Welcome to StorChats, the official podcast from StorSuite. Tune in for engaging, straightforward conversations with familiar faces from the StorSuite team, each sharing their expertise in storage investing, marketing strategies, operational insights, leadership lessons, and business essentials. StorChats consists of several unique mini-series, each thoughtfully tailored for different interests and audiences—all rooted in StorSuite’s practical, no-nonsense values.
Building A Business and Keeping A Grounded, Hands-On Life | Bourbon & Bullsh*t with John & Randy
Host John Manes interviews Randy Huber about Valston Construction's work in self-storage, retail, and commercial projects, exploring the importance of relationships and research in the industry.
19 Nov 2025
Rum, Leadership, and Life Lessons with Dave Deems | StorChats: Bourbon & Bullsh*t w/ John Manes
John Manes interviews Dave Deems, a Business Development Manager, who shares insights on self-storage growth, leadership principles, and the importance of relationships over transactions, highlighting key lessons learned in business and life.
22 Oct 2025
Building Business & Brotherhood ft The Arizona Guys | StorChats: Bourbon & Bullsh*t w/ John Manes
Andrew Wisdom and Jorge Varela discuss business, fatherhood, and finding humor with John Manes, while sharing insights on self-storage and personal growth in this interview.
2 Oct 2025
Bourbon Flights & Leadership ft Joey Cottle | StorChats: Bourbon & Bullsh*t w/ John Manes
General Manager Joseph Cottle discusses restaurant leadership and community building with John Manes over bourbon flights, highlighting the importance of empowerment and accountability in the service industry in this interview.
24 Sept 2025
The Real ROI of Service | StorChats: Bros, Brews, and Business Ep 4
StorSuite CEO Scott Worden and VP of Sales Damon Emerson explore the crucial role of genuine, people-first service in building customer loyalty and driving revenue, sharing personal anecdotes and practical insights in this interview.
18 Sept 2025
Balancing Business and Being Human | StorChats: Vino with Alvino Ep 4
StorSuite CEO Christina Alvino explores the difficulties of balancing business demands with personal well-being, addressing burnout, boundaries, and emotional intelligence in this interview episode.
4 Sept 2025
Foundations of Goal Setting | StorChats: Bros, Brews, and Business Ep 3
StorSuite COO Scott Worden and VP of Sales & Client Success Damon Emerson discuss the foundations of goal setting, sharing strategies for motivation and execution in this interview.
27 Aug 2025
Marketing Myths with Taylor Johnson | StorChats: Vino with Alvino Ep 3
StorSuite CEO Christina Alvino interviews StorSuite Director Taylor Johnson to debunk common storage marketing myths and reveal effective strategies.
20 Aug 2025
Tip of the Day | StorChats: Bourbon & Bullsh*t w/ John Manes Ep 6
John Manes, CEO of StorSuite, shares four essential steps for aspiring entrepreneurs to build connections and find opportunities in any business.
13 Aug 2025
The Movies That Made Us Sell | StorChats: Bros, Brews, and Business Ep 2
Co-Founders Damon Emerson and Scott Worden discuss how classic films offer valuable sales lessons and motivational insights for business leaders in this interview.
6 Aug 2025
From FineView to StorSuite | StorChats: Vino with Alvino Ep 2
Christina Alvino, StorSuite CEO, recounts the evolution from a boutique marketing agency to merging with StorSuite, highlighting the pivotal moments and challenges in scaling the business in this interview.
30 Jul 2025
From BB Guns to Business Ownership ft Bradley Elliott | StorChats: Bourbon & Bullsh*t w/ John Manes
Host John Manes interviews Bradley Elliott, a new business owner, about his journey from blue-collar work to owning Hill Country Embroidery, discussing bourbon, entrepreneurship, and community impact.
23 Jul 2025
From the Locker Room to the Boardroom | StorChats: Bros, Brews, and Business Ep 1
Co-founders Damon Emerson and Scott Worden discuss how lessons learned from sports translate to business leadership and authentic leadership styles in an interview.
16 Jul 2025
Pouring the First Glass | StorChats: Vino with Alvino Ep 1
StorSuite CEO Christina Alvino shares her origin story in business, leadership, and self-storage, discussing the women who shaped her and the legacy that drives her to support future leaders in this interview.
9 Jul 2025
Calling All Brokers | StorChats: Bourbon & Bullsh*t w/ John Manes Ep 4
John Manes analyzes the cap rate metric for self-storage investing, exposing misleading broker proformas and overpriced deals in today's interest rate environment.
18 Jun 2025
Strings, Storage, and Straight Talk ft Peter Spickenagel | StorChats: Bourbon & Bullsh*t w/ John Manes Ep 3
Industry veteran Peter Spickenagel recounts to host John Manes his unconventional journey into self-storage, emphasizing relationship-building and resilience in scaling during economic downturns in this interview.
5 Jun 2025
Rent vs Reserve: Why It Matters for Your Storage Business | StorChats: Success w/ Jess Ep 1
Jessica Johnson explains why prioritizing online rentals over reservations can lead to faster move-ins, increased revenue, and improved customer satisfaction for storage facilities in this episode.
6 May 2025
StorChats: Bourbon & Bullsh*t w/ John Manes | Ep2 David Allen: Scaling Storage, Strategy, & Service
In this StorSuite special of Bourbon and Bullshit, John Manes sits down with David Allen, President of Apple Self Storage, for a no-BS conversation over a pour of Rowan's Creek Bourbon (crafted by Willett Distillery). With 54 facilities and over 2.4 million square feet under management, David shares his real-world lessons on scaling from 10 to 50+ self-storage sites in Canada—and what pain points hit hardest along the way.
Grab a glass and join them as they talk:- The "lumpy" journey of scaling a storage business- Turning data into behavior-based decisions- Why tech should support people, not replace them- 🇺🇸🇨🇦 A little U.S. vs. Canada banter (Boxing Day, anyone?)- Why strategy isn’t worth much unless it reaches every level of your team
Sampled Bourbon:🥃 Rowan's Creek Bourbon – by Willett Distillery100 proof. Notes of vanilla, caramel, honey, and sweet orange peel.
Connect with David Allen📧 dallen@applestorage.com🔗 David on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dallan2/
Connect with John Manes📧 jcmanes@storsuite.com📞 210-818-1496🌐 StorSuite.com
👉 Like, comment, and subscribe if you’re into bourbon, storage biz strategy, and unapologetically real conversations.
#BourbonAndBullshit #SelfStorage #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #RowansCreek #StorSuite #ServiceMatters
1 Apr 2025
StorChats: Bourbon & Bullsh*t w/ John Manes | Ep. #1 – Damon Emerson: Sales, Leadership & Industry Real Talk
Join StorSuite Chairman and bourbon enthusiast John Manes for the premiere of "Bourbon and Bullshit." In this episode, John sits down with Damon Emerson, StorSuite's VP of Sales and Client Success, as they share a glass from John's personal bourbon collection. They discuss industry insights, leadership lessons, and candid experiences from their careers in self-storage. Grab your favorite drink and join the conversation for an authentic, relaxed dive into the storage world.
Bourbon's Sampled:
Justin's House of Bourbon: https://www.thehouseofbourbon.com/
Who has been a guest on StorChats
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Randy Huber
Dave Deems
Andrew Wisdom
Jorge Varela
Joey Cottle
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 16 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
19
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
Contact StorChats
Guest appearances
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