends could use. That’s the vision of HAYVN – a space for women and men to connect, create, and support each other.”
Conference Room
Q. HAYVN started a year before the pandemic. How did you pivot to create a virtual office and event space?
A. “Once I realized that things were not going to change, I talked to my advisory board, and everyone was so supportive. One of the first things was to create virtual programs online,” she said. Sue was the first to kick off the lunch and learn series.
“It was easy once we figured out zoom to create online programming. Everyone chipped in each day, which was wonderful.”
Q. What was your vision for HAYVN Hubcasts?
A. “My vision for HAYVN Hubcasts is to be like a talk show that features all of the programs and resources we offer. I also want to showcase the members and influencers in our HAYVN community. Essentially it really is an audio hub to help small businesses learn and grow.”
The Value of Being A Member of A Coworking Space
Since the first coworking space launched in 2005, The Global Coworking Unconference Community (GCUC) projects there to be over 30,000 coworking spaces globally this year. In fact, the “demand for flexible office space increased 40% from Q3 to Q4 2021, an increase of more than 50% from Q1 2021 and 26% from Q1 2020.”
Cowork Event
As companies switch to a hybrid in-office schedule, workers are actively searching for a balanced social and work environment. There’s value in renting flexible offices, part-time private offices, or conference rooms, whether you’re an entrepreneur and solopreneur, or work for a local business. Co-hosts Nancy Sheed and Sue Yasav share the many enriching benefits to coworking.
Sue, a founding member of HAYVN and member of the board, has a passion for helping companies grow, using her financial services and marketing expertise. Nancy, a HAYVN advisory board member and the founder of Sheed Communications, is an online marketing strategist with over 20 years of experience. She assists clients across the communications, media, and publishing industries.
Sue Yasav: Founding Member of HAYVN and Member of The Board
For Sue, the beginnings of her business started at HAYVN. “I began my membership when I was still at corporate and found it to be a very supportive community,” she said. “Even now, as an individual business owner, the shared office space offers an array of support groups, mentorships, and supportive tools needed to advance. I have a lot of affinity toward HAYVN.”
Nancy Sheed, Sheed Communications: HAYVN Member and Member of The Board
Nancy feels passionate about being able to go to a shared workspace as well. “As a solopreneur [Sheed Communications], I didn’t realize how much I was missing community, the water-cooler conversations, the opportunities for events,” she said. Working from a home office was great during the pandemic, but it was insufficient. “Having a community helps build a business, make your business better, or make you a better business owner.”
Where To Listen To HAYVN Hubcasts
We stream our podcasts across Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Apple Music, and Stitcher. In each episode, you’ll learn from experts in the HAYVN community on all sides of business management, launching your career, tips for success, and more!
HAYVN Coworking
Founded in 2018, HAYVN is a flexible workspace for enterprising women (and men) to connect, create and grow. Along with a vibrant & engaged coworking community of entrepreneurs and business professionals, HAYVN is a business HUB, offering short- and long-term office space leases, meeting rooms rentals, and events to support local businesses. HAYVN is proud to be a Certified B Corporation™ and a CTNext partner. We believe in using the power of business to build a more inclusive and sustainable economy and have met the highest verified standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. HAYVN’s workshops and signature programs encourage women of all colors and ages and acts as an incubator for developing skills and pursuing funding. HAYVN Launch incubator is a 2021 winner of the SBA's Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC), and the only 2021 winner in Connecticut.
Visit our beautiful safe ‘HAYVN’ in Fairfield County, CT at 320 Boston Post Road, Darien, CT, 06820. Arrange a private tour today, or to learn more about our health and safety response, read through our detailed guidelines here.
