Since 2006, Karen Condi has driven operations at Workspace Strategies, a shared workspace and coworking solutions provider she founded. As principal, she assists business leaders in the North American coworking industry. She has worked with a variety of clients, from new companies launching operations to accomplished businesses looking to scale up their offerings. By taking a relationship-driven approach to her work, Karen Condi has established many long-term partnerships and developed a network of loyal clients and collaborators.
Throughout her career, Karen Condi has established affiliations with several industry organizations. She regularly attends and speaks at the Global Coworking Unconference, in addition to speaking with the Global Workspace Association Conferences and the Alliance Business Center Network, as well as with regional groups such as the Workspace Association of New York.
Karen Condi earned a business degree from Eastern Kentucky University in Lexington. Before establishing Workspace Strategies, she spent seven years in upper management with Office Suites Plus. Her interests away from the coworking and shared workspace industries include traveling and spending time with her children.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
My day starts intentionally. I wake up early and begin with a daily devotion to center myself before the day gets busy. I usually take my dog for a walk in the morning, and that’s often when I make phone calls to my mom, my two children, and/or one of my close girlfriends. It’s a simple way to stay connected while also getting fresh air and movement before I transition into work mode.
After that, I aim to get to the gym about four times a week. Staying physically active keeps my energy high and my mind sharp—both are essential in my field.
Once I sit down at my laptop, my focus shifts fully to Workspace Strategies. My days vary depending on the projects we’re managing, from reviewing financials and advising on pricing strategy to collaborating on workspace design and operational planning. I structure my day around priorities and outcomes, but I also make space for strategic thinking rather than just reacting to emails.
For me, productivity is about intentionality. It’s about starting grounded, staying disciplined, and making sure I’m creating value—both for my clients and for the people in my life who matter most.
How do you bring ideas to life?
Bringing ideas to life starts with strong leadership and a team I trust deeply. I’m fortunate to have employees with a proven track record in the coworking industry, and that experience makes a real difference. We don’t just brainstorm—we challenge ideas, pressure-test assumptions, and evaluate them through the lens of revenue, operations, and long-term asset value.
We look closely at market data, member behavior, ownership goals, and operational realities. In flexible workspace, creativity only works if it’s grounded in performance. Every idea has to make sense financially and operationally.
Once we’ve refined the concept, my role is to drive alignment and execution. That means clearly communicating the strategy to our team and, when necessary, to building owners so everyone understands not just the idea—but the measurable value behind it.
From there, we move into disciplined implementation with defined roles, timelines, and accountability. I stay actively involved to maintain momentum, while remaining adaptable if market conditions or feedback require us to adjust.
For me, ideas aren’t theoretical—they’re strategic tools. My focus is always on turning vision into results that improve performance and strengthen the overall assets managed by Workspace Strategies.
What’s one trend that excites you?
AI is a trend that genuinely excites me, particularly in how it’s transforming the sales process in the coworking and flexible workspace industry.
We’re already using AI tools at the very beginning of the sales funnel, when a prospect first inquires. AI helps us respond quickly, qualify leads more efficiently, and ensure no opportunities fall through the cracks. In an industry where speed and experience matter, that responsiveness can directly impact occupancy and revenue.
Beyond initial inquiries, AI also helps us analyze prospect behavior, optimize follow-up timing, and refine pricing strategies based on demand patterns. It allows us to streamline processes that used to be manual and time-consuming, which frees up our sales team to focus on relationship-building and closing.
What excites me most is that AI isn’t replacing the human element—it’s enhancing it. It gives us better data, faster systems, and more consistency, while still allowing our team to deliver a personalized, high-touch experience.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
One habit that consistently helps me stay productive is structuring my day around priorities and people.
As a business owner leading multiple teams, I’ve learned that clarity is everything. I start each day identifying the three to five outcomes that truly matter—not just tasks, but results. That keeps me focused on impact rather than reacting to emails or distractions.
I’m also very intentional about communication. Clear direction, defined expectations, and consistent follow-up allow me to lead effectively while managing multiple moving parts. When your team knows exactly what success looks like, you don’t have to micromanage—you can delegate confidently and keep momentum going.
Multitasking, for me, isn’t about doing everything at once. It’s about knowing how to shift efficiently between strategic thinking, operational oversight, and leadership without losing focus on the bigger picture.
That discipline around priorities and team alignment is what allows me to stay productive, even in high-growth or high-pressure environments.
What advice would you give your younger self?
I would tell my younger self not to sweat the small stuff. Early on, I carried the weight of every detail and every challenge. Over time, I’ve learned that perspective is everything. Most obstacles are temporary, and resilience matters more than perfection.
I would also tell myself to hire people who are smarter than me—and then truly empower them. Building a strong team isn’t about control; it’s about trust. Surrounding yourself with talented people who bring different strengths to the table elevates the entire organization.
And finally, I would remind myself that leadership is a skill that evolves. The goal isn’t to have all the answers—it’s to create clarity, inspire confidence, and lead people as effectively and authentically as possible.
Tell us something you believe that almost nobody agrees with you on.
I don’t believe growth always requires constant expansion.
In the coworking and flexible workspace industry, there’s often pressure to scale quickly—open more locations, add more square footage, grow for the sake of growth. I don’t subscribe to that mindset.
I believe real growth comes from strengthening fundamentals—optimizing operations, improving margins, enhancing member experience, and increasing asset value. Sometimes the smartest move isn’t expanding; it’s refining what you already have.
Sustainable growth is disciplined. It’s intentional. It’s profitable. And in my experience, that approach creates stronger long-term results than rapid expansion without infrastructure to support it.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
I make it a habit to overcommunicate—but in a positive, intentional way.
I’ve learned that many issues in business don’t stem from poor performance, but from miscommunication. Tone gets lost in text messages and emails, and assumptions fill in the gaps. Because of that, I strongly encourage my team and the managers I lead with to use voice communication whenever possible.
We use an app called Voxer frequently because it allows us to communicate clearly while still being efficient. Hearing someone’s tone removes ambiguity, builds connection, and prevents small misunderstandings from becoming bigger problems.
I also reinforce that overcommunication isn’t about micromanaging—it’s about alignment. Clear direction, consistent updates, and constructive feedback create confidence and accountability.
In my experience, positive, proactive communication builds trust. And when trust is strong, performance follows.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
When I start to feel overwhelmed, I step away.
That might mean taking a walk, shifting to a different task, or sometimes even giving myself a full day to reset if the situation allows. I’ve learned that pushing through mental fog rarely produces my best work. Distance creates clarity.
It’s remarkable how time changes perspective. What feels urgent or heavy in one moment often looks much more manageable after space and reflection. Stepping away allows me to return with a calmer mindset, clearer thinking, and better judgment.
I don’t see it as avoidance—I see it as strategic pause. Some of my best decisions have come after giving myself the room to think rather than reacting emotionally or impulsively.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
One strategy that has consistently helped me grow my business is focusing on long-term relationships over short-term wins.
In the coworking and flexible workspace industry, trust is everything. I don’t approach projects as one-time engagements—I position myself as a strategic partner to building owners. That means understanding their asset, their financial goals, and their long-term vision, not just the immediate task at hand.
By delivering measurable results—whether it’s increasing occupancy, improving margins, or repositioning an underperforming space—I’ve built credibility. That credibility leads to referrals, repeat engagements, and expanded scope.
My leadership style plays a significant role in that growth. I lead with clarity, accountability, and positive, proactive communication. I invest heavily in building strong teams and empowering them to execute at a high level. I hire talented people with proven experience in the coworking industry and create an environment where expectations are clear, performance is measurable, and collaboration is encouraged.
I also believe in disciplined, sustainable growth—strengthening operations before expanding, refining systems before scaling. That mindset builds stability not just for my business, but for the assets we manage.
Growth hasn’t come from aggressive marketing. It’s come from performance, reputation, strong leadership, and relationships. When you consistently create value—and build a team capable of sustaining it—opportunities tend to follow.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
Early in my career, I took on a few clients who weren’t fully aligned with my vision or operating philosophy.
At the time, I was focused on growth and opportunity, and I believed I could make any situation work. What I learned is that misalignment, whether in expectations, values, or long-term goals, creates friction that drains time and energy. Even if the numbers make sense on paper, alignment matters.
Overcoming it required having honest conversations, setting clearer boundaries, and becoming more selective about the partnerships I pursue. It wasn’t easy, but it strengthened my business.
What I learned is that saying “no” can be just as important as saying “yes.” Today, I prioritize partnerships where there is shared vision, mutual respect, and clarity from the beginning. That shift not only improved outcomes for my clients—it improved my leadership, my team’s morale, and the overall health of Workspace Strategies.
Sometimes failure isn’t about a single event—it’s about recognizing what doesn’t fit and having the discipline to course correct.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?
One business idea I’m happy to give away is what I call a Corporate Flex Membership for coworking operators.
Instead of selling individual memberships, create a package specifically for companies with 5–50 employees who don’t want a full-time office. The company pays a flat monthly fee, and in return, their team gets a set number of flexible workspace days per month—usable across hot desks, private offices, and meeting rooms.
The key is structuring it like a bank of credits rather than assigned seats. Employees can book space as needed, which aligns perfectly with hybrid work. You can also layer in perks like discounted meeting rooms, mail services, and access to multiple locations if you operate more than one.
From a business standpoint, it creates predictable recurring revenue while maximizing unused inventory. From the client side, it solves a real problem—how to provide professional workspace without committing to long-term leases.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
There are several tools we rely on, but if I had to choose one, it would be Asana.
Asana keeps our team aligned and accountable. With multiple locations, projects, and moving parts, clarity is critical. It allows us to assign responsibilities, track timelines, and ensure nothing falls through the cracks. For me as a leader, it provides visibility without micromanaging—I can see progress in real time while empowering my team to own their roles.
It also supports my belief in overcommunication and clarity. When expectations are documented and transparent, performance improves and stress decreases.
Technology should simplify operations, not complicate them—and Asana helps us stay focused on execution.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
The best $100 I’ve spent recently was on a simple experience with my kids—a day where we unplugged, went out to dinner, and spent uninterrupted time together.
In business, we often measure return on investment financially. But time and presence have their own ROI. That day reminded me why I work as hard as I do.
It wasn’t extravagant, but it was meaningful. And sometimes the best investments aren’t in technology or strategy—they’re in relationships.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
One of my favorite books is “Good to Great” by Jim Collins. I appreciate how it breaks down what separates companies that truly excel over time, particularly the emphasis on disciplined leadership and having the right people in the right roles. In our company, we talk a lot about how important it is to not only have “the right people on the bus” but making sure “they are in the right seat on the bus” is just as important.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
Recently, I really enjoyed Succession. Beyond being entertaining, I found it fascinating from a leadership and business perspective—especially how it highlights decision-making under pressure, family dynamics in business, and the complexity of power and accountability.
Key learnings
- Growth should prioritize profitability, operational strength, and long-term asset value over aggressive scaling.
- Clear expectations and proactive communication are competitive advantages in leadership.
- Sustainable success comes from selective partnerships built on trust and alignment.
- Technology and AI are most powerful when used to support decision-making and improve efficiency.
- Strategic pauses and perspective improve judgment and prevent reactive decision-making.