Hey there,
As we enter the holiday season, things tend to cool down for most people - but that's when I double down. Me and my team are working hard to finish the year strong so we can carry that momentum into 2026. Having said that, it's also a priority for me to spend as much time with family and loved ones as possible (so basically, my days are jam-packed). That's why we're doing all this in the end, right? Whether it's becoming an entrepreneur or a storage investor, what drives us is oftentimes our loved ones. Don't forget that this holiday season!
Alright, I'm excited to share a few new resources this week, here's what you'll learn:
âś… Back by demand: The 4M framework to predict (almost any) investment!
âś… Making $$$ building storage (not buying)
âś… Case Study: Darren & Jyoti scaling in storage while working for corporate
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[ AJO Podcast ] The '4M' Test: Is Your Business Idea Worth Millions or Nothing?
Is your million-dollar business idea actually worth a million dollars—or is it a dud? More importantly, is that business you want to buy going to succeed or fail? There's an actual framework to analyze this, and I call it my 4M Strategy.
This is the lens I use to evaluate every business idea, acquisition, or investment opportunity. It's what I've used to buy and build businesses worth millions—from small localized operations to software companies, product-based businesses, and service companies. A 4M business is a powerful business. It endures, it lasts, and it doesn't have to be huge to be successful.
In this video, I break down all four M's: Market, Moat, Margin, and Management.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE EPISODE
[ SSI Podcast ] How to Make a Fortune BUILDING Self Storage (Not Buying)
Self storage investing isn’t always smooth sailing, but the market tends to reward those who stay the course. From wild construction-site break-ins to complex newspaper-building conversions, this self storage investor has seen it all—yet he’s still built a multimillion-dollar storage business that supported his family after a health incident took away his main source of income.
In today’s episode, AJ and Conner are chatting with Wayde Elliott, founder of StoreIT. When spinal fusion surgery forced him to leave his successful dentistry practice of 20 years, Wayde turned to the only backup plan he had: self storage. Since going all-in, he has scaled to roughly a dozen self storage facilities across California and Oregon.
Despite taking on ground-up developments and complex conversion projects, sharp self storage analysis, collaboration, and persistence have helped him carve out his own corner of the market where even REITs struggle to compete. Stay tuned for not only a wealth of sage advice but also one of the most bizarre break-in stories you’ll ever hear—involving secret tunnels, missing cameras, and an exhausting cat-and-mouse chase!
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE EPISODE
[ Case Study ] 3X-ing Our Self Storage Facility’s Value with 0% Down Expansions
After one self storage investment, Darren and Jyoti Osten knew they wanted out of residential real estate. They had bought rental properties, a fixer-upper, and an apartment building, but none were as profitable or passive as self storage investing. Now, six years later, they have four self storage facilities and a small, but stable, portfolio that they run from over 1,000 miles away.
When a property manager brought Darren and Jyoti a self storage deal at a time they were tired of the toilets and tenants of rentals, they made the leap. They loved it so much they bought one more, then another, then decided to self-manage, and buy another one. They knew nothing about self storage management from the start, but quickly were able to raise rents, get higher-quality tenants, and do a big self storage expansion on one of their facilities.
Today, they’re sharing the easy moves they made to raise their facilities’ rents, get more revenue, increase security, and fix delinquency. Plus, how they 2x-3x-ed one facility’s value with an expansion project, giving them much higher revenue. You can do this, too, even if you’re working full-time and even if you have no experience.
Hope you enjoy the new content.
That's it for this week - until next time!
- AJ Osborne
