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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 market analysis and underwriting to building personalized dashboards and internal GPTs that replace hours of manual work. 

With Joe’s infectious excitement and Scott’s strategic insight, this episode delivers a powerful look at how leveraging AI can drastically speed up, simplify, and supercharge success in real estate investing—especially self-storage.

Listen For:

1:17 Seal the Deal: Whale hunts, masterminds, and champagne for first deals

4:23 Hungry Dogs and First Wins: The energy of new investors and what fuels momentum

11:00 AI Revelation: How Joe realized he's spending 50% of his time learning AI

19:05 Market GPT is Here: The birth of Belrose’s self-storage-specific AI

30:52 Redefining Industry Norms: Why common metrics like supply index might be outdated

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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 scalable, streamlined self-storage operations. 

From the impact of AI on underwriting and marketing to the importance of charitable giving and personal growth, this episode dives deep into what it means to run and scale a modern storage business in a data-driven world 

WHAT TO LISTEN FOR

4:12 Franchise Thinking in Self Storage

7:08 Can AI Make Storage Smarter?

12:16 Zoning, Data, and the AI Revolution

14:40 AI's Impact on Labor and Marketing

18:32 Giving Back: Veterans & St. Jude

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CONNECT WITH STEVEN RAPOSA

LinkedIn | Mini Mall Storage

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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 easing path and a housing cool-stress-relief scenario (mortgages in the 6–6.5% band), with meaningful improvement showing up around April next year.  

He also maps migration winners (Carolinas, Tennessee, Georgia; continued heat in Dallas, Houston, Miami, Charlotte, Raleigh) and why that churn is good for storage—plus practical advice for operators and new investors alike.

WHAT TO LISTEN FOR

7:01 How ultra-low rates inflated CRE values

8:40 Why self-storage cap rates can buck the trend

13:55 Vitner’s “touch-and-go” landing and 75 bps roadmap

27:51 Florida’s out-migration—and the Carolinas surge

29:28 Today’s hottest metros for storage demand

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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 with its AI-driven platform. 

The conversation dives deep into conversational AI, human-in-the-loop systems, future-proofing tech stacks, and why personalization still matters in an automated world

WHAT TO LISTEN FOR

0:56 The Accidental Storage Tech Founder

5:48 What Makes Swivl Different From Just Another Chatbot?

10:31 Smarter Gate Codes & SMS: Real-Life Use Cases

20:59 Swivl’s Future: Voice AI, Contact Center Suite & More

32:55 The Human Side of Storage: Why Empathy Still Wins

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CONNECT WITH MASON LEVY

LinkedIn | Swivl 

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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 by rising vehicle values and customer expectations. 

They discuss market demand, construction challenges, regional trends, solar integration, and how cautious growth has fueled Park’n Shade’s steady expansion across eight states. 

WHAT TO LISTEN FOR

0:58 How a Carport Company Became an RV Storage Leader

3:06 Surviving the 2008 Downturn

7:56 The Shift from Luxury to Necessity in Covered RV Storage

17:54 Why Some Developers Are Sitting Out (and Others Aren’t)

24:29 Industry Crystal Ball: Where Covered RV Storage Is Headed

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LinkedIn | Park‘n Shade | 

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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 are the keys to maximizing ROI. 

From RV amenities and pro-storage for contractors to the booming demand for truck and toy storage, Scott and Greg reveal how innovative development, smart entitlements, and reading between the zoning lines can unlock value in overlooked land. 

WHAT TO LISTEN FOR

1:22 From College Grad to Storage Consultant

4:41 Why Operations Must Influence Design

9:11 The “Crystal Ball” Approach to Feasibility Studies

14:19 How Rising Interest Rates Reshaped Solid Deals

23:27 Why Boat & RV Storage Demand Isn’t Slowing Down

33:49 Turning “Worthless” Land Into Storage Gold

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CONNECT WITH GREG ELLSWORTH

Self-Storage Consulting Group | Self Storage Consulting Group | Toy Storage Nation | Email

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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 building cutting-edge AI tools for real estate, Jean-Michael shares actionable insights on beating the competition, scaling faster, and working smarter. 

WHAT TO LISTEN FOR

0:53 Jean-Michael’s AI-Powered Backdoor into Self-Storage

4:06 How AI Is Transforming Real Estate Acquisition Teams

9:07 Zoning Secrets: Using AI to Read City Council Signals

14:07 Inside PropRise: The AI Treasure Map for Finding Deals

16:22 Case Study: Doubling Deal Flow with Smart Data

18:37 Why Speed Wins: AI as the Ultimate Competitive Edge

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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, they explore risk, reward, due diligence, international living, geo-arbitrage, and the lessons hard-earned from surviving 2008. 

This conversation will challenge how you think about wealth building — and maybe even make you want to book that one-way ticket abroad.

WHAT TO LISTEN FOR

1:02 – From Psychology Major to Hard Money Lender

3:13 – How 2008 Wiped Out My Job and Portfolio

6:59 – Inside the Spark Rental Investment Club

15:22 – Expat Life: Abu Dhabi, Brazil, and Beyond

24:20 – Why Sponsor Risk Trumps Market Risk

35:24 – How 50 Investors Spot What One Might Miss

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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 portfolio includes mobile home parks and storage facilities, which he was able to grow and sell to a real estate investment trust. 

And along the way Rick has come to see the importance of community in the self-storage industry, highlighting the value of Scott’s mastermind group in providing resources and support. 

WHAT TO LISTEN FOR

4:16 The Role of Family and Legacy in Business

10:30 The Importance of Community and Networking

18:16 Adapting and Thriving Through Economic Cycles

21:16 Leveraging Experience and Collaboration for Success

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ABOUT RICK GIBSON

Rick was a lawyer by trade in the St Louis area for 37 years. As an investor, his family business owns 80 single family rentals, six mobile home parks and nine storage facilities. He’s also involved in passive investing with another half dozen storage facilities and three different storage funds.

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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 explains the concept is a flexible and self-governed system that allows for investments in a variety of asset classes without restrictions. However, it requires discipline and time to build capital. 

WHAT TO LISTEN FOR

5:30 The Infinite Banking Concept

11:56 Flexibility and Control in Financial Management

20:24 Strategic Use of Policy Loans for Investments

29:51 Building Liquidity and Tax Advantages

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ABOUT MARK HUTCHINSON

Mark is a seasoned investor over the last four decades.

But the global economic crisis 2008 was the last straw for Mark. Like others, he suffered significant losses an realized the importance of finding strategies that could mitigate or remove market risk. That’s when he connected with the Infinite Banking concept.

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