Cody Stewart grew up in a family rental business that Sunbelt eventually acquired, and talked his way onto the analytics team from there. In this episode, he breaks down the 3-30-3 rule for building reports that actually drive decisions, why understanding the why has to come before measuring anything, and why AI is becoming the great equalizer for independents who can't afford a data team.

Chris Graeler answered a help-wanted sign at 16 and spent the next 30 years building Expert Rentals into one of the fastest-growing independent rental companies in the country. In this episode, he breaks down how he thinks about fleet risk, why tracking every "no" is one of the most underrated growth tools in rental, and what it took to rebuild after losing his building to a fire five months after moving in.

Theft is still the number one topic in equipment rental, and the schemes keep getting smarter. In this episode, Joe Besdin, Co-founder and CEO of Hapn, covers how the Ghost Tracker flips the script on equipment thieves, why clean data has to come before AI, and what becomes possible for independent operators when their systems finally stop working in silos.

Most rental owners are still chasing the top spot on Google. That used to be the whole game. In this episode, Krista Chapman, founder of Path & Compass, breaks down the biggest shift in local search in years, from SEO to AEO and GEO, and what independent rental operators need to do right now to make sure AI recommends their business instead of their competitor's.

Theft is the number one topic in equipment rental, and after 10 years of running one of the industry's largest owner communities, Ed Craddock of True Value Rental in Bay City, Michigan has seen every scheme in the book. In this episode, Ed walks through how theft methods are evolving, how to train your counter staff to respond, and why staying connected to other operators is still your best defense.

The rental companies growing fastest this season are not the ones with the biggest fleets; they are the ones with a real plan. In this episode, Dan Crowley, CEO of Peer Executive Groups, breaks down what that plan looks like right now, from building a sub-rental network and turning counter staff into inside sales, to hiring your first outside rep and using AI to generate leads before your competition even knows the opportunity exists.

Selling an independent rental company is one of the biggest decisions an owner will ever make, and most don't know what to expect until they're already in the process. In this episode, Gary Stansberry, owner of The Stansberry Firm, walks through how the M&A process actually works, what buyers look for, and why independent operators need to step up their game to compete and build something worth selling.

One hundred episodes in, we sat down with Steve and Austin Mau, the father-son owners of Brainerd General Rental in Minnesota, to talk about what it actually takes to build a rental business that lasts. From navigating a family working relationship to the industry's shift from gut feel to data-driven decisions, this is a candid conversation about community, growth, and what 20 years in rental teaches you.

Most AI initiatives fail not because of the tools, but because of the people and processes behind them.

In this episode, Achille Ettorre, owner of GTA Equipment and a widely recognized AI speaker and author, shares a practical framework for implementing AI in equipment rental, including how to evaluate tools, structure 30-day sprints, and tie every initiative to a real financial outcome.

Scaling from one location to many is where a lot of independent rental companies get into trouble. In this episode, three multi-location operators, Grant Christopher of Christopher Equipment, Josh Nickell of Northside Tool Rental, and Kayle Turpin of Robertson Rent-All, share what it actually takes to grow without breaking your operations, your team, or your culture.