Man Down

  After nearly 12 years in rent-to-own and 27 episodes of the show, Danny is leaving the industry. He's heading to a pool manufacturing and distribution company — a complete career pivot — driven by the need for a better work-life balance. With three kids, a teenager about to get her license, and a schedule that demanded he be available essentially all the time, the math finally caught up. He calculated that guaranteed weekends off alone would give him 52 extra Saturdays a year with his family — almost a third more time at home.

Pete doesn't frame it as a failure. He points back to their "realizing your sweet spot" episode and their earlier "RTO family effect" episode, both of which touched on what this business demands of people who do it at a high level. Danny had been a self-starter and self-motivator for over a decade, but the industry's pace eventually outweighed what he could give it right now. He leaves the door open — he's been in rent-to-own long enough to know people leave and come back, and he won't rule anything out in five years.

The two reflect on what the show became: 27 episodes, listeners across the country and even in Germany, merchandise people are actually wearing to industry events, and a format that neither of them had any idea how to build when Danny pushed to just hit record on that very first pilot. Pete credits the show with changing him personally — helping him see the industry not as competing brands divided by walls, but as one community of people doing the same work differently.

Going forward, the show continues as Pete's project. Season 3 will lean heavily into interviews and guest voices from across the rent-to-own world — owners, franchise operators, veterans with 30 and 40 years in the business, and people from every level of the org chart. Danny will return as a guest. Pete is looking to take the show to RTO World and continue building what they started together.

As Danny puts it on the way out: they built something that had never been done before, and he wouldn't have wanted to start it with anyone else

Transcript

Danny Lastra 0:07

And welcome to the RTO show with Danny and Pete. I'm your host, Danny.

Pete Shau 0:11

And I'm your host, Pete. And today we're talking about the closure of season two and the departure of one of the guys who maked one of the first rent-owned podcasts in America. Danny. Danny, where are you going? What's going on? Talk to us. Everybody's been wondering where you've been at. What's going on?

Danny Lastra 0:28

I know, I know. So I've been dealing with a lot of personal issues. You know this, Pete. You know more than anybody. Um, a lot of family stuff going on at home. And I'm actually leaving the rent-owned industry altogether. No. Yeah, yeah. So I just need some more of a homework balance in my life at this moment. So I'm leaving rank king, I'm leaving rent to own. It's it's a very sad case career-wise, but for my personal life, it's going to be a little better with the schedule. I'm having a Monday through Friday weekends off. I'm going to a pool manufacturing and distribution company that we sell to independent contractors that build pools. So completely left field, completely totally different field. I started from the bottom, learning a whole new business. But I think it's going to be better for me and my family for the time being, at least so I can spend more time at home.

Pete Shau 1:22

I think part of this episode, besides saying goodbye, is just sometimes knowing when you've got to make that change, when time is for you, right? Because we always talk about going out and finding new people. We talk about making things work. We talk about your showroom and how you get through new hires and how you hold on to people that you need. But sometimes we don't mention that this isn't for everybody. And sometimes even people that have been here a long time, such as yourself, sometimes you know, you you kind of come up and you kind of do things that you never thought you would accomplish, right? And you start looking back and going, wow, now there's a lot more time behind me than in front of me. And what do I do with that? And you start looking at your life and start realizing that you know you have to make it what it is. And at the end, whether you're in rent to own or whether you're in sales or whether you're in you know construction, whether you're in anything, you have to have that work-life balance because without that, whatever we're doing just doesn't last. So to recognize that, it's got to be a big thing, man. You've been doing this for 12 years.

Danny Lastra 2:17

Right under 12 years. June would have been 12 years. And you know, as as we're sitting here already talking, I'm thinking about that episode we did, the RTO family effect. And I don't think we went into enough depth of the demand this industry places. Again, I I love this business, I love this industry, but there is a very high demand, and you know this. It's it's not a five-day-a-week job, it's not a Monday through Friday. It's a as business needs. And right now, business needs is you kind of need to be there kind of all the time right now. And that's perfectly fine, and it was acceptable when I was able to dedicate myself to that time. I'm just not at this moment. But you know, if you're gonna be successful, as we came up the ranks, you nobody had to tell us when to be at work. We we knew when we had to come in our day off, when we had to stay late, when we had to come in extra early, and we still did that as DMs. You know, we worked sometimes five and a half days, six days a week just to get the numbers, just to make sure that procedures are being followed and productivity is being accurately conducted. And I that's where I'm at right now, where I just can't dedicate myself that much right now in my personal life. So, you know, but the RTO family effect, that was a great episode that we talked about, the effect that RTO can have you in your personal life and family if you don't have that balance. And that's the key. Like you just said, you gotta have that balance.

Pete Shau 3:45

Well, balance is probably more important than anything else because that dictates how your day is, right? So when you first get into it, it's that honeymoon phase. But after a while, you really see what the position entails and what you can do. And when you're a self-starter, when you're somebody who self-motivates and you find you find yourself not really being able to get to that level because you have so much on your plate, you gotta sometimes, you know, we we we did that show about realizing your sweet spot. Sometimes you gotta realize what your end point, when your end game is too, you know, when and not necessarily when it's all over or when you're defeated, because that's not what we're saying. We're saying that there's there reaches a point where one has to be just as important, if not more important than the other, because yes, this is our livelihood, but we work to live and not live to work, and and we have to make sure that there that balance is there. So I I don't know if everybody knows, but I mean, you're married, you've got three kids. Yep, 17 years, three kids, yep. Two dogs, you know, the the American dream life, right? You got you got you got all the stats, you know what I mean? And uh that that holds precedence. And how do they feel about you, you know, after 12 years of making this as far as you have and doing as much as you have, how do they feel about, you know, getting out of it? How does the family affect now?

Danny Lastra 4:54

Well, it's it's a little bittersweet. I mean, they understand that how much I put into my career and how much I've dedicated to be successful and to help rank King out, so they understand the sacrifice I'm making, but they're they're extremely excited, they're happy that they're gonna get to spend more time. You know, I was I I think I told you and we did some number crunching just by having weekends off, just by having now Saturday, guarantee Saturday off, that's an extra 52 days a year guarantee I get to spend with my family. So that's 104 days out of the year, which is almost a third. It's it's huge. You know, my daughter, she just turned 16 a couple months ago, she's about to get a license. You and I both know when a teenager gets their license, when are they ever home? They're never gonna be home.

Pete Shau 5:37

You know, so well, this is one of those things like when you start putting it everything together and you start realizing um how much that we dedicate into this, just so that everybody knows out there in the rent homeland. I mean, we are district managers. We do work on the clock, we do work off the clock. And when we say off the clock, I mean I don't know if we're ever really off the clock, you know, especially when you're salary. But, you know, there are nights where it gets long. There are nights where, you know, the alarms are going off or the deposits are done right, or computer problems, or you know, you have that delivery truck out that's late. Not saying that it's bad, you know, that's just part of the business. There's always the positives, but there's always things that, you know, come along with it as well. And when you're trying to run a family life and you're trying to run a show and you're trying to get ready, and and we're we're really trying to do the best we can to push the envelope on what is in rent to own and how it's recognized and what's going on, it becomes uh it becomes a lot. You know, there's a lot to do, especially when we're trying to do shows and we're trying to train our people and we're trying to get things prepared for um the next step that we we think is a rent to own, and then and then you and then you still have to go home and you have to be dad. And you have to remember that you know being a part of your family is always gonna be more important than what you have going on anywhere else. Your family is important, and that family effect probably should have been longer, probably should have been, you know, we probably should have done a round two on the family effect, on the family effect takeover. We're going into this year, uh, in a few months, we're actually going into do the RTO world again. We're gonna go visit that. Oh, what? Yes, the RTO world is coming back around in the next couple of months, and we really want to we really want to be a part of that. But it's been a year. It's been a year since we started this show. It's been a year since we started getting everything going.

Danny Lastra 7:11

That's crazy to think about. I mean, how many episodes you said we've done? Was it like 26, 26?

Pete Shau 7:16

26. 26 episodes. This would the closure of season two would be 27.

Danny Lastra 7:21

Right. So that's that's almost every other week for a whole year, basically, that we've been doing this.

Pete Shau 7:26

It's squeezing the time in that we have, you know, and making it work and trying to just get everybody to see that we have a passion for this, you know. And I really I'm I'm really sad to see you go because I know that there was a lot more that we had planned, but I know that you got to make it happen and do what you got to do. Now, the big question I'm probably gonna get asked now that you're not here is is there a comeback tour?

Danny Lastra 7:47

Oh, you know, I mean, I will always be a guest if you ever ask me to. And, you know, you don't know where the path is gonna lead me. I don't know. How many people have left rent to own and six months later they're back, or a year later they're back, or a couple years later they're back. I I can't predict the future. I don't know where this path is gonna lead me. Um, so is there gonna be a comeback tour? Don't count it, don't count it out.

Pete Shau 8:11

For now, we're gonna call it a guest, we're gonna call it guest spots, you know. Every once in a while you'll probably hear Danny on the show. Um, we'll bring him back to the RTO studios because even though he'll be doing something else, it doesn't mean that he hasn't doesn't have RTO experience and it doesn't mean that he won't be a part of the show. Just kind of like extended family. He's gonna be super extended family now, but uh, you know, add it to the show and and you know, kind of put a two cents in and see what it's like to finally be outside of rental and after 12 years. I mean, that's a long time to be in one, you know, way, and then you know, as you leave and you kind of see it from a different angle and uh kind of see that what the world has out there and how they see things and how they see us and kind of mash those together. So I'm sure that Danny will be on future episodes for God knows how many episodes that we have left, God willing, as many as we can make. But uh I I definitely know that people were asking, you know, hey, uh, what's going on with the show and how are things are? And there's a lot that goes behind the scenes. We are gonna cut down. This is gonna be the last of season two, and we're gonna make season three a little bit different. I hope you guys can enjoy what I have to bring because it's not the Danny and Pete show anymore. It's gonna be just Pete and guests. So I hope they enjoy that. You know what I mean? They're gonna miss you, man. They're gonna miss you.

Danny Lastra 9:18

No, but I'm excited to see what you do with this podcast and if you take it to the next level. I I hope that you do take it to the RTL world. I hope that you do amazing things with it, get a lot of interviews, maybe do a live podcast while you're there. I'm definitely gonna be listening. I'm still gonna be one of your biggest fans. So I I want you to take this thing and take this baton and keep it moving. Definitely keep it moving forward.

Pete Shau 9:39

Well, we're gonna try. You know, a lot of times when I look back, I look at some of the crazy things we've done. Um, I still remember when we got to RTO World not knowing anything about what we're getting into, like, you know, 72-hour notice, and uh a third of that was literally in the air and trying to figure out the night before. And I mean, it was such a blast, you know, it was such a crazy time. Thinking back on some of the crazy things that we've done or we've talked about, I mean, the pilot, our our five-minute pilot, that was like, who the heck are these two guys?

Danny Lastra 10:09

Well, I I might have said this before, but I don't think people know like that was not planned, that was just straight shooting from the hip. We just got in the That was off the cuff, guys. We yeah, we just got our equipment, and being the impatient person I am, I was like, let's just do it, let's just record, let's just put something out there now. Because if we plan and plan, it's never gonna get done. And we did. We just recorded it and put it out there.

Pete Shau 10:29

If anybody knows Danny, Danny's like, uh, hey, we got this, we're we're we're gonna do it. It's like, whoa, there was no planning in that. That was just straightforward, straight from the cuff, straight from the hip. We had no notes, uh, nothing really going on, but we wanted to tell you guys who we were and what's going on. And we were able to come up with a lot of different things that we felt were necessary to talk about. And I I really believe that this is gonna be something going forward. We want to bring you in-depth talk with some of the people in this industry that have been here a long time that can give us words of wisdom. We've done ways to train your team to success as one of the you know the episodes. And I think doing something like that is huge, but there is always something learned. I I really want to talk to people that are gonna tell me and maybe put everything I know I'm on its ear and just shed from a whole different light. I hope that you listen to those episodes.

Danny Lastra 11:17

Well, it's funny. I think our most download episode is actually our first one, the RTO 101 breakdown.

Pete Shau 11:24

That was that was very, very um that was a cut and dry episode. I'm gonna tell you that was a very cut and dry episode. I was like, this is what it is, right? This is what you can expect, right? Here's a legality over it. And you know, one of my one of my favorite ones, because we I think we did that at the end of of season one, but one of my favorite ones overall was the overcoming our failures episode.

Danny Lastra 11:45

That was a good one.

Pete Shau 11:45

You know, you gotta look at yourself and go, you know, I'm not perfect. What do I have going on? Right. You know what I mean?

Danny Lastra 11:51

Well, that's how you learn too.

Pete Shau 11:52

Absolutely. Well, I mean, we're trying to learn now, right? I mean, you you're taking that step to go out and uh and make a change in your life.

Danny Lastra 11:58

Yeah, for sure.

Pete Shau 11:59

So I mean it's one of those things that you know, understanding and overcoming the failures, and it's not necessarily a failure, it's just the speed bumps of life and how do you get through them and what's best for you and your situation. And if everybody, you know, knows when you've been a rent owner long enough, it's a part of you, it's in your blood. And it's hard to get out of this. So to make that change, to make that effort to get out of it altogether, it's uh you know it's commendable, man.

Danny Lastra 12:21

I think I think one of my favorite episodes from season one was how to stand out from the RTO crowd.

Pete Shau 12:27

Well, it's funny you mention that because I was talking to Jen and uh in April, and I I really I want to push that. I want to push that to everybody. If it's possible, I want to bring that to everybody with, you know, of course, the RTO show spin, but I think a lot of what's going on right now is there's a lot of craziness going on as far as the economy. We got banks closing, and we've got you know a situation where we're printing a whole lot of money out there, and there's a lot of confusion. There's a lot of you know, it's a lot of turmoil out there in the economy. And when you have a selection of so many different places to go, how do you stand out? I think that's going to be more important than anything else. How do we shine out above the rest? How do we bring rent to own to the forefront? And you know, I want them, I want somebody to think about you know rent to own like they do Walmart. And I that's probably a very hard statement, but I think that it's something that we need to do. I think that our advertising is different. I think that our care for our customers is different, I think our relationships are different, and I want to push that. I want to push that as far as it can go. And I know that you know what I'm talking about. It's it's different now that you're gonna be getting out because I'll be doing this with a whole different situation. But I mean, the goal is still there, you know, get rent-to-owned to be seen in the light that we see it in, and maybe not the moniker that sometimes it's it's seen on average. Because I really believe there's some hardworking, great people in this business. And if somebody just really got a chance to know us, they would understand, man, that those are some great guys in any store, in any location, any company that that's out there.

Danny Lastra 13:58

Well, I would highly suggest if anybody hasn't listened to that episode yet, how to stand out for the RTO crowd, go give that one a list that's about 30 minutes long. And I think we provided some good tips and some good advice on how you can stand out individually and as a company. And I think that's something you could probably take to um San Antonio this year as well. Maybe take some bits from that episode, talk about it, use that as a format to really help your presentation.

Pete Shau 14:25

Well, I'm not gonna give anybody any tips and tours on this particular episode. I'll give away any of the goodies, but uh, you know, definitely everything that we've gone through. I mean, this has been an eye-opening experience, just to be able to say that we have been a part of the first rent-to-own podcast in America that covering some of the stuff that we do every single day. And the format's gonna change a little bit in season three. We want to talk to a lot more of you guys out there and and get your feel on current events, what's coming out, what's going on in the rent-to-owned industry, how things work and how things have been working, what direction they're going in. These are things that we want to talk about, and we want to get that from you guys. It would just be nice to know what everybody else is thinking. We want to open up the RTO show to everybody out there and just kind of get your your thoughts and feelings. You're gonna see a lot of people coming through the studios, you know, on the on future episodes and future podcasts. But right now, you know, with everything that we have going on, it's just gonna be it's gonna be sad to see you go, man. One of our guest speakers, which was on the uh episode Turn Slow to Go, Teddy Kervin, he's probably gonna make a comeback. He's probably gonna come see us every once in a while. And he was saying it's sad to see you go, although he's done the same thing. He he was in rent home for a long time, and he had to make that change, and I think he understands more than most what you're going through and what he had to do. Now, he didn't leave Rentone completely. Uh he does the sheds where they do sells and they do rentals, but he had to make a change as well. And he's doing very well. He's doing very good, but we still talk all the time, and he's gonna be a guest on the show, just like I know you will be. But you know, it's one of those things you gotta know where you gotta know where your limits are, you gotta know what you what you can and can't do.

Danny Lastra 16:01

Did did you ever think that you'd be going into season three of a podcast when we first started? Like, did you ever think it would get to where it's at where we have listeners in Texas, Indiana, Pennsylvania, all that good stuff?

Pete Shau 16:15

You know, probably one of the best things that I can say is sometimes you go into the fold not knowing anything. You know, you go into something new blindfolded, but if you're willing to enjoy the experience, it will change your life. And I feel the same way. I didn't even know how my I didn't know the difference between, you know, a voice mic and a singing mic. I didn't know the difference between one software and the next. God only knows. I had no idea coming into this, but I think coming out of this, it's changed me as a person. I think I'm a bigger person for it, in a sense that I've learned I'm a better person than I was coming into this, and I can see things for what they are a little bit better now. It's it's changed my life. Uh to be completely honest. It's changed my life because it's made me believe, and you know, when you first get in rent to own, you feel like there are differences between the lines, right? So you have rent a centers and buddies and errands and magics and rent to owns and national TV and rental sales and all those guys. And sometimes you feel like there's walls in between, but the more you learn, the more you talk, the more you realize there isn't really that many. We're really all doing the same thing, and maybe a little differently. There might be a different secret sauce, but we're all trying to do it, you know, in this is this is an industry. Just like construction's an industry, this is an industry, and it really opened my eyes to the many people out there, the many great people out there who are willing to share their their stories. Man, I'm just not the same person I was when we first started.

Danny Lastra 17:33

I I do have something to admit that I was actually shocked about. You know what's the one thing that I thought was gonna be a complete bust, and I was actually shocked by how many people actually purchase merchandise from the RTO show, the shirts. I really didn't think like nobody's gonna buy these shirts, but you got some people to buy some shirts, and you guys they're out there, they're out there, there are people out there rocking the shirts. And and who was it at uh Atlanta you said that was rocking the shirt?

Pete Shau 18:01

Well, you know, Adam Stark was actually rocking the shirt in Atlanta. Um and so it was well, he got it. Uh, and and I actually Kale Jr., Chris Kale Jr. was the one that was that was rocking it. He had it out there, and it was nice, it was nice to see some of the support. I've got a picture of Lee Roystein with his shirt that I'm gonna actually post up. He actually got one for him and his wife. It was awesome. Yeah. I mean, there there's just there's just people out there who I think believe and understand that there's a voice to be had. They're they want to get their knowledge out there of the things that they've amassed.

Danny Lastra 18:31

What you should do, honestly, is try to get a big group picture in San Antonio of people wearing the RTO shirt. That's what you should do. Make that a goal.

Pete Shau 18:39

Well, I'm gonna I'm gonna have to sell a lot more shirts, but I think it's a good idea. That would be a good idea for anybody who's listening. If you guys are going out to the RTO world in Atlanta, let's get together for a picture, at least individual if we can, because I know everybody's got like a different time schedule and stuff like that. And let's say let's take some pictures and post those up. That would be a great site to see to just bring in the RTO community together under the banner of the Rent Tier Own show. Also, I want you guys to know there is a spot opening up the RTO show. If anybody wants to see how what what Danny does, and you guys want to sit down and kind of try it out for a day, let me know. Let me know. Is is there anything that you would say to somebody who is going into a podcast or probably thinking about podcasts, or maybe somebody who wants to do something like you're doing before before you exit and say, This is what I would do, or this is what I've learned, or this is what I would take with me to be on the RTO show. What what advice would you give somebody?

Danny Lastra 19:32

You have to definitely be a people person, you have to be outspoken, and you gotta have something to say. And I think that's why we started the podcast is that we had something to say. We have a message. What's the message is that rent to own is a great industry to work in, it's a great industry to learn from, it's uh it's a fun environment. It's it's not your typical nine to five same boring routine. It's you never know what's gonna happen. And there's just so much activities going on, and I think we wanted to spread the message out there and and get everybody collaborated and together and say, hey, how do we make this industry better? And that I think that was our message. I mean, would you agree or disagree? But that's that's my advice is make sure you have something to say, and then don't be afraid to say it. Because the worst thing you could do is is hold back an idea because you're scared nobody's gonna like it.

Pete Shau 20:26

Well, one thing I like about the show is that we aren't tied down to any one rent-to-one, right? It's an industry as a total and not one specific one. So yes, I work at ranking, yes, I work for CPL group, but I I do like to talk to people from across the the aisle and and see what they think and see. Sometimes we're gonna say things that maybe aren't popular, maybe sometimes we're gonna address things in the room, the elephant in the room, but I think we need to do that. I think as a total, there's no way we're gonna grow as as a as a company, as a corporation, as a business, as an industry if we don't address those elephants in the room. You know, there are there are great things that I'm noticing right now, and I notice that there's a lot more women in rent to own than there used to be. They're doing very, very well. I think the diversity aspect is just really coming along. I think the new product that's coming through and the ability that we have to kind of share that with a lot of people, you know, sometimes people think that we're we're just the basics, but there's a lot that we carry and there's a lot going on. As a matter of fact, yesterday I went to a large furniture store, and I'm not going to say anything because, you know, of course, I'm shopping to competition. I want to know what they got. And uh we got into a comp, you know, we got into a conversation, and it was amazing how much they didn't know about my business and what I do. And I think that, you know, having having those personalities and being out there and kind of covering things, I would love to have somebody come in and kind of question a status quo on the show and just, you know, have something to say, like you said, and just kind of bring that to the table in the forefront and let's talk about it. I think that's what we do. We need to talk about it. We need to get it out in the open. And that's why I love the show so much, and that's why I love this industry, you know, because it's it's different. It's probably the most different industry that I could ever say I've ever worked for.

Danny Lastra 22:00

It is different and it's just it has its challenges, but challenges can be a good thing. You know, it you have a sense of pride when you overcome those challenges. You know, that makes me think of one of my favorite episodes from season two was actually the very first one, which was setting goals. I think that's so important, not in just your career, but in your personal life, you have to set the goals, and whatever that goal is for you, understand there's gonna be obstacles, there's gonna be challenges, but you just have to stay committed and persistent enough to overcome those challenges, and that way you can become successful in your personal and your professional life.

Pete Shau 22:35

There's a lot to work, right? There's a lot that goes into this. And we'll tell you, uh, if you guys are looking, you know, if you guys are listening to episode one or you're listening to episode 26, or you're listening to this episode in episode 27, if you guys have any ideas, uh anything that comes across, you're always welcome to email the show, hit us up on social media, talk to us. We want to talk to you guys because the truth is this, it's from our point of view. But there's a lot of different ways to see this business. There's a lot of different lights, right? As you're a delivery driver, it might not be what you see as an account manager or what you see as a GM or what you see as a DM or what you see as an owner or what you see as a franchise owner, you know, which is a lot of what we're gonna get to in the next season is talking to these people that we might not know what's going on. I actually have a few um, you know, interviews lined up with some people that I I really want to talk to and really kind of want to pick their brain about this business. And how did they stay in it for so long? Because as you can see, you know, with what you're going through, it it's it's sometimes it's difficult. It's difficult to sit there for you know 20 years. And we got some vets out there that are listening on, you know, they're knocking on 40 years. Um I know that Felix and our work and our work sales, he's been doing this for quite a long time. And I got to commend it for people like that. Dennis Rosen from Nike Tova, he's been doing this a really long time. That's the opposite end of the field, right? Then you've guys you've got got like Larry Pivotal and Scott Schaeler been doing this for 30, you know, but 30 years or something like that. It's because they were in rent home before they got their own openings, or Mike Tissett, who's second generation, or uh, you know, some of the other guys that are second generation. It's like, wow, I think John Clee Jr., you know, uh is is second generation. There's so many guys out there, second generation, and it's like what's their passion? You know, what keeps you here when when the days that you wake up and you're like, I I'm done, you know, I'm I'm done. Because their day, I mean, who doesn't have those days where you wake up and you're like, I'm done, just so done with this. I'm just gonna jump off the clearest ledge, you know? Um, and then to be able to come back to it because it is it is difficult. How do they handle that home life situation? How do they kind of get through it? What tips do they have? Because I mean, one day I could be sitting in your seat, man, and uh somebody else could be sitting in mine. You never know where the RTO show is gonna go. And uh I I would love to to hear how things are in a month or two months from now, or what you know, what you've seen outside of the box and what you can talk to us about coming through and some of the some of the different little stories that we can talk about about the history. We have some stories, guys. We've done some crazy stuff. I'm not gonna mention you know anything crazy like jumping out of the boat or anything like that, but we uh you know we've done some stuff where we didn't know where it was gonna land. But I think that's you know, I just think that that's where the show is all about.

Danny Lastra 25:13

Between the podcast, the commercial shoots, us running our divisions. I I honestly want to say we were on the verge of taking RTO to a whole nother level, to a whole nother aspect of digital marketing. I mean, because in a sense that's what we're doing. Now the podcast might not be for our customers per se, it's more of the industry and people inside the industry and learning how to be better at it. But it is a marketing tactic, it is a training tool, and then you got the commercials that we've done for digital marketing for ranking. That I mean, I loved the videos that we made. It was such a blast having so much fun with Steve, Amberly, Sergio, and Sergio, Sergio, we still miss you.

Pete Shau 25:53

I just want you to know, Sergio, if you're ever gonna listen to this, we still miss you out there, buddy. We have a great time, but uh, it's always better with you around. Um, we do have some new friendly faces though that came along, right? And they're doing a great and phenomenal job. Uh, Steve is uh an amazing guy who who really he's kind of been there for us as much as as much as we've really asked him to. He's always been a heavy hitter with their Amber Lee. I'm gonna do my best to get Amber Lee on the show, just so you know.

Danny Lastra 26:18

I'm gonna I'm gonna She needs to be on the show.

Pete Shau 26:20

She needs to be on the show. I'm gonna try to get her on the show because I think that um we need to hear from sometimes a different aspect of the same situation. Like she she does the marketing, she's a marketing director for Rank King. And man, what we've gone through in the last two years and the transformation that the company has gone through as far as our marketing, as far as our branding. And I'm gonna tell you guys, that's probably one of the biggest things, and we'll talk about that later on in some other episodes. But branding is huge. Creating that brand and creating what you see on advertisement and and giving somebody places to go, it's been surreal. I mean, I I'm just a normal guy doing a normal thing, but when you've been out, I mean, tell me it's not kind of crazy that somebody goes, hey, you're the guy in that episode. You're the guy that's doing that thing, right? I saw you, I know who you are, right? Or uh when we're standing in the showroom and I'm on, you know, this always happens. And I'd like you, I don't know if you guys, if any, if any GMs or any DMs, anybody really knows. I'm a drifter. And I Danny's the same way because I've I've seen him do it. I think I got it from him actually when he first, you know, when I was for my first DM, and we're we're walking around, we get that call and we kind of start walking the showroom, you know. We just start walking the showroom and we're you know, you try to do what you can while you're doing out there. You're you're having your conversations, you're looking at the floor, you're checking tags, you're checking package tags, and then somebody goes while you're on the phone, hey, that's you over. That's you on the screen. You're like, yeah, you know, time to put the phone down, you know. Happens happens quite often. It's very nice, it's very humbling. It's but it's it's one of those things like I've been blessed to be in the situation that I'm in, and I'm very thankful for allowing uh for people allowing me to get to where I am, and I thank God all the time. And uh, I'm just looking forward to doing this as long as I can. And if the day ever comes where it's my time to go, I hope that you know everybody will enjoy it and and miss me as much as they've missed Danny over here. I think I've had everybody and their grandmother ask me where Danny's been these last couple of the shows and what's going on and where he's at. And we've we've loved making uh making this work, as Jen Troke would say from A Pro, the dynamic duo. We've done everything we can to uh to be as entertaining and as training and as forthright and as educational as possible without putting you to sleep. But uh, you know, times and things change, and I know that you have a lot ahead of you. I know that it's a bright future no matter where you go. We always appreciate you being here on the show as a founder and as a guest. We're gonna miss you. I know we're gonna miss you at Rent King. I know Larry's probably still mad at you. I'm just gonna tell you right now. He's probably I know, I know. But I think I I don't think he's upset in the sense that you're leaving because of whatever. I think he's I think he's bothered because he understands that you have a bright future no matter where you go. And I think he wanted that to be in Rent King and Rent to Own.

Danny Lastra 28:57

No, absolutely. He tells me all the time I he says people are built for this business is in their blood, and I think that he's always seen it in my blood, the passion I've had it, and I think um it's just upsetting, a little bit upsetting for everybody, knowing that I'm walking away from something that I was so passionate about. But again, at the end of the day, you gotta do what's best for you and your family, and I feel in my heart that I'm making the right decision for this moment. Maybe five years from now be a different story. Five years from now, I might be back, who knows? But as at this moment in my life, I know that I'm making the right decision, I'm going on the right track for me and my family, and that's all the priority has to be right now. Exactly. But but I'm super excited for you, Pete. Man, I can't wait to see what you do with the show. I want to see, I want to see you talk to so many different people. I want to hear so many interviews, I want you to take it to the RTO world, and I want you to blow this thing up. You know, I want you to make me regret leaving. That's what I want. I I want you to make it so big that I go, damn, I shouldn't have walked away from the show.

Pete Shau 29:59

I just I just want you guys to know there's the only round reference I ever want to make, and that when if if anybody's ever heard of American Idol, I was season one or season one and two, there was actually two hosts. Yes. And nobody remembers the host's name because he's not important. No, we're not gonna forget about Danny. And listen, man, I know you're gonna take that passion that you have for rent to own and make it successful anywhere you go. You know, uh if if I get a chance to get something out of this, and when I say that, I mean the enjoyment of being around, the enjoyment of learning from new people, the enjoyment of seeing where this goes. And this is definitely I want you guys to know I will never be rich working for the rent to own show. We do this for you, and that's 100% true. We do this out of dedication that we have to the rent-to-owned world. We don't get anything out of it. There's not there's no big uh money days or there's no big uh paydays from it, there's there's no kickbacks. This is what we do, and we put on from us to you to make sure that you guys understand and see everything that's going on. Listen, we appreciate everything that's been going on. Danny, I know that you're gonna take that that passion and that successful mindset and take it to wherever you go. And if and when you ever come back, we will be here waiting for you. But uh, if you guys have any questions or any comments, please hit up the show, Facebook, Instagram, the RTO show. If you have any questions and you want to hit me up directly, Pete at the RTO ShowPodcast.com, you can visit. So far, Danny's pictures are still there. We haven't really touched it like we said we're gonna go into because there's been a lot of negotiation, a lot of things going on behind the scenes. But you know, Danny's picture is still up on www.therto showpodcast.com. It will be there for a long time, but it will be changed to a founding member versus a current disc jockey on the podcast. And uh, we're just gonna go do some changes like everybody uh everybody does. Listen, get your last bit of shirts. We still have a couple of shirts left with the Danny and Pete logo on it. Um, it is gonna change in a little bit for season three. So we still have a couple of shirts left that say uh the RTO show with Danny and Pete. Then you're gonna be rocking a vintage shirt before we get the new one going on. Again, if you have any questions, hit us up, social media, Facebook, send us an email, and then uh, you know, Danny's email is gonna be up for a while. So if you guys have any questions and even ask them how it's going, hit up Danny at Danny at the RTO Show Podcast.com and just ask some questions. I mean, uh it could be an episode coming up in season three or season four where we answer some questions like what the hell do you do in your day when you actually have time to do it? You know, when you're not getting calls from seven stores about what's going on and somebody's pants are on fire every other minute.

Danny Lastra 32:30

Oh, I'm definitely gonna be sending you some pictures on a Saturday with me and some My Ties uh and my pool. I'm definitely gonna be throwing that in your face a little bit.

Pete Shau 32:37

I just want you to know that I'm going to scribble all over those pictures and I'm going to put them on the website. Danny and his Speedos on Saturday. We're going to put that on the show.

Danny Lastra 32:46

No, but in all seriousness, Pete, I want to thank you for your friendship, your partnership. Thanks for this journey that we've been on. Uh, it wouldn't been the same if I started it by myself without you. I think we we built something undeniably great and that is never been done before. I really believe that in my heart. So I definitely want to thank you for being a part of this and for having me be a part of this and just taking this whole RTO show to a level that nobody ever thought it would take it to. So absolutely. But I guess since this is the last one, I guess you you do the send off. So I guess for the last time, everybody signing off. This is the RTO show with Danny and Pete.