Creating Wealth Through Self Storage

In episode 451, we discussed how uncertainty in Washington, combined with mixed economic signals, is causing some investors to sit on the sidelines. But for those who can make quick decisions and move fast, this could create a window of opportunity. One thing I can almost guarantee, though, is that construction costs are not going down. With new tariffs (why are we doing this?) and immigration pol...

I am hosting a virtual online Bootcamp in March on the 21st & 22nd and have been revising some of my content for the event. This is the second episode of three, where I will be sharing some of the things I am going to be bringing up that I haven’t necessarily focused on in the past. I will step out a little today and have a political conversation that is not designed to be a political statemen...

I am hosting a virtual online Bootcamp in March on the 21st & 22nd, 2025, and I have been revising some of my content for the event. I thought I would do a couple of episodes sharing some of the things I am going to be bringing up that I haven’t necessarily focused on in the past. This is a simple idea that I have seen help people gain momentum in an industry that is maturing fast. **Online Co...

The last three episodes have covered my deep dive into the previous 35 to 40 years into exploring how creating goals and achieving them can work. Let’s talk about one of my most crazy experiences in this world of creating a self-storage business and what it can look like on the court. This transaction changed my life and taught me how putting my attention on the correct things can work. Let me tel...

If you are in the self-storage business and trying to grow it, or if you have been trying to get in the business and it has been slow-going, then this episode may be for you. But I will take a very different approach than most in the next couple of episodes concerning how to get the most out of this year (or any year for that matter) for your business. This episode concludes a 3-part series with t...

If you are in the self-storage business and trying to grow it, or if you have been trying to get in the business and it is slowly going, then this episode may be for you. But I will take a very different approach than most in the next couple of episodes concerning how to get the most out of this year (or any year for that matter) for your business. I started last week with my experience on my life...

If you are in the self-storage business and trying to grow it, or if you have been trying to get in the business and it is slow-going, then this episode may be for you. But I will take a very different approach than most in the next few episodes concerning how to get the most out of this year (or any year, for that matter) for your business. Rather than focus on tips and techniques, let’s look at...

Often, we are dealing directly with an owner of a self-storage facility we are looking at buying. It is hard to get financials, unit mix, or anything to go on in the first few meetings or conversations to help us see a potential value or where any upside is. A non-intrusive report to ask for is a random daily close. You will be surprised how much information about the facility you can get from thi...

I have worked with several self-storage investors who are involved now, considering, and doing mixed-use projects of self-storage and flex space. Flex space is the new shiny object for many smaller self-storage developers. Now, given it is NFL playoff season… LET’S HAVE A GAME BETWEEN SELF-STORAGE AND FLEX SPACE. You will meet Team Storage and Team Flex as they play a football game to see wh...

Until the 2020s, as a self-storage owner and developer of smaller projects (i.e., not large multi-story projects), I never used the design-build process many people apparently use to start a development project or even an expansion. I also never started by going to an architect and/or engineer to design their project and create the building plans. I never did that either. Let me share our construc...

Let me share with you my experience of being a self-storage owner and operator in the year 2025. If I had to sum up my experience of self-storage growth in 2025 with one word, it would be… **Online Courses at The Quickstart Academy** https://TheQuickStartAcademy.com/ **Listen on Apple Podcasts** https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creating-wealth-through-self-storage/id1588425875 **5 KPIs...

How many times have you found a self-storage expansion deal, calculated the expansion amount you can add to the facility, run the numbers, and it still does not work because you can’t get enough new square feet in the project? This has happened a number of times to me. Given the current pricing of existing facilities and construction costs, it can be challenging. Let me tell you a trick I have use...

I just saw a news article “Self-Storage Manager Accused of Embezzling $53K From xxx Mini Storage.” Lets talk about how to protect yourself from loss and give some concrete steps and procedures. **Online Courses at The Quickstart Academy** https://TheQuickStartAcademy.com/ **Listen on Apple Podcasts** https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creating-wealth-through-self-storage/id1588425875 **5 KPIs w...

I see a common mistake today as I work with people who are getting into the self-storage business. Especially people getting in their first deal. Let’s figure out how much money you may need to buy self-storage today. **Online Courses at The Quickstart Academy** https://TheQuickStartAcademy.com/ **Listen on Apple Podcasts** https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creating-wealth-through-self-storage...

When I first entered the self-storage business, “marketing” was all about how big a Yellow Pages ad you could afford. It was nothing to spend $25,000 to $50,000 a year on a half-page Yellow Pages display ad. Times have changed. Let me share with you the five key strategies I see to get on top of today to win the game of self-storage marketing. **Online Courses at The Quickstart Academy** https://T...

I am sitting here in the last quarter of the year in 2024. As I look into the future, there are some really exciting aspects of our business, and there are some real risks. I am planning out my next few years for myself as well as working on what I can tell people I coach and work with. As I started writing down my thoughts to make them coherent, I realized this was an episode. Let me share with y...

I’ve made many mistakes in my self-storage career, but one of the biggest came early on when I purchased an existing facility that included a record storage business. Let me share what it is so you don’t do the same thing. **Online Courses at The Quickstart Academy** https://TheQuickStartAcademy.com/ **Listen on Apple Podcasts** https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creating-wealth-thr...

Let’s talk about algorithmic self-storage pricing strategies used by many in the industry today again. I also want to share a warning about pricing strategies in the aftermath of some natural disasters like Hurricane Milton or the most recent hurricane, Helene. This could keep you out of “hot water.” **Online Courses at The Quickstart Academy** https://TheQuickStartAcademy.com/ **Listen on Apple P...

Congratulations. You now own at least one self-storage facility. In the old days, we would just set up shop, get our operating system up and running, and turn on the lights. Those days are long gone. Let’s look at a way to run a competitor analysis so you can position your facility to win today. **Online Courses at The Quickstart Academy** https://TheQuickStartAcademy.com/ **Listen on Apple Podcas...

Although I did not attend the most recent Self Storage Association convention in Las Vegas, I have been studying many of the sessions that occurred there. One thing I found very interesting was the presentation that showed the results of StorageMart’s Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of Net Operating Income over the past five years using the data from 75 stores. Let me share my takeaways from th...

Let’s talk about self-storage, technology, robots at storage facilities, and why in the world I ever made this episode. Hope you enjoy. **Online Courses at The Quickstart Academy** https://TheQuickStartAcademy.com/ **Listen on Apple Podcasts** https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creating-wealth-through-self-storage/id1588425875 **5 KPIs we measure** https://creatingwealththroughselfstorage.lpage...

We are going to discuss self-storage brand loyalty, self-storage revenue management, and customer value. And we are going to start with Netflix. It might not make sense now, but it will. **Online Courses at The Quickstart Academy** https://TheQuickStartAcademy.com/ **Listen on Apple Podcasts** https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creating-wealth-through-self-storage/id1588425875 **5 KPIs we measu...

If you took a loan or purchased your self-storage facility around 2018 and it is time to refinance, you better understand where you will stand with a bank. I suggest doing this before calling a lender. Let me share the exercise I go through to develop my strategy BEFORE reaching out to lenders. **Online Courses at The Quickstart Academy** https://TheQuickStartAcademy.com/ **Listen on Apple Podcast...

In the self-storage world, there is a lot of momentum towards fully automated facilities, no matter the project size. I am not here to say that is the wrong direction. I even am involved in one myself as a partner. But today, let me talk about a reason to consider the more traditional approach to self-storage management using trained managers. AND ITS NOT FOR THE REASONS YOU MAY THINK. **Online Co...

It seems like once a year or so, I get on a soap box and rail about sq. ft. per capita as the main measurement for self-storage supply demand calculations. This may be my last, because now is the time to rid ourselves of this benchmark as the main measurement because it more often than not, gives false data that has us owners make bad decisions. Let me share my experience over the last year or so...