APRO member Great Rooms Central, LLC is celebrating its tenth anniversary and its central Florida trifecta of rent-to-own stores in Clearwater, Lakeland, and Winter Haven, Florida.
Co-Owner and Chief Operations Officer Joshua Ciesicki – who received APRO’s Emerging Leader Award last year – was a high-school dropout with a family to support, who was not feeling good about himself or his prospects for success when he landed in RTO in 2005. The business provided him with not just a job, but an opportunity to find fulfillment through his hard work. Working for CPL Group Inc. dba Rent King, Ciesicki saw some successful managers getting the opportunity to own and operate their own stores; he expressed his interest in doing the same, and CPL Co-Owner Larry Pividal offered to partner with Ciesicki in a Great Rooms franchise. Their inaugural store launched in 2014.
“At the beginning, some of the biggest challenges I faced were learning how to find, teach, and build superstar co-workers, and creating my own company culture,” says Ciesicki. “Today, I believe my and my co-workers’ life experiences set us apart from others; almost all of us come from the same sort of life most of our customers come from, so we relate well to them, their situations, and their struggles.”
According to Ciesicki, Great Rooms Central experienced fast and sustainable growth from day one; he was able to pay off his first business loan in just three years, then launch his second store. Despite initial issues with hiring and retaining the right co-workers, Ciesicki says he has cultivated a terrific team over the past 10 years.
“What makes a leader great is his team,” he notes. “I never could have done this alone. I found the team that could take us to the next level, and they did all the work, from deliveries to management. It was never me – it was and always will be them.”
Ciesicki wants to keep on growing Great Rooms Central so he and his co-workers can continue to provide as many people as possible with a chance to succeed and take care of their families – as he has been able to, thanks to RTO.
“My heart at this point in my life is all about seeing others happy and succeeding,” says Ciesicki. “I want to show folks that if you truly want something, you can achieve it. I’m proof of that. Hard work and dedication really do pay off in rent-to-own; this industry gives people from all walks of life the opportunity to be successful and work with other wonderful people.”
