Welcome!

Welcome to the Workspace blog! 

Our coworking blog will offer practical and fresh insights to improve your professional experience! We will cover topics from workplace wellness and local business trends to the multi-faceted impacts of coworking on your health, productivity, and the local community.  

First, please allow us to introduce ourselves! Workspace is a flexible, professional coworking office right here in the heart of Shelby County, Alabama! We are a proud local business in the city of Pelham and members of the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce , the Birmingham Coworking Collective, and the Global Workspace Association. Our mission is to offer a coworking space where professionals can experience the benefits of coworking locally - alongside their neighbors - and improve their well-being by working in a modern, clean, productive environment while avoiding the commute to downtown Birmingham.  

Workspace was the former corporate office for Pace USA – a customized logistics service provider. When we combined Pace’s corporate headquarters with our teams and warehouse facility in Bessemer, we were left with this beautiful and very functional space that is conveniently located to many communities over the mountain. We knew it would be a great shared office space for local business professionals and would enhance the health and economic well-being of Shelby County.   

When you arrive at Workspace, one of the first things you see is a wall of values. Pace USA is a values-first company. We really drive that point home within our logistics business, and this wall lists Pace’s core values. We left these values up because we believe they also apply to the diverse group of entrepreneurs, freelancers, and business professionals in the Workspace coworking community. Workspace is committed to being a responsible and active participant the Shelby County. We are creating a professional coworking culture where there are natural opportunities for networking, community service, and enhanced workplace well-being.  

Networking 

Other than providing a professional and flexible office space, coworking spaces offer their members moments to network and collaborate with new people every day. Whether you run your own business or work remotely, a diverse and inclusive network of professionals is crucial when developing any career.   

At Workspace, we host monthly member-only events, as well as events open to the public, offering the perfect opportunity to connect, learn, and grow with other coworking professionals and the local community.   

As a part of the Global Workspace Association and the Birmingham Coworking Collective, Workspace held an interactive lunch-and-learn event to celebrate International Coworking Week. Our host, Anna Reyes, local HR guru at Pace, discussed "Tik Tok’s Guide to Becoming an Effective Leader". Anna combined self-assessment activities and Tik Tok videos to teach and illustrate what it means to be an effective leader and how we can all be great leaders within our own lives and careers. This networking event offered a friendly and casual atmosphere for our current members to connect over lunch while tuning into a fun yet professional discussion.   

Community Service 

Workspace is dedicated to being an active supporter of the Shelby County community. In August, we were a proud sponsor of the Pelham City Schools Foundation’s "A Night of Purpose" Casino Night and Silent Auction, celebrating the community of Pelham while raising money to supply resources for the students and teachers at Pelham City Schools. Workspace also took part in the silent auction by donating a free monthly membership for a private office.  

Shelby County is an amazing community filled with vibrant, compassionate individuals. Nothing gives us more joy than supporting Shelby County’s local businesses, schools, and residents. Engaging with the community gives us a sense of purpose and offers our members yet another opportunity to make a positive impact locally.   

Enhanced Workplace Well-being 

A renewed focus on well-being is a documented trend in the U.S. Statista shows a growing number of U.S. employees are making well-being a priority in their personal lives. Some factors for well-being are: 

• Eating healthfully 

• Improving work-life balance 

• Getting enough exercise 

• Reducing and managing stress 

The well-being of our community matters. At Workspace, we are making decisions in large and small ways to address these factors and enhance the health of our members. For starters, we have a full communal kitchen available to all members and guests, making it more convenient to prepare healthy meals and snacks at home and then keep them chilled to assemble and eat at Workspace. We also offer free locally brewed Santos coffee for the caffeine kick you may need to jumpstart your day.  

Workspace’s location in Pelham is more convenient for many of our members than driving to downtown Birmingham, freeing up valuable time in their day for personal enjoyment and exercise. Speaking of exercise, Workspace is nestled up against the beautiful Oak Mountain State Park, which offers 9,940 acres (about half the area of Manhattan) of the great outdoors. It’s easy and convenient to step away from the office for a bike ride, hike, jog, or to simply relax while taking in the sights, smells, and sounds of nature.  

Also at Workspace, we have installed a green wall - or vertical garden - in our café-style common area. This greenery combined with natural tones and wood creates a calm and peaceful environment. In How Your Office Space Impacts Employee Well-Being, published by Forbes, the results of a study titled, The Global Impact of Biophilic Design in the Workplace, showed that people who work in spaces with natural elements reported 15% higher levels of overall well-being. These same respondents reported feeling 6% more productive and 15% more creative, too!  

In short, we care about the well-being of the local community and that of our members and guests. We are taking steps to ensure a healthy work environment that supports making well-being a priority.  

Thank you for reading our first blog post! We look forward to staying connected with you by sharing practical and fresh ideas to your workday!