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BUSINESS PROFILES// BEC MUTCH

Tell us about your business – when did you start it and what is it all about?

I have two businesses actually. In 2012 I launched PathHunting, my learning experience design consultancy after deciding corporate was too much with two small children. In 2014 I launched The Cowork Collective, a collaborative workspace for creatives and solo biz types in Brunswick East. The first inspired the second as I initially worked from home for a year and was excruciatingly lonely (and I’m quite an introvert so go figure!), which motivated me to find a shared studio which I worked from for another year, but still felt an absence of connection because everyone worked in the bubbles of their private desks. Wondering what to do next it dawned on me that what I missed most from my corporate life was camaraderie. I was very happy to work on my own projects, that suited my personality better but I wanted people to laugh with, to say hi to in the morning, to bounce ideas around and collaborate with. It took a trip to Byron with friends over Easter in 2014 for the inspiration for The Cowork Collective to hit and here we are!

What inspires you to do what you do everyday?

Although it may not look as though my businesses are well aligned they are driven by the same purpose. To help people become what they wish to become. To smooth the path for people courageous enough to try something new, to grow, to explore, to break out of their box. And to help them find others having the same adventure. That really floats my boat.

What is next for your business?

For both businesses, it’s niching (what we do, why, and who we support) with more clarity and really delivering exceptional outcomes for our target clients.

For PathHunting it means niching more toward contemporary leadership and helping individuals expand their potential and this is really becoming a sweet spot for the business as it grows. For The Cowork Collective, it means providing environments and opportunities for home-based creatives and solo biz types to grow, and that all important camaraderie (check out our new thing Friends for the Adventure). In the past I’ve gotten lost trying to make everyone happy, feeling a desperate need to say yes when I really wanted to say no. So this year it’s about focus, staying true to my vision and being target-client centric (not any old client which is a new distinction for me)

What other inner north businesses inspire you?

So many… I’m a big fan of female-led businesses, particularly those started by an individual because it’s impressive to create your own momentum and grow a business. But no one really does it on their own, it takes a village, and I love that there are so many big-hearted women out there supporting each other along the way.

Other than Sinclair + May of course, my current top 3 are:

What’s your top health hack as a business owner for readers?

I’ve got one word for you – MEDITATE.

I first learned TM (transcendental meditation) maybe 20 years ago. I did it consistently for a few years, moved overseas and my practice dropped off. A year or so ago I revisited it after trying lots of other forms of meditation in an attempt to calm down my thinking and manage the stress of small children, two businesses and a tendency to swing between euphoric and anxious. What it gives me is a hotline to the most creative, calm, connected, serene part of myself. I feel better, I’m more optimistic and appreciative of life, I respond rather than react. For me, meditation makes everything better.