how does visiting a friend at work help us love where we live? 

kathleen bakes cakes in her apartment. katie edits books downtown. stan cleans teeth. carla works with numbers for a global clothing company. chase makes your coffee choice as he saves for college. 

over small talk we learn what our friends do in our cities. we hear of their promotions, long hours, office drama, board meetings, how long they've been with the company, and how they landed the job in the first place. but what if we stopped by? what if we showed up in the very place where they are making a difference? what if we met their co-workers and they got to prove they have a life outside of work!? 

we can picture their living space and places we've dined together, but can we picture where they are most of the week?

the next time you schedule time together, meet where they work. invite them over to your headquarters. even if headquarters is home! 

perks of visiting a friend at work:

• it simplifies your calendar as you would be spending time together this week anyway
• it breaks up redundancy
• you see deeper into their gifts and abilities
• you meet a whole new group of people
• a behind-the-scenes of another company
• a better appreciation for what is being accomplished where you live
• together, you display that life is meant to be shared

when i visit kathy at her restaurant, i quickly see the many hats she wears. from hostess to chef, she knows how to do it all. she values her workplace. she excels in her giftedness. she genuinely cares for everyone in the restaurant - from the guests to the employees. plus, i get to sample the food she's creating!

titin has given me a tour of where she works. and she is the chemist behind the makeup i wear! right now, i can picture her workstation and the lab and the co-workers around her. i have come to value this company because of the integrity on display through titin and her co-workers. 

francés was so kind to give ben and sam a tour of her previous workplace. it's a whole new world inside google! sam was drawn to the perks and it's clear that google has its own culture. how kind are they to let their employees invite others in! 

brett showed us around where he spends his time during the week. it's airbnb. (i know. it's crazy what's within walking distance of home - we gotta love where we live!)  their company is so open to guests and it was incredible to see all the behind-the-scenes that is making this company thrive. even after we finished our lunch, brett let us know we're welcome anytime. 

do this for your kids. let them see where their role models, coaches, teachers work. set up a time to drop them off and hang out. this gives great exposure to what your kids might be interested in. asher can't wait to hang with josh as he works with computers and baseball and kavita has hundreds of questions for hannah the nurse and brenda the videographer!

i can picture where my friends are this week. i can envision what they are accomplishing. my appreciation for what is happening in my city is greater. 

set up a lunch this week with a friend at their workplace.

who can you invite over to your office space?

#lovewhereyoulive