Send us a text What if your business is worth less (or more) than you think—because buyers don’t pay for sentiment, they pay for cash flow? We sit down with CPA Mike Helton and senior tax manager Alicia Holloway from RG & Co. to decode the “big, beautiful bill,” revive your understanding of EBITDA and multiples, and lay out a simple, disciplined operating system for a cash‑intensive RTO model. We get practical fast. You’ll hear why 100% bonus depreciation (effective January 19, 2025) can...
Send us a text A shy new hire walks into rent-to-own, gets labeled “the mute girl,” and ends up becoming a trusted salesperson customers ask for by name. That arc—uneasy beginnings to confident service—is the heartbeat of our conversation with Angelica Felix Damas, and it’s a powerful look at how mentorship, product fluency, and creativity can rewrite what sales success looks like in RTO. We get honest about hiring myths and generational habits. Do you really need extroverts to sell? Angelic...
Send us a text When high-performing employees become leaders without proper training, everyone suffers – the promoted employee, their team, and ultimately the customer experience. Will Jackson, Team Development Director at RNR Tire Express, knows this reality firsthand, having made the painful transition from what he describes as a "toxic" leader to someone dedicated to helping others avoid the same pitfalls. In this candid conversation, Will reveals how his personal leadership failures beca...
Send us a text What separates successful business owners from those who struggle despite their technical expertise? John Preston tackles this question head-on in this eye-opening conversation with Pete Chow on the RTO Show, introducing his unconventional business guide "40 Flushes to Grow Your Business." Preston shares a fundamental truth that many entrepreneurs aren't ready to hear: your skill level has surprisingly little correlation with business success. "A bad plumber who knows how to r...
Send us a text What happens when a data analytics expert decides the rent-to-own industry deserves better software? You get Revo POS—a ground-breaking point-of-sale system that's completely reimagining how RTO businesses operate. From the moment you experience Revo's interface, you know it's different. While traditional RTO software cobbles together multiple disconnected systems, Revo seamlessly integrates everything: inventory management, customer data, quoting, digital agreements, even you...
Send us a text When Charles Smitherman accidentally booked the wrong hotel for a Nebraska meeting, he stumbled upon what would become one of the most celebrated RTO World venues in recent memory. Omaha surprised everyone with its vibrant downtown, beautiful riverfront, and perfect convention facilities—proving that sometimes the best discoveries happen by chance. This year's event brought together over 700 industry professionals and 100 vendors for what many described as the strongest educat...
Send us a text What does it really take to succeed in the rent-to-own franchise world? Mitchell Lee, Senior Director of Franchise Sales at Buddy's Home Furnishings, pulls back the curtain on this profitable but often misunderstood business model. The conversation begins with a candid look at current market conditions. "When you see trends in real estate, you typically see trends with franchising too," Mitchell explains, noting how the industry cycle follows a 2-3 year pattern from boom to va...
Send us a text Step into the heart of the rent-to-own industry as we broadcast live from RTO World 2025, surrounded by the energy and innovation of the biggest gathering in the sector. This episode brings together key industry leaders to discuss the transformative forces reshaping how rent-to-own businesses operate, advocate, and market themselves. Michael Wall, Senior Director of Corporate Affairs at Aaron's, shares how their recent acquisition by IQ Ventures has freed the company to focus ...
Send us a text Mastering inventory management and optimizing your business operations with the power of AI. Join us as we engage with Daniel Hajduk from Vox Pop uli, who shares his hands-on experience in transforming apparel inventory management using AI. Learn how AI analyzes order patterns, anticipates trends, and optimizes stock levels to streamline processes and boost profitability. By harnessing historical data, businesses can predict seasonal demands and ensure they are prepared for any...
Send us a text What does it take to grow from a single tire store to a nationwide franchise with over 200 locations? For Adam Sutton, CEO of RNR Tire Express, the secret isn't complicated – it's about creating exceptional experiences for the people who matter most. After returning to his family's business in 2017, Sutton brought fresh perspectives from his background in digital marketing and event technology. Rather than simply continuing what his father Larry Sutton (known as "The Reverend ...
Send us a text The rent-to-own industry stands at a technological crossroads, and Atlog is blazing the trail with AI solutions custom-built for RTO businesses. In this revealing conversation, Shaun Karakkattu, Chief Operating Officer of Atlog, shares how their team is revolutionizing how rental dealers connect with customers through remarkably human-like AI voice agents. Shaun explains how Atlog was born from recognizing a critical gap in the rent-to-own space – the challenge of consistently...
Send us a text Why do some rent-to-own stores convert 30% of their customers to new agreements while others struggle to break 20%? The answer lies not in last-minute sales tactics but in the entire customer experience journey. In this eye-opening conversation, Pete Shau and Jason Winters dive deep into the real factors that determine whether customers stick around after completing their agreements. The modern rental customer has more options than ever before. With just a few taps on their ph...
Send us a text Post-pandemic realities have forever altered the customer journey in rent-to-own, demanding fresh approaches from industry veterans and newcomers alike. Pete Shau and Jason Winters unpack this transformation with refreshing candor, highlighting how the traditional in-store sales model has been overwhelmed by digital-first shopping habits. Most striking is their revelation about traffic patterns: "We're not 70-30 anymore. We're 80-20 or even 85-15," with online interactions dom...
Send us a text A glass artist's son from Uruguay transforms into a rent-to-own industry leader—Leonard Alonso's journey captures the essence of entrepreneurial spirit and American opportunity. At just 13 years old, Leonard was crafting glass Disney characters on Main Street after Walt Disney himself discovered his father's artistry at the 1965 World's Fair. This early training in craftsmanship and customer service laid the foundation for an extraordinary career path that would take him from ...
Send us a text Finding new customers remains one of the biggest challenges for Rent-to-Own businesses. While many stores focus on reactivating inactive customers or working through paid-out lists, there's a powerful channel that's often overlooked: Facebook marketing. Marketing expert Jeraud Norman joins host Pete Shau to reveal how Facebook's "interruption-based" marketing creates opportunities that Google's "intent-based" approach simply can't match. Instead of waiting for cust...
Send us a text What does it take to build a sustainable rental business that thrives for over four decades? Gary Ferman, who recently stepped back after 44 years at the helm of Showplace Rent-to-Own, shares the wisdom earned from growing a single location into a 15-store operation across multiple states. Gary's journey began in 1982 during economic hardship with interest rates at 18.5%. With remarkable candor, he reveals how determination and financial discipline propelled him forward despit...
Send us a text Have you ever wondered who's looking out for the rent-to-own industry in Washington DC? In this eye-opening conversation, host Pete Shau sits down with APRO CEO Charles Smitherman to pull back the curtain on LegCon, the annual legislative conference that forms the front line defense for the $12 billion rent-to-own industry. Charles shares how this 31-year tradition continues to evolve, with attendance growing to 88 participants this year as industry professionals c...
Send us a text Ed Wynn, the legendary legal architect behind rent-to-own's regulatory framework, shares his extraordinary four-decade journey protecting an industry that many lawmakers never fully understood. Fresh into retirement after serving as APRO's legal counsel since its inception, Wynn offers unprecedented insights into how a collection of rental dealers transformed into a sophisticated national organization. The conversation reveals fascinating origin stories, including how APRO lit...
Send us a text The journey from a small-time rental operation to transforming an entire industry doesn't happen by accident. Ken Butler, with nearly five decades of experience in rent-to-own, pulls back the curtain on how he helped grow Aaron's from a modest 12-store operation to over 2,000 locations nationwide. Ken reveals the revolutionary thinking that changed how the entire industry operates. Moving from weekly to monthly payments, extending ownership timelines, creating distribution cen...
Send us a text Enjoy the world of quality rugs in the rent-to-own industry as Heath Perkins of Daylan Rug Company shares the remarkable journey of bringing fashion-forward floor coverings to a market once dominated by afterthought accessories. When Daylan first approached the rent-to-own sector over a decade ago, they encountered a surprising reality: most stores were content with basic, low-quality rugs that did little to enhance their showrooms. "Fashion was not even in the conversation," ...