Short answer: Mark believes mindset is the most important asset in any business. He points to a 1950s experiment by psychologist Curt Richter: rats given the expectation of rescue kept swimming many hours longer than those without it. Owners who expect to solve problems such as cost overruns, bank delays or slow lease-ups tend to outlast those who feel they’re drowning.[1]
The experiment #
In Richter’s study, most rats placed in water gave up after about 15 minutes. When he rescued rats just before they gave up, several times over, and then put them back in, they kept swimming for hours, in some cases more than 60. Their physical ability hadn’t changed; their expectation had.[1]
What Mark takes from it #
- Belief builds endurance. Keep a visible scoreboard of wins (funding secured, milestones met) and celebrate progress with your team.[1]
- Your limits may not be real. People under stress tend to underestimate what they can do. Hold the expectation that you can raise capital, finish the project and lease up even in a tough market.[1]
- Don’t go it alone. Structure and support turn panic into performance; that’s part of why the Inner Circle group was created.[1]
Mark also says success is about 20% knowing what to do and 80% mindset.[2]
Related answers #
- Why do vision and environment matter for storage entrepreneurs?
- What are the first steps to getting into self-storage?
- What are the biggest mistakes Mark Helm has made in self-storage, and what did he learn?
Sources #
Each numbered note above links to the post of Mark’s it comes from.
- How Expectation Fuels Breakthroughs in Your Storage Business, Mark Helm, December 5, 2025
- Self-Storage Startup Checklist – The First 4 Steps to Enter Self-Storage and Most Don’t Start Here, Mark Helm, September 26, 2025
