Founder to Buyer: The Scaling Secrets Behind 3 Successful Business Exits
Release Date: 11/19/2025
Why "Pro-Storage" is the Next Big Niche in CRE
Defining your Niche Podcast
As an investor, you know that the most commoditized businesses are the hardest to win in. In this episode, I sit down with Joe Downs, CEO of the Bellrose Group, to discuss how he is reinventing commercial real estate with "Pro-Storage." We explore a unique hybrid asset class that sits perfectly between traditional self-storage and small-bay flex space, designed specifically for modern small businesses. In this episode, we cover: Moving Beyond the Commodity: Why traditional self-storage is now a well-documented, commoditized market and how to find the "niches within the niche." The...
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Founder to Buyer: The Scaling Secrets Behind 3 Successful Business Exits
Defining your Niche Podcast
Are you an investor looking for outsized returns and a path to financial freedom beyond the startup grind? In this episode of the Defining a Niche podcast, I sit down with business acquisition expert and founder of Topline Operators, David Hori, to dive deep into the world of buying existing cash-flowing businesses. David, who has successfully scaled and exited three VC-funded startups , shares his journey and the powerful lessons he learned that pivoted him toward mergers and acquisitions (M&A). I know the struggle of starting businesses from scratch, and David provides invaluable...
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From single family to 14 self storages in 6 years!
Defining your Niche Podcast
Follow Russell Nersesov on social media: LinkedIn: Facebook: Instagram: Reach Jon on social media too: LinkedIn: Facebook: Instagram: If you have a commercial property for sale, reach out at:
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Is the self-storage market a buyer's or seller's market?
Defining your Niche Podcast
Is the self-storage market a buyer's or seller's market right now? Where are the real opportunities for yield hiding? In this episode of Defining Your Niche, host Russell Nersesov sits down with David Perlleshi, Senior Director of Self Storage Investments at Franklin Street, for a deep dive into the current state of the self-storage industry. David shares invaluable, on-the-ground insights that you won't hear from most brokers. We break down the biggest shifts in the market since the "Wild Wild West" of 2021-22, why buyers have become incredibly selective, and how to bridge the stubborn gap...
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Will NYC Law DESTROY Storage Biz?
Defining your Niche Podcast
Follow Thaddeus Campbell on social media: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsthadcampbell/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itsthadcampbell Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsthadcampbell/ Reach Stan on social media, too: sbonilla@safeguardit.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stan-bonilla-9b21379/ https://www.safeguardit.com If you want to have an Unfair Advantage and Outpace the self-storage market with supercharged deal sourcing, check our sponsor of this episode Proprise. Click on the link below. https://www.proprise.io/ ...
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Chris Berg Weighs In on SB 709 After a Decade in Political Broadcasting
Defining your Niche Podcast
Follow Thaddeus Campbell on social media: Linkedin: / itsthadcampbell Facebook: / itsthadcampbell Instagram: / itsthadcampbell Reach Jason on social media, too: cb@abernatheyholdingco.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbergreal/ https://abernatheydev.com/ If you want to have an Unfair Advantage and Outpace the self-storage market with supercharged deal sourcing, check our sponsor of this episode Proprise. Click on the link below. https://www.proprise.io/ If you have...
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How does an introvert end up in Client Services! Shannon Charbannou's story of growth in Storage
Defining your Niche Podcast
Follow Thaddeus Campbell on social media: Linkedin: / itsthadcampbell Facebook: / itsthadcampbell Instagram: / itsthadcampbell Reach Shannon on social media, too: scharbonneau@xpsusa.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannoncharbonneau/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xpssolutions/ If you want to have an Unfair Advantage and Outpace the self-storage market with supercharged deal sourcing, check our sponsor of this episode Proprise. Click on the link below. ...
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Dave Deems and Storage Asset Management have built their company on a simple premise
Defining your Niche Podcast
Follow Thaddeus Campbell on social media: Linkedin: Facebook: Instagram: Reach Dave on social media too: Email: Linkedin: If you want to have an Unfair Advantage and Outpace the self-storage market with supercharged deal sourcing, check our sponsor of this episode Proprise. Click on the link below. If you have a commercial property for sale reach out at:
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Jason Koonin is building BlueBird Storage with a very specific vision!
Defining your Niche Podcast
Follow Thaddeus Campbell on social media: Linkedin: / itsthadcampbell Facebook: / itsthadcampbell Instagram: / itsthadcampbell Reach Jason on social media, too: LinkedIn: Instagram: If you want to have an Unfair Advantage and Outpace the self-storage market with supercharged deal sourcing, check our sponsor of this episode Proprise. Click on the link below. If you have a commercial property for sale reach out at:
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Andy Bratt and Amit Tyagi put 15 years of experience to work when it matters most
Defining your Niche Podcast
Follow Thaddeus Campbell on social media: Linkedin: Facebook: Instagram: Reach Andy and Amit on social media too: Amit's email: Andy's email: Website: gantryinc.com Linkedin: If you want to have an Unfair Advantage and Outpace the self-storage market with supercharged deal sourcing, check our sponsor of this episode Proprise. Click on the link below. If you have a commercial property for sale reach out at: https://safestorageusa.com/sell-to-us/
info_outlineAre you an investor looking for outsized returns and a path to financial freedom beyond the startup grind?
In this episode of the Defining a Niche podcast, I sit down with business acquisition expert and founder of Topline Operators, David Hori, to dive deep into the world of buying existing cash-flowing businesses. David, who has successfully scaled and exited three VC-funded startups , shares his journey and the powerful lessons he learned that pivoted him toward mergers and acquisitions (M&A). I know the struggle of starting businesses from scratch, and David provides invaluable insight from the other side: acquiring them.
What Investors Will Learn:
(01:11) The Pivot to Acquisition: Why David shifted from scaling VC-funded startups to buying existing businesses to achieve "outsized returns".
(03:10) Finding a Find It and Face It Culture: The key lesson from David's first big deal on the value of transparency and bringing the team's genius to a problem.
(04:51) The Biggest Owner Misconception: The two crucial errors founders make when valuing their business: not valuing their time and the business being too owner-dependent.
(07:59) Exit vs. Scale: The factors David looks for to determine if a business owner should exit or simply get "unstuck" and scale.
(11:44) The $14 Trillion Opportunity: David explains the massive wealth transfer happening now due to retiring Baby Boomers, and why it's an opportunity (and obligation) to step in.
(15:54) Why Sales Don't Happen: The most common reasons deals fall through, including the owner's subjective "heart price" and the risks associated with building systems around a single "unicorn" employee.
(18:50) Biggest Opportunity for Buyers: The advantage digitally native buyers have in implementing basic technology post-acquisition to "rapidly accelerate revenue" .
(21:01) Stay in Your Lane vs. Partnerships: David's take on being industry agnostic and why partnerships are the path to de-risking and accelerating your acquisitions.
(28:47) Top Business Book: The book David recommends that builds on the "Who Not How" concept and helps owners overcome the mental hurdle of control .
Don't miss David's take on the advantage digitally native buyers have in spotting low-hanging fruit and driving rapid value post-acquisition.
Connect with David Hori:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamdavidhori/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toplineops/