Meet Kira Gehle

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kira Gehle and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kira, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Before launching Confluence Small Business Collective in 2014, Tom and his wife Kristin were both working out of their house. They experienced first-hand how isolating it could be, and how difficult keeping the balance between work and personal life was.

Coworking as a concept had started taking off in 2005, when software engineer Brad Neuberg wrote a blog inviting creators to gather as a community. Tom had been following the new industry, and realized that this was something his small town, Lafayette, was missing; a hub that would offer a solution for fellow remote workers and small businesses with similar work-from-home challenges. With this realization paired with a passion for nurturing genuine connections between others, Confluence was born.

11 years later, what began as a small, 750 square foot coworking space has grown into a thriving community of members representing a range of professions in a 8,000 square foot building featuring private office space, open-plan workspace, meeting rooms, phone booths, event space, and more.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I have had an untraditional career path. I worked in retail once I graduated from college while I tried to figure out what my next step would be. It was during this time I was looking for a place where I could continue my design work and wandered into Confluence. Tom greeted me and showed me around. When I mentioned what I was looking for, he introduced me to a few members who could help point me in the right direction. To my pleasant surprise, he reached out to me again shortly after our tour to ask if I’d be interested in a job.

Almost 9 years later, it’s been the greatest opportunity I have been offered.

I started my work at Confluence with no knowledge of coworking or how to run a small business. With the support of Tom and my drive to learn, I have grown to be proficient in facility and event management, event planning, marketing, budgeting, and community building. I have gained invaluable knowledge from members who have taken the time to share their own journeys and lessons they’ve learned with me. I have built a wealth of resources and a network of inspiring professionals. I discovered an industry that I didn’t know existed, and found a passion for nurturing connections between people that I wasn’t aware I had.

It certainly hasn’t been easy. I have made many errors, have struggled, and been challenged in ways I thought I wasn’t ready for. However, having support and room to grow allowed me to build and gain confidence in my skill set. All I needed was the chance. I am extremely grateful that Tom gave me just that.

I hope that other companies will offer the same to new professionals and those who are making a change in industries. You never know what people might accomplish when given the opportunity.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
There are so many great, independent businesses in Lafayette and the surrounding towns.

For breakfast food, I’d bring them to Morning Glory Cafe, Tangerine, and The Huckleberry in Louisville. Donuts from Nok’s would be a must – they’re the best donuts I’ve ever had.

We’d walk around downtown Lafayette, enjoying all the great public art on display, and pop into Thalken, pARTiculars Art Gallery, Vintrey Honest Goods, and The Lafayette Flea Market.

Lunch would be at Eats and Sweets, Panang Thai, and Tandoori Kitchen (their lunch buffet is incredible and so tasty).

For a mid-day pick-me-up, we’d stop in to East Simpson Coffee Company and enjoy a drink in their beautiful outdoor seating area, BREW Due South while we browse some of the items they have in their store, or Day Day Up Tea for a traditional Chinese tea ceremony with facts and stories provided by the proprietor.

If my friend had kids, we’d head over to WOW! Children’s Museum; they’d love the giant bubble maker and pirate ship.

Next would be a walk around Waneka Lake, followed by some book browsing (and maybe more tea) at The Read Queen. We’d have to stop by HiFi Jones Studio and Art Gallery to play some free 80s arcade games and look at his upcycled art on vinyl LPs. I’ve been bowling at Coal Creek Bowling Center since I was a kid, so we’ll play a couple games. Coal Creek trail has a nice path to wander along when the weather is nice.

We’d pick up some sweet treats from Cherry’s Cheesecakes & Delights, Eats & Sweets, and Stam Chocolaterie for an afternoon snack.

Dinner would be Ras Kassa’s Ethiopian food, at The Post Brewing Company, Teocali Cocina, and Lulu’s BBQ in Louisville. Acreage by Stem Ciders is a must-visit, either for dinner and/or after-dinner drinks. Their restaurant/taproom has the most stunning view of Lafayette and the Rocky Mountains, and I love sitting outside on the patio with one of their ciders while the sun sets.

We’d have to have drinks at Romero’s K9 Club & Taphouse. It’s voted one of the top beer bars in the world in Craft Beer and Brewing magazine for good reason. Bonus; we get to watch the dogs run around in the back area. We’d also need to head to DeKi for a cocktail or two; it’s among the top 10 best specialty liquor makers in USA Today’s 10Best. William Oliver’s Publick House is perfect for whiskey lovers, with a massive menu to choose from. Tilt Pinball in Louisville has drinks AND arcade games to play late into the evening.

Lastly, we can’t forget dessert. We’d head back to Eats and Sweets for ice cream or a bakery treat, or Stam Chocolaterie for gelato and truffles. Menchie’s would be my choice for fro-yo, or Cow-A-Bunga Ice Cream is tasty too.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
We’ve had a lot of support over the years – from the City, other independent businesses in Lafayette, friends, and family. However, Confluence wouldn’t be what it is today without our members.

From supporting a new business in a small 750 square foot space to continuing their memberships through the worst of COVID despite working from home, our members are the reason we’re celebrating 11 years of coworking. It’s an honor to be a part of their lives as they grow their small businesses, change professions, start families, and move through all the other ups and downs life has to offer.

Whether you have utilized Confluence for a month, for years, or simply rented a meeting room or event space from us – thank you.

Website: https://www.confluencesbc.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/confluence_sbc/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/confluence-coworking

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ConfluenceSBC/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/confluence-sbc-lafayette

Image Credits
Josh Loves Light, Nate Jorgensen, Justin Hein