Vital Wealth Strategies Podcast

In this episode, host Patrick Lonergan sits down with self-storage investing expert Joe Downs, entrepreneur, operator, and founder of The Storage Moguls, to make the case for one of the most overlooked recession-resistant real estate asset classes available today. With 80% of U.S. self-storage facilities owned by mom-and-pop operators, Joe explains why secondary and tertiary markets are overflowing with undervalued acquisition opportunities for investors willing to do the work. He breaks down three entry points – fully passive investing, hybrid owner-operator with third-party management, and active operator, showing how self-storage can generate meaningful passive real estate income with far less operational burden than traditional multifamily. Because self-storage facilities are operating businesses on commercial real estate, they qualify for SBA loans (7(a) and 504), giving investors access to favorable long-term financing that most residential strategies can’t touch.

Joe and Patrick also dig into the full wealth-building stack available to self-storage investors: appreciation, cash flow, loan amortization, depreciation, and the powerful tax benefits unlocked through cost segregation, bonus depreciation, and real estate professional status. The conversation goes deep on 1031 exchanges, how a qualified intermediary, a 45-day identification window, and a 180-day closing timeline can defer capital gains taxes indefinitely and how a stepped-up cost basis at death can eliminate them entirely. With trailing twelve-month performance metrics still priced at a discount following the 2023–2024 interest rate surge, Joe makes a compelling argument that 2026 represents one of the single greatest buying windows for self-storage since the asset class emerged and the Storage Moguls community is being built specifically to connect deal finders with capital partners ready to move.

Key Takeaways

• 80% of U.S. self-storage facilities are mom and pop owned, creating a massive fragmented acquisition opportunity in secondary and tertiary markets
• Self-storage is recession-resistant, with demand driven by both economic growth and downturn.
• Facilities qualify as commercial real estate businesses, making them eligible for SBA 7(a) and SBA 504 loans
• Investors can participate at three levels: fully passive, hybrid owner-operator, or active operator
• Wealth is built through five levers: appreciation, cash flow, loan amortization, depreciation, and 1031 exchanges
• Cost segregation and bonus depreciation can accelerate tax write-offs significantly in year one
• Real estate professional status (750 hrs/year) allows high-income earners to offset earned income with real estate losses
• 1031 exchanges defer capital gains taxes indefinitely and a stepped-up basis at death may eliminate them entirely
• Every dollar of NOI growth multiplies asset value at the prevailing cap rate
• 2026 represents a rare buying window – trailing twelve metrics are discounted while the broader economy recovers

Learn More About Joe:

• 🌐 The Storage Moguls: thestoragemoguls.com

Resources:   

Visit www.vitalstrategies.com to download FREE resources     

Listen to the podcast on your favorite app: Vital Wealth Strategies Podcast | Tax & Financial Strategies for Entrepreneurs  

Follow on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/vital.strategies      

Follow on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/VitalStrategiesPodcast     

Follow on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricklonergan/     

Credits:    

Sponsored by Vital Wealth    

Music by Cephas    

Art work by Two Tone Creative 

Audio, video, research and copywriting by Victoria O’Brien

What if the biggest thing holding your business back isn’t your market, your competition, or your capital, it’s you? In this episode of the Vital Wealth Strategies Podcast, host Patrick sits down with seasoned entrepreneur, operator, and professor Brad Poulos to unpack the hard truths about what it actually takes to scale a business and run it well. With 40 years of experience, from growing a wireless company from 4 to 200 employees and taking it public, to teaching entrepreneurship at Toronto Metropolitan University for nearly two decades, Brad brings the kind of battle-tested wisdom that no textbook can replicate.

Brad and Patrick dive deep into the real reasons businesses stall, from founders who can’t let go, to costly mistakes in how companies are financed and structured. Brad shares why giving employees equity is almost always the wrong move, how to think about debt versus outside investment, what family businesses get catastrophically wrong across generations, and why the best entrepreneurs validate before they ever build. Whether you’re running a growing operation and feeling the weight of it, or you’re trying to build something that lasts, this conversation is packed with practical insight that will challenge how you think about leadership, money, and growth.

Key Takeaways:

• The #1 scaling problem is a founder’s inability to let go – hire A-players and give them real autonomy
• Not every decision needs to be optimized; learn to “satisfice” the right ones and save your energy for what matters
• Most problems solve themselves, resist the urge to intervene before a situation truly demands it
• Fix the business before adding capital , leverage amplifies bad results just as much as good ones
• Debt is almost always cheaper and smarter than equity; bringing on minority shareholders can create serious long-term risk
• Phantom share plans are a better tool than real equity for retaining and rewarding key employees
• Family business succession requires early, transparent planning, equal doesn’t always mean fair
• Sell before you build, always validate demand with real customers before investing significant time and money
• The best entrepreneurs are evidence-driven and willing to make uncomfortable decisions when the data demands it

Learn More About Brad:

• Most Problems Solve Themselves by Brad Poulos
• From Pitch to Payoff: A Founder’s Guide to Finance by Brad Poulos
• The Small Business Operator’s Manual by Brad Poulos

Official Website: bradpoulos.com

Resources:   

Visit www.vitalstrategies.com to download FREE resources     

Listen to the podcast on your favorite app: Vital Wealth Strategies Podcast | Tax & Financial Strategies for Entrepreneurs  

Follow on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/vital.strategies      

Follow on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/VitalStrategiesPodcast     

Follow on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricklonergan/     

Credits:    

Sponsored by Vital Wealth    

Music by Cephas    

Art work by Two Tone Creative 

Audio, video, research and copywriting by Victoria O’Brien

What does it actually cost to build a successful business without balance? In this episode of the Vital Wealth Strategies Podcast, host Patrick Lonergan sits down with Dr. Travis Parry, PhD, author of Marry and Grow Rich, and a business coach who has worked with thousands of entrepreneurs across all 50 states, to have one of the most honest and practical conversations about what it truly takes to build wealth without losing everything that matters most along the way. Dr. Parry brings a rare and powerful combination of financial expertise, psychological insight, and real world coaching experience to the table, making this a must listen episode for any entrepreneur who has ever felt like their business is winning but their life is not keeping up.

In this compelling conversation, host Patrick Lonergan and Dr. Travis Parry unpack the real reason so many high achieving business owners feel stuck, burned out, and disconnected despite their outward success. From the four money scripts silently driving conflict in relationships, to the step by step framework for scaling a business without sacrificing your marriage or your health, this episode delivers the mindset shifts and practical strategies that successful entrepreneurs need to build a life that is just as strong as their balance sheet. Whether you are actively growing your business, navigating a season of transition, or simply searching for more alignment between your personal values and your professional ambitions, this episode will challenge the way you think about wealth, balance, and what it means to truly win in business and in life.

Key Takeaways:

• True balance is not about perfect equilibrium between work and life. It is about making intentional time for the people and priorities that matter most
• Most business owners spend less than 25 percent of their day on truly high value tasks and a time audit is the first and most important step to reclaiming your time
• There are four money scripts including avoidance, worship, status, and stewardship and identifying which one you and your partner operate from is the key to ending financial conflict in your relationship
• The mini obituary exercise is one of the most powerful tools for reconnecting with your core values and reshaping how you spend your time and energy
• Entrepreneurs who achieve the greatest balance are also the ones who learn to scale because they do the inner work to overcome their limiting beliefs first
• Scaling a business moves through four stages from player on the field to thought leader to owner in the box to business stacker and most entrepreneurs never advance because of subconscious fear
• Couples who operate from shared overlapping values are measurably happier, psychologically healthier, and more financially successful than those who do not
• Spousal alignment at every stage of business growth is not optional. It is one of the most critical factors in long term business and relationship success

Episode Resources:

• Marry and Grow Rich by Dr. Travis Parry: MarryandGrowRichBook.com
• Dr. Travis Parry coaching and speaking: BalancedGrowthInc.com
• Vital Wealth Strategies free resource vault: vitalwealth.com/resources
• Submit a listener question: vitalstrategies.com/questions
• Rest by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang
• Atomic Habits by James Clear
• Achieving Balance by Dr. Travis Parry

Resources:   

Visit www.vitalstrategies.com to download FREE resources     

Listen to the podcast on your favorite app: Vital Wealth Strategies Podcast | Tax & Financial Strategies for Entrepreneurs  

Follow on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/vital.strategies      

Follow on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/VitalStrategiesPodcast     

Follow on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricklonergan/     

Credits:    

Sponsored by Vital Wealth    

Music by Cephas    

Art work by Two Tone Creative 

Audio, video, research and copywriting by Victoria O’Brien

What if the biggest opportunities to grow your wealth and reduce your taxes aren’t found in what you’re already doing, but in what you don’t even know is possible yet? In this episode of the Vital Wealth Strategies Podcast, host Patrick Lonergan sits down with Chris Papin, a rare triple-threat advisor who is a licensed attorney, CPA, and insurance producer, to unpack what high-level financial planning actually looks like when you connect the dots between tax strategy, legal structure, and risk management. Chris brings a forward-looking perspective that most business owners never get access to, helping entrepreneurs stop playing defense with their finances and start using the system to their advantage.

In this conversation, Patrick and Chris dive deep into why the traditional fragmented advisory model is quietly costing business owners hundreds of thousands of dollars, how to build clean financials that position your business for maximum value whether you plan to sell or not, and how to think about your time as your most valuable and non-renewable resource. Chris also shares the core concept behind his book 168 Hours: A Startup Business Guide That Respects Your Time, a practical framework for aligning how you spend your time with the life and business you actually want to build. If you’ve ever felt like you’re working hard but leaving money, time, and opportunity on the table, this episode will change the way you think about your business.

Key Takeaways:

• Siloed advisors (CPA, attorney, insurance) working independently can create costly tax and legal gaps in your financial strategy
• Always start business planning with the end in mind, because knowing your exit strategy shapes every decision you make along the way
• Clean, real-time financials aren’t just for selling your business. They protect you, inform better decisions, and maximize your company’s value at every stage
• Doing your books after the fact is one of the most expensive mistakes a business owner can make, because reactive accounting costs far more than proactive planning
• Internal financial controls and payroll oversight aren’t optional. Small leaks compound quickly and trusted employees are often the ones responsible
• Everyone gets the same 168 hours per week, and the difference between struggling and scaling is how intentionally you allocate them
• Leverage through systems, people, and capital is the only way to grow without simply trading more time for more money
• Conscious decision-making around capital can be the difference between building long-term wealth and staying stuck

Episode Resources:

• 📗 168 Hours: A Startup Business Guide That Respects Your Time: papinspeaks.com
• 🌐 Papin CPA Official Website: papincpa.com
• 🎤 Papin Speaks: papinspeaks.com
• 🔗 Chris Papin on LinkedIn: Chris Papin | LinkedIn
• 🛠️ Vital Wealth Resources Vault: vitalwealth.com/resources
• ❓ Submit a Listener Question: vitalstrategies.com/questions

Resources:   

Visit www.vitalstrategies.com to download FREE resources     

Listen to the podcast on your favorite app: Vital Wealth Strategies Podcast | Tax & Financial Strategies for Entrepreneurs  

Follow on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/vital.strategies      

Follow on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/VitalStrategiesPodcast     

Follow on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricklonergan/     

Credits:    

Sponsored by Vital Wealth    

Music by Cephas    

Art work by Two Tone Creative 

Audio, video, research and copywriting by Victoria O’Brien