The RTO Show: "Let's talk Rent to Own"

The RTO Show Podcast is the podcast for the rent-to-own industry, hosted by Pete Shau, an industry insider with more than 20 years of experience in RTO operations, sales, leadership, marketing, and store growth.

Each episode brings candid conversations, practical insights, and real stories from the people shaping the RTO community, including operators, vendors, association leaders, store teams, industry veterans, and innovators helping move rent-to-own forward.

Pete’s conversations are built for seasoned veterans, newcomers, owners, managers, vendors, and anyone who wants to learn from the shared experiences, hard-earned lessons, and fresh perspectives inside the rent-to-own industry.

From lead generation, lead management, customer behavior, store traffic, door swings, sales process, collections, training, recruitment, and leadership development to technology, CRM integration, mobile-first shopping, Google ranking, Facebook ads, video marketing, advocacy, APRO, TRIB Group, RTO World, LegCon, and the future of the rent-to-own business model, The RTO Show helps listeners understand what is really happening in RTO.

If you work in RTO, serve the RTO industry, or want to better understand the people, challenges, trends, and opportunities behind rent-to-own, The RTO Show Podcast is your insider’s guide to the industry’s pulse.

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Guest

Shaun Karakkattu

Shaun Karakkattu is the co-founder and former Chief Operating Officer of Atlog, an AI technology startup purpose-built for the rent-to-own industry. Originally from Dubai and raised in Phoenix, Shaun studied Economics and History at Vanderbilt University, where he co-founded Atlog alongside fellow Vanderbilt computer science graduates. The company develops remarkably human-like AI voice agents that handle collections calls and customer outreach for RTO dealers — a solution born from a personal connection to the industry, as both Shaun and his co-founder grew up in communities where rent-to-own furniture was a household staple. In 2025, Atlog was accepted into Y Combinator's inaugural spring cohort — the same accelerator that launched Airbnb and DoorDash — graduating right as Shaun completed his degree at just 22 years old. His work brought cutting-edge AI technology to an often overlooked corner of American retail.

Guest appearance on:

Atlog's AI Powered Customer Service for RTO Business Growth