Get to Know Your Sponsor

In this special 25th episode of the AAA Storage Podcast, we sit down with Managing Director Paul Bennett for a candid and insightful Q&A session. Paul answers 25 questions—ranging from the principles that guide his investment decisions to lessons learned from decades in real estate and the values that drive the AAA team. Listeners will gain firsthand perspective on building trustworthy relationships, navigating market challenges, and the life experiences that shape a leader’s success. Tune in for an engaging conversation filled with wisdom, humor, and practical advice for investors and professionals alike.

We believe good investing starts with a conversation, so if today's episode got you thinking about your investment strategy, reach out to us through our Contact Form and let's start building together: https://www.aaastorageinvestments.com/contact

Follow and Connect with Us
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aaa-storage-investments/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aaastorageinvestments/
X: https://x.com/investments_aaa
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/AAA-Storage-Investments-LLC/61575027573292/

Download our free guides to take your investing to the next level:
10 Due Diligence Questions to Vet Any Real Estate Sponsor: https://www.aaastorageinvestments.com/info/10-due-diligence-questions-to-vet-any-real-estate-sponsor
First-Time Real Estate Syndication Investor Checklist: https://www.aaastorageinvestments.com/info/first-time-real-estate-syndication-investor-checklist

Chapters
(00:30) Getting to Know Paul Bennett
(01:44) Decision-Making and Life Principles
(03:46) Roles, Identity, and Team Culture
(07:00) Industry Misconceptions and Lessons Learned
(12:30) Views on Debt and Building Wealth
(15:12) Innovations in Self Storage
(17:02) Building Relationships and Investor Experience
(17:59) Leadership Inspiration and Lessons from Nick Saban
(21:59) Personal Growth, Hobbies, and Health
(29:11) Advice, Time, and Life Priorities
(33:39) Vision for the Future of AAA Storage
(36:13) Rapid Fire Personal Insights

#PrivateEquityRealEstate #AlternativeInvestments #RealEstateInvesting #AccreditedInvestor #InvestorInsights  #AAAStorageInvestments

Creators and Guests

Host

Paul Bennett

Managing Director at AAA Storage

What is The AAA Storage Podcast?

Investing in self storage gives you the fundamentals and growth you need to grow your portfolio. But skip the opportunities from golf buddies and gurus—invest in a real track record. Started by John Muhich in 1993, AAA Storage has delivered 19% IRR across 90 deals, totaling $450M in exits. Listen to our expert insights on investing from the AAA Storage team. See more at aaastorageinvestments.com.

Welcome to the AAA storage podcast,
your integrated real estate and

development partner, exploring all
things, self storage investing to

bring you diversified success.

Let's dive in.

Brandon Giella: Hello and welcome back to
another episode of the AAA Storage Podcast

I have with me as always, Paul Bennett.

Thanks for joining today.

Paul Bennett: Always good, Brandon.

Always good.

I'm a little nervous about today though.

Brandon Giella: Today is a fun
episode because we are gonna be

getting to know Paul Bennett,
who is Paul, what makes him tick?

Why does he do what he does?

Because the, the reason we, uh, care
so much about the work that we do is

because of the people, the investments
that we make, the choices that we make,

the relationships that are driven.

As a result of that, everything
comes down to people and that's why

Paul, you take so many calls from.

Everyone, I mean, anybody that calls
you, every email, you guys read it

and think through and, and have these
amazing conversations with people because

relationships and trust is so important.

So as a result, we thought it
would be great to have a podcast

episode dedicated to 25 questions.

For Paul Bennett, because this is our
25th episode, and so we have a series

of questions, 15 general questions,
and then 10 rapid fire questions.

And so I am excited to, uh, get
these insights in front of you guys.

So Paul has no idea what is
coming, and so we're gonna get

his first off the cuff response

Paul Bennett: Yeah.

And I'm, I'm concerned that you
and Caitlin, who's our director of

marketing, have conspired, so, um,
we'll, we'll see how this goes.

No, I'm looking forward to it.

We'll have fun.

Brandon Giella: absolutely.

We have conspired.

And just for the record, it is Caitlyn's
fault, so I am I I'm just the messenger.

No, I'm just kidding.

We're gonna have fun.

All right, so Paul, question number one.

What is a decision making principle
you use in investing that also

shows up in how you live your life?

Paul Bennett: Wow.

That's a, that's, that's a jump off the
cliff on the first question right there.

I, I think, um, I, I don't
know if this applies exactly.

I have two sayings that, um, really, I, I,
I've I've hung on to for a lot of years.

One of them is when you didn't get what
you wanted, what you got was experience.

Brandon Giella: Hmm.

Paul Bennett: Um.

And the other one is, unmet
expectations are the root of all anger.

Um, and so I, I, I don't know that
there, that necessarily applies

directly to investment decisions.

I, I think the experience one does a, a
little bit, I mean, 'cause when you make

a, when you make an investment decision,
you, you certainly look at all the data.

You, you.

Become as informed as you possibly can be.

But ultimately there are no guarantees
and there are no certainties.

Um, so sometimes you don't
get the returns you wanted.

What you get is experience and
hopefully that experience can

be applied to future decisions.

Um, you know, and it's sort of a
continuous improvement mindset, so,

Brandon Giella: That's right.

Well, knowing you guys, I know
the, the due diligence process is

helpful to set those expectations
so that investors aren't angry If

you could sit No, that's great.

I, I love those things.

I think those are really important
and I, I, and I could dive into

that and we can talk about it for
an hour, but got some more questions

for you, so hang on to that thought.

All right.

Number two, when people ask
what you do, how do you answer

when you're off the clock?

Paul Bennett: Hmm.

That's interesting.

I've actually changed that recently.

Uh, just in terms of how I answer I,
for the longest time, my answer has

been I'm a real estate developer.

An investor, and, and we are,
but we're also a private equity

real estate fund manager.

Um, and, and the two are obviously
related, but they're very different in

terms of, you know, what's involved.

So I, I, I think the answer now
that I give people when I just

meet somebody casually, you know,
and they ask, what do you do?

Is, I'm a real estate private
equity fund manager and developer.

That's, that's how I explain who I am.

Brandon Giella: Do you ever get like,
what does that, what does that mean?

What does that, can you
explain that in 10 minutes?

Paul Bennett: Yeah.

Yeah.

Sometimes I do.

Kind of depends on where you are
and who you're talking to, but um

Brandon Giella: That's fun.

Okay.

Number three.

When your team describes you,
what word do you hope they use?

Paul Bennett: Encourage her.

Brandon Giella: Hmm.

Paul Bennett: I think my, uh, it feels
really weird talking about myself,

but I, if I have a gift, um, I coached
high school sports for 12, 14 years.

Um, I've done a lot of things along
in my life that are about teaching,

training, developing, encouraging people.

Um.

And I'm a big St.

Ha have been, he's dead now, but, um, have
always been interested in, in committed

to personal development and a guy named
Jim Rohn, um, who I said, like I said,

has passed away now, probably pull on
the things that he talked about in terms

of personal development and wrote about.

Um, so I, I, anyway, I'm,
I'm a developer of people.

I think that's, um, it's what I love
and where I get the most satisfaction.

Brandon Giella: Interesting.

I can confirm that because every time
we meet up to record one of these

before we start recording off the
record, we have a nice conversation.

You're always so encouraging
to me so I can confirm.

Paul Bennett: yeah.

Our team's incredible.

But we're, we're really fortunate
to have the group we do.

Um, and it's fun to watch 'em.

Some of 'em are young, some of
'em are still learning, you know,

certain aspects of, of what we do.

And so it's fun.

That's, that's where I have fun.

Brandon Giella: yeah.

Agreed.

I love that.

So this is a related
question, one of my favorites.

If you weren't doing this,
what would you be doing?

Paul Bennett: Um, that's all
I've done on my whole life.

Um,

Brandon Giella: I.

Paul Bennett: you know, when
I'm done doing this, I'll

be on the beach somewhere.

Um.

Brandon Giella: All right.

Fair enough.

Paul Bennett: for now, I
can't think of anything else.

I, my father was a family
physician, uh, at early in my,

you know, in my, in high school.

And when I first went to college,
I really thought I would be a

family physician like my dad.

Um, and you know, still think that
would've been an interesting career, but

I'm way too old to go back to school, so,

Brandon Giella: You don't wanna
go to med school right now?

Paul Bennett: yeah.

Nah.

Brandon Giella: Fair enough.

What, this is number five.

What is the biggest misconception
people have about your industry?

Paul Bennett: golly, that's, these are.

Man, I, I wish you'd give me some
of these questions in advance.

I could've, I hate to
have these long, awkward

Brandon Giella: No, this is great.

We can take those out.

Paul Bennett: uh, I, I, you know, I,
because I've never asked anybody, um,

I, I, I just kind of have to guess and
it sort of comes through my own lens.

I, I, I sometimes wonder because.

People think of people and
companies in our role as

investing other people's money.

And, and therefore, I, i imagine, think
that it really doesn't matter to us

tremendously when, you know, when a deal
doesn't go well or we don't deliver on the

returns, uh, that we've set out to create.

And it matters greatly.

It's all we, it's all I think about.

All day, every day is
how do we execute better?

How do we, um, how do we do what we do in
a way that allows us to be that trusted,

dependable partner for our investors?

Um, and, uh.

So I, it's not a very good answer,
but I, I, I, I guess maybe the other

misconception is that it's, I mean, you
see on the podcast, this is how I dress

every day, that we're somehow fancy,
you know, people that run in, um, you

know, running, you know, big circles
and you know, are in New York all the

time and talking to people at Goldman
Sachs, and that's not my life at all.

I'm either got mud on my boots out
in the field looking at a project

or a site, uh, or I'm, you know.

In my office talking to our investors
and, and running the process that we

run to raise capital and, you know, and,
uh, make the wheels of commerce turn so.

Brandon Giella: The wheels of
commerce tell us, this is related.

Number six.

Tell us about a time you were
completely wrong about something in

your industry, and what did you learn?

So talking about that
experience, point on number one.

What was something you've, you've gathered
some experience because you were wrong.

Paul Bennett: I, I mean, I, I, I,
this is, I don't know that this

was, I, I, I was certainly wrong.

We bought, I bought a piece of land.

Um, this was outside aaa.

Um, because I invest in real estate.

You know, we've talked about
that before, probably way over

allocated to real estate, but
it's what I know and what I love.

We bought a piece of land outside
Charlotte, North Carolina in 2006 at the

peak of the market, um, and, um, didn't
actually get to develop it until 2021.

So we, we held that land for 15 years
because we so grossly overpaid for it.

Yeah, obviously we didn't know 2008
2009 was coming, but right at the end of

2006, we bought a, a, it wound up being
an $80 million mixed use development.

Uh, that has been incredibly
successful, thankful for that.

Um, but it was, it was a horrible, um,
it, it was a time when everybody thought

real estate could do nothing but go up.

Brandon Giella: Hmm.

Paul Bennett: know, when you go
to a cocktail party and five guys

at the cocktail party are talking
about how they just left their

career to flip houses, um, that's
the time when you need to be selling

every piece of real estate you own.

And um, and that's sort of
where we were in 2006, 2007.

And I guess we, I just didn't
see, I didn't see what was coming.

And then related to that, although
I'm kind of proud of this, we

borrowed some money to buy that land.

And when everybody else in the
industry was basically holding out

the keys to the bank and say, you
can take this back if you want to.

Uh, or I'll, you know, I'll give you
pennies on the dollar for your loan.

And there were a lot of guys that cut
great deals and really shed a lot of debt

because the banks just wanted to get.

It off their balance sheet.

And we didn't, we paid off a loan
in full and owned it for cash and

sat on it for, you know, almost 15
years before we could develop it.

And that was monetarily a mistake.

I guess from a reputational standpoint
with the banks, it's not, you know,

not the worst seat to be sitting in.

But

Brandon Giella: Yes.

That is extremely important and
very hard to do to, to have the

courage to do that in a hard time.

Paul Bennett: Yeah.

I don't, I don't know that
anybody really took a reputation.

I mean, it was, it was
what it was, I mean.

Brandon Giella: Yeah.

Yeah.

Paul Bennett: I in the storage
industry, we actually were able to buy

back some loans on property that we
owned, um, at Penny's on the dollar.

And, um, you know, which was
a really smart financial move.

The banks were selling them.

And so that, that felt a little
different because they were

trying to sell the loans.

They wanted to offload it
off their balance sheet.

So it wasn't like we
took advantage of 'em.

Somebody else would've
bought it if we didn't.

But, um, but as the owner of the property.

And, and going to the bank and basically,
you know, holding the keys out and say,

if you don't take this back, if, if you,
if you want to, you can have it back.

Like, I'll walk away.

Um, didn't feel like the right
thing to do, so I don't know.

Brandon Giella: I love that.

What's something you believe about
money or investing that most people

in finance would disagree with?

Paul Bennett: Hmm.

Um, leverage is good.

I don't know if you're talking about
personal finance or not, but, um,

you know, Dave Ramsey's a brilliant
guy and he's, he's built a, a big,

you know, advisory practice and radio
shows and TV shows and everything,

telling people to get outta debt.

Um, I, I think debt well used
strategically uses how you bill wealth

Brandon Giella: Yeah.

Yeah.

Paul Bennett: and I'm never been
afraid of leverage and, um, you know.

Uh, yeah, I, I, I, again, that's just,
I don't know that, I think fin personal

financial advisors probably are anti debt.

Certainly guys like Dave Ramsey.

I think debt again used correctly,
um, is how you build wealth.

Brandon Giella: Yeah.

Yeah.

I love that.

Yeah.

I think I would imagine his, uh,
target audience is not people who

are wise, savvy, financial investors.

You know, it is, uh, people
that are getting into messes.

But yeah, I mean, I, I totally agree.

I, I and his point on like credit cards
and stuff like that, credit cards have

been amazing for, for me personally
in different things that they can do.

But anyway,

Paul Bennett: Well, I mean, anyway, we
don't need to beat that one to death.

But yeah, I, I think for some people in,
in, you know, not being in debt and paying

off their home is the smart thing to do.

Um, but I, I, I think that's not, if
you look at people who have created

wealth and long-term financial
security, there's a point in life.

Where, you know, it's like everything
else where you, you probably shouldn't

be as aggressive, but, uh, I think in
the wealth accumulation phase of life,

using leverage the right way is something
a lot of people are hesitant to do.

And I, I think that's a, a,
a not the right perspective.

Brandon Giella: Yeah.

And I do agree there is a huge
mental emotional burden that you can

feel when you have a lot of debt.

And clearing that out though
it has a non-monetary value,

is still very valuable.

So I can, I can go with
that and hear that argument,

Paul Bennett: Well, it depends
on what you're using debt for.

And again, I'm beating these to get,
but I don't, I I don't have a loan.

I've never had, well, I say never.

I can't tell you the last
time I had a loan on a car.

Because a car's a depreciating asset.

When, when I, when I'm a proponent
of debt, it's because it's attached

to an asset that's worth far more
than the amount of debt that's

on it, and it's appreciating in
value, not depreciating in value.

So that's where, where you
know where debt makes sense.

Brandon Giella: I like that.

I like that.

Okay.

Number eight, what innovation
or shift in the self-storage

space excites you most right now?

Paul Bennett: I think the.

Okay.

Our strategy, uh, uh, said
this on tons of episodes.

We, we are still pretty old school,
um, in the sense that we have

live on site managers and we think
that human touch is important.

At the same time, we wanna serve
all of the customers that are

out there across all the multiple
generations and the remote.

Technology, um, that we use alongside our
live on site managers, which would allow

somebody who's a millennial or a Gen Xer
or a super techie, you know, baby boomer,

um, to rent a unit, pay for it, get all
the codes, access codes and everything

on their phone in less than five
minutes, um, is pretty cool technology.

Brandon Giella: That's cool.

Okay.

Paul Bennett: Um, and it's, it's,
in today's world, technology

is really not that impressive.

But I think from an impact standpoint,
a lot of operators have gone to

totally remotely managed facilities.

There's not a human being there,
and they have a kiosk on site.

So if you don't wanna do it on
your phone, you can literally.

Punch in everything on a kiosk,
enter your credit card and you

know, and then it'll text you with
the gate codes and everything.

Um, we just haven't gone that far,
but, but I think that's pretty,

you know, I think that's the
technology that shaped things.

I, I think the other thing is, um, the
amount of data that's available, um,

on the, on the marketing side and the
ability to know where your customers

are coming from and therefore shape
your marketing to be more effective.

Is the, is the other thing
that's sort of internal.

But, but that's the other thing.

That's, I mean, the, the amount
of day that's available today in

every industry is just incredible.

Brandon Giella: Yeah, it's amazing.

So too much.

Too much than anybody can actually.

Process.

I love that.

Okay.

Number nine.

What's one thing you hope people
feel after engaging with aaa?

Paul Bennett: Ooh.

Uh, that's an easy one.

That they're important.

Um.

Whether somebody's investing five million
dollars or fifty thousand dollars we

want, Andrew and I work together really
hard to make sure that they're, they

never feel rushed, they never feel
pushed, they feel listened to and they

get all the information they want.

And that their takeaway, whatever decision
they make, is that we were helpful to

them in making the investment decision.

Brandon Giella: I love that.

Paul Bennett: Yeah, that's,
that's, that's an easy one.

That's our, that's, that's
what we are committed to.

Um, you know, in, in every interaction
we have with a potential investor.

Brandon Giella: So important.

So important.

Paul Bennett: Yeah.

Brandon Giella: Number 10, who's a leader?

Past or present?

You'd love to have lunch with.

Paul Bennett: Hmm.

I got a lot of them.

Um.

I'm, I'm going through a list in my head.

Gimme a second.

Um,

Nick Saban.

Brandon Giella: Really?

Paul Bennett: Mm-hmm.

Brandon Giella: Tell me more why.

Paul Bennett: Um, you know.

for years because I didn't really know
Nick Saban, and I'm not an Alabama fan.

Um, I, I, uh, I, I didn't.

I didn't dislike Nick Saban 'cause
I didn't know him, but I wasn't, I

wasn't rooting for him or for Alabama.

I just have always, you know, they
were so well entrenched as you

know, the powerhouse of college
football for so many years.

I, I'll always loved to
see 'em get beat, but.

Once he retired and he became a little
more public, and he began to share

some of his insights and thoughts
about leadership and accountability

and how to achieve greatness.

Um, I, I, I, I just love his perspective
and I can imagine the impact I, I,

well, I know the impact he's had on
the young men he coached, and I think

there's no greater legacy than that.

He's a, he's a leader.

He's a leader of men in a very.

Unique way in a game that requires
a lot to achieve the level of

excellence that, you know, his
team's achieved over all the years.

So as a, as a, as a business person
running a team, um, the culture that he

created, everything that he created at
Alabama and, and what he believed in order

to create that to me, I think is powerful.

And I'd love to pick his brain.

Brandon Giella: For listeners and for me,
I'm, I'm just selfishly curious, what,

how would you summarize his, uh, his
leadership style or his approach maybe.

Paul Bennett: Um, love and fear.

Brandon Giella: Okay.

Paul Bennett: the, the, the, you
know, the players that played for him.

Um.

Were not scared to death, but were,
um, they, they revered him so much.

They never wanted to let him down.

Um, and, but he would, they would
take the, the hard coaching from him

because he knew how much they cared.

Um.

But he, he, he's all about accountability.

It's, uh, it's all about, and,
and it's all about your choices.

It, you know, he, he would rather
have a, a, a player with a, a,

a, a B level of physical talent
and an a level of, of attitude.

Um, because the, the guys that
have, you know, a level talent and

B level attitude are coach killers.

'cause they look really good as athletes,
but they never reach their full potential.

Brandon Giella: Hmm.

Paul Bennett: and so they
make the coach look bad.

The, the, the B guys that have
a attitudes are the reverse.

They make a coach look like a
genius 'cause they outperform their

physical expectations because of
their commitment and discipline.

The work habits, it's about the process.

It's not about the outcome in a
moment, it's about your confidence in

the moment is based on the work that
you've done to get to that moment.

Um, and the willingness.

To make the sacrifices that
have to be made in a sport like

football or in business or in
any walk of life to achieve more.

So, not very well said by me, but um,

Brandon Giella: Uh, I'm
gonna YouTube later.

I feel like there's a lot to learn

Paul Bennett: Oh yeah.

You really ought to go
check out some of his stuff.

It's, it's really fascinating.

Yeah.

Brandon Giella: Huh?

Okay.

Good to know.

Good to know.

Okay.

Okay.

Number 11.

If you could master any skill
instantly, what would it be?

Paul Bennett: Uh, I've been a sort of.

A, a half committed guitar
player for most of my life.

Uh, either, either the
guitar or the banjo.

If I could master e either of those
instruments, that would be really fun.

I just have never put
enough time in, you know,

Brandon Giella: Do you
have a favorite guitarist?

Paul Bennett: um, Martin, but I, I, I'm
playing a tailor right now, but, uh,

Brandon Giella: Oh, guitarist.

Yeah.

Paul Bennett: Oh, oh, you guitar?

Oh gosh.

Um, yeah, two or three.

Um.

Uh, Stevie Ray Vaughan
as a blues guitarist.

Incredible.

Um, Eric Clapton, obvious
choice, you know, probably.

And, uh, and, um, I can't remember his
first name now, not the, uh, anyway,

uh, I can't remember his first
name with, uh, dire Straits.

Um, yeah.

Anyway,

Brandon Giella: know these guys.

Huh.

Okay.

Good to know.

Okay.

What is something you are currently
learning or working on personally?

Paul Bennett: it is physical.

Um, I, I'm at an age and with my body
having sort of done all the things

it's done over the years, um, I have
developed some, some hip and back issues

and I have for the last three years
been studying intently kinesiology,

um, and the whole science of muscle
imbalance and muscle balance and,

um, in an effort to be as healthy and
vibrant as I can for the next 20 years.

Um, so it, that's a weird one, right?

I mean, it's not, you know, I'm
trying to learn ai, I'm trying to

understand how to leverage the power
of AI from a business standpoint.

Um, but, but I, I put a lot of time
and energy into my physical health.

Brandon Giella: Hmm.

Paul Bennett: I, I'm, and it's been a,
it is been a real journey of studying.

Lots of different disciplines and lots
of different information and trial and

error and, um, but I spend an hour or to
an hour and a half a day, um, stretching

and doing strengthening exercises.

So it's been a, it is been
a real interesting journey.

Brandon Giella: What's your advice
to your younger self, uh, you know,

20 years ago about your health

Paul Bennett: Let's start doing
what I'm doing now 20 years ago.

Brandon Giella: Really?

Okay.

Paul Bennett: Yeah, this is a fun
one for me, but it'll bore the heck

out of anybody listening to this.

But, but the, the, the reality is
the body is incredibly able to adapt.

And so in your thirties and forties,
there's things going on that your

body just adapts to, and there's no
pain, no discomfort, and you just

kind of roll on down the road and 10
or 15 years later, you get to your

early fifties and all of a sudden
you go, ah, I've got a back problem.

I, I wonder why that just started.

It didn't just start,
it started 15 years ago.

Um, but your body, I have, I've
had double knee replacement.

I've had, you know, I've had stuff,
you know, like that, but that, that

were early signs of imbalances and
things that weren't, but your body

just shifts that to somewhere else.

And when the body's young, it can do
that and just keep right on going.

But ultimately.

Because you're not using your
body the way you're supposed to.

Your knees wear out and you wind up
with a knee replacement, and then

Yeah, it's one thing after another.

So it, it's, it's really particularly
for people who are in jobs

where they're more sedentary and
they're sitting at a desk all day.

Um, start in your forties.

Yeah.

That was me, right?

I mean, and, and that's
where it came from.

So I won't get into the details 'cause
it really is boring, but, but it's, it's,

it's start early stretch, do yoga, um,
be physically active, um, you know, move.

Brandon Giella: Interesting.

Okay.

I'm gonna get up from this
chair when we get done.

Uh, number 13, what's the best piece
of advice you've ever received?

Paul Bennett: Best piece
of advice I ever received.

I had a football coach one time,
um, that was getting on me about

something and, and he said, see
that bucket of water over there said

the hole, you put your foot in it.

The hole you leave when you pull
it out is how much you'll be missed

when you were gone from here.

Brandon Giella: Oh my gosh, geez.

Paul Bennett: But it makes
you stop and think, right?

You, you, you know, in the moment
we think we're so important and I, I

don't know, we can edit that one out.

That's probably not a good answer.

Um,

Brandon Giella: no, I,
I, it stuck with you may.

No, I, I, you know, actually, I was just
talking with a friend yesterday who said

something very similar about his job.

He felt like he was just a cog in a
machine, but he was like, okay with

that, it like helped him be like,
it's not about me, it's not my ego.

I'm not, I can be replaced.

And it, and it like really helped him.

Uh.

Be like positive and like hopeful about
where he's at instead of like, this grind.

Paul Bennett: Yeah.

Brandon Giella: of how you're,
how you're taking that?

Paul Bennett: Um, not really, to be

Brandon Giella: Okay.

Paul Bennett: Um, it, it challenged, it
challenged me to want to have enough of

an impact that that wouldn't be the case.

Brandon Giella: interesting.

The exact opposite.

Okay.

Paul Bennett: Um, you know.

Yeah.

Uh, it's a silly, that's a silly
answer to a, a great question.

Uh, it

Brandon Giella: You wanna try again?

Paul Bennett: um, yeah, maybe, um.

I, I was trying to think back and think
to things my dad said to me or coaches

along the way said to me, um, uh,

yeah, that, that's just a,
that's such a deep question.

It is hard to answer off the hip.

Brandon Giella: Yeah.

Paul Bennett: Um.

Best piece of advice I ever.

Right.

Yeah, that's just such a hard one.

Let's go back over all the
years and all the people.

Yeah, that we'll have to stay
with the one I came up with.

'cause that's, I can't
think of anything else.

Brandon Giella: Fair enough.

All right.

Paul Bennett: This one's
gonna take a lot of editing.

Brandon Giella: Yeah.

No, it's okay.

We got this.

We got this.

All right.

Number 14, what's a better investment?

Return time or money?

Paul Bennett: Um, time, every time.

Brandon Giella: Tell me about this.

I was so curious to
hear what you would say.

Paul Bennett: You can
always make more money.

Um, you can't the time you have,
and Lord knows I'm 66 years old.

Um, you realize as you get
older how valuable time is.

Um, um, I, I just thought of an
answer to the, it may not be the

best piece of advice ever had,
but it relates to the timeline.

Um.

Jim Rohn.

It wasn't a personal piece of advice,
but it was a perspective that he

had, um, said, don't miss anything.

Don't, don't miss, don't
miss your kids' ball game.

Don't miss the concert.

Don't miss the experiences of
life, um, that you know that are

there that make life richer and.

And build perspective and
bonds and relationships.

Um, that's a pretty powerful
piece of advice if you really

stop and think about it.

And it relates to time.

I mean, I, I, yeah, the time,
your time, the, the time you

have is the most valuable.

And the, the relationships that you
build and the time you spend with

people, quality time, uh, there's
nothing more valuable than that.

Brandon Giella: Hmm.

So going back 30 years, you tell
your younger self to do what?

To, to maximize your time,
your investment on your time.

Paul Bennett: Focus, understand
what's really important.

Brandon Giella: Hmm.

Paul Bennett: Um, invest your
time where it has the most impact.

Um, you know.

Pay attention to your spouse.

Pay attention.

You know, your parents are only
here for a season nine are gone now.

Um, you know, there was a season of
life where I invested a lot of time to

spend with my parents because I realized
they weren't gonna be here much longer.

Um, your kids are grown, man.

It it, you got two little ones.

My youngest turned 34 today.

Um.

And, uh, the, the years go by so fast
and, and your ability to impact and

imprint and, um, help them become the
best version of themselves is so limited.

If you think about it, it seems at
the time, it seems like it goes on

forever, but there, you're gonna
turn around twice and you're gonna

have a middle schooler, you know,
and, and then they're gonna be gone.

Um, so, um, focus and, and think
about your priorities in terms

of how you invest your time.

Brandon Giella: Hmm hmm.

It's hard to keep that in mind when
the days right now, as the saying goes,

are very long, but the years are short,

Paul Bennett: Well, yeah,
stupid, not stupid, but you

know, my dad was a physician.

He had at the largest single physician
family practice in the state of North

Carolina, had 12,000 active charts in his
practice and saw 60 to 70 people a day.

Um, and when he came home
at night, he was exhausted.

But my dad was very intentional.

We went camping together, we went
hunting together when I was nine or 10

years old, he fell in love with snow
skiing and we skied two weeks a year.

He just, he and I, we would go to
Colorado or we'd go to Vermont, or

we'd go to, so he wasn't, he was a,
a busy man doing important things.

So it wasn't necessarily, you
know, Monday through Friday.

Um, but, but he was very
intentional about spending.

You know, quality time with me and,
and, and I've, I've never forgot it.

Brandon Giella: Hmm hmm.

Okay.

This is giving me a lot to think about.

Number 15.

Fast forward five years.

What's one dream or goal
that still gets you fired up?

Paul Bennett: Oh my gosh, so many.

Um, God.

Well, I mean, you business personal,
I mean, there, there's so many.

Um,

in five years, um, From a business
perspective, um, fund one will be

in the middle of its liquidation.

Um, fund two will be starting
to liquidate properties.

Our plan is to raise a series of funds
and five years from now, I want us to be.

Uh, I want us to produce incredible
results for our investors.

I want us to have a, a great
reputation in the marketplace.

And, um, our team will be even bigger in
five years than it is now by necessity.

And I, I, I, I want to have hired
great people, um, who, who have a team

that they're proud to be a part of.

Building a vision that they're proud
to tell their family and friends.

I was a part of accomplishing that,
or I was a part of doing that.

Um, uh, so yeah, that's, um, that's
from a, a business standpoint.

Um, we've got a long, we've got a long
history and a long track record, but.

And so hopefully we have
that as a foundation, as we

build on that foundation.

I want it to be even better.

Brandon Giella: Hmm.

I love that you guys have an amazing
foundation, an amazing team, and

now I'm excited five years from
now what that's gonna look like.

That's cool.

Paul Bennett: Yeah.

We're, we're just not very
good at raising money.

I, I mean, I, I, I think the, the thing
that I, I get excited about is to drive

the growth that we're trying to achieve.

It, it's, it's really about becoming more
sophisticated, more disciplined, and more

knowledgeable about the whole process of.

Of working with and talking to investors.

Um, the operational side of things,
which I'm deeply involved in right

now, in five years, I expect to be
less involved in as our team matures.

Um, we, we've, we are, you know,
we're developing internal processes

and decision making pathways that
should let me be less involved in

the day-to-day decision making.

Um, and more focused on our
external presence in the market

and relationships with investors.

So.

Brandon Giella: Hmm.

Excited to keep that, uh, keep
seeing that vision unfurl.

Paul Bennett: Yeah.

Brandon Giella: it's
been a good ride so far.

Paul Bennett: Yeah.

Brandon Giella: watched you guys
mature and grow even this year.

It's been awesome.

Paul Bennett: Yeah.

Brandon Giella: Great.

Okay, switching to part two, we
have 10 rapid fire questions.

So first thing that comes to mind,

Paul Bennett: Okay.

Brandon Giella: a little easier.

These

Paul Bennett: Okay.

Yeah, those were pretty deep, dude.

Brandon Giella: I know, I know.

But I wanted people to get to know you.

I think you're such an amazing guy and,
uh, I, I love all our conversations

that we get to have, and so I, um.

Anyway, I, I hope people take a
lot away from the depth that you

were able to provide, so thank you.

Part two, this would be number
16, morning person or night owl,

Paul Bennett: Morning.

Absolutely

Brandon Giella: beach or mountains.

Paul Bennett: beach.

Brandon Giella: First job you ever had.

Paul Bennett: Crop and tobacco

Brandon Giella: All right.

Favorite movie.

Paul Bennett: when we were soldiers.

Mel Gibson,

Brandon Giella: I've actually

Paul Bennett: it's one of the
greatest movies about leadership

Brandon Giella: huh?

Paul Bennett: that I've ever seen.

A great, great portrayal of a leader
in very difficult circumstances.

So whether you're a corporate executive or
whatever, if you wanna see what leadership

looks like under fire, that's the movie

Brandon Giella: Interesting.

Okay.

Never seen it.

I will add that to the list.

Do you have a hidden talent or party
trick you wanna tell everybody about?

Paul Bennett: Uh, no, I'm
still a surfer at 66, so

Brandon Giella: Really?

Paul Bennett: don't know.

I don't know that that's a party trick or,

Brandon Giella: No.

That's cool.

I didn't know that's a hidden
talent, at least for me.

Okay.

Good to know.

Paul Bennett: yeah.

Brandon Giella: Okay.

Risk or regret, which
keeps you up at night?

Paul Bennett: Regret.

Brandon Giella: Hmm.

Paul Bennett: I,

Brandon Giella: Hmm, the last

Paul Bennett: dude, I, I'm in a, I've
been in a risky business all my life,

so I'm, I'm used to, I'm used to that.

Brandon Giella: but that risk, the stress
from that doesn't keep you up at night.

It is the regret really.

Paul Bennett: Yeah, no, I, yeah,
much more regret than risk.

Brandon Giella: Okay.

Okay.

Uh, the last thing that
made you laugh out loud.

Paul Bennett: Hmm.

Oh me, my 4-year-old granddaughter,
um, who is a piece of work.

it, yeah, it would be my
4-year-old granddaughter.

And this was actually a video of her,
they live in, in Raleigh near North Hill.

So they live very much in town, but
they have chickens in their backyard and

June loves her chickens and she takes
them like they're pets and climbs up her

jungle gym and slides them down the slide.

So that was the last time I

Brandon Giella: That's awesome.

That's awesome.

That's why you should always
have kids in your life.

They, they make, they make
it much more enjoyable.

That's great.

Okay.

Most adventurous thing you've ever done.

Paul Bennett: Hmm.

Uh, probably, most adventurous
thing I've ever done.

Whew.

Uh, probably a fairly long list of those.

Uh, probably, probably paddling
out in 15 to 18 foot surf.

Brandon Giella: That'll do it.

Paul Bennett: Yeah.

Brandon Giella: Okay.

Paul Bennett: yeah.

Brandon Giella: this in North Carolina?

Paul Bennett: Uh, no it
was in Florida actually.

Brandon Giella: Really?

Eh,

Paul Bennett: Hurricane David.

Brandon Giella: Oh, okay.

This is why I stay inside.

Uh, okay.

Uh, number nine, or I guess
in this case, number 24.

Uh, planned vacation or
spontaneous road trip.

Paul Bennett: Um, much more
often a spontaneous trip than

something that's planned.

Enjoy a planned trip, but, but
it is, more often than not,

it's relatively spontaneous.

Brandon Giella: Okay.

Okay.

All right.

Last one.

A favorite way to spend a Sunday morning.

Paul Bennett: Church.

Brandon Giella: Hmm.

Best way to do it.

Paul Bennett: Yeah,

Brandon Giella: way to end.

Okay.

Is there any, uh, any answer
you wanna take back or change?

Paul Bennett: I, I need to come
up with a better answer for

the best piece of advice I ever

Brandon Giella: Yeah.

Best piece of advice.

Paul Bennett: I tell you,
dude, those hard, those, those

were some deep questions.

Um, great, great questions.

But yeah, I, um, I, I've gotten so
much good advice over the years.

Uh, it is hard to sort of find
one in my mind that felt like the

best piece of advice I ever got.

Mm-hmm.

Brandon Giella: Yeah.

Paul Bennett: But, uh

Brandon Giella: Well, I bet if I kind
of flipped the question around and said,

you give the advice to a 30, 35, 40,
40 5-year-old, let's say average out

40-year-old in general to have a a, a.

The life well lived.

The good life, what do you say?

Paul Bennett: Um, it would be for
a younger person than that, but.

Um, I have a, a son who's 41 and um, when
he was growing up, our house was kind

of the house where everybody hung out.

So I had a bunch of, you know, kids that
are now in their forties that at 21,

22, 23 when they were graduating from
college, they were all in a panic because

they didn't know what they wanted to be.

Brandon Giella: Yeah.

Paul Bennett: And the advice I gave them.

Was something I'd been told along the way,
which is your twenties are about practice.

They're about figuring out what you're
good at, what you're not good at,

what you like and what you don't like.

You'll figure out a career in your
thirties and you won't make any real money

till you're in your forties and fifties.

Brandon Giella: Hmm

Paul Bennett: Because kids today feel
like they're supposed to have, you know,

with, with Zuckerberg and Gates and
all these, particularly the technology

related careers where the, some of
these guys have been billionaires

before they were, you know, 25 or 28.

Uh, there's so much unreasonable
expectations and life

just doesn't, there are.

People who are, who know when
they're 10 years old, they wanna

be a doctor or a lawyer or a this
or that, but that's the exception.

Um, and my career evolved that way.

I, I had no idea I was gonna
wind up in real estate.

Um, and I, it's a long story, so I
won't tell it, but it was a series

of chance encounters starting with me
working as a bartender in a hotel that

was owned by a real estate syndicator.

Her and, and that's how I
wound up with a career that's

now spent more than 40 years.

Yeah.

Brandon Giella: I feel like
that's a whole nother episode.

Paul Bennett: Yeah.

Brandon Giella: Okay.

Uh,

Paul Bennett: Probably.

Brandon Giella: no, I, I appreciate that.

I mean, as a 30 5-year-old with, with
often unrealistic expectations, partly

because I'm in the tech world and,
and follow those stories closely,

um, it's encouraging to hear you kind
of figure it out in your thirties.

And then it sort of, you know,

Paul Bennett: Well, you, you.

Brandon Giella: there as, as far
as your, you know, quote unquote,

like material or financial success.

Anyway,

Paul Bennett: Yeah, but, but I
mean, you've clearly figured it out.

You've, you've now got your
career and your career path.

You're building a firm doing a great
job, and it, you, you're making a living.

But as you progress, if you choose to
scale it and design it so that it can

build wealth as a business, then that's,
that'll be the next season of life.

Brandon Giella: Hmm.

Hmm.

That's encouraging, that's encouraging.

Well, Paul, I always love our
conversations and this is for sure

among my favorites because I, I do
love to get to know you and I love

the, the, the chance or the opportunity
for our listeners to get to know

you as, as I have in our kind of
off the cuff moments this last year.

So, um, you.

An amazing guy.

You guys are running an amazing
operation and it's really exciting

to, to see it come together.

So if you would like to get know,
to know Paul more personally, please

email him, get in touch with the team.

Uh, you go to aaa storage investments.com

and you'll find all the
contact information there.

And, and of course join the
newsletter and, and follow up with

Paul and Andrew and the team there.

Um, but Paul, because you love.

People, and you're such an encourager.

I love that.

The chance and the opportunity for
people to get in touch with you and

talk to you about investments and,
and how you guys do what you do.

'cause it's, it's really
important work that you're

Paul Bennett: And love interacting
with folks and hearing other people.

You know, one of the things I think is
I am in any place where there are lots

of people is that everybody has a story.

Okay.

Um, and, uh, it's always fun to hear
and learn about somebody's story, so.

Brandon Giella: I love that.

I love that.

Everyone has a story.

Everyone is important.

Paul Bennett: that's right.

Brandon Giella: Paul, thank you very much.

We will see you on the next episode.

Paul Bennett: Thanks buddy.