Name: Jeff Smith
What is your current title/role?
I am the Owner of Your Hometown Rent To Own Inc. dba Hometown Rent To Own.
How many years have you been working in rent-to-own?
I’ve been in and out of RTO for more than 20 years. I began as an account manager for House of Television Rentals in 2000, and worked my way up to store manager. I left the industry for a few years to manage a Blockbuster Video store and earn my degree in Technology Management. I returned to House of Television as IT Manager for about ten years, then worked as a systems administrator for a pharmaceutical company for a couple of years. In 2021, a former colleague approached me about buying Hometown and helping them expand. We’ve grown from one store to four since then.
What did you do before you began working in RTO?
I worked at a Holiday Inn as a Front Desk/Rooms Division Manager.
What is your favorite thing about rent-to-own?
Relationships – all of them, from the customers to the employees to my outstanding peers.
What has been your proudest professional moment?
My proudest professional moment has been working my way up from account manager to owning and operating my own company, and now hiring for that same position.
Why did you want to be a member of APRO’s Board of Directors (BOD)?
I want to give back to, help support, and grow our industry however I can.
What issues do you hope to work on, and what sort of difference do you hope to make, during your time on the BOD?
I want to spread the word about how great rent-to-own is as an industry, and help bring more people to the APRO Legislative Conference next spring. I just want to continue to advocate for our business as much as possible.
What’s your favorite non-work-related way to spend your time?
I love spending time with my wife, Naomi, and our Bichon-Poo, Daisy. We enjoy travel, riding around in our convertible, hiking, and our church life. Whenever time permits, I love playing golf, and I also produce a newsletter and create content for the Dynasty League (fantasy) Football website.
What’s your “happy place,” and why?
Tradeshows and my new office. While in my office, I’m in the zone and feel like I’m making things happen. And I love networking and learning how the RTO greats do what they do.
Please share a favorite quotation, lyric, or saying, and what it means to you.
If it costs you your peace, walk away. Life is too short to let negative people or things influence us. If it upsets you, get it out of your life.
You can connect with Jeff on Facebook, Instagram, X, or LinkedIn.
