BY NEHA NEGANDHI*
Entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone. It demands unwavering determination, strategic thinking, and the ability to transform setbacks into opportunities—qualities that define Rajen Sheth’s remarkable journey. Speaking from his metro Atlanta home, the seasoned entrepreneur shares insights from a career built on persistence and adaptability.
“Success in business isn’t about avoiding failure—it’s about using each challenge as a stepping stone to something greater,” says Rajen, whose path to becoming a successful business leader was anything but linear. His journey offers valuable lessons about the intersection of strategic thinking and operational excellence.
Rajen’s early years were marked by constant adjustment. Born to Madhu and Jagdish Sheth in Fort Lee, New Jersey, his childhood wasn’t one of material struggle, but life demanded its own kind of adaptation. At two years old, his family relocated to Illinois, where his father secured a coveted professorship at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC).

While his father traveled frequently for work, Rajen’s mother was a constant. A devoted stay-at-home mom, she showered him and his older sister with attention and support, anchoring the household in his father’s absence.
Rajen’s academic journey wasn’t easy. His older sister, effortlessly brilliant, skipped her senior year of high school thanks to outstanding grades. Rajen, on the other hand, had to put in relentless effort just to keep pace. Before his high school senior year, another upheaval came: a move to Los Angeles for his father’s career (another lauded professorship role at the University of Southern California).

Returning to Illinois for college, Rajen graduated in four years from UIUC. The job market was brutal, but good grades and strong on-campus leadership positions helped him secure a role at AT&T where he faced steep learning curves. “That first year was humbling,” he chuckles, shaking his head. “After $60,000 in sales training, I managed to close exactly one contract—for $9 per month.” But rather than admit defeat, he doubled down. By his third year, he had transformed into one of AT&T’s top performers, managing their largest account, DirecTV, and closing $140 million in sales.
At just 25, he was among the top salespeople at the company, proof that relentless effort and resilience can pay dividends.
Rajen credits his father’s tough love for instilling his work ethic. “He could be hard on me at times,” Rajen reflects, “but now, as a father myself, I understand the necessity of tough love to bring out the best in someone.” Today, he has two daughters and a son of his own, balancing the lessons of his upbringing with his approach to fatherhood.

Following an MBA from USC’s Annenberg School of Business, Rajen joined his father’s strategy consulting firm in Atlanta in 1995. “It was like doing a Ph.D. in business,” he says, describing the intense six-year period of 16-hour days and constant travel. “I was presenting to CEOs and executives at some of the largest public companies in the country. I had to know more than anyone in the room about every company we worked with, at just 28 years old.”

The grueling pace, combined with memories of his own father’s frequent travel, led to a difficult decision when his first daughter was born. “Breaking my father’s heart by leaving the family business was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done,” he admits.
That path led him to launch Insight Capital Management in 2002, inspired by Warren Buffett’s investment philosophy. “I dove into everything Buffett—books about Buffett, Buffett’s writings, his thinking,” Rajen explains. “I wanted to emulate Buffett’s investment style—buy low, sell high with value-oriented stocks with high certainty.” Within four years, he had achieved returns of 107%, beating the market every year.
Sometimes the most significant business ventures begin with the simplest needs. For Rajen, the gateway into real estate emerged when he had an opportunity to build a small medical building. “It triggered something in me,” he recalls. “I had zero real estate experience, but I dove headfirst into the world of commercial development—learning everything from permitting to construction management.” His first medical building was fully leased before completion, spurring him to develop two more. Then, he founded Pinnacle Real Estate in 2006, managing both his hedge fund and real estate company at the same time.

In 2008, Rajen expanded his real estate portfolio, raising $2 million to acquire two self-storage facilities—properties already operating at maximum capacity with growing waitlists. But what seemed like perfect timing soon faced a severe test. The 2010 recession hit his companies hard, and simultaneously, his marriage began to unravel.
“It was like a one-two punch straight in the face and the other aimed at my gut,” Rajen recalls, his voice steady but marked with hard-earned wisdom. “I went through a divorce, my company was falling apart and I lost all the wealth I had created. Not easy to admit, but hard times make you stronger.”
That strength would prove transformative. Rising from these challenges, Rajen founded Boardwalk Storage, which now stands among the nation’s top 50 self-storage operators. With more than a half a billion dollars of assets under management and a remarkable 300% on average return on investment per property, the company represents more than just a business success—it’s a testament to the power of resilience. In 2012, personal happiness followed professional revival when he married Sangeeta, creating a blended family with two daughters and a stepson.

Rajen’s journey embodies the fundamental principles of entrepreneurial success: the importance of continuous learning, the value of strategic pivots and the courage to persist when others might quit. His experience proves that the path to achievement isn’t about avoiding challenges but facing them head-on. “In those moments of greatest difficulty,” he reflects, “you discover what you’re truly capable of.”
Today, Rajen emphasizes that genuine success extends beyond balance sheets to encompass both professional achievement and personal fulfillment. His story stands as a powerful reminder that entrepreneurship isn’t just about building businesses—it’s about building character, resilience, and ultimately, a life of purpose.

Neha Negandhi is a Public Speaking Coach specializing in Brand Storytelling. She is a TEDx Speaker with 10+ years speaking on stage. Through her training in journalism, she hosted a radio show in Atlanta on WMLB. Neha gained her marketing and media expertise within Fortune 100 companies including T-Mobile, Starbucks and Turner Broadcasting. Find out more at www.nehanegandhi.com