GCUC Podcast - Coworking, Hospitality & The Future of Work

Embark on a captivating journey with Ian and Liz as they share the story of their serendipitous collision that set the stage for a dynamic conversation. Ian's foray into social members clubs took an unexpected turn when he stumbled upon coworking in 2015 through NeueHouse, igniting a passion that eventually led him to collaborate with Ennismore on the development of the Hoxton coworking brand. In...

John and Liz explore the ever-evolving landscape of shared office spaces, comparing occupancy challenges in the US with the bustling coworking scene in the UK. Discover how the US economy is shaping the numbers and why London continues to thrive as a global hub for coworking. Liz and John also discuss the importance of walkability and regional demand in the US, and how suburban markets stack up ag...

Natasha Guerra is a remarkable woman, pioneering the world of coworking with her brand that boasts a community of over 4,500 members. She's taken her vision to new heights, with a network spanning nine locations and a combined floor space exceeding 320,000 square feet. In this intriguing episode, Liz delves into Natasha's journey, exploring the fascinating intersection of real estate and hospitali...

Mo Hamzian is singularly obsessed, mission led and vision led about a unique 400 square foot coworking cafe and thought of literally everything. VEL is a name you're going to want to remember. Learn about this new entry and how they plan to scale massively over the next couple of years.  While everyone else is going big, VEL is going small and wide. Like and follow the GCUC Podcast for more awesom...

Long time friends, Jamie Russo of Everything Coworking and Liz Elam of GCUC talk about numbers and Jamie's passion for helping the industry get real about them. What you should be doing now to prepare for the inevitable real estate downturn we're going to experience. Jamie is doing all kinds of education in our industry and even talks about a new program she is doing with our friend Kane Wilmott o...

Dive into the dynamic journey of Carly Nemtean, co-founder of an interior design construction firm and a visionary niche coworking space operator. Nemtean and Liz Elam discuss her candid perspective and acknowledge the challenges of entrepreneurship and the need for constant adaptability. Over 12 years, her journey unfolds with strategic growth, sharing spaces with diverse businesses, and consciou...

Step into the captivating world of coworking with the dynamic Dr. Ben Hamer, Chief Futurist at Creative Cubes in Australia! In this engaging discussion with Liz Elam, Dr. Hamer unravels the exciting possibilities of the coworking industry, exploring its boundless potential for growth and innovation. Drawing inspiration from his global experiences, he paints a vivid picture of the evolving coworkin...

Are you ready to transform your space, elevate your vibe, and leave your competition in the dust? Meet Kevin Whelan, the master of uncovering and harnessing unique niches for explosive growth. In an interview with Liz Elam, Kevin shares what most people overlook, the strategies that truly make a difference, and the crucial ingredients for great marketing. Don't miss out on this game-changing oppor...

People hold community, societies, and cities together. No one knows this better than Stanford Civil Engineer to coworking powerhouse, Jillian Kilby, Founder and CEO at The Exchange. Jillian talks about the importance of economic development, having passion for the cause, and putting everything into perspective. She dives deep into her love for service, giving back to the community, how opportuniti...

Work Life is a rural regional coworking business that Kate has gone all in on outside of Sydney! Filled with purpose and joy, Kate believes in the impact she can make in her community to the point of even selling the family home to keep the doors open. With a background in fundraising and sponsorship and setting up community events she started because she craved a shared space in her own town. Liz...

Brian & Dennis keep meeting at the same conferences and knew they wanted to work together. They ended up starting a unique tech solution for the coworking industry along with five (yes, five other founders.) Though successful with their startup, two of the founders ended up leaving the company to reinvent themselves and launch a new AI focused startup for the coworking world. Brian Watson, Den...

The brain behind Kiln. and Rise, the number one place for fintech, talks about how missteps, crypto Mondays, revitalization, and nay sayers all played their part in today’s success. Arian Lewis, founder and CEO at kiln., takes us on his journey from tech start-ups and graduate school, to origins, branding, and trademarks. #gcucpodcast #ArianLewis #kiln #realestate #entrepreneur #coworking #communi...

In this podcast Liz talks with Brian Chen who is the dynamic and humble co-founder and CEO of ROOM about everything from hybrid work, modular design, sustainability, interest rates, SVB and so much more. Brian talks about how he started pulling at the yarn of curiosity and that led to starting with phone booths for his latest venture. They delve into questions like the right numbers of phone booth...

It is undeniable that people make coworking magical. But keeping the magic alive without losing the thrill of the experience, that personal touch, and making memories while doing so at margin is the challenge. Nick Clark, Founder and President at Common Desk, details all things supply, demand, KPI, ROI, landlords, and the big shift on the horizon. This coworking OG talks about the fate of real est...

A large fire taking out her first workspace, 15 other businesses, and displacing 20 residents did not impede the community outreach and impact of Sneh Kadakia, Founder and CEO at from HERE. Sneh details the resilience of those affected, while still serving the community, the entrepreneurs, and the neighborhood that surrounds them. Sneh speaks about the importance of accessibility, affordability, u...

Being the new kid on the block did not stop the team at Working From_ The Hoxton and their Regional Head of Sales, Lucy Pugh, from finding their place in the industry. Lucy talks about the importance of authenticity in hospitality, keeping your mind in a good place for business and the voice of your space. We dive into the DNA of coworking, what makes the industry great, where Working From_ might...

With a background in property and an eye for opulence, the CEO at Uncommon, Chris Davies, created five buzzworthy spaces that feel luxurious while facilitating member success. Uncommon is leading the industry in air quality, exceptional ambiance, and ESG while continuously committing to the basics. Chris talks about the importance of space, good bones, digital detox, the logic behind expansion, an...

Explore the highs and lows of Claire Carpenter’s entrepreneurial adventure as she reaches her next summit – 18 years in the making. Join the Founder & Executive Director of Social Innovation at The Melting Pot, Claire, as she takes us on a journey through business development, changing roles, shifting priorities, big social impact and staying grounded. She discusses the importance of passion,...

Running 3.8M square feet in 34 cities and 45 locations successfully through a global pandemic has it’s own unique challenges. Join Bill Bennett, Founder at Expansive, as he gives us the inside scoop on all things real estate, individual market strategy, building a vibrant community in this new world, the dreaded first quarter, and the industry’s missing piece. Bill talks about being on the right s...

Surviving everything from natural disasters to global disarray, for over 30 years, left some battle scars and priceless knowledge that built resilience for Laura Kozelouzek, CEO at Quest Workspaces. Laura K. talks about the value of a good reputation, recession proofing your business, navigating tricky markets, not taking yourself too seriously, and looking at your business through a different len...

Take a step into the sweet spot of life as Nicole Vasquez, Cofounder and Chief People Officer at Deskpass, dives into what coworking styles are in demand, what is on it’s way out, seeing the big picture, and why now is the time to expand. We explore the major shift in user behavior post pandemic, what the data says about it, the aggregator four letter word, juicy discounts, and the surprising hot...

Sitting atop the mountain of paperwork to become the world’s first female run coworking brand to successfully franchise are two of the cofounders of The Coven, Alex West Steinman and Erinn Farrell. The abundance mindset helps the cofounders keep momentum to pirouette over unstable ground, share honest learnings, and build inclusive spaces that create a deep community connection, all in the name of...

Health and wellness is no longer just a perk, but a necessary cultural currency that nourishes employees, and members, alike. James O’Reilly, President at Life Time Work, talks about the military like strategy behind creating connection through the geographical spread of a big box premium health club, the big real estate question, how it all started, and the prudent growth propelling it all forwar...

How filling a gap in the industry went from a small, niche vision to over 1 million square feet of 400+ logistically enabled members in under 3 years, and the masterminds like Paul D’Arrigo, Cofounder at Saltbox, who are behind it. Paul talks about the importance of going beyond the space with a reliable workforce, the importance of flexibility in amenities, aligning with member success, and how t...

The legendary model that is Workbar is like nothing else in the world. Focusing on, not only, cities but also the suburbs, avoiding rush hour, and finding the right tools to drive productivity within a workforce, are key to the dark horse world domination of Workbar and their CEO, Sarah Travers. Sarah talks about what makes members flock to your space, landlords in denial, the major real estate mo...