Expansive’s all-in rollout: why 40+ locations adopted iPostal1 overnight—and never looked back

When Rachel Anderson, Senior Marketing Manager at Expansive, handed off a potential digital mail partnership with iPostal1 to Marketing Coordinator Caitlin Lugenbeal, the task was simple: look into it and see if it's got legs.

It quickly became a lot more than that.

Within weeks, Expansive had evaluated the business case, aligned internal stakeholders, and rolled out iPostal1 digital mailbox solutions across 40+ locations in 16 states in one unified move.

The results?

Early revenue wins, unexpected exposure, and streamlined operations that even their most skeptical team members now appreciate.

The tipping point: what pushed Expansive to level up its virtual mail offering

Expansive is one of the few flexible workspace providers in the country that owns and operates its own buildings.

With over 40 locations and counting, their team suites, coworking memberships, and on-demand workspace options serve a wide range of business users—from solo professionals to growing teams.

Expansive was already offering virtual office services, but to reach more potential customers and expand the service efficiently, the team began looking for a partner that had a scalable, streamlined offering in place. 

“We had virtual office clients, and we were managing mail,” says Lugenbeal. “But we were looking for a partner with a solution that could simplify the process while also giving our community managers more time to focus on the in-person client experience.”

Expansive’s leadership—including CEO Bill Bennett and CRO Rhonda Gazaway—had heard about iPostal1 through industry contacts and asked the team to explore the platform further.

“I thought I was just having a quick exploratory call,” she says. “But then I spoke with William Edmundson from iPostal1, and the conversation really opened my eyes. It was far more multifaceted and scalable than I’d realized.”

Why Expansive went all-in rather than one location at a time

Many operators test a new platform at one or two locations before scaling. Expansive took a different route—launching iPostal1 at all sites from the start.

Why?

“If we were going to do it, we wanted to see the full impact,” says Lugenbeal. “Testing in one or two locations wouldn’t give us the data we needed. So, we rolled it out everywhere and said: let’s do this right.”

The decision wasn’t just bold—it was backed by hard numbers.

Lugenbeal built the case internally with a clear focus on two things: revenue potential and operational feasibility.

“It wasn’t just about driving leads and revenue,” she explains. “We had to make sure it wouldn’t overwhelm our team. Community Managers are handling sales tours, move-ins, customer service, facility operations—you name it. The key question was: does this add friction, or does it make things easier?”

The answer became clear as she dug deeper into the iPostal1 platform, workflows, and benchmarks.

“The technology makes it easier,” she says. “The training was comprehensive, the software was intuitive, and they even told us how much time it typically takes to handle mail volume in each market. That kind of data gave us confidence.”

Inside the rollout: what made implementation smoother than expected

For any national operator, launching a new partner across 40+ locations is no small task. But in this case, the implementation process surprised even the marketing team.

“We’ve rolled out a lot of third-party partnerships,” says Anderson. “And it’s usually a grind. You’re chasing down post office documentation, aligning spreadsheets, dealing with delays. But with iPostal1, it was actually… flawless.”

The credit, they say, goes to the people.

“Wendy Belasco from the iPostal1 team was amazing,” says Lugenbeal. “She followed up constantly. She didn’t wait for us to chase her—she stayed ahead of everything. From the 1583 forms to USPS registration to location listings, she was all over it.”

Even training was seamless.

“Our community teams loved Daniel Rios from iPostal1’s training team,” she adds. “They felt supported. They had their questions answered right away. And most of all, they weren’t overwhelmed.”

How Expansive earned buy-in from its on-site teams

The initial reaction from community managers was cautious—understandably so.

“There was some skepticism at first,” says Lugenbeal. “They were already doing mail, but this introduced a new software platform and more volume. Naturally, there were questions.”

But once the teams started using the platform, the feedback flipped.

“They realized the process is actually simpler than what they’d been doing already,” she says. “You scan the envelope, it gets sent to the client, they say recycle or shred—done. Most of them don’t even want it. Our teams were expecting this huge learning curve, and it turned out to be less effort than the old way.”

Having a digital-first system also cleared out backlogs.

“People used to have stacks of mail sitting around for clients who only came in once a quarter,” she says. “Now they get instant notifications and make decisions on the spot. It’s cleaner, faster, and more organized.”

How virtual mail became a revenue engine for Expansive 

While visibility and efficiency were welcome wins, the business case always hinged on revenue—and the results have been clear.

“We saw revenue almost immediately,” says Anderson. “Some markets took off faster than others, but across the board, it started moving the needle within the first few months.”

Lugenbeal agrees.

“By the second revenue meeting I had with leadership, I was able to say: the numbers have already doubled since the last time we met,” she says. “And I told them—get ready, because they’re going to double again.”

The tertiary marketing opportunity: new faces, new tours, new revenue

The unexpected upside? Foot traffic and exposure.

“People are walking into our buildings for the first time just to pick up mail,” says Lugenbeal. “They see the lounge, the meeting rooms, the community—and they want to know more.”

It’s led to new tour requests, coworking conversions, and meeting room bookings from customers who originally came in for a virtual address.

Anderson adds, “iPostal1 brings us people who might not have otherwise found us. That exposure matters.”

Why Expansive now builds iPostal1 into every launch

“If another operator asked me if iPostal1 was worth it, I’d say absolutely,” says Lugenbeal. “The revenue is real. The operational impact is minimal. The support team is incredible. And the visibility it gives your space is the cherry on top.”

And for Expansive, the decision is now part of standard strategy.

Anderson shares, “Every new location that opens will launch with iPostal1 baked in. No hesitation.”

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