Whether you run one site or a hundred, there's always room to grow. Scaling Self Storage is about how storage businesses grow, from single-site independents to operators running 20 sites or more. Hosted by Gavin Shields, co-founder and CEO of Stora.
Formerly Self Storage Explained.
Follow Scaling Self Storage on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. Find out more about Stora at https://stora.co.
Adrian Lee helped start Big Yellow in 1998 and grew it past 100 stores. He joins Gavin Shields to talk about scaling, capital, hiring, and revenue management, including why he thinks a full store is a pricing problem, and what he'd do differently if he started again today.
He's blunt about where smaller operators leave money on the table, and about how much of the UK market is still untouched. At the point he retired, 70% of Big Yellow's move-ins had never used self storage before.
Also: metro storage, drive-up, and where he'd start if he began again today.
Scaling Self Storage is hosted by Gavin Shields, co-founder of Stora, the self storage software built for growth. stora.co
16 Sept 2026
Introducing Scaling Self Storage
Self Storage Explained is now Scaling Self Storage.
Gavin Shields, co-founder and CEO of Stora, explains the change. The show started when most of the operators we worked with were opening their first site. That hasn't changed, but we now also work with operators running 10, 20 and more sites, and the show covers both. Whether you run one site or a hundred, there's always room to grow.
First up: Adrian Lee, who helped build Big Yellow from one store in Richmond in 1999 to over 100. Out Thursday 17 September.
10 Feb 2026
Running a Profitable and Scalable Container Storage Business
What actually makes a container storage business profitable—and why do so many sites struggle to scale?In this episode, we’re joined by Maartens from Universal Storage Containers to break down what separates high-performing container storage operators from the rest. We dig into the real numbers, operational habits, and scaling decisions that matter most if you want long-term profitability.Whether you’re running a single site or planning your next phase of growth, this conversation is packed with practical insights you can apply immediately.In this episode, we cover:- The biggest misconception people have about container storage- What separates profitable vs unprofitable container storage sites- The key metrics operators should track to truly understand profitability- How much operational efficiency impacts margins- When a container storage business is actually ready to scale- Does scaling mean more containers or more sites?- What scalable operators do differently from day one- What usually breaks first when businesses scale too fast- How profitable container storage businesses will operate over the next 3–5 yearsSpecial offer: Universal Storage Containers customers get 50% off their first 3 months of Stora.If you’re serious about building a profitable, scalable container storage business, this one’s for you.👉 Subscribe for more deep-dive conversations on storage operations, growth, and profitability👉 Learn more about Stora: https://stora.co
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