Flex Uncensored - A Coworking Podcast

Jamie Russo and Giovanni Palavacini
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated weekly

Giovanni Palavacini and Jamie Russo have partnered to ask industry leaders the questions that are on your mind. Giovanni Palavacini is a Real Estate Strategist focused on helping operators, landlords, and investors to make wise coworking/flexible office decisions using a combination of science and art. Jamie Russo was a coworking space owner/operator for 8 years, Executive Director of the GWA, the industry association, for 5 years, and has spent the last few years helping operators start and run profitable coworking businesses.

  1. 17 hr ago

    Melissa Schilo on Turning Around a 10-Year-Old Coworking Space in Fort Lauderdale

    What if your coworking space has plenty of inquiries and still sits half empty? Two years ago, Melissa Schilo took over Access, an 18,000 square foot coworking space on four floors at the bottom of a condo tower on Fort Lauderdale's New River. Access had been open 10 years and was 55% full. Today its 57 offices and 16 dedicated desks are full, and Access has a waitlist for offices. Melissa has spent 20 years in flex space. She spent 11 of them at Servcorp, where she turned around the Belgium location by €100,000 in 10 months. After Servcorp, she worked at JLL and then consulted for small, independent operators. Geo and Melissa catch up ahead of the GWA conference in Miami, where Melissa is leading a panel on sales and marketing. In this episode, Melissa walks through the order she uses to turn around a coworking space: people first, then process, then product, then converting the inquiries a space already gets. We talk about: Why Melissa checks every member agreement first, to see which offices could go empty in the next three to six months How Access went from 2 dedicated desks to 16 at $450 to $500 a month, while flex desks average about $275 The half-price first month Melissa offered on about 10 offices so prospects could try the space before signing How repricing three meeting rooms took them from about $1,000 a month to more than $10,000 a month Why Melissa turned down a member who didn't fit the community, and why she sends some prospects to other spaces in Fort Lauderdale Adding questions and answers to the bottom of every page of the new Access website, so ChatGPT and Grok recommend Access when people ask for coworking in Fort Lauderdale Moving Access to OfficeRnD, and the paper inquiry sheets Melissa borrowed from Beth de Graffenreid Being laid off at JLL, and why Melissa now works only with small, independent operators Melissa's next targets are meeting room revenue of $18,000 to $20,000 a month, more virtual office members, and booking meeting rooms through the Access website without a call. Catch her sales and marketing panel at GWA in Miami.   Resources Mentioned in this Podcast: Melissa Schilo on LI Connect with your Hosts: Connect with Giovanni on LinkedIn Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn Find Jamie on the Everything Coworking Podcast

  2. 6 Oct

    205: GWA 2026 Recap with Jessie Glew and John Herring: AI, KPIs and the Coworking Growth Forecast

    What did three flex operators take home from the biggest coworking conference of the year? Giovanni is joined by Jessie Glew, CEO of WOTSO in Sydney, and John Herring, President of FUSE Workspace in Texas, for a candid recap of the GWA Conference in Denver. Jessie joined from an early-morning walk in Sydney, and the conversation covers business and personal growth in equal measure. We also get into: The opening JLL and Yardi session: the 30% by 2030 forecast, the more realistic 13 to 17% range, and why third-party data matters to banks and investors. Why the industry needs a shared set of 10 to 15 quarterly stats, and how the KPI session sent John and Jessie back to rebuild their own reporting. How operators are really using AI: WOTSO's training bot and internal ordering marketplace, plus the gap between beginners and experts in the room. Big rocks, 5:00 AM wake-ups and rebuilding routines after major life changes. WOTSO's growth from 42 locations to a target of 50 by year end, and what is next for the industry. If you missed Denver, this is the next best thing. Resources Mentioned in this Podcast: Jessie Glew on LinkedIn WOTSO website John Herring on LinkedIn FUSE Workspace website Connect with your Hosts: Connect with Giovanni on LinkedIn Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn Find Jamie on the Everything Coworking Podcast

  3. 1 Oct

    205. How AI Gave WorkLodge Record Tours Every Month After 11 Years in Coworking

    What happens when a coworking operator stops waiting for software and builds his own? Mike Thakur, founder and CEO of WorkLodge in Houston, is back. After 11 years and a decade of mixed results with ad agencies, he rolled up his sleeves and started building with AI. Since turning his system on in March, WorkLodge has hit a record number of tours almost every month, some months 40 to 50 percent above their previous best. We also get into: How Mike built his own booking system, landing pages and ad tracking with AI, and captures leads even when someone abandons a form halfway. Lola, the AI phone agent that answers when the front desk can't, books tours and sends summaries into Slack. Why meeting rooms are booking out with non-members, and the 12-person room Mike wishes he had built sooner. Why AI hasn't cost a single job on his team, and why he says it lies and needs a human to check it. Moving back to Houston, putting his kids to work in the business, and the nonprofit project he is still searching for. If you've wondered what AI can really do for a flex space, this is an episode you'll want to hear. Resources Mentioned in this Podcast: Mike Thakur / WorkLodge on LinkedIn (company page; personal profile URL not verified) WorkLodge website Connect with your Hosts: Connect with Giovanni on LinkedIn Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn Find Jamie on the Everything Coworking Podcast

  4. 23 Sept

    204. Flex Uncensored Gets Personal: Gio and Robin Share Their Wedding Story

    What happens when the person you've known for years suddenly becomes the person you're meant to spend your life with? For Gio and Robin Palavicini, their relationship wasn't exactly a straightforward love story. They met through boxing, became friends, went their separate ways, spent a year barely speaking, and eventually reconnected when they were both in completely different places in life. And then Gio surprised Robin with a wedding. In this episode, they sit down to tell the full story — from how they first met and why they didn't date the first time around, to the intentional way their relationship developed and the five weeks Gio spent secretly planning their wedding. We also get into: How Gio and Robin first met through their boxing coach. Why they didn't pursue a relationship when they first connected. What changed when they reconnected in 2026. Why Gio chose to pursue Robin intentionally and consistently. How their very different personalities — structure vs. spontaneity — actually complement each other. The four things Gio knew he wanted in a long-term partner. Why they intentionally took physical intimacy off the table while dating. How they decided they wanted to be married before the end of the year. Why they wanted a small, meaningful wedding instead of a traditional event. How Gio secretly planned the entire wedding without Robin knowing. The elaborate cover story he created to get Robin to the ranch. The surprise proposal — followed immediately by the news that they were getting married two days later. How their families and closest friends were secretly brought in. The story behind Mario and Rio, the miniature donkeys who became part of the wedding. How Sheep Dog Ranch became the perfect place for their ceremony. Why the wedding ultimately became about much more than the wedding itself. How they've been adjusting to married life, from sleep schedules to workouts and everything in between. Why they believe that, at this stage of life, there's no reason to keep waiting to live it. There's a lot in this conversation about relationships, faith, personal growth, partnership, intentionality, and knowing when the timing is finally right. If you've ever wondered what happens when two people reconnect after years apart — and one of them decides to make the biggest surprise of their life — this is a story you'll want to hear. Connect with your Hosts: Connect with Giovanni on LinkedIn Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn Find Jamie on the Everything Coworking Podcast

  5. 2 Sept

    203. Chiko Abengowe of Perfect Office Solutions on the Hard Lessons Behind Growth

    What happens when growth starts going wrong? For Chiko Abengowe, founder and CEO of Perfect Office Solutions, the past year brought some of his biggest business challenges yet — from a location that didn't work out to a building shutdown that left his team and tenants without access, and a fire that caused more than $70,000 in damage. And this episode gets very real about what happens behind the growth. Chiko shares what he learned from those setbacks, how he approached difficult landlord situations, and why he believes failures can actually prepare you for the next success. We also get into: How Perfect Office Solutions uses sales contests and incentives to drive specific business goals. Why Chiko makes sales activity visible across the team. How different revenue streams have their own managers, bonuses, and incentives. What happened when one of his locations had to close after a building was shut down. The lessons he learned about leases and working with large landlords. How a $70K+ fire reinforced the importance of insurance for coworking members. Why Chiko continues to build multiple businesses at the same time. How he handles team members who aren't meeting expectations. Why he believes you're either growing or dying — there's no in-between. How setbacks have shaped the way he approaches the next opportunity. There's a lot in this conversation about revenue, leadership, team culture, expansion, and the reality of building a business when everything doesn't go according to plan. If you've ever wondered what the less visible side of coworking growth looks like, this is an episode you'll want to hear. Resources Mentioned in this Podcast: Chiko Abengowe on LinkedIn Perfect Office Solutions website Connect with your Hosts: Connect with Giovanni on LinkedIn Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn Find Jamie on the Everything Coworking Podcast

  6. 26 Aug

    202. Chris Hoyt of The Pioneer Collective on Why More Revenue Streams Aren't Always Better

    What happens when a coworking operator decides that growth doesn't have to mean doing more? Christopher Hoyt, CEO of The Pioneer Collective, has taken a deliberately measured approach to growing his coworking business across Seattle and Tacoma — and a big part of that strategy is knowing what not to do. In this episode, Christopher shares how he and his wife Audrey bootstrapped the business, financed growth through cash flow, and used revenue-share deals with landlords to manage risk without taking on unnecessary fixed costs. In this episode, we talk about: Building a coworking business through cash flow rather than outside investment Using revenue-share leases to reduce real estate risk Why hyper-local knowledge is a competitive advantage The hidden danger of overspending on CapEx Why "premium" doesn't have to mean expensive Knowing when an additional revenue stream isn't worth the operational complexity How self-serve meeting-room bookings are creating new demand Balancing business growth with family and personal priorities Chris's approach is a good reminder that sometimes the smartest growth strategy is doing fewer things really well. Resources Mentioned in this Podcast: Christopher Hoyt on LinkedIn The Pioneer Collective website Connect with your Hosts: Connect with Giovanni on LinkedIn Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn Find Jamie on the Everything Coworking Podcast

  7. 11 Aug

    201. Jackie Latragna on Marketing Coworking Spaces

    What happens when a marketer steps into coworking and starts looking at the business from the outside? In our latest podcast episode, Jamie and Gio sit down with Jackie Latragna, a marketer who went from answering phones at an executive suite at 21 to becoming a fractional CMO working with coworking operators. Jackie shares some great lessons on what she's seeing across the industry, including: Why owners need to find ways to step away from day-to-day operations The importance of ruthlessly evaluating your processes before scaling How to turn the knowledge of your location teams into actual strategy Why community involvement can be one of your most powerful marketing tools How ThinkSpace brought more than 2,000 people through its space during Seattle Tech Week Why smaller operators shouldn't feel like they need to replicate what larger brands are doing How to think about CRM and technology decisions without automatically reaching for the biggest platform Why marketers and operators should look outside coworking for ideas and inspiration The role of SEO, AEO, AI tools, reporting, and measurable marketing outcomes Why a little friction and different perspectives can actually lead to better ideas One of Jackie's biggest themes throughout the conversation is simple: don't let the day-to-day keep you from looking at the bigger opportunity. If you're trying to grow your coworking business without getting buried in the weeds, this one is worth a listen. Resources Mentioned in this Podcast: Jackie Latragna on LinkedIn BLANKSPACES Coworking website Connect with your Hosts: Connect with Giovanni on LinkedIn Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn Find Jamie on the Everything Coworking Podcast

  8. 30 Jul

    199. Greg Miley on how Clockwise is Scaling Across Europe Through Partnerships with Asse Owners

    What does it take to grow a coworking portfolio across multiple markets without relying on a one-size-fits-all playbook? According to Greg Miley, Chief Commercial Officer at Clockwise, it starts with understanding that every location has its own unique challenges, customers, and opportunities. In this episode, Greg shares how Clockwise operates 18 assets across 17 cities throughout the UK and Europe, and how the company approaches growth across a highly distributed portfolio. From entering new markets to building local awareness, Greg explains why successful flex operators need to understand the dynamics of each market instead of applying the same strategy everywhere. In this episode, we talk about: How Clockwise grew a portfolio across 17 different cities Why every coworking market requires a different sales and marketing strategy How operators can identify the right channels for each location Why brokers remain an important part of the flex workspace ecosystem Why general managers are critical to creating visibility and relationships outside the building How Clockwise uses CRM data to understand lead sources, conversions, and growth opportunities The importance of choosing the right buildings and understanding market demand Why flexible workspace adoption continues to grow as companies rethink traditional offices How Greg's experience as both a broker and operator influences his approach to partnerships As the flexible workspace industry continues to mature, the operators who combine strong local relationships, smart data practices, and a deep understanding of their customers will be the ones positioned for sustainable growth. Resources Mentioned in this Podcast: Greg Miley on LinkedIn Clockwise Offices website Connect with your Hosts: Connect with Giovanni on LinkedIn Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn Find Jamie on the Everything Coworking Podcast

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Giovanni Palavacini and Jamie Russo have partnered to ask industry leaders the questions that are on your mind. Giovanni Palavacini is a Real Estate Strategist focused on helping operators, landlords, and investors to make wise coworking/flexible office decisions using a combination of science and art. Jamie Russo was a coworking space owner/operator for 8 years, Executive Director of the GWA, the industry association, for 5 years, and has spent the last few years helping operators start and run profitable coworking businesses.

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