Storage Unlocked

Thaddeus Campbell
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Business News
  • Updated Weekly

Storage Unlocked is where self-storage meets reality. Hosted by Thaddeus Campbell, this no-fluff podcast dives into the hard numbers, bold opinions, and surprising trends shaping the self-storage industry and beyond. From housing market shifts and economic red flags to untapped investment opportunities, Thaddeus and Chris break it all down with sharp insight and real-world experience. Whether you're a seasoned investor or just storage-curious, you'll get insider takes, uncensored discussions, and data-backed forecasts that actually matter. Weekly drops. Always unfiltered.

  1. 6d ago

    Big Money in Small Bay Flex: Shane Decker & Andrew Dunn on Institutional Capital

    In this episode of Storage Unlocked, I am joined by two top-tier operators attacking small-bay from opposite sides of the country: Shane Decker (President of Decker Capital) and Andrew Dunn (Co-Founder of VAC Development, "The Value Add Cowboys"). Together, we break down the operational, development, and capital market realities of one of commercial real estate's most talked-about asset classes. In this episode, we cover: The Buyer Profile & Spec Differences: The contrast between acquiring existing 1,000–10,000 sq ft tradesman bays versus building 15,000–20,000 sq ft modern logistics spaces with heavy power and dock loading. The 1-to-2-Year Sourcing Pipeline: Why finding mismanaged, off-market mom-and-pop assets through direct relationships beats fighting 15 to 25 bidders on marketed deals. Operational Value-Add Mechanics: How converting modified gross leases to Triple Net (NNN), pushing 6% annual rent bumps, and right-sizing office footprints yielded a $20M value pop on an Orlando asset in 30 months. Ground-Up Execution: Andrew shares how VAC locks in Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) construction contracts to build in 10 to 12 months, achieving up to 40% pre-leasing prior to Certificate of Occupancy. Tenant Velocity: Why 1,000 to 3,000 sq ft units see the highest demand velocity as small business owners transition out of residential garages and self-storage units. Tune in to discover how to navigate cap rate compression, structure NNN leases for local contractors, and execute disciplined underwriting in today's small bay landscape. Connect with Thaddeus Campbell (S3 Partners): Email: thaddeus@s3.partners LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsthadcampbell/ Connect with Shane Decker (Decker Capital): Email: shane@deckercap.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-decker-255b6988/ Connect with Andrew Dunn (VAC Development): Email: andrew@vacdevelopment.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewmdunn41/ This Episode was brought to you by: https://pbbrown.com

    Big Money in Small Bay Flex: Shane Decker & Andrew Dunn on Institutional Capital

  2. Jul 17

    Andrew Jones returned to storage with a clear goal: helping Go Store It elevate 3rd-party Management

    Can an independent regional operator genuinely beat the monolithic REITs when their same-store revenue flatlines at a mere 0.1%? In this episode of Storage Unlocked, I sit down with Andrew Jones, the Senior Vice President of Third Party at GoStore It, to lay out the definitive operational blueprint for surviving the institutional aggregation wave in July 2026. Andrew brings an elite pedigree straight from Yardi and Extra Space to explain how independent owners can easily escape the asphyxiation of corporate scale without being forced to sell out at a loss. In this episode, I cover: The 8% Anomaly: How GoStore It managed to secure a massive 8% same-store growth rate in Q1 while the public REITs hit a total revenue standstill. Declaring War on Complacency: Andrew outlines his mission to destroy the "set it and forget it" standard of third-party management, shifting the narrative away from corporate acquisition funnels back to baseline family asset protection. The 6.7% Mortgage Barrier: Why the current 30-year fixed housing environment demands that operators break out of monolithic self-storage thinking and deploy holistic land layers, blending mini-storage with truck parking and small-bay flex industrial. The Human Capital Edge: Why building a highly motivated, nimble internal workforce, like GoStore It specialized corporate auction squad, outperforms billions of dollars in faceless corporate data algorithms. Ellie AI and Corporate Benchmarks: A raw look at Public Storage's newly unveiled automated voice metrics, resolving 74% of 60,000 inbound inquiries completely in the background. Tune in to discover how to inject raw nimbleness, rapid execution, and authentic relationship-driven management back into your commercial real estate footprint. Connect with Thaddeus Campbell (S3 Partners): Email: thaddeus@s3.partners LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsthadcampbell/ PB Brown General Contractors: Our premier Title Sponsor and legacy builders for multimillion-dollar storage and small-bay flex developments. Get Guy Sacento and Hado Montoya involved early at https://pbbrown.com/

    Andrew Jones returned to storage with a clear goal: helping Go Store It elevate 3rd-party Management

  3. Jul 10

    UPenn grad and AI startup founder explains why this technology will help jobs

    In this highly tactical episode of Storage Unlocked, I am sitting down with Kusiima Boswell, co-founder of Terrakotta, to uncover why the real alpha in July 2026 commercial real estate is about processing speed and data validation. We move beyond the basic chatbot surface layers to evaluate how independent operators use advanced Model Context Protocol (MCP) integrations to bypass expensive third-party list data entirely. In this episode, I cover: The Architecture of Terrakotta: How Kusiima built an AI-driven data and cold outreach engine that scrapes pristine tenant footprints, owner cells, and structural data before feeding them into a souped-up phone-dialer asset loop. The 3-Minute Inbox Sweep: I outline how I personally deploy advanced Codex workflows to synthesize and break down over 820 unread emails without ever clicking through an absolute mountain of inbox noise. The Code Inversion Matrix: Why software development has completely inverted from writing code blocks to running deep automated iterations and forcing engineers to act as system critics. The Design Alpha Over Tech: Why the true winners of the next decade won't be monolithic tech platforms, but hyper-focused niche operators who design superior human experiences—like local audio-scraping app Granola. IPOs and Token Economics: A raw look at the massive wave of public-market AI lab IPOs arriving next week and how shifts in public capital will impact your localized pricing models. Tune in to discover how to use deep commercial real estate domain structures to build an aggressive, high-margin pipeline that easily out-maneuvers legacy funds. Connect with Thaddeus Campbell (S3 Partners): Email: thaddeus@s3.partners LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsthadcampbell/ Connect with Kusiima Boswell (Terrakotta AI): Website: https://www.terrakotta.ai/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kusiimaboswell/ Brought to you by our title sponsors, PB Brown General Contractors. https://pbbrown.com/

    UPenn grad and AI startup founder explains why this technology will help jobs

  4. Jul 3

    Award-Winning AI Meets Industry Change: Jessica Johnson's Storage Forecast

    Is your facility a real estate business or a technology platform that happens to sell a storage product? I am your host, Thaddeus Campbell, and in this episode of Storage Unlocked, I am joined by Jessica Johnson (The Storage Group) to pull back the curtain on the rapid, hyper-localized evolution of operational AI in July 2026. Fresh off winning the inaugural ISS Best in Business Award for their Aiden Chat engine, Jessica shares hard, absolute metrics on how automated intelligence is insulating independent operations against rising labor, tax, and insurance costs. In this episode, I cover: The $$1,440 Savings Matrix: A deep dive into concrete property data where AI handled 300 baseline inquiries, protecting 79 hours of staff time and boosting property margins. An Urgent Community Request: I share an important message regarding a humanitarian crisis hitting our producer, Erick Falck, whose family was heavily impacted by the devastating earthquakes in La Guaira, Venezuela. The Death of the IVR Maze: Why modern conversational phone and text interfaces are replacing old "press 1 for gate codes" mazes with seamless customer journeys. The Inbound Search Flip: How consumers shift away from Google's traditional search lines toward conversational models like ChatGPT changes exactly how you must structure your website metadata. Operational Pivots: Jessica opens up about her personal portfolio shift away from traditional mini-storage into boat/RV and flex-industrial developments. Tune in to discover how to use automated workflows to protect your local footprint against corporate REIT consolidation. Support the Venezuelan earthquake relief fund in Erick's name by donating here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/emergency-relief-for-venezuela-earthquake-victims Connect with Thaddeus Campbell (S3 Partners): Email: thaddeus@s3.partners LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsthadcampbell/ Connect with Jessica Johnson (The Storage Group) Email: jjohnson@storagegroupinc.com Website: https://www.storageinternetmarketing.com/   Our Title Sponsor: PB Brown General Contractors: The premier builders specializing in high-rise, legacy self-storage developments from Manhattan to Hawaii. Get them involved early at: https://pbbrown.com/

    Award-Winning AI Meets Industry Change: Jessica Johnson's Storage Forecast

  5. Jun 27

    Chief AI Officer at 10 Federal says AI will create jobs not cost them. But you will work differently

    I am your host, Thaddeus Campbell, and in this blockbuster episode of Storage Unlocked, I sat down with Chris Taylor, the Chief AI Officer at 10 Federal, to deconstruct the massive technological consolidation rewriting the self-storage industry in 2026 . Chris brings an elite pedigree straight from the front lines of NVIDIA to reveal how true enterprise automation requires a foundational data layer rather than single-silo software products . In this episode, I cover: The Leverage Multiplier: How a lean three-person acquisition team deploys 40 to 50 autonomous AI agents to parse topography, wetland restrictions, and market rate data completely in the background . Modular Building Blocks: Chris outlines the exact steps to transition your business from single-skill prompts to complex agentic workflows and full orchestration layers . The 8-Second Accounting Pivot: A practical breakdown of how 10 Federal eliminated 150 hours of monotonous corporate labor by reconstructing systemic data paths . The QR-Code Consumer: Why changing demographic markers means your incoming Millennial and Gen Z tenants want zero human friction during their move-in window . Upskilling Over Headcount Cuts: Why the elite operators of the next decade are focused on turning team members into high-level technology architects rather than reducing their workforce . Tune in to discover how to weaponize data structures to outpace the largest institutional players in the market . Connect with Thaddeus Campbell (S3 Partners): Email: thaddeus@s3.partners LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsthadcampbell/ Connect with Chris Taylor (10 Federal): Email: ctaylor@10federal.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdtaylor/ This Episode was brought to you by: https://pbbrown.com/ https://s3.partners

    Chief AI Officer at 10 Federal says AI will create jobs not cost them. But you will work differently

  6. Jun 19

    20 Years of Storage Evolution

    In this episode of Storage Unlocked, I pull back the curtain on two decades of historical data to uncover why the microeconomics of storage are showing real signs of recovery despite intense macroeconomic turmoil . I evaluate the massive transition from the post-GFC development freeze to an era that added 1 billion square feet of self-storage to the US grid in just under eight years . In this episode, I break down: The Post-GFC Parallel: Why our current construction deceleration mirrors the post-2008 landscape, and why the stabilization of Q1 2026 REIT metrics means the tide is finally turning . The Generational Safe Haven: Why a massive 16% usage rate among tech-native Millennials and Gen Z is successfully insulating our properties against flatlined housing turnover and a national birth rate slowdown . The Evolving Consumer: Why modern commercial facility designs have successfully redefined our core audience, causing female renters to officially outnumber men across the country . The Data Arms Race: Why relying on primary-market metrics alone creates dangerous blind spots, and how tracking 72,000 facilities nationwide completely shifts your underwriting accuracy . Whether you are operating a single local facility or scaling a multi-state regional footprint, this historical and data-driven analysis will give you the exact baseline perspective you need to successfully execute your strategy in the back half of 2026 . Connect with me: Email: thaddeus@s3.partners LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsthadcampbell/ This episode was brought to you by: https://pbbrown.com From Manhattan to Miami, California to the Tropical Paradise of Hawaii, PB Brown is the GC to trust for your Multi-Million Dollar Storage Project. https://tractiq.com Giving the industry the data it needs to make Responsible Investment a Reality.

    20 Years of Storage Evolution

  7. Jun 12

    Two of the Best Brokers in Storage break down the state of the market.

    In this episode of Storage Unlocked, I sit down with institutional brokerage legends John Lindsey (Lindsey Self-Storage Group) and Austin McLeod (Matthews Real Estate) to map out the massive structural shifts rewriting the transaction market in June 2026 . We look directly past the headlines of Public Storage's pending third-quarter buyout of NSA to evaluate where actual values stand on the ground . In this episode, I cover: The Keys to the Middle Market: How Public Storage is using its low cost of capital and ultra-efficient operating margins to aggressively aggregate secondary and tertiary environments . The Valuation Disconnect: Why premium Class A trophy assets are completely insulated from interest rate shifts, while tertiary un-stabilized properties face rising cap rates and hyper-strict buyer pools . The 1,000-Loan Cliff: A raw look at the 1,000+ CMBS loan maturities hitting the market over the next 12 months and why the wall of private capital waiting on the sidelines is preventing bank foreclosures . The AI Validation Piece: Why your automated underwriting is only as good as the prompts you feed it, and why John warns against blindly trusting software outputs without human verification layers . The Pathway for New Portfolios: Austin outlines how nimble, private syndicators are successfully amassing 10- to 15-asset footprints by intentionally avoiding the major metros and targeting core-plus outskirts . Tune in to discover how to navigate a transaction environment driven by maturing debt, rapid demographic shifts, and accelerating institutional aggregation . Connect with Thaddeus Campbell (S3 Partners): Email: thaddeus@s3.partners LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsthadcampbell/ Connect with John Lindsey (Lindsey Self Storage Group) Email:john@lindseyselfstoragegroup.com LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/johncharleslindsey/ Connect with Austin McLeod (Matthews Real Estate)  Email: austin.mcleod@matthews.com LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-mcleod-a05975134/ This Episode was brought to you by: https://www.kiwisteel.com/

    Two of the Best Brokers in Storage break down the state of the market.

  8. Jun 5

    The Age of AI Voice Agents is here.

    Can you scale a self-storage portfolio past 25 locations with only one employee managing the entire operation? I am your host, Thaddeus Campbell, and in this episode of Storage Unlocked, I am sitting down with Ryan Chapman (Lumio), Tyler Harper (Homegrown Storage), and Albert Kim (StoragePilot) to break down the rapid evolution of conversational AI voice agents . Over the past 12 months, the baseline for facility automation has completely shifted, moving independent operators away from restrictive phone menus into a world of hyper-efficient, digital-first operational loops . In this episode, I cover: Plugging the Leaky Bucket: Why routine payment inquiries and basic support account for up to 90% of your total phone volume, and how after-hours AI capture protects your long-term monthly recurring revenue . Astronomical Marketing ROI: Tyler Harper reveals how Homegrown matches conversational call intent directly back to Google ad tracking, forcing the algorithm to aggressively drive down customer acquisition costs across 700 pilot stores . Headcount per Square Foot: Why remote management shouldn't just be about reshuffling human labor to a centralized node, but fundamentally expanding a single manager's capabilities to handle 30+ sites . The Flywheel of Internal Data: Albert Kim outlines the transition from customer-facing bots to the internal "AI District Manager" that synthesizes gate logs and field tasks without messaging chaos over Slack or WhatsApp . The Economics of the Token: A raw look at how massive tech lab subsidies from players like OpenAI and Anthropic are lowering distribution costs for the mid-market operator . Tune in to discover how to use deep storage domain expertise to build an unstoppable operating engine that can easily go toe-to-toe with the biggest REITs and Wall Street private equity firms . Connect with Thaddeus Campbell (S3 Partners): Email: thaddeus@s3.partners LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsthadcampbell/ This Episode was brought to you by: https://pbbrown.com/

    The Age of AI Voice Agents is here.
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Storage Unlocked is where self-storage meets reality. Hosted by Thaddeus Campbell, this no-fluff podcast dives into the hard numbers, bold opinions, and surprising trends shaping the self-storage industry and beyond. From housing market shifts and economic red flags to untapped investment opportunities, Thaddeus and Chris break it all down with sharp insight and real-world experience. Whether you're a seasoned investor or just storage-curious, you'll get insider takes, uncensored discussions, and data-backed forecasts that actually matter. Weekly drops. Always unfiltered.

Information

  • Creator
    Thaddeus Campbell
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    60
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    Storage Unlocked