In this episode, Alex Pardo sits down with his longtime co-host and student Dan Wenzel for a season two wind-down conversation centered on the one thing no underwriting spreadsheet can measure: mindset. After 37 episodes of documenting Dan's journey into self storage investing, Alex and Dan pull back the curtain on the real growth that's happened, from near-paralysis on cold calls to confident conversations with storage owners across the country.

This episode is a raw and honest look at how confidence is built through repetition, collaboration, and showing up even when you don't feel ready. If you've ever let fear, self-doubt, or the need for a perfect outcome keep you from taking action in your storage investing journey, this one is for you.

You'll Learn How To:

Build real confidence through consistent reps rather than waiting for a result to validate you
Stop letting fear of rejection keep you from picking up the phone and calling storage owners
Understand why collaboration with other investors accelerates growth faster than solo study
Develop a "be, do, have" identity framework before the results show up
Reframe a fumbled call or missed deal as a rep, not a failure
Leverage broker relationships over time to sharpen your underwriting instincts
Recognize the internal signals (nervousness, butterflies) that tell you to lean in, not back off

What You'll Learn in This Episode

[0:56] Alex opens the episode with the real obstacle holding most investors back from their first storage facility

[1:20] Why mindset, confidence, and identity are the through-line of the entire season two journey

[2:34] Alex breaks down the "be, do, have" framework and why most people have it backwards

[3:26] Dan reflects on his biggest growth from episode one to episode 37

[4:32] How underwriting reps with other Storage Winners built Dan's confidence from the inside out

[5:36] Was there a single light-bulb moment or was confidence an evolution? Dan answers directly

[6:08] How an open broker relationship gave Dan a live benchmark to validate his own offers

[7:24] Alex shares his ten-year podcasting anniversary and what a decade of reps actually produces

[9:14] Why collaboration and a mastermind mentality separate investors who grow from those who stagnate

[10:03] What no book or YouTube video can teach you: reading the human being behind the storage facility

[13:48] What Dan can confidently do today that would have paralyzed him a year ago

[16:34] Alex's personal story about a big opportunity that gave him butterflies, and what his wife said that snapped him back

[18:17] Why not closing a deal by the end of the season doesn't define success or identity

[20:11] Alex's closing challenge and how to connect with him for your first storage discovery call

Who This Episode Is For:

Investors who keep learning but haven't made their first offer yet
People who freeze up at the idea of cold-calling storage owners
Anyone tying their self-worth to whether a deal closes
New and mid-stage storage investors who feel like they're "just going through the motions"
Entrepreneurs who understand the technical side but struggle with the mental side
Anyone who has consumed a lot of content and needs a push to take action instead

Why You Should Listen:

Season two of Storage Wins was supposed to be about buying a storage facility. And while that goal is still within reach, this episode makes the case that the most important thing Dan built over 37 episodes wasn't a portfolio. It was a version of himself capable of building one.

Alex and Dan don't sugarcoat it. Confidence isn't something you feel before you start. It's something you earn through repetitions, through calls that go awkward, through underwriting deals alongside people who are a few steps ahead of you, and through showing up to record a podcast even on the weeks when the journey felt heavy. The "be, do, have" framework Alex references early in the episode is the spine of this conversation: you have to become the person first. The results follow.

What makes this episode worth your time, whether you're brand new or already a few facilities in, is the reminder that growth is non-linear and often invisible until you look back. Dan couldn't have articulated his own evolution in episode one. But 37 episodes later, he can talk to any storage owner like the back of his hand. That's not luck. That's what happens when you put the reps in and refuse to quit.

Follow Alex Pardo here:

Website: https://storagewins.com
Schedule a call: https://storagewins.com/call
Facebook Group: Storage Wins Community
Instagram: @alexpardo25
YouTube: Storage Wins Podcast

If this episode stirred something in you, the best next step is simple: pick up the phone. There are 50,000 to 60,000 storage facilities in this country, with 64% owned by mom and pops. The blue ocean is real. If you're ready to take action, schedule a free 10 to 15 minute discovery call with Alex at https://storagewins.com/call. And if you're just finding this show, go back to episode one and follow Dan's full journey. You won't regret it.