IWG doesn't give away free beer. And that's exactly why they're profitable.

This week, Giovanni Palavicini and Kurt Patrick sit down with David Steyn, Senior Commercial Director at Anytime Mailbox and Anytime Postage, for a conversation about virtual offices, international coworking markets, and why adding revenue streams matters more than free perks.

David spent years at IWG running their global virtual office business before joining Anytime Mailbox. And he's got perspective on what actually drives profit in coworking—from London's dense, prestige-address market to rural Scotland where a coworking space might also be the village bank, post office, and doctor's surgery.

We talk about:

• Why IWG passed on free beer while WeWork gave everything away—and what that teaches operators about profit
• How virtual offices underwrite coworking businesses (especially in markets like London where privacy + prestige = demand)
• The three pricing tiers for virtual mail services—from $9.99 privacy addresses to $69+ premium bundles
• Why coworking works differently in the UK vs North America (density, leasehold history, GDPR compliance)
• How rural Scotland is deploying flexible hubs that serve as banks, post offices, and coworking spaces
• The postage kiosk play—1,500 deployed at IWG locations to turn mail into self-service revenue
• Why operators should focus on product mix and revenue streams, not just competing on space

This conversation is proof that the best operators don't just lease space—they think strategically about every revenue stream, every compliance risk, and every service their members actually need.

If you're wondering how to add revenue without adding staff, or how virtual offices fit into your business model, this episode is for you.

Resources Mentioned in this Podcast:

David Steyn on LinkedIn
Kurt Patrick on LinkedIn
Anytime Mailbox's website
Anytime Postage's website

Connect with your Hosts:

Connect with Giovanni on LinkedIn

Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn

Find Jamie on the Everything Coworking Podcast

What happens when a COO, a Director of Brand and Culture, and a Director of Sales sit down together—and you realize they're not just colleagues, but people who genuinely love working together?

This week, Giovanni Palavicini sits down with three members of the 25N leadership team—Meagan Slavin (COO), Sari Lash (Director of Brand and Culture), and Mecca Shannon (Director of Sales and Launch)—for one of the most heartfelt conversations about culture, leadership, and building a team that actually sticks around.

They're in Dallas announcing 25N's third Texas location, and between the excitement of expansion, they open up about what makes their culture work: trust, grace, radical ownership, and the willingness to let people mess up without hiding it.
We talk about:

• Why culture isn't HR fluff—it's a strategic advantage that impacts your bottom line
• The "people first" value and why it means hiring overachievers, then giving them grace
• How trust shows up when someone calls to say "I really screwed up—help me fix this"
• Why 25N has never described themselves as a "family" (and why boundaries matter)
• How Meagan's dad taught her she could conquer the world—and how she's passing that on
• Why pouring equally into every employee creates long-term wins
• The power of supportive partners who show up and hold down the fort

This conversation is proof that great culture isn't about perks or buzzwords—it's about seeing people as humans, creating clear boundaries, and giving your team freedom to bring their best.
If you're building a team or wondering how to scale culture as you grow, this episode is for you.

Resources Mentioned in this Podcast:

Meagan Slavin on LinkedIn
Sari Lash on LinkedIn
Mecca Shannon on LinkedIn
25N Coworking website

Connect with your Hosts:

Connect with Giovanni on LinkedIn

Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn

Find Jamie on the Everything Coworking Podcast

What happens when someone who lived through the internet boom of the '90s starts seeing the same patterns with AI—and decides to map out exactly what it means for your coworking business?

This week, we chat with Ben Wright, who's spent eight years in flexible workspace—first at Square Foot, then leading office space.com at Instant Group, and now helping operators understand how AI will actually impact their P&L.

Ben just launched a seven-part series breaking down AI's real applications in coworking. His bottom line: this is more about growing revenue than cutting costs. When 50% of your expenses are real estate, a chatbot isn't saving you money on rent.

We talk about:

• Why AI feels eerily similar to the internet boom (and why that matters)
• The "wrong goes wrong, right goes right" principle—and why clean data wins
• How Unity AI is helping operators turn 70% of their leads into revenue
• Why 75% of AI agents built for Yardi do one thing: data cleaning
• Why human hospitality will never be replaced by a bot
  
  

This conversation is proof that AI isn't about replacing humans—it's about freeing operators to do what they do best while automation handles the repetitive work.

If you're wondering whether AI is hype or reality, this episode gives you a clear roadmap for what to implement now.

Resources Mentioned in this Podcast:

Ben Wright on LinkedIn

Connect with your Hosts:

Connect with Giovanni on LinkedIn

Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn

Find Jamie on the Everything Coworking Podcast