Above & beyond: Joshua Moulder on global growth, broker power and what’s next

From spiral staircases in Berlin to canal-boat meetings in Amsterdam, Joshua Moulder has seen it all. As Sales and Broker Relations Director at beyond, he’s helping steer one of Europe’s fastest-growing flex operators into its next chapter - with a laser focus on people, partnerships, and places that actually work. In this FATChat, Josh shares how he’s building a sales engine fit for global expansion, why competition isn’t the enemy, and what 100% occupancy at The Bower really means. Dive into the full conversation below.

Can you please describe beyond in three words?

I would say we're very, very passionate. I would say we are community driven, which I appreciate is two words. I would say innovative as well. We always want to make sure that we adapt for the market, etc, like that. So we make sure that is a priority.

As the Director of Sales and Broker Relations, how do you go above and beyond to help push the brand and the business as a whole?

For me, it’s about building a well-oiled machine. We’ve got ambitious international growth plans right now - and navigating that has probably been my biggest learning at beyond. The focus is on making sure that growth is scalable, and that the team has everything they need in place to support the rapid expansion ahead.

What would you say is your daily ritual to kind of get in the zone?

Interestingly, I don’t do the whole “I go swimming” thing…as you can probably tell, I’m not a gym buff. But I am super structured at work. I have calendar invites for absolutely everything, to-do lists, even a two-week prep list. For me, I need to come into work with a clear mind. So on my commute, I’ll watch a Netflix documentary - always crime drama. It’s just my way of getting into the right headspace for the day - calm, clear, and hopefully prepared.

And for us, we genuinely believe in our product - and that naturally comes across in our tours. I was always taught from day one: there are lots of providers out there that will offer similar things, but the one who stands out is the person doing the tour. So it’s about making sure that person is not only well-prepared, but confident. That’s your time to shine.

Are there any emerging trends that you believe will influence the future of flex workspaces?

I think, especially in today’s buyer’s market, there’s a growing expectation for flexibility and customisation. One of the biggest trends we’re seeing is a shift toward truly tailored space solutions. For us, that means removing unnecessary barriers and being genuinely open to adapting the space around a client’s specific needs. It’s about recognising that no one-size-fits-all - and making it clear from the outset that we’ll do our utmost to ensure the space was built for the client.

Since opening its first location in March of 2022 beyond now has seven workspaces spread across three countries. Can you talk us through that journey, and what has driven the brand's growth?

It’s been generally down to the people. They are extremely driven and ambitious to ensure that beyond captures, and is in every single community worldwide. So that is our main goal. I feel like, seven locations in the last three years has now set the foundation for us to be like: right, 2025, 2026 - we’re on it.

Could you hand pick a favourite site, and why is it your favourite?

It’s a hard question, because each building really does have its own unique character - and that’s what I love about beyond. Every site feels completely different - it’s not like a McDonald’s, where everything’s the same. If I had to choose, I’d pick our newest location in Berlin.

It’s one of the first spaces where we’ve literally gone from bare cinder blocks to building everything from scratch - including a spiral staircase that drops down into reception. We created it all. And it’s just incredible. We had our rooftop launch last week – we had 600 RSVPs, and it was just an amazing thing to see. I still remember walking in there for the first time. The transformation is wild.

Competition in the flexible workspace market has intensified in recent years. How would you say that beyond stays ahead of the competition?

So competition, I think, is a good thing in the sense that it keeps you on your A-game. You can’t just rest on your laurels. I actually tend to lean more into collaboration with competitors - more of a “you come see us, we’ll come see you” approach. Just working together to see how we can push the industry forward, because it has can be dog-eat-dog. So I’ve taken a bit of a step back and said, let’s actually meet on mutual ground and figure out how we can collaborate.

Member benefits and perks are always a big topic of conversation. How does beyond go that extra mile for its members?

I think one major thing is our app. We've currently got 17,500 people subscribed, and that just reflects the benefits they get. Like I mentioned before, it’s all about the community. We don’t just see the building as the community - it’s the wider area too. For example, at Aldgate Tower, where we are now, clients get a discount at the Hyatt Hotel across the road. One really amazing benefit though is in our new central Amsterdam building - clients can actually book a meeting room on a canal boat, because we’re quite literally on the canal.

So, they can walk outside and have their meeting on the boat. But it’s also about the adaptations we make in our buildings. A good example is The Bower - we had a lot of people struggling to find areas to pray, so we turned one of the meeting rooms into a prayer room. It’s those kinds of things we try and do to make sure clients are getting the best service for their needs.

Looking at the future. What is the vision and how much growth can we expect?

The repeated thing is growth. The ambition is 10,000 desks this year, 20,000 desks in 2026. So, I'm definitely gonna get my air miles in. Obviously, we've got a lot of experience in Amsterdam and Berlin currently. We’ve announced another location in Berlin, which is amazing. But it's not just European. We're looking at San Francisco, New York, New Delhi as well. We just want to be global and as I said, access as many communities as possible.

Many say that brokers play a huge role in driving transactions. In your view, what are the key ingredients would you say to building those kind of strong, long, lasting, meaningful relationships?

Absolutely. So I think communication is absolutely key. So we make sure that myself, and our Head of Marketing meet regularly, sometimes twice a week, ensuring that regular availability, incentives and anything like that, is communicated over to them. For me, I treat the brokers as colleagues rather than, not just people “I need to work with”.

It’s not always about dinners or lunches - sometimes it’s just picking up the phone and asking how they are. I genuinely think these relationships should be more meaningful than just “I want your business” or “you pay me.” So yeah, I try to do that as much as possible. Making sure we stay top of mind often comes down to those simple conversations - and they really can lead to more.

What would you say is your proudest achievement at beyond?

Oh, it actually just happened last month - we reached 100% occupancy in The Bower. I'm so excited. We’re really, really lucky with the landlord there - they’ve been amazing - super supportive and have really invested in the building. It’s just been completely regenerated, and I think the occupancy is such a reflection of that. The clients we now have in the building just really speak to the kind of place people want to be in. It’s taken a lot of work, but we got there in the end - and I’m just so, so happy about it.