very common phrase that is often invoked by people of all walks of life is “Everything happens for a reason.” It’s a popular one because it tends to be true. Take this year’s Manager of the Year second runner-up, Darryl Bridges from Metro Self Storage, for example. He landed feet first into this industry, and it turned out to be exactly what he needed—in both his professional and personal life.

Everything that has happened from his youth until now has been a series of fortunate events that progressed organically to the beautiful life he has today with his wife and two children. Now, as the 2024 Manager of the Year second runner-up, he’s happy to share his story.

Bridges was born and raised in Washington, D.C., as the oldest of three siblings (he has a younger brother and a younger sister). He grew up loving basketball, football, and taking photos as a hobby. In high school, he played in the school band. “I enjoyed being in band so much I ended up attending the University of the District of Columbia because they had a great band.” This enabled him to keep his high school friends as bandmates in college.

He also enlisted in the Army Reserves and went to basic training at Fort Dix, N.J., before being advanced to individual training school in Fort Jackson, S.C. He eventually ranked as an E-4 specialist and later received an honorable discharge after proudly serving his country for eight years.

In the 90s, he entered a radio contest to win some concert tickets. “I ended up winning,” he remembers fondly. But the biggest surprise came when the radio host told him that he had a great voice and that he should try to get a career in radio. “So, I decided to go to the Columbia School of Broadcasting.”

Although that was an exciting time in his life, he learned that what matters most in the radio industry is who you know, not what you know. Therefore, he applied for a job at Shurgard Self Storage in Maryland. “I did so not knowing that this would sort of change my life,” Bridges says. “I became fascinated with customer service and with the self-storage industry as a whole.”

Not only did Bridges find himself in a new industry he thoroughly enjoyed, but life threw him an even better surprise. “I met my wife at Shurgard when I took over the facility,” he says. “She was very nice, but [she] was also upset because she was trying to get the manager to process a tenant referral, since she referred one of her friends and hadn’t received the credit for it.”

Bridges verified and processed her credit, and now they’re married and have two kids. There was a lot more that happened in between, but it’s up to them to tell you that part of the story.

Bridges started working at Metro Self Storage in Lithonia, Ga., in April 2009. From the beginning, his impact has been noteworthy. By 2011, he was promoted to training manager, tasked with training all new store-level managers in the district. When that facility was sold in December 2021, it had a 97.1 percent occupancy rate.

During his time in Lithonia, the average revenue per square footage increased by 93 percent and experienced a 37 percent revenue growth in the final year before its sale.

In April 2022, Bridges joined the Lawrenceville facility as property manager and was promoted to senior property manager for his district in December 2023. Since arriving, move-ins have increased 26.4 percent year over year. Autopays have also increased by 37.3 percent year over year; and revenue has increased by 12 percent. In the past 12 months, the average occupancy rate has been 91 percent.

While these numbers are certainly impressive, it’s his big heart and empathy that have resulted in almost 300 positive online reviews by the time of this writing. In fact, when asked about his advice to others in the industry, first and foremost, he’s mindful of the customers he serves. “My advice is to always treat people with respect and dignity, and to have empathy for all kinds of situations,” he explains. “I’ve seen so many major family crises in this business. It’s taught me that life is short and to always be nice and courteous to people.”

He explains how, when he first started, he never imagined the wide range of adverse life circumstances that would bring tenants to seek self-storage. “I never thought I would be handling auctions, deceased tenants, and divorces.” And treating people well has made all the difference, since they always remember a kind heart when going through hardships.

He’s also quick to add how much he values the responsibility of managing a location. “I like that I’m part of the decision-making process; and I love knowing that I’ve helped someone who may be going through a difficult time in their life.”

PJ Richards, director of learning and project management at Metro Storage (and the person who nominated Bridges for this recognition) attests to Bridges’ work ethic. “His greatest strength is that he’s so focused on customer service,” says Richards. “He really works so well with people. Customers love him because he’s very outgoing, personable, and he really likes to help. People just feel welcome when they come into the store because of him. It’s innately in his personality.”

Such words are evidence that, above anything else, being a genuinely good person goes a long way in the success of a business. Bridges may be the second runner-up, because all the nominees are so outstanding, but at the end of the day, they’re all winners.

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