Anne Thornley-Brown MBA’s Post

7 years ago I joined WeWork as my first job, not knowing what I want. Now I am the master of my life as a creator, photographer, DJ, boxer, web3 builder. I went from self-doubt to confidence, hesitation to action, uncertainty to certainty. Things I learned from WeWork: - NEVER tie yourself to a person, place, company, organization, or project. - ALWAYS commit to a mission, a calling, a purpose. - Trust your gut; it’s your inner voice honed by experiences unseen. - Stay humble and curious; every person you meet has a lesson to teach. - Consistency isn’t just progress, it’s the heartbeat of ambition. - Networking is crafting your own circle of growth. - Quality is your hallmark; let it speak for you. - Embrace feedback like a north star to guide your journey. But hold your principle. - Mastering time is mastering opportunity. - Each setback is a narrative of resilience, waiting to be told. - Authenticity is the currency of a personal brand; invest it well. - Never stop learning; knowledge is the tool that sharpens all others. I wouldn’t be who I am today without WeWork & the pivotal moments it has shaped me. Know what you want, and do what you love. Be the change you want to see.

📺 Just finished watching We Crashed, the WeWork story. While it's "inspired" by true events, I'm taking its portrayal with a 🧂 pinch of salt. Always crucial to discern drama from reality. Some reflections: 🌟 Vision vs. Reality: WeWork illuminated the power of selling a dream and not accepting 'no' as a definitive answer. However, being assessed like a tech entity, when it wasn't one, was a pivotal misstep. 🚀 Growth and Sustainability: The prioritization of rapid growth sometimes shadowed the fundamental need for sustainability, with backers passionately driving this path. ✨ Community Feel: Despite the challenges, what WeWork brilliantly captured was the essence of community. The allure of being part of something bigger was palpable. Stepping into one of their co-working spaces, you could literally feel the vibrancy and energy in the air. Curious to know your thoughts! Drop a comment below and let's discuss.

As I lace up for my run, I'm reminded of WeWork. One might think that the act of running and the trajectory of a company are worlds apart. But the parallels are more evident than you'd imagine. Each step in my run, like WeWork's journey, is a lesson in pacing, adaptability, and endurance. Sprinting without proper planning can lead to exhaustion and potential missteps. - Know your route (business plan). - Maintain a sustainable pace (growth). - Adjust to changing conditions (market shifts). - Hydrate, refuel (continuous learning). - Celebrate your milestones, however small. Whether it's a morning run or building a billion-dollar empire, the journey matters just as much as the destination. What's your pace? 🏃♂️🌆

Upon the news that WeWork, once valued at $47 billion, has filed for bankruptcy, I'm reflecting on 5 (of many!) lessons I learned during my four years working there: 1) Your twenties are the perfect time to work for a company that gives you more than work experience. After working restaurant jobs, I started at Wework when I was 25 and it expanded my network in NYC in ways that I still benefit from now. From coworkers, to members, to member dogs, my personal life blossomed as soon as I joined the company. 2) A strong brand is like a magnet. From the company’s name, the interior design of the spaces, the merchandise available at each location and everyone’s favorite - the fruit water! - WeWork offered a sensory experience that made it unforgettable to anyone who walked in the door. 3) In a fast-paced, fast-growing startup, you have to advocate for what you want for yourself. There will be times when you get lucky and someone pays special attention to you. But for the most part, once you know what you want, you have to name it, and keep naming it, until you get there. It’s a great skill to hone early on. 4) Sometimes, you have to know when to leave the party. Looking back, I stayed as long as I did because I held onto the idea that my experience might become as exciting, engaging, and positive as it was in the beginning. As the company culture started to dilute, I hung on, but ultimately it was a big relief to move on. 5) When a company is growing just for the sake of growing, you have to wonder why. WeWork’s growth was out of control. Was this fun? For a while yes. But by the time the company brought in new leadership to tighten the ship, we were dealing with a dumpster fire (or hundreds of them). There’s something to be said for a slow burn. #wework #tgim #coworkingspace #lessonslearned #realestateexpert

Before Google there was AltaVista, before Facebook there was MySpace, before Boeing there was the Wright brothers, before ❓ there was WeWork Early innovators often don’t get everything right. They illustrate the viability of a concept and then someone comes along to radically commercialize the idea. WeWork filed for Bankrupcy this week. Whether it comes back is a question, but I don’t see any question that the concept they pioneered is going anywhere. The next group to get co-working right will likely be the champion of the industry. We may see lots of mom and pop shops in localities before then. Very curious to see where the future of co-working goes now. #remote #hybrid #coworking #wework

🚀 At Dreamix, we believe in the power of people-centric innovation, and it's an honor to share a bit more of our story and what we believe makes us a great place to work. 💼 Check out the article to learn more about how we prioritize the well-being and growth of our team members and that propels us to business success. 💡 Insights are provided by our Partner and COO Stefan Grigorov 👏 Read more here ⬇ #Dreamix #PeopleFirst #Innovation #TechIndustry #WorkCulture #PartnersVoice #greatplacetowork #IT #customsoftwaredevelopment

6 Years ago I met Adam Neumann and Miguel McKelvey (yes, WeWork founders). I was part of Argentina's first team and besides all the things we know about Wework's story, I want to share some facts (true stories) I've experienced in first person - ready for the 🍿 ? 1) We were a team of 5 people working from a rented apartment before opening Wework's biggest building in #Latam (22 floors in Buenos Aires 🇦🇷 ). 2) We were all doing sales to launch with the highest occupancy rates 🏢 * I was top sales rep in Q3 (woohoo!) 3) My 1-month onboarding was in #Mexico 🇲🇽 , working from 7am to 7pm. 4) Our global summit was in Los Angeles and let me tell you this: > Listening to Adam and Miguel sharing Wework's mission on stage was f* motivating 😱 5) here comes the anecdote I'll never forget 👇 Wework's Latam team was going to meet Adam and Miguel in one of the hotel's meetings room at 4pm (I scheduled my alarm for 3.30pm). It was going to be just 20 of us, in a single meeting room, with Adam and Miguel. Long story short: the meeting was rescheduled to 3pm, and I never found out 😓 The explanation? I was working on teams, in a brainstorming session without any internet or wifi. So as soon as I got into the hall and was able to connect, my Whatsapp exploded with texts from my colleagues trying to contact me. I run faster than Usan Bolt. I couldn’t find the meeting room. Finally I did but I arrived late. I opened the door and the room went quite as f*. Everybody was terrified when I entered the room, but Adam's reaction was priceless. He smiled and said: that's what I call "the walk of shame" 🚶♂️ He started laughing and then said: don't worry, this hotel is huge and we are thousands of people moving from one place to another. So it’s normal to get lost” The rest is history: - Enjoyed an entire day at Universal Studios with Wework's team. - We had The Chainsmokers playing on a stage just for us (check the video below 👇) - If you enjoyed this story, follow for more! 🙌

For 2 years I worked across a denture care client (honestly, for me at least, a fascinating experience). The agency teams involved were quite remote, so we’d regroup at an offsite location each time to align/brainstorm/get creative (not in the cliche sense) and feed off our respective areas of expertise. We chose “co-working” spaces which energised us a little, such as the Renaissance hotel at St Pancras (a fraction of the recurring WeWork subscription cost I suspect). That place had some weak (!) connection to our work, but generally there was no fixed criteria. Just a different experience beyond the agency meeting room. Those get togethers always felt productive, and purposeful. I’ve since defined “co-working” by that point of reference, notably where our industry is concerned. The space in which to hold certain types of conversation mattered more than I thought. Appreciate definitions are not uniform across the board. But maybe that contributed to where WeWork are today. Co-working means different things to different people. It just became less functional post the pandemic. #wework #coworking #marketing #NowKnowAnAwfulLotAboutDentureCare https://lnkd.in/ehZHJ2Dk

“WeWork sacrificed profitability and sustainable growth at the altar of growth at speed.” I know I’m not the only one fascinated by the rise (and demise) of WeWork. It’s the live case-study that keeps on giving, and every marketer - green to grey - should take heed. This is an excellent report from Adweek’s Olivia Morley and Rebecca Stewart picking apart its marketing history amongst other things. I think WeWork’s biggest weakness lies in a top-down, relentless and ultimately toxic obsession with intangible brand marketing. Growth first, parties and merch second, profit third, operations maybe fifth or sixth? The hustle hype we often see right here on our LinkedIn feeds only gets a business so far. The superpower of a solid operations ecosystem and aligning processes on the other hand, that gets you the big wins. The repeatable results. I’d take a well-oiled integrated forward planning calendar and aligned KPIs over an annual glamping festival any day of the week. https://lnkd.in/ek-Yc8ZT