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Brave Ideas

Brave Ideas

De: Hosted by Caleb Parker
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Join award winning podcaster and CEO of Brave Corporation, Caleb Parker, as he shines a light on the entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, and brave ideas at the forefront of innovation, who are creating the future of office real estate. Brave Ideas dives deep into the stories of the visionaries, zooms out to discuss the macro trends driving change in demand for the office, and brings you thought provoking and insightful content from the innovators challenging the status quo as we know it today. Subscribe to this podcast and our Brave Ideas Newsletter for weekly updates at www.BraveIdeas.media

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Episodios
  • What Does It Take To Prepare A Coworking Brand For Scale?

    What Does It Take To Prepare A Coworking Brand For Scale?
    Dec 10 2025
    Brave Ideas Season 16, Episode 8Brought you by Flexspace AILearn how Flexspace AI is transforming coworking with their ecommerce revenue platform, featuring SmartPricing Agent, an AI-powered dynamic pricing engine. Tap hereA master class in scaling and career growthIn this episode, Brave Corp CEO, Caleb Parker, sits down in the Work.Life podcast studio in Clerkenwell with their new CEO, Paul Dutnall, to unpack how this people focused flex operator is preparing its brand and operations for scale.Paul joined Work.Life around six and a half years ago from the hospitality and F&B world, initially as Head of Operations. He then stepped into the COO role, before being appointed CEO (what we believe is a case study for any junior or mid-level role).Across that journey he has been responsible for making sure the member experience matches the founders’ (Elliot & David) vision, while evolving the systems and processes that sit behind it.Today, Work.Life is a certified B-Corp with 14 location across the UK, and a clear focus on small businesses that care about people.The company is moving from “management by walking around” to codified service and experience, while layering on an on-demand ecosystem powered by Flexspace AI to monetise non-contracted space through a proper ecommerce journey.In this episode you will learn:* Paul’s career journey* Why he believes employer and employee relationships are time bound, and what that means for ambitious team members* How an operator can create real career pathways that allow ambitious team members to rise from operations into C level roles* How Work.Life is codifying its service, culture, and member experience so it can scale across multiple locations* What becoming and staying a multi site B-Corp means in practical, operational terms* How Work.Life defines its core audience, and why they design for small businesses that care about people rather than a specific sector* How Work.Life is structuring its memberships plus on-demand model, including offices by the day, meeting rooms, and studios* How the partnership with Flexspace AI is supporting on-demand bookings, data, and the roadmap for dynamic pricingTo watch this episode and join the newsletter, visit BraveIdeas.mediaCONNECT* Paul Dutnall* Work.Life* Caleb Parker* MUTE* Flexspace AI* Mentioned in this episode* Redemption Roasters* Simon Sinek, “Worthy Rival” videoKey Takeaways For Operatorssponsored by* Career paths matter* In a young sector, operators that create clear routes from community or operations roles into leadership can keep their best people longer and build stronger cultures.* Codify what you are optimising for* Work.Life starts with the feelings they want members to have in their workplaces, then works backwards into operational fundamentals, emotionally connecting service, and community layers, all supported by SOPs, training, and systems.* On-demand is a product, not a side hustle* Treating empty offices, meeting rooms, and studios as a structured on-demand product, with proper UX and ecommerce, has driven a multiple of 8-9x more external meeting room bookings compared to their previous approach.* Use technology to amplify people, not replace them* Automation and AI free team members from low value admin, improve speed to lead, and surface better decisions, while humans stay focused on relationships, judgment calls, and how members feel.* Design for experience, not just aesthetics* Thoughtful, low cost details that remove friction in everyday journeys can have as much impact as large CapEx items when it comes to member loyalty.Key Takeaways For Real Estate Investors And Landlords* The office is now an option, not an obligation* Small and mid-sized teams are asking why they need an office at all, and if they do, how often. Product design and underwriting have to reflect part time offices, hybrid patterns, and on-demand use cases.* B-Corp and codified impact are becoming real differentiators* Work.Life’s B Corp status, and their position as a high scoring multi-site operator, is underpinned by clear systems and processes that can be measured and improved over time.* Non-contracted inventory is a revenue lever* Unlet offices, underused coworking capacity, and amenity spaces can be monetised through on-demand channels without undermining core memberships, provided pricing, access rules, and capacity management are carefully defined.* Experience led CapEx is a commercial decision* Fit out is more expensive, but investments in the right amenities, ratios, and layouts can support higher occupancy, higher effective desk rates, and lower churn over time, if they are aligned with a clearly defined customer.* Partnerships matter at building level and street level* Work.Life often relies on surrounding neighbourhood amenities, such as gyms and F&B, rather than duplicating everything inside its footprint, which affects CapEx, operating model, and location strategy.To watch this episode and join the ...
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    1 h y 1 m
  • Why Are Managed Offices On Fire Right Now?

    Why Are Managed Offices On Fire Right Now?
    Dec 3 2025
    Brave Ideas Season 16, Episode 7Brought you by MUTEExplore how Mute is leading the adaptable office architecture evolution, offering modular solutions to futureproof office investments while significantly reducing construction costs and CO₂ emissions. Tap hereVisit BraveIdeas.media to watch this episode as a video and join the newsletterBusiness Is PersonalIn this episode, Brave Corp CEO, Caleb Parker, and co-host Gary Helm from MUTE sits down with Rob Schogger, Cofounder & CEO of MetSpace, to unpack how this long standing operator has built a resilient managed office platform in central London.Rob first entered the flex market in 1999 with Reflex Managed Offices, which he and his partner grew and later sold in 2015. MetSpace, launched in 2018, is the next chapter, focused on managed workplaces delivered through operator agreements with building owners.Today, MetSpace operates around 60 workplaces across 35 buildings.In this episode you’ll learn:* How Rob and his partner created one of the earliest managed office products in London* Why they exited their original long lease business* Wow they rebuilt around a structure that lets landlords participate in revenue without becoming operators themselves.* MetSpace’s commercial model and their culture of kindness* The practical realities of running managed spaceVisit BraveIdeas.media to watch this episode as a video and join the newsletterCONNECT* Rob Schogger* Caleb Parker* Gary Helm* MUTE* Flexspace AIWhat You Will Learn In This Episode* How Rob and his partner identified a gap between serviced offices and conventional leases in 1999 and launched Reflex Managed Offices* Why Reflex was built on long leases, and why Rob ultimately sold that business in 2015* How MetSpace was launched in 2018 as an evolution of that experience, using floors in multi let buildings rather than period townhouses* What an “operator agreement” means in MetSpace’s model, and how it compares to traditional management agreements* How MetSpace structures deals so the landlord is effectively paid first, then shares in the upside once income exceeds conventional rent levels* How culture, kindness, and an open plan team setup translate into commercial resilience and long term relationships* How workplace design has shifted from cellular offices and fixed desk ratios to community tables, breakout areas, booths, and modular solutions* Why Rob believes landlords will need professional operators to run services in their buildings, and why “refurbish and stick in desks” is not a sustainable strategyKey Takeaways For Operatorssponsored by Flexspace AI* You can evolve the model without chasing hype: Rob’s journey moved from Reflex on long leases to MetSpace on operator agreements, through multiple market cycles. He has adjusted structure and risk profile, not chased fashionable labels.* Simple, repeatable deal structures help you scale with landlords: MetSpace uses one core operator agreement and a consistent financial formula across its 60 workplaces. Landlords compare a conventional five year lease outcome to the managed model, then roll additional floors and buildings once they see the numbers work.* Culture is part of the operating model: MetSpace treats landlords, occupiers, and suppliers all as clients. Internally, the team works in an open plan office with a strong focus on kindness and reading the room. That is not “soft” culture, it is how they preserve relationships when markets turn.* Design needs to match actual behaviour, not old metrics: People do not just sit at desks. MetSpace spaces blend desks with community tables, breakout areas, kitchens, booths, and soft seating, while Mute’s modular approach helps future proof layouts as team sizes and patterns change.* Indecision is more dangerous than the wrong decision: Rob’s biggest lesson from mistakes is to be brave, decide, observe the impact, and adapt. Staying frozen is the real risk in a shifting market.Key Takeaways For Real Estate Investors And Landlords* Managed is becoming a requirement, not a niche: Shorter leases, more demanding occupiers, and post COVID expectations mean simply offering Cat A space is not enough. Owners that layer in managed solutions are better placed to capture demand.* You can access operational upside without building your own platform: Under MetSpace’s operator agreements, the landlord is paid first at a level that matches or exceeds conventional rent over a five year period. Income above that threshold is shared, while MetSpace funds furniture and services, and takes responsibility for day to day operations.* Operator quality is a major risk factor: Slow responses to basic issues, such as a light bulb taking days to be replaced, damage occupier satisfaction and renewal prospects. The “managed” label on a brochure is not enough, execution quality determines whether the strategy works.* Crisis behaviour reveals whether you chose the right partner: MetSpace has remained ...
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    51 m
  • Can Work Near Home Real Estate Revive Local Communities and Asset Values?

    Can Work Near Home Real Estate Revive Local Communities and Asset Values?
    Nov 26 2025
    Brave Ideas Season 16, Episode 6Brought you by MUTEExplore how Mute is leading the adaptable office architecture evolution, offering modular solutions to futureproof office investments while significantly reducing construction costs and CO₂ emissions. Tap hereVisit BraveIdeas.media to watch this episode as a video and behind the scene contentThe Opportunity?In this episode, Brave Corp CEO, Caleb Parker, and co-host Gary Helm from MUTE sits down with Patch Founder, Freddie Fforde, and Head of Growth, Andy Smith, inside the MUTE showroom in Clerkenwell, London, to unpack how Patch is building a network of work near home hubs in smaller cities and towns, reactivating high street buildings, and creating town hall style workplaces that serve whole communities while lifting asset values for landlords and investors.The conversation covers:* The investment opportunity of focusing on smaller cities and towns* How they choose buildings with “public memory”, from former department stores and libraries to heritage warehouses and turn them into town hall style hubs* How Patch’s civic ground floor layer, cafes, kids corners, makers markets, clubs, and community uses, trades some margin for loyalty, demand, and brand strength* What they are seeing in member behaviour* The hardest parts of building PatchVisit BraveIdeas.media to watch this episode as a video and behind the scene contentCONNECT* Freddie Fforde* Andy Smith* Patch* Caleb Parker* Gary Helm* MUTE* Flexspace AIWhat You’ll Learn in This Episodesponsored by* How Patch defines “work near home” in real estate terms, and why smaller cities and towns are a scalable flex market, not a side show* A simple lens for picking assets with “public memory” and embedded goodwill, and why those buildings outperform anonymous boxes* How to think commercially about giving ground floor space to civic and community uses* The two main demand patterns Patch is seeing across locations* How Patch’s member base evolvesKey Takeaways for Operatorssponsored by* Why there is real spending power and demand for premium work near home workplaces outside major cities, and how to position for that segment* How to approach building selection, focusing on assets with identity and public memory that already carry goodwill in the local community* A practical view on trading some ground floor revenue for community uses, and how that can pay back through loyalty, word of mouth, and stronger occupancy* How curated programming, from crochet clubs and cinema nights to citizen assemblies, turns a coworking space into a lighthouse for local life* What Patch is learning about member segments, from hyper local walkable catchments to wider hub models, and how that shapes layout, product mix, and staffing* How to balance premium experience with controlled CapEx, using contextual design and smart reuse rather than expensive one size fits all conceptsKey Takeaways for Real Estate Investors and Landlords* Why smaller cities and towns represent a large, underserved flex market, and how work near home can become a new anchor use for challenged high streets* How Patch typically fits into mixed use assets, taking around 15–20K SqFt in larger buildings and driving place making value for the entire property* Practical signals investors and landlords should look for when assessing these assets, from event cadence and local sentiment to the performance gap versus generic flex* Why high quality, community led operations can command a premium versus generic flex, in both pricing and occupancy, even when cheaper competitors sit nearby* How to think about CapEx and OpEx in a work near home model, where value comes from activation, brand, and loyalty rather than just finishes* What to look for when underwriting these assets, including footfall patterns, event cadence, and local sentiment, not just headline rent and yield* How stronger occupancy, premium pricing, and place making effects can translate into improved NOI resilience and, ultimately, higher asset values at exitBehind The ScenesVisit BraveIdeas.media to watch this episode as a video and behind the scene content💡 This episode is part of Brave Ideas Season 16, diving into the 6 Pillars of Space as a Service, spotlighting operator playbooks and practical moves that lift demand, protect margins, and build workplaces people choose. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.braveideas.media/subscribe
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    31 m
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