Storage Unlocked

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.

Storage Unlocked is a news podcast hosted by Thaddeus Campbell, with 67 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Thaddeus Campbell hosts Storage Unlocked, a news show with 67 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #69

  Small bay industrial base camp has become a go to resource for investors owners and developers.

  Sep 25, 202635 minS1

  Why are commercial real estate operators pivoting away from big-box industrial and traditional storage toward 1,500- to 5,000-sq-ft multi-tenant bays ? I am your host, Thaddeus Campbell (Business Development Director at S3 Partners), and in this episode of Storage Unlocked , I sit down with Will Skillman, President and CEO of Trowbridge Development and founder of Small Bay Industrial Base Camp . Will shares how he leveraged his background as a former general contractor and mobile home park operator to build one of the fastest-growing communities in commercial real estate, scaling to 550+ members in under four months . In this episode, I cover: The Missing Industrial Middle: Institutional logistics funds and traditional storage operators bypass the 1,500–5,000 sq ft bay, creating an enormous supply-demand imbalance for local tradesmen . Low-TI Tenant Economics: Structuring leases with minimal upfront buildouts protects cash flow while incubating high-growth small business tenants . Base Camp Community Growth: By focusing on adding genuine value through weekly Friday expert sessions and interactive networking, built an active group where 10% of members have completed 10+ deals . Underwriting in a 5.1% Treasury Climate: Elevated debt yields and high replacement costs are slowing speculative ground-up builds and pushing capital toward value-add multi-tenant conversions . The Decades-Long Horizon: Small business workforce growth provides small-bay flex industrial with an estimated 10- to 20-year runway before institutional consolidation takes hold . Join the Small Bay Industrial Basecamp here: https://www.skool.com/small-bay-basecamp Connect with Thaddeus Campbell (S3 Partners): Email: thaddeus@s3.partners LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsthadcampbell/ Connect with Will Skillman (Trowbridge Development) Email: will@trowbridgedevelopment.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willskillman/ This Episode was brought to you by: https://www.s3.partners

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  Episode #68

  We break down the state of storage with a 20 year veteran of the industry.

  Sep 18, 202637 minS2

  Can an independent self-storage operator survive the wave of institutional consolidation while still relying on a five-dollar padlock and an angle grinder ? In this edition of Storage Unlocked , I am joined by Rob Kopp, founder of KISS Locks and owner of American Storage South . Drawing from more than two decades of developing, owning, and operating facilities, Rob shares a hard-hitting look at the operational, financial, and technological hurdles facing storage owners in 2026 . In this episode, I cover: The New Operational Reality: Why the historic post-COVID tailwinds have fully faded and how the 10-year Treasury breaking 5% is exposing operators with approaching debt maturities . The Reality of Trade Show Choice Paralysis: Navigating the sheer flood of new AI voice agents, FMS platforms, and access control vendors without locking up your business workflows . The 48% Independent Footprint: What it means for mid-tier and mom-and-pop operators as institutional players steadily chip away at national square footage . Why NFC Beats Bluetooth: The physics behind using Near Field Communication (the same tech powering NFL ticket entry and passport chips) to secure units within a 20 mm range . Battery-Free Electronic Locking: How harvesting energy directly from the customer's smartphone eliminates battery maintenance, dead circuits, and failed lock cutoffs . The One Lock Hybrid: A look at hardware built to handle standard disc locks for legacy tenants, remote tap-to-clear overlocks, and a $5/month digital access revenue stream . Connect with Thaddeus Campbell (S3 Partners): Email: thaddeus@s3.partners LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsthadcampbell/ Connect with Rob Kapp (KISS lock) Email: rob@keepitsimplestorage.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-kapp-7a543210/ This Episode was brought to you by: https://pbbrown.com/

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  Episode #67

  Cody Payne explains the rise of Small Bay and what is happening in both acquisition and development

  Sep 11, 202637 minS2

  Can you justify building small-bay flex at $15 to $16 NNN when vintage local inventory sits at $12 NNN ? On this episode of Storage Unlocked , I sit down with Cody Payne, partner at FlexParks USA and founder of Small Bay Feasibility . Cody brings two decades of transaction and feasibility data to show developers how to separate viable flex dirt from costly mistakes . In this episode, I cover: Cross-Asset Capital Flows: How post-2023 rate pressure in storage, office, and multifamily is driving investors toward low-TI small bay industrial assets . The Sideline Bottleneck: Why conference attendance is surging, but first-time developers often struggle to take dirt vertical—leading to a spike in shovel-ready land sales . The 3X Radius Rule: Why population and business counts must expand by at least 3X from a 2-mile to a 5-mile ring to support steady tenant absorption . The Spending per Capita Metric: Why areas with under $10,000 to $10,500 in per capita spending struggle to achieve rates above $12/sq ft . Size vs. Absorption Speed: Why 1,000–1,500 sq ft bays lease in 30 to 60 days, while larger 2,000+ sq ft spaces linger for 3+ months . Bank Underwriting Strategy: How to prove to lenders that a new flex park will capture a 20% premium over older 1980s stock . Connect with Thaddeus Campbell (S3 Partners): Email: thaddeus@s3.partners LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsthadcampbell/ Connect with Cody Payne (Flex Parks USA): Website: smallbayflex.com Email: cody@flexparksusa.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/codypayne/ This episode was brought to you by: https://pbbrown.com/

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  Episode #66

  Why did Storage need another option. Travis Morrow says exactly what made him enter the arena.

  Sep 9, 202637 minS2

  Can an industry event be engineered to deliver genuine operational ROI rather than the same recycled panels ? On this episode of Storage Unlocked , I sit down with Travis Morrow, President of National Self Storage and publisher of Modern Storage Media . Travis pulls back the curtain on the design, economics, and vision behind MSM's The Show, taking place November 4–6, 2026, in Atlanta at the Georgia World Congress Center and Signia Hotel . In this episode, I cover: The Return to Normal: Why operating at sea level requires expanding education, refining operational systems, and increasing marketing visibility rather than cutting budgets . The Exhibitor-Operator Balance: Engineering a trade show environment strictly focused on the ratio of owner-operators to vendors . Floor Plan Architecture: Placing networking cafes directly in the center of the exhibition hall and eliminating competing breakout sessions during trade show hours . Deep-Dive Tracks: Advanced 200-level sessions built around Operations, Development, Investment, and Data . Live Deal Analysis: The Tracked IQ Deal Room, where real acquisitions and feasibility studies are analyzed live on stage . Store Manager Development: The Manager's Office track, crafted to give on-site store managers immediate tools to improve property-level execution . Main-Stage Production: Bringing outside production standards to self-storage with keynotes from Chipper Jones, storage-owning members of Congress, CNN's Scott Jennings, and an opening reception at the Georgia Aquarium . Head to msmtheshow.com and use code unlocked to save $100 on registration . Connect with Thaddeus Campbell (S3 Partners): Email: thaddeus@s3.partners LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsthadcampbell/ Connect with Travis Morrow: Email: travis.morrow@storelocal.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/storageoperator/ Brought to you by our title sponsor, PB Brown General Contractors - https://pbbrown.com/

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  Episode #65

  2M Truckers needing a safe place to rest, are helping solve storage operators' shrinking margins.

  Sep 3, 202632 minS2

  Can monetizing dead pavement and underutilized expansion land protect your facility's net operating income in today's rate environment ? On this episode of Storage Unlocked , I sit down with Sydnie Wilda, Vice President of Property, Self Storage at Truck Parking Club . Sydnie brings years of hands-on property management experience to break down how self-storage operators are generating new revenue by providing secure spaces for commercial truck drivers . In this episode, I cover: The Daily Turnover Yield: How generating $15 to $20 per night on daily truck parking can outpace flat month-to-month vehicle rentals . The National Parking Crisis: Addressing the reality that 70% of truck drivers lack access to safe overnight parking, with 2.4 million drivers competing for only 697,000 legal spots . Security & Verification: How automated email and SMS alerts give facility owners full visibility over incoming drivers, vehicle types, and stay durations . Why Independent 3PMs Move Faster: How smaller third-party operators implement ancillary revenue streams and adapt tech without the delays of corporate REIT committees . The 6-to-8-Month Rule: Why facility owners must set realistic operational horizons for search engine indexing, unit cleanup, and revenue management to show meaningful gains . Executive Leadership Moves: Breaking down Noah Springer's appointment as CEO of Extra Space and what it signals for industry competition . You can vote for Estelle Rose to be Baby of the Year here: https://babyoftheyear.org/2026/estelle-9d58 Connect with Thaddeus Campbell (S3 Partners): Email: thaddeus@s3.partners LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsthadcampbell/ Connect with Syndie Wilda (Truck Parking Club) Email: swilda@truckparkingclub.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sydnie-wilda-swsj96/ This Episode was brought to you by: https://pbbrown.com/

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