Ross Calderwood

Perth lad through and through, Ross is currently building an exciting new business here in his hometown, that allows flexible office working space for freelancers or those mobile working. With a keen entrepreneurial spirit, an infectiously outgoing personality and some solid gold advice from his loved ones along the way, it has allowed him to learn from his mistakes and carve his life in a way that he wakes up and enjoys every day. Ross we salute you!

1. What does a typical day at work look like for you?

As I am in the process of trying to launch a new business, The Working Space, most of my time revolves around networking and raising the general awareness of the new coworking space. Around that I will be found in the gym at 06:00, taking my daughter to nursery for around 08:00, ordering a coffee at 09:00 and back in the office not long after.

Late afternoon I pick my daughter up from nursery and spend the next period of the day eating with her and/or watching whatever cartoon she favours at that point in time (at this point it is Paw Patrol).

Evenings tend to be following up on emails and watching whichever football game is on the TV or whichever Netflix series we are currently invested in.

2. What signals the start of your days off?

I don’t really take days off but switching off my mobile phone when sitting on a plane heading to warmer climes generally means I am about to enter a more ‘relaxed’ period than normal.

3. What might people be surprised to know about you?

My friend always used to say to me ‘Ross, are you going to talk about it or actually do something?’ – I often think of that phrase when I start a new project.

I have walked to the highest peak in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro... a close friend and I raised money for Scope - a national disability charity that campaigns to challenge and change negative attitudes about disability - and we spent just over a week walking up, and sliding down, the mountain.

4. What is at the top of your bucket list?

Fly into New York, rent a car and drive the full length of the USA. I don’t have a list of items I would desperately want to see, but just the experience of driving across such a large, and diverse, country would be eye opening on a number of levels. 

5. What is the worst job you’ve ever had?

As a teenager I worked for a supermarket and hated it! I moaned to my parents and they arranged for me to get a job on a local farm. I lasted one day! Working in a cold potato shed and stringing up the sacks of potatoes is something I will never forget. The weight of the stringing machine, the cold wind and the dirt getting everywhere. I remember getting home and not being able to move the next day so I quit, I didn’t take payment from the farmer in the form of money but the experience/lesson was well learned!

6. Who or what inspires you?

My late father and a friend that I lost a long time ago. My father was a very driven guy that got things done! My friend always used to say to me ‘Ross, are you going to talk about it or actually do something?’ – I often think of that phrase when I start a new project.

7. Tell us about the day you’d love to live again?

A few years ago we spent a few hours on a speedboat in Florida and we had around 10 dolphins playing in our wake... I would love to take that journey again but with my 4 year old daughter this time... she would love it!

8. What’s the best part about your job?

The best and the worst are the same thing... the demand is all on me to get this new business started and the pressures that are associated are both invigorating and frustrating in equal measure! Meeting new people is by far the best part of business and I've been very fortunate to meet some very insightful and creative people in the setting up of the coworking space.

9. Complete this sentence; the best things in life are….

All around you, if you stop and take a look around... people are too busy and rushing from place to place (myself included)... sometimes you need to stop and take a look around (thank you Ferris!)

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Ross is the Founder and Owner of The Working Space >>>