A real estate mogul has revealed how he went from working on petrol pumps to creating a $50m (USD) property empire – all thanks to unique conference rooms.
Jack Guttman is the owner of GlassHouse – a multi-million pound brand that turns unused hotel spaces into swanky meeting rooms.
While most business owners are turning to virtual mediums, Jack is proving that bricks and mortar is still valuable.
Quite a lot, actually – the entrepreneur’s company charges up to $200,000 a day, hosting the world’s elite brands like Apple and TikTok and celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey and Lindsey Lohan, to name but a few.
But the self-made millionaire’s life wasn’t always this glossy.
After college, where he studied economics, Jack took a job as a salesperson for a glass and mirror company, before landing a gig at Texaco to develop petrol pumps – which he credits for teaching him how to build “something from nothing”.
“It all started from there really,” Jack told Jam Prime.
“I didn’t know too much about the real estate industry back then, but buying and renovating gas stations of all things got me into it.
“I learned how to create something out of nothing.
“After my tenure at Texaco, I began working for a single-family subdivision builder in Tampa.
“My first independent project was a partnership with a landowner who provided the land, so I didn’t have to use much of my money.
“It was a rush and so I used the profits to fund more projects.
“I moved on to build apartments and office buildings in more cities – that’s when things really took off.”
GlassHouse was born by chance, after one of Jack’s friends suggested the idea of having an event in a penthouse.
It sparked an idea that has since become an incredibly successful venture.
He said: “I had built a high-rise office building in Manhattan in 2005, and my friend proposed the idea of constructing an event venue in the penthouse.
“I found the concept intriguing, so used the profits from my project in Tampa to fund it.”
Jack opened his flagship building, Glasshouse Chelsea in Manhattan, in 2005 – kickstarting his future.
He had noticed the unused space in the building and decided to transform it.
In 2021, he opened a second venue, just a few streets away, which to this day is his biggest space so far, as well as the largest privately-owned venue in the US – fitting up to 2,000 people.
The third event space, GH on the Park, was launched in 2023.
But what is GlassHouse and why is it so successful? According to Jack, it’s about putting on a “Broadway show” of excitement and flair.
The company uses the latest technology and has great acoustics with 40 ft ceilings – plus a rooftop bar in each space.
He said: “I don’t just seize opportunities, I create them.
“I tell my team to treat each night like a new Broadway show.
“That’s the level of attention we give each event.
“My buildings are like no others and I’ve put my stamp in a market which, we are told, is going the other way.
‘We’ve hosted several celebrities.
“For instance, we had the Lindsay Lohan interview with Oprah Winfrey and hosted the opening party for Rihanna and her Fenty line of clothes, sponsored by Amazon.
“We have had unique ‘celebrations of life’ for families mourning the loss of a loved one, and were even approached to host the month-long event for the 75th anniversary of Batman.
“Another notable event was the annual Explorers Club gala, where we even had a space capsule!
“Companies bite my hand off to hire our spaces.”
Jack is now branching into a new lucrative market: weddings – with a 50-acre retreat for the rich and famous to tie the knot.
He added: “It’s about providing a space where dreams, at their most grandiose and ambitious, can become reality.
“Our newest place GH on the Park, oozes such old school luxury ; you expect to see Rockerfeller or J P Morgan smoking a cigar in the side because of that old clubby feel.
“It’s just charming and elegant.
“I’ve constructed not just a building, but a legacy.”
