In the 4th episode of “What’s Up, SSA?”, host Erin Lightfoot handles a surprise addition to the podcast production crew while juggling enlightening conversations with several members of the Self Storage Association’s team.  

First, Erin speaks with SSA’s Sr. VP of Events & Education Ginny Stengel. They discuss how the Fall Conference programming promises to deliver a new twist on how we deliver our industry leading education. They also explore all the new resources that will be available to our vendor members / exhibitors in Las Vegas. Plus – a major announcement is made regarding who will be our “party captain” at the ARIA.

Next, Erin summons our Sr. VP of Marketing & Communications from the shadows to highlight the data resources the SSA produces on behalf of the industry. Mike helps members understand how many publications there are to aid owners and operators in running their businesses, and how to access that information (sometimes it’s as easy as a phone call!). They also cover an ‘overlooked’ SSA resource thatmakes it easier to make successful hires. In addition to all the data resources and publications they discuss, Mike also announces a recent SSA team addition that will benefit the entire self storage industry. 

We close with another unsung hero of the Self Storage Association: Tom Comi, SSA Director of Communications. Tom is also the Editor in Chief of SSA Magazine. Tom and Erin talk about how a niche industry publication managed to grow its revenue during the decade of the death of print. Tom details how he ensures SSA Magazine’s content stays unbiased and human-oriented. Tom’s tenure and unique position as the industry’s leading content generator makes him an ideal conversationalist for anyone even mildly interested in the self storage industry. Tom and Erin also touch on the series of articles Tom and his team churned out for SSA’s 50th anniversary in 2025 and puts out a call for article ideas.  

Show Links:

Fall Conference Information + Registration:

https://www.selfstorage.org/Events-Education/Events/National-Fall-Conference

SSA Research & Data: Data Portal Subscription Information, Available Publications for Purchase (i.e., Demand Study, Traffic Generation Study):

https://www.selfstorage.org/Products-Services/Research-Data 

SSA Magazine (Current issue, archives, weekly industry report, advertising information):

https://www.ssamagazine.org/

Join the SSA or Renew Your Membership:

https://www.selfstorage.org/Membership-JOIN/Join-the-SSA

 Submit your community-serving self storage stories:

[email protected]

Submit your SSA Magazine content ideas:

[email protected]

Host:

Erin Lightfoot, SSA Director of Events & Education

Guests:

Ginny Stengel, SSA SVP Events & Education

Mike Blackett, SSA SVP Marketing & Communications

Tom Comi, SSA Director of Communications

Producer:

Sarah Kautzman, SSA Digital Content & Communications Manager

Music:

Licensed Adobe Stock Music

Discover more member resources or become a member at ⁠selfstorage.org⁠.

Questions? Email us anytime at [email protected].