
Self Storage Income
The authority on creating wealth and income through self storage.
Find our video podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoaCszL7eN9T7EixaJgL49WTLsT-CWLD1
Latest episodes

Jun 22, 2021 • 1h 5min
100th EPISODE | Special Edition Listener Q&A
Well everybody, welcome to the 100th episode of the Self Storage Income Podcast!! I’m your host, AJ Osborne.
That’s right everybody, we’ve done 100 episodes here on Self Storage Income. We’ve covered a ton of self-storage ground (or square footage you might call it lol). We’ve talked about and shared numerous value add investment strategies, interviewed top leaders in the self-storage industry who are disrupting the self-storage industry in the best possible way, and who are setting new and exciting standards for their facilities and their tenants. We’ve talked about the big picture, goals and how to achieve them, economics, and finance. We’ve shared A LOT! Even what most others have decided to charge tens of thousands of dollars for, all... for free.
But why? Why in the world would I want to start this podcast, write my book(s), and essentially create more of what people would generally call “competition”?
Here’s the deal - first and foremost, when it comes to self-storage.... my company makes money from investing in self-storage. It’s that simple. My goal, strategy, my time, effort, and resources are focused on self-storage investing. This is my bread and butter. It’s NOT focused on making money from what I will loosely call “coaching”. Self-storage is my ticket, not YOUR pocketbook.
Second - self-storage is one of the most incredible industries I’ve ever been a part of. The more I work in coordination with other self-storage owners and operators, the more I help to build a strong self-storage economy and industry… the better the self-storage industry does and the better we ALL do. I’ve said this so many times, but I’ll say it again - success does not happen on an island, and a rising tide lifts all ships. So, the more I help you, the more I help the industry, the better everything gets. What we don’t want is a bunch of people running around in the storage industry not knowing or understanding the self-storage industry. This can spell disaster for healthy self-storage markets as we’ve seen time and time again.
All of that said… let’s get to what we’re all here for. What’s our special 100th episode actually going to actually be about!? It would have to be something epic of course… and it absolutely is. Our episode today is about you guys, our fans, our followers, our amazing supporters.
We’re going to be walking through an intensely in-depth Q&A. That’s right, we’re taking questions right from you guys and giving you answers. So if you’ve ever asked any self-storage questions online whether that’s the self-storage income website, social media, YouTube, or even my personal social media page, then tune in from start to finish. We just might be featuring your question.
Thank you all so much for the incredible support here at Self Storage Income and everything we’re doing. You guys are the best! Here’s to 100 more episodes!
Thanks everybody,
AJ
The Self Storage Income Exclusive Fall Event in Coeur d’Alene Idaho (GET YOUR SEATS RESERVED ASAP!) - https://selfstorageincome.com/events/
Be sure to go to Selfstorageincome.com to get your copy of my Self Storage Playbook. This step-by-step playbook walks you through from start to finish - how to identify a self-storage market, how to perform due diligence, how to contact a current owner, and ultimately how to land a deal and purchase a storage facility.
You can also find the Self Storage Income Podcast on:
iTunes
Spotify
Stitcher
The Self Storage Income Podcast is Sponsored by:
Janus International - https://www.janusintl.com/
Store Local - https://www.selfstorage.coop/aws/SL/pt/sp/home_page
Live Oak Bank - liveoakbank.com/incomepodcast

Jun 15, 2021 • 43min
How to Start Investing in Self Storage | Learning the Ropes with Pam Domingue
Welcome back everybody to the Self Storage Income Podcast! This is your host, AJ Osborne!
I’m so excited today because we get to sit down with my great self-storage friend Pam Domingue. Pam owns and operates several self-storage facilities in California and even Hawaii! She has a ton of incredible experience, experiences that she’s sharing with us today.
Pam shares how she got into the self-storage industry and gives us an in-depth look into the very first facility purchase. This insight is key for so many of you out there that may be just starting out. She talks a lot about the resources and the tools she used to learn and to be able to transition into the self-storage investing world effectively.
We go on to talk about buying versus building and what Pam is looking at currently. We talk about the pros and cons of the self-storage industry as a whole and her suggestions for self-storage investing beginners. There’s also a huge question in all our minds as the self-storage industry continues to consolidate and continues to align more and more with technology and the expectations of today’s consumers - what does the future of self-storage look like?
Tune in, get ready to take some notes, and enjoy this behind-the-scenes look at the self-storage industry with one of the best.
Thanks everybody,
AJ
The Self Storage Income Exclusive Fall Event in Coeur d’Alene Idaho (GET YOUR SEATS RESERVED ASAP!) - https://selfstorageincome.com/events/
Be sure to go to Selfstorageincome.com to get your copy of my Self Storage Playbook. This step-by-step playbook walks you through from start to finish - how to identify a self-storage market, how to perform due diligence, how to contact a current owner, and ultimately how to land a deal and purchase a storage facility.
You can also find the Self Storage Income Podcast on:
iTunes
Spotify
Stitcher
The Self Storage Income Podcast is Sponsored by:
Janus International - https://www.janusintl.com/
Store Local - https://www.selfstorage.coop/aws/SL/pt/sp/home_page
Live Oak Bank - liveoakbank.com/incomepodcast

Jun 8, 2021 • 50min
How to Work with Investors and Raise Capital with Drew Dolan
Welcome back everybody to the Self Storage Income Podcast, this is your host, AJ Osborne!
It’s an absolute pleasure to welcome my guest today Drew Dolan, Principal Fund Manager at DXD Capital.
After earning his degree and starting a career in sales, Drew realized something…. All the guys he was working with who were in real estate had huge potential to earn a lot of money, and better yet, these same people were having a blast. Drew decided that real estate was the way forward and began working in real estate development.
Fast forward to today and he’s the Principal Fund Manager at DXD Capital, which is a fund that specializes in real estate development, and he’s raised a total of over $600 Million across his years of experience in real estate investing and development.
This was a great episode and we dive into a lot of important topics in regard to raising capital, deal structures, investor relations, and more. If you’ve ever thought about raising money and bringing on investors, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.
Keep up with Drew and DXD on their website at: https://dxd.capital/#
Thanks for listening everybody!
AJ
The Self Storage Income Exclusive Fall Event in Coeur d’Alene Idaho (GET YOUR SEATS RESERVED ASAP!) - https://selfstorageincome.com/events/
Be sure to go to Selfstorageincome.com to get your copy of my Self Storage Playbook. This step-by-step playbook walks you through from start to finish - how to identify a self-storage market, how to perform due diligence, how to contact a current owner, and ultimately how to land a deal and purchase a storage facility.
You can also find the Self Storage Income Podcast on:
iTunes
Spotify
Stitcher
The Self Storage Income Podcast is Sponsored by:
Janus International - https://www.janusintl.com/
Store Local - https://www.selfstorage.coop/aws/SL/pt/sp/home_page
Live Oak Bank - liveoakbank.com/incomepodcast

Jun 1, 2021 • 39min
Your First Facility - How to Find it, Fund it, and Manage it with Masha Klapanova
Welcome back everybody to the Self Storage Income Podcast! I’m your host AJ Osborne.
As you all might imagine, we get A TON of questions about how to get started investing in self-storage. We get asked all time - how do I analyze a market for self-storage? How do you add value to a storage facility? How do you fund or finance a storage facility? How do you find good self-storage deals?
Well, today we answer every single one of those questions with our amazing guest Masha Klapanova.
Masha just recently closed on her first storage facility. First things first… Masha, CONGRATULATIONS!! The first facility is a huge step towards building your self-storage holdings and it only gets better from there. Masha is super excited and shares a wealth of knowledge with us on today’s episode. This is such an amazing podcast because she gets to share with us everything she went through to find, fund, acquire, and now manage this facility. It wasn’t easy and it took time and creativity to make it a reality. Having literally just gone through this amazing experience, it's awesome to hear about her journey every step of the way.
So if you’re just getting started in self-storage or trying to figure out how to get started, this is an episode you won’t want to miss. If you have a few facilities under your belt, you’ll enjoy hearing Masha’s awesome story as much as I did, and you might even keep in touch with her and the great work she’s doing.
Keep up with Masha on social media here:
https://www.instagram.com/choosetherightinvestment/
Thanks, everybody! Enjoy, take notes, and be like Masha!
AJ
The Self Storage Income Exclusive Fall Event in Coeur d’Alene Idaho (GET YOUR SEATS RESERVED ASAP!) - https://selfstorageincome.com/events/
Be sure to go to Selfstorageincome.com to get your copy of my Self Storage Playbook. This step by step playbook walks you through from start to finish - how to identify a self storage market, how to perform due diligence, how to contact a current owner, and ultimately how to land a deal and purchase a storage facility.
You can also find the Self Storage Income Podcast on:
iTunes
Spotify
Stitcher
The Self Storage Income Podcast is Sponsored by:
Janus International - https://www.janusintl.com/
Store Local - https://www.selfstorage.coop/aws/SL/pt/sp/home_page
Live Oak Bank - liveoakbank.com/incomepodcast

May 29, 2021 • 1h 8min
The Future of the Self Storage Industry and How to Crush Competition with Lance Watkins
Welcome back everybody to the Self Storage Income Podcast! This is your host AJ Osborne!
Today we have an awesome guest on the podcast who is back by popular demand… the one and only Lance Watkins. If you haven’t listened to our first podcast episode with Lance, you might go back and listen to that podcast first to give you a better idea of who Lance is, and all the amazing things he’s doing in the self storage industry. He’s an absolute wealth of knowledge.
If you’ve seen or been around the storage industry for any amount of time, it’s clear that there is a lot of work that needs to be done to bring storage up to date. That said, today we’re going to the tip of the spear. Lance is going to share cutting edge insights into the future of self storage and we can and should expect to see happening in the industry.
Just a couple topics covered today - looking at self storage as an ecommerce experience, the truth about “man-less” or “totally automated” facilities, 1 key factor that no one hardly ever considers, and… Lance’s very 8 keys that you’ll need to have in order to effectively automate your storage facility.
Thanks for listening everybody!
AJ
You can get in touch with Lance at: lance@tenantinc.com
The Self Storage Income Exclusive Fall Event in Coeur d’Alene Idaho (GET YOUR SEATS RESERVED ASAP!) - https://selfstorageincome.com/events/
Be sure to go to Selfstorageincome.com to get your copy of my Self Storage Playbook. This step by step playbook walks you through from start to finish - how to identify a self storage market, how to perform due diligence, how to contact a current owner, and ultimately how to land a deal and purchase a storage facility.
You can also find the Self Storage Income Podcast on:
iTunes
Spotify
Stitcher
The Self Storage Income Podcast is Sponsored by:
Janus International - https://www.janusintl.com/
Store Local - https://www.selfstorage.coop/aws/SL/pt/sp/home_page
Live Oak Bank - liveoakbank.com/incomepodcast

May 18, 2021 • 41min
Our Current Economy & How We Can Succeed
Welcome back everybody to the Self Storage Income podcast, this is your host AJ Osborne!
As you’re probably aware, there’s A LOT of wacky things going on out there currently with the US Dollar, stimulus packages, and interest rates (and a ton of other crap I’m not even going to get into).
One huge aspect of today that we have to take into account is this - we’re in totally uncharted economic waters. There’s never been a time in history that we threw capitalism to the side and solely relied on the government to support everything. We’re living this right now. What happens when the stimulus stops? What happens when interest rates rise? What about inflation? We have some ideas as to the answers to these questions, but none of us have a crystal ball.
These are topics I wanted to be sure to discuss today on the podcast because I know so many of us are thinking about and asking the same questions.
We’re going to talk micro and macro economics and which you need to be focused on. We’re talking debt, capital, interest rates, consumer demand, and more.
The best thing we can ever do is to be educated enough to play the game and play the game well. To be able to protect our assets and continue to grow our wealth.
Thanks for listening everybody,
AJ
The Self Storage Income Exclusive Fall Event in Coeur d’Alene Idaho (GET YOUR SEATS RESERVED ASAP!) - https://selfstorageincome.com/events/
Be sure to go to Selfstorageincome.com to get your copy of my Self Storage Playbook. This step by step playbook walks you through from start to finish - how to identify a self storage market, how to perform due diligence, how to contact a current owner, and ultimately how to land a deal and purchase a storage facility.
You can also find the Self Storage Income Podcast on:
iTunes
Spotify
Stitcher
The Self Storage Income Podcast is Sponsored by:
Janus International - https://www.janusintl.com/
Store Local - https://www.selfstorage.coop/aws/SL/pt/sp/home_page
Live Oak Bank - liveoakbank.com/incomepodcast

May 11, 2021 • 49min
Should You Buy or Should You Build a Storage Facility? (Key Factors to Consider)
What’s going on everybody!? Welcome back to the Self Storage Income Podcast, I’m your host, AJ Osborne!
I have to say, I get asked a ton of questions about self storage and self storage investing as a whole. But one of the most popular questions I get, especially right now is, “do I buy a storage facility, or do I build a storage facility?”
The answer? YES! If your numbers work for you to just buy an already existing facility, and building doesn’t make sense, then you buy existing. If your numbers work better to build than to acquire an existing storage facility, then build!
I know the answer doesn’t seem this simple, and yes, there are absolutely factors that we look at to gauge whether or not we want to buy or build a storage facility. But what exactly are those factors to look for or look at? Well, I’m going to share those factors with you on today’s podcast.
I’m going to share exactly what we look for, reasons you SHOULDN’T build, key factors that tell me when to buy and when to build, and more. It really comes down to 2 very important keys… that you’ll have to learn about in the podcast today.
Thanks for listening everybody,
AJ
The Self Storage Income Exclusive Fall Event in Coeur d’Alene Idaho (GET YOUR SEATS RESERVED ASAP!) - https://selfstorageincome.com/events/
Be sure to go to Selfstorageincome.com to get your copy of my Self Storage Playbook. This step by step playbook walks you through from start to finish - how to identify a self storage market, how to perform due diligence, how to contact a current owner, and ultimately how to land a deal and purchase a storage facility.
You can also find the Self Storage Income Podcast on:
iTunes
Spotify
Stitcher
The Self Storage Income Podcast is Sponsored by:
Janus International - https://www.janusintl.com/
Store Local - https://www.selfstorage.coop/aws/SL/pt/sp/home_page
Live Oak Bank - liveoakbank.com/incomepodcast

May 4, 2021 • 41min
The Current State of the US Economy & What We Need to Understand
Welcome back everybody to the AJ Osborne podcast! I’m your host AJ Osborne.
If you follow me on social media you may have noticed these past couple weeks, I’ve been posting quite a bit on the current economic events happening here in our country. What we’re seeing is honestly unprecedented and in our country’s history we haven’t seen or experienced quite what we are today. That said, I’ve been thinking, and reading about this… A LOT… and I have some things to share that I think can shed some light.
The fact is, we’re seeing massive government intervention. This is diluting the economic fundamentals of this country and the very systems we run on. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a huge importance that needs to be placed on monetary policy and reasonable inflation is actually a good thing (more on this in the podcast). What causes issues is when the very systems we’ve created to help our economy actually end up being used in such a way that actually start to hurt our economy.
I today’s podcast I break everything down. I talk about the good and bad regarding inflation, supply and demand in the market place and its relation to the value of the USD, examples from the past that we can learn from and apply today, the fundamentals of value creation, and the importance of truly understanding value. These are all great topics to discuss, but most importantly, I propose the one question we all need to be asking, when the right time is to buy assets, and how all these subjects are connected and are working together like a large spider web, and also how all of this ties into the very reason that I started my holdings company and structured my investing the way that I have.
I don’t have all the answers and I’m not going to pretend like I do. I do however believe that the more of us that truly understand our economy and the drivers affecting that economy, the better off the world will be. And honestly… I can nerd out on this stuff all day lol.
Thanks for listening everybody and enjoy!
AJ
Be sure to go to Selfstorageincome.com to get your copy of my Self Storage Playbook. This step by step playbook walks you through from start to finish - how to identify a self storage market, how to perform due diligence, how to contact a current owner, and ultimately how to land a deal and purchase a storage facility.
You can also find the Self Storage Income Podcast on:
iTunes
Spotify
Stitcher
The Self Storage Income Podcast is Sponsored by:
Janus International - https://www.janusintl.com/
Store Local - https://www.selfstorage.coop/aws/SL/pt/sp/home_page
Live Oak Bank - liveoakbank.com/incomepodcast

Apr 27, 2021 • 32min
The Future of Self Storage | What’s Happening & What You Need to Succeed
Welcome back everybody to the Self Storage Income Podcast! This your host AJ Osborne.
There are no two ways about it - industries are changing every single day, and they’re changing rapidly. Self Storage is no exception. Self Storage today is drastically different in a number of ways than it was even 10 years ago. But what have been some of the biggest and most influential changes that have happened, and that we also see coming? And how can we plan today to be a part of and take advantage of those changes? And what is holding the self storage industry back?
These are the questions that my team and I are always asking. This is also why I’ve invested heavily into companies and products over the past decade that are asking these same questions, and providing the self storage industry with solutions for these questions.
We’ve seen what happens when industries or globally recognized brands don’t pay attention to changes in the market. They ultimately fail to meet the needs and expectations of their consumers. They’re “disrupted”, and sometimes for good. The great thing here though is that you can be a part of this change and this future of self storage. You don’t have to own or run a facility that is behind the times failing to adapt.
This is what we’re diving into on today’s podcast. I’m going to share the changes I’ve seen, the changes I expect, and some of the ways me and my investments are taking advantage of these industry changes to put ourselves ahead of the competition.
As always, thanks for listening and for all the incredible support,
AJ
The Self Storage Income Exclusive Fall Event in Coeur d’Alene Idaho (GET YOUR SEATS RESERVED ASAP!) - https://selfstorageincome.com/events/
Be sure to go to Selfstorageincome.com to get your copy of my Self Storage Playbook. This step by step playbook walks you through from start to finish - how to identify a self storage market, how to perform due diligence, how to contact a current owner, and ultimately how to land a deal and purchase a storage facility.
You can also find the Self Storage Income Podcast on:
iTunes
Spotify
Stitcher
The Self Storage Income Podcast is Sponsored by:
Janus International - https://www.janusintl.com/
Store Local - https://www.selfstorage.coop/aws/SL/pt/sp/home_page
Live Oak Bank - liveoakbank.com/incomepodcast

Apr 20, 2021 • 54min
Building a Self Storage Empire and the Process of Scaling [Our 3 Keys]
Welcome back everybody to the Self Storage Income Podcast! This is your host AJ Osborne!
Some of us simply want to buy and run a few self storage facilities that will allow us more freedom over our finances and our lives, and that’s fantastic. Some of us however, want to build empires, and that’s exactly what we’re going to focus on in today’s podcast.
Whether we have a facility under our belts or we’re just starting out, if we want to build self storage empires, we have to think and execute in a totally different way. We need a goal and a master plan to help us achieve it. But where do you start? How do go about planning to build a self storage investment empire? What processes, tools, and infrastructure will you need?
These are all great questions and ones that YOU will have to answer for yourself. Investment goals and expertise is different for everyone. The investment vehicles and paths that investors take is equally different and dynamic. But there are a few fundamental principles that will help you build an incredible self storage portfolio.
I’m going to share with you guys today our 3 Keys to Scaling. That’s right, just 3. Obviously, there is a lot of work to be done when building an investment empire. But building out your goal, having a plan to get there, and then executing on that plan will put you light years ahead of everyone else.
This episode is really exciting to share with you all because over the past year and a half, my company and my team has grown substantially and it’s not slowing down any time soon. We’ve had the growing pains, we’ve experienced (and are still experiencing) our gaps and the holes we need to plug in our systems, and of course, we’re still learning and adapting as we always will. It’s an awesome thing to be able to share with you a ground zero look into the self storage empire me and my team are building and how you too can start building your own self storage empire.
Thanks for listening everybody!
AJ
The Self Storage Income Exclusive Fall Event in Coeur d’Alene Idaho (GET YOUR SEATS RESERVED ASAP!) - https://selfstorageincome.com/events/
Be sure to go to Selfstorageincome.com to get your copy of my Self Storage Playbook. This step by step playbook walks you through from start to finish - how to identify a self storage market, how to perform due diligence, how to contact a current owner, and ultimately how to land a deal and purchase a storage facility.
You can also find the Self Storage Income Podcast on:
iTunes
Spotify
Stitcher
The Self Storage Income Podcast is Sponsored by:
Janus International - https://www.janusintl.com/
Store Local - https://www.selfstorage.coop/aws/SL/pt/sp/home_page
Live Oak Bank - liveoakbank.com/incomepodcast