# From Wholesaling Hustle to Self-Storage Freedom with Alex Pardo > Episode 118 of the WELLthy Investor Podcast - **Published:** 2025-08-14 - **Duration:** 00:45:23 ## Description Alex Pardo shares how shifting from wholesaling to self-storage transformed his business, lifestyle, and mindset. Learn the strategies, mindset shifts, and creative financing methods that can help you build scalable, freedom-based income streams. See full article: https://www.unitedstatesrealestatei ## Chapters - 00:00 -- - Introduction to The REI Agent Podcast - 00:06 -- - Meet Mattias: Agent, Investor, and Holistic Approach Advocate - 00:08 -- - Meet Erica: Licensed Therapist with a Holistic Perspective - 00:14 -- - The Mission: Living Bold and Fulfilled Lives Through Real Estate - 00:19 -- - Level Up Mindset and Show Start - 00:24 -- - Hilton Head Vacation Update and Recording Setup - 01:03 -- - Introduction to Guest Alex Pardo from Miami - 01:28 -- - Alex’s Cuban Heritage and Miami Lifestyle - 01:54 -- - Mattias Shares Miami on His Bucket List - 02:15 -- - Cuban Coffee and Fancy Cars in Miami - 02:27 -- - Alex’s Real Estate Journey: From GE to Backpacking Europe - 03:15 -- - Discovering Real Estate Through Books and Bootcamp - 04:16 -- - First Deal Success: $44,000 Profit from a Short Sale - 04:54 -- - Impact of Rich Dad, Poor Dad and Mindset Shift - 05:33 -- - Ready, Fire, Aim Approach to Taking Action - 06:01 -- - Expecting Resistance and Committing for the Long Run - 06:54 -- - Avoiding Paralysis by Fear in Real Estate Investing - 07:01 -- - Alex’s Best Deal: Losing $102,000 and the Lesson Learned - 07:54 -- - Importance of Coaches, Mentors, and Masterminds - 08:42 -- - Stigma Around Self-Help and Coaching - 09:42 -- - Coaches as the Ultimate Insurance Policy for Success - 10:16 -- - Filtering Out Bad Coaches and Moving Forward - 10:24 -- - Gaining Clarity and Aligning Goals with Vision - 10:48 -- - The Wholesaling Hamster Wheel and Search for Cash Flow - 11:41 -- - Discovering Self-Storage as a Better Asset Class - 12:20 -- - Shutting Down a Profitable Wholesaling Business in 2020 - 13:01 -- - Parallels Between Wholesaling and Agent Sales - 13:41 -- - Cap Rates, Value-Add, and Depreciation in Self-Storage - 14:41 -- - Is Finding Deals Harder Now in Self-Storage? - 15:27 -- - Strategies for Finding Self-Storage Deals - 16:19 -- - Identifying Mom-and-Pop Operators and Direct Outreach - 17:27 -- - Over 60,000 Storage Facilities with 64% Mom-and-Pop Ownership - 17:29 -- - Economies of Scale in Commercial Real Estate - 17:48 -- - Expense Reduction and Operating Ratios in Storage vs. Multifamily - 18:18 -- - The Unmanned Model and Remote Management - 19:27 -- - Cutting Salaries to Increase NOI and Property Value - 20:06 -- - Cap Rate Math: $10 Rent Increase Across 200 Units - 20:47 -- - Scaling Value with Multiple Income Streams - 21:47 -- - Syndications and Passive Investment Opportunities - 22:10 -- - Benefits of Depreciation and Cost Segregation - 23:20 -- - Real Estate Professional’s 401k Through Self-Storage Investments - 23:48 -- - Challenging Limiting Beliefs About Capital Requirements - 24:42 -- - Creative Financing and Leveraging Other People’s Money - 25:16 -- - The Importance of Finding Your Tribe and Community - 25:34 -- - Golden Nugget: Do Not Be Afraid to Fail - 26:44 -- - Taking Massive Imperfect Action and Embracing Discomfort - 28:16 -- - Building Confidence Through Total Ownership - 28:45 -- - Bet on Yourself and Keep Learning - 29:45 -- - Rebranding to the Storage Wins Podcast on August 11 - 30:12 -- - Sharing Wins and Challenges Transparently - 30:30 -- - Influential Books: The Go-Giver and Buy Back Your Time - 30:59 -- - Where to Find Alex and Join the Storage Wins Community - 31:23 -- - Closing Remarks and Encouragement to Take Action - 31:35 -- - Outro and Disclaimer ## Show Notes Alex Pardo shares how shifting from wholesaling to self-storage transformed his business, lifestyle, and mindset. Learn the strategies, mindset shifts, and creative financing methods that can help you build scalable, freedom-based income streams. See full article: https://www.unitedstatesrealestateinvestor.com/from-wholesaling-hustle-to-self-storage-freedom-with-alex-pardo/ (00:00) - Introduction to The REI Agent Podcast (00:06) - Meet Mattias: Agent, Investor, and Holistic Approach Advocate (00:08) - Meet Erica: Licensed Therapist with a Holistic Perspective (00:14) - The Mission: Living Bold and Fulfilled Lives Through Real Estate (00:19) - Level Up Mindset and Show Start (00:24) - Hilton Head Vacation Update and Recording Setup (01:03) - Introduction to Guest Alex Pardo from Miami (01:28) - Alex’s Cuban Heritage and Miami Lifestyle (01:54) - Mattias Shares Miami on His Bucket List (02:15) - Cuban Coffee and Fancy Cars in Miami (02:27) - Alex’s Real Estate Journey: From GE to Backpacking Europe (03:15) - Discovering Real Estate Through Books and Bootcamp (04:16) - First Deal Success: $44,000 Profit from a Short Sale (04:54) - Impact of Rich Dad, Poor Dad and Mindset Shift (05:33) - Ready, Fire, Aim Approach to Taking Action (06:01) - Expecting Resistance and Committing for the Long Run (06:54) - Avoiding Paralysis by Fear in Real Estate Investing (07:01) - Alex’s Best Deal: Losing $102,000 and the Lesson Learned (07:54) - Importance of Coaches, Mentors, and Masterminds (08:42) - Stigma Around Self-Help and Coaching (09:42) - Coaches as the Ultimate Insurance Policy for Success (10:16) - Filtering Out Bad Coaches and Moving Forward (10:24) - Gaining Clarity and Aligning Goals with Vision (10:48) - The Wholesaling Hamster Wheel and Search for Cash Flow (11:41) - Discovering Self-Storage as a Better Asset Class (12:20) - Shutting Down a Profitable Wholesaling Business in 2020 (13:01) - Parallels Between Wholesaling and Agent Sales (13:41) - Cap Rates, Value-Add, and Depreciation in Self-Storage (14:41) - Is Finding Deals Harder Now in Self-Storage? (15:27) - Strategies for Finding Self-Storage Deals (16:19) - Identifying Mom-and-Pop Operators and Direct Outreach (17:27) - Over 60,000 Storage Facilities with 64% Mom-and-Pop Ownership (17:29) - Economies of Scale in Commercial Real Estate (17:48) - Expense Reduction and Operating Ratios in Storage vs. Multifamily (18:18) - The Unmanned Model and Remote Management (19:27) - Cutting Salaries to Increase NOI and Property Value (20:06) - Cap Rate Math: $10 Rent Increase Across 200 Units (20:47) - Scaling Value with Multiple Income Streams (21:47) - Syndications and Passive Investment Opportunities (22:10) - Benefits of Depreciation and Cost Segregation (23:20) - Real Estate Professional’s 401k Through Self-Storage Investments (23:48) - Challenging Limiting Beliefs About Capital Requirements (24:42) - Creative Financing and Leveraging Other People’s Money (25:16) - The Importance of Finding Your Tribe and Community (25:34) - Golden Nugget: Do Not Be Afraid to Fail (26:44) - Taking Massive Imperfect Action and Embracing Discomfort (28:16) - Building Confidence Through Total Ownership (28:45) - Bet on Yourself and Keep Learning (29:45) - Rebranding to the Storage Wins Podcast on August 11 (30:12) - Sharing Wins and Challenges Transparently (30:30) - Influential Books: The Go-Giver and Buy Back Your Time (30:59) - Where to Find Alex and Join the Storage Wins Community (31:23) - Closing Remarks and Encouragement to Take Action (31:35) - Outro and Disclaimer Contact Alex Pardo https://alexpardo.com/ http://storagewins.com/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/322064908446514/ https://www.instagram.com/alexpardo25/ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxyr2wrqqWkUsEtEwMcWv3pU-4xtp8X_I https://www.youtube.com/@AlexPardo -- For more excellent strategies like this to help you reach your holistic peak, visit https://reiagent.com ## Links - [Listen on web](https://anchor.fm/s/f92ea708/podcast/play/106685864/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2025-7-10%2F405430558-44100-2-190d3432749ba.mp3) - [Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9NzHesYuuU) - [Full HTML version](https://reiagent.com/episodes/ep-118-from-wholesaling-hustle-to-self-storage-freedom-with-alex-pa/)