‘We escaped the RAT RACE – now we want to help others find their own freedom’

Kim and Shane Storkey of Property Investment Academy South West | PIA SW

placeholder image — Kim and Shane Storkey of Property Investment Academy South West | PIA SW

After years of juggling multiple jobs, financial pressure and family life, North Devon couple Kim and Shane Storkey transformed the course of their lives. Today they're on a mission to help others discover what's possible – not simply through property, but by changing the way they think about their future.

There was a time when Kim and Shane barely saw each other.

Like so many families, they were caught in the relentless cycle of working simply to keep up. Bills needed paying, children needed raising and every day seemed to blur into the next. There was little time to stop, let alone dream about what life could become.

Kim often worked four or five jobs at a time while Shane ran his own carpentry business. They weren't afraid of hard work—in fact, they'd built their lives around it. But eventually they began asking themselves a question that would quietly change the course of their future.

"Is this really all there is?"

That question became the catalyst for everything that followed.

Rather than searching for a quick fix, they chose to invest in themselves. They immersed themselves in property education, personal development and the mindset principles developed by property educator Steven Green and the Discipline model—principles they say completely reshaped not only how they approached business, but how they approached life itself.

Kim Storkey speaking during a Property Investment Academy South West training session. | PIA SW

Today, after 24 YEARS, and raising three children aged 22, 19 and 11, Kim and Shane run SSBC Contractors Ltd alongside Storkey Property Development. More importantly, they say, they've built something they never thought possible all those years ago—choice.

Choice over how they spend their time.

Choice over the future they're creating for their children.

And now, choice to help others.

That desire led them to establish The Property Investment Academy – South West, bringing a fresh approach to property education across the region.

Rather than focusing purely on investing, the couple believe property is simply the vehicle.

The real transformation comes from developing the knowledge, confidence and mindset that allows people to create lasting financial security for themselves and their families.

Kim said: "We weren't looking for an easy life. We were looking for a different one.

"We'd spent years working harder and harder but never really getting ahead. We were exhausted and constantly felt like we were surviving instead of living.

"Learning to think differently changed everything. It wasn't just about property. It was about understanding ourselves, changing our mindset and realising that our future didn't have to look like our past."

The couple now host free one-day property events across the South West, giving people the opportunity to explore property investing in a practical, supportive environment.

But they are quick to point out that their approach is very different from traditional property education.

Shane brings more than 20 years of experience in construction and health and safety, knowledge gained through decades of working on projects across the South West. Those years of practical experience now sit alongside Kim's background in coaching, wellbeing and personal development.

Together, they've developed what they call their Five Pillars—Property, Construction, Health & Safety, Business, and Mindset & Relationships.

They believe genuine success in property isn't built on one great deal, but on understanding how all five disciplines work together.

Shane said: "Property isn't just about buying a building. Every decision you make is influenced by your understanding of construction, your ability to manage risk, your business knowledge and the relationships you build.

"We've spent over twenty years learning those lessons ourselves—the hard way in many cases. What we share comes from real experience, not just theory."

In a world where economic uncertainty has become the norm, Kim and Shane believe property remains one of the strongest ways of creating long-term financial security—when it's approached with the right education, careful planning and the right mindset.

The one-day training sessions are held around the South West, with the three day sessions typically held in Barnstaple. | PIA SW

Kim said: "People are understandably uncertain about the future.

"For us, property became the vehicle that created security for our family. It gave us options. It gave us stability. Most importantly, it gave us freedom.

"That's why we're so passionate about helping others understand what's possible—not because property is a shortcut, but because, done properly, it can become the foundation for building a better future."

At the heart of everything they do sits the Discipline model—a framework centred around mindset, resilience, personal responsibility and consistent action.

It's something they don't simply teach.

It's something they live by every day.

"We're not sharing theories," Shane said.

"We're sharing the principles that transformed our own lives. They've shaped our family, our businesses and every decision we make. We genuinely believe that if people can change the way they think, they can change the direction of their lives."

While their journey has brought many successes, it has also been shaped by profound loss.

In 2020, Shane's dad, Rudy, passed away suddenly.

Like many families, they were left devastated.

But amid the grief came a painful realisation—that life is far more fragile than any of us like to believe.

Kim said: "Losing Rudy changed everything.

"It made us realise that tomorrow isn't guaranteed. We spend so much of our lives waiting—for the right time, for the next promotion, for the kids to grow up, for things to get easier.

"But life doesn't always give you that time.

"It made us ask ourselves whether we were truly living the life we wanted or simply existing because we'd become used to the daily grind.

"That experience strengthened our purpose. It reminded us that if we had the opportunity to help other families create more freedom, more security and more time together, then we had a responsibility to do it."

The couple say they want to pass on what they have learned to help others realise their own dreams. | PIA SW

Kim's own journey reflects that same philosophy. Having trained as a hairdresser, yoga teacher, fitness instructor and NLP coach, she's spent years understanding what helps people overcome fear, build confidence and unlock their potential.

Combined with Shane's practical construction expertise, they believe they've created something that reflects the realities of building both businesses and lives.

Their ambition isn't simply to create property investors.

It's to help people believe that a different future is possible.

One where financial security creates freedom rather than stress.

One where business supports family life instead of replacing it.

One where success is measured by choices, not just income.

That mission is now evolving even further.

Although they're keeping many of the details under wraps for now, Kim and Shane are preparing to launch their very own podcast, where they'll be sharing honest conversations about property, business, mindset and the real-life lessons that have shaped their journey.

Far from being another property podcast, they hint it will feature inspiring stories, practical wisdom and conversations designed to challenge the way people think about success, resilience and building a meaningful life.

For now, they're remaining deliberately tight-lipped.

"Let's just say it's something we've wanted to create for a long time," Kim smiled.

"We're incredibly excited about it because it'll allow us to reach even more people. We want listeners to feel like they're sat around the kitchen table with us—real conversations, real stories and hopefully something that leaves people believing a little more in what's possible."

For Kim and Shane, however, everything comes back to one simple purpose.

Helping as many people as they can.

"The models we share aren't something we switch on when we're teaching," Kim said.

"They're how we run our businesses. They're how we raise our children. They're how we make decisions as a family.

"Everything we've built has come from living these principles ourselves.

"If our story encourages someone to ask themselves the same question we once asked—'Could life be different?'—then we've achieved exactly what we set out to do."