The 102 suite on Shannon Oaks Circle in Cary isn’t just any coworking space. Blush Cowork is much more than the physical desks, conference rooms and private rooms that the space offers to members.
It is also a women-friendly community of working professionals. One that offers child care at $10 per hour for monthly members, a key distinction from some other coworking offices and a huge draw for women working remotely in the post-Covid era.
Blush Cowork Co-Founders Alison Rogers and Natasha Simmons were inspired to build Blush Cowork after their own frustrations working as women and mothers during the pandemic. Rogers and Simmons initially met while working in tech marketing at a male-dominated company and bonded through their experiences.
Early last year, both women had gone through rough times with their jobs. Rogers was juggling a fulltime remote job while dealing with the increased child-care responsibilities for her two children when schools and daycares were closed.
“I found it to be really impossible to get any of my work done well while my children were home,” Rogers said. “And that responsibility fell squarely to me and not necessarily my partner.”
Rogers knew she was not alone, as the media reported women were being disproportionately negatively affected by the pandemic in terms of job loss, isolation and loss of child care. In fact, the loss of jobs during the pandemic cost women around the world at least $800 billion in earnings, according to Oxfam International.
So when Simmons proposed the idea for Blush Cowork, Rogers was swiftly onboard.
Rogers said they have already seen their members turn Blush Cowork into more of a community than just a physical space. Women from similar industries are connecting and enjoying working ‘alone’ together.
All-access memberships are $250 per month, dedicated desk memberships are $400 monthly, and private offices are $750-$950 a month.
Since Blush opened March 1, companies are already renting out private offices as their prior leases end and they look for a new space to bring hybrid workers together.
“They’re not sure how they’re going to grow and change,” Rogers said. “So they’re looking for the opportunity to not commit long-term, but they want a space for their company to be all together.”
Blush Cowork currently has 34 members and they hope to expand even more, perhaps even opening locations in new cities and states in the coming years. The pandemic drove the need for spaces like Blush, where women who are not enjoying the remote-first policies many companies have adopted can bring their best selves to work.
“That’s just not everyone’s ideal way to work,” Rogers said. “We say we’re in between that ‘work from home’ and a traditional office in the most comfortable way, where it’ll hopefully help somebody work the way that they work best.”
Women who are transitioning to life as new mothers will also be able to feel at home, no matter their pumping or nursing needs, while still getting their work done and expanding their networks at Blush, Rogers said.
“You can’t be your best, most productive, creative self at work if your human needs aren’t taken care of,” Rogers said. “It’s really important to have a place that provides you a way to make those connections—whether they be business connections or just human connections—and then give you that peace of mind that your children are being well taken care of.”
