396. The Hidden Cost of Settling: How to Handle a Team Member Who’s Not a Fit
Release Date: 08/20/2025
400. Should I Copy the Switchyards Model?
Everything Coworking
Switchyards has become one of the most talked-about concepts in the coworking world, a self-described “neighborhood work club” that blends the feel of a coffee shop, library, and boutique hotel lobby. The model looks simple, affordable, and wildly attractive. But is it really as easy and profitable as it seems? In this episode, I sit down with Kane Willmott, CEO of IQ Offices, to reverse-engineer the Switchyards model. We walk through their pricing, staffing, buildout approach, and growth strategy to uncover what works, what’s risky, and whether this is a concept you should try at home....
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399. What Boutique Gyms and Play Cafes Can Teach Us About Coworking Revenue
Everything Coworking
Coworking operators often assume that flex desks and memberships will drive the business model, but what if that’s not actually true? In this episode, I share insights from boutique gyms and play cafes that reveal how different business models generate sustainable revenue. These parallels highlight why private offices, events, and other add-ons are often the true engines of coworking profitability. What we cover: Why flex desks are often overestimated in pro formas, and why they rarely drive long-term revenue. The boutique fitness analogy: why high-value services (like private offices)...
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398. Creating Space for Parents: Megan Donovan on Coworking + Childcare
Everything Coworking
Balancing career and parenthood isn’t easy, and for many parents, traditional childcare options just don’t fit. Megan Donovan, founder of Shift Work and Play, set out to change that. After leaving a career in policy and advocacy, Megan built a coworking model that offers parents dedicated work time while their kids enjoy structured play sessions, filling a gap most childcare and coworking models miss. In this episode, Megan shares her journey, the challenges of running a coworking + childcare business, and why her members say the model has been life-changing. We cover: Megan’s...
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397. Creating Access + Community for Private Practice Professionals: Samantha Barash on The Practice Collective
Everything Coworking
What happens when a dietitian starts a private practice, sees a gap in support for clinicians, and decides to fix it herself? You get The Practice Collective - a coworking model built specifically for practitioners in nutrition, wellness, and mental health. In this episode, Samantha Barash shares how she went from running her own nutrition practice to creating a thriving coworking community for private practice professionals. Her story shows how powerful niche coworking can be, and how keeping things simple and community-focused leads to strong growth. We cover: How Samantha’s nutrition...
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396. The Hidden Cost of Settling: How to Handle a Team Member Who’s Not a Fit
Everything Coworking
One of the toughest parts of running a coworking space is managing people. What do you do when your community manager—or any team member—isn’t living up to expectations? Do you settle, or is it time to make a transition? In this episode of the Everything Coworking Podcast, Jamie Russo walks through the signs that your team member may not be a fit, what to check before you make a change, and how to confidently prepare for a transition without losing your sanity—or your members’ trust. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: The common symptoms of underperformance (SOPs ignored, leads...
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395. The "Chicken or Egg" of Opening a Coworking Space
Everything Coworking
If you’re launching a coworking space and feel like you’re doing everything out of order, welcome to the club. In this episode, I share the “chicken or egg” paradox of starting a space. That messy, exhilarating, and sometimes disorienting phase where you’re working on your vision, talking to brokers, crunching numbers, and trying to figure out what comes first. Whether you’re just getting started or expanding, you’ll hear why feeling uncertain is actually a sign you’re on the right track, and what you do need in place before committing to a lease. What we cover: Why the early...
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394. Lead Sources 101: What Coworking Operators Need to Know About Brokers, Marketplaces, and More
Everything Coworking
Your sales funnel can only work if you know where your leads are coming from — and how to make the most of each source. But for many operators, coworking marketplaces, lead gen partners, and even Google Business Profiles feel like a confusing alphabet soup of options. In this episode, I break down the four core lead source categories, demystify the biggest marketplace players, and help you prioritize what’s worth your time (and what isn’t). We cover: The four main types of coworking lead sources: organic traffic, member referrals, brokers, and marketplaces What platforms like...
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393. Speed to Lead: The Simple Habit That Closes More Deals
Everything Coworking
You’ve nailed your location. Your marketing’s dialed in. But if your leads aren’t turning into members… there’s a good chance your speed to lead is the culprit. In this episode, Jamie breaks down why fast lead response is more than a “nice to have”; it’s one of the biggest drivers of sales success (or failure) in your coworking business. And it’s one of the easiest things to improve without adding headcount. We cover: Why slow response time might be quietly killing your conversion rate — even if you’re getting leads. How to optimize lead response without hiring a...
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392. Leslie Bailey’s Secret Sauce for Coworking: Food, Events, and Corporate Sponsors
Everything Coworking
In this episode, I talk with Leslie Bailey, founder and CEO of Indy Maven and the powerhouse behind Maven Space, a coworking space that was as bold and layered as Leslie herself. Leslie never set out to run a coworking space. What began as a media company and newsletter for women in Indianapolis quickly snowballed into a full-on community, and eventually a physical space with coworking, a cafe, a gym, an event venue, and yes, cauliflower soup that apparently had a fan club. We talk about: How Leslie went from lifestyle editor to community builder and coworking operator, almost by accident. ...
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391. Serving Purpose with Profit: How Joel Ballew is Doing Good and Doing Well with Coworking in Latin America
Everything Coworking
Ever wonder what it’s like to build a coworking space outside the U.S. from scratch, in another language, with a whole new playbook? Joel Ballew is the Chief People Officer at Coventus Space in Barranquilla, Colombia, and he’s not your average operator. He moved his family from Georgia to Colombia, sold his dream business, learned Spanish from the ground up, and launched what is now the largest privately held coworking space in a city of nearly 2 million people. In this episode, Joel shares the highs, the lows, and the “wait, you did what?” moments of creating a thriving,...
info_outlineOne of the toughest parts of running a coworking space is managing people. What do you do when your community manager—or any team member—isn’t living up to expectations? Do you settle, or is it time to make a transition?
In this episode of the Everything Coworking Podcast, Jamie Russo walks through the signs that your team member may not be a fit, what to check before you make a change, and how to confidently prepare for a transition without losing your sanity—or your members’ trust.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
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The common symptoms of underperformance (SOPs ignored, leads lost, disorganization, poor service).
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How to evaluate whether the problem is training and leadership—or true misalignment.
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Why “settling” for a mediocre fit costs more than you think.
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Options for outsourcing parts of the role if only 20% isn’t working.
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How to make SOP documentation a requirement to protect your business.
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Why the community manager role is often a two-year position—and how to plan for turnover.
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Steps to take when preparing for a transition, including consulting with an employment attorney.
Resources Mentioned in this Episode:
Transitioning to a new team member doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Community Manager University is your easy button for onboarding and developing new CMs. The program:
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Trains on industry standards and role expectations.
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Connects your CM to a global network of peers.
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Provides expert coaching and real-world support.
Learn more at everythingcoworking.com/communitymanager.
Everything Coworking Featured Resources:
Masterclass: 3 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets to Opening a Coworking Space