What happens when two first-time GWA Immersive attendees walk into a room of 77 people and realize there's nowhere to hide?

This week, Jamie and Gio are joined by Nicole Antolino from FireWorks Coworking in Marietta, Georgia, and Brittany Alavinejad from Essential Offices in Oklahoma City for a fresh take on what made the Atlanta immersive so different from the big conferences.

With 44 out of 77 attendees experiencing their first GWA event, the room was packed with new energy, honest questions, and real conversations about what's actually working in coworking right now. Nicole and Brittany share what stood out most—from AI and marketing panels to culture conversations and the surprisingly candid Alliance panel where a near-lawsuit turned into newfound respect.

We talk about:

• Why the intimate format made it impossible to be a wallflower—and why that mattered
• Courtney Schwartz's AI panel debut and the power of AEO/GEO over traditional SEO
• How video testimonials and member stories beat flashy marketing every time
• The Alliance panel's real talk on managed service agreements and market saturation
• Why specialization is working for attorneys, creatives, and niche industries
• Brittany hitting 100% occupancy in Edmond and pre-leasing offices for next year
• Nicole's journey from two major member losses to nearly sold out by year-end

If you've been wondering what the smaller GWA events feel like—or how operators are actually implementing what they learn the day they get back—this episode is for you.

Resources Mentioned in this Podcast:

Nicole Antolino on LinkedIn

Brittany Alavinejad on LinkedIn

FireWorks Coworking website

Essential Offices 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 you bring together operators and industry insiders who've just experienced the most eye-opening coworking conference in years?

This week, Jamie and Gio are joined by Kane Willmott and Eyal Lasker for a deep dive into Coworking Europe— and the conversation is full of surprises, market insights, and real talk about where the flex industry is heading globally.

Over 500 people gathered in Berlin for what many are calling the best coworking conference they've attended. Kane and Eyal share what made it so different from North American events, why the European market is years ahead, and what operators everywhere can learn from how the rest of the world does flex.

We talk about:

Why multi-location operators dominate Europe while single-location indies thrive in North America
How European operators commonly own their buildings—and why 25-year UK leases drive 10% flex market penetration
Kane's take on profitable consolidation versus distressed asset roll-ups
How Flexspace is building an AI assistant trained only on your occupancy data

If you've been curious about what the global flex industry looks like beyond North America—or why Europe is so far ahead—this episode will shift your perspective on what's possible.

Resources Mentioned in this Podcast:

Kane on LinkedIn
Eyal on LinkedIn

Connect with your Hosts:

Connect with Giovanni on LinkedIn

Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn

Find Jamie on the Everything Coworking Podcast

What happens when three people who spend their work lives inside the flex industry finally sit down and say the quiet parts out loud?

This week I'm joined by Stormy McBride and Taylor Mason for a candid conversation about community, hybrid coworking models, wellness trends, creative studios, marketing hot takes and why so many operators underestimate the complexity of blended businesses.

Stormy, who many of you know, jumps in as guest co-host. Taylor, who somehow hasn't been on the podcast until now, shares the story of how a random 6 a.m. dog-park encounter with Kevin Whelan pulled him into the coworking world eight years ago.

We also get into:

• Why humans still crave a "village" even though our daily lives look nothing like one
• The reality behind gym + coworking, dog + coworking and other lifestyle mashups
• Why creative studios inside coworking spaces rarely perform the way owners expect
• How residential real estate marketing offers lessons for growing a coworking brand
• Taylor's hot take on AI in content marketing and why it makes him nervous
• Stormy's behind-the-scenes updates and why 2026 feels like a year of big shifts

If you want a smart, honest conversation about where coworking is heading and how operators can adapt, this episode is for you.

Resources Mentioned in this Podcast:

Taylor on LinkedIn
Stormy on LinkedIn

Connect with your Hosts:

Connect with Giovanni on LinkedIn

Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn

Find Jamie on the Everything Coworking Podcast