An excerpt from the tale of a Toronto entrepreneur...

Monday. 5:18 a.m. 

It’s another cold fall morning in Toronto and the city’s still asleep.

But for entrepreneurs, the punch clock never stops ticking. As if to prove that point, it’s not my alarm clock that wakes me up. It’s the ring of a phone call that breaks the silence and marks the official start of the day.

A panicked client from across the pond has a pressing issue that urgently needs to be resolved.

Gotta love time zones.

The Sunday scaries have barely had time to subside but, just like that, the workweek is underway.

Better get to the office.

6:13 AM: Touchdown at King West

Good thing the King West office is open 24/7.

I'm a short walk to King and Bathurst. Plus it’s hard trying to stay dialed in and focused at a coffee shop or the kitchen counter, so I’m glad I’ve got a real place to work this early.

The free coffee and tea don’t hurt on these early mornings either. Coffee is freshly-ground. Tea options are plentiful. Gotta love it.

Quick chat in the kitchen with another member who tells me she just successfully raised money from a local VC firm. Fist bump. "Let's celebrate at happy hour tonight," she says. Absolutely.

A double dose of caffeine in hand, it’s time to sit down at my dedicated desk and start putting out this morning’s fire.

Despite the tinge of self-pity creeping through my mind, it’s encouraging to see a handful of fellow community members sharing my struggle this early on a Monday. Really feels like we're in this together.

Alas, we shall persevere. 

9:14 AM: Email Catch-Up 

With the urgent issue finally resolved, business as usual can now commence. 

The first thing on the docket is to get through the backlog of emails in my inbox.

37 of them, to be specific. Fast wifi has just become my best friend. The groovy tunes in the background don't hurt either.

But first, another cup of coffee is needed.

9:43 AM: Meeting Prep 

Next on the agenda: a long-time client is coming in at 11 o’clock to talk through next year’s strategy.

I’ve got an hour booked in a meeting room so we can discuss all the details in private. But before they arrive, I’ve got a stack of documents I need to prepare, print, and staple. 

Time is tight, but on the bright side, I don’t need to leave the building to tackle these tasks. On-site printing FTW.

11:00 AM: The Meeting

The meeting attendees have arrived--with a few unexpected additions. We’re now six people rather than four.

Things could get a little cramped and uncomfortable if we all try to pile into a four-person meeting room.

Thankfully, I’m able to swap out from The Martin Room to The War Room. Jeff takes care of this for me so I can get right back to my meeting. This must be what they mean by "founder-friendly".

Crisis averted. 

I hook up my client & co. with the beverages of their choice, grab some whiteboard markers, and the meeting continues without a hitch. 

12:12 PM: The Next Meeting Mad Dash 

With my first meeting finished, the next destination is a lunch meeting at… where is it at?

My client’s located at Richmond and Spadina, so I need to head over that way. But before I go, I better pick out a solid and affordable lunch spot in the neighbourhood. Thai food sounds good.

Gotta start walking if I want to be on time.

12:30 PM: The Lunch Meeting 

Greetings. Small talk. Sparkling water.

The lunch meeting gets underway. 

My client wants a cocktail. I pause to consider. Member Cheers to Happy Hour always has great ideas. I suggest a few to my client.

But, considering my day started three hours early today, I opt for an espresso instead.

There will certainly be a cocktail in my future once this workday wraps up, though. After all, there's a funding round to celebrate.

2:42 PM: Time to Hyper-Focus

Well, that lunch meeting ran long to say the least. The to-do list is still stacked and there’s not much time left in the day.

Lucky thing I’ve got my laptop with me.

Rather than heading all the way back to King West, I’ll just stop in at Camden Street to grind out the rest of this workday. Different vibe. Different people. It's a welcome change of scenery.

You know what they say: time is money, so every minute counts.

My phone vibrates. It's a Slack notification from Neil reminding me about today's happy hour. Duh.

5:16 PM: Happy Hour 

It’s coming up on twelve hours since my slumber was interrupted so abruptly. It’s definitely been a long day but, all things considered, it turned out to be a pretty good one as well.

I’m not ready to pack it in quite yet, though. I need to unwind and relax before I head home for the night.

And with that in mind, it’s time to head back to King West for happy hour, as promised. A couple quick wobbly pops, a toast to my recently funded friend, and a few chats with good people to relax my mind, then I’m headed home to get ready for Tuesday.

It’s hard to say what the rest of the week has in store, but I can handle whatever it throws my way. The team at Project Spaces has my back.

Your workdays might not be as crazy as this (or maybe they are). If you’re looking for a flexible workspace that helps make every day a little easier and more fun, get in touch today to check out Project Spaces! We’re a big, supportive group of work friends and we’d love for you to join us.