Women In Self-Storage: Karen Reggio, Chief of Staff, StoreLocal

There are few things in life that stay with you forever. On an individual basis, these include personal milestones, such as weddings and the birth of children. In the collective, there are historical moments, such as where you were when planes hit the World Trade Center. Magazine stories, on the other hand, tend to inform or entertain, before they are forgotten. 

That isn’t the case with Karen Reggio’s story. In this month’s installment of Women In Self-Storage, we’re showcasing her exceptional tale of overcoming unbearable hardships and her ability to extract the good that came out of them.  Make sure you have tissues close by. 

Southern Upbringing  

Reggio was born and raised in New Orleans, La. She grew up with three brothers, loving her life in the land of jazz and beignets, until her family moved to San Diego right before she started high school. The timing was less than ideal for someone her age, but her father was in the Navy and that’s how life in the military often works. 

Thankfully, she’s always gotten along well with her siblings. “Our favorite people to be around are each other,” she proudly says. And their close-knit clan expanded when a sister was added to the mix when Reggio was 15. 

Eventually, she grew up, married, and had four kids: two boys and two girls. They were a picture-perfect family until her daughter, Mary, started having health issues around 18 months of age. “She stopped growing and would get frequent fevers,” Reggio recalls. “We took her to so many doctor appointments, trying to figure out what was going on. And right before she turned three, she was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia.” 

It was a parent’s worst nightmare. The doctors gave a grim outlook, and her baby required multiple daily injections at home, a treatment that would be unbearable for any adult, let alone a toddler. 

But even during these dark times, Reggio experienced kindness from many people. “When Mary was a few months into her treatment, one of my friends came over with a huge gift basket,” she says. “Inside, there was a card signed by 25 women. I only recognized two names, so I asked who the rest of them were.”  

It was a group of women who would meet every Monday to pray for Mary. “They didn’t know her, yet they all got together weekly to do this for my daughter,” she says, tearing up when remembering their benevolence.  

And her little miracle baby kept living; at age 11, Reggio was notified of a clinical trial for a new medication called Gleevec. Instead of the daily injections, she’d take oral meds once a day. Only four children were accepted into the trial, Mary being one of them. 

It worked. The family was elated, but they still dealt with the realities of living with cancer: falling asleep during class due to exhaustion, people walking on eggshells around them because they didn’t want to say something insensitive, or making friends with other kids who understood what that was like. 

The Reggio family

Camaraderie Through Camp  

Early on, doctors told Reggio about the Orange County Foundation for Oncology Children and Families (OCF-OCF), an organization that hosts semi-annual camps for children with cancer and their families. 

“We were told we had to go as a family, because this would create fellowship with other families going through the same thing,” she says, adding that one of the most wonderful aspects of the camps was that all the activities, like games, singing, and swimming, involved all the kids without distinctions among those who had cancer and those who didn’t. “It was so important for Mary’s brothers and sister to be around other kids who were experiencing the same fears and isolation. It really was life changing, since kids who were tired from treatment or who had to take off prosthetics to jump in the pool were all playing together. It was refreshing to be around people who got it.” 

It was especially a relief to laugh freely. The kids had a sense of humor about crazy things that would happen at the hospital. “With cancer, people often think that you should be sad all the time,” Reggio states. “But it’s very therapeutic to know you can experience joy again.” 

She was also surprised to learn that every single person who ran the camp was a volunteer. There isn’t even an executive board who makes a salary. “That changed my life,” she says. “I decided I wanted to do that too. I wanted to be that kind of person who gives back.” 

And giving back she did. Even while having a full plate as a stay-at-home mom of four, and one with leukemia, Reggio ended up serving on the OCF-OCF board of directors for many years, helping to ensure that the camps and activities continued on for families dealing with pediatric cancer. 

Entering Self-Storage 

“I had heard about an open director position at Kure It Cancer Research,” she explains. “It was started by Barry Hoeven of U.S. Storage Centers, who had kidney cancer. Through self-storage industry events and programs, Kure It raises money for underfunded cancer research, and gives it away in large sums to fund specific research projects. Kure It stays involved with the researchers and follows the entire process.” 

Reggio goes on to say, “After three years at Kure It, it was time for a change.” She considered another nonprofit management position, but Reggio was also intrigued with the idea of staying in the self-storage business. 

Through Kure It, she had met Lance Watkins, with whom Barry Hoeven had created Charity Storage, an organization that provides storage units to be filled with donations that are later sold at auction. The proceeds are then donated to various charities, including Kure It. 

Fortunately, Watkins told her about a new project he wanted to start. What is now Storelocal was in its beginning stages, and he needed some administrative help. 

She was up for the challenge. “He had a backpack full of contracts and we started organizing things from a cubicle. We didn’t even have an office,” she recalls, proudly highlighting how much that little project has grown. “Now we have Storelocal branded locations all over the country and a full suite of technology through Tenant Inc. We’ve launched so many products and services, and it’s been such a treat to watch it grow from the humble beginnings in that cubicle.” 

Women in Self-Storage: Reggio, Sue Haviland (Haviland Storage Services), and
Pam Domingue (Storage Solution, California Self-Storage Association)

Industry Adoration  

Many people in self-storage admit that they would’ve never imagined working in the industry. But a common thread is also the high caliber of people who work in this space. 

“What I love the most about self-storage is that there’s no gatekeeping,” says Reggio. “If someone has a great idea, they want everyone else to benefit from it, too. Whether it’s good products or services, everyone wants everyone else to succeed; and that’s pretty unusual in other industries.” 

She also loves her experience at Storelocal. “Over the years, I’ve done most jobs here—accounting, bookkeeping, HR, marketing—now we have whole departments doing each of these things.” 

Then, after all her kids grew up, married, and started their own families, Reggio started thinking of moving back to New Orleans. Thankfully, Storelocal let her work remotely, so she packed her bags and returned home. 

Words Of Wisdom 

When asked what advice she would give other women, Reggio is quick to remind us to be mindful of our value. “When I decided I wanted to get a job outside the home again, I was so worried about having been out of the workforce for so long.” 

She hired a resumé writer to help her, and the results impressed her. “He had taken all of the skills I used throughout my years volunteering and crafted paragraphs highlighting abilities and contributions. And when I read them, I thought, ‘Wow! I would totally hire someone like this!’” 

Such an epiphany serves as a valuable lesson: Don’t discount your soft skills and experiences. Talk to as many people as you can. “Put your feelers out when you’re looking for a position. You’d be surprised at how many people are looking for someone. It doesn’t have to be something you went to school for, or you have work experience with. You are capable of many things, even things you don’t foresee.” 

Above all else, Reggio brings up something that hits directly at the heart. “If our family had to choose to do life again, if we could choose for Mary not to be sick, of course we’d choose that. But our lives wouldn’t be as rich without the people we have met through this experience. Sometimes, the worst things in life are also the source of great joy and wonderful relationships.” 

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Alejandra Zilak studied journalism, went to law school, and now writes for a living. She also loves dogs.