Staying Hungry with Josh Ciesicki

Description

What does it take to go from a new account manager to owning three rent-to-own stores? On this episode of The RTO Show Podcast, host Pete Shau sits down with Josh Ciesicki, Great Rooms franchise owner with stores in Winter Haven, Lakeland, and Clearwater, Florida. Josh shares how drive, customer service, and a second chance at Rent King turned into franchise ownership, an APRO award, and a seat at the table on Capitol Hill.

A candid conversation full of practical insights for RTO operators, store managers, and newcomers to the rent-to-own industry.

What You'll Learn

How Josh went from account manager to store manager in a matter of months, and the conversation that got him there
Why running your own store feels different than running a store for someone else, especially when it comes to cash flow, inventory, and spending
How to open a new RTO location: get revenue moving fast, pick a spot close to the road, and use guerrilla marketing to create door swings before the doors even open
Why great collections start with great customer service, and how "reselling the agreement" helps customers reach ownership
How rent-to-own creates consumer access that helps customers start their own businesses, and why that story matters to lawmakers
Why your past is only the starting line in the RTO community

Episode Highlights

01:59 - Meet Josh and his three Great Rooms stores in Central Florida
03:23 - How a Rent King store manager earns a franchise opportunity
06:34 - From credit card collections to closing routes in RTO
09:20 - The raise conversation that made Josh a store manager
10:29 - Franchise owner vs. store manager: what changes when it's your money
13:42 - Opening a new store: cash flow first, then growth
16:46 - Two customers, one Walmart aisle, and a store that wasn't open yet
19:47 - Receiving the Emerging Professionals Award at RTO World 2023
23:18 - Telling the rent-to-own story at APRO's legislative conference
32:45 - Josh's second chance and what he wants newcomers to know
40:49 - The Leroy Steen question of the day: credit or sales?

Meet the Guest

Josh Ciesicki is a Great Rooms franchise owner who started in rent-to-own in 2005 with Rent King. He worked his way from account manager to store manager before opening his own stores. Today he runs three locations, joins APRO on Capitol Hill to help protect our industry, and received the Emerging Professionals Award at RTO World 2023 in San Antonio.

Tools, Frameworks, and Strategies Mentioned

Cash flow first: price moderately and promote aggressively when a new store opens to get agreements on rent
Location basics: plaza traffic, visibility, and staying close to the road
Guerrilla marketing: talk to people in your community before the store opens
Customer service collections: approach every visit as "how can I help?"
Reselling the agreement: remind customers of the value of what they have in their home
Visualize the goal: picture the finished result and keep pushing until you get there

"If you truly, truly want it, you'll get it." Josh Ciesicki

Closing Insight

Josh came into this business without a college degree or an easy road. He brought hunger and heart, and leaders at Rent King gave him a shot. His story shows how training, leadership development, and hard-earned lessons can turn a job into a career. It is a reminder that in RTO, where you finish is up to you.

If this episode helped you, follow The RTO Show Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, leave a rating, and share it with a manager on your team who is ready for the next step. Have a question for Josh? Email Pete at pete@thertoshowpodcast.com.

Sponsored by APRO, Vox-Pop-Uli, and Dialectic.

APRO
Association of Professional Rental Organizations

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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