Ann Marinho, owner of The Hidden Gem Crystal Therapy & Meditation Services, says her decision to open her business in the supportive coworking environment at Venture X Bethlehem on the city’s South Side has been a key to its success.
Opening a new business can be nerve-wracking, and launching a new career during the coronavirus pandemic presented many unique challenges. The Hidden Gem Crystal Therapy & Meditation Services owner Ann Marinho can proudly say she did both successfully, with support from the coworking space her business now calls home.
The Hidden Gem is located in Venture X Bethlehem: a stunning, two-story office space on Bethlehem’s South Side that she shares with a growing number of entrepeneurs and employees of global brands seeking a local presence. Some of those businesses–like The Hidden Gem–lease private offices, while others share desk space in its light-filled, glass-and-metal open areas.
Marinho was working a full-time day job at a bank when the pandemic struck nearly two years ago, and looking back she said it was that event that led her to re-evaluate her life.
“I feel like with the pandemic, people either thrived or didn’t,” she said. “I’m one of the people who wanted to start my own business out of it.”
As someone who has always been interested in spirituality, healing and emotional well-being, Marinho decided to invest in herself by becoming a Hibiscus Moon Certified Crystal Practitioner during the shutdown; a process that took about four months and led her to Venture X in the summer of 2021.
From her first visit–which included a complimentary tour–Marinho said she felt a sense of community, and believed The Hidden Gem would prosper thanks to the flexibility and security provided by a Venture X office.
“Two weeks later, I was signing a membership agreement,” she recalled.
Not quite ready to quit her day job at the bank, Marinho typically meets with clients in her Venture X office from 6:15 to 9 p.m., which wouldn’t feel safe in some other locations.
Her unit is just the right size for a therapy bed, and she observed that “it’s served me well, knowing I have 24-hour access.” Spaces vary in size, with more information about them available on the Venture X Bethlehem website.
Marinho also credited Venture X Bethlehem owner-entrepreneur Terry Wallace with understanding her vision and providing the nontraditional solution she needed to thrive.
“If you have a membership here, he’s here to help your business grow,” she said.
For example, Marinho has begun hosting a podcast (“Let’s Get Spiritual”) which she records in Venture X’s state-of-the-art, one-stop recording studio, and she’s held one-off popup events like a “2-22-22” special group meditation in a Venture X meeting room.
“One of my favorite things about working here is that I can pitch an idea and be like, ‘How can we make this work?'” she said.
In that way, Marinho observed, Venture X functions much like a business incubator.
In addition to a professional atmosphere in which to conduct and grow her business, she said she has also found a true sense of community at Venture X in Bethlehem, which is in the heart of a dynamic retail and arts zone close to Lehigh University.
“This is exactly the kind of energy I want my clients walking into,” Marinho said.
Networking, marketing and other collaborative opportunities have also come her way thanks to her membership.
“If you’re looking for a place where you can be creative and collaborate and be part of a community that’s supporting that, this is a great place,” Marinho said. “Venture X offers something for everyone.”
Through crystal therapy, The Hidden Gem provides its clients with the tools to live better lives by reaching their highest potential.
“I helped people balance their checkbooks before,” Marinho mused. “Now I help them balance their energy.”
To learn more about The Hidden Gem, visit their website and follow their Facebook page.
For more information about Venture X Bethlehem, or to schedule a tour, visit VentureX.com. Venture X is located in the Gateway at Greenway Park building at 306 S. New Street in Bethlehem, Pa.
