In this episode, Host Jessie Warner sits down with Frank Cottle, Founder and CEO of Alliance Virtual Offices, to explore how he built a global flexible-workplace business by prioritizing the customer experience and using technology to scale. Their conversation centers on the evolution of virtual offices and remote work, and what it takes to keep a business model relevant as markets and tools change.
What You’ll Learn
- How focusing on “owning the customer” (not the real estate) can create a more scalable, resilient business model.
- Why flexible workplace companies increasingly operate more like a marketplace platform than a facilities operator.
- What the rise of remote and hybrid work has changed about how office services are delivered and packaged.
- How to treat a service business as a long-term relationship engine, not a one-time transaction.
- Why your website must “serve” customers before purchase with clear content that helps them make decisions.
- Where digital acquisition can be most effective (and how PPC, content, and social can work together).
- Why self-serve e-commerce and customer portals are now table stakes for modern service delivery.
- How to approach AI as both a process improvement lever and a product development opportunity, without losing what already works.
Frank’s story underscores a practical truth: longevity comes from evolution. By shifting from property to operations to technology as the foundation of his business over time, he’s built a company designed to meet customers where they are—especially as work becomes more distributed. The takeaway is less about chasing trends and more about continuously improving how you deliver value, using the best tools available while staying anchored to what customers actually need.
To learn more about Frank Cottle and their work.