Magen Smith, Co-Founder and CEO of Atomic Storage Group, joins Matt Engfer to break down what really drives success in self storage: disciplined execution, strong fundamentals, and a great team.

In this episode, Magen shares her journey from accounting and consulting to building a national third-party management company. She explains how to evaluate a storage facility, which metrics actually matter, how independent operators can compete in today’s market, and why there’s no substitute for doing the basics well—every single day.

If you’re a self-storage owner, operator, or manager looking for practical insight into scaling sustainably, this conversation delivers real-world perspective without the fluff.

Key Takeaways:

• 0:00 Intro

• 2:30 Magen’s background and the Atomic origin story

• 6:31 The most important metrics in a property audit

• 8:41 Competing as an independent operator today

• 9:43 Managing marketing, operations, and customer experience

• 11:55 Why execution beats strategy

• 14:53 Building a strong, scalable team

• 17:13 Managing a diverse portfolio of facilities

• 18:34 Why hard work and people—not hacks—drive growth

• 20:12 The future of Atomic Storage Group and self storage

• 25:03 What’s next for Cubby in 2026

🔗 Learn more about Atomic Storage Group:
https://atomicstoragegroup.com/

🔗 Learn more about CUBBY:
https://www.cubbystorage.com/

Thanks for watching the Cubby Podcast.

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