‘Hone it. Own it. Slate it.’

That’s the tagline behind the new coworking concept—appropriately named ‘The Slate’—that’s geared primarily toward females. Opening March 1 in the Design District, The Slate intends to be a one-stop-shop to simplify your life.

“We hope to get into Webster’s dictionary one day. I kid—but, ‘Slate’ is actually our new verb,” co-founder Shelly Slater says. “We want you to hone your craft, own your life like a boss, and Slate it. That means working around the best of the best to take your business to the next level.”

The Slate is expected to open in the Design District on March 1. [Photo: Courtesy Shelly Slater]

Located at 2403 Farrington St. in around 12,000 square feet of space, The Slate aims to house a variety of trades that creates a network of professionals helping each other grow. And the laundry list of amenities fits the bill: There’s a 3,000-square-foot studio, conference rooms, a team building room, a wellness room, podcast room, on-site parking lot, boutique shop, kitchen, 10 private offices, 28 designated desks, and extra flex space for nomads.

“You need help on branding, go talk to branding company that offices a few feet away. Want to know if your businesses tagline should be trademarked? Go talk to a trademark lawyer in the next office. Creating financial goals for 2019, but need advice? We got it,” Slater says. “If our members hire out each other’s services or collaborate to jointly promote their products or services, that’s amazing.”

Officing out of The Slate

The business model allows members to office at The Slate, and non-members to book one of the specialty rooms. There’s also a ‘Friends of The Slate’ membership for those interested in access to programming throughout the year, and a 60-day pass to join anytime. As the founder of Shelly Slater Strategies, Slater is used to creating social media vignettes for companies. Now, doing so is a hop, skip, and a jump across the hall.

“One of the features I’m most excited about is the studio. Everyone needs content these days,” she says. “The best part is the studio is connected to a large team building room. So if you have a board meeting and people fly in from all over, we can just open the doors to the studio and you get the content you need to push your cause.”

[Photo: Courtesy Shelly Slater]

And while you don’t have to be a woman to become a member, The Slate is a female-focused space created to equip working moms with everything they might need. For those employed part-time, Slater says a feature like the short-term pass is “clutch” when balancing working from home and in an office setting.

“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten the email reminder that I’m in charge of a sunshine gift for the teacher the next day, but the hours in my day have run out,” Slater says. “The Slate will have that gift, and our hope is the gift is socially impactful. We are in the process now of researching groups whose products truly change lives.”

A family affair

If the name Shelly Slater sounds familiar, it might be because you watched her anchor on Channel 8. After a decade of broadcasting for WFAA, she stepped away to help companies win business through storytelling with Shelly Slater Strategies. After growing her company for the past two years, Slater eventually realized she needed a space of her own.

“I looked at all the options out there, from leasing to coworking, but nothing fit my vibe,” she says. “So I decided it’s time to create it.”

Slater (above) is the brains behind Shelly Slater Strategies. [Photo: Courtesy Shelly Slater]

Slater sat down with her sister, Jodie Hastings, to brainstorm some options. But, the two grew up watching their parents build a small business, so the conversation led to something much bigger—the sisters becoming business partners in The Slate.

“Watching The Slate come to life feels very close to home,” Slater says. “I think life is short, and we spend so many hours at work. Why not work around people you love and respect?”

Hastings has a background in law, so Slater jokes that she acts as the in-house general counsel. While the sisters have different skill sets and professional experience, together their characteristics are “perfectly aligned” to build the business.

“What better business partner than the very person who has wished for your success every other day of your life?” Hastings says. “Plus, while I really loved practicing law, I never once got to dance in the office.”