Stories Behind the Door

I sit down with Stan Bonilla , Senior Vice President of Asset Management and Development at Safeguard Self Storage , for a deep dive into the institutional side of the business . Stan brings decades of experience to the table, and in this episode, he pulls back the curtain on how a privately held REIT managed by Morgan Stanley navigates a turbulent 2026 market . We discuss Safeguard's recent pivot...

I sit down with Nagesh Anupindi , CEO of Apoorva and SiteWare , for a masterclass in grit, innovation, and the "humble rebel" mindset . Nagesh shares his incredible journey from being a PhD student at the University of Rhode Island, studying complex Fourier transform algorithms, to becoming an interim CIO at Frontier Airlines and eventually a pioneer in self-storage technology . We explore the bir...

I sit down with Tyler Harper , Co-Founder of Homegrown Storage , for a fascinating look at how technology is finally providing an operating arbitrage in tertiary markets . Tyler's team, largely composed of Georgia Tech engineers, has built a platform that enables them to acquire roughly one facility per week while operating 30+ stores with only five people . We discuss the grit it took to sell the...

I sit down with Peter Smyth, Co-Founder and CEO of White Label Storage, for a deep dive into the technology and operational workflows that are reshaping the self-storage landscape. Peter shares his journey from working at Hines and attending Harvard Business School to disrupting the Brooklyn market with Local Locker . What started as a way to monetize "dead space" in New York City has evolved into...

I sit down with Jane Sauls, President of Sauls Commercial Real Estate, for an episode that is as much about character and tenacity as it is about real estate. Jane brings nearly 20 years of experience to the microphone, having navigated the storage world since 2006. We explore Jane's "farm girl" roots and how that work ethic helped her survive the brutal market shifts between 2023 and 2026 . Jane...

In this episode of Stories Behind the Door, I sit down with Christen Bryant, Director of Development at S3 Partners. Christen has spent 18 years in the trenches of self-storage, rising from used truck sales to becoming the President of U-Haul's Dallas-Fort Worth storage operations . In this episode, I cover: REIT Insights: Christen shares the unique, customer-first operational model of U-Haul and...

I sit down with Jennifer Barroqueiro, Vice President of Third-Party Management at All-Purpose Storage, to discuss the unique challenges and rewards of operating in the Northeast market. Jennifer brings eight years of experience, ranging from her days as District Manager #12 at SAM to her current leadership role, to a conversation that balances tactical operations with deep-rooted company culture ....

I sit down with Adam Troso, CEO and Founder of Next Century Self Storage, for a masterclass in real estate financials and resilient leadership. Adam brings 25 years of Wall Street experience to the table, providing a sophisticated look at why self-storage remains the "best way to make money owning real estate". We explore Adam's journey from underwriting CMBS loans in the 90s to navigating the tur...

I sit down with Tom Sherlock, Co-founder of Talonvest Capital, for an essential deep dive into the financial state of self-storage. With a career spanning back to 1985, Tom has lived through the RTC crisis, the Great Financial Crisis, and the current 2026 market shift . Tom shares the story of how his firm made a high-stakes bet on the "institutionalization" of storage back in 2011, pivoting their...

I sit down with Ken Woolley, the visionary Founder of Extra Space Storage, for a masterclass in industry history and leadership philosophy. Ken has been in the self-storage game for 56 years, witnessing the asset class transform from niche "garage rentals" into a mainstream institutional power player . Ken shares incredible stories from the early days, including his time as a management consultant...

I sit down with Brett Turner, Senior Managing Director at BKM Capital Partners, for a masterclass in small bay industrial investment. Brett and his team are currently managing approximately $3.4 billion in AUM , specializing in multi-tenant industrial parks . In this conversation, we discuss why this asset class is incredibly difficult to manage but yields massive rewards for those who are vertica...

I sit down with Cory Sylvester, Principal at DXD Capital, for a masterclass in data-driven development and intentional leadership. Cory's path to becoming one of the most respected names in self-storage didn't start with real estate; it started at JP Morgan. After identifying a massive lack of institutional-grade data in the storage sector, Cory co-founded Radius+ and eventually DXD Capital, a fir...

I sit down with Andrew Capranos, President of 10 Federal, to discuss the intersection of high-level operations and cutting-edge technology in self-storage. Andrew's journey is a masterclass in efficiency. After managing retail teams of 400+ people at Target, he realized the incredible potential of the storage industry's margins—if you can get the operations right. We discuss his time at Public Sto...

I sit down with Marc Goodin, CEO and President of Storage Authority, to pull back the curtain on one of the most successful franchise models in the self-storage industry. Marc isn't just a developer; he's a civil engineer who has spent four decades learning exactly what makes a facility succeed. He shares why he decided to stop "retiring" and instead start helping other professionals build wealth...

How do you transition from a "stay-at-home mom" opportunity to becoming a senator for the SSA Young Leaders Group and a director at a top management firm? This week, Thaddeus Campbell talks with Sydnie Wilda, RV & Boat Development Director at The Storage Manager. Sydnie shares her powerful journey of overcoming personal adversity by choosing to be a "survivor" rather than a victim—a mindset she ha...

How do you grow from 21 management contracts to nearly 600 while keeping a "small-town" culture of caring? Join Thaddeus Campbell as he speaks with Alyssa Quill, CEO of Storage Asset Management (SAM), the nation's largest independent third-party management firm. Alyssa shares her 21-year journey through the industry, including her time at StorageUSA and Extra Space, and the pivotal phone call from...

What does it take to build a construction company that thrives for over 30 years? According to Wayne Woolsey, President and CEO of Kiwi II Construction, it's simple: You have to be willing to "cook the meal" instead of microwaving it. In this episode, Wayne joins Thaddeus Campbell to share his journey from retrofitting public storage facilities after the Northridge earthquake to leading one of the...

I talk to Rob Kapp, President of Keep It Simple Storage, about his path from a "get rich slow game" entrepreneur to the inventor of the revolutionary KISS Lock. Rob's story is one of hard-won success: he committed to a multi-decade journey, even selling his home to reinvest in real estate . His burnout from managing facilities led to the idea for the KISS Lock, a smart lock with no batteries that'...

I'm honored to share the deeply personal and inspirational story of MMA Pro-Fighter, "Hurricane" Shane Burgos. Shane's journey to the UFC octagon wasn't just about physical skill; it was a testament to mental grit and commitment, starting when he was a teenager . Key Insights from Shane: Burning the Boats: Shane had no backup plan, committing fully to fighting and purposely getting kicked off his...

I talk with Kevin Bledsoe, President of The Bledsoe Storage Group at Marcus & Millichap, about his transition from operations to brokerage and his outlook on the 2026 self-storage market. Kevin's story is one of hard work, he started by installing gate controllers and sweeping storage units before becoming a Director of Operations for major firms like Simply Self Storage. This deep operational kno...

I sit down with Ben Vestal, CEO of Argus Self Storage Advisors, to discuss his incredible two-decade run in the industry, the recent SmartStop acquisition of his management platform, and what's next for the self-storage space. Ben shares how his brokerage business has always focused on the chase and complicated deals but stresses the importance of camaraderie and the willingness of high-level ment...

I'm joined by Tim Ryan, MAI, Senior Vice President at Newmark, to get a definitive, data-backed look at the self-storage market. Tim's career journey is fascinating, from his days at  Syracuse University pursuing sports broadcasting to becoming a commercial appraiser and a leader on Newmark's National Self Storage Team . Tim gives an insider's perspective on the challenges of appraising during the...

I have a truly inspiring conversation with Rona Siegel, National Director of Third Party Management at The William Warren Group/StoreQuest. Rona shares her "by chance" entry into the self-storage world 10 years ago and how the company's "lifestyle brand" energy, embodied by founder Bill Hoban, hooked her . Rona is not just a high-level executive; she's a three-time New York Marathon runner and a f...

Join me for a powerful and deeply personal conversation with Dayo Adebayo, Founder of DP Capital Partners. Dayo shares his path from managing complex corporate IT systems, where he witnessed executives who were financially secure but "not free," to dedicating his life to real estate entrepreneurship. Dayo's success is a testament to grind: he built an entire logistics company, which grew to over 3...

Solving a $200 Billion Problem: Andrew Jones and the Truck Parking Club I chat with Andrew Jones , VP at Truck Parking Club , about the severe shortage of safe truck parking, a problem that costs the logistics industry over  $165 billion a year. Andrew's journey into this booming niche began after a lunch meeting with a broker, which led him to investigate the 10x problem of 3 million trucks with...