Why I didn't feel like The Wing was for me

I’ve been meaning to share my thoughts on The Wing for a while, but I wanted to wait until they confirmed my membership was cancelled. I joined right at the beginning of its London launch, back in October - or was it November?

The lighting at The Wing is just right for a selfie…

My reasons for joining The Wing were super clear; as someone who no longer lives in London, but finds myself working there once a week, I really wanted somewhere that could be like a home from home. Somewhere I could drop off my kit in between appointments, have a coffee, maybe do some work and also perhaps find new clients. I certainly wasn’t expecting a ‘Women’s Utopia’, more of a ‘feminine pitstop’ as co-founder Audrey Gelman, is said to have initially envisioned in Amanda Hess’ recent expose on the member’s club, in which she interviews 26 current and former employees.

Full disclosure, I probably went to The Wing no more than five times in five months, so you wouldn't be wrong in suggesting that perhaps I didn’t give it a fair chance. But for me it was an investment that I felt assured I would reap the benefits of, especially come the warmer months when I imagined rooftop drinks sat amongst The Wing’s ‘founding members’, many of them women I looked up to personally. That said, below are my reasons why I felt The Wing wasn’t for me.

The cost
I’m a small business (freelance writer, publisher and photographer) and I have no issue telling you that paying £170 per month was quite a financial commitment for me. However, from the very first payment I felt slightly taken advantage of. After filling out the application, and waiting to see if you’re allowed in, you then of course have to pay. The day I decided to pay my membership, an ‘initiation fee’ of £200 popped up. I was seriously taken aback; what was it for? I don’t remember the fee ever being explained and felt the tiniest bit nervous that The Wing might just like every other business out there - trying to get money. Don’t get me wrong; that’s what business is about, but having pushed all the ‘women supporting women’ stuff and how The Wing is for everyone, it felt a little confused. Luckily for me my business account was looking a bit healthier than normal that day, so I decided, ‘I deserve this’, and paid the £200 plus the £170.
During my time at The Wing I tried some of the food - all of it lovely - but after paying a tenner for two eggs on toast I was kinda like ‘hmm’. Then after trying to hire a room for a meeting and being told it was £50 per hour, I really started to feel a way.

The hype vs the reality
The Wing’s NYC Flatiron site was definitely highly influential when it came to my decision to join the club. It just seemed so cool, ya know? What with Jennifer Lopez popping in and hearing about people making business deals there. Plus I’m a New Yorker-wannabe, so I more than hoped that the London site would have something of that let’s-do-this attitude.

While I saw that the staff at The Wing were from varied backgrounds (apparently 40 percent of their executives are women of colour) , it wasn’t the same when it came to the members. Not only was it often super quiet at the times I visited, I rarely saw any women of colour - even though I knew a few had been invited in as founding members. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not telling you I joined simply so I could see other brown faces, but I did notice a lack of them. When I did see other members it would often be two or three women using an area meant for 8-10, spreading coats and bags around - ‘taking up space’, as the tote bag you’re given on acceptance shouts.

In Amanda Hess’ New York Times article she says The Wing has been heralded as a ‘pioneering capitalistic model that could improve the station of women everywhere.’ But it doesn’t say ‘every woman’, and I think that’s where the issue lies. If you’ve seen episode six in season two of Shrill, where lead character Annie, played by Aidy Bryant, goes to a very Goop-esque women in business conference, you’ll know what I mean. Everything is super pure, hand-picked and definitely not affordable for the average woman. Annie eventually clicks that it’s not about empowering women at all; instead it’s about monetising feminism, and that’s how I see The Wing.

The decision
One day I was sitting at my favourite coffee shop, about eight minutes walk from The Wing. I was enjoying my latte there before heading to The Wing to do some work. I had my tote bag (as mentioned above), sat next to me and a fellow coffee drinker approached me. ‘Anna’ asked me if I was a member of The Wing. I said yes but told her I was planning on cancelling it, if they would let me. She smiled and said, ‘wow, I just left myself.’ She sat down and we talked for a good 10 minutes, swapping business cards and saying we’d keep in touch if any fun stuff came up. I asked her why she decided to cancel her membership; she said she had hoped for a feeling of community, somewhere to share ideas and maybe find new opportunities. She could not afford to pay it while feeling like her business wasn’t gaining anything. Her saying it made me feel confident in cancelling; I couldn’t afford to think I might be missing out by not being a member. That money is now being put to use paying my accountant on a monthly basis, and that’s way more empowering than The Wing could ever promise to be.

Are you a member? Do you love The Wing? Let me know in the comments