Worklife | Coworking & Shared Office Space on the South Coast

There had to be a better way to juggle work and life…

It took 612 commuting trips from Berry to Sydney, the conversion of a garden shed into a failed home office and one too many mid-week wines with tree-change widows juggling kids while husbands commuted back to Sydney before the penny finally dropped for WorkLife founder Kate Dezarnaulds.

Deciding there had to be a better way to support the juggle work and life, she created the solution she craved for her own life and founded WorkLife- the South Coasts first coworking space in 2017.

Kate has a background in the arts, events, sponsorship and advocacy and figured that, coupled with her husbands skills as an award winning builder, if anyone could make a go of a network of regional coworking spaces, it should be her. With the help of founder of Work Club Global- Soren Trampendach- as both mentor and advisor, WorkLife members have benefited from the beginning from reciprocal visiting rights to Work Club’s three spaces in Sydney and two in Melbourne.

In 2018 with WorkLife Berry nearing capacity, Kate and her team turned their attentions to the stunning seaside town of Kiama and established WorkLife Kiama in a double-sized space in 2019. After weathering the disruption of fires and COVID in 2020, she decided to make the most of the work from home revolution occurring and expand their operations into a third site in the heart of the thriving northern suburbs of Wollongong at Coledale.

With a mass exodus of professionals leaving the city to live out their tree change and sea change fantasies, future locations on the South Coast are just around the corner…..

Vision

To create a network of beautiful and efficient workspaces for clever, generous and creative professionals on the South Coast.

Mission

So that people are inspired to escape the grind of the city, better balance life and work in thriving regional towns.

Our team

At WorkLife, our team, like you, are clever, creative, connected, professionals who have chosen to prioritise life and community. We live our values and honour the Work/Life promise. We can’t wait to support you to honour yours.

Kate

Kate has had a career in business development for festivals, events, arts organisations and NFP’s. Most recently with the Foundation of Rural & Regional Renewal, TEDxSydney, The Chaser Lecture and StartupAUS. She is an experienced Director who was on the board until recently of The National Trust (NSW) for 6 years and Underbelly Arts for 5. She moved to Berry from Alexandria with her husband Jacques of J2Build and their 3 kids 9 years ago and has been figuring out how to make her WorkLife work for her ever since.

Odetta

Odetta grew up in the foothills of Saddleback Mountain and now lives in Gerringong. After years in Sydney she returned to the south coast to raise 3 small boys to tend a veggie patch. Her working life has taken her from an early start as a biochemist to property development, with a grand detour into documentary making in the wilds of Papua New Guinea. She is a master of event production and has leant her skills to organisations as diverse as the AJC and TEDxSydney.

Charlotte

Charlotte is a very proud Ngai Tahu woman happily living in Coledale with her family and old rescue hound. Having travelled extensively and working in the surf industry for a number of years the next step was motherhood and a chance to change tact and for fill her life long dreamings of becoming a florist. Working on large scale events and wedding is still filling her soul. The love of community and connecting people makes her roll at Worklife Coledale more like fun than work.

Jane

Jane trained as a dancer and actress working as director and producer of theatre, fashion and events before a musical theatre role brought her to Australia, where she began her career in TV, theatre, fashion, major events and film.

She was an early adopter in the corporate sustainability arena and was the founder of two sustainability businesses (software and consultancy) focused on the events, arts and sporting industries.

Alongside her husband, Jane is the co-director of Good With Wood Construction and has recently become a celebrant. Jane has two teenaged daughters, a much loved Staffy Yindi and is desperately trying to finish her first novel.

Jess

Jess has been very fortunate to have grown up all over the place and has now settled in Kiama with her partner Zac. Jess is a full time student at the University of Wollongong, studying a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Journalism and Photography. At the age of twenty-three, she is continuously learning how to create a work life balance from those around her, as she manages SocialLife & works as a Community Manager at WorkLife.

Zac

Zac is our resident mixologist at SocialLife. Zac, along with partner Jess, manages SocialLife Friday to Sunday. Recently graduating from the University of Wollongong with a Bachelor of Geography, Zac is also a tennis coach. Although work keeps him busy, Zac enjoys golf and cricket when he can find a moment. Both Jess and Zac are loving their life on the South Coast with their Golden Retriever Ollie. Growing up in Kiama, Zac loves the access to beaches and the variety of places to eat and drink.