146. Lee Linton, from Office Evolution, on Lessons from Franchising and Front Desks

You don’t need a real estate background to thrive in coworking—but you do need to understand people, process, and patience. Lee Linton, owner of two Office Evolution locations outside Austin, shares how he used his background in telecom and data to build strong community-centered businesses.

Lee walks us through the realities of building out two locations, hiring (and marrying) his community manager, and learning to let go of the details so he could focus on being the visionary leader his team needed.

In this episode, we cover:

• How Lee chose coworking as his next move after decades in corporate leadership and entrepreneurship.

• The biggest lesson he learned after expanding too quickly—and what he’d do differently now.

• Why a front desk person isn’t just a nice-to-have—and how to train them to deliver on brand promise.

• The power of mystery shopping your competitors (and what he discovered when he did).

• How Lee and his wife approach the business as a team—and what they’ve learned about drawing boundaries.

Whether you’re a first-time operator or managing multiple locations, Lee brings relatable insight and thoughtful takeaways that’ll resonate with anyone building in this space.

Resources Mentioned in this Podcast:

Lee on LinkedIn

Office Evolution website

Connect with your Hosts:

Connect with Giovanni on LinkedIn

Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn

Find Jamie on the Everything Coworking Podcast