(Twitter)
Jarrod Schulz, along with his long-time girlfriend Brandi Passante, has been an integral part of the Storage Wars cast since the show premiered in 2010. Schulz has worked throughout the show’s run to establish himself as a competitive force on the auction block and while his reputation on the storage circuit has grown throughout the years, there’s a lot more to the California native than the collective depth of his pockets.
Schulz isn’t just a reality TV personality. He’s a business owner, a dad and even a fashion designer. Here’s what you need to know about Schulz when the cameras stop rolling:
1. Schulz Met Long-Time Brandi Passante in 1999
Schulz and Passante first met in 1999 when they were both working at a carpet-cleaning company in Tustin, California. Schulz was the store’s manager of sales when Passante joined the staff.
After a rather disappointing stint in the mortgage business, Schulz’s aunt, who managed a public storage facility, suggested he try his hand at storage auctions. It was then that he met the producers of Storage Wars at an auction in Harbor City, California. When they came knocking eight months later, looking for Schulz to join the show, they ran into Passante at the front of the couple’s thrift store and extended their offer to her as well.
The two were among the first cast members of the show when it premiered on A&E in 2010 and have been going strong for eight seasons of drama-inducing auctions. Schulz and Passante, who were also recently featured on their own show Brandi & Jarrod: Married to the Job, are parents to two children as well, a son and daughter.
2. The Couple Own Their Own Thrift Store in Orange, California
(Facebook)
Once Schulz officially began his storage-hunting career, he and Passante opened their first stand-alone store, Now and Then, in Orange, California. Since the couple joined Storage Wars, the store has become a bit of a tourist attraction, but it’s still a legitimate business. It’s jam-packed with odds and ends ranging from hard-to-find toys and furniture.
Schulz and Passante also previously operated a second location of the store in Long Beach, California but opted to close the site in 2014 when it became too much if a loss. Jarrod explained the decision, saying:
Brandi and I have come to a decision. We can no longer fund this losing store here. We’re gonna have to close the doors. We’re gonna do our best to keep you on. Some of you will lose hours and some have to lose your jobs. We tried to make it work, we gave 100%. We’re not failing because we didn’t try
3. Schulz Also Designs Clothing for Outlaw Apparel
In addition to his reality TV stint and thrift store, Schulz also owns and operates the clothing company Outlaw Apparel. He even wears his own clothing while appearing on Storage Wars.
Outlaw Apparel began in 2009 and according to the site, offers clothing that “expressed their desire to live life on their own terms.” The company offers clothing options for men, women and children as well as a selection of headwear.
4. He Stared in a ‘Storage Wars’ Music Video Earlier This Year
This is reality TV and just about anything can happen. That includes Schulz appearing in, of all things, a music video for Storage Wars earlier this year.
The video, which also featured some of Schulz’s closest friends, was released as part of the promotions for brand-new episodes of the A&E show in February.
5. Schulz Was Reportedly Arrested in 1997
(Twitter)
Although he’s now a family-man and determined business owner, Schulz took a roundabout way to his current status of success. The California native was, reportedly, arrested in 1997 for felony possession of a controlled substance.
According to multiple reports, he spent 16 months in state prison related for narcotics trafficking charges dating back to the mid 90’s.
Since that stint however, Schulz has turned over a new leaf and found refocused his life shortly after meeting Passante in 1999. Now, Schulz is on the straight and reality-TV narrow, worth over a reported $1.5 million.