The Office Space Podcast

Recorded in the beautiful Allsteel podcast studio in Chicago, I talk with the CEO/Co-founder of Geniant, Keith Jacobs. Geniant takes design and workplace to another level with researchers, ethnographers and psychologists. Keith and his team take a scientific approach to each project, and he brings some great insights and stories on client projects.

www.geniant.com

I've taken the best from the 9 episodes I recorded in 2023. It covers a lot of varied topics from interesting guests. The year started with "Well Being is a Reflection of Mindset" and ended with "Retail Renaissance". In between we also had "Pay Attention to Gen Z" and "Law Firm Trends" (plus others).

Mark Kostic is Senior Vice President, Asset Management, at Brookfield Properties in Chicago, IL, specializing in retail malls. In this enlightening episode, Mark gives his insights into the retail landscape and how Brookfield Properties is navigating the choppy waters. Brookfield is in 7 countries, and has 160+ assets, 130M+ SF, +/- 130 assets are in the US.

Serial entrepreneur, venture capitalist, educator, writer, lecturer, and art collector Howard Tullman discusses how you cannot build culture in a cloud, amongst other things. Check out his Inc.com column, twitter @howardtullman1 and personal website www.howardtullman.com .

Generation Z is going to have a huge impact on the workplace. Jordan Arnold, is a senior workplace advisor for global furniture manufacture Allsteel. She has been studying Gen Z for many years and discusses what differentiates this generation from previous generations. We recorded this in the beautiful and inspiring Allsteel Experience Center located in Fulton Market, Chicago. www.allsteeloffice.com .

Dan Arends, Chairman of the law firm practice group at Colliers International discusses the trends in law firm real estate. His practice puts out extensive reports that benchmark items like rental costs per attorney, construction costs, office sizing, work for home scenarios and much more. For more information, reach out to Dan.arends@colliers.com

Forget about converting office to residential. How about office to farm. Karl Heitman from Heitman Architects discusses the reality around turning an office building into a farm. He has direct experience and drops some great knowledge on the subject. The technology exists and it's happening already. Could this help save some of the blighted areas?

https://www.heitmanarchitects.com/

I talk with Ralph Zucker, CEO of Inspired by Somerset and the brains behind the ambitious Bell Works project.

www.inspiredsd.com

In this episode, we'll explore with Jess Brown from Sterling Bay, how life science real estate is becoming a booming industry. We'll learn about the key aspects of this area of real estate, such as its unique requirements and the benefits that come with it. We'll also hear about entrepreneurs and investors who are taking advantage of the opportunities in this growing sector. Finally, we'll take a look at some of the challenges and risks associated with life science real estate, and what can be done to ensure success in the industry.

Jay Rock, partner with Rock, Fusco & Connelly LLC is a preeminent expert in property taxation. This podcast discusses the basics of property taxes and how they are used to fund public services. It explains how property taxes are calculated, the role of assessor, and the importance of property tax appeals and exemptions for commercial properties. for more information on Jay and his firm, check out www.rockfuscoconnelly.com

On the theme of health and wellness, I talk with Erin Coupe, the founder of Authentically EC. Erin partners with companies and executives to teach, train and guide leaders and employees on emotional awareness, mindfulness and growth mindset. Who doesn't want to be more present and be more their authentic self in the workplace? Erin provides insight into ways we can bring our whole self to work and the benefits that can be reaped. For more information about Erin and her services, visit www.erincoupe.com

Fun conversation with Bret on trends in labor analytics and how the increase in interest rates will affect the commercial real estate market. 

In this episode I talk with Sean Drygas, Global Lead, ESG & Impact at Colliers International. He leads development and execution of global ESG strategy, and measurement and reporting of performance. This includes driving new and expanded sustainability solutions for clients which accelerates the success of Colliers' ESG goals in tandem with our commercial growth goals.

Depression, anxiety, drug/alcohol abuse and suicide are all up at historical levels. Employers need to ensure their employees are mentally healthy. Can you do that remotely? What sort of benefits are most helpful? How does coming into the office help or not help? University of Chicago trained clinical social worker and psychologist Bernie Dyme has spent the last 40 years focused on mental health. The last two and a half years have been like no other time. 

Maureen Ehrenberg, CEO of Blue Skyre, discusses the innovative ideas they are bringing to facility management. Blue Skyre is a Colliers Strategic Partner, and Maureen is the leading voice in her field. Check them out at www.blueskyre.com 

Tonya Dybdahl, space planning and design manager with National Business Furniture discusses how office furniture has changed to address the post covid environment. National Business Furniture has 40 years servicing office users, www.nationalbusinessfurniture.com

Keith Perske leads Workplace Innovation for the Americas at Colliers. In this episode, Keith breaks down the latest findings from a global workplace study and provides insight into what we can expect in the future. 

I have an informative and fun conversation with the co-founder of MetaProp, Aaron Block. Founded in 2015, MetaProp’s investment team has invested in over 150 technology companies across the real estate value chain. The firm manages funds for both financial and strategic real estate investors that represent a pilot- and test-ready sandbox of 20+ billion square feet across every real estate asset type and global market.

Aaron is also a best selling author of www.proptech101.com . He wrote the book on prop tech. 

Scott Conly, Vice President at Colliers in Toronto, specializes in office leasing with a focus on tenant representation. He provides detailed insight into the largest city in Canada. 

Aliro Franco with the Colliers Shangai office is coming off a 55 day lockdown. What's it like trying to do business in this environment. What is this office leasing market like?

Scott Sarver, principal at Ratio Architects discusses the considerations around converting office buildings to residential. Scott has 30 years experience and a vast portfolio of international projects, which makes him a great resource for this topic. Check out www.ratiodesign.com 

I caught up with Stephen Newbold, the National Director of Office Research at Colliers International. We discuss the key themes from the Q4 2021 National Office Report and what to expect in the coming months. Enjoy.

Tom Zurowksi from Eastlake Studios, Tony Iannessa from Big Construction and Bernie Donaldson with Office Revolution saunter into my podcast to discuss the current state of the office market and design/construction trends and considerations. 

www.eastlakestudio.com; www.buildbig.com; www.office-revolution.com 

Kate North, leader of Colliers Workplace Innovation Services, shares her thoughts on what leaders can do to help their organizations reduce fear and build consensus around the complex matters of hybrid work. She also provides real world examples about what companies are doing right now and how they can future proof their space. 

For information on Workplace Evolutionaries visit, https://we.ifma.org/ 

For information on Colliers Workplace Advisory and Innovation Services, visit https://www.colliers.com/en/services/occupier-services/consulting/workplace-advisory 

Andy Macgregor, President of Accend Construction, talks about the state of construction. Price increases, lead time delays and other topics are covered. 

I moderated a panel on the Return to Work for the Human Resources Management Association of Chicago (HRMAC). The panelists included Mike Hughes, labor attorney with Smith Amundson, Monti Redman, HR consultant and Shazia Sultan, HR consultant. We discussed topics such as vaccine mandates, HR and Facilities and communications of policies.

Yes, I let Donald Trump take the mic and read the highlights from the Colliers Q1 Chicago CBD Office Market. It's only about 6 minutes.

Four Colliers professionals discuss the trends in office leasing they are seeing in their respective markets. 

Scott Ubersox, Executive Vice President Real Estate and Facilities discusses the challenges of managing a real estate portfolio that grew from 70 offices to over 700 locations with 9,000 employees. Having come from the office brokerage side of the business, he brings a unique perspective.

IWBI, featured on Fast Company's World's Most Innovative Companies List, is the leading global movement to transform our buildings and communities in ways that help people thrive. Stephen Brown, VP Global Market Development discusses the health and wellness movement and how IWBI is addressing the current environment. Spoiler alert, they are very busy.

Dan Park, Senior Vice President and Asset Manager with KBS provides his perspective on the office market. KBS acquires and operates prime commercial real estate in some of the most successful markets in the country. They have acquired $42.7 billion worth of real estate over the 28 years in business. 

Great discussion with Tom Zurowski, the founder and CEO of Eastlake Studios, a premier Chicago based architectural firm that focuses on workplace interiors, with a balance of assignments between tenants and building owners. What is the future of office interior design?

Two office leasing attorneys, Stacy Osmond from DLA Piper and Brian Spangler with Katten Muchin Rosenman highlight the major considerations in leases. They provide thought provoking insight into how to protect yourself within a lease and things to think about related to the current pandemic. 

Ben Wright, founder of Upsuite providest his views on coworking and what the future holds. Upsuite was founded to enable flexibility in the office market.  Upsuite enables hundreds of new companies per month to find space and connects them to more than 25,000 available suites in 27 North American markets.  Upsuite was one of ten companies globally to complete the Colliers Proptech Accelerator powered by Techstars in 2018.

Discussion with Director of US Operations at Wix.com, Kayla Crooks. Along with its headquarters and other offices in Israel, Wix also has offices in Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Ireland, Lithuania, the United States, and Ukraine. Kayla details her responsibilities and how they are maintaining corporate culture while keeping employees safe and productive.

Discussion with Brian Atkinson, Managing Director at Hines, a leading global real estate investment and development firm. We talk about the new Salesforce Tower in Chicago, the future of development, and an optimistic outlook on retail and amenities. 

Lisa Miller, Director Insights and Applications with HNI, one of the largest global furniture manufacturers (Allsteel, HON, Gunlocke) discusses how they are reacting to what their clients are facing. 

Sue Lehman, Managing Director of property management at Colliers International describes what her team is dealing with as they manage almost 50 million square feet in the Chicago area. What can tenants expect to see in their office buildings when they return, and how are property managers keeping people safe. 

Dougal and Andy MacGregor, President of Accend Construction (A Skyline Company) discuss trends that are affecting the construction industry and what it means for tenants and building owners. Andy and his team have been involved in some of the largest interior build outs in Chicago.

Interview with Francesco De Camilli, Americas Head of Flexible Workspace Consulting for Colliers. Francesco and I discuss the trends in coworking and how the new normal will effect this industry moving forward. 

Interview with Kimberly Eberl, CEO of MotionPR, a 58 person PR and Marketing Firm based in Chicago. She has had her own business for 14 years and has executed a number of office leases over those years. Listen to her describe her journey, and how her business is coping in the world of Covid. 

A well developed workplace strategy is the key foundation to beginning the process of evaluating your office space needs. Interview with Charlotte Timms, Director of Workplace Advisory at Colliers International