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A nickname born from a Southern Baptist speaking style and a talent for rallying a room might sound like a fun story, but “The Reverend of RTO” is really about substance: value, trust, and relentless follow-through. Larry Sutton joins us to chart an uncommon path from family retail roots to building Champion on a 50-50 handshake, navigating funding shocks when Berg-Warner exited the space, and ultimately selling at a premium before discovering that retirement by golf isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

What pulled him back was the same customer he never stopped rooting for. A tip about rent-to-own “tires” led him to discover an exploding demand for custom wheels—and a bigger mission hiding in plain sight: safer commutes, reliable family travel, and dignity at the point of sale. Larry launched Rent-N-Roll in Tampa and watched lines form. Then came the pivotal insight: the brand shouted “rims,” so tire buyers never walked in. A franchisee’s experiment separating tires from wheels unlocked demand and sparked a smart rebrand to RNR Tire Express—stores that look and feel like top-tier retail, with the flexibility of lease-to-own.

We dig into the operational backbone that makes the value real: lifetime rotation and balance, nitrogen to stabilize pressure and extend tread life, and deep training through TIA and ASE certifications. Larry explains why bringing alignments in-house wasn’t just a margin play, but a safety commitment. He shares the leadership rules that scale—hire people smarter than you, love hard work, and lead from the front—and why the rent-to-own community’s culture of sharing is a competitive advantage most industries don’t understand.

If you care about customer value, brand identity, and finding the right niche at the right time, this story delivers a practical blueprint. Subscribe, share with a builder in your life, and leave a review with the one lesson you’re taking into your next pivot.

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Want customers to stop scrolling and start walking into your store? We sat down with Stephen Stough of EssToo Creative, a veteran-turned-creative director who blends military-grade problem solving with story-led marketing that actually moves the needle for rent-to-own. From the origin of EssToo to the infamous “two guys in a bed” hook, we break down what makes a promo memorable, how to match concepts to real store talent, and why commitment on camera beats fancy gear every time.

Stephen shares a battle-tested framework for making videos on any budget. Audio is king, lighting is simple but crucial, and a tight script with a clear purpose will outperform long rambling reads. We talk through casting choices, embracing authentic flubs, and building a content library that balances humor, heart, and seasonal offers. You’ll hear how a few early RTO videos found serious traction, why “be brief, be brilliant, be gone” still works, and how to turn a scroll-stopping visual into a clean, compelling call to action.

If your team is DIY-ing with phones, you’ll get practical tips: invest in a lav mic from Rode or DJI, diffuse your lights, remove background clutter, and film at least three takes. If you’re ready to level up, consider buying creative time to map a month of concepts your staff can execute in-house. We also cover why cutting marketing and training is the fastest way to shrink foot traffic, and how small, consistent investments can make your store the standout brand when budgets are tight.

Subscribe for more creative playbooks tailored to rent-to-own, share this with a teammate who appears in your videos, and leave a review with your best hook that stopped the scroll. Your next great ad might be one brave idea and three clean takes away.

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A legend in rent-to-own doesn’t happen by accident. John Blair takes us from a teenage crossroads to the Marines to the front lines of building TRIB into a credible, member-led powerhouse. His story is packed with hard-won tactics and clear principles: keep it simple, reward commitment, and use unity as leverage. We dive into the early days—17 members, tiny shows, skeptical vendors—and how committees, transparent programs, and consistent follow-through built trust that lasted.

John breaks down the rebate era with unflinching clarity. When a vendor tried to withhold a rebate after the group barely missed a target, TRIB responded with quiet solidarity, walking past the booth as one—and the deal came back. He reveals how anticipating member volume unlocked better tiers with Ashley and why not every product belongs in RTO. The formula that worked then still works now: tight assortments, honest pricing, and customer-first bundles that move. From big CRTs and boomboxes to flat screens and laptops, he maps the technology shifts that changed demand and why laptops became the biggest catalyst for growth.

We also explore how TRIB and APRIL evolved from tension to alignment, giving dealers both purchasing power and a policy backbone in Washington. John’s journey after TRIB—jewelry at its peak, tax services built for RTO seasonality, then a harrowing health battle—adds perspective and gratitude. Through it all, the theme is steady: camaraderie isn’t just culture; it’s strategy. If you care about vendor relationships, rebates that truly pay, and building a stronger rent-to-own business, this conversation is a masterclass straight from someone who helped shape the playbook.

Enjoyed the episode? Follow the show, share it with your team, and leave a quick review with your biggest takeaway. Your support helps more RTO pros find these stories and put them to work.

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A small team launched six stores in a month, refused bargain-bin products, and built a public company that outperformed the category—by betting everything on culture, quality, and customer dignity. Pete sits down with industry legend Wayland Russell to unpack how Rainbow Rentals rewired supply chains, pioneered bundled PCs with Dell, and turned account management into a customer success engine long before that term existed.

We get into the hard decisions behind “more, better, different”: walking High Point for years until a manufacturer agreed to weekly, multi-location delivery; insisting on midline-and-up TVs and appliances; and designing software that enabled seamless vendor ordering and just-in-time fulfillment. Wayland explains why computers—dismissed by competitors as “doorstops”—became a double-digit revenue stream, and how intuitive, icon-based bundles helped families cross the digital divide. His philosophy is clear: be the advantage to the disadvantaged, and let operational excellence make premium accessible.

There’s grit here too: brutal early financing, loans called twice, and the courage to walk away from payday lending margins that clashed with core values. We explore APRO’s pivotal advocacy, the ethics of pricing versus credit-card debt, and the decision to sell while rewarding associates and investing in the community. Along the way, Wayland shares candid leadership lessons—hire for passion, make everyone a partner, celebrate managers on the front line, and act like the conductor who helps others shine.

If you care about building durable culture, rethinking logistics, and serving customers with respect, this story will stay with you. Listen, share with a colleague, and leave a review telling us the boldest idea you’re taking into your business.

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A handful of dealers pooled their leverage in 1983 and changed rent-to-own forever. That spark became TRIB, a buying group that now unites 198 member companies and negotiates real-world programs with the brands that power our showrooms. We sit down with executive director Dennis Shields to explore how the group won better warranties, moved policy start dates to first rental, and built distributor partnerships that keep product flowing when direct channels won’t.

Dennis walks us through the shifts that matter: why appliance warranties became a defining battleground, how TVs evolved from fragile tubes to reliable 4K panels that flipped service economics, and where smartphones quietly reset consumer expectations for everything from fridges to washers. We break down the post-pandemic container puzzle—unreliable lead times, futures pricing, and planning risk—and why many operators now pay a bit more to buy through distributors for speed and certainty. We also dig into the rise of gaming PCs, where spec-savvy consumers demand true performance and stores need vendors who can deliver GPUs, fast storage, and high-refresh displays on schedule.

Along the way, Dennis shares the habits that compound: pick vendors intentionally, communicate early, and guard your credit like an asset because it guards you back. We talk Meeting of the Minds, how small-room idea swaps grew into a flagship event, and why more vendors now show up in DC to advocate for the industry that fuels their own growth. If you’re building a smarter buying strategy, refining vendor relationships, or navigating the leap from store management to ownership, this conversation maps the playbook—and the pitfalls—of modern RTO.

Enjoyed the conversation? Follow the show, share it with a colleague, and leave a quick review so more RTO pros can find it. Got questions for TRIB or ideas for part two? Email Pete at the RTO Show Podcast.com and join the conversation.

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What happens when a second-generation leader takes the mic and the wheel? We sit with Ace Rent to Own COO Ben Leach to unpack how a family legacy becomes a modern operating system built on people, service, and smart use of technology. Ben shares how growing up in the stores, spending a decade in software and high-growth environments, and returning with fresh eyes shaped his approach: empower employees, obsess over client outcomes, and let data quietly guide the path.

We dig into the heart of rent-to-own—why it’s more than payments and products. Ben explains the real advantage: free delivery, flexible swaps, step-down options during tough times, and hands-on service that keeps essentials in homes when life hits hard. He talks through the changing customer journey as foot traffic fades and online leads rise, and how Ace meets clients where they are with responsive phone, text, and digital agreements. The result is a faster, smarter sales process that still feels like white-glove care.

Holiday strategy takes center stage with a meaningful pivot: seven months same-as-cash all November and a true Black Friday hook—a 65-inch TV priced below Amazon’s sale, Friday and Saturday only. Ben shares why loss leaders can create long-term value, how stores win with outbound calls and flexible down payments, and why special ordering toys or unique items helps families stretch budgets. We also get an inside look at Ace’s community impact and employee traditions—from local sponsorships and a holiday wish list to a Christmas party complete with The Price Is Right and tenure gifts employees actually choose.

If you care about leadership, customer experience, and making retail work in a mobile, on-demand world, this conversation delivers practical ideas and a shot of heart. Subscribe, share with a teammate, and tell us: what’s one people-first change you’ll make this season?

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A family video store with 400 movies. A heavy VCR lugged home for the weekend. An $800 camcorder bought on a personal credit card so a loyal customer wouldn’t be let down. That’s where Dan Fisher’s rent-to-own story begins—and how a small experiment grew into a durable, customer-first brand with a culture people talk about.

We walk through the inflection points that define real growth: discovering APRO after years of improvising, moving from Sam’s Club buys to vendor partnerships like GE Appliances, and opening the first standalone rent-to-own store that proved the model. Dan is candid about the messy parts too—how a fourth location in a tough market stretched his capacity, how a rapid jump to thirteen stores exposed leadership gaps, and why a two-day off-site in 2017 became the moment everything clicked. The takeaway is practical: choose systems that let you lead, build habits that keep plans alive, and return to the family values that made customers trust you.

We also unpack the rent-to-own model in plain language for skeptics and supporters alike. Flexibility matters: cancel anytime, no pickup fees, free delivery and setup, repairs covered, and lifetime reinstatement that honors every payment. That’s why multigenerational customers keep coming back. Dan’s mentors—industry mainstays like Shannon Strunk, Gary Ferriman, Mike Tissott, and Lyn Leach—helped him step into advocacy, where he found that most offices simply need the facts. When people hear how RTO expands access with dignity and options, the conversation changes.

If you care about building a resilient business, leading through growing pains, and serving customers with respect, this story delivers the playbook—and the heart behind it. Subscribe, share with a teammate who needs a nudge, and leave a review telling us your biggest leadership turning point.

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A customer says, “I’ll never own the laundromat,” and everything changes. That moment turned rent-to-own from a product on a shelf into a service with purpose for Shannon and Cynthia Baber Strunk—two industry legends who built, defended, and evolved RTO over four decades. We trace their path from Firestone showrooms to 50 stores, the hard lessons of a tire-and-wheel experiment, and the surprise breakthrough of early cell phones, starting with bag phones in the 90s.

We open up about the years when regulation threatened the model and how advocacy became the strategy. Shannon and Cynthia helped shape state laws, led within APRO, and visited Washington more than twenty times to educate lawmakers on how the RTO transaction actually works and why constituents choose it. You’ll hear candid insights on the state-vs-federal balance, why complacency is dangerous, and what message resonates in today’s DC: clear explanation over alarm, customer outcomes over abstractions.

Behind the scenes, technology was the quiet multiplier. Moving from posting cards to modern software transformed reporting, policy decisions, and forecasting. That data discipline now powers their RNR Tire Express focus, where six-month same-as-cash and purchase options require both operational savvy and regulatory awareness. They also share the blueprint for succession done right: start your next leaders at the bottom, insist on real accountability, and set bold forecasts you actually believe your people can hit.

If you care about rent-to-own growth, small-market strategy, industry advocacy, or succession planning, this story is a masterclass in building something durable without losing the customer-first soul. Subscribe, share with a colleague who needs the spark, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway—what should RTO teach lawmakers next?

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