Locked Up but Not Locked Out The Entrepreneur Within with Andrew Freeman

In this episode of Entrepreneurial Excellence Podcast, Andrew Freeman shares his journey from early hustles to building a thriving business, only to face a life-altering federal indictment. He opens up about the hard lessons learned during his time in prison and how it reshaped his perspective on business, leadership, and integrity. Andrew explains how he and his co-founder transitioned from e-commerce to real estate, scaling a self-storage empire with a tech-driven approach. He discusses the importance of maintaining control, raising capital from the right investors, and building a company culture rooted in trust and transparency.  This conversation is a deep dive into entrepreneurship, ethics, and long-term thinking. Andrew’s story is a powerful reminder that success isn’t about where you start—it’s about how you adapt, lead, and stay true to your values. Key Topics: How Andrew Freeman started in business and his early hustlesFacing legal trouble and learning from his time in prisonGrowing an e-commerce business and moving into real estateUsing technology to improve the self-storage industryBuilding a strong company culture and making ethical choices Quote  From The Episode:  "Everything I’ve gone through, I believe, has happened for a reason, and it’s the best thing that’s happened to me." - Andrew Freeman Timestamp: [01:50] Andrew Freeman and his co-founder turned their e-commerce success into a launchpad for self-storage investing, modernizing the industry with a tech-driven, automated approach. [10:27] From early hustle to running a thriving business, Andrew shared his turning point—facing a federal indictment for synthetic drug sales. [20:20] He reflected on his two-year legal battle and the life-altering decision to accept a plea deal to avoid a harsher sentence. [30:04] Prison tested his resilience, shaping his commitment to transparency, ethical leadership, and integrity in business. [40:05] Returning home with no degree and a felony record, Andrew rebuilt from scratch—scaling an e-commerce business, reinvesting in self-storage, and prioritizing long-term wealth over quick wins. [51:22] Spotting opportunity in the fragmented self-storage market, Andrew and his co-founder used e-commerce profits to acquire underutilized facilities, pioneering a contactless management model. [1:02:18] Their first facility was struggling, but with discipline and a market-specific strategy, they turned it into a thriving business. [1:12:39] Opting for control over private equity, they raised funds from friends and family to scale while preserving their vision. [1:21:21] Reflecting on his journey—from incarceration to entrepreneurship—Andrew shared his biggest lessons: patience, resilience, and turning setbacks into strengths. [1:34:48] Outro Connect with Andrew Freeman: LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/andrew-freeman1 Website - kostorage.com/ Connect to Entrepreneurial-Excellence: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/entrepreneurial-excellence-podcast Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/@EntrepreneurialExcellencePod TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@eepodcast24 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570329516959 Website - https://www.levy.company/entrepreneurial-excellence