The Power of Human Connection: How Coworking Community Fuels Success for Freelancers and Entrepreneurs

Smartphones, smartwatches, laptops, smart homes—devices are all around us. We're more connected than ever. However, being so “connected” has pulled us further apart than ever before.

Despite its benefits, technology has been quietly shaping a loneliness epidemic for years. COVID-19 and the rise of remote work were key accelerators, widening the gap between people and meaningful human interaction. The more we rely on technology – and on ourselves – the more isolated we can feel. The cure? Human connection.

Whether we like to admit it or not, we need each other to thrive. We need to be seen and heard. We need the energy that comes from being around others.

Finding the Missing Piece

According to the American Psychiatric Association, one in three Americans reports feeling lonely each week. For freelancers and entrepreneurs, especially, who often work solo by necessity, this isolation can feel like the price of independence. Conversations with our own members show this to be true.

Before joining our coworking space in 2023, Corine Petit, a freelancer, worked from home for five years. She made it work, but she realized something was missing – something she couldn’t find from behind a computer screen. The longer she worked in isolation, the more she felt that gap grow.

Like many remote professionals, she tried to fill it. She worked from coffee shops, surrounded by background chatter and the smell of espresso, but it wasn’t enough. Even in the presence of others, workdays still felt lonely. Corine discovered that she wanted what a coffee shop couldn't provide: presence, engagement, community.

She decided it was finally time for a change.

“When I first came to WorkSmart and took the tour, I knew I needed to join. I knew mentally that I needed people. I think people would be amazed by how warm and welcoming everyone is. Every time someone new comes in, we all get a little excited – who are they? Are they going to be our new friend? Are they going to come in and be a member? Without WorkSmart, I don’t think I’d be where I am. Professionally, it has impacted me, but also personally. Mental health-wise, it has helped me so much to just have other people around, and without WorkSmart, I definitely would not have had that.”

From Isolation to Inspiration

Corine's story isn't unique; it's part of a pattern we see again and again: when people find genuine connection, they transform.

In the warmth of people who welcomed her, asked about her, and wondered if she might be their new friend, Corine found what she had been missing: people who cared that she was there.

Small moments - laughs, glances, everyday interactions - add up, creating a sense of belonging to help people prevent mental health struggles and improve overall well-being. 

What makes work worth showing up for? Not just the tasks we complete, but the people who see us, support us, and remind us we're not doing it alone.

The Ripple Effect of Community

There's a particular energy that comes from working alongside people who are building something, too, a kind of momentum that's hard to find when you're working solo.

At WorkSmart, people come for the practical stuff: a professional space, dependable resources, somewhere to actually get work done. But what transforms their workday? The accountability that happens organically. The encouragement that feels natural. The ideas that move freely when you're surrounded by people who get it.

Discover the Power of Connection

Many of us are working behind screens, doing great work, but missing something we can't quite name. Just as Corine discovered, sometimes what we’re missing isn’t motivation or structure, it’s people. 

If you’re ready for a more connected work environment, we invite you to learn more about WorkSmart. Come take a tour, grab some coffee, and meet a few members. You’ll experience how human connection can fuel your success, too.