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

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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 evolution of the rent to own industry, customer access, leadership development, small town retail strategy, same store sales growth, mentorship, and the power of relationship driven business. Mike shares how Darrell Tissot helped pioneer modern RTO operations through innovation, employee empowerment, customer service, and community impact while shaping future generations of rent to own operators across the country. 

What You’ll Learn:

• Why customer trust and employee empowerment became the foundation of Countryside Rentals’ long term growth
• How Darrell Tissot helped shape modern rent to own leadership through mentorship, advocacy, and collaboration
• The importance of same store sales growth, operational discipline, and strategic expansion in the RTO business
• How small town retail markets created long lasting customer relationships and multi generational loyalty
• Why innovation, testing new products, and adapting to customer needs helped Countryside Rentals stay ahead for decades

Episode Highlights:

• 03:58 – How Darrell Tissot started his first rent to own business from a small service station
• 05:33 – The financing struggles and business risks of launching an RTO company in the 1980s
• 07:06 – Why empowering store level employees became a core leadership philosophy
• 13:17 – The customer story that reminded Darrell why rent to own matters
• 18:31 – How trust and relationships built long term success in small town communities
• 22:22 – The “focus on strengths” philosophy that helped drive product growth and innovation
• 25:15 – Why same store sales growth mattered more than rapid expansion
• 34:17 – Darrell Tissot’s leadership role in APRO, TRIB, and rent to own advocacy
• 47:25 – The leadership lesson behind “building a bigger table, not a bigger fence”
• 53:35 – The story behind Countryside Rentals’ 40 Days of Kindness initiative

Meet the Guest:

Mike Tissot is the leader of Countryside Rentals DBA Rent 2 Own and the son of industry pioneer Darrell Tissot. Under Mike’s leadership, the company has continued expanding its customer focused approach while maintaining a culture built on mentorship, innovation, community involvement, and employee development.

Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned:

• Months to recover cost tracking
• Same store sales growth strategy
• Store level leadership empowerment
• Small town retail expansion strategy
• Relationship driven customer service
• Community partnership and charitable giving initiatives
• Product innovation and testing systems
• Leadership through mentorship and operational standards

Closing Insight:

“Success in rent to own is built through trust, consistency, mentorship, and a willingness to keep growing alongside your customers and your team.”

APRO
Association of Professional Rental Organizations

Wow Brands
Digital Marketing for the RTO industry - Including Web design, SEO, ad, and much more under one roof

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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 independent rent to own businesses in the industry. 

From sleeping in the back of the store during the early startup days to expanding into 14 locations across Kansas, this conversation covers entrepreneurship, customer relationships, employee leadership, rent to own operations, APRO advocacy, family business growth, and the future of the RTO industry. Listeners will learn how strong work ethic, community involvement, and customer first service created a lasting legacy in the rent to own space. 

What You’ll Learn:

• How Mike Strong transitioned from military service and corporate management into building a successful rent to own business
• Why relationship driven customer service became the foundation of long term RTO growth
• How family leadership and second generation ownership helped expand Mike’s Rent to Own from one store to 14 locations
• What the rent to own industry can teach entrepreneurs about resilience, customer trust, and operational growth
• How organizations like APRO, TRIB, and KRDA helped strengthen advocacy, leadership development, and industry collaboration

Episode Highlights:

• 03:44 – Mike Strong shares how he entered the rent to own industry after leaving Chrysler management
• 07:00 – What it was like starting a business during 18 percent interest rates
• 09:07 – The late night delivery culture that helped build the company in the early years
• 14:02 – The evolution from paper account cards to digital rent to own software systems
• 17:18 – The collapse of Curtis Mathis and the pivot that changed the company’s future
• 21:06 – Why products like Nintendo, laptops, and Apple devices transformed rent to own retail
• 29:15 – The advantage of serving small town and rural rent to own customers
• 34:35 – How attending customer funerals strengthened long term community relationships
• 46:34 – Why APRO and TRIB became essential to leadership growth and industry mentorship
• 01:03:06 – Mike Strong shares the “never give up” philosophy behind 44 years of success

Meet the Guest:

Mike Strong is the founder of Mike’s Rent to Own, one of the longest standing independent rent to own companies in the United States. Alongside his children, Michael Strong and Angela Strong, the family continues expanding the business while helping lead the future of the RTO industry through APRO, KRDA, and community leadership initiatives.

Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned:

• Relationship driven customer service
• Rural and small town rent to own market strategy
• Family business leadership development
• Community focused customer engagement
• APRO and TRIB industry networking
• KRDA leadership and advocacy
• Employee first operational culture
• “Never give up” business philosophy
• Customer needs based product expansion

Closing Insight:

“Treat customers with respect, work hard every day, and never give up. That mindset built a rent to own business that lasted for generations.”

APRO
Association of Professional Rental Organizations

Wow Brands
Digital Marketing for the RTO industry - Including Web design, SEO, ad, and much more under one roof

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

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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, industry advocacy, and multi generational leadership. 

Gary shares how Showplace grew through customer trust, disciplined growth, strong industry relationships, and a relentless focus on helping customers achieve ownership at the lowest possible price. This episode is packed with insights on rent to own business operations, RTO history, APRO advocacy, customer retention strategies, financing challenges, and how independent operators built one of the most resilient retail industries in America. 

What You’ll Learn:

• How Gary Ferriman transitioned from a TV repair business into one of the most respected rent to own companies in the country
• Why transparency around early purchase options and ownership pricing became a major competitive advantage for Showplace Rent to Own
• How APRO, state rental dealer associations, and industry collaboration helped shape modern rent to own regulations
• What independent RTO operators can learn about debt management, customer relationships, and long term business growth
• How successful rent to own businesses adapt to changing products, technology, customer expectations, and economic cycles

Episode Highlights:

• 03:22 – How a simple “$10 a week” idea launched Gary Ferriman into the rent to own industry
• 07:05 – Building a business with almost no startup capital and avoiding early debt
• 12:09 – The first vendor relationships that helped shape Showplace Rent to Own
• 14:35 – Gary explains the legal and advocacy battles that helped legitimize the RTO industry
• 16:22 – Running rent to own accounts manually before modern RTO software existed
• 21:49 – Why joining APRO and industry associations transformed Gary’s leadership journey
• 28:27 – The customer transparency strategy that made Showplace different from competitors
• 39:33 – Surviving the lending crisis when finance companies called RTO loans overnight
• 45:43 – The surprising rent to own product category that became a major success story
• 51:27 – Gary’s advice for the next generation of rent to own operators and leaders

Meet the Guest:

Gary Ferriman is the founder of Showplace Rent to Own and a longtime leader in the rent to own industry. He has served as APRO president and has spent decades helping shape RTO advocacy, customer service standards, and leadership development for independent operators across the country.

Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned:

• Early Purchase Option (EPO) transparency strategy
• Customer first ownership philosophy
• Long term relationship based rent to own operations
• APRO and state RDA advocacy initiatives
• Manual account tracking systems before RTO software
• VersaRent, Ideal Software, and Hightouch software evolution
• Community based customer retention strategies
• Conservative debt management and growth planning
• Seasonal “put up” payment programs for lawnmowers and appliances

Closing Insight:

“Think long term, do the right thing, and take care of the customer. That mindset helped build companies that lasted through every challenge the industry faced.”

APRO
Association of Professional Rental Organizations

Wow Brands
Digital Marketing for the RTO industry - Including Web design, SEO, ad, and much more under one roof

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

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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 the 1980s to leading Premier Rental Purchase through banking crises, franchise expansion, technology transformation, and industry disruption. This episode explores rent to own franchising, RTO financing strategies, leadership development, franchise operations, customer relationships, and the systems that help independent operators succeed long term in the rental purchase business. 

What You’ll Learn:

• How Trooper Earle scaled from a single store manager to one of the largest ColorTyme franchise operators in the country
• The financing strategies and banking relationships that helped Premier Rental Purchase grow during uncertain economic periods
• Why training, systems, and operational consistency became critical to franchise success in the modern rent to own industry
• How Premier University transformed franchisee development, employee training, and long term business stability
• What makes successful rent to own operators different from investors who lack operational experience and customer connection

Episode Highlights:

• 02:25 – Trooper Earle explains how he entered the rent to own industry through ColorTyme in 1983
• 06:01 – Growing to 16 stores and becoming one of the largest ColorTyme franchisees in the country
• 08:47 – The banking and financing crisis that forced major changes inside the RTO industry
• 11:49 – How Premier Rental Purchase was created after leaving the ColorTyme organization
• 18:44 – The financial lessons and mentorship that changed the way Trooper understood business operations
• 22:42 – How Premier built a franchise model focused on operators instead of wealthy investors
• 27:51 – Acquiring the remaining ColorTyme franchise locations and bringing them into the Premier network
• 46:07 – The creation of Premier University and why training became essential for franchise success
• 53:45 – How the Premier mobile app is reshaping the customer experience in rent to own
• 58:04 – Trooper’s advice for future franchise owners, entrepreneurs, and RTO leaders

Meet the Guest:

Trooper Earle is the founder and CEO of Premier Rental Purchase, one of the leading rent to own franchise organizations in the United States. With more than 40 years of experience in the rental purchase industry, he has helped franchisees grow successful RTO businesses through operational systems, financing support, leadership training, and long term mentorship.

Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned:

• Premier University training platform
• SBA 7A financing strategy for rent to own stores
• Franchise funding and operational planning systems
• VersaRent integration and cloud based RTO technology
• Premier mobile app and digital customer engagement tools
• Financial statement analysis for RTO operators
• Relationship based franchise leadership model
• Franchise transition and succession planning support
• Data driven store profitability analysis

Closing Insight:

“If you want to succeed in business, passion, relationships, and systems matter more than almost anything else.”

APRO
Association of Professional Rental Organizations

Wow Brands
Digital Marketing for the RTO industry - Including Web design, SEO, ad, and much more under one roof

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

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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 brands like LG, GE, Breville, and Vitamix to refurbish returned products through a rigorous testing and certification process before they reenter the market. The conversation explores reverse supply chain management, sustainable retail strategies, rent to own inventory planning, product warranties, refurbished appliance trends, and how RTO dealers can deliver premium consumer experiences at lower acquisition costs. 

What You’ll Learn:

• The difference between “refurbished” and “certified refurbished” products and why the distinction matters in rent to own retail
• How Clover uses engineering, testing protocols, and brand certification to reduce product failure rates below many new products
• Why certified refurbished inventory can help RTO dealers improve margins while still offering premium brands and warranties
• How reverse supply chain logistics and return forecasting help maintain consistent inventory flow for refurbished appliances and electronics
• Which refurbished product categories are growing fastest in the RTO industry, including premium countertop appliances, room AC units, coffee systems, and nugget ice makers

Episode Highlights:

• 02:03 – What Clover actually does and how returned consumer products enter the reverse supply chain
• 05:13 – The real meaning behind “certified refurbished” and why testing standards matter
• 13:10 – How refurbished inventory can lower acquisition costs for rent to own dealers by 25 to 40 percent
• 15:09 – Why GE Opal nugget ice makers and premium countertop appliances are becoming high demand RTO products
• 20:24 – How Clover predicts return rates and forecasts refurbished inventory availability
• 25:31 – The engineering process Clover uses to identify hidden product defects and improve reliability
• 29:48 – How warranties work for certified refurbished inventory in the rent to own industry
• 46:10 – The next categories Clover plans to expand into, including TVs, soundbars, and premium coffee equipment
• 54:24 – Why dealer feedback loops could become one of the most valuable tools for improving refurbished product quality
• 1:02:30 – The one refurbished product category Paul says RTO dealers should avoid

Meet the Guest:

Paul Adamson is the Chief Revenue Officer at Clover Environmental Solutions, a company specializing in certified refurbished and remanufactured consumer products. With more than 30 years of experience in reverse supply chain operations and product lifecycle management, Paul helps major brands create sustainable resale channels while expanding access to premium products. 

Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned:

• Certified refurbished product testing protocols
• Reverse supply chain logistics
• Detailed Manufacturing Instructions (DMI)
• Brand authorized remanufacturing systems
• Product telemetry and failure rate tracking
• Inventory forecasting based on retail return behavior
• Sustainable retail and circular economy strategies
• Warranty management systems for refurbished products
• L2 distribution partnership for the rent to own industry

Closing Insight:

“Consumers want access, flexibility, and value. Certified refurbished products can deliver all three when the process is built on trust, testing, and quality.”

APRO
Association of Professional Rental Organizations

Wow Brands
Digital Marketing for the RTO industry - Including Web design, SEO, ad, and much more under one roof

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

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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 that shaped his career and helped influence the future of rent to own. 

Michael shares stories from Rent A Center, RentWay, Aaron’s, and Buddy’s Home Furnishings while discussing servant leadership, rent to own operations, collections strategies, franchise growth, virtual rent to own, customer service, and the long term future of the RTO industry. Listeners will learn how leadership, adaptability, and relationship building continue to shape one of the most resilient sectors in retail finance and consumer access. 

What You’ll Learn

• How Michael Bennett built a leadership career across multiple major rent to own companies including Rent A Center, RentWay, Aaron’s, and Buddy’s Home Furnishings
• Why servant leadership and people first culture remain critical for long term success in rent to own operations
• How collections, customer relationships, and accountability helped shape Michael’s management philosophy
• What the future of virtual rent to own, e commerce, and digital customer acquisition could mean for the RTO industry
• Why setbacks, economic downturns, and career pivots often become the foundation for stronger leadership

Episode Highlights:

• 02:18 – Michael Bennett reflects on serving three terms as APRO president and helping guide the rent to own industry through major transitions
• 06:38 – How hustling as a kid and building early businesses shaped Michael’s entrepreneurial mindset
• 11:15 – Why Michael joined Rent A Center in 1993 and started his career working on a delivery truck
• 15:20 – The leadership and operational systems Michael learned during the rapid growth years at Rent A Center
• 21:05 – What happened during Michael’s transition to RentWay and the lessons learned from rebuilding struggling regions
• 28:30 – How Aaron’s franchise operations grew average store revenue from $40,000 to more than $111,000 per store
• 34:05 – A leadership lesson about empowering frontline employees and why “titles don’t matter, people do”
• 51:00 – Michael’s prediction for the future of rent to own, virtual RTO, customer service, and industry consolidation
• 56:14 – The leadership books and frameworks Michael recommends for developing future RTO leaders

Meet the Guest:

Michael Bennett is the CEO of Buddy’s Home Furnishings and a former three time president of APRO, the Association of Progressive Rental Organizations. With more than 30 years of experience in the rent to own industry, Michael has held leadership roles at Rent A Center, RentWay, Aaron’s, and Buddy’s while helping shape operational strategy, franchise growth, and industry advocacy. 

Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned:

• Servant leadership principles
• Welcome, Wanted, Important customer culture
• Guerrilla marketing strategies for rent to own
• Virtual rent to own and e commerce growth models
• Customer collections and relationship management systems
• Franchise operations scaling strategies
• The “Law of the Lid” leadership framework
• APRO industry advocacy and consumer access initiatives
• Leadership development through Failure Forward and The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

Closing Insight:

“Titles don’t matter. People matter.”

Michael Bennett’s story is a reminder that the future of rent to own will always depend on leadership, adaptability, customer relationships, and investing in people at every level of the business.

APRO
Association of Professional Rental Organizations

Wow Brands
Digital Marketing for the RTO industry - Including Web design, SEO, ad, and much more under one roof

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

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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 groundbreaking new book designed to preserve the history, advocacy, and future of the rent to own industry. 

This conversation dives deep into rent to own advocacy, AI driven search engines, consumer access, regulatory strategy, industry storytelling, and the importance of controlling your own narrative in the digital age. Listeners will learn how the RTO industry evolved from Victorian era hire purchase agreements into a modern customer focused business model, and why accurate data, historical context, and industry education matter more than ever in the era of ChatGPT, Google AI, and predictive search systems. 

What You’ll Learn

• Why AI powered search engines and large language models are reshaping how the rent to own industry is understood online
• How APRO and Wow Brands collaborated to document the definitive history of rent to own advocacy and consumer access
• Why controlling the industry narrative matters for legislation, public perception, and future growth
• How the RTO industry built a 47 state regulatory framework and why that history still impacts advocacy today
• What rent to own operators, marketers, and industry leaders can learn from decades of customer relationships, grassroots advocacy, and technological adaptation

Episode Highlights:

• 02:14 – Why Ryan Kras believed the rent to own industry needed a definitive historical record before AI systems shaped the narrative permanently
• 04:17 – How ChatGPT, AI search, and predictive systems recycle information and why outdated RTO content became a serious concern
• 08:23 – Charles Smitherman explains the historical roots of rent to own dating back to Victorian England and the Singer sewing machine
• 14:26 – Ryan shares how AI systems source data online and why inaccurate RTO information continues to spread
• 21:38 – Why the Legends Series interviews became one of the most valuable historical resources for documenting the RTO industry
• 27:57 – The story behind APRO’s 47 state legislative strategy and how the industry built long term regulatory credibility
• 34:00 – Why this project was never about book sales and instead focused on protecting the future narrative of rent to own
• 47:21 – How future AI systems could use this historical data to answer legal, operational, and customer access questions more accurately
• 53:09 – Charles Smitherman explains why rent to own is ultimately about dignity, flexibility, and helping people access essential products

Meet the Guests:

Charles Smitherman is the CEO of APRO and co author of The RTO Revolution: A Definitive History of Advocacy and Consumer Access. With a background in law, policy, and industry advocacy, Charles has helped lead rent to own legislative and regulatory efforts across the United States. 

Ryan Krass is the CEO and CTO of Wow Brands, a technology and digital marketing company serving the rent to own industry. Ryan specializes in AI, data systems, digital retail strategy, and the future of AI powered industry storytelling. 

Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned:

• AI powered search and predictive language models
• Consumer access advocacy frameworks
• APRO’s 47 state legislative strategy
• AI optimized industry narrative building
• Digital ecosystem marketing for rent to own operators
• Historical source preservation and oral storytelling archives
• Legends Series interview framework
• Predictive AI data modeling and semantic search optimization

Closing Insight:

“If you do not tell your story, someone else will tell it for you.”

This episode is a powerful reminder that the future of rent to own advocacy, customer education, and industry growth depends on preserving accurate history and making that information accessible in the AI era.

APRO
Association of Professional Rental Organizations

Wow Brands
Digital Marketing for the RTO industry - Including Web design, SEO, ad, and much more under one roof

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

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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 advocacy efforts that shaped modern consumer access. 

This episode explores the early days of rent to own, the push for federal and state legislation, the rise of industry advocacy groups, and the role APRO played in building trust, transparency, and long term industry stability. Listeners will hear firsthand stories about rent to own regulation, class action lawsuits, federal hearings, consumer disclosure practices, and the leadership decisions that transformed a fragmented business model into a recognized industry. 

What You’ll Learn

• How APRO was founded in 1980 and why early rent to own operators realized they needed industry advocacy and legal protection
• Why the rent to own industry shifted from pursuing federal legislation to building state by state legal frameworks
• How rent to own laws evolved differently across states like Texas, California, Minnesota, New York, and North Carolina
• The role transparency, consumer disclosures, and ethical business practices played in improving the industry’s public image
• Why AI, digital search systems, and historical storytelling are becoming critical for the future of rent to own advocacy

Episode Highlights:

• 02:39 – The legal uncertainty surrounding rent to own in the late 1970s and early 1980s
• 04:09 – Why early industry leaders believed rent to own could become a legitimate long term business model
• 06:14 – The moment APRO shifted from pursuing federal laws to building state by state legislation
• 09:39 – How model rent to own legislation helped standardize laws across multiple states
• 11:18 – Why Minnesota and New Jersey became some of the toughest legal battles in rent to own history
• 18:57 – How passing state laws unified dealers and strengthened the APRO membership base
• 30:19 – The industry debate around transparency, disclosures, and consumer trust
• 39:08 – How APRO helped transform rent to own from a fragmented business model into a nationally recognized industry
• 48:36 – Ed Winn explains why Charles Smitherman’s AI and advocacy vision could shape the future of APRO

Meet the Guest:

Ed Winn is the retired legal counsel for APRO and one of the most influential legal and advocacy voices in the history of the rent to own industry. He helped guide state legislation, industry policy, and advocacy efforts for more than four decades. 

Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned:

• APRO advocacy and legislative strategy
• State by state rent to own regulatory frameworks
• Model rent to own legislation from the Council on State Governments
• Consumer disclosure and transparency standards
• State association development and advocacy coordination
• Federal versus state legislative approaches for regulated industries
• AI driven industry storytelling and digital advocacy strategy

Closing Insight:

“If you’ve got something to hide, you’re not going to make it.”

This episode is a powerful look at how transparency, advocacy, and leadership helped shape the modern rent to own industry and why preserving that history matters for future generations of operators, lawmakers, and consumers.

APRO
Association of Professional Rental Organizations

Wow Brands
Digital Marketing for the RTO industry - Including Web design, SEO, ad, and much more under one roof

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

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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.

APRO
Association of Professional Rental Organizations

Wow Brands
Digital Marketing for the RTO industry - Including Web design, SEO, ad, and much more under one roof

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

Join The RTO Newsletter: https://bit.ly/RTOPODnewsletter

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What does it take to help build the modern Rent-To-Own industry from the ground up?

In this special Legends Series episode of The RTO Show, Peter Shau sits down with Bill French, Vice President of Rent-To-Own Sales at O’Rourke Sales Company and one of the most respected figures in RTO history. 

Bill shares firsthand stories from the earliest days of rent-to-own, including how the industry evolved from black-and-white TVs and stereos into a nearly $10 billion business driven by gaming systems, premium appliances, and consumer choice. The conversation explores RTO advocacy, vendor partnerships, APRO’s role in protecting the industry, and why relationships still matter more than anything else in business.

What You’ll Learn:

• How Bill French discovered the Rent-To-Own industry in the early 1970s
•  Why APRO became essential to protecting and legitimizing RTO businesses
•  How vendor relationships shaped the growth of the rent-to-own channel
•  Why gaming systems and premium electronics are transforming modern RTO
•  What successful RTO dealers and vendors still get right after decades in business

Episode Highlights:

• 03:21 – How Bill French accidentally discovered the Rent-To-Own business
•  07:40 – Why major manufacturers originally resisted RTO partnerships
•  09:07 – The story behind the very first APRO meeting
•  13:10 – How APRO helped protect the industry from bad actors and regulation
•  16:47 – Why today’s RTO customers want premium products and high-end technology
•  21:16 – How buying groups like TRIB changed opportunities for smaller dealers
•  39:03 – Why gaming systems and gaming towers are reshaping RTO inventory
•  49:29 – Bill French’s biggest lesson about relationships, trust, and long-term business success

Meet the Guest:

Bill French is the Vice President of Rent-To-Own Sales at O’Rourke Sales Company and a longtime leader in the Rent-To-Own industry. With more than five decades of experience, Bill has helped shape vendor partnerships, industry advocacy, product strategy, and RTO business growth across multiple generations. 

Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned:

• APRO legislative advocacy and industry protection
•  Vendor Advisory Committee collaboration
•  RTO-focused inventory forecasting strategies
•  Buying group partnerships through TRIB
•  High-retention product categories in Rent-To-Own
•  Relationship-driven sales and vendor partnerships

Closing Insight:

“The best people in business are the best listeners. If you always look after the customer’s needs first, you’re always going to win.” – Bill French

APRO
Association of Professional Rental Organizations

Wow Brands
Digital Marketing for the RTO industry - Including Web design, SEO, ad, and much more under one roof

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