Cassandra Kavanagh didn’t set out to open a coworking space. After a business partnership dissolved, she suddenly found herself with 1,200 square meters of space, only six people left in the building, and a choice to make: sink, or rethink.

That pivot became Rethink Your Workspace, a thriving flex space in Newcastle, Australia, built on connection, service, and an unwavering commitment to people. Cassandra shares her story of resilience, her all-inclusive business model, and why showing kindnes, even to those outside her member base, is central to her approach.

We cover:

• How Cassandra turned a business crisis into the opportunity to launch a flex space.

• Why high-touch service and concierge-style support have become her differentiator.

• The role of connection in her community, and why it goes deeper than “coworking”.

• How an all-inclusive pricing model simplifies operations and builds trust.

• Stories of how authenticity and kindness ripple through her member community.

This episode is a reminder that small, independent operators often set the standard for what true hospitality and human-centered coworking look like.

Resources Mentioned in this Podcast:

Cassandra on LinkedIn

Rethink Your Workspace website

Connect with your Hosts:

Connect with Giovanni on LinkedIn

Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn

Find Jamie on the Everything Coworking Podcast

Tobi Skovron has lived the entrepreneurial rollercoaster, launching ventures in Los Angeles, exiting successfully, and then bringing his vision for community-driven coworking back home to Australia. Now the founder of CreativeCubes, Tobi leads with intentionality, building spaces designed to enable success for thousands of members while expanding across the country.

In this conversation, Tobi shares the story behind CreativeCubes, what fuels his mission, and how his approach to leadership, partnerships, and personal discipline have shaped his path.

We cover:

• How coworking transformed Tobi’s journey as an entrepreneur and inspired him to launch CreativeCubes in Australia.

• Why intentionality is the core value behind his member experience, team culture, and even landlord relationships.

• The growth of CreativeCubes, including acquisitions, brand evolution, and how they integrate services like F&B, events, and media.

• The role of the Rise Network and other programs that support entrepreneurs beyond just space.

• How Tobi’s personal routines and guiding principles fuel both his business and his life.

If you’re passionate about coworking as more than just space, and curious about scaling with purpose, Tobi’s story will hit home.

Resources Mentioned in this Podcast:

Tobi on LinkedIn

Creative Cubes website

Connect with your Hosts:

Connect with Giovanni on LinkedIn

Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn

Find Jamie on the Everything Coworking Podcast

Brad Krauskopf, Founder and CEO of Hub Australia, has been shaping the flexible workspace industry since the early days of coworking. In this episode, Gio sits down with Brad in Melbourne to talk about Hub’s journey, from scrappy beginnings with beanbags to high-touch hospitality and multi-layered partnerships with landlords.

Brad shares his perspective on how Hub has evolved, what hybrid work looks like in Australia, and why the future of flex depends on experiences, not just square footage.

In this episode, we cover:

• The evolution of Hub Australia from scrappy community hubs to high-touch, hospitality-driven workspaces.

• How hybrid work is reshaping demand in Australia and what that means for operators and landlords.

• Why partnerships between operators and landlords are essential for creating whole-building experiences.

• The role of hospitality as a true differentiator in flexible workspace.

• The future of flex in Australia: evolving models, member expectations, and the importance of meaningful connections.

Resources Mentioned in this Podcast:

Brad on LinkedIn

Hub Australia website

Connect with your Hosts:

Connect with Giovanni on LinkedIn

Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn

Find Jamie on the Everything Coworking Podcast

WOTSO is Australia’s largest independent flexible workspace operator — and their story is one every operator should hear. From their beginnings as a single site to building a nationwide network, WOTSO has navigated growth, shifting demand, and the evolving landlord-operator relationship while staying true to their brand and community.

In this episode, we sit down with the WOTSO team to unpack how they’ve built a model that works at scale and what operators everywhere can learn from their journey.

What we cover:

• WOTSO’s origin story and how they grew into a national flex operator.

• The keys to scaling without losing community and brand identity.

• How they’ve approached landlord partnerships and real estate strategy.

• Lessons learned from adapting their model across diverse markets.

• Insights into where Australia’s flex market is heading next

Resources Mentioned in this Podcast:

Jessie on LinkedIn

Paula on LinkedIn

WOTSO

Connect with your Hosts:

Connect with Giovanni on LinkedIn

Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn

Find Jamie on the Everything Coworking Podcast

This week’s episode is a little different. Gio takes the mic solo, delivering the keynote at the Flexible Workspace Australia Conference.

In his talk, Gio brings his signature mix of candor and big-picture perspective to what’s happening in the flex industry, in Australia, in the U.S., and globally.

What Gio covers:

• Why operators everywhere are facing similar challenges around demand, landlords, and scaling.

• The critical role community plays, and why it remains flex’s biggest differentiator.

• How landlord partnerships are evolving and what both sides need to make them work.

• What U.S. operators can learn from the Australian market, and vice versa.

• Why the future of flex is local and global at the same time.

If you couldn’t be in the room, this episode brings the keynote to you.

Resources Mentioned in this Podcast:

Flexible Workspace Australia

Connect with your Hosts:

Connect with Giovanni on LinkedIn

Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn

Find Jamie on the Everything Coworking Podcast

This week, Gio and I sit down with Mike Kloppenburg, VP at Avison Young and longtime coworking insider, to pull back the curtain on what’s really happening in the brokerage world, and what it means for flex operators. From the “flight to quality” and secondary market opportunities, to the messy reality of management agreements and the IWG land grab, Mike brings candid insights you won’t get anywhere else.

What we cover:

• Why the big brokerages are cautiously optimistic, and where the optimism comes from.

• How the “flight to quality” is reshaping both traditional office leasing and flex space demand.

• Secondary and tertiary markets: where the supply-demand balance tips in favor of operators.

• The challenges of management agreements, how IWG’s aggressive expansion is affecting the industry, and why deal structure still makes or breaks success.

• Scaling beyond your home market: why granular, on-the-ground market knowledge is non-negotiable.

Resources Mentioned in this Podcast:

Michael on LinkedIn

Avison Young website

2025 Americas Office Occupier Sentiment Survey

2025 Mid-Year Outlook

Connect with your Hosts:

Connect with Giovanni on LinkedIn

Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn

Find Jamie on the Everything Coworking Podcast

If the term “cowarehousing” hasn’t hit your radar yet, this episode will change that.

Shannon and Emiliano Lerda didn’t set out to build a flex space company — they just wanted to stop tripping over shipping boxes in their living room. What they ended up creating is Elevator Co-Warehousing, a fast-growing brand built specifically for product-based businesses that need more than a desk… but less than a forklift.

In this episode, Gio and guest cohost Wesley Edmonds dive into how the Lerdas turned a personal pain point into a scalable model that blends real estate, hospitality, and serious operational know-how.

Here’s what we cover:

• How their own experience running an e-commerce brand led to the first Elevator space.

• Why their spaces feel more like coworking than traditional warehouse environments.

• The intentional decision to open in overlooked markets — and why it’s paying off.

• How community, design, and practical logistics create a retention flywheel.

• The financing and buildout lessons they’ve learned while scaling a new category.

If you’re exploring new flex models or thinking about how to serve a different kind of member — this conversation is full of smart, grounded inspiration.

Resources Mentioned in this Podcast:

Emiliano on LinkedIn

Shannon on LinkedIn

Elevator Spaces website

Wesley on LinkedIn

Connect with your Hosts:

Connect with Giovanni on LinkedIn

Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn

Find Jamie on the Everything Coworking Podcast

A couch, a few desks, and a Wi-Fi password won’t cut it anymore.

In this episode, we sit down with Wesley Edmonds, Director of Workplace at Office Furniture Solutions, and Kurt Patrick, Senior Executive at Essensys, to talk about what it really takes to create a functional, flexible space, from physical design to digital infrastructure.

They’ve both worked behind the scenes on hundreds of flex space projects. Their perspective? Too many operators underestimate the complexity of getting a space ready, and keeping it competitive.

Here’s what we cover:

• Why tech infrastructure should be part of the earliest planning conversations — not a bolt-on.

• Common mistakes in space design that hurt member experience and operational efficiency.

• How Wesley helps landlords and operators align vision with real-world furniture, flow, and budget.

• What the biggest operators get right when it comes to tech, access control, and back-of-house ops.

• Why speed to market matters — and how the right team can help you launch faster and smarter.

If you're opening a space, refreshing your layout, or scaling a flex brand, this conversation will save you time, money, and headaches.

Resources Mentioned in this Podcast:

Wesley on LinkedIn

OFS website

Kurt on LinkedIn

essensys website

Connect with your Hosts:

Connect with Giovanni on LinkedIn

Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn

Find Jamie on the Everything Coworking Podcast