Today we interview Sven, 52, a coworker who came to Granada from Germany and shares his time working at ANDA as a digital nomad.
1. Why do you work in a Coworking Space?
I appreciate that especially here in Granada I meet locals who I can get in touch with, even if it’s just the typical chat in the kitchen that you always have in Coworking Spaces.
I can learn the language here. But I also work in a Coworking Space in Berlin, where I actually live, and I went there because I no longer wanted to work always alone as I work as a freelancer. I need a place where I can be and where I can just interact with people and not be isolated. And that’s why a coworking space is so important. In addition to that, the infrastructure is maintained and you have to take care of it by yourself only a little bit.
You can cater for yourself or you can buy something and eat it here, it’s just pleasant and you always have a kind of, I would almost like to call it human security.
And which isn’t exactly foreseeable for me here right now, because I don’t speak the language enough yet, but it’s also possible that you’ll end up working together with someone at some point and have different projects with other Coworking user.
2. And how long have you been working in a Coworking Space?
Before I came to Granada I worked in a Coworking in Germany, I think I’ve been working in Coworking Spaces since 2017 or 2018.
Before that, unfortunately, only at home and then I had such a pressure to act because my productivity dropped almost against zero.
I had to do something about it, had to get out of the apartment and my personal rescue was a Coworking Space.
3. How do you feel when you think about an upcoming day at the Coworking Space?
Happy. Happy and full of expectations what interpersonal encounters are waiting for me, what nice conversations I will have and how well I will get on with my work, even if chat a little to much in the kitchen (smiles).
I always look forward to it with great joy and also with a certain pride that I can also afford to pay for such a Coworking Space, it was not always like that, especially when I started my own business.
4. Did you notice any differences in attitude, mentality or the general atmosphere in Coworking spaces in Germany and Spain?
Yes. So from my personal perception of the atmosphere, I would like to say that overall there is a higher level of impartiality and actually a higher ease of life is noticeable in the spanish coworking Space and overall I would rate the entire mental or mood level as a little higher than in my local Coworking Space in Germany.
There I perceive a different kind of seriousness and a higher degree of reclusiveness, despite the very good collegial manners.
So it’s relaxed there too, but here it’s even higher, so it’s more familiar and the atmosphere is a bit lighter.
5. And what do good working conditions mean to you? Or a good working environment?
Well, it’s the mix of quietness and background noises, that shouldn’t exceed a certain level. Of course I wish that there is a working atmosphere overall, so that you don’t have to make an effort to stay away from distractions, so that in a certain way there is also consideration. And otherwise, a sufficient work surface is important to me.
Overall, I like to have some space around me. If there’s something I don’t like, it’s when the seating situation gets too tight, so I need some space.
And that there is a refrigerator, that there is a kitchen, that’s also important to me, because I also want to cook for myself from time to time, which means that it’s important that you can cool something and keep your drinks cold .
And it’s also nice if you can make yourself a coffee. And daylight! Extra daylight is so important. And that is absolutely given here, so here at ANDA is actually the optimum.
6. Do you notice differences in your productivity and job qualities depending on where you work?
Definitely! So the most drastic difference I notice is between home office and a Coworking Space.
You can say in general that my work productivity is generally higher in a Coworking Space than at home.
It´s always the coworking space that brings me more productivity.
7. What makes ANDA special for you?
I chose it very consciously. And I actually chose it for its bright appearance, its natural brightness. In addition, the size and the professionalism with which the premises are furnished, the sufficient space, the expanse and also the expectation that I will meet more than just two other people, but maybe even see ten or twelve other people.
This Coworking offers me space, it has a spacious facility in which I feel comfortable and that’s why I like using it so much. That is an important point. Then the communication. The initial communication was also clear, I had this communication with the owner of the Coworking Space and noticed an extremely warm reception of my request, so the answer were extremely appreciative, in response to my customer request. I wasn’t used to that, there was an openness and friendliness that went beyond the normal level. It was a 100 percent reliable communication and they made it possible for me to book exactly what I wanted to book.
Aswell the extraordinarily inspired atmosphere, because the people here seem very inspired and friendly. It’s an amazing mix of , well, a very inhomogeneous mix, the characters and personalities are extremely different I think, but they seem to have one thing in common, that they all appreciate having this pleasant interaction here.
It seems a kind of, I almost would say, that can also be labeled as an accolade, I would perceive a certain ANDA atmosphere here,
I really want to confirm that there is a special spirit that is cultivated here and the way you deal with people and with the customers who use this here has a very relaxed and people-friendly atmosphere, which and that corresponds to my personal ethics that I have and my personal attitude to life, which is picked up here.
It’s extremely compatible and I’ve come to the right place. That’s why for me this is the place I definitely want to come back to when I’m back in Granada.
8. Ok, and is there anything else that you would like to add?
Yes, I wish a place like this will last for a long time. That would be very important to me because, after all, I depend on getting to a place like this. That would be very important to me