The RTO Show: "Let's talk Rent to Own"

Send us Fan Mail Some people leave a résumé. Others leave a wake of better days behind them. That’s the kind of legacy we’re talking about with Cecilia Kay as she shares the story of her late husband, Kirk Kay, a rent-to-own leader remembered for putting people first long before it was a slogan. We trace Kirk’s path from First American Rental in Atlanta to opening Gator Rents in Daytona Beach, inc...

Send us Fan Mail Most sales scripts fail for a boring reason: they assume people decide with patience, logic, and unlimited attention. They don’t. We talk with Patrick Vanderbert, an ethical persuasion trainer based in Australia, about how real decisions get made and why so many prospects aren’t rejecting you they’re freezing in indecision. Patrick connects Daniel Kahneman’s System 1 vs System 2 t...

Send us Fan Mail One video on a birthday night was enough to force an honest mirror. Jeff Smith tells us how that moment helped him choose sobriety on April 16, 2022, and why everything accelerated after he stopped drinking, not just his health, but his leadership, focus, and ability to build. Jeff is now part-owner of Hometown Rent To Own with five locations, and he brings a rare perspective on w...

Send us Fan Mail Cash flow lies, growth is expensive, and culture slips the moment leaders get too far from the counter. We sit down with Jerry Marshall, a longtime rent-to-own operator turned owner of seven locations under Kappa Investments, to talk about what it really takes to scale in the RTO industry without losing the standards that built the business in the first place. Jerry walks us throu...

Send us Fan Mail Most businesses don’t lose customers because of price, they lose them because the experience feels messy, slow, or forgettable. We sit down with Vance Morris to pull back the curtain on the Disney approach to customer experience and translate it into practical moves rent-to-own operators can use immediately, even with a small team and a busy day-to-day schedule.   We talk about wh...

Send us Fan Mail One missed disclosure, one careless ad, or one unopened bankruptcy notice can turn a profitable rent-to-own deal into a full-blown legal mess. That’s why we brought on Nick Garrard, NSRA legal counsel and an attorney who works deep in the shed rent to own world, to help us get practical about where dealers get exposed and how to stay ahead of it. We talk through what really change...

Send us Fan Mail Your store’s phones are either making you money or quietly leaking it. We sit down with Viraj from Atlog to get past the buzzwords and talk about what AI actually does inside rent-to-own operations when the goal is simple: reach more customers, collect more consistently, and stop missing calls and texts. We break down where Atlog started and why the first wedge was collections aut...

Send us Fan Mail A “short-term job” after the Marine Corps turned into a career that put Mark Connolly in charge of hundreds of rent-to-own stores, and the path there is anything but clean. We talk through the real story: job fairs, brutal hours, constant relocations, industry consolidation, and the leadership decisions that separate a manager from a builder. Mark breaks down what actually scales...

Send us Fan Mail What does the future of rent to own technology actually look like, and how can dealers stay competitive as AI, automation, and real time inventory systems reshape retail buying? In this episode of The RTO Show Podcast, host Pete Shau sits down with Michael Costa from AMPTAB to explore how digital infrastructure, integrated ordering systems, and omnichannel retail tools are changin...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a first time LedgeCon attendee walks into Capitol Hill and discovers the true power of advocacy in the rent to own industry? In this episode of The RTO Show Podcast, Lauren Talicska shares her experience attending APRO’s LedgeCon 2026 and explains why legislative advocacy, industry relationships, and storytelling matter more than ever in modern rent to own.  From...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when the rent to own industry stops reacting and starts leading the conversation in Washington, D.C.? In this episode of The RTO Show Podcast, Pete Shau sits down with Charles Smitherman and Amberlee Maya to break down why APRO’s LegCon 2026 became one of the most important advocacy events in recent rent to own history.  From legislative advocacy and consumer protecti...

Send us Fan Mail What separates a good tire shop from a high performing customer focused operation? In this episode of The RTO Show Podcast, Pete Shau sits down with Jason Chui of RNR Tire Express to explore how leadership, hands on training, customer service, and operational systems are helping RIMS USA scale one of the fastest growing rent to own tire and wheel businesses in the country.  From A...

Send us Fan Mail What does it mean to leave a legacy in the rent to own industry? In this special tribute episode of The RTO Show Podcast, Pete Shau honors the life, leadership, and lasting impact of Ernie Lewallen, a respected RTO operator, APRO leader, industry advocate, and one of the driving forces behind the growth and preservation of the rent to own community.  This episode explores how lead...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to build a lasting legacy in the rent to own industry? In this episode of The RTO Show Podcast, Pete Shau sits down with David P. David of American Rental and Full-O-Pep to explore more than four decades of entrepreneurship, leadership, industry advocacy, and customer focused growth in the RTO business.  From building rental stores across multiple states to helpi...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to build a multi generation business legacy in the rent to own industry while shaping the future of advocacy, community leadership, and customer service? In this special RTO Legends episode, Pete Shau sits down with John Cleek Jr. to honor the life and legacy of “Tiger” John Cleek of Cleek’s Home Furnishings. From growing a family owned rent to own business in Mi...

Send us Fan Mail What keeps someone successful in the rent to own industry for more than three decades? According to Kevin Silvers, it comes down to relationships, reinvention, consistency, and showing up for people every single day. In this episode of The RTO Show, Pete Shau sits down with Kevin Silvers of King of Promotions to talk about the evolution of the rent to own industry, vendor partners...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to build a rent to own business that lasts for 40 years and impacts generations of customers, employees, and industry leaders? In this special Legends Series episode of The RTO Show, Pete Shau sits down with Mike Tissot to reflect on the life, leadership, and legacy of Darrell Tissot, founder of Countryside Rentals DBA Rent 2 Own.  This conversation explores the...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to build a rent to own company that lasts more than four decades and still feels like a family business? In this special Legends Series episode of The RTO Show, Pete Shau sits down with Mike Strong, along with Michael Strong and Angela Strong, to explore the growth of Mike’s Rent to Own and the leadership principles that helped shape one of the longest standing i...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to survive every major shift in the rent to own industry and still come out stronger more than 40 years later?  In this Legends Series episode of The RTO Show, Pete Shau sits down with Gary Ferriman of Showplace Rent to Own to explore the real history of the RTO business, from used TV repair shops and handwritten rental agreements to modern rent to own software,...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to survive four decades in the rent to own industry and still keep growing? In this episode of The RTO Show Legends Series, Pete Shau sits down with Trooper Earle of Premier Rental Purchase to unpack the real story behind building one of the most respected rent to own franchise systems in the country.  Trooper shares how he went from managing ColorTyme stores in...

Send us Fan Mail What if certified refurbished inventory could help rent to own dealers increase margins, reduce inventory risk, and offer premium products customers actually want? In this episode of The RTO Show, Pete Shau sits down with Paul Adamson of Clover to break down how certified refurbished products are reshaping the rent to own industry.  Paul explains how Clover partners with major bra...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to build a decades long leadership career in the rent to own industry while navigating economic downturns, company transitions, and industry evolution? In this special Legends episode of The RTO Show, Pete Shau sits down with Michael Bennett, CEO of Buddy’s Home Furnishings and former three time APRO president, to explore the people first leadership philosophy th...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when an entire industry realizes its story is being written by outdated information, misinformation, and AI systems trained on incomplete narratives? In this special episode of The RTO Show, Pete Shau sits down with APRO CEO Charles Smitherman and Wow Brands CEO Ryan Krass to explore The RTO Revolution: A Definitive History of Advocacy and Consumer Access , a groundbr...

Send us Fan Mail How did the rent to own industry survive legal uncertainty, public criticism, and decades of political battles to become a nationwide business model with laws in 47 states? In this special RTO Legends episode, Pete Shau sits down with retired APRO legal counsel Ed Winn to uncover the real story behind the formation of APRO, the evolution of rent to own legislation, and the advocac...

Send us Fan Mail A budget shortfall, a hostile hearing, and a tax threat big enough to sink an industry—this conversation with APRO legend Bill Keese reveals how Rent-To-Own survived and matured. We open with Bill’s unlikely path from state legislator to executive director and move straight into the fiscal triage that rebuilt APRO’s foundation: cutting costs, rethinking staff, and—crucially—resett...