We just moved our office from our original downtown St. Cloud location in the 501 building to a brick loft two blocks west at 713 W. St. Germain. We loved our original space; it was full of historic character and a lot of our own blood, sweat and tears. Many asked, “How could you leave this awesome space?”
Believe me, it wasn’t easy. We did love the aesthetic, but it just wasn’t working for us anymore. The three flight of steep stairs were becoming increasingly difficult on our aging (me) and pregnant (Jodie) bodies. Actually, our third floor trek wasn’t easy to navigate for our clients, vendors or employees.
And there was the issue of space. We had a series of six rooms, some larger than others, but all served double duty as walkways and storage. Again, we are all for quirky but after five years of accumulating supplies, employees (and I don’t know what else), we were out of room. Not to mention out of patience with the constant juggling of “stuff.”
Now we have the entire second floor of what used to be Hillenbrand Bakery, built in 1903. It is a light brown brick building with high loft ceilings and original pine floors. And because it had a previous life as a salon, the space is adorned with large, beautiful wrought iron chandeliers. Another huge selling feature for us is the fact that while the front has that open, airy loft feeling, the back of the space is outfitted with ten rooms – yes, complete with walls, ceilings and doors.
We also love the fact that we have a kitchen with a fridge, microwave and dishwasher; a locker room for coats and purses; a bathroom with a shower, lots of storage space in the back and the basement, and a brand new HVAC system.
So does it really matter where you work? I think so.
In our field, it is important for us to feel inspired and creative, but we also need to be comfortable and productive. We love to be collaborative, but now we have the option for privacy by closing doors when it is time to focus.
Because we built our business at the original office, it will always hold a special place in our hearts. But we are excited to begin the next phase of our business here, in another historic building in the town we love.
Are we having an Open House? Youbetcha! June 5th we will be celebrating our 5th Anniversary as well as our new location. Save the date, details to come.