US: Author and former basketball player Paul Shirley is the founder of The Process, a coworking space in Denver, Colorado.
The Process is located on Bannock Street, in Denver’s Golden Triangle Creative District, within walking distance of the Denver Art Museum. It is aimed at entrepreneurs, creatives and freelancers.
“Society’s taught people how to break things into bits with traditional work, but we never taught people how to make sense of these huge, open-ended projects,” Shirley told 303 Magazine. “We need to do the same for creative work. If you can do three things in 45 minutes, that’s what adds up,” he explains. “As opposed to telling someone, ‘OK, you have nine months to manifest this huge project.’”
Shirley played for the Chicago Bulls, the Atlanta Hawks and the Phoenix Suns, as well as writing for ESPN and Spanish newspaper El Pais. It was while writing that the idea for The Process came about: “The habits of basketball paralleled the habits of being a writer. At the gym, day after day, or at your desk at an appointed time — it’s all about showing up.”
“I knew Denver people would get it from both an entrepreneurial and creative angle,” says Shirley. “We try to make The Process itself as enjoyable as possible. It should be more fun than staying at home.”
The Process website says: “Our members are working on books, business plans, consulting projects, podcasts, and pitch decks. They’re creatives, freelancers, side-hustlers, digital nomads, and working professionals. The commonality: they’re ambitious, they’re tired of working alone, and they’ve embraced the power of structure, accountability, and community.Three things make us different from most workspaces. Timed sessions: one-hour Sprints and two-hour Extended sessions. Staffed sessions: all our sessions are guided by one of our staff. Tiered memberships: you can join our community for as low as $60/month. Our members come in, work hard, and then go on about their days. Think of us like a gym or a yoga studio for your brain.”
