411. The "Why Not?" Approach: Sue Reardon on Experimenting Her Way to Success at Suite Spotte
Release Date: 01/07/2026
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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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404. When It's Time to Hire a Business Coach
Everything Coworking
In this episode, Jamie dives deep into how to choose the right business coach for where you are in your coworking journey — whether you’re just dreaming about opening your first space or you’re years in and ready to grow profitably. She shares personal stories from her own coaching experiences, from mindset breakthroughs to painful early mistakes that could’ve been avoided with coworking-specific guidance. What You’ll Learn in This Episode Why the type of coach you choose depends on your stage of business The difference between general business coaching and industry-specific...
info_outlineWhat 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 location rezoned
- Her "test and invest" mindset—constantly experimenting with flexible memberships
- Why she stopped doing evening events and started showing up with soup and wine instead
- The "Team Mashup" concept—bringing remote and in-office teams together
This conversation is proof that coworking works best when you stay curious, listen to your members, and aren't afraid to test unconventional ideas.
If you're an operator wondering how to create authentic community without forcing it, or navigating flexible memberships, this episode is for you.
Resources Mentioned in this Episode:
Sue Reardon on LinkedIn
Suite Spotte Coworking website
Everything Coworking Featured Resources:
Masterclass: 3 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets to Opening a Coworking Space