Fernanda Cancado
Person of extremes, trying to find the balance
I try to see the world the way it needs to be seen, behave in the way I need to behave.
Finding a home office!
Search for a creative space
I set up office in my home by taking over the guest bedroom. One summer, when we began getting a stream of guests from all over the world, I had to vacate. I moved into an open space above the landing.
But there are times during the day when loneliness creeps in and you begin to crave human connection. I began visiting libraries and working there.
Starbucks, that giant which markets itself as the space between office and home, did not quite cut it. Coffee Culture, near my house, is the best coffee shop I have found so far, but parking there during peak times is a challenge.
When I started looking for a more permanent space, I found a few co-working spaces near my house. But the pandemic erased them from the business directory. That’s when I found Touchdown co-working space in Oakville.
Meeting Fernanda
The second time I took up office there, I met Fernanda. She was going around talking to everyone in the space. She’d fix the coffee machine, offer management and marketing advice, hug someone who came through the door, and participate in the cooking session that’s going on the kitchen!
The third time I visited Touchdown, I tried the door — it was locked. I knew I was early, but wanted to see if there was a way to start my work before the place opened for business.
Fernanda talks about accountablity, anxiety, Touchdown, and the power of stories
Someone who listens
Fernanda was already there! She opened the door and we talked. She invited me to her open-door glass office in the middle of the space. She asked about me! Not “How are you?” or “How do you do?” that gets casually thrown at someone without thinking or waiting for an answer.
There’s a saying which roughly translates to: you can tell your deepest secrets to a stranger on a bus or train since the likelihood of meeting them again is remote.
Here, at Touchdown, I had found someone who listens. Genuinely and with rapt attention. Someone who has been doing this for six years.
Getting her story
Over the next couple of sessions I began to know her more. I realized this is a story worth telling.
Touchdown has more than 1,000 members and hundreds of clients — some of the names you can find in Fortune 500. In this video series, Fernanda talks about her life, career, and the paths she consciously chose to launch a successful business: Touchdown co-working.
Check out the full interview of Fernanda
Here you get to connect. But more importantly, you get to feel accepted. Nobody here is doubting you. You are glad you made that decision, even though it was as scary as it was and went against everybody else's opinion.
Fernanda, CEO of Touchdown
