Balancing Tech and Humanity in Canadian Storage with Robert Madsen from U-Lock Mini Storage

Self Storage Lab

This episode’s guest is Robert Madsen, president of U-Lock Mini Storage Group and the Canadian Self Storage Association. Robert’s story is rooted in the early days of the industry in Canada, having grown up working in his family’s first converted warehouse facility. Today, he leads one of British Columbia’s most recognizable storage brands and is a fierce advocate for the Canadian self-storage industry.

In this episode, we explore:

(00:00:20) From childhood chores to national leadership—Robert’s self-storage origin story.
(00:03:11) Modular storage before it was cool—building units on demand in the 1980s.
(00:05:00) Detouring into airport ops—and what storage can learn from aviation.
(00:08:59) Crisis calm—why emergency landings prepared Robert for anything in storage.
(00:12:23) Climbing the corporate ladder…and choosing self-storage over silos.
(00:16:00) More than just stuff—why self-storage is about serving life’s transitions.
(00:19:30) Hiring for empathy—what Robert looks for in customer-facing team members.
(00:21:24) Bringing AI into ops—from call analysis to weekly training video automation.
(00:26:56) How Robert got his team to "get" AI: a live demo that changed everything.
(00:29:53) Creating an AI-literate culture—leadership’s role in empowering experimentation.
(00:30:28) The domain name coup—how he landed selfstorage.ca before it was hot.
(00:32:56) Canada ≠ U.S.—misconceptions, consumer behaviors, and population scale.
(00:36:00) The cost of doing business—land, taxes, and pricing pressure in Vancouver.
(00:42:00) Must-haves for Canadian customers: safety, cleanliness, and professional service.
(00:44:00) Why Canada lacks lien laws—and how CSSA handles policy advocacy.
(00:48:00) The tax battle—why being labeled “passive income” is hurting operators.
(00:53:00) Use your data honestly—Robert’s advice to avoid vanity metrics and flawed deals.
(01:00:22) Final advice for operators—optimize now, train relentlessly, and control what you can.