Your Name: Felena Hanson
Business Name: Hera Hub, a coworking space for entrepreneurial women
Type of Business: Coworking
Business Location: San Diego, California, United States
Website www.herahub.com
Twitter www.twitter.com/HeraHub
Facebook www.facebook.com/herahub
Pinterest www.pinterest.com/HeraHub/
Reason for starting
Hera Hub grew out of Felena’s personal need for flexible work, meeting, and event space. She found herself pushed into entrepreneurship after being laid off from a Marketing Director position with a San Diego based high tech company in 2003. Felena launched a marketing strategy-consulting firm, Perspective Marketing, and found it convenient and cost effective to work from home. Yet, after a couple years she found working from home to be, at times, distracting and isolating. Felena took on a leadership position with several professional women’s organizations, Women’s Global Network and Ladies Who Launch, San Diego. In this role she found herself consistently challenged to secure cost effective, fitting event and workshop space for monthly meetings.
How do you define success?
Earning a good living at something I love to do.
Biggest Success
Broke even in 3rd month of business and have grown to 200 members in one year. Seeing the growth of second and third location in year two, as well as starting a franchise process. Felena gets to see “magic” happen every day, as new ideas sprout and connections are made.
What is your top challenge and how have you addressed it?
The commercial real estate process was much more complex and challenging than Felena ever imagined. She had two strikes against her new business and new concept… no one wanted to take a risk. After six months of negotiation and two failed lease negotiations (both in the eleventh hour), Felena is happy to say that the third time really is a charm! Through the help of her network and her tenacious broker, Misty Moore, from Jones Lang LaSalle, she was finally able to secure close to 5,000 square feet in a very desirable location. It was double the size and twice the risk but Felena felt confident that the gamble would pay off.
Who is your most important role model?
My grandmother.