Aaron’s Partners With ‘The Wendy Williams Show’ To Deliver Home Transformation To West Virginia Family
(L to R) Anthony Harper and Jasmine Dobbs pictured with Aaron’s Director of Franchise Operations Ray Muncy. The Dobbs family of Granville, West Virginia, was recently surprised as the grand prize winner of the “Big Blue Bow Home Makeover”.Aaron’s, Inc. (NYSE: AAN), a leader in the sales and lease ownership and specialty retailing of furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and accessories, delivered and installed a complete home makeover for the Dobbs family of Granville, West Virginia, who was recently surprised as the grand prize winner of the “Big Blue Bow Home Makeover” on “The Wendy Williams Show.”
The home makeover is part of Aaron’s continued partnership with “The Wendy Williams Show” and Aaron’s holiday promotion, the “Big Blue Bow Event,” with shopping deals and big-prize giveaways, including nearly 1,435 giant stockings stuffed with toys and games, cash prizes of up to $5,000, and a 2017 Kia Forte EX delivered to a lucky customer’s home.
The Dobbs family, including Anthony, Jasmine and their son Zaylen, were surprised on the December 9th episode of “The Wendy Williams Show” with new furniture, appliances and electronics from Aaron’s. The home makeover was displayed on the show’s stage wrapped in a big blue bow as a nod to the “Big Blue Bow Event.”
The Dobbs recently moved into their first home but have struggled to pay bills and student loans and could not afford a washer and dryer or to replace a worn-out living room set. Before moving into their new home, the Dobbs were living in a smaller townhouse. The couple works fulltime, Anthony as an assistant director for the local parks and recreation department and Jasmine as a paralegal who also is studying for her master’s degree in project management.
“It’s heartwarming to see a deserving family receive a really special home makeover and Aaron’s is grateful to be able to make this happen in partnership with Wendy Williams,” said John Robinson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Aaron’s, Inc. “The Dobbs family now has a newly refreshed home for their family and will enjoy coming home every day to a modern and completely furnished household.”
During “The Wendy Williams Show” surprise presentation in December, the studio audience got another big surprise, with each of them receiving a free Woodhaven mattress from Aaron’s. For more than three decades, Woodhaven has set the standard for superior quality and affordability with their handcrafted, American-made furniture.
About Aaron’s, Inc.
Headquartered in Atlanta, Aaron’s, Inc. (NYSE: AAN), a leading omnichannel provider of lease-purchase solutions was founded in 1955, has been publicly traded since 1982, and owns the Aaron’s, Progressive Leasing and HELPcard brands. Aaron’s engages in the sales and lease ownership and specialty retailing of furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and accessories through its more than 1,860 Company-operated and franchised stores in 47 states and Canada as well as its e-commerce platform Aarons.com. Progressive Leasing, a virtual lease-to-own company, provides lease-purchase solutions through approximately 19,000 retail locations in 46 states. Dent-A-Med, Inc., d/b/a the HELPcard®, provides a variety of second-look credit products that are originated through a federally insured bank. For more information, visit investor.aarons.com, Aarons.com, ProgLeasing.com, and HELPcard.com.
Mike Lewis is a Premier Rental Purchase franchisee with multiple stores and currently serves as Vice President of Operations. With 33 years of experience in the rent-to-own industry, he has spent the past 20 years working closely with franchisee owners and previously spent 12 years in Corporate RTO, gaining a strong foundation in the business.
For the past five years, Mike has been sharing his knowledge by teaching managers and franchisees at the company’s Training Center.
Outside of work, he enjoys time with his family, kids, and grandkids, and appreciates the simple things in life – especially riding his Harley Davidson with the sun on his face. If you know, you know!
Lauren Talicska
Arona Corporation dba Arona Home Essentials
Lauren Talicska is an experienced multi-channel marketing specialist and the Vice President of Marketing & Communications at Arona Home Essentials. She has found her home in the RTO community, supporting stores in branding, growth, and increasing traffic.
You may recognize Lauren as a former RTO vendor, including her time as a partner for Nationwide RentDirect, or her previous participation in the APRO Vendor Advisory Committee. Lauren calls Columbus, Ohio, home and spends her workday crafting and executing marketing promotions from inception to realization, all while supporting the branding and social media needs of all the Arona stores in 12 states (plus Puerto Rico!).
Charles Smitherman
APRO
Charles Smitherman, JD, PhD, CAE, became CEO of APRO in 2023, bringing years of legal and executive experience in the rent-to-own industry.
Prior to joining the association, Charles served as COO, General Counsel, and Vice President of PTS Financial Services, where he played an active role in the rent-to-own industry by representing his company through PTS’s club program offering with APRO member dealers. Charles is an attorney with two decades of experience across a wide variety of areas, including RTO, consumer financial services, antitrust, corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, litigation, franchise law, and privacy law. Following law school at the University of Georgia, Charles earned a Master of Legal Studies and PhD in Law from the University of Oxford in England.
Charles is credentialed as a Certified Association Executive (CAE) with the American Society of Association Executives, a Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) with the International Franchise Association, and a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) and Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM) through the International Association of Privacy Professionals. As APRO’s sixth CEO in its 45-year history, he brings a collaborative, member-focused approach to association leadership, emphasizing transparency, advocacy, and value creation. Outside of work, Charles is an active ultra runner and open water swimmer.
Mike Kays
Ashley Furniture Industries
As VP of Rental Sales for Ashley Furniture Industries, Mike thrives on building relationships with our RTO industry veterans, and helping businesses grow through new product, new marketing, and new supply chain options.
Mike works to leverage a wide breadth of relationships and influence, intimate knowledge of market trends, and unique knowledge of what RTO dealers need from a supplier to be successful.
The saying goes that a high tide raises all boats, and our goal is to leverage the world’s largest furniture manufacturer to drive the continued growth of the RTO industry and all the suppliers.
Mike Tissot
Countryside Rentals Inc., dba Rent-2-Own
Mike grew up in the rent-to-own industry under the guidance of his father, former APRO President and RTO legend Darrell Tissot. For nearly 25 years, Mike’s innovative leadership has helped expand the family business to more than 40 stores across Ohio and Kentucky while also shaping the industry as a whole.
He has served as President of the Ohio Rental Dealers Association, an APRO board member and Treasurer, and President and Treasurer of the TRIB Group. His contributions have earned him the APRO President’s Award of Excellence and the title of APRO Rental Dealer of the Year.
Outside of RTO, Mike enjoys time at the lake house or in Orange Beach, Alabama, with his girlfriend, Angela Strong McCool. A passionate Cincinnati Reds fan, he rarely misses a game, whether watching or listening alongside his parents. He also takes every opportunity to visit Arizona, where his daughter is currently attending Arizona State University.
![[SUBJECTS] seen at [EVENT NAME] at [VENUE] on Tuesday, January 24th, 2017, in Granville, WV. (Ed Rieker/AP Images for Aaron's Inc.)](https://www.rtohq.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Anthony-Harper-and-Jasmine-Dobbs.jpg)
