RTO World 2026 brought together rent-to-own professionals from across the country for a week of learning, networking, and celebrating our industry’s progress. From education sessions designed to stregthen RTO businesses, to a show floor filled with innovative vendors, every part of the event highlighted how the rent-to-own industry is thriving and committed to getting even better.
For a full overview of the event, visit RTO World 2026 in Review.
Education Session Recordings
RTO World 2026
30:58
46:20
48:38
50:02
46:00
23:22
44:06
35:41
50:42
45:03
25:55
34:45
48:11
59:16
36:11
1:17:06
Speakers: Mark Williams
AI Without the Tech Talk: A Beginner’s Guide for RTO Professionals
Forget the tech talk – this session shows you what AI actually does. Through real-time, live demos, we’ll show you the AI tools that matter most for your business – all based on the kinds of tasks you’re already handling every day. We’ll build content calendars, generate social media posts and sales training, compare products, and analyze marketing performance, while also exploring inventory insights in real time.
Designed for beginners and non-technical users, this session shows exactly how these AI tools can support your business… no prior experience required. Where could AI save you hours each week? How could it help your team move faster and make better decisions? Walk away with real examples and practical ways to start using AI in your business right away.
Speakers: Ryan Krass, Charles Smitherman
Be the Answer: How to Show Up When Customers Ask AI Where to Go
AI tools like Google AI summaries and ChatGPT are already recommending businesses to customers – and most RTO stores are not part of that conversation. This session will show you how AI actually decides which businesses to mention and give you simple, practical actions you can implement immediately to improve your visibility, reputation, and trust in AI-generated answers.
From your website to your reviews to your content, you’ll leave with a clear plan to make sure your store is not just found—but recommended. If a customer asked AI for an RTO store in your area today, would your business be one of the answers?
You’ll walk away with:
- A clear understanding of how AI selects and recommends RTO businesses
- A checklist of actions you can implement immediately
- A framework for improving your RTO store’s digital presence and reputation
- Practical ways to align your website, reviews, and content for AI visibility”
Facilitator: Mark Connelly
Panelists: Rich Bailey, Eric Holdren, Yvan Irizarry, Deanna Jones
Big A$$ Store: Growing the Business
Top-performing RTO store managers pull back the curtain on what it really takes to run a big a$$ store. This session dives into the daily decisions, long-term strategies, and leadership mindset behind strong operations—from smart inventory management to building reliable teams and creating standout customer experiences. Whether you’re leading a store now or aiming for the next level, you’ll walk away with practical insights to start operating like a high-level leader today — not someday.
Speakers: Teresa French
Culture: The Invisible Force Driving Everything
The Invisible Force Driving Everything explores how the beliefs, behaviors, and values within an organization quietly shape every outcome — from employee engagement to customer experience and financial performance. It challenges leaders to recognize that culture is always at work, whether intentionally built or unintentionally allowed. This presentation equips leaders with practical strategies to intentionally design, lead, and sustain a culture that aligns with purpose and drives lasting success.
Speakers: Ryan Boege, Ben Leach
Developing Talent Who Drive Operational Results
Backwards design starts with the goal and builds the path to get there. We don’t just train for knowledge; we train for performance. Clear expectations. Real application. Measurable standards. We then use data to coach, adjust, and improve—every day.
Speakers: Chase Pitman
Early Light Insights from Ashley Furniture Industries, Titanium Sponsor
Rise and Shine with Ashley Furniture Industries. Chase Pitman covers it all — new customer acquisition, specific product features and fabrics, and delivery solutions built for you and your customers. Worth waking up early!
Speakers: Trent Agin
Firm, Fair, and Paid: Support Customers, Protect the Portfolio, and Keep Renewals on Track
Collections is where good intentions meet real pressure — and where culture gets tested. This session provides a clear framework for keeping control without losing professionalism. Attendees will learn what to say, when to escalate, and how to resolve accounts decisively while protecting revenue, assets, and reputation. If your team knows what to do but struggles with how to do it under stress, this session is for you.
Speakers: Will Jackson
From Cleats to Clipboard
From Cleats to Clipboards is a powerful leadership session focused on one of the most challenging transitions in any organization: moving from high performer to effective leader. Many individuals are promoted because of their ability to execute, but success in leadership requires an entirely different mindset.
This session breaks down the key differences between performing and leading. Attendees will learn how to let go of the “doer” mentality and embrace the responsibility of developing others. The result is stronger leadership, better retention, and a more engaged, high-performing culture.
Speakers: Paul Metivier, Kevin Silvers
Get Out of Your Own Way
A truck pulled up to your backdoor. A past-due customer is making excuses. A coworker is late…again. While your phone is ringing off the hook. All 5 minutes after you opened. What if the biggest obstacle to a better day is the energy you’re wasting trying to control things you can’t? Built on the Let Them Theory and anchored in real RTO scenarios, this session delivers a simple two-part mindset shift you can apply immediately — at the counter, in the office, on the road, with your team, with your customers, and at home.
Facilitator: Chris Kale Jr.
Panelists: John Doroba, Patric Hartman, Sean Knupp
Power Panel: Mastering Multi-Unit Leadership in Today’s RTO Environment
What does it really take to lead across multiple locations without losing performance, culture, or control? In this panel, experienced multi-unit leaders share how they scale people, processes, and accountability across diverse markets. You’ll hear real-world strategies for driving consistency while empowering local teams to win. Expect practical insights you can apply immediately — whether you oversee three stores or thirty.
Facilitator: Dan Fisher
Round Table Discussion: Sales, Collections, People
Join industry peers for an open and interactive round table discussion focused on the challenges and opportunities surrounding sales performance, collections strategies, and people management. Dan Fisher will facilitate this collaborative session and encourage participants to share experiences and exchange ideas gathered throughout RTO World 2026. Expect candid conversation, fresh perspectives, and takeaways you can apply immediately within your organization.
Speakers: Adam Stark
Stop Guessing: Reduce Hiring Misses & Hire “A” Players
Hiring great people shouldn’t depend on gut feeling or luck, but for most teams, it still does. In this session, we’ll break down a simple, repeatable approach to hiring A players. You’ll learn how to present your company to attract the right candidates, build a clear Scorecard that defines what success actually looks like, and avoid the 6 most common “voodoo” interviewing habits that lead to bad hires. We’ll cover specific questions for your next interview, a simple scorecard template, and how to quickly spot red flags before you make a costly mistake. You’ll walk away with a structured process you can use immediately to make better hiring decisions.
Speakers: Jake Dillon
Stop Playing Around — Start Selling Gaming PCs
This session kicks off with a practical breakdown of how to sell gaming systems: learn the basic parts of a PC, understand why monitors matter, and most importantly, understand how the games your customer plays can (and should) drive your recommendation toward the right PC for their needs. All you have to do is connect the dots!
Speakers: Mike Tissot
Tissot Talk: Open the Doors–to your next level
The session will focus on better, faster decisions that can impact a store. The opportunities that are right here, right now that we must leverage. The path to real ownership of people being on the hook. The techniques that can be utilized to retain customers and employees better. And, lastly the move to your very own unwavering standards.
Speakers: Alex Weber
Unstoppable
In the rent-to-own business, every day is about people—earning trust, overcoming objections, and delivering value in moments that matter. In this high-energy session, Alex Weber—American Ninja Warrior, award-winning speaker, and author of Unstoppable—shares how to build resilience, stay motivated under pressure, and show up at your best for every customer interaction. Attendees will walk away with practical tools to boost performance, strengthen customer relationships, and bring unstoppable energy to the sales floor.
Facilitator: Lauren Talicska
Panelists: Ashley Emerson, Teresa French, Candice Hill
Women in RTO Present: A Journey of Growth
An engaging panel discussion featuring RTO women who took ownership of their career path and now lead with greater impact — with time for open roundtable conversation on career growth and leadership development.
