408. The Power of Fractional Offices: How Vena Boddy Built The Foundry Workspaces
Release Date: 12/10/2025
414. 4 Things Coworking Space Owners Are Overspending On
Everything Coworking
What happens when good intentions meet bad ROI? This week, Jamie tackles the spending decisions that quietly drain coworking operators' margins—and shares what to do instead. Fresh from working with clients who are making these exact mistakes, Jamie breaks down the four most common areas where operators overspend: marketing agencies that don't understand local business, IT retainers that sit unused, social media managers in markets where Instagram doesn't drive leads, and $20,000 custom websites that look beautiful but don't convert. This episode is direct, practical, and yes—a little...
info_outline
413. Is "Community Manager" the Right Title for the Person Running Your Coworking Space?
Everything Coworking
This week, Jamie Russo tackles a slightly uncomfortable question—especially for someone who runs a program called Community Manager University. But if you're struggling to find quality candidates when you post that job title, this episode might change how you think about recruiting. Here's the problem: the community manager title anchors candidates on member interaction and engagement. But the actual job? It's pipeline management, CRM updates, billing follow-up, vendor coordination, office turnovers, social media, sales tours, and—oh yeah—also community building. When you hire someone...
info_outline
412. Should You Answer When IWG Calls? What Landlords Need to Know About Regus Partnership Deals
Everything Coworking
IWG (the parent company of Regus) just cold called you about turning your office building into a coworking space—and you have no idea how to evaluate their offer. This week, Jamie Russo breaks down exactly what landlords and building owners need to know before signing a management agreement with IWG, Regus, or any other operator offering a partnership model. Spoiler: they're not calling because your building is special. They're calling because you own a building. And that distinction matters—a lot. Jamie walks through the IWG partnership model, why they're pursuing landlords so...
info_outline
411. The "Why Not?" Approach: Sue Reardon on Experimenting Her Way to Success at Suite Spotte
Everything Coworking
What happens when a small business coach realizes her clients need more than advice—they need a place to actually work? She converts the loft she's been living in with her family into a coworking space. This week, Jamie Russo sits down with Sue Reardon, co-founder and community connector at Suite Spotte in Forest Park and La Grange, Illinois, for one of the most fascinating origin stories we've heard on this podcast. In this episode, we talk about: How Sue went from coaching micropreneurs to realizing coworking was the missing piece Why it took two years to get the Forest Park...
info_outline
410. The Day Pass Experience: A Checklist for Turning Drop-Ins into Long-Term Members
Everything Coworking
What happens when a coworking expert walks into a national coworking brand as a day pass user—and the experience falls flat? This week, Jamie shares her recent day pass experience and turns it into a practical checklist for operators who want to treat every day passer like a potential long-term member (because they might be). It's the holiday season, which means travelers are staying with family, needing to get work done, and looking for a place to escape for the day. Day passers might be transient—or they might become your next member, referral source, or meeting room regular. But if...
info_outline
409. The Invisible Flex Model: How Andrea Pirrotti Helps Landlords Activate Space Without the Friction
Everything Coworking
What happens when a flex workspace veteran with decades of global experience decides the future isn't about branded coworking takeovers—but about making flex invisible so the building itself can thrive? In this episode, Andrea Pirrotti, Head of Real Estate at infinitSpace, shares her unconventional approach to helping landlords activate underutilized space without heavy CapEx, long lease-up timelines, or the friction that comes with traditional flex operators. Andrea's background is extensive—she ran global marketing for IWG across 65 countries, led operations at Office Evolution, and...
info_outline
408. The Power of Fractional Offices: How Vena Boddy Built The Foundry Workspaces
Everything Coworking
What happens when a lifelong hairstylist-turned-life-coach steps away from the salon and builds one of the most flexible, hyper-local coworking models I’ve ever seen? You get The Foundry Workspaces, created and operated by Vena Boddy, who brings an action-oriented, community-centered approach to coworking that works beautifully in her Michigan suburb. In this episode, Vena shares her unexpected journey into coworking, how her husband’s early entrepreneurial experiences inspired their model, and why she leaned fully into fractional private offices instead of the typical dedicated office or...
info_outline
407. Building Coworking Where It Doesn’t Exist Yet: Jodie Gallant's Story
Everything Coworking
What happens when a lifelong marketer and multi-business entrepreneur realizes she’s tired of working alone — and decides to build the space she wishes existed? In this episode, Jodie Gallant, CEO of WORK Lakes Region, shares the remarkable story behind launching the first coworking space of its kind in New Hampshire’s Lakes Region — and why the idea lived in her for nearly a decade before becoming real. Jodie’s journey is full of surprising turns, smart marketing insights, and honest lessons about opening a coworking space in a smaller market. We cover: How growing up inside a...
info_outline
406. Planning for 2026: Themes Every Operator Should Be Thinking About
Everything Coworking
In this episode, Jamie shares the key themes she’s taking into her 2026 planning — and why now is the moment to shift from working in your business to working on it. She also walks through what to expect in this year’s Q1 planning workshop and pop-up community. In this episode you'll learn: • Why “radical responsiveness” is becoming a major differentiator • How to plan for outcomes instead of tactics • What owners should keep close instead of delegating • Why carving out R&D time (especially around AI) matters • How to think realistically about projects, KPIs, and...
info_outline
405. From Antiques to Coworking: Carol DiGiovanni’s Journey to Building onFlume Coworking
Everything Coworking
What do antiques and coworking have in common? For Carol DiGiovanni, more than you’d think. Carol never set out to run a coworking space. With a degree in material culture and a long career as an accredited antiques appraiser, she loved researching the stories behind old treasures—not managing HVAC contractors or setting up a member portal. But when the pandemic hit, Carol and her husband—owners of a full city block of office space in downtown Chico, California—knew they’d need to pivot. In this episode, Carol shares her journey from antique expert to community builder, and how...
info_outlineWhat happens when a lifelong hairstylist-turned-life-coach steps away from the salon and builds one of the most flexible, hyper-local coworking models I’ve ever seen?
You get The Foundry Workspaces, created and operated by Vena Boddy, who brings an action-oriented, community-centered approach to coworking that works beautifully in her Michigan suburb.
In this episode, Vena shares her unexpected journey into coworking, how her husband’s early entrepreneurial experiences inspired their model, and why she leaned fully into fractional private offices instead of the typical dedicated office or open coworking setup. If you’ve ever wondered whether part-time private offices can actually work, Vena is proof that they can—not only functionally, but profitably.
We talk about:
- How her background as a hairstylist and certified life coach shaped her philosophy as an operator
- How she runs a mostly unstaffed space while still delivering a boutique, high-touch experience
- Why her day passes and conference room rentals have become an unexpectedly strong revenue driver
- The power of being embedded in the local community—especially in smaller markets
- Why her 24 five-star Google reviews in year one are no accident
- The Foundry Workspaces’ next chapter: a new workshop space coming in 2026
Vena’s story is such a refreshing reminder that coworking doesn’t have to look one certain way. You can take the space you already have, design around the needs of the people in your community, and create something that is profitable, personal, and sustainable.
Resources Mentioned in this Episode:
The Foundry Workspaces' website
Everything Coworking Featured Resources:
Masterclass: 3 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets to Opening a Coworking Space