Meet Ben Jenkins – Lake Highlands native, LHHS alumni, and a pretty talented marketing visionary.

One one hand, Ben is one hell of a creative entrepreneur who owns two businesses.

On the other, he's a gifted athlete and former multi-sport star from LHHS, where he started at quarterback and center field for the Wildcats before graduating in '91.

He went on to play baseball at Mississippi State before being drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies.

While on the road with his minor league team, Jenkins was always working to keep his design skills sharp.

"I played minor league baseball for a year and a half," he told me during our recent visit.

"On the road, I’d see a logo of a small business, and if I thought I could do it better, I’d sit down and redesign it and give the new logo to the owner. This went on in a number of cities where we played."

"A rotator cuff injury kind of forced my hand. I decided to retire and go back to school at the Art Institute of Chicago to pursue my Master of Fine Arts."

While working on his thesis in film, animation and video, his subject was the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. It was one that would change his perception on life forever.

"LH is such a 'normal' place with regular people," said Ben.

"There's lots of passion in the community and all that, but I grew up here and didn’t know much about the world."

"I think a lot of people quickly realize that when they get out and do things – see things."

"Working on an Indian Reservation will flip your world. In some ways it was like looking through a lens which revealed the differences in the culture I was raised in. Even though they were without many of the extravagances, they weren't concerned about many of those things."

Jenkins founded One Fast Buffalo in 1999 and quickly branded himself and his marketing firm as a force in the industry, competing against some of the biggest firms in the country. As he puts it, "we create uniqueness, not just brand designs and websites."

Like most business owners, Jenkins had to address the recent downturn in the economy with severe cost cutting measures. While laying off employees and cutting overhead is never a fun task, an idea for a new business was born in the process.

"I got to the point where I had a bunch of employees, and like everybody, the economy hit us and we had to layoff," said Ben.

"The office was the first thing I looked at and realized that everything we do is online. If I had an employee 10 feet away in the office, we’d still use email to communicate. It was pointless."

"I figured what mattered is what we create. As long as we produce, the client doesn’t care where we work, so we went virtual and told our employees to live wherever they wanted."

The one problem? With a virtual office concept, some people still need the social aspect that comes with the job.

"They need social interaction with other people," Ben told me. "They become cooped up and isolated. They need a place to go to meet with clients, to collaborate with other professionals, but they also need flexibility."

And with that in mind, the Workhaus Co-Working Lodge was born.

For $145 monthly membership, or a $25 daily pass, you get all the perks that Workhause has to offer, including office space, couches and patio seating, a business mailing address, and 24-hour access.

Happy hours, networking opportunities and use of the conference room are also included.

Check out the One Fast Buffalo blog when you get a chance, too.

Odds are you'll like what you see.

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The lead photo is courtesy of Ben's sister, Katie Norris. You can visit her website by clicking here.