Creating a Virtual Office Space with GoBrunch

Today's article features insights from Christopher Shea, an expert in life coaching, motivational counseling, and corporate coaching focused on improving one's life.

My Introduction to GoBrunch

Hey there, have you ever felt frustrated with online meeting platforms? Yeah, me too. Let me tell you about my journey with GoBrunch, a tool that has completely changed how I interact with my students and clients.

So, there I was, struggling with the usual suspects – Zoom, Teams, you name it – for my online graduate class. These platforms felt so... sterile. One day, while I was doom-scrolling through various online tools, I stumbled upon GoBrunch. It looked different, intriguing even. I decided to give it a shot for my next class. To my surprise, the students liked it. No negative feedback, just a mix of indifferent to positive reactions. And that got me thinking – if my class can benefit from this, what else can I do with GoBrunch?

Envisioning a Physical Office Space

Before I delve deeper into my GoBrunch experience, let me backtrack a bit. I used to have a physical office in a quaint building with a few other tenants. It was perfect – or so I thought. As I expanded my life coaching and consulting business, I envisioned taking over the whole building. Imagine this: a space not just for coaching but also for group work, a cozy little café, yoga sessions, meditation, acupuncture– an all-encompassing wellness hub. It was an ambitious dream, and I was getting closer to making it a reality.

The Covid Curveball

Then, COVID hit. I’m based in Maryland, and like many places, we went into lockdown.

Suddenly, my thriving office space was redundant. I had to shift everything online, but thankfully, I already had a decent online presence. It wasn’t the transition that bothered me; it was the thought that my dream of a holistic wellness center was fading.

A Virtual Pivot

But then, I had an epiphany. If I were my own business coach, what advice would I give myself? I could either keep trudging along, doing the same old online sessions, or I could pivot and use GoBrunch to recreate my vision virtually. And that’s exactly what I did.

Setting Up My GoBrunch Space

I started by creating a virtual lobby – the first impression for anyone visiting my online space. From there, clients could navigate to various rooms, much like they would in a physical office. I even replicated my office setup using GoBrunch’s features. Here’s how it all came together:

1. The Lobby

Imagine walking into a serene lobby with soft music playing in the background. This is the first stop for my clients. It's welcoming and sets the tone for the rest of their virtual visit.

2. My Office

Just like in my physical office, I recreated my personal office space. Clients can pop in to see if I'm available, just like they would have in person. It feels more personal and connected than a standard video call.

3. Meditation Room

This is one of my favorite spaces. I embedded soothing music using SoundCloud. When clients enter, they are greeted with calming sounds that help them relax and prepare for our sessions.

4. Yoga Space

I also set up a yoga room. My vision is to have a live camera feed of the instructor, so clients can follow along as if they were in a physical class. I’m still tinkering with this, may beading ocean wave sounds for an even more immersive experience.

Collaboration Opportunities

One of the exciting things about GoBrunch is the potential for collaboration. Imagine creating a virtual neighborhood of wellness services. Just like my old office location, where there was a yoga studio across the street and acupuncture downstairs, we can connect various virtual spaces. This way, I could refer a client to a colleague’s yoga session or meditation class with just a click.

Making It Interactive

Here’s something cool – embedding videos. I used Canva to create an AI-driven welcome video for my clients. It was straightforward: I made the video, got an embed code from Canva, and voila! Now, when clients enter my virtual space, they are greeted by this personalized video. No YouTube ads or distractions – just a clean, professional welcome.

The Power of Community

GoBrunch has this fantastic feature where users can share their experiences and learn from each other. During one of our sessions, someone mentioned Radio Paradise for background music. I haven’t tried it yet, but it’s on my to-do list. The community aspect of GoBrunch is invaluable – we’re all learning and growing together.

Future Plans

So, what’s next? My immediate goal is to fully integrate my GoBrunch space into my main website. This way, clients and visitors can seamlessly navigate through all the virtual rooms I’ve created. Long-term, I’m looking forward to more collaborative opportunities. I envision a time when my virtual office is connected with other wellness providers, creating a robust network of services.

Final Thoughts

Reflecting on this journey, I’m amazed at how adaptable and resilient we can be. Moving from a physical office to a virtual space was a huge shift, but it has opened up so many new possibilities. If you’re in a similar situation, struggling with the constraints of traditional online platforms, give GoBrunch a try. It might just transform your business the way it did mine.

About the Contributor: Christopher Shea, life coach and motivational counselor. Connect on LinkedIn and visit their website.

You can get started at GoBrunch.com