Josh Ciesicki, Co-Owner of Tampa, Florida-based Great Rooms Central, LLC, is celebrating two decades in the rent-to-own (RTO) industry. But back in 2005, Ciesicki was a high-school dropout with a family to support and little confidence in his future when he landed as an Account Manager with CPL Group Inc. dba Rent King. The business provided him with not just a job, but an opportunity to find fulfillment through hard work.
“Survival shaped me,” Ciesicki says. “My early life was blessed with struggles, but my grandparents were the strongest, best people in my life. They planted a seed of God and Jesus in my life, and I’m truly thankful for it, because at the end of the day, that’s who got me through my trials and tribulations. And the closer I get to God, the better leader I become.”
Ciesicki took to RTO quickly, earning Account Manager of the Month several times, and within a few years, was promoted to Store Manager, helping grow three of the company’s biggest locations and improve a struggling store.
“I’ve always done what I felt is right for the business, the customers, and myself,” says Ciesicki. “When I became a manager, I began to realize people were looking up to me, and I was now responsible to not only answer their questions, but also help them succeed at their own goals.”
Eventually, Rent King Co-Owner Larry Pividal approached Ciesicki about launching a partnership to open up a Great Rooms franchise; the pair launched their first store in 2014. As the business has grown, Ciesicki has become increasingly involved in industry leadership, participating in the Florida Rental Dealers Association (he’s currently a board member), attending state and APRO legislative conferences, and being honored with APRO’s Emerging Leader Award in 2023.
Ciesicki says persistence, consistency, and strong customer relationships have been key to his success.
“I say run your business like it’s your own,” Ciesicki says. “If you’re a driver, treat it like it’s your delivery business. If you’re an account manager, treat it like they owe you the money. And if you’re a store manager, hire people who do that, because it’s the people who make you great as a manager.”
“And every chance we have to do something special for our customers, we should, especially since we often deal with disadvantaged families,” continues Ciesicki. “At Great Rooms Central, we try to be a part of our community and let them know we’re there for them whenever we can – we invite apartment complexes to pizza and movie nights, we hold back-to-school parties with supply-stuffed backpacks, we host an annual Easter egg hunt, an annual Christmas party, and this year, we’re introducing a Letters to Santa Night.”
Ciesicki sees his introduction to rent-to-own 20 years ago as “a second chance from God to do something with my life, and I wasn’t going to waste it.” He definitely hasn’t – and in fact, is making the most of it, using his earlier tough times to inform the way he does business and leads others.
“I think being in this business has helped me have empathy for my fellow humans, to understand that sometimes we all just need a little help,” Ciesicki says. “RTO gave me a little help by giving me a career for the past 20 years. This business builds bonds and rapport among everyone in it – from customers to coworkers to owners. It helps shape your mind that we can all be there for each other. Working in RTO has helped me understand that everyone in life is going through something – we’re all just trying to survive.”
