Practical Insights from Jamie Russo About Building a Sustainable Coworking Business Model

For Jamie Russo, Founder of Everything Coworking, helping coworking operators build sustainable business models is at the core of her mission. 

With over a decade of industry experience, she emphasizes balancing mission-driven goals with profitability, encouraging operators to build supplementary revenue streams, and highlighting digital mailbox solutions as key to long-term success.

We spoke with Russo to learn more about her story, her mission, and what coworking operators need to do to build profitable business models. 

Everything Coworking: Helping Operators Create Sustainable Business Models

Jamie Russo has been in the coworking world since 2012, when she opened her own space in Chicago. The following year, she moved to the Bay Area and opened a second location in Palo Alto, California. 

Then, in 2016, Russo’s trajectory in the coworking industry began to change. 

“I operated coworking spaces for years,” explains Russo. “I learned a lot about the business model. I figured out the right and wrong ways to do things. Over time, I realized that people often oversimplify the coworking business model, and I wanted to share my experience to help others succeed in our industry.”

She continues, “I’m passionate about community and hospitality in coworking, but I’m even more passionate about people creating spaces with sustainable business models.”

That’s when Russo joined the Global Workspace Association as Executive Director, a role she held until 2021. During that time, in 2016, she also launched her Everything Coworking podcast.  

“Through my role with GWA, I had a unique macro view of where the coworking industry was headed, what was working, and what wasn’t,” says Russo. “I also had a very micro view of the industry from operating my own spaces. So, I used that knowledge to support people breaking into coworking.”

The evolution of Everything Coworking continued from there. 

In 2018, Russo launched the Coworking Startup School to help aspiring operators launch profitable coworking businesses. Then, she launched the Community Manager University.

Most recently, Russo created the Digital Mailbox Moneymaker Challenge. 

Profit for Purpose: The Importance of Revenue Diversification for Coworking Operators 

While Russo strongly believes that coworking can build community and support professional success, she also knows that coworking businesses must be profitable to deliver on that mission. 

“A lot of operators get into coworking because they’re drawn to helping people,” says Russo. “Their mission is to support people in making meaningful connections and doing better work in a place they love. But the reality is that it takes profit to fulfill that purpose.”

She continues, “Coworking margins can be challenging when you’re only focused on selling physical space. Unless you’re willing and able to expand to another location, your revenue is capped by your current capacity. So, I encourage operators to build a healthier profit margin by finding additional revenue sources.”

Digital Mailbox Solutions: Creating a Revenue Lever for Coworking Spaces

In Russo’s experience, the concept of digital mailbox solutions is unfamiliar to many operators getting into the coworking industry. However, she emphasizes that it represents a significant opportunity to diversify revenue and increase profit margins.

“Some operators don’t fully understand the need or the market for digital mailbox solutions,” explains Russo. “But there are privacy, legal, and practical reasons why people need business addresses that aren’t at their homes. A commercial office address offers invaluable professionalism and privacy, and there really isn’t a better option to solve those needs than digital mailbox services.”

She adds, “Unlike revenue from your physical workspace, which is capped by your location’s capacity, digital mail memberships can be scaled significantly over time. It’s a lever you can pull as an operator to move the needle on revenue.”

Actionable Insights: The Digital Mailbox Moneymaker Challenge

In 2024, Russo launched the Digital Mailbox Moneymaker Challenge—a 10-week program designed to guide operators through the process of starting or optimizing a digital mailbox service.

“I noticed that operators either didn’t see the market for digital mail or felt stuck on how to get started,” Russo recalls. “My goal was to help them overcome those hurdles with step-by-step support.”

The program focuses on practical tools and strategies to make digital mail services accessible. 

“We provide live weekly trainings, office hours, and tools like landing page templates,” Russo explains. “We also gamified it to make it fun. For example, participants earn points for showing up to trainings or taking steps to advance their digital mail business.”

Russo emphasizes that the challenge isn’t about instant results but creating steady, long-term growth. 

“Digital mailbox revenue can take time to build, but churn is typically low,” she says. “The earlier you start, the better, because those memberships compound over time and create a solid, and often significant, revenue stream.”

She adds, “By the end of the Digital Mailbox Moneymaker program, participants have SOPs, optimized workflows, and a clear path to revenue growth.”

The Power of Leveraging Digital Mailbox Partners That Proactively Boost Your Customer Base

Driving digital mailbox revenue growth doesn't have to be solely the operator's responsibility. Tapping into referral partners like iPostal1 significantly amplifies revenue opportunities.

“Some operators rely entirely on their organic business to drive revenue,” says Russo. “But when operators sign up with iPostal1, they get referral customers—not just leads—for digital mailbox services, creating an additional revenue stream without relying solely on generating leads independently.”

She adds, “Coworking operators can also leverage iWorkspaceMail to offer you the convenience and benefits of digital mailbox service to their coworking members and virtual members as well.”

Ready to get started with iPostal1? Contact us today to start building a new revenue stream for your workspace with digital mailbox solutions.