Self Storage Investing

Send us Fan Mail Ever wonder how a great-looking self-storage deal turns into a financial disaster?  Joe Downs sits down with acquisitions expert Jack Pezzino to uncover the most common and costly mistakes new investors make when diving into self-storage.  From market analysis missteps to overlooked tax reassessments, Jack shares real-world examples and battle-tested strategies that can save you t...

Send us Fan Mail Is this the moment to get bold with your next self storage move, or the moment to back away? Scott Meyers sits down with broker and former principal investor David Perlleshi of Franklin Street to unpack why today’s selective market may actually be the best buying climate since the mid two thousands.  David traces his path from acquiring and expanding mom and pop facilities in the...

Send us Fan Mail What if failure in one business is exactly what launches your success in another?  Scott Meyers sits down with Ramel Newerls, a former residential real estate investor who turned a frustrating eviction moratorium into a self-storage empire.  From owning 40+ rental units to managing multiple storage facilities, Ramel shares how a single tenant’s need sparked an epiphany that change...

Send us Fan Mail This is a REPLAY of an episode first published in April 2024.  Software solutions are helping manage all aspects of maintaining facilities, from tracking tasks and schedules to providing insights on operational improvements.  In this episode, Jadob Pandl and Bob Linneman of NodaFi join Scott to highlight the importance of having a centralized system for facility operations, especi...

Send us Fan Mail What if the most powerful leadership move you could make started before 4 a.m.?  Scott Meyers peels back the curtain on his famously intentional 3:53 a.m. wake-up routine.  He shares how this early start gives him a daily edge, not just in productivity, but in spiritual clarity and decision-making as a business leader.  With stories from the trenches, scientific backing, and bibli...

Send us Fan Mail Is self storage the new co-working frontier?  Scott Myers peers into the future of an industry that’s evolving faster than ever.  Gone are the days of rows of metal doors and dusty hallways—today’s facilities are sleek, smart, and multi-purpose, designed to serve not just people’s possessions but their businesses, creativity, and community connections.  Scott unpacks how tech-enab...

Send us Fan Mail Is self-storage really making a comeback in 2025? You bet—and the signs are everywhere.  Scott Meyers breaks down why the sector isn’t crashing—it’s stabilizing and quietly setting the stage for a strong rebound in 2026.  Scott uses fresh data and boots-on-the-ground insights to explore current vacancy trends, slowing supply, and the emergence of tech-forward, sustainability-drive...

Send us Fan Mail This is a REPLAY of an episode first published in March 2024.  Success is not a secret—it's a mindset. In this episode, Scott unpacks the critical mindset shifts and practical strategies that have propelled his self-storage business forward.  By emphasizing the importance of hard work over talent, the power of goal setting, and the necessity of surrounding oneself with smart,...

Send us Fan Mail This is a REPLAY of an episode first published in October 2023.  Luke Wong uses always has his head up for potential opportunities but when it comes to trusting your gut he says that’s really the key.  He trusts his gut to help him make business decisions and powerful relationships in the self-storage industry.  He also shares the importance of having a mentor and getting the righ...

Send us Fan Mail Can a family of four with full schedules really break into self-storage investing?  Adam and Kirby Leiby from Raleigh, North Carolina, just proved it's possible, and they brought the kids along for the ride.   In this first episode of a special new series “First Deal First Dive” episode of the Self Storage Investing Podcast, guest host Joe Downs connects with the Leibys, rece...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a Navy vet and a sales pro ditch Wall Street and go all in on self-storage? 🔑 Scott Meyers welcomes back Rod and Christin Blunk, a dynamic husband-and-wife duo who went from 401k failures to self-storage success.  They share how losing big in the 2008 crash sparked a mission to build real wealth—leading to over 400 real estate transactions and, eventually, a piv...

Send us Fan Mail Is your self-storage pricing strategy bleeding cash while you’re sitting at 90% occupancy?   Scott explains one of the most urgent and transformative trends in the self-storage industry today… dynamic pricing and AI-powered revenue optimization.   As markets soften, promotions spike, and new supply floods the industry, savvy operators are turning to real-time data-driven pricing m...

Send us Fan Mail When real operations experience meets brokerage, better deals get done. Scott Meyers welcomes back Alex Erbs for a dynamic conversation about his transition from running a multi-state self-storage management company to becoming a full-time broker with EqiCap Commercial.   They dig deep into what makes for a successful third-party management relationship, why many operators misunde...

Send us Fan Mail From 20 to 250: What Happens When Self-Storage Management Grows Too Fast?  Peter Smyth returns to the Self Storage Podcast to share his explosive journey, from managing 20 facilities to nearly 250 in just one year.  He outlines the challenges of hypergrowth, from client churn and employee scalability to building systems that can handle everything from rural RV lots to urban mega-f...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a college senior aiming for luxury development ends up dominating the self-storage industry instead?  Scott Meyers sits down with Cory Bonda, co-founder of Prestige Storage Capital, to explore Cory’s unexpected journey into self-storage and how he scaled from moonlighting in Columbus to managing a rapidly growing, vertically integrated storage empire.  The conver...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when self-storage meets artificial intelligence?  Scott Meyers and Joe Downs reunite right after their Mastermind and Academy events to dive deep into the game-changing role of AI in the self-storage industry.  Fresh from coaching hungry investors through their first deals, they shift gears into a passionate discussion about AI’s transformational power—from automating...

Send us Fan Mail Want to future-proof your storage business? It starts with systems, scale—and a bit of AI. Scott Meyers welcomes Steve Raposa from Mini Mall Storage Properties, who shares his unique journey from military service to hospitality and finally to becoming a key player in the self-storage world.   They explore how franchise systems and hospitality efficiency directly translate into sca...

Send us Fan Mail Is the economy heading for a soft landing… or a “touch-and-go”?  Scott Meyers is joined with economist Mark Vitner, to unpack why commercial real estate got overpriced during the low-rate era, how self-storage cap rates often move differently from other asset classes, and what falling market rates plus clearer tariff policy could mean for deals ahead. Vitner flags a likely 75 bps...

Send us Fan Mail Can AI truly replace the human touch in self-storage?   Scott Meyers welcomes Mason Levy, founder of Swivl, to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming customer engagement across the self-storage industry.  From its surprising roots in healthcare and cannabis tech to powering over 4,700 self-storage facilities today, Swivl is revolutionizing the contact center model wit...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to turn a family carport business into a multi-state RV storage powerhouse?  Scott Meyers talks with Travis Bailey, owner of Park’n Shade, about the booming demand for covered RV and boat storage.  Travis shares his journey from working summers in his dad’s business to buying it outright, and the evolution of RV storage from a niche service to a necessity driven...

Send us Fan Mail Is your storage facility leaving money on the table?  Scott Meyers sits down Greg Ellsworth—president of Toy Storage Nation and founder of Self Storage Consulting Group—to explore the evolving world of self-storage and RV/boat storage.  Greg dives into why the old-school "build it and they will come" model is outdated and how data-driven design and multi-use flexibility...

Send us Fan Mail Speed, data, and AI are transforming self-storage—and those who master them are winning big.  Scott Meyers sits down with Jean-Michael Diei, founder of PropRise, to explore how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the way storage investors and operators source deals, navigate zoning, and optimize operations.  From his childhood steeped in tech and entrepreneurship to buildin...

Send us Fan Mail What if you could invest alongside a mastermind — with just $5,000?  Scott Meyers welcomes Brian Davis, co-founder of Spark Rental, to dive deep into the world of passive investing.  Brian shares his winding journey from subprime mortgages to building an investment club that democratizes real estate deals, giving everyday investors access to big-league opportunities.  Together, th...

Send us Fan Mail This is a Replay of an episode first published in November 2023.  Rick Gibson made his living successfully as a lawyer for nearly four decades. But it was a noteworthy book that made the case for him to think about investing.  Rich Dad, Poor Dad. That book inspired Rick to leave corporate America and form an investing team with his sons in real estate.  Today Gibson's portfol...

Send us Fan Mail This is a Replay of an episode first published in December 2023.  You might call Mark Hutchinson an active passive investor. He takes pride in using the Infinite Banking Concept (IBC) to build capital.  IBC involves using specially constructed dividend-paying whole life insurance as a means of building capital and then borrowing whenever interest would be paid to others.  Mark exp...