Meet Nancy of The Muse Rooms in The Valley and Burbank

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nancy.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Nancy. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
The Muse Rooms was my idea and luckily it was supported by amazing husband, Tim. In August of 2015, it came to me and by November of 2015, we opened The Muse Rooms NOHO, here in The NOHO Arts District. At first it was just shared space and a boardroom and then we added a couple offices. Altogether, a little under 2000-square feet, small by most coworking standards but ours none the less. A good level to learn and grow from.

My goal was always 3 locations in two years. Not sure why really, just sounded challenging, exciting and well risky. So, in the summer of 2016 we cancelled a big trip to go see the northern lights in Finland and dumped that money into location #2 in Burbank. We opened The Muse Rooms Burbank in November, 2016. This time with open space, dedicated desks, offices, an office suite, two kitchens, a boardroom and a courtyard. Hell, we even have a bar, which comes in handy for events. With Burbank, we took over the entire building and I gotta say it was freaking scary.

Tim and I just kept pushing and staying focused on the goals: 1. build our members; 2. build our brand; 3. pay our bills. It took a moment, but we got Burbank on it’s feet and NOHO just kept growing.

The NOHO Arts Distict is a hub of growth and creativity, so we weren’t surprised to hear that other coworking spaces wanted to open around us. I knew that, if we didn’t expand that we might get rolled over by someone else. So luckily, the opportunity of expanding in our building presented itself. We worked hard on the terms and in November of 2017 we opened the expanded extra 3000-sq. ft of our NOHO location, making NOHO just under 5000-square feet. And with our new space, we added dedicated desks, 19 offices, a quiet room with meditation station and more open space.

Not exactly 3 locations in two years, but pretty damn close. And still we stay focused on our goals: 1. build our members; 2. build our brand; 3. pay our bills.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
We didn’t have obstacles in our way, we had boulders. Ha! Between fighting with contractors, to negotiating the leases, to trying to figure out “how and the hell do we get people in here?” Being a small business owner starts with obstacles and challenges, the key is to not judge them. You accept them and move on.

Seriously, the only thing that matters is your goal. And, if you get upset at everything that doesn’t go right when you’re building your business, you are in for some very rough times. I try to not get emotional when things don’t go as I have planned. You have to breathe and move with changes in your plan, not beat your head up against them. And I suck at this sometimes and sometimes, I’m awesomely nimble.

I think the biggest challenge as a business owner is to take risks and be willing to screw up and then not worry about it. Nobody wants to fail when they are trying to succeed but too bad, it’s going to happen, it’s supposed to happen, you just have to figure out how you will react when it does. Reactions are the key to getting to your goals easily or choosing the hardest paths possible.

Sorry, that was a bit preachy but whatever shit happens, get used to it.

The Muse Rooms – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We are The Muse Rooms NOHO Coworking and The Muse Rooms Burbank Coworking. We are the coworking space that allows members to focus, connect and thrive. We are the non-corporate, non judgemental space where members can let their hair down and get to work, without worrying about others.

We specialize in getting members to focus, while being efficient, allowing them more time for the other things they love, even if that means more time for more work.

What sets The Muse Rooms apart from other coworking spaces is our vibe and creative edge. An accountant would probably never consider themselves to be a creative but they are. Anyone who has their own business is creative and working out of The Muse Rooms allows them to explore their creative sides.

It makes us extremely proud to hear the success stories of our members. We have amazing members who do and create amazing work in our space and that makes Tim and I very, very proud.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
For me, success is two parts. One, the success others perceive I have and second, is how I feel about what I’ve accomplished. It depended who I’m talking to but sometimes, I wish I had the success that others think I have. According to some, I have achieved a lot! And, they aren’t wrong but they also aren’t right.

Personal success is a feeling and for me it is important that I feel it every day and not just when I’ve reached my goal. Every night, before I leave a location I stop and take a long look around and I feel amazed that The Muse Rooms started just two years ago and I feel good but nothing makes me feel more successful than hearing the successes of our membership. That makes me feel amazing, proud, achieved and successful all at the same time. It’s the best feeling in the world and I can’t wait to see what it feels like when I have ten locations and hundreds of members every day achieving great things! That will be awesome!

Pricing:

• Open Monthly Membership 24/7 access $250/month
• Dedicated Desk 24/7 access $400/month
• Offices for 1 start at $600. Offices for two at $800

Contact Info:

• Address: The Muse Rooms NOHO
  4942 Vineland Ave.
  North Hollywood CA
  91601The Muse Rooms Burbank
  826 South Victory Blvd
  Burbank, CA
  91502
• Website: www.themuserooms.com
• Phone: 818-823-4717
• Email: [email protected]

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.