Venture X, the coworking space in Southside Bethlehem, was supposed to open a month before the pandemic hit. “As you can imagine, our first year and a half was very difficult,” says president Terry Wallace. “However, we've added more members and filled more offices in the past five months than we had in the previous year and a half.”
Since the pandemic, as business owners and decision-makers come to understand the comprehensive service, agility and value Venture X offers, Wallace says they've experienced much more traction. “Every business has reassessed their use of space and working models and all businesses are seeking more flexibility, higher quality and lower cost. We deliver all of these and much more,” he says. “We've also seen a spike in the number of individuals looking to increase their productivity and get work done outside of their homes.”
Wallace says he was bullish on coworking prior to COVID, but he's even more bullish after COVID. His time at WeWork certainly shed light on the value of coworking, but it was his personal experience with commuting and leading global teams that moved him to open Venture X where he calls home, in the Lehigh Valley. “There was a huge number of people commuting to New York, New Jersey and the Philadelphia area. I decided to bring the finest of Fifth Avenue space, amenities and services to where the commuters live.” Venture X will continue to expand throughout the Lehigh Valley, with plans already in motion for Easton and Allentown.
Wallace set out to help others strike a better work-life balance, so what advice does he have for those looking to do exactly that? Ask yourself: What is truly important to you? Be brutally honest, he advises. Ask yourself: What do you mean by balance? Define it and be specific. Structure your life in a manner that best positions you to meet your priorities—and make adjustments as your priorities change (because they will, he says).
“My successes have been dependent on a commitment to adaptability,” says Wallace. “From a U.S. Marine to a police officer, to management consulting, to leading global HR operations at a Fortune 10 company, and then for a rapid-growth start up and now to starting my own business.”
Published as "Voices of the Valley" in the September 2022 edition of Lehigh Valley Style magazine.
