Association of Professional Rental Organizations (APRO)
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Leadership Education Advancement Program

Welcome to LEAP, an exciting new leadership development program brought to you by APRO and TRIB Group. LEAP is designed to cultivate leadership skills within the RTO industry.

Each month, we’ll explore a new leadership topic through live Zoom sessions or in-person at Meeting of the Minds and RTO World. This program is open to both current and aspiring leaders within your company. While we encourage ongoing participation, each session is designed to stand alone, allowing you to join at any time without missing a step in your development. Plus, all sessions will be recorded and available for download, so your team can learn at their convenience.

Participants will have the opportunity to earn class credits by attending or watching the training sessions and completing a brief survey. Accumulating credits will lead to various certification levels, with potential rewards to be announced. 

LEAP Sessions Live

Join us for our monthly LEAP Sessions Live, held on the second Tuesday of each month at 2:00 PM CT / 3:00 PM ET.

All LEAP sessions will be hosted on Zoom using the same access link each month, making it simple for you to join. No need to register for each session – just mark your calendar and click the link at the scheduled time to participate in the live training.

Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89024805687

Today

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LEAP Session Recordings

Missed a LEAP session? No problem! You can catch up anytime by viewing past recordings. Click below to explore past sessions and continue your learning journey!

LEAP Sessions

13 Videos
Topic
Class Credits
Topic

LEAP Session 13: The Leadership Journey Becoming an Essential Leader

Presented by: Charles Smitherman, PhD, JD, MSt, CAE, CEO, Association of Professional Rental Organizations

Class Credits: 1 Credit

Most RTO leaders became managers because they were great at the work, not because they studied leadership. You were promoted for being excellent at collections, sales, or operations. But leading people requires an entirely different skill set.

In this session, APRO CEO Charles Smitherman introduces an original framework for understanding leadership development through three levels: useful, important, and essential leadership. Grounded in the Platinum Rule and ethical decision making, this model helps you evaluate where you currently operate, understand what your team truly needs to feel seen and valued, and apply practical disciplines that move you from reactive management to intentional leadership.

Through examples ranging from Ted Lasso to real world RTO challenges, you will gain tools to become the kind of leader people choose to follow and remember. Whether you manage one store or twenty, this session will reshape how you think about leadership and your role within it.

Please Provide Feedback and Earn Credit for This Session!

After watching the video, be sure to complete the brief survey to earn credit for this session. Your participation counts toward certification levels and potential rewards!

Click here to provide feedback and earn your class credits.

Additional Resources:

The Leadership Journey: A Framework for Intentional Leadership Development

The Leadership Journey Slide Deck

Class Credits

Download LEAP Sessions

Traveling or watching offline? You can download mobile-friendly versions of recent LEAP sessions below for convenient offline viewing.

These downloadable files are provided exclusively for LEAP participants.

To receive class credit, be sure to complete the session survey after watching. Credits will continue to accumulate toward certification levels as part of your LEAP leadership journey.

Select a session below to begin your download.

Certification

As you participate in LEAP, you’ll have the opportunity to earn class credits by attending or watching each session and completing a brief survey. These credits will accumulate toward various certification levels, recognizing your commitment to leadership growth in the RTO industry.

Achieving certification not only enhances your professional development but may also unlock additional rewards (details coming soon!). Simply complete the survey after each session to receive credit and track your progress.

Upcoming Events

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Mike Lewis

Central Properties dba Premier Rental-Purchase

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.