Nailing down Josh and Melissa Huff for an hour-long interview is no easy feat, as this dynamic duo, co-founders of Lighthouse Storage Solutions, spend a lot of time on the road. So that’s where we connect, when they’re somewhere between Vero Beach and Melbourne, Fla. They sign into Zoom on a dash-mounted device that provides a wide-angle view of them with the road stretching out in the rearview. Josh’s hands are on the steering wheel, Melissa’s are hidden behind an open laptop perched on her knees, and both are all smiles.
“I usually do the driving,” says Josh, keeping his eyes on the road but glancing at the camera from time to time. “Not because I’m better at it but because most of my work gets done at the destination, while Melissa can take care of a lot of her tasks in the passenger seat.”
“He grew up navigating Chicago-area traffic, so he’s a good defensive driver,” Melissa says before closing her laptop. “But I do correct him a lot.”
“Yeah, she has a lot of helpful input,” Josh says with a laugh, his wedding band catching the sun as he makes a slight turn. The two celebrated their five-year anniversary earlier this year, and it’s clear that it’s a marriage grounded in mutual respect and a lot of hard work.
The Huffs’ story started as a whirlwind romance. They dated for about three months before deciding to tie the knot, and while that may sound quick to some, they knew it was meant to be. Plus, they already had a lot of life experience to guide them, having both been married previously and each having children. The biggest consideration was how to go about merging the two families. Despite all their planning around how to manage that, things came together in an unexpected way. Just months after they married, COVID shut the world down, keeping the newly formed family under one roof.
“It could’ve gone south very quickly,” Josh told MSM back in 2024. “Fortunately, that’s not what happened. In fact, it was a blessing being so close to one another and our kids during such a turbulent time.”
Being confined to the home also meant working alongside one another every day. Melissa was already active in the self-storage industry, at one time having managed 35 facilities across three states while serving as director of the Tennessee and Louisiana Self Storage Associations (positions she still holds).
Meanwhile, Josh had a wealth of knowledge in marketing, with years of experience under his belt. While sharing an office with his new wife during quarantine, however, his interest in self-storage grew. He began doing side projects for her clients, and she began helping him out as well. Eventually, the two decided to put their strengths together and create Lighthouse Storage Solutions.
“A number of facilities that had been doing unprecedented levels of business suddenly found themselves struggling,” recalls Josh, “so we began looking at ways to help them.”
For Josh, that meant marketing, web design, and drone photos and video. For Melissa, that meant consulting, management training, and policy and procedure manuals. By partnering up, they were able to turn Lighthouse into a full-service operation designed to “guide owners on a clear path towards their desired destination.”
Now it’s a whirlwind of work, but the Huffs are loving every minute of it.
While some road warriors play games like “I spy” to pass the time, the Huffs are more apt to point out self-storage facilities. It’s easy to spot the “big four” REITs on their journeys, but being the first to spy a uniquely located or architecturally interesting independent gives Josh or Melissa bragging rights (until the next one is discovered). Of course, most of the work the couple does is for independents, so it’s no surprise they’d keep an eye out for them.
As a state association director, Melissa does advocate for self-storage in general–she highlights legislative efforts such as streamlining lien laws and improving the eviction process–but she acknowledges that there is a greater emphasis on independents. “Many of them can use the help, whereas the REITs don’t need any handholding,” she says.
One way the associations support independents is by holding educational and networking events. Because many small operators may not have the budget to attend a big national show, or it might not be feasible for them to shut down their facility and head out to Vegas or Orlando, events like a local “lunch and learn” allow them to connect with others on a smaller scale. "These provide educational opportunities and allow independent owners to sit down with others like them to discuss challenges, brainstorm solutions, and share successes. Everyone learns from one another.”
Melissa stresses that despite a lot of industry restructuring, and a lot of properties changing hands lately, she never sees independents becoming a thing of the past. “Not everyone is selling out to the big boys,” she says. “There are still a lot of small operators who love their business, and they’re stepping up their game in order to compete, whether it’s improving their technology or re-evaluating their rates. And that’s wonderful to see.”
Josh agrees, recalling the story of a Lighthouse client who hired them to help get his property ready to sell. “He was losing money and getting frustrated, so he wanted us to optimize it in order to get a good price for it on the market.”
The Huffs looked at the facility and the market and came back to the client with an unexpected recommendation: Keep the property. “There were a lot of tools that the client didn’t even know were available to him that we put into place,” Josh says. “We upgraded the software, designed a new website, implemented a training program, and so on.”
The plan worked. Today, the property is operating successfully and even going toe-to-toe with some heavy hitters in the area. “We love when that happens for our clients,” says Josh. “When they realize it is possible to compete with REITs that are moving onto their turf and still have a valuable and viable business.”
Melissa adds that not every project is an immediate homerun. After setting some clients up for success and giving them a play-by-play on how to keep moving forward, some aren’t ready to cut the cord. This is especially true when there’s new technology involved. “What we often hear is, ‘Can you do this with me?’”
Of course, the good-hearted Huffs are happy to do that, staying on for three or six months more–sometimes longer. “We try to walk alongside them, encourage them. If there are hiccups along the way, they don’t have to handle them alone. We help them navigate those situations.”
If it sounds like the Huffs have a lot of irons in the fire, that’s because they do. Lately, the couple has been joking that their company motto should be “Yeah, we can do that”—not that they’re complaining.
“We have people reach out for random things all the time, and our response is always, ‘yeah, we can do that,’” Josh says with a laugh. In the last two months alone, Cubby approached them to produce their podcast and Madison Capital asked them to create video of under construction properties throughout the country. “They send us the audio and video, we produce it and put it out on their platform,” he says about Cubby. “We visit about 15 of their [Madison Capital] properties once a month to capture video that highlights the progress that’s been made.” They also get requests for quick one-off jobs, such as a brochure or billboard design.
Their willingness to say “yes” has also led to highly specialized requests. Beyond marketing materials, operators often turn to Melissa for complex challenges like determining rate increases. “They’ll know they need to increase their rates, but they don’t know which tenants to increase first or how much to raise the rate.”
She’ll take these on a case-by-case basis. “Rates can be a touchy subject, so typically I’ll only offer guidance in that area if it’s someone I’ve worked with before, so that I already have a good understanding of their property, the market, and the competition. Together, we’ll look at their property management system, checking their current rates and occupancy against others in the area and coming up with a plan of action.”
Collections is something else many small operators struggle with. “They might not be firm enough with delinquent tenants, they may not understand the lien process, or they may just be afraid to implement it,” says Melissa. “So again, we give them a plan so that they know how to handle delinquency and can manage it the same way every single time without exception. That’s empowering for the manager, and after a few of them, it becomes easier.”
Another specialty the Huffs have added to their expanding line of “yeah, we can do that” services is moderating demos between clients and suppliers, including software, security, access control, and call center companies. “We know the questions to ask that they may not,” says Josh. “Being on that call with them gives them peace of mind that they’re making the right decision and that they’re not getting a raw deal or being taken advantage of.”
Recently, Melissa has also begun working with owners on new development. She’ll pore over site maps and feasibility reports with clients, helping them consider unit mix, traffic flow, even architecture and landscaping.
Does her role as director of two state associations inspire more confidence among clients? “They may feel more secure because of that, but Lighthouse operates independently of the associations,” she explains. “The boards can’t get involved with individual properties due to liability. At that level, guidance is generalized: basic information about best practices, marketing, and so on.”
For anything more involved than “How are auctions performed?” or “What does the state’s lien law say?” the associations’ have a go-to guy: “We pick up the phone and call Scott Zucker,” she says. “To help on an individual level, that’s what Lighthouse does.”
In just a few short years, both Josh and Melissa marvel at how far Lighthouse Storage Solutions has come. Along with all the consulting work, Josh breaks out a few impressive numbers: Their podcast, Gabfocus, which they host alongside Tommy Nguyen of StoragePug, just cracked 25,000 downloads, and by the end of the month, they will have shot drone footage at over 240 locations. It’s no surprise his videos are in demand; industry folks will tell you it’s pretty clear when you’re viewing a “Josh Huff drone video” because of the skill and care he puts into each one.
Though the company is shining bright, the couple makes it clear that their goal is to also help others shine. “The Lighthouse is a nod to our faith in God,” says Josh. “A lighthouse shows you where you need to go, but it also helps you get there, and that’s how we run our business–guiding others. Of course, we sometimes need guidance ourselves. We’ve joked a lot about God being our business development manager.”
When asked to elaborate on that, he explains that while some of their personal business initiatives have been less than successful, there has also been several unplanned opportunities that just seemed to land in their lap, as if by divine intervention. “We were at the SSA convention in Vegas a few years ago, sitting at a marketing round table, and the leader of the session didn’t show up. Everyone looked around like, ‘Now what?’”
Josh, with his experience in marketing, felt called to step up and volunteer to lead the session. “It was very off-the-cuff, but also very well received,” he says. So, he led another, and then another after that. “Leading these sessions, something I didn’t expect, introduced me to a client that we’ve been doing a lot of work for ever since—drone photography, website redesign, management training, revamping signage, the whole nine yards. But had I not sat at that table, had I not spoken up, it never would’ve happened. We have lots of stories like that, and our faith in God is strengthened as we see Him work time after time.”
The Huffs’ work has taken them to no fewer than 35 states since they started Lighthouse Storage Solutions (there’s a map in their office with each one pinned), and they’re likely to cross off a few more in the coming years.
“One of our newest gigs is doing event photography for association conferences and events,” says Josh.
“We’ve already done New England and Florida,” adds Melissa. “Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi, and Alabama are coming up, and Texas is under contract. Who knows where we’ll go from there.”
One place the new gig could land them is Hawaii. “We’ve spoken with Tron [Jordheim, a self-storage consultant and host of the annual Self-Storage Hawai’i UnConference event], but the timing wasn’t right. We have two kids starting high school, one just graduated, and another we’re sending off to college, so we just couldn’t make it work. But there’s always next year.”
So, it looks like the Huffs could be trading vehicle mileage for airline miles in the near future. But even if they’re not behind the wheel, it’s clear that this power couple will continue to steer others toward success.
To get to know this duo better, here are some fun stats.
Wheels: Hyundai Palisade with more than 100,000 miles (three years old) and Hyundai Tucson with 45,000 miles (one year old).
Pilot: Josh 89 percent and Melissa 11 percent. “She’ll take the wheel on long stretches of road from time to time,” says Josh.
Playlist: Morning worship, followed by 70s, 80s, and 90s country classics. Southern rock is also a staple; after all, that’s what Josh’s band plays (that’s right, he also finds time for that!).
Podcasts: Anything self-storage, naturally, plus the news. “We’re current events junkies,” says Josh.
Audio Books: Popular authors like John Grisham and Michael Crichton.
Thirst-Quenchers: Coffee to get going and water to keep hydrated and focused.
Good Eats: Portillo’s in the southeast and In-N-Out in the west make the cut, but the Huffs prefer eating local when they can. “Preferably barbeque … the smoker on the side of the road … we can smell it a mile away,” says Melissa.
Catching Zs: Outside of quick cat naps, the duo doesn’t crash in the car. For a good night’s rest, they choose Hilton (plus they have reward points to earn).
Unexpected Discoveries: “We’ve run into things we didn’t know were there … until we were there,” says Josh. This includes a Blue Angels air show in Pensacola, Fla.; the birthplace of Elvis in Tupelo, Miss.; Superman in Metropolis, Ill.; and the Belmont Stakes thoroughbred race in Elmont, N.Y.
They Brake For: Buc-ee’s. “We can spend a good 15 minutes there,” says Melissa, “and if our feet have a chance to walk on a sandy beach, we are definitely stopping for a stroll.”
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Brad Hadfield is MSM's lead writer and web manager