132. An IOS' journey to 35 locations and 20,000 members
Resources Mentioned in this Podcast:
Everything Coworking Featured Resources:
Masterclass: 3 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets to Opening a Coworking Space
Creative Coworking Partnerships: How to negotiate and structure management agreements from the landlord and operator perspective
Transcription
132. Javier Garcia Iza shares IOS' journey to 35 locations and 20,000 members
00:00:01 Welcome to the everything Coworking podcast, where you learn what you need to know about how the world wants to work. And now your host, co working space owner and trend expert Jamie Russo. Welcome to the everything Coworking podcast. I can't wait to introduce my guest for today before we dive in A couple of things. I'm recording this before the new year, but you're listening to this in the new year. So it's kind of an interesting just mindset, because I know when we get to this will be well into 2020 and we'll have made it through the holidays.
00:00:40 But I'm sitting here recording this eight days before Christmas. You know, I'm wondering. I'm wondering if countries outside of the US makes such a big deal about the holidays. Like Black Friday, all the craziness, all the things that make it stressful. I try to avoid a lot of those things, which makes me feel a tiny bit grinchy, but I do the lights and hid the tree, do some gifts, but try to keep it fairly low key. My daughter is just making some chocolate reindeer to hand out to some friends tomorrow,
00:01:09 so we can assume creativity in, and some giving for sure. So for those that are new to co working and thinking about opening a space or on your journey and launched an e book, I think it's really helpful. It's eight steps to creating a profitable coworking space that you love to run. You can find it in Amazon. The fastest way to find it is to search for my name. Jamie Russo. There's only two of us, and only one of us writes about co working so easy to figure that one out so pop into Amazon and grab it.
00:01:41 It covers a lot of the things I talk about in the podcast, but probably in more detail and just more synthesized in terms of our framework to use to think about opening a co working space so hopefully you enjoy it. It is 99 cents. I couldn't figure out how to make it free. If you have Kindle Unlimited, it's free. So the idea is not that make money from it. The idea is to get some information in your hands. That's helpful, but it's 99 cents. So today my guest is Javier Garcia,
00:02:08 who is the CEO and co founder of Iowa's offices. They have 36 locations throughout Mexico. He lives in Monterrey, Mexico, and I'm gonna put the link to their website in the show notes, because I think you're going to really enjoy him and be very curious about their brand when we're done. His spaces are beautiful. They are one of the largest purchasers of Herman Miller furniture in Mexico. So I heard that fun fact at an industry event and that always stuck in my head, and I've been very envious.
00:02:43 So he talks about that decision but also talks about the intense community that they have, and I love following them on Social. So if you are looking for inspirational brands to follow on social, find them IOS offices on Facebook and Instagram, and they put up a lot of pictures of their community events. Have year was talking about to rob pop up market for the holidays that they were doing today, and I saw I happened to see it afterwards on Facebook and you know, it said they're in Mexico through its outside,
00:03:13 like on a rooftop deck. It looks fabulous and, you know, kind of fancy for a co working space but have your is lovely and has been doing this for a couple of decades. So he just had so much experience to share. And I love the culture and what they're creating their. So I hope you enjoy our conversation. I am here today with a very special guest. I cannot wait to dive into his story. Javier Garcia is a CEO of Iowa's offices. Have you? You'll have to give us the updated stats,
00:03:44 but you've been around for about 12 years. 35 plus locations, and you just hit 20,000 members. What a milestone. Thank you for joining me today. Thank you very much, Jamie, Since I've made you, you cost a very strong impression on me. So it's a real honor to be today in your podcast. Well, I'm thrilled to have you. I can't wait to dive into your story. And I have to give you an official Thank you. Have ear often brings wins the award for bringing the fullest team to the Jew W a conference and they always come bearing gifts.
00:04:17 I think that must be a cultural thing. We love it way. Love your team and we appreciate the support to the industry. So you've been doing this for a while, Like looks from your Lincoln right out of college, and I have not ever heard your story. So you start by telling us how you got into shared office space and just sort of your walk us through the past. We won't say how many years total we were. W and I were just talking about how young and fabulous we still are.
00:04:45 I, in fact, major, as a mechanical engineer and right out of school, my family was already involved in real estate, and we started with an H shoe franchise back in the nineties. Yeah, I didn't realize that. So interesting. Yeah, which was very fun. It was We had to educate the market. He didn't Monterey. Yeah, because nobody was doing this. And, well, we started growing since the beginning. We actually went through age cues, and Regis is bankruptcy in the early two thousands.
00:05:22 So at some point in time, I ended up being a franchise See off my competitors, which was just a block away because they actually emerged both companies around in 2003. Yeah. Yeah, and then as you mentioned, I stepped out of the family business around 2006. Can we were not expecting, but it was within a gear when we were already starting operations. And I always exist. Me another. Yeah, we were thrilled to a start our own company. And it's been a roller coaster of emotions and fun with me and all of our team.
00:06:05 How big is your team today? We are 300 people. We are, as you mentioned 36 locations in 12 cities around Mexico and we started in Monterey. Then we went to Mexico City, and then we did Tijuana with Hala Hara, and we've been spreading the co working culture around the country for quite some time now. And as I've mentioned, it's been a really fun walk, a real fun path doing all of this. So just trying to think about the best way to ask this question. But I mean,
00:06:39 you started at the beginning and a lot of folks don't realize. I mean, shared office space has been around since the seventies, you know, the Global Workspace Association has been running a conference for over 30 years, and I think a lot of folks don't realize that because from a media perspective, no one cared about it until you know the last I don't know, maybe five years. And there are still so many people who don't realize it's a solution, and you've been through an incredible you know, journey of that kind of changing.
00:07:10 What I mean, what is business like now versus when you first started? Well, I could tell you a little bit about how working started and how they didn't merge into these shared office industry. I remember, as you mentioned, that this kind of industry started back in the seventies on one of the main things that brought us together as a community waas to share a fax machine. And it's true. People listening there like what? What? Yeah, so people will hire our service is in order to share a reception desk,
00:07:46 a receptionist, telephone answering service effects machine in a conference room. So after one of our user, one of her members, will not need the physical space anymore to attend on office every day they will just walk away from our center and then they will realize that their phone number is still being answered by a reception lady and that their address it's still being our address. So we were still receiving their notifications and mail. So that's how mutual offices came into place. So we will not give you the physical space anymore,
00:08:23 But we will give you the address and we will answer your phone. So back then there was no email,
00:08:29 so not to date through anything but right. Pre email so wild so receptionists will write down the messages for a client's,
00:08:39 and then they will actually walk in the office, pick up their fax, their mail, their messages and then they will realize they had taken too much time for that task for for that Aaron.
00:08:52 So they will sit at the reception desk and start drinking coffee, using the newspaper, using the restroom,
00:08:59 talking to the reception lady, and then you will have a whole bunch of them just making noise. And so the business offices of the of the centers or the shared office space it's started to look at them like a virus for our business lunch eagles.
00:09:16 They didn't wanted them to be there anymore, so you will see back then, like very strong crosses in their agreements that they're not supposed to spend over a minute.
00:09:27 Oh, my gosh, that's hilarious. No entering, you may come and get your mail and your messages and then go.
00:09:33 Yeah, yeah. If you want to stay a little more, we will start charging you as if you were using a conference room and they will start doing that.
00:09:40 So that's when I realized that was going on. And it was around the time we opened our first center and I actually went to my brother and I go like Adrianne,
00:09:49 We should do something about it. There are a bunch of people that have a spare moments during the day that they don't want to be at home or they don't need to be a home,
00:10:00 and they're here because they're running errands. So that's how we opened our first call, working back in 2007 and it was a huge success.
00:10:08 From the minute we open. We saw tens of peoples and then hundreds of people's using our space, and I didn't ask the when I mentioned that to him.
00:10:18 He goes like that. How much are we gonna charge them to use her space and I go in like I have no idea.
00:10:24 Yeah, just do this and then we'll figure it out. Let's see if it works. So you'd work and we replicated that model into the rest of her centers.
00:10:34 What did you call it, then? We used to call it Business Lounge. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:10:38 Okay, because that's an interesting insight. It's like all these. Probably most of them were men. You know,
00:10:44 to your point. They're professionals. And if they're working at home, presumably or wherever they were like,
00:10:49 they want a little social time there drinking your coffee, reading your favorite hangout, You're like, we should let them.
00:10:55 Yeah, we should. Because everybody was, like, kicking a little way, like, Yeah, yeah,
00:11:00 it was some sort of like a business launcher for airline in an airport. Yeah, it was something like that.
00:11:06 And we tried to do that at the beginning and then So I mean, it sounds like you're almost a little sort of counterculture at the beginning.
00:11:14 Like saying, look, you know, let's try some things you don't Let's not do what everybody else does and kick them out.
00:11:20 Tell us a little bit about your brand in your culture, and I observe some of it, you know,
00:11:25 following you on Facebook. But I loved a year from your perspective. You know? What is the IOS,
00:11:31 Brandon? What does it promise your members? Thank you. And just say something about what you're saying.
00:11:37 Yes, We are a very experimentalist company. We love doing experiments like introducing alcoholic beverages for, like,
00:11:46 a magazine like this one. I'm showing to you right now. Yeah, so we know many things that we don't really know how they're gonna work or not.
00:11:55 But we try. I'm gonna be able to answer the best way your question, but yeah, we have a very strong culture.
00:12:00 Since we started the Iowa's brand, we noticed that our customers, we're more engaged by extroverts and by outgoing people s.
00:12:12 So we even though it was a stronger challenge to hire extra vert outgoing people and I might not have the best words in English to describe that's okay.
00:12:22 We're patient young professionals that would go out at night and party and sometimes come without sleeping toe work at the next day.
00:12:32 And they were very social and they will speak with our clients and our clients are members would be so happy.
00:12:39 And the energy and the environment is starting big, so strong and the real challenge waas too. I mean,
00:12:46 people are essentially unmanageable, but we had toe deliver a service, not only hire fun people, so it was a big challenge to try.
00:12:56 Toe makes this outgoing kind of fun people with also delivering tasks being on time. Yeah. So I actually went into a conference room with them at the beginning and asked them how on what kind of company they wanna run.
00:13:12 So we went to a retreat or first convention act in 2007 which we just came back from our 13 convention way.
00:13:20 We rode down the rules that they actually wrote them down. They drove down the vision of the company,
00:13:28 the mission statement, the values of the company and some etiquette rules on how are we gonna address the members?
00:13:36 And if we were gonna dress in which way or smoke in the premises out of the premises, how far away from the premises and things like that and yeah,
00:13:48 it's evolved into a very strong culture of service. It's also fun. I think people like to have fun in their work.
00:13:55 Please. Yeah, not only my staff, but our clients as well. Our members. So I think delivering strong happiness culture is very important for every company and every where any human beings spends most of its time.
00:14:11 It should be fun. For example, you like crossfit crossed. It should be fun for you. Just should go to a place where they have clean areas well,
00:14:19 Service's staff, well trained trainers so they can actually trained you and re enjoying your muscles and the flexibility you need It said You don't get injured.
00:14:29 So we tried to do the same at the offices space. We tried to deliver our members everything they need to be happy and to be productive.
00:14:37 So if they make business, if they grow, we will grow with them. Which is your membership look like today?
00:14:43 Like, Do you have kind of, ah, to serve the tech industry or professionals, or what does it look like?
00:14:49 Well, we have ah, big portion of very large companies. So we served like big multinational companies either based in or outside of Mexico.
00:15:01 We also serve an important number off professionals. These go from Arc ejects consultants, lawyers to eggs, CEOs or Xia foes of companies.
00:15:12 It's like a self job, self employed person, and we have a wide range of entrepreneurs, from things that are very created to normal companies that are also like startups.
00:15:26 So we attend a big and vary it, like I think we all doing in this industry go with all of those ranges.
00:15:33 Do you think there's a particular reason that you attract the multinational corporations? Well, we tend to be very strong in the solid part of her business.
00:15:45 We have a very good security systems for our network. Very strong, like emergency things plays like. For example,
00:15:55 in 2017 we had a big earthquake and we actually had that air quit. Hit 22 of our locations.
00:16:03 Oh gosh, like in four cities. And we evacuated over 10,000 members. Wow, inner centers and we had no injured nothing.
00:16:15 Not in our centers, but not in any of the buildings that are centers are at. So we have good locations.
00:16:22 We check the emergency stirs. So when a large multinational comes on auditors, they will audit our administrative procedures like systems they will actually interview our staff if they are well treated and well paid and on time said they will go into very strong audits in order for them to comply with whatever they need to comply internationally or in the stock market.
00:16:49 And, yeah, so we tried toe have very high standards of quality in every aspect of the business.
00:16:55 Would you say those standards? Did you kind of start with that goal in mind? Or did you create those standards and then kind of attract?
00:17:03 Was it sort of accidental or intentional? That audience, it's a bit of both. We try to reshape the business model the few months or years after we open,
00:17:14 but since the beginning of the end, and I knew that we were competing against ourselves because we have already created a company that did similar things.
00:17:24 So in order for us to be successful, we tried to do something different on by different. We actually ended up doing something better.
00:17:33 And when we end the opening our first location, we realized our product, our service, our facilities west of higher quality infrastructure and also wesser staff.
00:17:45 So we've have always been focused in the highest of qualities possible available in the market, and we're targeting the most demanding client.
00:17:54 That's a great way to thio. Frame it. Visit the most demanding client and you can deliver on that.
00:17:59 I'll have to put some of your photos in the show notes because you have beautiful spaces. And let's talk about your Herman Miller purchases.
00:18:08 Yes, you're one of the largest buyers of Herman Miller furniture in Mexico. I understand. Yeah, well,
00:18:16 you know, serving the most service, demanding. Remember, it's very hard, but at the same time,
00:18:23 if you have the systems in place, it's at the same time a bit easier, because a client that is demanding he will say what he wants and,
00:18:34 I don't know, enforce that that's being delivered. And whenever a human being communicates with you and tells you what you want,
00:18:42 well, you either have the option to door Toby neglect and not do it. But if you actually do it,
00:18:48 you will have a very satisfied member. And when a little less demanding member shows up and he wants us to guess what he's thinking,
00:18:57 we cannot do that such an interesting insight. I love that. Yeah, So when we are told what they need and what they don't want.
00:19:05 It's uncertain way simpler for us to manage, because now we know. So we have the systems in place,
00:19:11 we will capture everything we know about them and then we'll deliver. Yeah. I mean, you're very clear on who you serve into your point.
00:19:18 That sort of reinforces itself because they're clear with you, which makes you more clear. And you deliver what they're looking for and you attract those people because you have that you know,
00:19:28 the one culture and and you were mentioning, Yeah. One day I was driving in a nice street here at home and I saw these beautiful office furniture and I went like with Adrianna again,
00:19:41 like carry on this furniture is so beautiful and we realized the average cost off a desk or a chair.
00:19:49 It's like eight times what we were used to pay for a chair, a desk. So we ended up negotiating on agreement with Herman Miller that will allow us US entrepreneurs to actually pay them a bit later,
00:20:04 so they will give us some time. So that's quite how the way we made our first purchase with them.
00:20:09 And then we've bean having a great relationship business relationship with them. And, yeah, we are, if not the main,
00:20:17 one of their most important clients in Mexico. Yeah, I mean it. This may seem a small thing,
00:20:22 what chairs you use. But on the other hand, you're demanding clients. No, You know, it's a signal of kind of your culture and your standard,
00:20:29 so I think that's Herman Miller is not a good fit for everyone who's listening to this. Well, leave your chair.
00:20:35 Doesn't itch, do we? Maybe be working a little bit more time. Yeah, and that will make you more productive.
00:20:43 So there's there's another lie there. Yeah, we try to do that. We tried to take all the hassles away from our customers in order for them to be productive.
00:20:52 So I'm curious because you've lived through some of these. What's your perspective on our business? Surviving an economic downturn.
00:21:01 Yeah, well, we've survived a few of them. Yeah, I mean, one of the few.
00:21:06 So tell us. No. Used to say only me. I always know. I think the industry is being around for all of it has,
00:21:14 but not very many operators have actually lived through. I mean, you with H Q and then 2007.
00:21:21 I mean, you've seen a couple of these cycles. Yeah, well, we are very high fixed costs kind of frames model.
00:21:29 So we need to maintain a syrup certain amount off a Cuban sea level in order for us to survive.
00:21:37 So I think, Well, my grandmother used to say there is no crisis that can put up with 12 hours of work.
00:21:44 It's where there's a will. There's a way. Yeah, there s So we tried to just navigate through those which,
00:21:53 in my perspective, the the economic downturns at their industry level will impact us in approximately six months. I mean,
00:22:02 that's the card punch, Andi. If we are able to take six months, then I think we will be able to get to the other side.
00:22:10 So you think roughly when it happened you've got about six months of really like pain. And if you can make it through that,
00:22:17 then so you lease all of your spaces. Yes, Yes. And no management agreement, joint venture type relationships?
00:22:25 No. We leave solo for centers. One of our locations. Maybe it's a period variable thing, but yeah,
00:22:32 most. Did you have you ever closed a location during a downturn? Know, we've never closed a location in the downtown besides working hard.
00:22:41 Any advice from did you see members leave and what types? This you did. Okay. Like, for example,
00:22:47 back in 2000 and one a. M. In March. We have the NASDAQ crashed down. I don't know if you remember that,
00:22:55 but what? Our hall. So Ah, hallways and our officers will feel like desert like it's ah,
00:23:02 like a grave jar. Yeah, because it had this feeling Ah, lot of for clients losing their bonuses or their stock options.
00:23:11 So it was like a very dark feeling for a few weeks. But yet, back then, our main Klein was the dot com industry.
00:23:19 What I've learned is that whenever we get an industry client, we will attract more of that same industry if it is a train industry or the oil companies.
00:23:29 Or in that case, the stock market finance. I mean the dot coms. Yeah. So we will have tried their competitors,
00:23:36 their system. Yeah. So but eventually, things sort of set allow in the return. Yeah, well,
00:23:45 I think a very lean administration. It's always helpful, but those are just jin ery kind of advice that you needed any company.
00:23:54 Did you have to negotiate with your landlord's on paying rent? Or did you have enough kind of capital to make it through tough times?
00:24:00 No. We've always been close to our landlords, and I think we've been fortunate enough to have landlords that are sensitive when I mean always is,
00:24:10 Why wait and Children downturn. I mean, we should always be in contact with them and let them know how the business is going.
00:24:19 And sometimes we asked her industry. A narrow occupancy levels are are in some way related to the occupancy levels off the building or the city.
00:24:30 Even so, why wait until we have, like a very big bunch? They know they're hurting a little.
00:24:37 We are hurting toe. So let's work together. Yeah, yeah, I think that's an important mindset,
00:24:42 though. I think for folks who I have not had landlord relationships where this is new, they sort of,
00:24:48 you know that just not comfortable with that relationship or kind of know how to manage it. So I think that's an important insight.
00:24:56 Curious about. So you and your brother founded the company. What does your executive team look like today with 300 employees?
00:25:03 Well, we have an amazing team. Many of them. We should have been with us for about 12 years now,
00:25:09 So we have ah, guy in I t which actually started with us in i t. We have also Lady,
00:25:16 if getting up the building of new locations We have a very young, very talented girl in HR and she's been in the company for like,
00:25:27 six years. We have also a very spirited friend because we've become friends, which guys being with me also for over 12 years.
00:25:36 She's married now with two kids and she handles off all of her public relationships. And then we have one girl that it's being with us for seven or eight years,
00:25:46 and she will candle customer relationships because being in touch with the remember is very important on dhe. I'm might be missing.
00:25:56 We have a very strong C 00 which used to be our CFO. She used to be a consultant for us,
00:26:02 but now she's being full time, like for four or five years. So we have a very strong mix.
00:26:07 Mainly women, 70% off. The staff in our company are female and most of the people that work at IOS offices is under the age of 30.
00:26:17 Go. Wow! Interesting. What is your typical day look like? Oh, I have no routine.
00:26:23 I I wish. I mean, when I was young, I was happy that I hadn't over team for the last few years.
00:26:31 I wish I work up in the same bed light for a week. I travel a lot. I spend part of my time in Monterey,
00:26:38 part of my time in Mexico City and then with the rest of the locations and the G W a conference.
00:26:44 Every year I keep myself PC trying to attend whatever it can be. And for the last couple of years,
00:26:52 I've been invited many times to deliver keynote at different associations and companies And what not So I have been also learning how to speak in public,
00:27:03 which it's something very tough for me at the beginning. But I've been trying to become better. Yeah,
00:27:09 I also love toe go hiking the mountains, mountain biking, running s O. But I have no typical days speaking of running your give a running club is part of one of your member activities.
00:27:23 Well, we organized three massive races and races. That's what I'm thinking of that I see in Facebook,
00:27:29 one in Guadalajara, at one in Mexico City and one in Monterey. So we've been doing that for eight years in Monterey,
00:27:35 now seven in Mexico City and siccing Guadalajara and we a get roughly 8 to 9000 runners every year. Wow,
00:27:46 that's crazy s o. The ticket costs around 15 to $20. The race ticket and all the process.
00:27:54 It's go to kids either toe nutrition for kids or cerebral paralysis. That's with the races. We have been able to donate approximately $50,000 every year.
00:28:08 Where four kids. Yeah. I mean, this is certainly one of the benefits of your scale with 20,000 members and your culture and your community.
00:28:17 Like the fact that I get so many people engaged, you know, in that, and to be able to donate Thio important organizations,
00:28:25 that's got to be super rewarding. It is very fun because we see family's entire families running some of them with their pats on DDE.
00:28:34 Yeah, it's a very nice day. I actually have met many off our members at the race because we don't get the time or the ratings to meet them all.
00:28:45 But yeah, I've met very interesting people that I don't even know are part of our community. So yeah,
00:28:51 it's Ah also the months before the race. Everybody starts like improving their diet. Totally had it good for their health.
00:29:02 Yeah, So it's a very positive cycle, the race for community and for companies, I think there's still,
00:29:10 at least in the U. S. A little bit of a myth that ATM or professional spaces, people sort of keep to themselves.
00:29:16 And, you know, there's less community, and to me, your culture, it's just evidence that that's not the case,
00:29:22 right? But you've intentionally created that and created opportunities like your race is to get people engaged. And you were sort of founded out of that premise that look,
00:29:33 people want some space, you know, to interact and sit and read their paper. And eventually, when I was out of work and I was unemployed,
00:29:43 I traveled to Toronto to see this company which I wanted to buy a franchise for. They will shred paper it's called Credit was evaluating,
00:29:53 bringing shredded into Mexico. And while being there after work, we went to this bar downstairs off their building,
00:30:02 off their office, being so. That's when it occurred to me that it is fun to have a drink at the office.
00:30:08 So we came up with this business after hours. I don't know if you've heard of the term sank a set which is very French Canadian,
00:30:17 came from 5 to 7. Santa said they will go have a drink and then they will go home.
00:30:22 We try to do those business after hours at our business at our buildings, and we do them very often.
00:30:28 We currently host almost 3000 events a year. Company White. So well, how things going on every day.
00:30:36 For example, today through your first centers are giving. We have these like Besar. So we're selling Mexican Christmas gifts.
00:30:46 Yeah, we are not actually selling them. We provide the year like a pop up shop. Yeah,
00:30:50 yeah, yeah. Yep, like a pop up shop. So we get a lot of suppliers like mostly local will Kaminer centers and sell jewels or some water or soaps or things on,
00:31:02 our members will walk by a few things. So were many very off things every day. Yeah. I mean,
00:31:09 again, very intentional, because you could sort of stop and say, you know, where the professional place for demanding clients and leave it at that.
00:31:17 And yet you've integrated, sort of all those community elements that make it even more special. Okay, I could ask you questions all day,
00:31:25 but I'm gonna limit to a couple more. Besides the economic downturns. You've been doing this for a long time.
00:31:31 What's like one of the things about growing this business? That's been a challenge. Well, first of all,
00:31:38 I want to say that I'm very happy to be speaking with you because this is being very fun. And the way you handle the conversation,
00:31:46 it flows very natural. So I think this is something everybody in our industry should know, and I think many already know.
00:31:54 But we are in the most service intensive industry in the world. Our market or the market doesn't realize it yet,
00:32:02 but even more than hospitals, hotels, restaurants, the intensity or for service is is so tough because we have our client.
00:32:13 I remember using our space eight hours a day. They will walk through our doors three or four times a day.
00:32:21 Use of restrooms, You, sir. Telephone lines, user Internet access. Say hello to our staff,
00:32:27 like many, many times. So we have hundreds and hundreds of moment off through every day. Coming and going through our space is this morning.
00:32:36 When I had a few minutes between one meeting and the next, I went down the stairs to a local brunch place and made something really fast.
00:32:44 So there was one of our members that was having a brunch there. So I sat with him and he starts telling me all of the lives off my staff because he knows who's getting married.
00:32:57 He knows when she's getting there that this is a 60 year old guy that just came in the community like a couple of months ago.
00:33:04 I don't really know the person. I mean, it's a second time in my life. I see him and it was so he started telling me about his company and how she's growing.
00:33:14 But he star also telling me about who his neighbors are. So what I'm trying to say, Jamie,
00:33:20 is that our members are clients know a lot more about our company that we do. This is not like any other kind of company,
00:33:29 so we need to keep very good quality in everything because it is not a matter of if something fails,
00:33:36 it's a matter off when, because something or everything is gonna fail at some point. So how can we manage to put out with so many moments of truth,
00:33:46 anything keeping a good quality? It's bean the toughest off the challenge, and it's a day to day thing.
00:33:52 Yeah, I think I'm gonna use that quote. I think it's an absolutely excellent insight and something for folks to think about,
00:33:59 whether they're starting their first space or expanding. I mean, it's the views that were demanding, but it is really demanding those hundreds of interactions,
00:34:06 and you have to organize and deliver on that constantly, which I mean under challenging. If we do the I don't know the example.
00:34:16 If you would go to a restaurant and have breakfast, lunch and dinner right every day for a month,
00:34:23 I mean you can understand the second week I mean even less a year or two years, so it's there all day.
00:34:30 I mean, it would be natural. If you want to spend eight hours at your fitness facility, right,
00:34:35 you will get sick of it. Julie, like you get irritated with the staff at some point, right?
00:34:42 Yeah, it's a high bar and its unique No, it's a great insight. So we talked about a few of these things,
00:34:47 but over the years would be most proud of about your business today. Well, I don't think it's pride,
00:34:54 but I think I could Cello is that every week, at least once a week, I get this beautiful letter,
00:35:02 like from someone or a beautiful story about a woman that since she got into our centers and became a member,
00:35:11 she read something. An article that I don't know hot here, called her ex husband and changed her life and start living more positive.
00:35:20 And it's true. I mean, we always get those or they did a business or met someone or bought a mind together.
00:35:27 And then it's now in the stock exchange market, so reading at every happiness story or growing or productivity story is very rewarding.
00:35:39 I mean, I cannot say it because it's not Meech the one who should. But yeah, Whenever I open my email walking toe on office,
00:35:48 one of her clients will tell us one epic story about how I always offices has helped them toe become better in the personal or in the professional level,
00:35:59 which is part off our mission statement, our mission statement reads. We want to be a tool for the growth of her clients.
00:36:06 So that's what we tried to do heavier. I love that and you're right. Look, what we do is not just real estate.
00:36:12 It's really meaningful, has impact on people's lives. And with 20,000 members, statistically speaking, you get to experience that a lot more than most people.
00:36:20 D'oh! Yeah, it's been really fun, and we are here for the long run, so I hope we keep in touch.
00:36:28 Jamie and I will have to also hear more about the industry. Thank you for heading digital will do way,
00:36:35 which I've been apart for a very long time now, and I have made friends. So during the summer I stayed at one of our friends in San Antonio and a couple Asim on I saw also one of them that was traveling into Mexico City way have a very beautiful association and I hope you can make it to one of our openings starting next year.
00:36:56 Maybe you can come and give us the honor. All I could use a trip to Mexico. Now that you mention it,
00:37:03 have your thank you for spending time with me today. I think we might have to do this again because like I said,
00:37:07 I there are more things I want to hear from your experience. But thank you. And until next time,
00:37:13 thank you very much. He means being fun. Thanks for joining us on this episode of everything co working.
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