Meet Ethan from Coastlab  

In this new edition of People Behind the Space, we catch up with Coastie, Ethan Neville from CoastLab.

We chat about his journey creating the first coworking space in the Hibiscus Coast, the challenges along the way and their ultimate goal for modelling a new way to work: no hump days, no watching the clock, no Auckland traffic and no instant coffee. Just pure collaborative working space with good vibes and a community of like-minded creatives and professionals.  

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I’m a lifelong Coastie – the self-titled designation for those who live on the Hibiscus Coast of Auckland – and, like most Coasties, have always been afraid of a full-time desk job. I grew up fishing, playing sport and ticking off all of the other Kiwi childhood clichés, but after finishing school, found I enjoyed reading and writing more than most other things.

I ended up studying English Literature, which prepared me very little for running a shared space but did get me a job working at Massey University tutoring writing and communication. I currently split my time between Massey, CoastLab, and writing and editing for New Zealand Fishing News – and any time left over is still spent on the sports field or boat!

How did CoastLab come about? What made you want to start your own coworking space?

CoastLab came about after I got sick of working at home and decided to google “coworking Hibiscus Coast”. When nothing came up, I thought it was about time someone started one.

A space that could provide a focal point for connection on the Coast, as well as one avenue of reprieve from the Auckland traffic, was long overdue. After some animated and rash discussions with Tim, my older brother, and Nik, another mate of ours who has had experience with start-ups, we went for it. Three hectic months later and CoastLab was born!

What has been the biggest challenge so far?

Rather than one big problem, the challenges have formed something like a blurred artwork of daily adversities.

All 24 desks arrived chipped and most other deliveries arrived a few days late; the windows couldn’t be washed and it turned out the carpet was not just dusty but stained with paint; everything costed a little more than expected and my brother’s wife went into labour the day before opening – you know, those small challenges.

Thankfully, we’ve had so much support from friends and family, and worked with so many great contractors and suppliers, that all these problems caused very little stress and were quickly overcome (and I am now an uncle!).

Tell us a bit about the social events & talks you host at CoastLab.

CoastLab is still in its early days, but we do have a few things in the works. We have partnered with CoastConnect to provide a networking evening the first Thursday of every month. Our first meeting is on the 5 th September and will be visited by Serious Play Works, a group that use Lego to teach business (I can’t imagine it being boring!).

In September we will also have a yoga teacher and mindfulness expert coming in once a week to take sessions for CoastLab members, which is really exciting!

If you could pick any three people to work in your space, who would it be and why? 

Yuval Noah Harari, Arundhati Roy, and Selena Gomez – my favourite scholar, my favourite author, and my lifelong crush.

Do you have any tips and tricks for those thinking about setting up their own coworking space?

My first piece of advice would be to do things right once. About a month before opening we reached a crossroad: stick to our plan and virtually forget about our initial budget or start cutting corners to save money. Despite the additional stress it caused, we all agree that doing things right the first time was perhaps the most pivotal factor to our current success.

The second piece of advice I’d add is to choose a location where you’re already connected to (and care about) the community. For us at least, word of mouth has been the most effective form of marketing, and being surrounded with like-minded friends who also want the best for the community makes everything a whole lot easier.

Are there any exciting future plans you guys have for CoastLab?

Yes! As I’ve already harped on about, we are trying to establish a focal point for community on the Coast.

To this end, we are working on creating community events where business owners, students and creatives can come and be part of a wider network of people dedicated to achieving similar goals. The first of these events, Late Night Thursdays, kicked off last week and more similar events will be coming soon!

Photo Credit: Hanson and Daughters

Register your interest and CoastLab can work with you to provide a space perfect for you and your business. 

Click here to view their listing on Sharedspace.co.nz for more details.