This week, Gio and I sit down with Mike Kloppenburg, VP at Avison Young and longtime coworking insider, to pull back the curtain on what’s really happening in the brokerage world, and what it means for flex operators. From the “flight to quality” and secondary market opportunities, to the messy reality of management agreements and the IWG land grab, Mike brings candid insights you won’t get anywhere else.

What we cover:

• Why the big brokerages are cautiously optimistic, and where the optimism comes from.

• How the “flight to quality” is reshaping both traditional office leasing and flex space demand.

• Secondary and tertiary markets: where the supply-demand balance tips in favor of operators.

• The challenges of management agreements, how IWG’s aggressive expansion is affecting the industry, and why deal structure still makes or breaks success.

• Scaling beyond your home market: why granular, on-the-ground market knowledge is non-negotiable.

Resources Mentioned in this Podcast:

Michael on LinkedIn

Avison Young website

Connect with your Hosts:

Connect with Giovanni on LinkedIn

Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn

Find Jamie on the Everything Coworking Podcast

If the term “cowarehousing” hasn’t hit your radar yet, this episode will change that.

Shannon and Emiliano Lerda didn’t set out to build a flex space company — they just wanted to stop tripping over shipping boxes in their living room. What they ended up creating is Elevator Co-Warehousing, a fast-growing brand built specifically for product-based businesses that need more than a desk… but less than a forklift.

In this episode, Gio and guest cohost Wesley Edmonds dive into how the Lerdas turned a personal pain point into a scalable model that blends real estate, hospitality, and serious operational know-how.

Here’s what we cover:

• How their own experience running an e-commerce brand led to the first Elevator space.

• Why their spaces feel more like coworking than traditional warehouse environments.

• The intentional decision to open in overlooked markets — and why it’s paying off.

• How community, design, and practical logistics create a retention flywheel.

• The financing and buildout lessons they’ve learned while scaling a new category.

If you’re exploring new flex models or thinking about how to serve a different kind of member — this conversation is full of smart, grounded inspiration.

Resources Mentioned in this Podcast:

Emiliano on LinkedIn

Shannon on LinkedIn

Elevator Spaces website

Wesley on LinkedIn

Connect with your Hosts:

Connect with Giovanni on LinkedIn

Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn

Find Jamie on the Everything Coworking Podcast

A couch, a few desks, and a Wi-Fi password won’t cut it anymore.

In this episode, we sit down with Wesley Edmonds, Director of Workplace at Office Furniture Solutions, and Kurt Patrick, Senior Executive at Essensys, to talk about what it really takes to create a functional, flexible space, from physical design to digital infrastructure.

They’ve both worked behind the scenes on hundreds of flex space projects. Their perspective? Too many operators underestimate the complexity of getting a space ready, and keeping it competitive.

Here’s what we cover:

• Why tech infrastructure should be part of the earliest planning conversations — not a bolt-on.

• Common mistakes in space design that hurt member experience and operational efficiency.

• How Wesley helps landlords and operators align vision with real-world furniture, flow, and budget.

• What the biggest operators get right when it comes to tech, access control, and back-of-house ops.

• Why speed to market matters — and how the right team can help you launch faster and smarter.

If you're opening a space, refreshing your layout, or scaling a flex brand, this conversation will save you time, money, and headaches.

Resources Mentioned in this Podcast:

Wesley on LinkedIn

OFS website

Kurt on LinkedIn

essensys website

Connect with your Hosts:

Connect with Giovanni on LinkedIn

Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn

Find Jamie on the Everything Coworking Podcast