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

Pete Shau
  • 5.0 (9)
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     Ever wondered how a $8.5 billion industry keeps millions of Americans lounging in style? Step into "The RTO Show Podcast" – where the mysterious world of Rent to Own furniture finally spills its secrets! Your host Pete Shau isn't just any industry veteran – he's spent 20 years in the trenches, collecting the kind of stories that'll make you laugh, gasp, and maybe even rethink everything you knew about that couch you're sitting on.      From wild customer tales to industry shake-ups that'll knock your rented socks off, Pete brings the seemingly mundane world of furniture financing to vibrant life. Warning: This isn't your typical business podcast – expect real talk, unexpected laughs, and "aha!" moments that'll have you looking at every lease agreement in a whole new light.      Whether you're an RTO pro who knows your depreciation schedules by heart, or you're just curious about how that fancy sectional ended up in your living room, Pete's got the inside scoop you never knew you needed. Tune in and discover why the furniture business is anything but boring! 

  1. 3D AGO

    RTO Legend: Mike Strong of Mike's Rent to Own

    Send a text Forty-four years ago, Mike Strong opened a rent-to-own store in Hutchinson, Kansas with a pickup, good credit, and a willingness to outwork the problem. Today, Mike’s Rent To Own has grown into 14 locations, and I got to sit down with Mike and his kids to hear the full family story, the rough edges included. We talk about the leap from an Army medic during the Vietnam era to corporate life at Chrysler, and why entrepreneurship felt like the only path where the future wasn’t capped by someone else’s plan. Then we get into the real mechanics of building an RTO business that lasts: financing inventory when rates are brutal, doing deliveries after closing, and even the early days of running accounts on payment cards before rent-to-own software and modern systems changed everything. Mike shares the moment Curtis Mathis collapsed and how that forced a pivot into new vendors, furniture, appliances, and the constant question every RTO dealer faces, what do customers actually want right now? From VCRs and movie clubs to laptops, gaming systems, and Apple devices, the throughline is listening hard and finding a way to say yes. We also dig into why small towns and rural markets can be a strength, not a limitation, and why relationship-based retail still wins. We talk community giving like Stuff The Trucks food drives, and the advocacy side through APRO, TRIB, and the Kansas Rental Dealers Association, including what it means to lead and give back in a misunderstood industry. If you want more Legends conversations like this, subscribe, share this with another rent-to-own operator, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Support the show www.TheRTOshowPodcast.com For swag and information Pete@thertoshowpodcast.com Facebook - The RTO Show Instagram - the_rto_show Linkedin - The RTO Show Youtube - The RTO Show Podcast

    1h 24m

  2. MAR 10

    RTO Legend: Gary Ferriman of Showplace Rent to Own

    Send a text What if a $10-a-week TV could spark a company built on trust? We sit down with industry legend Gary to unpack how Showplace grew from a two-paragraph agreement on a legal pad to a respected rent-to-own brand known for clear buyouts, smart growth, and customer-first service. From early days of index cards and recipe boxes to Ideal, HiTouch, and VersaRent, Gary explains the systems and mindsets that kept operations nimble and transparent. We explore the turning points that defined the path: adding appliances and furniture without overextending, learning from mentors who pushed better ideas, and doing the slow work of advocacy that helped lock fair practices into state law. When lenders blacklisted rent-to-own in the ’90s, Gary didn’t fold. He rallied the team, educated a local banker, and rebuilt a flexible credit line—proof that relationships can save a business when markets panic. Along the way, Showplace doubled down on what set it apart: every receipt lists the early purchase option, making ownership a feature, not a footnote. That simple promise became a magnet for loyal customers. You’ll also hear the product stories few saw coming, like riding mowers and zero-turns thriving in rural markets, plus seasonal hold programs that convert churn into steady buyouts. The throughline is clear: lead with transparency, manage debt with humility, and build culture around long-term wins. Whether you’re new to RTO or scaling a regional brand, these lessons on cash discipline, software evolution, customer care, and advocacy will sharpen your playbook. If this conversation resonates, follow the show, share it with a colleague who needs a refresh, and leave a quick review so more people can find stories that move the industry forward. Support the show www.TheRTOshowPodcast.com For swag and information Pete@thertoshowpodcast.com Facebook - The RTO Show Instagram - the_rto_show Linkedin - The RTO Show Youtube - The RTO Show Podcast

    53 min

  3. MAR 3

    RTO Legend: Trooper Earle of Premier Rental - Purchase

    Send a text A legend’s journey rarely starts with a grand plan. Trooper Earl just needed a job, stumbled into ColorTyme, and within two years was opening stores, learning fast, and confronting the realities of scale without modern systems. That sprint led to 16 locations, a gutsy bank-backed buyout, and a pivotal moment when financing partners pulled back. Instead of folding, he reset—and that’s where the real story begins. We walk through how Premier Rental Purchase took shape around a simple, powerful idea: build a franchise for operators, not just investors. Trooper breaks down how he helps managers become owners with bank-ready projections, SBA 7(a) funding, and a clear picture of real costs—roughly $650K for a well-capitalized store, a 5–6K sq ft footprint, and rent targets aligned to projected revenue. He shares why reading financial statements beats watching a bank balance, how to spot trouble in trends, and what it takes to keep rent factors and labor in check. The 2008 financial crisis tested everything. Premier exited side bets in wheels and cash services and doubled down on its core. That crucible led to Premier University—a rigorous, multi-year training build that standardized front-line execution, leadership practices, and warehouse management. Add a live national training center perched above a once-bankrupt Texas store and a corporate house where late-night conversations flip the switch from “know it” to “own it,” and you get a culture that changes businesses from the inside out. We also explore Premier’s data backbone and mobile app strategy. By centralizing SQL-based data and syncing real-time inventory, pricing, loyalty, service, and delivery tracking, Premier meets customers where they are—on their phones—without losing the personal touch that anchors rent-to-own. Trooper’s candid on leadership transition, why he still mentors and funds deals, and how “JFO—just figure it out” became a way of life. Curious how to go from operator to owner, survive a credit squeeze, and build a system that lasts? Hit play, then share your biggest takeaway. If this story resonates, subscribe, leave a review, and pass it to someone who’s ready to build. Support the show www.TheRTOshowPodcast.com For swag and information Pete@thertoshowpodcast.com Facebook - The RTO Show Instagram - the_rto_show Linkedin - The RTO Show Youtube - The RTO Show Podcast

    1h 7m

  4. MAR 2

    Clover: Certified Refurbished Inventory for Rent-to-Own

    Send a text Paul Adamson from Clover joins Pete Shau to explain what “certified refurbished” really means—and why it matters for rent-to-own dealers. They break down how returned products move through the reverse supply chain, what Clover’s testing and grading process looks like, where the biggest savings typically show up, and how the new partnership with L2 is designed to simplify ordering and support. They also cover smart product categories to lean into (and a few to avoid), plus how dealer feedback can strengthen quality and reliability over time. Support the show www.TheRTOshowPodcast.com For swag and information Pete@thertoshowpodcast.com Facebook - The RTO Show Instagram - the_rto_show Linkedin - The RTO Show Youtube - The RTO Show Podcast

    1h 7m

  5. FEB 24

    RTO Legend: Michael Bennett of Buddy's Home Furnishings

    Send a text What does it take to go from a delivery truck to the corner office without losing the human touch that built the business? We sit down with Michael Bennett, CEO of Buddy’s Home Furnishings and three-time APRO president, to unpack the playbook he’s refined across Rent-A-Center, Rentway, and Aaron’s: start with people, sharpen systems, and win the last mile with speed and service. Michael shares how a childhood of hustles and a stint in healthcare collections shaped his approach to empathy, accountability, and durable cash flow. He breaks down the Rent-A-Center and Renter’s Choice years—why simple, focused assortments and clear strategy scale—and explains how to blend entrepreneurial judgment with standardized process. We follow him into a rough region at Rentway, where bottom-quartile performance flipped by whiteboarding pain points, inviting frontline ideas, and proving that titles don’t fix stores—teams do. From there, we dig into the Aaron’s franchise turnaround: immersive training, alignment to corporate purchasing and marketing, and the power of consistent execution to lift store averages past six figures. Michael is candid about setbacks, the Great Recession, and a forced year on the sidelines that clarified his north star: never justify and blame, write the hard truths down, and recruit ideas from every seat. Finally, we look ahead. He sees virtual rent-to-own and buy now pay later expanding awareness, while brick-and-mortar keeps its moat with white-glove delivery, rapid approvals, and human relationships. Expect consolidation, tighter household budgets, and a premium on technology that shortens the path from click to couch. If you care about operational leadership, culture, and growth in rent-to-own, retail, or consumer finance, this conversation delivers hard-won tactics and clear direction. Subscribe, share with a teammate who owns the last mile, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway so we can keep raising the bar. Support the show www.TheRTOshowPodcast.com For swag and information Pete@thertoshowpodcast.com Facebook - The RTO Show Instagram - the_rto_show Linkedin - The RTO Show Youtube - The RTO Show Podcast

    1h 4m

  6. FEB 23

    The RTO Revolution and the Future of Advocacy

    Send a text What happens when an industry’s past isn’t properly recorded online? It gets rewritten by shallow links, old studies, and algorithms that don’t know better. We sat down with APRO CEO Charles Smitherman and WoW Brands CEO/CTO Ryan Krass to share why we built a definitive, 400-page history of rent-to-own—and why publishing it widely is essential for policy makers, journalists, customers, and the AI systems shaping tomorrow’s answers. We trace RTO’s lineage from Victorian hire purchase and the Singer sewing machine to modern living rooms and checkout flows, showing how access and use value have always driven demand. Charles opens the archives—APRO minutes, magazines, research—and explains the advocacy playbook that led to 47 state statutes. Ryan breaks down the tech reality: AI is a prediction engine that repeats whatever dominates the dataset. If credible sources don’t exist, weak narratives win. Our fix is simple but hard—collect primary sources, cite everything, and put it everywhere. The legends series becomes the heartbeat, preserving first-person accounts from pioneers who fought regulatory headwinds, scaled stores, and kept communities supplied through good times and crises. We also challenge myths with data, including high customer satisfaction findings that contradict familiar stigma. This isn’t a profit play; royalties fund APRO scholarships to support families in the industry. By releasing the book online and distributing free copies, we make the record discoverable across search and future AI models. The deeper takeaway is human: RTO is about dignity, flexibility, and the right to return—meeting people where they are so they can sleep, work, and live well. If you care about consumer access, policy clarity, and how AI learns our story, this conversation will change how you see rent-to-own and the information ecosystem around it. Subscribe, share with a colleague, and tell us what myth you want us to tackle next. Support the show www.TheRTOshowPodcast.com For swag and information Pete@thertoshowpodcast.com Facebook - The RTO Show Instagram - the_rto_show Linkedin - The RTO Show Youtube - The RTO Show Podcast

    1 hr

  7. FEB 17

    RTO Legend: Ed Winn of APRO

    Send a text What does it take to turn a scattered, misunderstood trade into a recognized industry with real rules, clear disclosures, and political staying power? We sit down with Ed Wynn, APRO’s longtime legal counsel, to trace rent-to-own’s rise from yellow-pages meetups to model legislation and major wins in statehouses across the country. Ed walks us through the early federal gambit that sailed through the Senate but died in the House, and the pivotal realization that a state-by-state strategy was the only practical path forward. You’ll hear how Michigan’s late‑1983 breakthrough set the tone with price controls tied to early purchase options, and how APRO leveraged the Council on State Governments’ 1987 model law to bring coherence to a patchwork of statutes. Ed breaks down the toughest battlegrounds—Wisconsin’s stalemate, Minnesota’s costly dual‑regulation trap, New Jersey’s class action hammer—and why California took a decade to land. He also explains North Carolina’s unusual balloon purchase rule and the lessons it taught the industry about precision and compliance. Beyond the politics, we explore the cultural shift that made rent-to-own sustainable: transparency over secrecy. APRO pushed for honest, readable agreements, total cost visibility, and modern practices—even when some dealers feared customers would walk away. Ed recalls the 1998 FTC study that became an unexpected asset, the careful positioning during Dodd‑Frank that protected short‑term rentals from CFPB reach, and the rise and fade of state associations once laws were on the books. We close with a look at APRO’s evolving mission under forward‑looking leadership: staying vigilant, improving standards, and using new tools—yes, AI included—to create value well beyond legislative defense. If you care about how industries legitimize, scale, and earn trust, this story delivers strategy, scars, and a clear blueprint. Subscribe, share with a colleague who loves policy and business history, and leave a review with your biggest question for Ed—we may feature it in a future episode. Support the show www.TheRTOshowPodcast.com For swag and information Pete@thertoshowpodcast.com Facebook - The RTO Show Instagram - the_rto_show Linkedin - The RTO Show Youtube - The RTO Show Podcast

    52 min

  8. FEB 10

    RTO Legend: Bill Keese of APRO

    Send a text 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—resetting dues so the largest chains paid their share. That quiet, early fix powered a bold advocacy playbook when the IRS and Congress turned up the heat. Bill walks us through the two-track strategy that changed everything: choosing a dealer with pristine records to fight in tax court while running a coordinated push for legislative clarity. The team hired a firm anchored by the former chief judge of the U.S. Tax Court and mobilized dealers for high-impact, face-to-face meetings on the Hill. The payoff was decisive—a Revenue Procedure confirming lease treatment for tax purposes, preserving cash flow, jobs, and customer access. Alongside policy, we dig into perception: how a single comment about an “image problem” sparked a PR overhaul, national-quality ads for small dealers, and smarter media choices that stopped bad narratives before they spread. From there, we map the steady climb of state RTO laws, the tension between federal uniformity and local control, and the realities of consolidation—keeping one-store operators and national chains equally invested in the association’s mission. Bill shares candid stories about congressional skirmishes, unlikely allies, and the grassroots stamina that still anchors the industry. He closes with field-tested advice for owners and operators: reinvent every five years, stay visible in your community, and treat advocacy like essential maintenance. Subscribe, share this episode with a colleague, and leave a review with the one lesson you’ll act on this quarter. Support the show www.TheRTOshowPodcast.com For swag and information Pete@thertoshowpodcast.com Facebook - The RTO Show Instagram - the_rto_show Linkedin - The RTO Show Youtube - The RTO Show Podcast

    53 min
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About

     Ever wondered how a $8.5 billion industry keeps millions of Americans lounging in style? Step into "The RTO Show Podcast" – where the mysterious world of Rent to Own furniture finally spills its secrets! Your host Pete Shau isn't just any industry veteran – he's spent 20 years in the trenches, collecting the kind of stories that'll make you laugh, gasp, and maybe even rethink everything you knew about that couch you're sitting on.      From wild customer tales to industry shake-ups that'll knock your rented socks off, Pete brings the seemingly mundane world of furniture financing to vibrant life. Warning: This isn't your typical business podcast – expect real talk, unexpected laughs, and "aha!" moments that'll have you looking at every lease agreement in a whole new light.      Whether you're an RTO pro who knows your depreciation schedules by heart, or you're just curious about how that fancy sectional ended up in your living room, Pete's got the inside scoop you never knew you needed. Tune in and discover why the furniture business is anything but boring! 

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