For members only

I’m not a joiner and have always stayed away from club memberships. Mainly because my travel schedule doesn’t allow me to be in one place for long. Anytime I sign up for a series of classes, I always miss 2 out of the 5 week sessions and lose on the valuable connections I make. I’m one of those intrepid people who signs up on a Monday for a course on a Thursday and by the time Thursday comes around, I get swamped and have to bail. Yes, membership people love me because I pay my dues but never seem to show up.

There’s a “members only” mystique around private clubs. For example, there’s the famous exclusive Bohemia Club in San Francisco. It’s a men’s club and dates back to 1872. It includes artists, writers, media moguls who refer to themselves as “BoHo’s.” I like the City Club which is more of a business and networking club and open for men and women. I’m blinded by the stunning Diego Rivera mural on the staircase entrance.  

That brings me to the office space I found recently and started negotiating on it.  I’ve been working out of my home office for the past 5 years and it’s time to get out of that situation. I’ve spent months weighing the pros and cons to moving out of my home office and finally decided for the social stimulation and entrepreneurial camaraderie, it was worth it. I found the place in a perfect spot in San Francisco’s SOMA district, I liked the business owners and liked my own private office with a window overlooking a parking lot. I realize it’s not too Feng Shui to situate oneself overlooking a parking lot and could cause some damage to my creative juices but on the otherhand, I’m looking to buy a new car and observing people pull up in their cars and leaving their keys for the parking attendent could be insightful. 

I studied my calendar and noticed with my intense travel schedule coming up the next few months, I would only have about 8 business days in the new office during the month of February and less in March. Does it make sense for me to move to a new office space? Not really- at least not now.

That brings me back to the need for community and to need to belong to something. Although social networking is so hot right now, we become virtually and virally connected- sure, our inboxes are full and friends from all over the world are just an email away. It doesn’t replace the feeling of reaching your hand out and connecting in person, looking at someone walk in drenched from the rain or listening to a side conversation about Edwards dropping out of the Presidential race.  

Today, I’ve decided to join. I am going to become a member of a few organizations. There’s a responsibility that comes with that. Participating and showing up. Please email me about clubs you belong to.