Here at VIDA Coworking, we have so many amazing members as part of our community, including small businesses, nonprofit organizations, remote workers, entrepreneurs, consultants and more!

In this post, we ask our classic five questions of Beaverton Part-Time Flex Member, Laura Bernards, who works at C3 Collective, a local communications firm that uses the power of storytelling to help brands, businesses, and individuals connect more deeply with their audience (and whose CEO Jenna Cooper was a Founding Member of our VIDA Portland location!).

1. Tell us about your work:
I work in public relations for C3 Collective and I love helping clients figure out their communications strategy – and put their best selves forward aligned with their personal and company values. I think of myself as a strategist, content creator and writer – but I’m also a relationship builder, networker and marketer with an eye for details. I have a PMP (project management professional) accreditation which explains why I’m always trying to organize things!

Over the years I’ve worked as a network television producer, documentary producer, and my client communications work has spanned the tourism, healthcare, consumer goods, and non profit sectors.

2. What led you to this career?
I loved my radio & tv classes in high school and college – it seemed like an exciting career choice, and it has been. I moved to NY and got my first job answering phones at Good Morning America! I became an associate producer in the control room and eventually moved to Washington DC where I worked as a field producer for CNN and National Geographic. I think being a journalist first has made me better at what I do now. Over the years I’ve gravitated towards more client work – but the skills are the same, storytelling, writing, details, and people skills, and being a good listener helps too!

3. What are your passions– personal or professional?
I am passionate about authentic human storytelling – people being given the chance to tell their own stories. I’m much more interested in reading stories like those than packaged marketing testimonials. I’m also passionate about real journalism – it’s still out there and we need it! I’m also passionate about causes that help people in our communities. I try to teach my kids that we all need to help take care of others as members of society.

4. How does community play an important role in your life?
I think for most people your co-workers and clients are your community if you’re not a part of a big work team. With spaces like VIDA, I’ve broadened that thinking to realize that my work community can be a group of people who work on different projects, but share a community space and each have a feeling of belonging there. It’s kind of cool to have this kind of work community, especially for those of us who are sole practitioners or work for small companies, or are freelance!

5. At VIDA, we are committed to help Make Life/Work… how do you find this for yourself?
I have a love/hate relationship with running and yoga – but I love being out in nature with my husband, dog and kids, and I always enjoy paddle boarding in the summer, and traveling in general. I also love to cook when I have the time to enjoy it – and I recently picked up tennis again which has been very fun.

WE  ❤️ OUR MEMBERS! 

VIDA is a coworking community designed to #MakeLifeWork for our members. With locations in Portland, Oregon and Beaverton, Oregon, we offer private offices, dedicated desks and open coworking, alongside highly curated onsite amenities and an amazing member community.