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What does it actually look like to walk away from a successful career and bet everything on self-storage…and win?

Joe Downs sits down with Christin and Rod Blunk, a husband-and-wife team who completed over 450 residential real estate transactions before pivoting to self-storage in 2020.

Fueled by a health crisis that revealed the fragility of active income, they got educated through the Self-Storage Academy, bought their first facility in Kentucky for $330,000, and have since grown it to nearly $800,000 in value…while cash flowing $20,000 a year net.

Their second acquisition, purchased for $430,000, is now worth $1–$1.1 million. Today, they own multiple facilities, hold LP positions, and are raising capital.

This is one of the most powerful W2-to-self-storage investing stories in the space.

Listen For:

6:19 Why did Christin and Rod Blunk leave residential real estate for self-storage investing?

14:19 How did the Blunks buy their first self-storage facility for less than a single-family home?

17:04 How did driving for dollars lead to a $430,000 self-storage deal worth over $1 million today?

23:33 How did Christin and Rod go from students at the mastermind to raising capital from investors?

30:34 What advice do Christin and Rod Blunk have for investors sitting on the fence about self-storage?

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CONNECT WITH GUEST: ROD & CHRISTIN BLUNK

Warriors 2 Wealth Website | Warriors 2 Wealth YouTube | Christin's Instagram | Christin's LinkedIn | Rod's LinkedIn | Rod’s Instagram

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Attend the LAST Self Storage Academy of 2026

A 3-Day Live Implementation Event for Investors Ready to Execute

https://selfstorageacademy.com/https://selfstorageacademy.com/

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When a U.S.-Israel military operation launches against Iran and the Strait of Hormuz hangs in the balance, what does that mean for your self-storage portfolio?

Scott Meyers cuts through the noise of the Iran conflict to deliver the practical, market-savvy analysis self-storage investors need right now.

Scott unpacks Operation Epic Fury's immediate impact on oil prices, interest rates, inflation, and real estate markets then makes the data-backed case for why self-storage remains uniquely positioned to weather the storm.

From the four D's of demand to month-to-month lease flexibility and a 190-basis-point outperformance over inflation from 2008 to 2024, Scott gives investors a clear-eyed picture of what's happening, what it means, and exactly what to do next.

Listen For:

2:44 What is Operation Epic Fury and why does it matter to self-storage investors right now?

6:16 How did oil prices, treasury yields, and stock markets react the moment the Iran conflict began?

13:59 How does the conflict in Iran directly affect the real estate market and self-storage construction costs?

27:51 What opportunities does the current interest rate environment create for self-storage buyers with dry powder?

32:28 What is Scott Meyers' practical playbook for self-storage investors navigating this market uncertainty?

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Website | You Tube | Facebook | X | LinkedIn | Instagram

Follow so you never miss a NEW episode! Leave us an honest rating and review on Apple or Spotify.

Attend the LAST Self Storage Academy of 2026

A 3-Day Live Implementation Event for Investors Ready to Execute

https://selfstorageacademy.com/https://selfstorageacademy.com/

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Is AI quietly becoming the most powerful competitive advantage in self-storage operations and are most operators already behind?

Meyers sits down with Peter Smyth of White Label Storage, fresh off an industry panel on AI and self-storage at the Florida show.

Peter breaks down how operators at every level, from single-facility owners to large portfolio managers, should be thinking about AI: not as a tech project, but as a gap-filling leverage tool.

From agentic call centers handling 30,000 calls a month to automated gate testing and sentiment-driven review outreach, Peter shares what's actually working in the field.

He also weighs in on market transaction volume, the maturation of the asset class, and the consumer complaint environment now threatening rent control.

If you're a self-storage investor trying to run leaner, smarter operations in 2026, this episode delivers the inside view.

WHAT TO LISTEN FOR

1:18 How should self-storage operators actually think about AI before buying any tools?

4:18 What does White Label Storage's 30,000 monthly calls reveal about AI's real value?

11:28 What are the quickest AI wins a self-storage operator can implement right now?

18:12 Why is the Extra Space lawsuit a warning sign for every self-storage investor in 2026?

23:48 Is the self-storage market setting up for more transaction volume and opportunity in 2026?

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CONNECT WITH GUEST: PETER SMYTH

Website | LinkedIn | Email | You Tube | Facebook | X

CONNECT WITH US

Website | You Tube | Facebook | X | LinkedIn | Instagram

Joe Downs on LinkedIn

Belrose website | Belrose email | Belrose LinkedIn

Follow so you never miss a NEW episode! Leave us an honest rating and review on Apple or Spotify.

Attend the LAST Self Storage Academy of 2026

A 3-Day Live Implementation Event for Investors Ready to Execute

https://selfstorageacademy.com/https://selfstorageacademy.com/