We were lucky to catch up with Steve Schindehette recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Steve, great to have you with us today and excited to have you share your wisdom with our readers. Over the years, after speaking with countless do-ers, makers, builders, entrepreneurs, artists and more we’ve noticed that the ability to take risks is central to almost all stories of triumph and so we’re really interested in hearing about your journey with risk and how you developed your risk-taking ability.
Steve Schindehette’s journey has been defined by a willingness to take risks, challenge assumptions, and trust his instincts. From childhood curiosity to entrepreneurial innovation, his path is a testament to perseverance, adaptability, and problem-solving.
A Curious Mind Takes Shape
As a child, Steve couldn’t resist taking things apart to understand how they worked. One of his earliest memories was taking apart a clock that projected time onto the ceiling. Though he never put it back together, he realized something profound: what seemed like magic was actually simple mechanics. This moment sparked a lifelong habit of questioning, learning, and innovating.
Risk #1: Pursuing Passion Over Practicality
Academically, school wasn’t Steve’s strong suit, but his father insisted that all his children would go to college. Rather than pick a “safe” major, Steve followed his passion for the ocean and pursued a marine science degree. His father warned him that there was little money in the field, but for Steve, happiness mattered more than financial certainty.
At just 20 years old, he packed up a few belongings and drove 1,000 miles from home to Wilmington, North Carolina, to begin his studies. Moving that far away, alone, was a daunting leap. Of the 100+ students who started the marine science program, only 15 graduated—Steve among them. That achievement proved his resilience and “Persistence Over Performance.”
Risk #2: Building a Business from Scratch
After college, Steve had several environmental jobs, but eventually moved to Orlando and took a straight commission sales job selling high-end audio/video equipment. With no salary or safety net, he bet on his ability to succeed. He quickly realized he knew more about sound systems than his manager and saw an opportunity to carve his own path.
Determined he could do better, he launched his own business, Auditory Sensations. The early years were a grind—he worked two jobs, a 9-to-5 during the day, and grew his business at night. But Steve had one certainty: he loved audio/video and had a knack for solving problems. A year into the grind, he took another leap—quitting his day job to go full-time with Auditory Sensations . His business thrived for nearly 20 years.
Risk #3: Reinventing After Market Shifts
After a 2008 housing crash the market changed. Demand for high-end audio/video declined. Convenience replaced quality, and technology became more about Wi-Fi and internet connectivity than sound excellence. Steve’s passion remained, but the fun was gone. In 2013, Steve made the difficult decision to close Auditory Sensations.
He took a job at Charles Schwab. But the long daily commutes for he and his wife in rush-hour traffic were exhausting. His wife owned a condominium near both of their workplaces, so they made a practical but painful decision—sell their home in order to move closer to work. The biggest downside? No garage, which meant renting an expensive storage unit.
The storage unit soon became a source of frustration. Trips back and forth were time-consuming and often futile. Organizing inside of the unit was a constant challenge. Steve could not use shelves or cabinets, as they consume valuable floor space and he needed to maneuver bicycles and tools past two motorcycles. This was a game of “clutter shuffle.” He found himself moving items back and forth regularly.
Then the problem-solver in him kicked in. Looking up at the unused overhead space, he asked himself, “How can I utilize this space without drilling into the walls or ceiling?” Renters weren’t allowed to modify their units, but Steve saw a way forward. With a whimsical idea some and ingenuity, he came up with a solution—without drilling a single hole.
That solution became ARackAbove, the world’s only portable, freestanding overhead storage rack. What started as a personal necessity turned into an innovative product that could revolutionize garage and storage organization.
The Bold Journey Continues
Steve’s story is one of solving problems, taking calculated risks, and refusing to accept limitations. From a childhood of dismantling clocks to building successful businesses, he has proven that curiosity and perseverance lead to incredible breakthroughs. Today, ARackAbove is helping people reclaim their space, just as Steve reclaimed control over his own journey—one bold step at a time.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
At Penthouse Storage Solutions, Inc., we’ve created something truly unique — ARackAbove, the world’s only freestanding overhead rack, designed to hold more weight than any other overhead storage product on the market — 2,000 lbs. It all started from a personal frustration: Steve was renting a storage unit, needed floor space and organization, but couldn’t drill or attach anything to the walls or ceiling. That challenge led to a breakthrough — he prototyped a freestanding storage frame that evolved into design, patents, and local manufacturing.
ARackAbove solves a common problem in a way no one else has. It’s lightweight, incredibly strong, and can be used in any garage or storage space — without the need for drilling. It’s perfect for people who want to reclaim floor space and utilize the wasted space overhead without damaging their home, and allowing them to take ARackAbove to their next home.
What makes ARackAbove special is how it unlocks unused space — like opening up a floor over your head. Steve has run businesses for over 20 years, but creating this product has been his most rewarding venture. For him, the real joy was solving his own problem and wondering if others would share the same satisfaction. Steve excelled at finding innovative solutions and taking big risks to meet not only his needs but also those of others.
Looking ahead, we’re excited to expand with new products like ABikeAbove and continue growing our presence. We’re focused on getting ARackAbove into the hands of those who need it most — whether homeowners, small businesses, or anyone looking to free up space with room overhead.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back, three qualities stand out as most impactful in my journey: problem-solving, risk-taking, and perseverance.
Problem-solving along with handyman skills: Throughout my careers, whether in business or in developing ARackAbove, the ability to identify a problem and come up with a real solution has been part of my journey. The frustration of not being able to access my belongings properly in a storage unit led directly to the creation of ARackAbove. My advice: always approach challenges with the mindset of “what can I do to make my situation better?” Be curious and open to ideas that might not be obvious at first. Failed ideas often lead to new solutions!
Risk-taking: Taking risks is part of entrepreneurship. You don’t know what you don’t know until several years down the path. I knew there were uncertainties with creating a completely new product and the challenge of figuring out how to manufacture it. But the willingness to take uneducated risks has led to some of the most rewarding ventures. My advice: don’t shy away from risks that align with your vision and goals. It’s about weighing the potential reward against the cost of inaction.
Perseverance: The journey has never been easy, but pushing through challenges — even when things seem uncertain — has been key. Building ARackAbove took several iterations and huge financial challenges, and even today, it’s not without daily setbacks. My advice: stay committed, even when faced with obstacles. Focus on the end goal and remind yourself why you started in the first place. And remember this: “it only takes one.”
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
At Penthouse Storage Solutions, the biggest challenge we’re currently facing is capital and product exposure. Customers rave about ARackAbove, but far too many don’t know it exists. With limited funds, we’re unable to scale production and get the word out as effectively as we’d like. If we had more capital, we could increase production, thus reducing costs, and invest more heavily in marketing and exposure — ultimately distributing ARackAbove nationwide and getting into the hands of the people who need it.
We’re looking for partners who see the value in the engineering of ARackAbove and ABikeAbove and can help us overcome these obstacles. Whether through funding, distribution channels, or marketing support, we invite individuals or companies who believe in the large-scale potential of ARackAbove and ABikeAbove and want to help realize its full impact. ARackAbove deserves to be seen!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.arackabove.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arackabove/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arackabove
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steveschindehette
- Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@ARackAboveGarageCeilingStorage
Image Credits
Fred Lopez
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