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The RTO Show "Let's talk Rent to Own"
The RTO Show Podcast is the definitive voice of the rent-to-own industry.
Hosted by Pete Shau — a 20-year RTO veteran with experience spanning store management, multi-unit operations, and industry leadership — every episode delivers the kind of insight you can only get from someone who has lived it.
Each week, Pete sits down with the entrepreneurs, operators, executives, and innovators who built the rent-to-own industry from the ground up. From navigating federal compliance and legislative advocacy to scaling multi-unit operations and developing the next generation of RTO leaders, these are the conversations that move the industry forward.
What you'll find here:
• Candid interviews with RTO industry legends and emerging leaders
• Operational strategies and business solutions for today's market
• Coverage of industry events, legislative developments, and market trends
• Honest discussions about the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of RTO
Whether you're a seasoned operator, a store manager working your way up, or a vendor partner looking to understand the industry more deeply — The RTO Show is where the rent-to-own community comes to learn, connect, and grow.
New episodes weekly.
Visit us at www.TheRTOShowPodcast.com
Episodes
139 episodes
AMPTAB’s Role in the Future of Rent-to-Own Buying
Too many logins. Too many catalogs. Too many “where is that spec” moments when a customer is standing right in front of you. We wanted to know what actually changes when RTO dealers and vendors stop treating sourcing like a scavenger hunt and s...
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How Lauren Talicska tackled APRO's legcon 2026 for the Rent to Own industry
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 an...
LegCon 2026: Why RTO Advocacy Matters More Than Ever
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 re...
How RNR Tire Express Builds Better Shops Through Training, Service, and Leadership
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 tra...
RTO Legend: A Tribute To Ernie Lewallen of UHR
Some people leave a company behind. Others leave an industry stronger than they found it. We’re closing the first RTO Legends series with a tribute to Ernie Lewallen, a rent-to-own leader whose influence reached far beyond the stores he operate...
RTO Legend: David P David of American Rental
In this Legend Series episode of The RTO Show, Pete Shau sits down with David Paul David of Ful-Pep, one of the most influential operators and advocates the rent-to-own industry has ever seen.From working the family farm as a child to s...
RTO Legend: John Cleek Jr on "Tiger" John Cleek of Cleek’s Home Furnishings
This Legend Series episode of The RTO Show features John Cleek Jr. of Cleek's RTO, reflecting on the life, leadership, and lasting industry impact of his father, John “Tiger” Cleek.From the early days of a family appliance business to d...
Relationships, Reinvention, and RTO with Kevin Silvers
In this episode of The RTO Show, Pete Shau sits down with Kevin Silvers to trace a career built on relationships, adaptability, and a genuine love for people. Kevin shares stories from his early days around golf legends like Arnold Palmer and M...
RTO Legend: Mike Tissot on Darrell Tissot of Rent 2 Own
A rent-to-own business doesn’t last 40 years by accident and it definitely doesn’t start with perfect funding. I’m joined by Mike Tissett to tell the story behind Daryl Tissett’s legacy, from a small-town Ohio beginning to a blueprint that help...
RTO Legend: Mike Strong of Mike's Rent to Own
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 ...
RTO Legend: Gary Ferriman of Showplace Rent to Own
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 growt...
RTO Legend: Trooper Earle of Premier Rental - Purchase
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 ...
Clover: Certified Refurbished Inventory for Rent-to-Own
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 gra...
RTO Legend: Michael Bennett of Buddy's Home Furnishings
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 h...
The RTO Revolution and the Future of Advocacy
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...
RTO Legend: Ed Winn of APRO
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 yel...
RTO Legend: Bill Keese of APRO
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 execut...
RTO Legend: Bill French of O'Rourke
A chance glance at a rent-to-own storefront changed everything. We sit down with industry legend Bill French to unpack five decades of progress: from selling RCA TVs to shaping vendor programs, joining APRO’s earliest meetings, and helping O’Ro...
Leading Multi-Unit Teams Through Change with Sean Knupp
Strong teams don’t happen by accident—they’re built by leaders who put people first and still demand performance. We sit down with regional leader Sean Knupp to unpack the playbook behind consistent growth in rent-to-own: GMs who operate like o...
RTO Legend: Chris Korst from Rent A Center
A small, scrappy industry took on courts, Congress, and headlines—and won. Chris Korst, longtime Rent-A-Center executive and counsel, joins us to unpack how rent-to-own went from “wild west” storefronts to a regulated, transparent option for mi...
RTO Legend: Brad Denison of Benefit Marketing Solutions (BMS)
Law can feel abstract until it touches a living room. We sit down with Brad, former general counsel turned vendor advocate, to unpack how rent-to-own won its legal identity as a lease—not credit—and why that nuance still shapes access to applia...
Wake for Warriors: Healing Veterans Through Water and Brotherhood
In this special episode of The RTO Show, Pete Shau welcomes Ray Muncy of Buddies Home Furnishings and Dave Deep, founder of Wake for Warriors. Together, they explore how a shared love of water and community turned into a nationwide mov...
RTO Legend: Kevin Quinn of Quality Rentals
A 24-year-old franchisee walks into a brand-new industry and ends up helping to save it. That’s the arc of Kevin Quinn, who went from learning how to rent a $499 VCR to leading APRO through a political and tax storm that could have erased rent-...
RTO Legend: Larry Carrico of Rent One
Two stores, a fire that melted the backups, and a decision that transformed an operator into a multi-state force: keep the people, codify the playbook, and own the ground you stand on. We sit down with Larry Carrico of Rent One to unpack how ac...
Health Benefits That Actually Fit Small Teams
Health benefits shouldn’t feel like a second job. We sat down with Marshall Darr, CEO of StretchDollar, to unpack a simpler model for small teams: employers set a monthly budget and employees pick and own the plans that fit their lives. Instead...