Does your office need a cold plunge?
Come inside the city's buzziest co-working space.
Good afternoon everyone.
Yesterday I spent the day working from the newest iQ office at 302 Bay Street. It’s not finished yet, but a private tour unveiled 14 floors of common areas and private offices that felt more like a hotel than a workplace, including a thermotherapy room that will soon be available for booking sauna sessions and cold plunges in between meetings.
The co-working industry was built on casual memberships but the money has always been in getting large companies though the door. For the first time many are open it: top performers still want nice offices, but hybrid working arrangements and a shaky economy have upped the appeal of flexible office options with low overhead costs.
So while it might disappoint some people it’s not surprising that 302 Bay does not offer casual memberships. At the easter-themed happy hour, one senior leader said this was a selling point against WeWork, which felt less “grown up.” Current tenants include private equity and multinational firms. So much has changed in five years.
I watched a barista chat with members while preparing drinks and offering up pastries (included in the cost of a membership) and thought about how anyone could compete with this. By 5:00 p.m., I had checked out of this work hotel, already looking forward to the day I’d be back, but not before grabbing footage of this hidden boardroom bar.
NEWS:
Workers who take lunch breaks are happier and more efficient. Canadians are far more positively impacted by lunch breaks than Americans, with a double-digit percentage point difference in measures of both satisfaction and efficiency. Those who don’t break for lunch are also more likely to work late or on weekends.
Business owners that backed Trump are having second thoughts.
Last night’s debate left Mark and Pierre “exactly where they started.” According to Abacus Data, only 4% of viewers said they’ve switched their vote after watching it (debates don’t generally decide elections) but the post-debate analysis that will be happening on social media and around dinner tables over the Easter long weekend could shift the vibes. People are openly and understandably confused heading into this election so today I’m meeting with the founders of a buzzy online election guide and will publish the interview on Monday.
The Conservatives are currently trailing the Liberals in every major public poll (the below chart shows you how much things have changed in five months).
Further proof that brands are putting protein into everything. There are a combined 54 grams of protein in a serving of Protein Candy, a bag of Wilde Protein Chips, and a tub of Protein Pints. Your journey to health awaits.
People are so busy that they’re sending Calendly links to their friends.
Justin Bieber is testing a mysterious new clothing brand called Skylrk. Last week he publicly severed ties with Drew House, the brand he launched with his former stylist Ryan Good in 2019 with a collection of smiley-face-embellished apparel, and has started posting teasers. Meanwhile Hailey Bieber is reportedly looking to sell her brand, Rhode Beauty at a valuation of more than US$1 billion.
We’re cutting just about every entertainment expense except Netflix.
“They sell you leggings for $100 but here you can get them for $5.” In the days since the U.S. introduced a 145% tariff on Chinese-made goods, a wave of creators claiming to work with Chinese factories are urging people to shop major brands ‘directly from the source.’ I know people who buy everything from Frame jeans to granite countertops off Alibaba, but they tell me this world takes years of trial and error to figure out. Sourcing agents claim to speed up the process, but many seem to be affiliated with Alibaba competitors so I don’t know. Demand for dupes is at an all time high so the reality is some people will get lucky and others will end of wasting money. I’m placing an order for science and will report back.
This summer I think people will find love in Ultimate Frisbee leagues.
And those people will use Tiana Jayatunga’s guide to $50 date nights.
That’s all from me today. If you’re enjoying this newsletter, please consider sharing it with a friend, colleague, or posting it to the companywide #general Slack channel.
I hope you have a great long weekend.