Everything Coworking

Jamie Russo
  • 5.0 (10)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

The Everything Coworking podcast shares trends and how-tos for coworking operators and anyone following this exploding trend. Jamie owned coworking spaces in Chicago and Palo Alto under the brand Enerspace Coworking. She was the Executive Director of the Global Workspace Association for 5 years. Since 2018, she's been helping coworking spaces start and run profitable coworking spaces.

  1. 23 hrs ago

    436. Don't Reverse Engineer the Coworking Space You Love

    What if the coworking space you love is not actually profitable? There is a pattern I see over and over with people who want to open a coworking space. You visit one you like, the flex desks are full, the meeting rooms are in use, the design is great and the staff is warm. You do the back-of-the-envelope math on the way home, decide the model works, and set out to build your own version of it. The problem is that you cannot see a profit margin on a tour. Most coworking spaces are not killing it, and most operators are working on a profit margin problem that is either a revenue problem or an expense problem or some combination of both. In this episode, I explore why reverse engineering someone else's space is so risky, and what to build from instead: your own why, and the benchmarks that actually produce a profitable space. I talk about: Why a space that looks busy and beautiful tells you nothing about its profit margin What you cannot see on a tour, including what members actually pay against list price, occupancy, staffing levels, rent, and CAM Why a revenue problem is much harder to fix than an expense problem The questions to answer before you model anything: your why, your goals, how involved you want to be, and what profit the business needs to produce The benchmarks to know cold, from revenue and rent per square foot to payroll as a percentage of revenue and your lead-to-tour and tour-to-close ratios How to see your own trade-offs, whether that is free lattes, a gym nobody uses, or a space that costs more than your pricing can recover Which levers in your pro forma will break the model if you move them, and what discounting and over-hiring do to your plan after you open

  2. Aug 19

    435. Two Strategies To Keep Your Revenue Plans On Track When You're Launching A New Coworking Space

    What if the biggest threat to your coworking space's revenue isn't empty offices—but the decisions you make to fill them? Launching a new coworking space comes with a difficult financial reality: your rent and other fixed expenses often begin on day one, while reaching stabilized occupancy can take much longer. That makes it critical to have realistic revenue projections and a clear strategy for protecting them as you ramp up. In this episode, we explore two strategies for keeping revenue on track when launching a new coworking space: limiting discounting and building multiple revenue streams from the beginning. We talk about: Why new operators often underestimate how long it takes to reach stabilized occupancy When you don't actually need to discount, especially if you have limited inventory, strong positioning, or a differentiated brand How to use founding-member perks and bonuses instead of immediately lowering your prices When temporary discounts can make sense—and why competing on price with large national operators can be dangerous How discounting affects your actual revenue capacity, renewals, and member lifetime value Why meeting rooms, events, and mail revenue need to be developed alongside office sales How early team members can contribute to revenue growth through networking, referrals, partnerships, and sales activity If you're launching a coworking space, opening a second location, or trying to close the gap between your projected and actual revenue, this episode is a reminder to look beyond occupancy and build a revenue strategy that can support the entire business. Everything Coworking Featured Resources: Masterclass: 3 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets to Opening a Coworking Space Coworking Startup School Community Manager University Follow Us on YouTube

  3. Aug 12

    434. The Amenity Strategy That Won Josh Kaplan A Lease: Inside Clubhouse Work & Golf

    What happens when a golf simulator in your garage turns into a 25,000-square-foot coworking business? For Josh Kaplan, founder of Clubhouse Work & Golf, the idea started with a group of friends wondering how hard it could be to rent a warehouse, set up a golf simulator, and have somewhere to work and play during the winter. Three years later, Clubhouse Work & Golf has its first location in Denver, sold out its 50 private offices in less than 13 months, and is opening a second location. In this episode, Josh and I talk about: How he went from an 18-year career in software to launching a coworking business Why it took nearly three years and 30–40 failed deals to finally get the first location open How golf became the hook, but hospitality and design became a much bigger part of the value proposition What Josh learned from his first location and is applying to the second Why he's deliberately taking a conservative approach to expansion How his team has evolved as he moves away from day-to-day operations And why he believes Clubhouse Work & Golf can eventually scale beyond Denver I love Josh's story because it's a great example of building something genuinely differentiated instead of trying to create another version of the same coworking space. And the golf is only part of the story. Resources Mentioned in this Episode: Josh's LinkedIn profile Clubhouse Work & Golf's website Everything Coworking Featured Resources: Masterclass: 3 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets to Opening a Coworking Space Coworking Startup School Community Manager University Follow Us on YouTube

  4. Aug 5

    433. Events, Sponsorships, And a Full Café: How Leslie Bailey Diversified Her Coworking Revenue (Best Of)

    What if the real money in your coworking space isn't the desks at all? That's exactly what Leslie Bailey discovered running Maven Space, a 15,000-square-foot coworking space, event venue, and social club she built in downtown Indianapolis with no private offices at all. Leslie's background wasn't real estate or hospitality. Coworking operators come from all kinds of backgrounds, and hers was journalism, 15-plus years of it before she launched Indy Maven, a media company and community for women, and eventually built Maven Space around it. In this episode, we explore how Leslie diversified her coworking revenue well beyond workspace: a full event venue, an in-house commercial kitchen, and a sponsorship program she ran like an old-school magazine ad department. We talk about: Why her 15,000-square-foot space never had a single private office How a catering liquor license turned her event venue into a bigger draw Running a full commercial kitchen that served the whole building, not just members Selling sponsorships the way a magazine sells ad space, yes, even on the bathroom stalls Why her membership community is still going, even though the physical space isn't One insight that really stood out: sponsorship inventory exists in almost every coworking space, the newsletter, the walls, the events, even the stalls. Pricing it turns it into real revenue. If you're only thinking about your coworking space in terms of desks and offices, Leslie's story is a reminder of how much revenue potential sits in the rest of the building. Resources Mentioned in this Episode: Leslie's LinkedIn profile Indy Maven website Leslie Bailey's personal website Leslie's 10 Lessons Learned article Everything Coworking Featured Resources: Masterclass: 3 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets to Opening a Coworking Space Coworking Startup School Community Manager University Follow Us on YouTube

  5. Jul 30

    432. How One Coworking Operator Turned Event Space Into a Second Revenue Engine

    What happens when a coworking operator refuses to think small? Gina Schreck has built far more than a coworking space. Over the years, she's transformed The Village from a 10,000-square-foot workspace into a 50,000-square-foot destination that combines coworking, wellness, events, and community under one roof. In this conversation, Gina shares the story behind that growth, the risks that came with it, and the mindset that's helped her create one of the most unique coworking spaces in the industry. In this episode, we cover: How Gina expanded from 10,000 to 50,000 square feet—and why she nearly walked away from the opportunity The unexpected role her daughter played in managing the expansion Why event space has become an important part of her business model How her podcast studio supports her community What it takes to build a space that's more than just a place to work How she thinks about hospitality, community, and creating an experience members want to come back to Why understanding your ideal member shapes every decision she makes Whether you're thinking about expanding your space, adding new revenue streams, or strengthening your community, Gina offers an honest look at what's worked, what hasn't, and the lessons she's learned along the way. Resources Mentioned in this Podcast: Gina on LinkedIn The Village Workspace website Connect with your Hosts: Connect with Giovanni on LinkedIn Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn Find Jamie on the Everything Coworking Podcast

  6. Jul 22

    431. How to Maximize Meeting Room Revenue in Your Coworking Space

    What if your coworking website could become one of your biggest revenue drivers? That's exactly what Eyal Lasker, Founder and CEO of Flexspace AI, is helping operators do. While many operators focus almost entirely on filling offices, Eyal believes one of the biggest opportunities for growth is optimizing everything else: meeting rooms, day passes, event space, virtual mail, and other on-demand products. In this episode, we explore why treating your website like an e-commerce platform—not just an online brochure—can dramatically increase both revenue and profitability. We talk about: Why meeting rooms are one of the most underutilized assets in coworking How online booking removes friction and creates new revenue opportunities Why great photography has a direct impact on conversion rates The surprising booking patterns operators are missing, including how many reservations happen the same day How dynamic pricing can increase revenue by balancing price and booking volume Why repeat on-demand customers become some of the highest-value users over time The role AI is playing in revenue optimization and pricing decisions Why operators should think about their websites as e-commerce engines instead of digital brochures One insight that really stood out: "Simplicity is hard to build, but it's what drives conversion." The easier you make it for someone to discover, book, and pay online, the more opportunities you create to monetize the space you already have. Resources Mentioned in this Podcast: Eyal Lasker on LinkedIn Flexpace AI website Everything Coworking Featured Resources: Masterclass: 3 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets to Opening a Coworking Space Coworking Startup School Community Manager University Follow Us on YouTube

  7. Jul 15

    430. Why Your Virtual Mail Program Makes 3% and Theirs Makes 30.

    What would it look like if virtual mail made up 30% of your revenue instead of two or three percent? That's the gap this episode of Everything Coworking is built around. The most profitable coworking operators aren't treating mail as a line item nobody revisits. They've built it into a real, growing piece of the business, and the difference in outcome is enormous. I paint a picture of what that looks like, then get into what separates the operators who get there from the ones who stay stuck at two or three percent. We cover: Why virtual mail deserves its own real target, not a vague sense that it should grow Why pricing every mail buyer the same flat rate leaves real money on the table, and what a good, better, best tier structure looks like instead How your Google Business Profile and website can quietly become part of the product itself, not just a place to get found Why "it's too much work" is a routine problem, not a volume problem, and the real number behind processing mail for 100 members Everything Coworking Featured Resources: Masterclass: 3 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets to Opening a Coworking Space Coworking Startup School Community Manager University Follow Us on YouTube

  8. Jul 8

    429. The Most Underused Coworking Product That Can Double Office Revenue

    What if one of the easiest ways to increase your coworking revenue… is already sitting empty in your space? Many coworking operators have offices that are difficult to fill. Maybe they're a little too large, an interior office, or they've been sitting vacant for months. The default solution is often to list them as day offices and hope for a few bookings. But there's a much more predictable way to generate revenue from those spaces. In this episode, we break down why part-time private offices are one of the most underutilized products in coworking today, and how operators are turning a single office into recurring revenue instead of relying on one-off day office bookings. In this episode, you'll learn: Why day offices leave revenue on the table How part-time private offices create predictable recurring revenue Who this product is designed for (and why demand is growing) How operators are earning significantly more from the same office The marketing, pricing, and operational considerations for launching this offer Why this can be the perfect upgrade path for coworking members who need more privacy but aren't ready for a full-time office If you have vacant offices—or members who are constantly living in your phone booths—this episode is full of practical ideas you can implement. Everything Coworking Featured Resources: Masterclass: 3 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets to Opening a Coworking Space Coworking Startup School Community Manager University Follow Us on YouTube

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About

The Everything Coworking podcast shares trends and how-tos for coworking operators and anyone following this exploding trend. Jamie owned coworking spaces in Chicago and Palo Alto under the brand Enerspace Coworking. She was the Executive Director of the Global Workspace Association for 5 years. Since 2018, she's been helping coworking spaces start and run profitable coworking spaces.

Information

  • Creator
    Jamie Russo
  • Years Active
    2015 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Everything Coworking 2023
  • Show Website
    Everything Coworking

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