Meet Garrett, Owner Hygge

Garrett Tichy is the CoFounder and Owner of Hygge Coworking. A strong advocate for Charlotte, Tichy is well-known for his natural ability to build diverse and inclusive communities of professionals – both online and in-person – who appreciate and thrive on the power of connection to elevate an initiative, a workplace and a city.

Owner: 

Hygge Coworking & smpl

About:

Hygge Coworking Opened location one in October of 2015. Our second location opened in December of 2016 and Camp North End opened June 2017. We’re just space. Without the people that work here we would have nothing. They make up the #hyggefam. It’s important to focus on those that make our space awesome.

smpl(pronounced simple) was founded in August of 2017 officially. Myself, Mike Bifulco & Sean Rogers have been working for 5 months to develop this software to make managing your coworking space well, more simple. Launch is coming soon. The goal is to become a true valued resource for the coworking community. We’re most than just software.

What is a typical day like for you?

4:30am Wake Up. 5:30am Madabolic workout. In One of the 3 locations by 6:40am where I attempt to go inbox zero by 7:30am. Nothing. I want ZERO emails. The rest of the day is really just spent doing tours, setting up people for podcasts, hanging with the #hyggefam and planning ways to grow the business. We’re always looking at what’s next. By 5:30pm I like to be home to spend time with the fam. By 8:30pm once everyone goes to bed I’m back at the computer working on something else.

Favorite part about being an entrepreneur?

I love the hustle. I love working. Growing things is an addiction and I have that bug for sure.

Least favorite?

How lonely it can feel. I have the luxury of having a strong circle of like minded entrepreneurs in my life but often I feel alone. It’s not depression. I’m a happy person but I have overwhelming feelings of loneliness often.

What did you do before you went out on your own?

Worked as a developer and Marketing Manager for a small marketing agency. Before that I worked 10 years in Video Game Retail. Gross.

Why did you pick Charlotte as the home of your business?

It’s not that exciting. At 23 I had the opportunity to take my NY salary down here to open a new retail location for the company I was working for. Boom, here I am.

What inspired you to go out on your own?

Control. I like control and I want the blame for success and failure to be on me. When working for the agency I constantly felt like no matter how good or bad I performed there was a chance I’d be fired. I hated that. Now, If I do or don’t do the work, it’s one me.

What do you do when you’re not working?

hahahahahaha. What’s that? The two times I truly try to unplug are for working out and family time with Jennie and Olivia. If I find little pockets of empty time I’ll typically just try to work or squeeze something in. There’s always something to be done and I really like working.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned from being out on your own?

Surround yourself with good people and give as much if not more than you take. This journey already feels lonely enough. Be there for those that are doing awesome things and they will be there for you. When the going gets tough it’s really nice to have people to commiserate with.

Talk about a time you failed big time and what you did next.

Yes, there’s been lots of little failures of no real consequence. We make decisions, they don’t work and then we either pivot or move on.

Has anything of real consequence happened in my world? I’m still waiting on the big F. I’m lucky enough to make smart calculated decisions that have led to success.

Who do you look up to or look to for inspiration/advice? 

Haley Bohon of SkillPop, Corri Smith of BW, Meggie Williams of Waggle Co, Blair Primis of OrthoCarolina.

What’s your motto, or some words you live by? 

Stop saying you’re too busy to do things. We all have a lot going on but we make time for the things we really want to do. For me, that’s my business, my family, my friends and personal wellness.

Personal wellness should be everyone’s top priority. YOU are #1. If we take care of ourselves we can better serve those around us.

Doing things that are a waste of time is ok. Watching Netflix is a waste of time. That’s ok! Playing video games is a waste of time. That’s ok! Staring at Twitter all say is a waste of time. That’s ok! Do what you want. Remember if these things support your personal wellness then you’re doing something right.

What advice would you offer to someone who wants to be an entrepreneur?

It’s not for everyone and it’s been over glorified. You’ll work more than you ever did at a normal 8-5 job. Be ready and be willing to do the work because no one will do it for you.

Where can people stalk ya?

@hyggeclt @alwaysSMPL

What’s your “power color”?

Yeeeeelllloooooww

A Note from BW on Garrett…

We picked Garrett to represent SPACE. He has created space and has made space creative… and looks cool as a cucumber while doing it. We admire Garrett’s love for community and his willingness to HELP. He’s always down for a conversation, to offer advice, to connect or lend support and we’ve come to find that a rare quality among many entrepreneurs (or humans in general). We’re inspired by Garrett and hope you’ll give him a #FollowWednesday.

Photo: Julia Fay