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For a lot of people in this industry, Washington DC exists somewhere in the background — a place where policy gets made while operators focus on customers, staff, and the day-to-day grind of running a business. But spend a few days at LegCon and that changes. Pete Shau sits down with Lauren Talicska, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Arona Home Essentials, right after she returned from LegCon 2026, and the energy she brought back says everything.

Lauren walks through what APRO-led advocacy actually looks like up close — and why the experience is more accessible than most people assume. It's not reserved for attorneys, executives, or political insiders. Through the fellowship program, store managers, marketers, and operators are getting in front of legislators and telling the rent-to-own story in their own words. Lauren explains how the days are structured, how teams find their rhythm in those meetings, and how keeping the message focused — sometimes down to a single economic impact sheet — makes all the difference.

What stands out most is the power of a customer's own words. Lauren describes using Google reviews as a form of written testimony — reviews where customers talk about a rent-to-own purchase being the first furniture they've ever owned. The conversation also gets into what the alternatives actually look like for someone with limited or damaged credit: the uncertainty of marketplace transactions, the long shadow of credit card debt, and how rent-to-own provides a level of service and protection those options simply don't offer.

The episode rounds out with a broader look at leadership development, the women's forum, mentorship inside the industry, and why the relationships built in this space tend to outlast everything else.

Subscribe, pass this episode along to someone on your team who could use a reminder of the bigger picture, and leave a review to help more operators find it. What part of the rent-to-own story do you think deserves more attention?

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Pete Shau sits down with Amberlee Maya and Charles Smitherman to recap LegCon 2026, APRO’s legislative conference in Washington, D.C. They discuss the power of industry advocacy, the growth of first-time attendees, the importance of building relationships with lawmakers and staffers, and why the rent-to-own industry must continue telling its own story with one clear voice.

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A tire shop can sell rubber all day and still lose the customer the moment service feels cold, slow, or unsafe. We bring on Jason Shuey from RNR Tire Express to explain how a fast-growing rent-to-own automotive franchise builds loyalty with training, systems, and real customer care that feels personal the second you walk through the door.

We talk about Jason’s path from Sears Auto Center into leadership, why ASE certification can matter, and why hands-on coaching beats “read the book and take a test” training when real cars and real families are on the line. Jason breaks down the service manager role his group is rolling out across stores, how an MIT program rotates future leaders through the shop and accounts, and why account management is where you truly learn the RTO transaction and earn long-term trust.

Then we get practical on operations: what RNR Tire Express includes for customers, how the business expands beyond wheels into alignments, brakes, suspension, and lift kits, and how digital workflow tools like Shopmonkey help balance speed, quality, and safety in high-volume locations. We also look ahead at tire and wheel industry trends like AI-enabled tools, electric vehicle lift-point risks, and the next wave of Bluetooth TPMS sensors.

If you care about customer retention, technician training, safety culture, and scalable processes in the rent-to-own industry, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a leader in your shop, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.

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