Meet the Member: Paul Briand, Broad Cove Media

Paul Briand had become to feel like a professional nomad — lots of places to be, but without a home base.

Paul is a freelance writer, a business he started through Broad Cove Media in 2008 after retiring from the Seacoast Media Group of newspapers that includes the Portsmouth Herald and Foster’s Daily Democrat.

His freelance work — from writing newspaper stories to providing online content to updating databases with real estate transactions — requires him to log a lot of miles in southern New Hampshire and Maine.

It’s not always easy for him to access his home office in Durham to then prepare the content to meet his deadlines. Coffee shops, libraries, restaurants and the occasionally bar were okay, but his membership at the Cooperative Venture Workspace at 36 Maplewood Avenue in downtown Portsmouth really gave him a sense of place.

“The Workspace is great for me because it’s at the hub of where my freelance work takes me,” said Paul. “I can be interviewing somebody in Hampton in the morning, then heading to Maine in the afternoon. The Workspace is ideally situated.”

Paul has been writing for publications, mostly newspapers, since his graduation from the University of New Hampshire in 1975. According to Paul, that might stretch to a couple of years longer if you include the time he spent at the university’s student newspaper — The New Hampshire — instead of going to class.

Starting as a reporter in Maine, he became editor of two newspapers published on the North Shore of Massachusetts, and came to New Hampshire in 1998 to be the director of operations for what eventually became the Seacoast Media Group.

“I’m not the retiring type,” he said, “so I went into business for myself to do the one thing I always enjoyed doing — interviewing people and writing their stories.”

He writes weekly business profiles for the SMG Sunday publication and the occasional political piece. As well, he writes some of content for the Workspace web site.

“While the space at the Workplace is great, what I really love is being around the people. You don’t have any sense of community being at home,” said Paul.

“I’ve met interesting, inspiring professionals at the Workspace,” he added. “My interaction with them has given me ideas for future stories I can write.”

He appreciates the reliable, high-speed internet connection – key to his being connected to his sources and his clients. And he appreciates the comfort of the Class A surroundings, from the cafe to the work areas.

And he likes the access to downtown Portsmouth.

“I make myself get up and walk around, otherwise I could be writing for hours at a time,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun to walk through the Workspace and see the other members engaged in their work or walk outside and grab a coffee or something to eat.”