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 owners, rolling P&Ls that drive clear choices, and a culture that treats customers and employees like family. Sean shares how early work ethic and years of union leadership shaped his approach to conflict, fairness, and accountability, and why embracing smart risk beat his old obsession with perfect collections.
We dig into the weekly rhythm that keeps stores moving: Monday lead sprints from the weekend’s online traffic, daily targets for sales and accounts, and bite-size course corrections that protect compounding revenue. Sean explains how to coach a team through tough months—especially January—by holding the line rather than burning bridges, and how to create buy-in by letting managers build the plan. Ethics stay non-negotiable, but flexibility and trust power execution.
The conversation also tackles the digital shift defining modern RTO. Customers shop from the couch and expect Amazon-speed delivery, so Sean widened sourcing to 24–48 hours and leaned into e-signatures, automation, and frictionless payments. He calls it a classic “who moved my cheese” moment: adapt or get left behind. Along the way, we talk servant leadership, the value of dissenting voices, and the constant work of developing your replacement so the team scales with you.
If you lead a store or a region—or want to—this is your field guide to people-first performance, smarter risk, and operational cadence that wins. Listen, share with your team, and tell us: what’s one leadership habit you’ll change this week? And if you enjoy the show, subscribe, leave a review, and pass it on to a fellow operator who needs a spark.
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