I’ll start by saying this: I don’t write blogs very often. But lately, being in my 8th year as a hub manager has had me reflecting on the role, the skills it’s quietly given me, and how much it’s changed since I first stepped into it.
When I left school, hub manager wasn’t just not on my radar. I didn’t even know the role existed. To be honest, I wasn’t aware that coworking hubs existed either. (Spoiler !! It has been more than 8 years since I left school .)
On paper, it’s one job. In reality, it’s a bit of everything.
I’ve run events and competitions, organised community lunches and potlucks, written newsletters and social media posts, and delivered programmes like Tea & Tech, helping older adults build confidence with digital tools. I’ve hosted local meet-ups and welcomed delegations from across Europe and the US, spoken to groups exploring how to set up their own hubs, and had conversations ranging from hyper-local to unexpectedly global.
I’ve prepared board packs, worked across countless software platforms, managed social media and marketing, dealt with facilities providers, project-managed building refurbishments, and negotiated with tradespeople, usually trying to convince them to work to my schedule rather than theirs.
A big and often underestimated part of the role is figuring out how best to engage a community.
Over the years, I’ve written newsletters, set up WhatsApp groups, run competitions, and organised everything from bake-offs to step challenges. What I’ve learned is that none of these things ever stays static. Each year, they have to be adapted, rethought, and reshaped to fit a community that is constantly changing and growing.
I’ve welcomed local primary and secondary school students and 3rd-level students through the doors, spoken to groups curious about future careers, met numerous politicians and policymakers, and, at one point, found myself explaining Ludgate’s story to the last President, Mr Michael D. Higgins. None of that was in the job description, but all of it has been part of the work.
Being a hub manager means learning to read the room, again and again.
Something I hear more and more from our members (who are all great, and probably the best hub members ever) is this:
They tell me they don’t have to be in Ludgate, but they choose to be here.
And something else has crystallised for me recently.
When we talk about coworking spaces, especially online, we often focus on the practical benefits: membership costs, free coffee, fast internet, networking opportunities, and hot desks.
All important. All valid.
But what we rarely talk about is this:
Coworking spaces are an investment.
It’s not a software package.
It’s not a shiny new app.
It’s not the latest piece of hardware.
They’re an investment in time.
Time saved by not working in isolation. Time reclaimed through structure and separation between work and home. Time improved by being around other people who are also building something.
They’re an investment in you, your business, and your team, in how you work, not just where you work.
So my call to action is simple:
Invest in yourself. Invest in your time. Use your local coworking space and help build the communities that make working better for everyone.
And if you’re working locally here in West Cork and thinking about how or where you work, get in touch. We’re always happy to have a conversation.
As part of that, on February 1st (valid until March 01st), we’re launching a limited-time offer on our ROI membership for 3 months for the price of 2. It’s a chance to properly settle in, build a routine, and see what being part of a coworking community can actually do for your work and your time. For more information email info@ludgate.ie
Eight years on, what’s kept me here is West Cork, the people, the ideas, and the quiet power of working locally while thinking globally.
