Podcasts about rent a center

In late January, Upbound Group completed its acquisition of Brigit, a leading financial health technology company. This deal brings together Upbound's established brands like Rent-A-Center and Acima with Brigit's digital platform that offers earned wage access, credit building products, and financial wellness tools. The combined company now serves approximately four million active customers, including Brigit's impressive base of over one million paying subscribers. I'm thrilled to welcome Zuben Mathews, co-founder of Brigit, to our podcast today. Zuben continues to lead the Brigit team as they now operate as a business segment within Upbound Group, alongside his co-founder Hamel Kothari. In our conversation today, we'll explore the strategic vision behind this acquisition, how Brigit's technology will enhance Upbound's existing services, and what this means for millions of Americans who have been traditionally underserved by mainstream financial institutions. We'll also discuss how Brigit's proprietary cash flow underwriting technology and machine learning capabilities might change the landscape for accessible financial products.

What really happens behind the scenes at a Rent-A-Center? In this 7 Minute Stories: Sunday Leftovers episode, Aaron features master storyteller Shannon Cason, host of Homemade with Shannon Cason, as part of a special story swap. Shannon shares a brutally honest and darkly funny story from his summer working at Rent-A-Center—where the true business wasn't furniture, but selling payments. From repo runs to ruthless managers, this story pulls back the curtain on an industry built on high-interest survival. Follow Shannon's Storytelling: https://www.shannoncason.com/ *We're creating bonus 7MS-themed content delivered to your inbox, but only exclusively for 7MS listeners who sign up for our quarterly newsletter. Join the waitlist! https://www.7minutestoriespod.com/newsletter *Dive deeper into the 7MS Universe and connect with Aaron on... Instagram IG Threads YouTube Thanks to my amazing team who've made 7 Minute Stories a top storytelling podcast: Story created & performed by: Aaron Calafato Senior Audio Engineer: Ken Wendt Additional vocals: Cori Calafato Original Music: autopolitan Art: Pete Whitehead 

On my summer break from college, I wanted to get some real business experience. I got a job at Rent-A-Center and got more experience than expected. Give a listen!Stay connected:* YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@shannoncasonstoryteller* Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/shannoncason/* Twitter - https://twitter.com/shannoncason* Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ShannonCasonTalks* TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@shannoncasonSupport the stories:* Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/shannoncason* CashApp - https://cash.app/$ShannonCason* Merch & more - https://www.shannoncason.com/Supporters get a mention on the next Homemade Stories Podcast!For hosting, speaking, interviews, or consulting - more info at - https://www.shannoncason.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We never thought of a RENT A CENTER for a stove!!!

A 63-year-old New York woman, Wendy Stone, has been accused of hiding her deceased boyfriend's body in a recycling bin in the basement of their Rochester home for months while continuing to collect his Social Security benefits. Stone allegedly poured bleach on the remains periodically to mask the odor and used the funds for personal expenses, including restaurant meals, shopping sprees, and ATM withdrawals. The U.S. Attorney's Office announced on Monday that Stone has been charged with theft of government funds, aggravated identity theft, and making false statements to obtain Social Security benefits. These charges could result in up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. According to federal court documents, the case began when Stone's boyfriend, Kenneth Crisman, requested a replacement debit card for his Social Security benefits just days before his death on December 28, 2022. After discovering Crisman's body, Stone allegedly decided to keep his death a secret to continue receiving his benefits. She wrapped his body in plastic, placed it in a recycling bin, and hid it in the basement, authorities say. Court documents reveal that Stone activated Crisman's debit card on January 6, 2023, and began using it for purchases the next day. Over the following months, she is accused of spending nearly $8,000 of Crisman's benefits on items from Walmart, The Home Depot, and Staples, as well as making multiple ATM withdrawals. Surveillance footage captured Stone and her son shopping at a Walmart in Greece, New York, on August 10, 2023. She was also seen withdrawing cash from an ATM on June 6, 2023. Stone even opened a Rent-A-Center account using Crisman's benefits in March 2023. In January 2024, during a Social Security Administration review, Stone allegedly lied about her living situation, claiming no one had moved in or out of her residence since December 2021, including births or deaths. This false statement, combined with her use of Crisman's benefits, rendered her ineligible for her own Social Security benefits during that period. Neighbors expressed shock at the allegations, describing their neighborhood as generally peaceful. Stone is not currently facing any charges related to Crisman's death. Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on The Downfall of Diddy, The Trial of Karen Read, The Murder Of Maddie Soto, Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com

A 63-year-old New York woman, Wendy Stone, has been accused of hiding her deceased boyfriend's body in a recycling bin in the basement of their Rochester home for months while continuing to collect his Social Security benefits. Stone allegedly poured bleach on the remains periodically to mask the odor and used the funds for personal expenses, including restaurant meals, shopping sprees, and ATM withdrawals. The U.S. Attorney's Office announced on Monday that Stone has been charged with theft of government funds, aggravated identity theft, and making false statements to obtain Social Security benefits. These charges could result in up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. According to federal court documents, the case began when Stone's boyfriend, Kenneth Crisman, requested a replacement debit card for his Social Security benefits just days before his death on December 28, 2022. After discovering Crisman's body, Stone allegedly decided to keep his death a secret to continue receiving his benefits. She wrapped his body in plastic, placed it in a recycling bin, and hid it in the basement, authorities say. Court documents reveal that Stone activated Crisman's debit card on January 6, 2023, and began using it for purchases the next day. Over the following months, she is accused of spending nearly $8,000 of Crisman's benefits on items from Walmart, The Home Depot, and Staples, as well as making multiple ATM withdrawals. Surveillance footage captured Stone and her son shopping at a Walmart in Greece, New York, on August 10, 2023. She was also seen withdrawing cash from an ATM on June 6, 2023. Stone even opened a Rent-A-Center account using Crisman's benefits in March 2023. In January 2024, during a Social Security Administration review, Stone allegedly lied about her living situation, claiming no one had moved in or out of her residence since December 2021, including births or deaths. This false statement, combined with her use of Crisman's benefits, rendered her ineligible for her own Social Security benefits during that period. Neighbors expressed shock at the allegations, describing their neighborhood as generally peaceful. Stone is not currently facing any charges related to Crisman's death. Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on The Downfall of Diddy, The Trial of Karen Read, The Murder Of Maddie Soto, Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com

[This blog will always be free to read, but it's also how I pay my bills. If you have suggestions or feedback on how I can earn your paid subscription, shoot me an email: cmclymer@gmail.com. And if this is too big of a commitment, I'm always thankful for a simple cup of coffee.]A little over two weeks ago, a user on Twitter posted a joke claiming, with a knowing wink, that J.D. Vance, the junior senator from Ohio and Trump's running mate, had been quite intimate with an alluring chesterfield. They have since locked their account, but here's the original tweet:To be clear: there is absolutely no proof whatsoever that Mr. Vance engaged in copulation with a couch. You can confidently state to the folks in your life that this never happened.But the joke took on a life of its own. For two weeks, the internet has been awash in puns, memes, and coy references to Mr. Vance's (falsely alleged) furnish-curious orientation.It hit a fever pitch on Tuesday at a campaign rally in Philadelphia when Gov. Tim Walz, running mate of Vice President Harris, included this reference in his speech: “I can't wait to debate the guy—that is, if he's willing to get off the couch and show up.”As the crowd roared in response, Mr. Walz followed up with: “See what I did there?”I was in that audience. It was a hell of a line. Many of you were probably watching on television and laughing with approval, and I gotta say: it landed even better in-person.Of course, not everyone agrees, particularly more than a few journalists and pundits who decried it as unnecessary and tantamount to disinformation. Yesterday, CNN's Jake Tapper characterized it as a “gross smear” while Washington Post columnist Megan McArdle opined on Twitter: “But the more people argue this is all in good fun, the more I want to write in a name rather than voting for either of the nasty tickets.”The Intelligencer's Benjamin Hart weighed in, too: “It does not follow that Trump accusing Democrats of killing babies and Kamala Harris of being a communist monster means that Democrats are allowed to lower their standards. That's not how standards work.”Ah, yes, standards — the expected consistency of holding a moral line, regardless of whom crosses it. Of course, it's been difficult not to notice that Mr. Tapper, Ms. McArdle, Mr. Hart, and every other finger-wagging, scandalized pundit didn't have anything to say when, just last week, Mr. Vance decided to use his global platform as the Republican vice presidential nominee to falsely and cruelly claim that Olympic woman boxer Imane Khelif is actually a man.Mr. Vance posted on Twitter: “This is where Kamala Harris's ideas about gender lead: to a grown man pummeling a woman in a boxing match. This is disgusting, and all of our leaders should condemn it.”He was quote-tweeting far-right commentator Charlie Kirk, who had written: “The Olympics just allowed a biological man, Imane Khelif, to pummel Italian Olympian Angela Carini. Her life's work was stolen by a man who beats up women for sport. Will someone have to die before people wake up?! This entire ideology is pure evil.”I wrote last week about the vile disinformation spread about Ms. Khelif by the likes of Mr. Vance, Trump, J.K. Rowling, and many others who slandered her online, along with all the reasons why this horrid accusation is patently false.(Also: to be abundantly clear, there are no trans women competing in the Olympics.)But here's the most important thing to note here: Ms. Khelif is from Algeria, where being transgender is not only considered borderline criminal but trans people are particularly vulnerable to lethal violence, to say nothing of discrimination generally.Mr. Vance encouraged a global pile-on against Ms. Khelif, quite literally putting her life in danger, all for a cheap political hit directed at Vice President Harris.Mr. Tapper said nothing on the matter. Nor did Ms. McArdle. Nor did Mr. Hart. Nor, to the best of my knowledge, has any other reporter or pundit who pontificated on Democrats making light of Mr. Vance allegedly having a tryst with an ex-lover from Rent-A-Center. In the case of Mr. Vance, there is no victim of disinformation. The greatest cause for trauma and injury can only be claimed by a hypothetical, seductive settee. But with the dangerous slander directed at Ms. Khelif by Mr. Vance, there's a woman who has struggled all her life in pursuit of her Olympics dream, only to watch as people like the Republican vice presidential nominee put her and her family through an extraordinary hell for the past two weeks.I don't expect journalists and pundits to comment on every single issue, particularly every little comment from every bit player in the world of politics. That's completely unreasonable. But Mr. Vance is not a bit player. He's on the GOP's presidential ticket. He's asking voters to consider him for the position of the second most powerful person in the world, and every single reporter and pundit in this country would understandably leap at the opportunity to book an exclusive interview with him.The silence of people like Mr. Tapper and Ms. McArdle and Mr. Hart—knowing full well that what he was claiming is false and dangerous—speaks to an increasingly destabilizing double standard in American media. For some, journalistic integrity seems to be highly contingent on the degree to which their access is threatened.If they had criticized Mr. Vance and set the record straight regarding Ms. Khelif, most likely jeopardizing their access with Republican elected officials, it might mean one less big scoop, one less primetime interview, one less panel invite or speaking gig or book deal. And thus, it is much easier to publicly opine on the moral imperatives of Mr. Walz, the vice presidential candidate for the political party that is not going to restrict access or otherwise punish journalists and pundits who ask a tough question or make a critical observation. It's easy to “take a stand” when you know there will be no consequences for doing so.I don't care what Mr. Vance does or does not do with his couch or end table or swinging crystal chandelier. It's none of my business. Granted, I would like a heads up, so as to avoid sitting there, but otherwise, it really has nothing to do with the rest of us.I do care quite a lot about the vulnerable people that Mr. Vance and his ilk continue to put in danger through dehumanizing and horrific rhetoric, gleefully attacking women generally and LGBTQ people, in particular, with scant accountability from much of political media.I would like to believe that Mr. Tapper and Ms. McArdle and Mr. Hart also value consistency in this regard, but the last two weeks have demonstrated otherwise.This evening, Ms. Khelif won the final of the women's boxing welterweight division in Paris, finally realizing, against tall odds, her lifelong dream of being an Olympic Champion. Immediately following the victory, she was warmly embraced by her opponent, China's Yang Liu, the 2023 IBA World Champion. The two smiled and took selfies at the awards ceremony, a joyous moment after two weeks of other women boxers rallying around Ms. Khelif in support against the violent disinformation spread by Mr. Vance and others. I hope Mr. Tapper, Ms. McArdle, and Mr. Hart were watching.Pundits, take a seat. Just not there.Charlotte's Web Thoughts is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Charlotte's Web Thoughts at charlotteclymer.substack.com/subscribe

This podcast is the only podcast directed specifically to the home owner & home buyer.We talk life in Florida and dealing with the Covid Quarantine .We talk:Commercial Real EstateLease to OwnLease PurchaseRentalsPatty's Playhouse, we talk about real estate and life in the small southern town.The conversations are consumer driven inviting entrepreneurs, real estate professionals and interesting people who make up our world of real estate. We talk real estate with some interesting and fun facts... Its like house porn! We talk lifestyle, staging tips, home buying selling and investing... all with a happy ending...House Talk with a Happy Ending Get bonus content on Patreon Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/pattysplayhouse https://plus.acast.com/s/pattysplayhouse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Comedians Harland Williams, Kim Congdon, & Zac Amico join Big Jay Oakerson and Luis J. Gomez to explore Big Jay's similarities to Bing Bong from Inside Out, and discuss being starstruck by celebrities, and what's available on Rent-A-Center. Plus, the gang plays a rapper themed round of "Who's Most Justified...?"! All This and More, ONLY on The Most Offensive Podcast on Earth, The LEGION OF SKANKS!!!Air Date: 05/21/24Support our sponsors!Fans over the age of 21, head to YoDelta.com and use promo code GAS for 25% off your order!Go to YoKratom.com, home of the $60 kilo!Head to SheathUnderwear.com and use promo code SKANKS for 20% off your order!Visit SmallBatchCigar.com and use promo code LOS10 discount code for 10% off plus 5% rewards points!Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with @shop.mando and get $5 off your Starter Pack (that's over 40% off) with promo code LEGION at ShopMando.com!GET YOUR SKANKFEST VEGAS 2024 TICKETS HERE: SKANKFEST.COMSUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST► https://www.youtube.com/@LegionPodcast?sub_confirmation=1For a limited time: Sign up to GaSDigital.com with promo code LOS14 and get a 14 day FREE TRIAL! You'll get EVERY SINGLE episode of Legion of Skanks (and our entire GaS Digital library) ad-free and uncensored in FULL HD, chat with other members during shows, watch episodes right after the livestream (days before the public), The Friday Night Hang (Legion of Skanks weekly GaS Digital exclusive episode) and so much more!LIVE STANDUP DATEShttps://bigjaycomedy.comhttps://luisofskanks.comhttps://comicdavesmith.comFOLLOW THE WHOLE SHOW►Harland Williamshttps://instagram.com/harlandwilliamshttps://twitter.com/harlandwilliams►Kim Congdonhttps://instagram.com/kimcongdonhttps://twitter.com/kimberlycongdon►Zac Amicohttps://instagram.com/zacisnotfunnyhttps://twitter.com/zacisnotfunny►Legion of Skankshttps://instagram.com/legionofskankshttps://twitter.com/legionofskanks►Big Jay Oakersonhttps://youtube.com/@bigjayoakerson?sub_confirmation=1https://instagram.com/bigjayoakersonhttps://twitter.com/bigjayoakerson►Luis J Gomezhttps://youtube.com/@luisjgomezcomedy?sub_confirmation=1https://instagram.com/gomezcomedyhttps://twitter.com/luisjgomez►Dave Smithhttps://youtube.com/@partoftheproblem?sub_confirmation=1https://instagram.com/theproblemdavesmith►GaS Digitalhttps://youtube.com/@gasdigitalnetwork?sub_confirmation=1https://instagram.com/gasdigitalhttps://twitter.com/gasdigitalSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Discussions: Jam Master Jay murderer convicted, No-warning breakups, NBA All-star weekend, Trump sneakers, Rent-A-Center, spam calls ============= We love hearing from you! Drop us a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠voicemail ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠or send your question/comment to thethreesomepodcast@gmail.com. Find us on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thethreesomepod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thethreesomepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and on Facebook ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@the3somepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Join our Facebook group (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thethreesomepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) and have fun with us. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thethreesome/message

In today's episode, we Shoot The Breeze and ask should you expect your partner always to take your side? You won't believe this CBS News polls women, and found out half of all women married or single have a Plan B waiting if their partner does not work out. Then we talk about how 1/5 Gen Z young people are bringing their parents to their job interviews You Know What Grinds My Gears  Lastly, we bring up how Rent-A-Center is renting out Jordans for $19.99 a week. These Air Jordan 5 Racer Blues sell Follow Us On Instagram @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Something 4 Da People Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Bryant "B Hunt" Artcotix ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Jeremy "Big Country" Real Being Regal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Us On TikTok @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Something 4 Da People Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Us On Facebook @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Something4DaPeople⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Us On YouTube @ ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@something4dapeoplepodcast/featured⁠⁠ Email Us @ ⁠something4dapeoplepodcast@gmail.com⁠ Follow Us On Linktree ⁠https://linktr.ee/something4dapeople⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/something4dapeople/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/something4dapeople/support

We back with another one. Tekken 8 is out now (go get it!) and we give our first impressions. The NBA has announced the starters for the All Star game this season. We talk about who might have been snubbed from the starting line up, players scoring more points then ever, and Doc Rivers being the new coach for the Bucks. Rent A Center is now selling Jordan sneakers. Would you get on a payment plan for some J's? Tune in. 

@THEKIDMERO @LIZBELORTIZ @RAINEYAOVALLE    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rent-A-Center is renting shoes now! We finally know how what an aardvark looks like in real life and things got real heated about the cartoon Rocket Power! That and more, right here on the Professionally Silly podcast! Let's get silly! Pictures for this episode can be found on the podcast Instagram @itsprosilly. Call/text my Google voice number call/text 805-664-1828 and hear yourself on a podcast episode!  ~MUSIC BY  “Mulholland” by King Canyon “Sunset Dream” by Cheel “Don't Wanna Let Myself Down” by NEFFEX ~LINKTREE https://linktr.ee/Ambersmilesjones ~Join my Professionally Silly YouTube channel membership to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEabIsoT5wrN5hRSgY7wnYQ/join  ******************* Amber “Smiles” Jones PO BOX 533 Lovejoy, GA 30250 *************************** Email me: itsprofessionallysilly@gmail.com  Be sure to SUBSCRIBE/FAVORITE/REVIEW❤️ CALL ME 805-664-1828 ************************************ PAYPAL  https://www.paypal.me/ambersmilesjones STEREO https://stereo.com/trusmilesjones INSTAGRAM http://instagram.com/itsprosilly   --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/amber-smiles-jones/message

1: Rupert Murdock owns Tubi 2: ‘Brick Lady' charged in Houston 3: Vince Staples Netflix series “watch the trailer

Welcome to The Kasabian Lavoe Show!

Saucy Santana RCA Records Rumours Go Without Answers As He Previews New MusicChrisean Rock Shaken Up After Men Draw hammers During Filming Of Her Dating Game Show, Footage Surfaces OnlineStunna Girl Accuses Zeus CEO Of Sleeping With “Baddies” Cast Members, He Fires BackDJ Akademiks Claims Diddy Cut Yung Miami Off Amid Bitter Feud With City Girls Rapper,Halle Bailey Opens Up On Keeping Her Pregnancy A Secret From The InternetHalle Bailey's Baby Bump Didn't Stop Her From Throwing It Back With ChloeRun-D.M.C. Documentary “Kings From Queens” Gets First Trailer42 Dugg Denies Claims That Offset Robbed HimChris Brown & Saweetie's Courtside Link-Up Has Social Media Debating Whether They'll Date NextGunna And Turbo Recruit Some Classic Music Video Starlets For New “Bachelor” VisualsRod Wave Reveals That Ex Obsessed With NBA YoungBoy Led Him To Chase Music CareerDoja Cat's Brother Denies Accusations, Claims Family Hasn't Spoken To Him In YearsWiz Khalifa Gets Roasted For Blowing Smoke Into Friend's MouthWiz Khalifa Responds To Viral Smoke VideoJalen Brunson Drops 41 With Coi Leray Courtside, Fans Credit Performance To Rapper's PresenceOdell Beckham Jr Recalls Living At Drake's Home During Break-InKevin Hart Demands Tasha K Restraining Order, Accuses Her Of Tarnishing His ReputationCardi B Accuses Tasha K Of Hiding Assets To Avoid Collection EffortsSexyy Red's Baby Shower Goes Viral, Rapper Drops More Throwback ContentDrake Jumps On "Tripod Bro" Trend With Neon Nighttime Routine! tags Drew WellsKendrick Lamar uses new song to score Chanel short film.Lil Wayne introduces his kids to Queen Latifah.MeganTheeStallion announces new single "Hiss," droppingJanuary 26thTheChi is currently filming for the new seasonCarmeloAnthony commends 50 Cent and the creators of Power for producing television that reflects the communityCalifornia woman arrested after allegedly stealing 65 Stanley cups from storeLe'Veon Bell says the hatred towards Lil Baby started when Lil Baby decided to make people choose between him and GunnaPaul Pierce implies that Udonis Haslem didn't earn his number getting retriedRavens Fan is Going Viral for looking Like Martin Luther king42 Dugg Invites Lil Baby, GloRilla, Jeezy & More To Homecoming ConcertMeek Mill chain falls Off at 42 Dugg Detroit ConcertYo Gotti Makes 1st Public Appearance Since Big Jook's passingTennessee: 78-year-old white woman is robbed in church by two black women. One of them even pretends to pray with her while the other steals her wallet. Then they went on a $7000 shopping spree.Chris Brown Says That He And Quavo Are Still Not Cool Despite They Sit Side By Side At Fashion ShowTyler James Williams Earned An Estimated $250k Per Episode On 'Everybody Hates Chris' Which Made Him One Of The Highest-paid Child Actors Of All Time!Renee Rapp & Megan Thee Stallion Perform “Not My Fault” On “Saturday NightLive”Rubi Rose Thirst Traps Have Fans Licking The LipsSnoop Doggs ‘Giving Up Smoke' Campaign For Smokeless Fire Pit Brand Reportedly Flopped, CEO Who Recruited Rapper Fired From CompanySoulja Boy Seemingly Dispels Rumors That He's Broke By Flaunting Million Dollar Deposit From Record LabelYG Says He Wants To Rekindle Relationship w/ Ex-Girlfriend Saweetie One Day After They Confirm SplitVince Staples – First Trailer & Premiere Date Released For Rapper's New Netflix Series Apparently customers can now rent Air Jordans from Rent-A-Center. $19.99 a weekThe “White Chicks” founder has spoken! Marlon Wayans says Black men wearing dresses in comedy is nothing more than entertainment.Tia mowry let her cheeks out on the gramTems Says Music Producer ATL Jacob Claims That She Initially Refused To Clear Vocals For Hit Song ‘Wait For U' Are A ‘Big Lie'Taraji P. Henson Wants Conversations Surrounding ‘The Color Purple' To Focus On The Film & Not Her Comments About P

With Valentine's Day approaching, we're less than a month away from the rush to Walgreens for last-minute gifts. The Florida State Board of Education seems to be dancing around diversity, equity, and inclusion. We're not just talking about polka dots here; it's about crucial aspects of education. And speaking of things blowing up, did you hear about the Alaska Airlines flight where a door blew off mid-air? Wait until you find out what they're giving passengers as an apology. In the world of entertainment, "The Color Purple" seems to be thriving, but Warner Brothers disagrees. Guess who they're blaming? It's not Jonathan Majors! Also, someone other than Jonathan Majors is speaking highly of Coretta Scott King—find out who. To cap it off, we'll kick off our Group Chat Topic of the Week: Polyamory. Are you with it or nah? We'll explore this unconventional form of relationship and take your calls. Listen, Laugh, and Learn on The Amanda Seales Show! FOLLOW ALONG AS WE COVER:   (3:13) - The Florida State Board of Education passed a rule to permanently prohibit Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the state's 28 state college campuses. Discussion on what Black folks should remove or prohibit from Florida. (8:45) - Exploring ethical non-monogamy (polyamory) after a New York Magazine edition. Definition and discussion on polyamory. (14:19) - 60 Second Headlines covering various topics. (17:58) - Blackurate News: Alaska Airlines mid-air incident, Amanda's weekend in Chicago, and the Big Up/Let Down segment. (21:02) - Discussing the Alaska Airlines incident where a piece of fuselage broke loose mid-flight. Passengers' experiences and compensation. (26:49) - Amanda shares her trip to Chicago, focusing on a stand-up experience. (30:04) - The Big Up/Let Down segment: Commending a couple in Philadelphia living in a storage unit and addressing bullies targeting kids for sneakers. Rent-A-Center now renting out Jordans. (35:28) - Amanda continues discussing her trip to Chicago and the importance of supporting. (38:40) - Blackurate News: Yolanda Renee King highlighting Coretta Scott King's role in the Civil Rights movement, and executives allegedly blaming Oprah and Taraji P. Henson for The Color Purple's box office struggles. (42:53) - The Color Purple's box office struggles after its initial success and the alleged blame on Taraji P. Henson and Oprah Winfrey. (47:56) - Small Doses podcast episode on the side effects of deconstructing Karen with Regina Jackson and Saira Rao. (50:47) - Amanda shares more thoughts on The Color Purple. (52:31) - Word of the Day: Harangue - a forceful or angry speech or piece of writing. (55:18) - Politicians Say the Darndest Things. (58:08) - Closing remarks. Thanks for listening to The Amanda Seales Show! FOLLOW THE SHOW ON ALL SOCIALS: @Sealessaidit @Amandaseales @Jeremiahlikethebible If You Have A Comment Leave Amanda A Message At 1 855-Amanda-8 That's 1-855-262-6328  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The S&P 500 returns to all time highs! Skippy points out that Chinese stocks aren't a cause for celebration and Alibaba fundamentals aren't matching its stock performance. Doogles highlights investment lessons from 2023 according to Morningstar. Skippy goes to Rent a Center to get some Jordan 5s. The episode wraps with a politically charged economic survey, commercial real estate remains a conundrum and listener mail.Join the Skippy and Doogles fan club. You can also get more details about the show at skippydoogles.com, show notes on our Substack, and send comments or questions to skippydoogles@gmail.com.

This week the guys kick things off discussing Ja Rule's place in hip hoop top 50 list (4:31) followed with is Eminem overrated (7:20) Donald Trump's latest news (12:42) Katt Williams media run continues, this time taking more shots at Ludacris (19:20) Who was the best 106 & Park host (24:00) and things you wish you could get from Rent A Center (32:22) Top things the crew would buy with a million dollar contract (34:45) Hollywood Nicky goes on his "things I hate" segment (40:41) Guy living in storage unit goes viral (43:29) Torrei Hart keeping her ex husbands last name (45:04) and this weeks topic "What happened to the club scene" (54:50) and much more so tune in.....

On this episode of the Sourcing Industry Landscape podcast, we are coming to you live from the Global Executive Summit where we found a semi-quiet spot amidst all the action to spend some time getting acquainted with Gregg Bass, the Director of Strategic Sourcing at Rent-A-Center. Tune in to hear more about Gregg's experience in the industry and his idea of the perfect sourcing candidate.   Connect with Gregg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greggbass/  Register for the next Global Executive Summit: https://events.sig.org/en/60KUru6/2024-global-executive-summit-east-5a3N4z2HMwz/overview

Are You Garbage is back with Kippy and Foley for a family episode to answer your garbage questions from Patreon. Its a fun one! Thanks for watching AYG Comedy Podcast. Love youse guys. Come to a live show! NEW TOUR DATES: https://areyougarbage.com/ Follow Kevin: https://www.instagram.com/kevinryancomedy/ Follow Foley: https://www.instagram.com/hfoleycomedy/ Live Shows: https://areyougarbage.com/ PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/AreYouGarbage MERCH: https://areyougarbage.com/ This Show is sponsored by BetterHelp Better Help: https://www.BetterHelp.com/GARBAGE Get 50% off your 1st box by going to https://factormeals.com/Garbage50 and use code GARBAGE50 Comedians H. Foley and Kevin Ryan are self proclaimed GARBAGE. Each week a new stand up comedian gets put to the test. Steal shampoo from hotels? Own a George Foreman Grill? Ever worn JNCO Jeans?

Jeremy and Boss donate quarters to porn legends, attempt to be mostly correct, spot spots for Rent-A-Center again, and try to remember adult films about radio stations as they discuss R. Michael Stringer's Slip Into Silk.

Is it human nature to go against one another? Is the mail outdated? Who's funding newspaper? Is Rent-A-Center a scam? Are we truly better going back 5 years? Who has the best sports logo? and what if we drafted all things yellow? On this episode of A Different Conversation, with Dev, Tom, and Matt. These questions and more are answered! Enjoy yet another phenomenal episode of the podcast as we continue to entertain the masses! Like, Subscribe, Share, SELL YOUR SOUL! A lot more on the way. Website and all media- BuiltDifferentPod.com 00:00:00- Introduction to the episode 00:02:55- Things that are old that we young people do not understand (Mail, Phone Books, Video Games, Human Nature to go against one another, Old people shouldn't be in power) 00:23:03- Who's Funding this Sh*t?! (Newspapers, Arby's, Rent-A-Center, Mattress stores) 00:35:10- Would you rather talk to yourself 5 years ago, or 5 years into the future? 00:42:24- How do you want to be laid to rest? 00:46:36- Best Sports logo? 00:59:49- Things that are yellow DRAFT 01:07:20- Pregnant Deja HR approved? questions

Welcome to the Tearsheet Podcast. I'm Zack Miler, Tearsheet's editor in chief.  We've covered a lot about buy now, pay later over the years. BNPL's rise was strong, given how it is embedded into a merchant's checkout process and appealed to younger customers who preferred financing certain transactions and not the revolving credit of a credit card. Honestly, BNPL's takeup and growth has overshadowed the emergence of other forms of financing. One of those is lease to own – if you're my generation and grew up in the US, you're probably familiar with lease to own through Rent-A-Center commercials. In my mind, that always associated lease to own with some kind of shady business to finance subpar pre-owned furniture with cigarette burns. Neil Desai is my guest today – he's co-founder and CEO of Kafene, which takes a lease to own financing model and embeds itself within in-store shopping experiences of over 1000 merchants. Embedding lease to own opens up new products and experiences for lease to own customers, primarily subprime buyers. Neal and I talk about the difference between BNPL and lease to own and why there's room for both. Neal feels it's a better model for many people. We discuss the challenges and opportunities in building out Kafene's merchant network and the flywheel that Neal feels is kicking in now. We also look at consumer lending in light of what's happening economically today.  Neal Desai is my guest today on the Tearsheet Podcast.

The Rent-A-Center Franchise business was started by Ernie Talley in Wichita, Kansas during the 1960s. Rent-A-Center is for rental businesses that provide “rental purchase” programs for a specialized inventory of rental products, such as major consumer electronics, appliances, furniture, computers, tires, and jewelry, as well as the sale of related accessories. The company was incorporated in 1986 and as of 2014 operates approximately 2,972 company-owned stores in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Mexico, accounting for approximately 35% of the rent-to-own market in the United States based on store count. This episode was based on an exclusive Vetted Biz analysis, click here for the full report: https://www.vettedbiz.com/rent-a-center-cost/ Need help finding the right franchise? Click here: https://www.vettedbiz.com/franchise-search/ 00:00 Introduction 01:43 Rent-A-Center Locations 01:58 Franchise Fee, Liquid Capital, Net Worth & More 02:18 Financial Side 03:37 Conclusion #RentACenterFranchise #FranchiseFindings If you are looking for more information, you can connect with us through our networks: https://www.vettedbiz.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/vettedbiz/ https://www.facebook.com/vettedbiz https://www.tiktok.com/@businessandfranchiseinus

How does a side hustle wind up in the Franchise Times top 25 multi-unit operators? By creating a model that can be scaled and repeated endlessly. Al Bhakta is Principal at CMG Companies, working with brands including Taco Bell, KFC, Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Genghis Grill, Sonic, and Rent-A-Center - to name a few. With more than 300 restaurants, 90+ retail units and 8 hotels, this group of six founding partners have come a long way since their college days. The Wolf and Al, get into why the basics matter when it comes to creating culture in food outlets, why wearing every hat as an operator gives you the view from the shop floor, and the secret sauce that's allowed CMG Companies to transform failing franchise units time and time again. Plus you'll hear the strategy that allows Al and the team to operate successfully across more than 20 states. Description: Follow Al: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/albhakta/ If you've enjoyed listening to Franchise Empires, I'd be so grateful if you could drop me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast. Thank you so much! Check out The Wolf's newsletter Stay up-to-date on all things Franchise Empires by following The Wolf on Twitter: https://twitter.com/franchisewolf

Let's GOOO! Episode 49 we're one episode away from the big 5-0 (not messin with 5-0 though) Nelson is our new screenman and man! He did such a great job! This week we talk about Da Brat's pregnancy, renting Jordans from Rent-A-Center, Cher and her boyfriend AE, New Orleans, about if we had social media back in the day, R Kelly being sentenced concurrently, Jon B's sideburns, having white nipple hair, girl Tik Tokers in public gyms, Glorilla's song, Netflix's genius reality television, Southern California's historic blizzards and rainfall, and MORE! Such a great episode. The team really brought it this week! Thank you to all of our supporters and listeners we really appreciate every single one of ya'll. See you next week!

“City of Palms Classic” Executive Director Mary Schaack joins the pod to talk the 50th Anniversary of one of the country's biggest high school basketball tournaments, how women are becoming a bigger part of “sports operations”, Ye and Adidas, and coppin kicks from Rent-A-Center. Thanks for listening to this episode of the DJ Ekin Podcast […] The post DJ Ekin Podcast: PLAYER'S PLAYLIST 16 w/Crisco Kidd appeared first on Radio Influence.

“City of Palms Classic” Executive Director Mary Schaack joins the pod to talk the 50th Anniversary of one of the country's biggest high school basketball tournaments, how women are becoming a bigger part of “sports operations”, Ye and Adidas, and coppin kicks from Rent-A-Center. Thanks for listening to this episode of the DJ Ekin Podcast […] The post DJ Ekin Podcast: PLAYER'S PLAYLIST 16 w/Crisco Kidd appeared first on Radio Influence.

Hello Everyone, my Shout out goes to a local store in my area of Lockport NY Rent a Center. They have great customer service and all the named brand product. For Example, Ashley furniture,Apple computers and more. They will work with you and your budget. Its a new way to layaway you get enjoy it now not later. Rent-A-Center 73 Walnut St Lockport, NY 14094 Phone: (716) 439-5800 Website: https://locations.rentacenter.com/new-york/lockport/73-walnut-st/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/chasingstoriespodcast/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/chasingstoriespodcast/support

Survivor: Late Pass Jim is in the building with a late reaction to Survivor Samoa from 2009 and how RUSSELL WAS ROBBED!Will Smith & Trevor Noah: Mike is back in studio with tales of a new car and a creep creepin'. He also makes it just in time for Will Smith on the Daily Show discussing his Oscars slap.Las Vegas Creep: Bold Las Vegas creep takes off his pants all the way to jerk off in the ladies' room. Also a dude geeking at a rent-a-center.BARK ALL DAY LITTLE DOGGIE OR ARE YOU GOING TO BITE!?, STUCK IN THE MIDDLE!, STEALERS WHEEL!, THE WHITE ALEX JONES!, THE WHITE YE!, THE AFTER SHOW TO THE AFTER SHOW OF YE ON INFOWARS!, TOTS TURNT!, DONATIONS!, SERVING CUNT!, SHAKE UP THE HAPPINESS!, GIVE BACK!, LATE PASS JIM!, RUSSELL HANTZ!, SAMOA!, FUCKED UP!, HEATED!, CHANGED THE GAME!, IMMUNITY IDOLS!, LEGEND!, NATALIE!, SOCIAL GAME!, OUTWIT!, OUTLAST!, OUTPLAY!, VOTING WITH THEIR ASS!, RUDY!, OLD MAN!, RICHARD!, MARVEL MIDNIGHT SONS!, SONBURNED!, MICHAEL RAPPAPORT!, TOUGH GUY!, SANDY HOOK!, ALEX JONES!, HITLER!, ARGUMENT!, INDIANA JONES!, GOOGLING HITLER!, BUMBLEBEE!, TRANSFORMERS!, NOT UPSET!, CANCELED!, WILL SMITH!, OSCAR SLAP!, CHRIS ROCK!, TREVOR NOAH!, MIKE IS BACK!, DANCING!, DIP!, MIKE'S BROTHER!, CBD!, LOTION!, MATERIALS!, SALES!, NEW CAR!, CREEPY GUY!, WATCHER!, WEIRDO!, TRANSMAN!, TRANSWOMAN!, APOLOGY!?, WHAT SOMEONE IS GOING THROUGH!, STRANGERS!, CONTEXT!, KEVIN SPACEY!, SUICIDE!, OFFSET!, DIDDY!, JOKER!, BETTER JOKER!?, GAY JOKER!, GAY ALFRED!, GAY BATMAN VILLAINS!, THE D!, LAS VEGAS!, CREEP!, CONFIDENT!, JERK OFF!, LOTION!, BOLD!, YOU DEADASS!?, RUN THIS SHIT!, TRANS!, WAY MORE MAD!, RENT A CENTER!, MATTRESS!, HURTING!, ABOUT TO CRY!, GUTTERAL!, CRYING!, VERGE OF TEARS!, PRETZELS!, NO SALT!, SUCK A DICK!, MANAGER!, FUCK WITH PEOPLE!, FRESH PRETZEL!, DO ALL THAT SHIT!, HAMMER ATTACK!, HAMMER SMASH FACE!, SECURITY FOOTAGE!, YE!, NET AND YOOHOO!, NETANYAHU!You can find the videos from this episode at our Discord RIGHT HERE!

In the modern day, many individuals define their lives in terms of large financial purchases -- buying a house, a home, or an appliance. Acquiring debt from higher schooling or a medical procedure, and so on. When you can't pay all at once, you get a loan. When you can't get a loan, you look elsewhere... and, it turns out, there's a multibillion dollar industry waiting to sell you a dream. So, what happens next? In today's episode, the guys dive into the troubling evolution of the "rent-to-own" industry, and what it means for the shift from an ownership society to a world of constant renters. They don't want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rent-A-Center (RCII) is a furniture and electronic rent-to-own company with locations in the U.S. and Mexico. The RCII stock price today fell over 21% after the company cut third quarter guidance amid macro headwinds. "Rent-A-Center is tied in with the interest rate sensitive retail sector. Inflation has eroded the consumer," says George Tsilis. Does the RCII valuation look compelling or will growth be a challenge?

The subject of August's edition of Kewanee Back When is the history of Midland Plaza. The shopping area now home to Arby's and anchored by the ever popular Menards came life in the late 1960's and early 70's with the move of the Kroger's Grocery Store from Main Street in Kewanee, where B & B Printing now stands, to Midland where Rent A Center and Goodwill are now located. Back then, the space was also anchored by W.T Grant before K-Mart came to Kewanee for a relatively short amount of time. The history of Midland Shopping Center on Kewanee Back When on WKEI.

If you want to hear Bryan dive deep into the world of parody movies and movie remakes then you should check out our Patreon where you can get access to “Street Fight reviews the MCU” plus a slew of other series that are updated every week! - www.patreon.com/streetfightradio Join the chat to talk to us while we record these episodes live every wednesday and sunday at 8pm on Twitch,Youtube & Facebook. Street Fight Radio Twitch - www.twitch.tv/streetfightradio Street Fight Radio Youtube - www.youtube.com/c/StreetFightWCRS Street Fight Radio Facebook - www.facebook.com/StreetFightWCRS/ Every Sunday at 8pm we do a show where we take calls from y'all. If you want to call in you can reach us at - (614) 655-3887 We love getting free things from y'all! Street Fight Mail - P.O Box 82306 Columbus, OH 43202

Intro: teenage hackersLet Me Run This By You: setting limits with KanyeInterview: We talk to Josh Sobel about Cal Arts, Travis Preston, Yale School of Drama, Robert Brustein, Fig and the Wasp, Oberlin College, The O'Neill Theater Center, Michael Cadman, Royal Shakespeare Company, Chicago ensemble theatre, Strawdog Theatre Company, Ianesco's Rhinoceros, Rochester NY, Brighton High School, A Chorus Line, Cabaret, horizontal hierarchies, The Wooster Group, change talk vs. change action, Chris Ackerlind, Light in the Piazza, Paula Vogel's Indecent, Samantha Behr, Haven Chicago, The Den Theater, Rochester Philharmonic, Lorenzo Palomo, Ian Martin, Hal Prince, Dr. Seuss' The Sneetches, John de Lancie, Rochester Academy of Medicine, radiation oncology, The Xylophone West by Alex Lubischer, Isaac Gomez's The Displaced, Center Theatre Group, Jeremy O'Harris' Slave Play, Rashaad Hall, Chris Jones' review of Ms. Blakk for President.FULL TRANSCRIPT (unedited):3 (10s):And I'm Gina Pulice.1 (11s):We went to theater school together. We survived it, but we didn't quite understand it.3 (15s):20 years later, we're digging deep talking to our guests about their experiences and trying to make sense of it all.1 (21s):We survived theater school and you will too. Are we famous yet?2 (32s):I think, I think my son has fig he's gotten into sort of like the hacking side of things and he always wants to get around all of the restrictions we put on him. Like we have content restrictions, we have time limits. And I think he's just made it his mission. I mean, this is like the theme of his life. He has made it his mission to subvert the paradigm as my husband would say. And it's exhausting because all I can do is try to be like 10 steps behind them and learn like what's a VPN. That's what I, I think what he did. I think he installed a VPN to bypass the internet control that I have.2 (1m 20s):Oh1 (1m 20s):My God.2 (1m 22s):And it somehow how that relates to, I can watch, I couldn't tell you. I can tell you that if I turn off the wifi, I can watch it on my cellular data.4 (1m 33s):It's insane.2 (1m 35s):Yeah. It's, it's beyond insane. I, and you know, I like, I'm always on this thing where I'm vacillating between letting it go and just trying harder to, you know, impose the limit. I mean, you, I wouldn't, before I had kids, I would not have imagined it was this hard to impose limits on people, you know, because you don't want them to not have what they want. Right.4 (2m 6s):Right.2 (2m 7s):And, and it's a real battle to like, make myself, give myself and my children limits. It's really hard.4 (2m 17s):My God. Yeah. Yeah. And the other thing I'm stuck on, it's like maybe there was okay. I think I'm like trying to figure out the thing, which is like, I know what I think I know what happened. So you have restrictions on content. Like, and I think a genius, the Kanye trilogy, like completely has all those triggers in it. Like all the things are in it. There's sex, suicide. There's, there's, it's all the things you, I wouldn't want a susceptible teenager to watch. Right. Like just for various reasons, not, not for anything other than triggers. Right. So like my nieces and nephew, the same thing, so, okay.4 (2m 57s):So then you set that right? And you're like, no, no, but then the kid or anyone can get a VPN, which then resets, I think the con, but I think you're still on the, you're still, you're still on the content warning site, which is blocking genius. You from watching genius. That is fucking, I mean, it's kind of genius in a way, but it's also so infuriating. It's like, come on, dude. I'm just trying to watch my fucking Kanye west bullshit.2 (3m 26s):It's literally just this race of like today I'm on top. And then the next day it's like, oh my God, they, they, they run the show. I'll never forget. There was a scene in the first season of the Sopranos where Tony and Carmel are having a problem with Anthony, or maybe it was with the daughter, a meadow and they're in their bedroom. And he goes, if she finds out, we have no power. We're screwed. And I laughed. It was the time I had watched it after I had teenagers. Yeah. Like that's what it is. We actually have no power. And yet the, the, the con that we're forced to do is pretend like we have all the power.2 (4m 12s):It's4 (4m 13s):Like2 (4m 13s):Covering4 (4m 14s):A metaphor also for life about like my mom's friend sent me something that said, you know, I forget it was like her friend had passed away and it's not fair and it's not fair. And I, and it isn't, and that's the thing. Like it, the truth is not fair. Like it sucks. But like, and, and we pretend that things are fair because if we don't, it's absolute chaos. Like if we didn't pretend really that red means stop and green means go, we'd have a real fucking problem. If we all rebelled and said, you know what, fuck you, green means go. And red means stop. And we all sent a mass media thing around.4 (4m 56s):There would be chaos. It would be2 (5m 13s):The bus. And I guess that's just the headline right there. That's like the headline in the story. Like you took the bus from LA to San Fran, Fran, because gas is so expensive.4 (5m 22s):Well, many things. Okay. So driving, it's really a grind on the five coming home, especially it's like, so rough, like, it can be a nine hour instead of five, six hours situation. It's crazy. Cause the five sucks. So, so that was the first like, and then gas. So I wasn't gonna drive cause I did the drive Thanksgiving and it was like, oh God. And then, so I was like, okay, well I'll, I'll just, I I'll fly. But then I'm afraid to fly. Even though the flight is literally 45 minutes. And then I was like, okay, but then because of gas, I said, okay, I'm going to just get my balls into it. I'm going to build up my balls and I'm going to fly. But then because of gas, you know, does jets use gas fuel though?4 (6m 6s):The flights really went up six San Francisco. You shouldn't even get a flight for a hundred bucks on Southwest round trip, like 120. No, no, two 20. So I'm like, oh no. So then I say, okay, well I'll take my Amtrak. Of course, which is actually what I, what I looked at first. But the track of it, it's a beautiful ride. It takes forever, but it goes up the coast and it's gorgeous. And you can like bid to get a fancy room,2 (6m 28s):Right? Yeah.4 (6m 29s):Well, okay. Well the tracks being repaired, so then you'd have to take a Greyhound. I'm not taking a Greyhound. So then I was like, okay, what would it take a fancy bus? And it's a flick2 (6m 38s):Of a fancy4 (6m 39s):Flex bus flicks. And Flix is big in Europe and they're charter buses and they have bathrooms and it's like assigned seating. And I bought two seats because I was like, fuck you. And it's so inexpensive, but still listen. I just, you know, and I worked, my dad was an addict. I have food addict issues. I get addicts. So don't come. People don't come at me for saying this. But the bus is a place where heroin, heroin, addicts thrive. Like that2 (7m 9s):Is the heroin addict doing on the4 (7m 11s):Bus nodding out. So there's two, there was a couple and I was like, oh, these are heroin addicts. They just looked so like, their luggage was all fucked up. They couldn't barely get on the bus. They were fighting young people, LA style tattoos. Fine. I am tattoos. It's not that they, but it was like this very specific look thin bedraggled, but not, not, not a curated look like more like, I'm just fucked up inappropriate clothing for the weather. Like big. Although in San Francisco is cold. Maybe they need something. I didn't know. They had like heavy coats on it's like 90 degree, all their shit. Right? Like they're, you know, I've got one little carrier. They've got like bags, like big things.4 (7m 52s):Okay. And that you can check, but you have to pay more for it. And their suitcases are falling apart. Okay. Fine. But they have cell phones, which is so, but a lot of people have cell phones. I mean, I I'm always shocked when people have cell phones that look like they shouldn't, I'm like, what? How do you maintain that? But anyway, so they get on an immediate, they sit in the, they got the seats in the way back, which is like a little bigger, but also your brother bathroom's gross, but they just not out immediately. They get on and like midfoot, mid fighting. They just like pass out and I'm like, oh my God. Like not out like out. And then don't wake up until we get there. Like literally it's an eight hour ride.4 (8m 32s):They don't get up at all.2 (8m 35s):Wow. They'd probably been awake. Yeah. Or I guess maybe not4 (8m 41s):How2 (8m 42s):It works with the4 (8m 42s):Heroin. Well, it depends like, I mean,2 (8m 44s):Not the heroin.4 (8m 46s):That's my new band name. That's our new band name. The heroin's got mics on two levels.2 (8m 51s):Yeah,4 (8m 53s):That was good. Gina. Okay. So no for me and my, my, my clients were a lot of them on heroin. And what would happen is like, you can't always get heroin. Right. Because it's expensive. And because I mean, it's cheaper than whatever, but it's expensive. And then, so you go without it and you start to detox and then you're up, you can't sleep. You're a mess. And then when you finally score again or whatever, get your heroin, then you just feel great for about half an hour. Then you pass out. It's just so it's such a waste, but okay. It's a process.2 (9m 25s):You know, although I would never want to be a heroin addict. I will say something like what's occurring to me. As you're talking about this couple is like, you know how with addicts, their life is very focused around just scoring or whatever. So to be able to have your life goals in these little chunks is really appealing to me.4 (9m 47s):Yeah. Well, it's a very, very, very specified job2 (9m 52s):World. Right? You make, I think when you're a heroin addict, you must have a really small world and your objectives are like, get score. That's at a place to4 (10m 1s):Sleep and don't get arrested and don't2 (10m 3s):Get, don't get arrested. Like there's something and I, I'm sorry to be cheeky about it. Cause people have really suffered with heroin addiction. I, I'm not suggesting that people, anybody should be an addict. I'm just saying like the idea4 (10m 14s):Yeah. To you. It's like, yeah, me too.2 (10m 17s):Actually even just the other day I was thinking I was watching somebody who had, what I imagined was probably a minimum wage job. And I don't remember what the job was now, but I just, I was looking at the person doing their tasks and I was thinking, yeah, maybe I should get a job like that. You know? And then 30 seconds in, I'm really trying to imagine myself. And I'm like, what am I talking about? Oh, people don't love working at McDonald's. Don't love, you know, whatever the4 (10m 47s):Jobs. And I will in, in adulthood in 30 dumb, in 40 dumb, like the last one I had at that fucking donut shop, I was like, oh, this seemed quaint. The chef was a jerk. I got in like a fight with the chef was so rude. Like here I am 42, right. Or 43 or something. And I was working at this place in Rogers park for like cash only under the table owned by these two young SIRS. They, whatever their business was working. But like the fucking chef was like talking shit about me. Like,2 (11m 23s):Is that a doughnut chef? No,4 (11m 28s):I should have said that. No, they also serve sandwiches. That's brilliant. That's brilliant. I was2 (11m 33s):Just thinking to myself, like, do you have to be a chef?4 (11m 36s):No, that's hilarious. But she was like, or they were, they were talking shit about me. And I was like, oh no, no, no. And I was basically volunteering there. I was so outraged. I was like This person that2 (11m 51s):To read an essay about that, you've got, write an essay about your donut shop stint.4 (11m 55s):Oh, I will. And I want to name names. They were fucking assholes. And also they, like, when I went to confront the PR, like I was like, I like when you walk behind someone you're supposed to stay behind. Right. But if you've never worked in the restaurant industry that does not come naturally. And also I'm really fast moving. So like I just met, she goes, you have to stay behind. And I was like, oh my God, I'm gonna fucking kill you. And then she would under her breath talk shit to me about to the other people. And so, and so I finally, you get them, you get them every time, this way. So I pulled the owner aside and I was really upset, like crying because she was treating me like shit. And I said, listen, what the fuck is this? And then the next, the person wanted to then that the owner was like, look, this lady is doing as a favor by working here basically because we have no one and she's working on under the table.4 (12m 42s):So then the, the, the person wanted to talk to me, the chef and I talked to her, I'm like what? She goes, I'm sorry. If I come off a little, I go, oh no, no, you don't come off. You are. And I said, I don't know what's happening here. I'm like, just try to do my job and go the fuck home and make my money to pay my cell phone bill, bitch. Like I wrote that and then I just quit. I was like, fuck all. Y'all. So, no, it sounds really quaint, which is why I fucking get those jobs. And then you get in there and you're like, oh, this is how on earth.2 (13m 11s):Oh God, I am sure it was, I4 (13m 15s):Don't do2 (13m 15s):It. Yeah, no, no, I won't. I will not do it. It just, it just periodically, it just occurred to me4 (13m 20s):Because there's a set skill set set of tasks that no one eat you ma I imagine that no one is like on their high horse. No, no. People are still on their fucking high horse in minimum wage jobs. There's a hierarchy of fucking assholes anywhere you've.2 (13m 37s):But then I did get to watch the third episode of the Kanye documentary and then, okay, well, I didn't finish it though. I'm only like 20 minutes into it. It's so sad. Right? It's going to go on. It's going to turn4 (13m 50s):It. It does. But in also in an unexpected way, what I will say, I think we should talk about the third episode next time. Okay.2 (13m 58s):But4 (13m 59s):The first two, for me, fucking amazing in the storytelling, whether, regardless of how I feel about Kanye west, which I don't feel any kind of way other than, I mean, I just, I I'm talking about the, since we're about to make a documentary, right? Like I'm looking at, I love the first two. I love cooties filmmaking. And the first two episodes, it then takes a turn on the third, but like the first two are so packed with information and visuals and, and storytelling.4 (14m 39s):Like, I loved it. You and you also get a S he such a great job of like showing a slice of time, you know, and, and, and all the characters in it and real life people we know and get glimpses of. And I just thought, and for me, the most moving part of it, I mean, I have real lot of feelings about Donda and Connie's relationship and Donda herself. I have a lot of diagnoses for both of them, but I'm not, you know, like, I feel like she's got bipolar. Like, I think there's a whole thing going on there, but what I found, I have never, I have never been so moved for, for the hustle and the perseverance of a human being and the just sort of neutral and unwavering.4 (15m 32s):We know it's not really true, but like they're like, but the unwavered, what I saw was an unwavering unshakable, almost naive belief in oneself.2 (15m 42s):This is what I wanted to talk to you about. This is what I wanted to run by you. Cause the, the connection between talking about that, me working on the documentary and, and this a, I agree with you, Cody is an amazing documentarian. And we could totally learn a lot from the way that he weaved his own personal story into that, his relationship with this, you know, mega personality. But yeah, you know, the scene where he's talking to a bunch of kids and he's, he's talking about self-compassion, I mean, he, he has a point, you know, what, what should you, you created an amazing piece of art and somebody compliments you on it and you you're supposed to pretend like you're dumb.2 (16m 29s):You all, you don't agree that it's, that it's amazing. You know, like there's something to be said for that. And there's something to be said for what you're just describing the unshakable confidence, but I want to hear what your thoughts are about their relationship.4 (16m 45s):It was interesting to watch the process of what I would call a simultaneous process of infantilizing him as well as idolizing him as well as parental defying him, as well as believing in him. It's a combo platter. And I believe from watching her and watching what I noticed in her mannerisms and his that I think they both had a mania thing going on, like in her eyeballs. So I have become really good at looking at people's eyeballs.4 (17m 26s):And I notice in the documentary, as it goes along when Kanye is manic, his voice goes up in pitch and his eyeballs looked different and she had this eyeball situation, which is this sort of darty, Desperate eyeballs. And I noticed it in my clients all the time and I'd be like, oh, they're manic, they're manic. It's not an, and it's like, hypomania, it's not for her. But like, I saw that in her. And I was like, oh, like, what's happening? Where am I going? What's happening? Who can I okay. And, and covered with a bit of like, you know, self-help, you can do it this and perseverance, but it's, it's all a combo platter, but that was my take.4 (18m 15s):What was on their relationship was like a, I need you, you need me, what's happening. I'm worried about you, but I'm going to then hope that by, by really pumping you up, that I'm going to pump up the mental illness away.2 (18m 31s):. Yeah. Well, I, I agree with what you say about the, their relationship, their dynamic, and it makes sense that yeah, maybe she had a touch of the bipolar too. What I was thinking about it is, and like I say, I haven't gotten through the third episode, but what I was thinking is it's so evident how meaningful their relationship was to both of them, but in this case for, for him and that he could just maybe spend the rest of his life, chasing that relationship, chasing a woman who will fall over him, the way that she did.2 (19m 14s):I mean, really what it seems like, what he needs is a person who kind of use it as their sole purpose in life to, to, to support his genius, which is why he probably makes a terrible partner, But that the, she gave him like this, like she was mainlining love to.4 (19m 35s):Yeah.2 (19m 37s):And you know, he's unlikely to find that any place else. Right,4 (19m 41s):Right.2 (19m 41s):But he's still looking, I think, Well,4 (19m 46s):And then it's really interesting. So like Cody gave up his whole life to, to follow him and it wasn't enough. Like it, it becomes not enough. And then when the person literally is removed by death, then what do you do is what we're seeing in the documentary. But like the it's, it's a it's, it's so fucked up because I, I feel like from watching from the outside, she must've felt like she was his only hope. Right. Which is which, okay. Which I'm sure is it's2 (20m 18s):Hard to me was her only hope.4 (20m 19s):No, she was, she's like, I'm my son's only advocate. Right? My old, his only hope for love and happiness comes from me ultimately. And whatever went down in his childhood, I have to make up for what other, all of them, with the other, all the mothers stuff happens. Right. I can imagine. And then it's like, yeah, it sets him up to be, like you said, chasing that the rest of his entire life. And she's not going to be around forever. And she did the best she could. And she did so much compared to what a lot of people do. And he's, it's just, it, you throw in mega stardom in there and it is a recipe for absolute meltdown.2 (21m 6s):It actually, it really relates to the thing we were talking about when we started talking today, which is about limits and limit setting. And I think I mentioned to you that I'm also reading this book about Sandy hook conspiracy and the straight line between Sandy hook conspiracy and the January 6th instruction. But in the part of the book where they're talking about Adam Lanza and his mother, I hadn't heard this before that, you know, he, he he'd been flagged in the psychiatric system, you know, going back since he was a young boy and I don't know why she opted out of treatment for him. But what I do know from this book is that what she strove to do was keep meeting his needs wherever they were.2 (21m 53s):But because he was so mentally ill, his needs were things like w w when he had his, the intake at Yale, the clinician noted that he said to his mother, you need to stand with no part of your body touching the wall and that she just did it. And that at home, it had gotten too, there were things he couldn't have cooking odors, curtains, door knobs.4 (22m 23s):Yeah.2 (22m 24s):And she just kept meeting the need. And this was something that I really relate to. Hopefully I have not going off the rails like that, but when your child is suffering and what they're telling you is I want this thing, the decision to say, I know better than you. You think you want this thing, but that is not the right thing for you and for that child to be screaming in your face or not. But, you know, with all of their energy, all of their conviction, they're coming to you saying no, this with my kids, it's the screens.2 (23m 4s):No, I need my screen time. And I'm going. Yeah. But you, you can't know what I know, which is that you, it's not good for you. It's simply not good. And it's just so hard to tolerate when your child is enraged or hurt by you4 (23m 22s):Suffering the suffering.2 (23m 24s):So nobody said any limits for Kanye, and he's now floating like a balloon in the ether, right?4 (23m 32s):Yeah. It's, it's really bad. He's now he's now has restraining orders. And now he's got the Grammy said he can't perform there. So now the limits are being imposed that are huge. And I don't know what's going to, and I also, from working in Hollywood, what I noticed was it is so easy when you have money and power yeah. To, to develop a team that will, will do what you're saying. That, that Adam Lanza's Mrs. Or miss Lanza did. It's so easy to have that bought and built in.2 (24m 15s):And I will tell you this, my, one of my very most successful treatments that I did when I was at private practice therapist is I treated somebody with very, very severe borderline personality disorder. And it was a kind of situation where the client would quit all of the time, you know, quit, quit therapy. And then, and then you would do this dance of like, they, you know, they don't really mean it. So you don't, you don't give up their appointment time because they're going to show up. Sometimes they're going to show up and act like nothing happened. Like they never said they were going to quit. So with this one person that I've been working with for a really long time, and we had a good relationship, which, which is to say yes, she was very, very sick.2 (25m 4s):And she was very, very difficult, but also she had so many great qualities that it kept me. Like, it kept me really invested in her, but the 50th time or whatever it was that she quit after I, she was also in this group that I was running and she like got violent Sharna in the group and left and whatever. Anyway, this time around, when she quit treatment, I said, okay, we're done now. And then she showed up for her next appointment. And I said, no, we're, we're done now. And that precipitated a year long hospitalization for her, but this person is now doing amazing, honestly.2 (25m 49s):And I knew in her family dynamic, her parents were afraid to set limits with that because she was a very, very strong personality, but it was only through the limit setting anything. It had to go all the way to the end, right. For her and, and to, to reject and decry and be victimized and blah, blah, blah, for then her to like follow her dream College. She, she, I can't say what it is obviously, but she has a job that was the job of her dreams and that she learned, she only discovered was the job of her dreams in treatment and that she could have only gotten to do after having really had to contend with actually living with the limit.0 (26m 42s):Well,3 (26m 55s):Today on the podcast, we are talking to Josh . Josh is graduating this year with his MFA in directing from Cal arts. And he formerly had a whole career in Chicago as artistic director of the Haven in Chicago. And he has a lot of interesting insights about his experience of being in school again, after having well launched into his career. So please enjoy our conversation with Josh Sobel.2 (27m 36s):So Josh was just explaining the Cal arts is, I was saying, is it a conservatory? And he was saying, it's an art school in the truest sense. So go ahead and repeat what you're saying.6 (27m 44s):Yeah. So like Travis, who's an alum of like Yale back from the Robert Brustein days of Yale. He he's like, look, Yale school of drama is always considered like, Ooh, Yale school of drama, but he's like, if you think about it within the larger Yale structure, you've also got like the business school and like, you've got the journal, you've got the medical school, you've got all these things. So like within the theater universe, it's huge, but within the structure of the university, it Yale, you know, and so the beauty of Cal arts in a way is that it exists outside of that larger sort of academic structure. It isn't part of a university. It is an art school with a theater department.6 (28m 27s):And there's something that, that is really freeing honestly about that. And the Cal arts in particular sort of leaned into in terms of its sort of generative and, and experimental sort of Ben it's, it's been an interesting experience. Yeah, please.2 (28m 45s):Gina Bridget went there. Yes. Yeah. That's what I'm saying. I think she's the another co Cal arts alum we have.6 (28m 51s):Well, and it's funny, cause you mentioned they were an acting alum and the acting program I have to say is in particular fascinating and unique. And I love it because unlike a lot of programs I've encountered and I've like taught in academia a little bit before I went in, before I started as a student in it, it's like very few programs encouraged teach and want their actors to be generative artists in their own. Right. And bring that to the table in the room. And honestly, as a director, I'm like, it's a gift. It is such a goddamn gift in terms of the collaborative process. Like I, I can sometimes when I'm hitting my own moment, like really feel comfortable being like, I need like a physical gesture representing a panic attack in slow motion that moves across the stage this way, take third, take 30 minutes.6 (29m 44s):Here's some music and an object.4 (29m 46s):Oh God, that sounds like the greatest thing I've ever heard.6 (29m 51s):I did something similar with a particular actor in my thesis show thesis show, quote unquote. And like she killed it. Oh my God. Avalon Greenberg call. She's about to graduate from the BFA program and she's, or a couple of years. And she's incredible. But like she ran with it and these actors are sort of prepared to take that and like, just make shit and be like, is this what it is? What does it need? And then I can sit there and like sculpt, we can then like work together to be like, Ooh, let's expand that moment out. Let's tighten that bit. And we're then working collaboratively on this other thing.4 (30m 25s):So amazing Josh, like, like I, I, I do this every time we talked to someone that I really like, and I like their vibe and I like how they're talking about their education. I'm like, oh, I'm going to apply there. And then I remember that I did apply to Cal arts for undergrad and I got a call back, which was like the greatest thing, because I was a terrible actor. And I like in the truest sense, like what you're talking about, I would have been like, so, so I am, so I am so glad to talk to you because I, when you say things like that, about how you direct as well, and I'm not a director, Gina directs, I don't direct, but like I want to work with someone who says shit like that.6 (31m 7s):Well, I, I really, I don't know. It's funny. I, you know, outside of like grad school, when I was in undergrad, I went to undergrad at Oberlin college, which is really sort of a diamond in the rough school for theater. It's like, and it's a lot of OBS do well out there. And it's weird because it's like, it's not known, but it's really good. But while I was there, I also did a semester at the O'Neill and I don't know if you're familiar, the national theater Institute. Yeah. So I, I did fall 2007 and like, I really lucked out my partner and I were a year apart actually, before we ever met weird small world, but we both walked out because we've got there right at the time as this particular artistic director was there, Michael Cadman, who was a, an alum himself of the Royal Shakespeare company.6 (31m 52s):And like he understood ensemble. It's funny. Cause I always like, what am I, I love Chicago and I miss Chicago so much, but one of my like little gripes with Chicago is that the word ensemble gets thrown out a4 (32m 6s):Lot.6 (32m 7s):And I, I have a very particular opinion about that because it's like, I think ensemble sometimes it's just meant to mean or thought to mean like a collection of actors, you know, or the company members, you know, the, the Steppenwolf ensemble or the straw dog or whatever. And I'm like ensemble is a value. I think ensemble is, is some it's about how one sits in the middle of a collaborative process. It's about how the threads are drawn. Not even just in the actors, it's about the threads are drawn outside to stage management, to producing, to designers, to everything. Like, and we're all coming together to sort of generate something together, right?6 (32m 49s):Like that's ensemble and Michael understood more than anyone I've ever met in my life. Like how to nurture, how to build, how to find the ensemble impulse in people. And he would just build semesters of the young students and sort of demonstrate that for for four months. And yeah, that's sort of been a foundational thing from that point forward. So I'm, I'm always ready to like chill for the O'Neil. Like, I love the, I love being,2 (33m 16s):Yeah. I actually live kind of near there. I live in Connecticut. Yeah. Oh, that's6 (33m 21s):Brilliant.2 (33m 21s):So you just made me think about something. Has any group of theater artists ever called the ensemble? Also the, the whole entire staff, like everybody on crew, because it is such a group effort. And we as act, this is one of the big things about, you know, going through an acting program, you just, and maybe it was just me, but you just think like, it's all about this. It's all about the actors and you just think everybody else is there supporting what you're doing.4 (33m 55s):Well,6 (33m 56s):It treats it like a technical term, right? It's like, it's a category. And rather than like, no, it's actually about an energy. It's about a trust. It's about something else. And I will say to answer your question like that w when I was a strong dog ensemble member, that that was one of the things I loved most about being on the straw dog ensemble was you had designers, you had managers, you had people like from every aspect of the creative process, sort of understood as part of the ensemble. It was all framed that way.4 (34m 24s):It's interesting. Like, I feel like what happens maybe is like, so take Steppenwolf because everyone talks about Steppenwolf as the original ensemble, which really you're right. A side note tends to mean in Chicago. And I can say this because I'm from there means that nobody is prettier or more famous than, than other actors. Like, that's what they mean by ensemble. Like that's how people talk about that. They're like, no, this is an ensemble piece. Meaning that even though you're really pretty, you're not going to be the star, like to someone, they never say that to me. You know what I mean? Okay. But anyway, side note, but ensembles. So when it's interesting, because it's like when a theater gets bigger, meaning a broader audience, more money, I feel like there becomes a really strong, clear delineation between technical staff and the actors.4 (35m 15s):And it comes, becomes compartmentalized probably because they have to run a freaking business with a multimillion dollar budget as we're like straw, dog. Like you can kind of stay it's like that storefront. It kind of, you can really get in there, which is how stepping will start it. So I think what we're talking about is the capitalization of the,6 (35m 33s):Oh, always, I mean, honestly, always all the time,4 (35m 37s):But yeah, but I'm, I'm curious about she and Gina, did you say2 (35m 42s):I did and I'm so sorry. I forgot to say Josh Sobell congratulations. Your surviving theater school. You're almost done4 (35m 49s):Art school theater school, you know, it's all the thing, but yeah. So I wanted to ask, I guess, take it back before I get on the runaway train of like, did you start out as a direct, like where you would act what's what was your path to the school of Cal arts? I guess6 (36m 7s):I've, I've been a director most of the time. I of course did a little bit of actually got rather late. Like I'm not one of those people who was like really involved in a lot of things when I was really, really little, but I had sort of a formative experience in high school as an audience member. My school was really remarkable. I, I unfortunately should catch up with them and see what they're doing in their theater department. But at the time, like we were a high school that was doing like Ian ESCO and Tom Stoppard and shit. Like, it was pretty cool. I assistant directed rhinoceros my senior year of high school, like Steve Rochester, New York, right in high school, shout out to Steve angle, Mr. Angle.6 (36m 47s):He was incredible. He also was the AP lit teacher and ran an incredible AP lit class. Like, oh my God, we, we read and watched just incredible stuff. And so actually his show, but he was one of the other directors there did chorus line and they did like an unedited chorus line in high school, which I also very much admired. And Paul's monologue hit me like eight when I don't know how familiar you are with, with the show. But like, you know, it's a classic Broadway, 1970s. It was sort of groundbreaking at the time because it was all real interviews of people who were all fighting chorus.6 (37m 27s):Of course, Paul Paul's monologue when he sort of finally breaks down and tells the story about his, his parents meeting him at the drag show in the back of, I lost it. Like I was a weeping mess. I don't know. And I had not had that particular experience before. And I walked out, I remember going home nerdy, like misfit fucking high school student hadn't found themselves yet and was like, I feel different. I don't know how I don't, I can't quantify it, but I feel like I am moving through the world differently than I was before I had that experience.6 (38m 8s):Wow. I want to do that. And that was, that was the moment. And so I started auditioning a little bit, but I always got interested in directing because I, it was the idea of like creating that holistic experience for an audience member, the way it was created for me. And so we also had, I think it was like an official partnership, like you could license with the 24 hour plays in New York. So my high did the 24 hour plays every year. And so I would stay overnight at the fucking school and, and do and direct. And that was sort of my first directing configuration. I was terrible. God. And my first few shows like first few shows at Oberlin were terrible.6 (38m 55s):Why, why? Oh my God, too, in my own head, I'm still too in my own head. It's the main thing I'm working on. I'm a very cerebral artist and that's not necessarily a bad thing. I just am seeking balance. That's part of the reason I went to Cal arts and Kellogg's was actually really the right choice for that in a lot of reasons to sort of break down some of my more cerebral and rigid habits. But I just didn't like, I, I was in my own way. It was that classic. Like it, my insecurity, I was second guessing. I was, it was actually Michael Cadman. It was the O'Neil. That was the turning point of that as well. So like I, anyways, I went through high school, got into it, went to Oberlin, was sort of jumping between theater and film got focused in theater because I liked the linearity of the process.6 (39m 40s):It just fit my brain better. You can really build the Dominos in order and watch them fall. And I love that from a process standpoint, joy. And so I went to the O'Neill and I was still like, I was overthinking and I was over like complicating and convoluting and Michael Cadman who I'm the final day of the program. I was like, you asshole, you couldn't have said this to me like weeks ago. I'm the final day of the program was like, you're very, very smart stop trying so hard to prove it.7 (40m 19s):Ah,6 (40m 20s):And that was, that was another game changing moment for me. And I, I started sort of stepping back and letting myself have more fun with it and just found myself sort of like what were my passion projects? What were the things that made me feel the way I did it, chorus line in a way. And my first show back in undergrad was a cabaret. And that was, that was a really huge, huge show for me. And I was very proud of that show and still have, like, I watched the video sometimes I was like, oh God, those transitions fucking suck. But, but yeah, directing, directing has always been sort of my thing because of that idea of like, I get to sort of, I don't know.6 (41m 4s):I, I, it's funny because so many people think about directing in this very hierarchical standpoint, right? Like they like the sort of like top-down, they get to sit at the head of the thing and create their vision. I challenged that constantly. And it's funny because people think by challenging that you give up the sort of directorial authority I call bullshit. I I'm interested in what I like to refer to as horizontal hierarchy. I say, I refer to it. I didn't invent the phrase, but like I've sort of taken it and I really love applying it to collaboration. I like the idea that as the director, I'm sort of sitting in the middle, I'm the same plane as everyone else surrounded by all of these brilliant fucking artists.6 (41m 48s):And I get to be like, Ooh, yes, it's a bit of that. It's not quite that. Can we bring it over there? I, yes, let's bring that in and pulling all of it towards the middle. And I still get to, by virtue of being in the center of a doll, just make decisions I get to make, be the arbiter of the quote, unquote vision or whatever you want to call it. But it's not that it breaks down the hierarchy in a way I'm not above anyone else that doesn't have to be my idea. It has to be the coolest idea. And so by sitting in the middle of it, I just get to sort of help tie the threads together in a way that feels like the audience experience we're going for. Like, that's my job to God.4 (42m 30s):Interesting. So it's so, oh yes. And I'm so curious as to why more directors don't do a horror. Is that, is it just an ego thing? A horizontal.6 (42m 47s):Yeah. Yeah. I think there's a lot of fear. There's a lot of like, I'm not even going to call it insecurity. Cause I actually think that doesn't do it justice and I think it's too easily dismissible. I think it's fear. I think there's a lot of fear. I mean, if I'm really Frank, I'm confronting it in certain areas of my program right now.4 (43m 25s):Okay. Wait, so you're saying that I just want to reiterate for my own brain because this happens all the time in all organizations across the board. So I'm really, and we're like, we were talking about it yesterday sort of. So, so you, you, you, there is an atmosphere of like, we want to make change, right.6 (43m 43s):Faded a stated goal,4 (43m 46s):Right? Not an atmosphere. Okay. So a stated goal, which a lot of theaters that I am familiar with and institutions are making these statements right now that the statement on paper or on the web or wherever it is saying, we want to take your feedback and make change. And it usually revolves around the word change. Like we're open to change. And if we're always, if we're honest, nobody's fucking open to change. We fucking,6 (44m 14s):And that's what we're talking about. It's the same fear to me. It's the same fear that you find in directing. It's a fear of some, some kind of loss of authority. It's a fear of some kind of loss of control. It's the fear of, I don't know. And it's so funny, like all of the ways you encounter it, because then yeah, you go and you actually say, here's the thing. And like I did this recently and I got yelled at, I got, and again, I've been, I've been working in Chicago theater for a decade before this. I don't give a shit. I was an artistic director, right. Like I was artistic director of Haven, Chicago. I don't like, this is, I don't need your ego. So I think it was actually kind of fun.6 (44m 56s):I think whether it's directing, whether it's artistic directors and institutional leadership, whether it's corporate leadership, whether it's, it's all of this, it's, it's, it's a full each year that, that somehow you're going to lose your Control.4 (45m 10s):This is so classic in, in terms of, so Gina and I were both therapists for years and look, and obviously we were children of parents. So I would go to my mom and say, this is the exact same thing. I would go to her and say, Hey mom, you're pretty abusive verbally. And she would say, but I'm the best mom. I know how to be. And at least you're not being beaten. Like I was beaten. And I'm like, okay. Yes, true. That all that is true. I, and you're still abusive to me. You're hurting me and sh and whether or not you want to make changes. That's the thing.4 (45m 50s):So we, we are literally reenacting parent child relationships in every walk of life. Like this sounds like a conversation a kid might have with their father where the father is like, well, I provide, we we're great.6 (46m 8s):And it's not about perfection. Like, it's not about like everyone and just like, we're all human beings. Right? Like I, I never wanted to feel like, and that's sometimes my problem with like, like I'm, I'm as left to center as you can get in a lot of ways, but it's like my one problem with sometimes a lot of left wing stuff is w where it's like, I think there is a purism that sometimes get, gets into it. And it's like, no, like we're all fucking human beings, right? If we believe in the ability to change and restorative justice and all of these things, then we have to actually believe that people can improve and get better. But it's like, there needs to be that honest interest in improving and getting better. There needs to be that genuine interest in it. And it's like, it's one of the things I was really proud of that we built it at Haven in Chicago with4 (46m 47s):Such a great theater. Gina Pavan is amazing. We're going to be there in the summer. So maybe we'll check it.6 (46m 53s):Ian Martin, like it's so funny. Cause it was such a, it was also a gift to really be able to do a transition process with Ian, you know, cause we really tried to be in, I've been part of some really unintentional transition processes. So like there were a lot of reasons where I really felt like Ian was exactly like, not, it wasn't even about sustaining what Haven had been doing. It was about how do we build and evolve on what Haven had been doing. And so Ian was sort of perfect. And we built the structure that you don't see very often where I, he was, yeah, he was my art, my associate artistic director for half the final season. And then we switched and he became artistic director and I was his associate artistic director for the other half of the season.6 (47m 36s):So he could have the responsibility and be in the decision-making position, but have the institutional memory sort of right at hand. And then it's like, and then I step away. So like I bring that up because there was an intentionality that we tried to bring to, like, we're going to be a theater company, let's be a theater company. Like you mentioned the business. Like let's, let's try to be a business, but let's try to be a next generation business.2 (48m 2s):And by the way, statements statements are to change as you know, sex is to relationships. Like it's a good start, but like you have to do more6 (48m 12s):Exact than just exactly.4 (48m 13s):So I guess the question is, what is it for me for me anyway? What is it in you, Josh? That is the kind of person because what is it? And there's a reckoning, obviously that I talk about a lot in, in terms of American theater and theater in general and the movie industry, the reckoning that's coming or in is, is that part of your drive right now to do this? Or it sounds like you've always been this sort of way, but why the fight? What, what, what about the fight?6 (48m 43s):Yeah, I think, I think, I think it's got it. That's such an interesting question because it's making me think in a chicken egg way, like is my ethics and my politics, like in here, like I don't know, the weirdest thing just came to mind and I'm going to follow that impulse.4 (48m 58s):Great.6 (48m 59s):Do it. And forgive me if I get a little bit emotional right now, it's it's my dad. If I'm really being honest, my dad is actually, he's not in the arts, but he's very artistic. He's a cellist. He's a musician. His odd actually, if you go to the Dem theater in Chicago, where Haven is the space that Haven exists in is the Bookspan theater specifically, the Janet Bookspan theater. Janet Bookspan is my aunt, his sister who was a major opera director, vocal coach, teacher, performer, actor assisted how prince back in the day, like holy4 (49m 40s):Shit.6 (49m 41s):Yeah. So like, and I have it on my mom's side as well, but my mom actually is an artist. She's a painter, but my dad, my dad is a radiation oncologist. He's a cancer physician, but music and art has always been a very big part of his life. His family, my life, he actually sidebar. Cause this is just a fun thing. And I hope this gets included. Cause I love bragging about this. My dad talk about politics and, and art colliding and art ed creative ethics. My dad has always been a big fan of Dr. Seuss's the snitches, this exists. You can go online. It's amazing. I'm so inspired by this. He was part of the Rochester academy of medicine and they have this amazing old building that has a roof.6 (50m 23s):That was basically, it's like a mansion that was donated and it's got this that was built for chamber music. And he developed relationships with the Rochester Philharmonic re developed friendships with musicians and created basically a chamber trio to play at the Rochester academy of medicine. And through this met a composer as Spanish composer, living in Berlin, named the Lorenzo. Palomo, who's pretty bright. His music is pretty outstanding and ended up commissioning a piece of music for this trio. And one thing led to another. And we found out that since my dad was young, he had believed that Dr.6 (51m 6s):Seuss is the snitches one. It was one of the most impactful, universal and effective lessons about acceptance and like anti-racism that you could find. And it was always his dream to have a piece of music, Allah, Peter, and the Wolf that was composed to be performed in tandem with a narration of Dr. Seuss's the snitches. So you can license this now on music theater international, because he did it. He commissioned Lorenzo to compose a piece of music for Dr. Seuss's the snitches. And we also by hooker by crooked premiered at my Alma mater at Oberlin and has since played around the country actually.6 (51m 52s):And I believe internationally. And, and it was all because he wanted to spread the message. It was because he wanted to use art to create an anti-racist piece of art. And the other cool thing is through a connection with his niece who ran the department of cultural affairs in Miami Dade county. She had a connection to John Delancey, who you might know as Q from star Trek, the next generation who did the original narration, the premiere. And so actually it's all on YouTube. You can hear John Delancey doing the speeches. And so like that's an aspect of my dad right there.6 (52m 33s):Another aspect was that I'll never forget this story. He actually built, he in Clifton Springs, New York built the cancer center, finger lakes, radiation oncology, because there, you know, there was a large elderly in particular community out there if I recall. And so, you know, as people are getting later in life, you know, biology happens and access to cancer treatment was non-existent except like 45 minutes or more at least minimum drive out of the way, if not hours out of the way. And especially as you're getting older, that becomes less and less sustainable for radiation treatments, for chemo treatments for all of these things.6 (53m 15s):So he found funding and worked his ass off as I, in some of my youngest days and built this cancer center from the ground up. And there was a day that I remember very distinctly hearing this story where as we've all been in any doctor's office, they were just running like, you know, three, four hours behind and sorry, I get emotional tug this story. It's so funny because it's like, that's, that's my true north in a way. You know, he, he sent his technicians out. This was back in the day when like Rent-A-Center was still a thing and blockbuster and shit, and like went out to get like sent them out to get like a television, sent them out to get a bunch of movies, sent them out to get like a sandwich platter and just showed up and basically were like, Hey, we're sorry.6 (54m 11s):We're we know we're running behind. We just want you to know, we haven't forgotten that you're here. You know? And like when does that happen at a doctor's office? Like when has that ever actually happened? Right. That's my,2 (54m 27s):Not for nothing, but my dad sold x-ray equipment. I've met a lot of radiation oncologists, and it's very unusual. Like there tends to be kind of a personality type with people who go into radar and it, it's not that what you're describing. So your dad must be a really remarkable person,6 (54m 45s):But yeah, no. And so I think it was a values thing. If we really want to talk about it, it's a values thing. It's, it's, it's a sense of how can we make this better? Like how can we be people first? How can we like again, we talk about Haven, right? One of the things I used to say, and I, and I would try, I tried to work hard to embody was like, oh, sorry, this does plug into our original conversations to bring it back perfectly on topic. One of my first shows I did in Chicago, I did a production of a play called xylophone west by Alex who's becoming a leg. Yeah. Alex is great. He's he's rising really well.6 (55m 26s):And like, we, he was actually, when I was the associate director of the summer Oneal program, he was a playwriting student when I was associate director. And that was our first. So it's cool. Just like, as we've sort of grown together, it's been amazing. And we did a reading of it and I, we have very strong opinions, especially because of the O'Neil being sort of a hub of new play development about what new play development is. There's a lot of bad, new play development. There's a lot of bad talk-backs, there's, there's a lot. And really it comes down to the difference between responsive feedback versus prescriptive feedback and how to cultivate that and understanding the difference.6 (56m 6s):And these, this artistic director did not understand this. And well, similar to what we're talking about, we were like, Hey, can we structure the talk back this way? Can we, this would really help Alex, Alex would say, this would really help me, like understand my play better. And artistic director's response was, I'll never forget this. Just remember who's the employer and who's the employee.4 (56m 34s):Right, right,6 (56m 35s):Right,4 (56m 35s):Right.6 (56m 36s):Case in point to everything we're talking about. And so like, I, it's sort of, when I think about like the sort of challenge to, sorry, I completely lost my train of thought.4 (56m 49s):No, no. What we're talking about is no, no, it's fine. It's when we're talking about a lot of things.6 (56m 53s):So4 (56m 54s):That's okay. What we're talking about is like this whole idea of like that your mentor wasn't your mentor anymore and why people don't want to change and the message versus what is actually happening in.6 (57m 6s):Yeah. Yeah. I'm trying to remember why I specifically brought up xylophone west, but it was like this idea of, I don't know. I think about this, this, I owe my, my dad my values. Yeah. Value system. That's right. Thank you. I just needed to hear about, yeah. Yeah. It's a value system thing. It's like, that tells me what that person's value system is. Right. That tells me sort of the culture that they built. And for me as at Haven, sort of taking a note from my dad, right? Hey guys, that you're here. We see that you're here. The way I would phrase that as an artistic director was like, yes, you are our employees. Let's be like, it's not that, that isn't real. Like we are, you were signing a contract to work for us.6 (57m 49s):We have expectations based on their contract. You are also a guest in our home. And that is our responsibility. Like as leadership as a company, as an institution, as a director, like you are, you are a guest in our home. This is our home. We are responsible. Especially if we want to talk about mentorship in academia, some of us are paying $50,000 a year,4 (58m 14s):Right.6 (58m 15s):Be in your home. Like you have all of the control of this space. You can, you can make this, whatever you want it to be, and we're paying you to exist inside of it. And, and it becomes a question for me of how do you take that responsibility? Like what if, whether it's an academic responsibility of like, we are literally paying for the privilege of this, or in a professional standpoint where it's like, it's, it's a little bit in the reverse either way. It's like you are in the position of power. You are in the position where you can like build culture that I use, that I find that word comes up a lot. When I rant about this, which I rant about4 (58m 53s):Culture, building culture,6 (58m 54s):Building culture, whether it's academic, whether it's professional, like that's the responsibility. And if you don't take that as the responsibility it's so,4 (59m 3s):Okay. The, the, the other thing that I was going to say is you had a moment where, so I have these moments where I say to myself, usually not out loud, but you kind of almost said it out loud, but you didn't either. Which is I say, my mama did not come to this country as an and work her ass off for this shit. And your moment was, my dad did not build a fucking radiology oncology center and then get Rent-A-Center furniture and sandwiches for me to be doing this shit like that is that moment. Well, I think, well, that's what I heard there. Everyone has a line and a true north of like, wait, wait, my legacy is not going to be, this is not going to be not saying anything to you.6 (59m 47s):And legacy is, is something I think about sometimes, but it's like, it's not even about that per se. It's like, I see what it means to people. Right? And like, if, if we believe in our own bullshit, like, especially as artists, you know, because artists are, are at the forefront of talking a lot of shit about like empathy, right. About community, about humanity, about seeing each other about uplifting each other about making the world a better place. And it's like, well, that's all well and good. But like, are you like how? And it's not even just like, again, like there's so many ways to do it, but I think sometimes we take for granted the small ways of doing it.6 (1h 0m 29s):I think sometimes we take for granted the like, what if we just buy everyone dinner? What if we like make a concerted effort to pay people a little bit better? Like, what if we, what if we show our work in that? Like, what if we actually believe in the transparency that we add? Like so much, like we talk about transparency so much in our industry, like, or rather not in our industry, I should say like artists talk about transparency in the world, right? Like we want corporate transparency. We want more governmental transparency. What are some of the least transparent motherfuckers?2 (1h 1m 4s):Yeah. I feel like I know why that happens in theater too. It's because there's no money. So everybody goes into it with all of their, like very theoretical and ideological approaches. And when you get very cerebral, very theoretical, you forget about things like, oh yeah, people don't want to do 10 out of twelves anymore because it's, it's, it's too fatiguing. And it actually works against the thing that they're there to do, which is create a new each performance, like being able to offer something fresh each time. So it, it, that is actually an area in which it's helpful to think about theater as a business.2 (1h 1m 47s):Because if this, if you were running a seven 11 and you had an employee, you'd have to have a bathroom, like it's, you know, you just think about the pragmatic things more when you're thinking about it as a business.6 (1h 1m 57s):Right. And, and it's like, I, and for me, it's like a lot of these things are considered mutually exclusive for some, or they're treated as mutually exclusive, but like, you have to, it's like the business and the sort of like cultural, ethical side, somehow don't mix. And I just don't agree. I don't agree for a lot of reasons. I don't agree in part through the Haven experiment. You know, I it's like, look, we, we're still not making money. And we, we, I want to say we were very privileged to have particular financial support. I don't want to take that for granted that we were not starting in the same place as a lot of other people. And I, and I don't take that for granted. It's not a brag. It's like a, like the bootstrap Smith. Like I want to make sure that it's not like, you know, taken for granted, but it's also like, there's still this idea that people won't show up sometimes like that, like literally I've had other artistic directors talk to me about Haven work in Chicago being like, what are you sure there's an audience here.6 (1h 2m 53s):I'm like motherfuckers. We just sent like 15 people away at the door for Isaac Gomez, horror play. But no one else would produce like, like why, what are we it, and those decisions are made because of business, right? Because, because how are we going to sell it to Chris Jones? Because like, how are we going to, and I, I, we found time and time again, that there is an audience for this work that we were able to at times even make money on, like compared to what we, what our show to show budget work. We were able to make money back, like, and we were paying people, you know, it still stipends, you know, not what they're worth. I don't want to pretend we were ever able to pay people what they worth.6 (1h 3m 35s):But we were able to pay people, usually double the typical storefront stipend it's like, and, and still keep ourselves on a typical like budget that I was used to for other storefronts. So it's like, it's this question of like, why are these things treated as mutually exclusive on a bigger scale? Look at center theater group right now, an article just got written. I got to see slave play out here, which amazing production also Chicago, shout out. I got to see cause he's under studying. And I got to see him perform that night. Rashad hall. Brilliant, brilliant. And his2 (1h 4m 11s):Shot6 (1h 4m 11s):Is brilliant. Oh my God, his Phillip just broke my goddamn heart. Oh my God. He was so good. That's a show that is deeply controversial, deeply challenging queer by PAC sexual BDSM oriented, racist, racist, racist, or in terms of its its topic matter like racism in the United States. And historically, and today it's it's and they gave away like 5,000 or more like free and discounted tickets. And they still made money.2 (1h 4m 48s):Jeremy DOE he recently just put something up on social about this that he made. He made accessibility like the most important feature of his, you know, this play being produced and it worked and it worked better still made money on this scarcity model, which is, I mean, that's a lot of this just comes from the scarcity model, influencing how everybody feels. So constantly afraid of losing the one little sliver of the pie that they have that, you know, all they can think about is how to make that tiny little sliver. How to divvy it up instead of saying no, how can we get more pie people? We want more pie. We want to just keep getting our tiny little slivers we want, we, we want to add.2 (1h 5m 28s):So I'm mindful of the time because I know we're about 50 and we're going to be having to wrap up and I want to hear about it's your last semester and you're working on a project and you're going to have spring break next week. What is your, is it a thesis? Is that, is that,6 (1h 5m 43s):That, that was actually last semester. That last semester. Yeah. That's so that's done. I've I've kept myself a little bit busy. I don't know. I, I found myself strangely in spite of the pandemic lab, maybe because of the pandemic last year and now being back in in person and, and all of that. I just, and also I think because of like big was amazing and like my designers were incredible. The students here are unbelievable, but it was also because of some of the things I shared, like an exhausting process, excuse me. And so I sort of took a break and then got into the semester and for some reason just was like, I want to make shit. I want to be involved in making shit.6 (1h 6m 24s):I want to, I want to be involved in my own shit. I want to get involved in other people's shit. I just want to make shit. And so I'm like, I just finished up working on a collaboration with a doctoral student in the music school where we created a, I worked with a lighting designer and we worked collaboratively to create a light based sort of design journey, like a sort of light experience in conversation with the music called busking style in real time, as part of his doctoral thesis.2 (1h 6m 60s):Wait, you're saying it was busking like that the project was6 (1h 7m 4s):The, the style of, of calling the lighting. Was it wasn't like, it was sort of like, Yeah, it was a, yeah. So it was board op up in the booth watching and listening for particular moments. And the music was also highly improv. The reason is because the composition had moments of high improvisation. So there were moments where it was literally like just listening for certain things to shift the lighting responsibly to the music as it was happening. And it was just something I had never done before. So I'm like, let's try this out. And then I'm, I'm drama turking and assistant directing a play that an acting MFA student who's a dear, dear friend has written in his performing it.6 (1h 7m 48s):So I can be sort of the outside eye while she's on the inside of it. And then I might have another project cooking for right before graduation. I'm I'm figuring that out right now. And then I've also got things outside. I'm thrilled to say my partner is actually going to be going to USC for film school next year. So she and I are actually working collaboratively on a couple of things with another acting alum from, from Cal arts, actually a which I'll be able to share a little bit more, actually there's some stuff online with little like BTS stuff it's called goon and I'm actually really pumped about it. Yeah. I'm really, it's, it's, it's super fun, super quirky.6 (1h 8m 30s):We found a great cinematographer. Right. We shed who's just has an inspired eye. And so, yeah, just, I don't know, just finding myself in that moment of like, I think also out of frustration, maybe with Cal arts at times, like I just want to get with the students here and make some shifts. Let's just make some,2 (1h 8m 47s):I think your thing is you want to helm your own ship, always. You want to kind of be in charge of your own destiny and which is a very good, I mean, I see you're making a face about it, but I just, from my prime saying that's a very good quality to have. And it actually leads me to another question I was going to ask you, which is, are you, age-wise about there with your peers in this MFA6 (1h 9m 9s):And that's been interesting. Yeah. Older, older. Yeah. I'm in my mid thirties. And that has been a, an interesting difference of experience at times. Yeah.2 (1h 9m 19s):Yeah. Well, we've talked to a lot of MFA's who, because they were in their thirties, we're able to see the whole thing about school in a m

Hosted by Simone Roach In late January, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr reached a settlement with Rent-A-Center regarding a variety of alleged deceptive practices in its rent-to-own business, including in its debt collection and general disclosure practices.  Maybe you're thinking, “I'm not in the rent-to-own business, so why is this case important to me?”  AG Carr's settlement, which took the form of an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance (AVC), includes many important takeaways that you should think about no matter what industry you may be in, especially if you operate in multiple states.  And with State AG consumer protection enforcement expected to increase in 2022 – knowing how AGs might approach an investigation is more important than ever. So what can we glean from this Georgia settlement?  A lot. Blog Post - https://www.adlawaccess.com/2022/03/articles/georgia-ags-avc-with-rent-a-center-is-a-lesson-in-state-authority/ Contacts Paul L. Singer psinger@kelleydrye.com (202) 342-8672 Bio - https://www.kelleydrye.com/Our-People/Paul-L-Singer Subscribe to the Ad Law Access blog - https://www.adlawaccess.com/subscribe/ Subscribe to the Ad Law News Newsletter - https://www.kelleydrye.com/News-Events/Publications/Newsletters/Ad-Law-News-and-Views?dlg=1 Produced by Jeff Scurry

Wendell "Alan" Martens History  2019 – Present. President, MajesticBeds, LLC which was formed in Spring 2019 to promote MajesticBed.com on the website and direct retail sales of Majestic Bed products. Website was developed and launched 2019. From the first of 2020 to October the Company grew a network of Ambassadors and Affiliates with a following of 1.3 million. Its product line of mattresses and toppers have patented technology in some of its components and the designs have been submitted for utility patents. To date Majestic Bed testimonials have been consistently 5-star reviews for the symptom specific products, the product performance, pain relief, and customer service.  2017 – 2019. President, Ergo Centers, LLC which was formed when we discovered Sleep & Wellness Centers domain names had been taken. Ergo Centers was positioned to take over Sleep & Wellness Centers operations and became fully operational in January 2017.  2009 – 2017. President, Sleep & Wellness Centers, LLC, modified and designed ergonomic and symptom specific sleep systems, seating and support products that are wholesaled to HME companies and specialty retail stores. Created guidelines for setting up retail venues including display design, determining product mix, fulfillment, marketing plans, sales training, consumer financing options and competitive analysis. Recognized seminar speaker on retail marketing, sales techniques and product applications for the HME and specialty retail industry. Consulted with a company in Canton, OH that worked with Tempur-Pedic's medical division and did a holiday store at Great Lakes Crossing generating $250,000 in sales in 3 months. Starting with Beaumont HME, set up retail displays in HME showrooms in 6 states to wholesale S&W products.  2003 – 2007 President, Preferred Sleep Solution that eventually opened 4 retail ergonomic bedding stores generating up to $2,700,000 in annual sales in Michigan. During this time developed a number of symptom specific sleep systems, pillows and toppers.  1997 – 2001 President of Save Your Back, LLC offered business interests to physical therapists and doctors to open a specialty bed, seating, therapy and rehab products retail location to channel referrals and customers to the store located in Salt Lake City. By the end of 1997, I successfully raised $500,000 selling units of $25,000 through a Regulation D private placement. The store opened in the spring of 1998 and averaged $600,000 annually from walking customers and referral sources while remaining compliant with Safe Harbor rules.  1989 – 1996. Created Medmarco, Inc. that grew from one HME and compounding pharmacy location to a public company traded on small cap NASDAQ. During my terms as VP of M&A and then CEO, the Company grew to one of the largest regional and ranked in the top 100 nationally with compounding pharmacies and HMEs with annual medical revenues of over $14,500,000 and $3,000,000 in retail sales.  1983 – 1988. President, Investment Property Management Group, syndicated, and managed $26,000,000 of commercial properties including 5 shopping centers, and 1 office building in 5 states; the Wichita Wind Hockey (farm club for the Edmonton Oilers); restaurant/bar division and Rent-It-All stores with $2,400,000 annual revenues. Wrote business, funding and marketing plans for CPG, Rent-A-Center, Popingo, Marina and HME operations.  1981 – 1983. Worked as an independent agent/representative for Commercial Property Group.  1975 – 1981. Account Executive for Profesco, a subsidiary of John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company, that sold ownership interests in shopping centers throughout the country. Beginning in 1978, became a national sales leader, ranked in the top 10 every year in real estate private placement offerings (averaging over $5,000,000 in annual sales) and ranked in the top 10 regionally in insurance sales (averaging over $2,500,000 face value).

I spent the summer of 1995 working for Rent-A-Center in Detroit. These are just some of the experiences I endured. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

First responders and a towing crew work to clear the intersection of U.S. 181 in front of Rent-A-Center in Floresville after a two-vehicle crash Aug. 26. The accident, about 11:35 a.m. Thursday, involved a white Toyota RAV4, and a Ford Expedition from the Bexar County Fire Marshal's office. One of the two individuals in the Toyota was transported by EMS to the hospital. Floresville Police Department, Emergency Services District 4 EMS, and Emergency Services District 5 Fire responded. No additional information was available as of press time Aug. 30.Article Link

Live at 10 pm EST on Facebook, YouTube, and most of your favorite podcast streaming platforms! . District of Mishits Show The drinking show with a podcast problem! . . Marcus, aka, The Pasteurized Chef, Crushing Boo, Valerie Torres, and Jamie Roderick, as they sit down with the shakers and makers of DC to talk current events, music, food, and more as perceived from Washington DC! . . WWW.CRUSHINGDC.COM

Kent's curiosity for how things work - and how they might work better - pointed him straight into his career in the advertising agency business in Wichita and Kansas City, where he worked on brands such as  AMR Corporation, Sprint, and Pizza Hut. Two corporate opportunities provided great perspectives from the client-side of the table: including Manager of National Programs at Rent-A-Center, a 1,000-store rent-to-own brand. This expanded Kent's marketing lens, giving him direct involvement in operations, merchandising, and a variety of other key client positions to enhance his ad agency knowledge. Today, Kent's key focus is small business owners. These entrepreneurial-minded professionals have “skin in the game” and understand there are only a certain amount of hours in each day. Oftentimes, marketing is the most logical outsource, and that's how Kent saves clients time, headaches, and money.  

Bloody Balls The Roast Covid Microchips Racisim is a Public Health Threat Ebony Fetish's are Racist Sorry I confuse my taser Rent-a-Center Doug and Anthony talk about stuff. If you want to support the show and get weekly bonus episodes - head over to https://www.patreon.com/WhosRight. We also have all of our bonus episodes (200+) over at https://whosright.supercast.tech/ Watch the show live on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/WhosRightPodcast?sub_confirmation=1 You can find our merch, our PO box, links to submit Dear Flabby questions, and everything else over at https://whosrightpodcast.com/

Consumers are protected under various state and federal laws when it comes to rent-to-own companies. Some of the biggest rent-to-own companies are Aaron's and Rent-A-Center. There are laws to protect consumers in every state, and these laws are oftentimes called UDAP laws. What that stands for is Unfair, Deceptive, Abusive Acts and Practices. Under various UDAP statutes consumers are entitled to money damages, and there's what's called a fee shift provision. That means our fees and costs are paid for by the other side. So if you're being harassed by a rent-to-own company, and they are some of the most aggressive companies I've seen go after consumers, whether it's harassing phone calls, contacting family, friends, or neighbors, you can contact my office. We will immediately get the harassment to stop, and not only are you entitled to money damages but based on the fee shift provision these rent-to-own companies have to pay my fees and costs, so you're not going to owe me a penny for my time. 

Matt Stafford was all done doing desk pops in Detroit, he went to LA to spread his wings, he's a peacock you have to let him fly.#WHOPUTBEERINTHEWATERCOOLERSupport the show (http://paypal.me/jvwaterboys)

This week, I'm excited to share my conversation with Shirin Kanji, President of Impact RTO Holdings and Chief Investment Officer of Impact Properties. The story behind Impact properties is one that proves that the American Dream is still alive and well with the right combination of work ethic, grit, and discipline. Their family has built an organization centered around real estate development and retail franchise operating companies. In our conversation, we covered: - The story behind Impact Properties - The family's first hotel development deal - The unique model behind the Kanji family business - Branded hotel development and operations - The competition and differences between the hotel market and Airbnb - The factors to consider when investing in franchises - What it takes to operate retail franchises - The family's Rent-A-Center franchise investment Links: - Impact Properties website - Shirin's Twitter account ABOUT THE PODCAST: Hi, I'm Benton Moss. I launched The Circle of Competence Podcast in June 2020 to focus on entrepreneurship and investing, and explore each guest's unique journey. From real estate to technology to public equities to small business investing and more, I hope this podcast will be a wide-ranging exploration of what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur, operator, and investor in today's competitive world. SUBSCRIBE: iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6BW1ZZC6SLVA6U09KBf5br?si=cP15zhyWSwCw832NttMR9A FOLLOW: Website: https://circleofcompetence.co Twitter: https://twitter.com/benton_moss --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-circle-of-competence/support

In this episode, Gina Cocking and Jeff Guylay continue their discussion on deal structuring. Today, the focus is on roll-ups. Key takeaways from this episode are: • Highly fragmented industries are ripe for roll-ups • A roll-up is an attractive exit alternative for companies that are subscale or have an incomplete management organization • Transparency from both the buyer and the seller leads to the most successful outcomes Other episodes in our series about deal structuring include price and terms, earn outs, rollover equity, and reps and warranty insurance.  Later in this episode, Gina is joined by our guest Rob Humble, Chief Revenue Officer at Innovative Aftermarket Systems ("IAS"), to share his insights from executing a roll-up strategy for IAS as the Senior Vice President of Strategy and Corporate Development. In this episode, Colonnade Advisors addresses the following questions as related to roll-ups: What is a roll-up? (01:02) Gina: "A roll-up is when an owner, which could be a private equity owner or a strategic, starts with a platform company. The roll-up adds other companies in the same industry, and they're typically smaller companies than the platform. The add-on companies are rolled into the platform." What is the purpose of implementing a roll-up strategy? (01:34) Gina: "It's a way for a company to increase in size inorganically, quickly, and while doing so, they are recognizing both expense synergies and perhaps revenue synergies." Jeff: "It plays on the themes that we've talked about in other episodes, which is bigger is better, in many respects. Generally, bigger companies are more attractive to a wider audience of investors or buyers." What industries typically do roll-ups? (02:42) Gina: "One industry that comes to mind is the insurance agency industry. We have seen this time and time again, where a private equity firm buys an insurance agency, a large insurance agency, and then they start making smaller acquisitions." Jeff: "The insurance distribution sector is perfect for the roll-up strategy. It's low capital intensity, recurring revenue, and highly fragmented market." What type of companies implement roll-up strategies? (04:29) Jeff: "This strategy works for large public companies, private equity firms, and independent companies." What is the rationale for roll-ups? (05:34) Gina: "One is geographic. Number two, it might be because of specific product knowledge. Number three, it can be to get a specific customer. What is the financial benefit of roll-ups? (06:49) Jeff: "A large platform company is going to trade at a higher multiple than a smaller company. There's arbitrage if a large platform company acquires smaller add-on acquisitions and integrates successfully." Why is integration important? (07:56) Gina: "Sometimes, acquisitions fail because they fail to integrate properly. That is not just making sure everybody is on the same technology system, but integrating cultures, integrating client relationships, and integrating product sets. That is the real challenge in an acquisition." Jeff: "The integration is key to a lot of things, certainly to value maximization over time." How do add-on companies benefit from roll-ups? (10:23) Jeff: "The add-on companies benefit from the resources of the parent company, the larger enterprise. Add-on companies can grow their business, which probably will have some contingent consideration involved in the transaction, and be a part of the success." Gina: "The smaller company, ideally, will have some rollover equity or earn outs that are structured on growth in the company, so you get to participate in the upside." When Colonnade represents a seller into a roll-up, what diligence is done on the buyer? (12:10) Jeff: "We do diligence on the parent company and the financial sponsor. We talk about their track record and history in doing roll-ups. We do diligence on the acquisitions they have done already and the outlook of the combined entity. Part of the consideration to our client is likely going to be equity in this new entity, so we will think about how much to rollover, what's it worth, what are all the conditions around it, and who is in control." What is one of the challenges for sellers in a roll-up? And what are the trade-offs? (13:23) Gina: "One of the challenges for entrepreneurs when they go through a sale process is the sudden realization that they're going to have a boss. Entrepreneurs are entrepreneurs for a reason. They like running the show. It can be a challenge to be part of a larger organization and not be in charge." Jeff: "There are the trade outs with control. Being part of a larger organization, the add-on company benefits from the growth of the larger organization, increased size, and resources for future acquisitions." What is the potential upside for sellers that rolled over equity into the new entity from a financial perspective? (15:63) Gina: "The upside can be enormous. The next exit with the platform could be worth just as much if not more than when the seller went in and did the first transaction." What is your outlook on roll-ups used in transactions? (17:45) Gina: "Roll-ups are used all the time. Going into the next decade, I do not see a slow down in roll-ups as a strategy being deployed by private equity firms." Gina invites Rob Humble, Chief Revenue Officer at IAS, to share his insights from executing a roll-up strategy for IAS as the Senior Vice President of Strategy and Corporate Development. What is the most effective structure for proceeds to the seller for a roll-up? (18:40) • An acquisition under private equity ownership generally comes with an equity component • For sellers that are not looking to be a long-term part of a bigger organization, they are likely maximizing value at closing, which means they are going to value cash and as little earn out as possible • IAS was private equity-owned and was buying companies that bought into the private equity model, which is to invest the executive’s energy, and together produce greater value and then share in that value How do you guide sellers that shy away from roll-ups because they want to protect their employees? (21:13) • As the buyer, be honest and transparent as much as possible throughout the process • Sellers can build a deep trust with the buyer and can trust that the deal that they entered into together is going to work out for not only what the buyers’ strategic intent is, but sellers’ as well • It is best if the buyer can collaborate with the sellers on what are the ways that they can be more efficient together How do you get business owners comfortable with working for someone post the transaction? (23:33) • It comes back to honesty, transparency, and as much diligence both ways as possible. What would you tell a business owner that is getting ready to sell into a roll-up strategy? (23:51) • Get prepared and get organized. Perform diligence on your own company before you let somebody else look at your company • Sellers should understand why they want to sell then find a buyer that they believe meets that criteria Featured guest bio and contact information: Rob Humble Email: rhumble@iasdirect.com Rob Humble is the Chief Revenue Officer at Innovative Aftermarket Systems. Before coming to IAS Rob held strategy and corporate development leadership roles with financial services firms NetSpend and Rent-A-Center. Prior to his time in financial services, Rob held strategy, finance, and operations roles at Fortune 500 companies spanning the automotive, defense & aerospace, and chemical industries. Rob earned his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, graduating magna cum laude. He also holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. Rob lives in Austin, TX with his wife and two young kids. He enjoys hanging out with his family, distance running, binge-watching the hottest TV shows, watching Oklahoma Sooners football and indulging in random interests including knitting, furniture building, and home improvement. Host Information: Gina Cocking Gina Cocking serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Colonnade Advisors. She returned to Colonnade as a Managing Director in 2014. Gina began her career in investment banking at Kidder Peabody, was an analyst at Madison Dearborn Partners, and an associate at J.P. Morgan & Co. She was a Vice President at Colonnade Advisors from 1999 to 2003. She left Colonnade to gain operating experience as the Chief Financial Officer of Cobalt Finance, a specialty finance company. She went on to become the Chief Financial Officer of Healthcare Laundry Systems, a privateequity-backed company for which she oversaw the successful sale to a strategic acquirer. Gina served as the Line of Business CFO – Consumer Banking and Lending at Discover Financial Services. Gina serves on the Board of Directors of CIB Marine Bancshares, Inc., a bank holding company based in Brookfield, Wisconsin, that operates banking offices in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. Gina received her BA in Economics and an MBA from the University of Chicago. Additionally, Gina holds the Series 24, 28, 79, and 99 securities licenses. Jeff Guylay Jeff Guylay is a Managing Director of Colonnade Advisors. Prior to joining Colonnade in 2000, Jeff was an investment banker at J.P. Morgan in the firm's Mergers & Acquisitions and Fixed Income Capital Markets groups in New York. He also spent several years in J.P. Morgan's Chicago office. Jeff has over 20 years of M&A and investment banking experience and has served as lead execution partner on over 25 M&A and financing transactions at Colonnade. Jeff received an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Management and a Master of Engineering Management from the University's McCormick School of Engineering. Jeff received a BA from Dartmouth College and a BE from Dartmouth's Thayer School of Engineering. Jeff holds the Series 7, 24, 63, and 79 securities licenses. Jeff serves as a director of the non-profit Nurture, an organization dedicated to enhancing the nutrition and wellness of children and families. About the Middle Market Mergers & Acquisitions Podcast Get the insiders' take on mergers and acquisitions. M&A investment bankers Gina Cocking and Jeff Guylay of Colonnade Advisors discuss the technical aspects of and tactics used in middle market deals. This podcast offers actionable advice and strategies for selling your company and is aimed at owners of middle market companies in the financial services and business services sectors. Middle market companies are generally valued between $20 million and $500 million.

This week we are joined by Harry Pappas, co-owner of multiple Rent-a-center franchises. Harry is a serial entrepreneur who is highly specialized in the franchise space. He has grown many franchise concepts throughout the years including Burger King, Krispy Kreme, Quiznos and Colortyme now Rent-a-center. You are going to love his story and gain so much from his knowledge and expertise. If you know someone who owns a franchise, be sure to share this episode with them. We would love to hear from you. Please leave a review and a 5-star rating. Your feedback means the world to us, and we will be sure to send you a special thank you for your kind words. Don't forget to hit the Subscribe button to automatically be notified when the Entrepreneur Express Tip drops on Fridays and guest interviews drop on Tuesdays. Interested in being a guest on the podcast? Email YouRock@iEvolveConsulting.com to learn more. Keep evolving, entrepreneur. YOU ROCK! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/annette-walter/support

In this episode, MeMe talks about knowing your worth and adding tax. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/memebeingreal/support

In this episode, Gina Cocking and Jeff Guylay conclude their discussion around the due diligence process related to the sale of a company. This episode is part of a four-episode series exploring the due diligence process that began with 003 on the business aspects of the due diligence process. EP003: Business aspects of due diligence EP004: Legal aspects of due diligence EP005: Accounting aspects of due diligence EP006: Technology aspects of due diligence Gina is again joined by our featured guest, Rob Humble, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Corporate Development at IAS. Rob shares his insights as a buyer on technology issues that arise in diligence. Gina and Jeff’s discussion highlights four key questions related to the technology aspects of due diligence: 1) who is doing what (who is leading the tech team, who is on the tech team, and what aspects of technology are outsourced)? 2) Who controls the intellectual property? 3) How much has been spent, and how much needs to be spent over the next few years? 4) Is the technology scalable for growth? In this episode, Colonnade Advisors addresses the following questions as related to the technology aspects of due diligence: Are technology aspects of due diligence applicable even if the company is not a technology company? (1:00) Gina: “Every company is tech-enabled, so every company is going to have some element of technology that they utilize every day. Disclaimer, this is not for technology companies. This episode is not a deep dive on the due diligence that a buyer or investor would conduct on a technology-focused company but instead a more general review of what all companies should think about when they're preparing to take on capital or sell the company.” When answering the question about who is doing what, where does a company start? (2:25) Gina: “Start with the easiest thing, and that's an org chart. Is there a chief technology officer who reports to the chief technology officer? Is there a database administrator? What is outsourced? Is there even a CTO? Is some of it done by a consulting firm that comes in weekly, quarterly, just on call? Who is doing the development, and who has the rights?” Does a company need proprietary technology to raise capital or be sold? (3:26) Jeff: “The in-house versus outsourced piece is particularly interesting especially for some of the smaller companies we work with, because a small company obviously may not be able to afford a CTO. Many of the clients we work with use off-the-shelf technology platforms, standard email, and other operating systems. The important issue is scalability.” What do investors look at during due diligence as related to technology? (3:00) Jeff: “They're going to come in and look through the financials and see where the costs are. They’ll look at the org chart and see who's doing what with whom.” What areas of technology are investors assessing during due diligence? (3:15) Jeff: “Everything from the reliability of the systems, cybersecurity, disaster recovery, the policies and procedures in place, and whether or not you’ve had any data breaches.” What should a company put together prior to a capital raise or sale? (4:57) Gina: “A system diagram. A piece of paper with a bunch of boxes that show laptops, servers, internet/cloud form, e-commerce backbone, CRM, and where all the systems are located.” What else needs to be compiled and documented? (5:47) Gina: “What licenses do you have? What technology do you own, and who built it? What is your cybersecurity around all these different technologies? What are the processes and procedures as documented in manuals? Another big area when assessing the technology is disaster recovery. If the electricity were to go out for three hours and you had to bring everything back up, can you do it?” Does having proprietary technology make a company more valuable in a sale? (9:34) Gina: “One thing that we run into sometimes with companies that we're working with is they'll say, "I am different from my competitors because I have a better operating platform. We spent $4 million on it, and it is better than what my competitors are using. Is my company worth more?" That question always causes me to pause. It's great to have your own platform; it may make you more efficient, and we will want to explore and test whether or not it increases your efficiency as a company. But unless you can actually take that technology and sell it to other customers, it may not have intrinsic value unto itself.” Should I build proprietary technology prior to selling my company? (10:27) Jeff: “We encounter the buy versus build discussion all the time. It is challenging because entrepreneurs may be thinking in terms of an outlandish multiple. It depends on whether or not that technology is unique enough, flexible enough, adaptable, and scalable.” What are some of the scalability issues around technology in the sale of a company? (11:45) Gina: “Buyers will ask: "How much is it going to cost me to keep this up? When do we have to upgrade? How do we know you're keeping up with all the regulatory, compliance, latest and greatest in cybersecurity?” In middle market companies, these questions are hard to cover with a four-person tech department.” Does a company need to upgrade systems prior to a sale? (13:23) Jeff: “We're working with a client right now that has been on an older loan management platform for 25 years, and as part of the capital raise we're going to help work with them to upgrade systems. They're going to jump from one smaller universe loan management system to a more widely adopted one. The transition from one system to another is always tricky and expensive and takes longer than you think. There's business risk of moving from one platform to another. We've talked about in other podcasts the importance of hitting your numbers and focusing on your business. To layer on a systems transition or integration project at the same time is probably more than you want to bite off.” How are technology investments accounted for in valuing a business? (14:45) Gina: “When looking at the costs of technology, you look at the past investments and future investments. For past investments, we’ll look at: Was it properly accounted for? Were technology costs capitalized where they can be capitalized? Oftentimes we'll find that these expenses could have been capitalized. We’ll do a proforma adjustment to the financials to add back those costs. These costs will not count against you on your EBITDA, as it was a one-time charge. Then we'll look at future technology expenses and we will model that out in our forecasts.” How is technology when used as shared services between divisions or subsidiaries accounted for in a transaction? (16:27) Jeff: “Some of our clients, particularly larger corporate clients, are operating as divisions or subsidiaries of larger businesses. They share services with the parent organization. We go through the financials carefully to make sure that you have the right expenses associated with the business, you have the right licenses that can transfer with the business that you're selling, boxing the whole thing up to make sure that the package is complete.” Why is scalability a key issue in technology due diligence? (17:43) Gina: “When a buyer is evaluating a company, they are looking at future growth. A big part of that is how scalable is the technology.” What is typically more scalable, off-the-shelf technology or home-grown systems? (18:00) Gina: “Typically, off the shelf and web-based systems should be very scalable. You can get to two, 10, 20 times the current size, and the technology should be able to scale with you. When the technology is homegrown, there will be a deeper investigation into how scalable that technology is and what costs are involved with scaling that technology.” Why is a technology review important when selling a company? (19:10) Jeff: “It all comes back to valuation and the forecast that we present to the buyers. Even if these aren't technology companies, they're all tech-enabled, and you don't want them to be tech disabled. We absolutely have to be able to defend the diligence that the platforms and systems and policies and procedures we have in place can support the growth plan.” Gina invites Rob Humble, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Corporate Development at IAS, who shares his perspective from the buy side of a transaction as related to technology due diligence. What exactly are you looking for in technology diligence? (21:45) Rob: “For us, it's not about whizzbang innovations; it's not about is it bigger, faster, better. Generally speaking, what we're looking for is sustainability. Is it secure? Is it written on a solid code base? Is it written on the right tech stack that we're going to be able to support long term?” Featured guest bio and contact information: Rob Humble Email: rhumble@iasdirect.com Rob Humble leads strategy and corporate development for IAS. Before coming to IAS, Rob held strategy and corporate development leadership roles with financial services firms NetSpend and Rent-A-Center. Prior to his time in financial services, Rob held strategy, finance, and operations roles at Fortune 500 companies spanning the automotive, defense & aerospace, and chemical industries. Rob earned his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Washington U. in St. Louis, graduating magna cum laude. He also holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. Rob lives in Austin, TX with his wife and two young kids. He enjoys hanging out with his family, distance running, binge-watching the hottest TV shows, watching Oklahoma Sooners football, and indulging in random interests including knitting, furniture building, and home improvement. About Our Hosts Gina Cocking Gina Cocking serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Colonnade Advisors. She returned to Colonnade as a Managing Director in 2014. Gina began her career in investment banking at Kidder Peabody, was an analyst at Madison Dearborn Partners and an associate at J.P. Morgan & Co. She was a Vice President at Colonnade Advisors from 1999 to 2003. She left Colonnade to gain operating experience as the Chief Financial Officer of Cobalt Finance, a specialty finance company. She went on to become the Chief Financial Officer of Healthcare Laundry Systems, a private-equity backed company for which she oversaw the successful sale to a strategic acquirer. Gina served as the Line of Business CFO – Consumer Banking and Lending at Discover Financial Services. Gina serves on the Board of Directors of CIB Marine Bancshares, Inc., a bank holding company based in Waukesha, Wisconsin, that operates banking offices in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. Gina received her BA in Economics and an MBA from the University of Chicago. Additionally, Gina holds the Series 24, 28, 79 and 99 securities licenses. About Jeff Guylay Jeff Guylay is a Managing Director of Colonnade Advisors. Prior to joining Colonnade in 2000, Jeff was an investment banker at J.P. Morgan in the firm’s Mergers & Acquisitions and Fixed Income Capital Markets groups in New York. He also spent several years in J.P. Morgan’s Chicago office. Jeff has over 20 years of M&A and investment banking experience and has served as lead execution partner on over 25 M&A and financing transactions at Colonnade. Jeff received an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management and a Master of Engineering Management from the University’s McCormick School of Engineering. Jeff received a BA from Dartmouth College and a BE from Dartmouth’s Thayer School of Engineering. Jeff holds the Series 7, 24, 63, and 79 securities licenses. Jeff serves as a director of the non-profit Nurture, an organization dedicated to enhancing the nutrition and wellness of children and families. About the Middle Market Mergers & Acquisitions Podcast Get the insiders’ take on mergers and acquisitions. M&A investment bankers Gina Cocking and Jeff Guylay of Colonnade Advisors discuss the technical aspects of and tactics used in middle market deals. This podcast offers actionable advice and strategies for selling your company and is aimed at owners of middle market companies in the financial services and business services sectors. Middle market companies are generally valued between $20 million and $500 million. If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to the podcast, and please consider leaving us a short review. Learn more about Colonnade Advisors: https://coladv.com/ Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/colonnade-advisors-llc_2/

Boss makes Jeremy consider a new career at Rent-A-Center as the duo discusses fruit insertions, The Teacher, and and the classic Gerard Damiano film The Devil in Miss Jones. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Due diligence is a crucial component of any M&A transaction. In this episode, Gina Cocking and Jeff Guylay discuss the second topic in our due diligence series--legal due diligence. Jeff is joined by featured guest, Will Turner, a partner at Steptoe & Johnson, to discuss lessons learned and pitfalls that sellers can avoid as they think about getting ready to go to market, from a legal due diligence perspective. Later in the episode, Gina is joined by our second featured guest, Rob Humble, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Corporate Development at IAS, who shares his insights as a buyer on legal issues that arise in diligence. This episode is one of four on M&A due diligence. Episodes 003 focuses on business due diligence, and later episodes will focus on accounting and technology diligence. Show Notes: Jeff Guylay talks about legal due diligence being a sub-set of the broader due diligence process and recaps why diligence is conducted – to thoroughly understand the company to best position it in the market and to prepare the company for buyer and investor diligence (00.38) Gina Cocking talks about the different legal groups involved in a transaction, including corporate M&A attorneys, corporate contract attorneys, employment attorneys, litigation attorneys, regulatory attorneys, and tax attorneys (02:29) Jeff and Gina discuss the importance of hiring a good law firm in a transaction (03:34) Gina outlines what the law firms are reviewing during diligence, including contracts, formation documents, shareholder documentation, employment agreements, applications and licenses (04:42) Jeff comments that the legal diligence process is like a house cleaning exercise. There are instances in which licensees or ways of doing business historically may not make sense going forward (06:16) Gina talks about the importance of having attorneys review materials years before going to market. It is good business hygiene (09:04) Jeff discusses the role of a financial advisor in the legal review. Financial advisors are not attorneys but will coordinate the assembly of information, generally via massive Excel trackers, and ultimately securely disseminate information. Over a thousand documents are collected during typical legal diligence, and all get captured in an electronic data room (09:20) Gina discusses the importance of having a good legal tracker (11:15) Jeff talks about how litigation is inevitable in the corporate world and how keeping track of the details of each incident is important as it demonstrates transparency and organization (12:54) Gina talks about how legal issues may impact company valuation (14:16) Gina and Jeff discuss how a business that litigates aggressively might be perceived negatively as some people shy away from folks that are quick to sue (14:52) Jeff discusses background checks (15:43) Will Turner, a partner at Steptoe & Johnson, joins the show and talks about lessons learned or pitfalls that sellers can avoid as they think about getting ready to go to market from a legal due diligence perspective. One important concept is to provide all information upfront to avoid surprises. The second is identifying who within your management and employee group is a source for valuable information about the company and including them in the process if possible (17:40) Rob Humble, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Corporate Development at IAS, joins the show to share his thoughts as a buyer on legal issues that arise in diligence. For Bob, a big concern is the trend in legal activities (21:21) Rob talks about how an ongoing legal situation with financial implications could very well have an impact on valuation (21:48) Gina’s closing thoughts on today's discussion on legal diligence: The three key takeaways are, 1) it is never too early to get your attorney involved to prep for diligence; 2) legal issues will not necessarily kill the deal, but should be addressed early; and 3) sellers need to know where the bodies are buried and need to discuss the issues with their advisors upfront (22:35) Featured guests bio and contact information: Rob Humble Email: rhumble@iasdirect.com Rob Humble leads strategy and corporate development for IAS. Before coming to IAS, Rob held strategy and corporate development leadership roles with financial services firms NetSpend and Rent-A-Center. Prior to his time in financial services Rob held strategy, finance, and operations roles at Fortune 500 companies spanning the automotive, defense & aerospace, and chemical industries. Rob earned his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Washington U. in St. Louis, graduating magna cum laude. He also holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. Rob lives in Austin, TX with his wife and two young kids. He enjoys hanging out with his family, distance running, binge-watching the hottest TV shows, watching Oklahoma Sooners football and indulging in random interests including knitting, furniture building, and home improvement. Will Turner Email: wturner@steptoe.com Will Turner has more than two decades of experience in corporate and securities law, primarily with application to cryptocurrency, fund formation, investment transactions, and mergers and acquisitions. He also advises clients on matters involving capitalizations, project finance, restructurings and joint ventures. Will is well-versed in securities offerings, '40 Act work, and corporate governance matters. He also advises clients on distribution, sales, technology and financial services commercial agreements. Will has represented a number of European companies and investors in their acquisitions, investments, commercial, and regulatory matters in the United States. He has led numerous fund and joint venture formations. About the Hosts: Gina Cocking serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Colonnade Advisors. Gina began her career in investment banking at Kidder Peabody, was an analyst at Madison Dearborn Partners and an associate at J.P. Morgan & Co. She was the Chief Financial Officer of Cobalt Finance, a specialty finance company. She went on to become the Chief Financial Officer of Healthcare Laundry Systems, a private-equity backed company for which she oversaw the successful sale to a strategic acquirer. Gina served as the Line of Business CFO – Consumer Banking and Lending at Discover Financial Services. Gina serves on the Board of Directors of CIB Marine Bancshares, Inc. Gina received her BA in Economics and an MBA from the University of Chicago. Jeff Guylay is a Managing Director of Colonnade Advisors. Prior to joining Colonnade in 2000, Jeff was an investment banker at J.P. Morgan in the firm’s Mergers & Acquisitions and Fixed Income Capital Markets groups in New York. He also spent several years in J.P. Morgan’s Chicago office. Jeff has over 20 years of M&A and investment banking experience and has served as lead execution partner on over 25 M&A and financing transactions at Colonnade. Jeff received an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management and a Master of Engineering Management from the University’s McCormick School of Engineering. Jeff received a BA from Dartmouth College and a BE from Dartmouth’s Thayer School of Engineering. About the Show: Get the insiders’ take on mergers and acquisitions. M&A investment bankers Gina Cocking and Jeff Guylay of Colonnade Advisors discuss the technical aspects of and tactics used in middle market deals. This podcast offers actionable advice and strategies for selling your company and is aimed at owners of middle market companies in the financial services and business services sectors. Middle market companies are generally valued between $20 million and $500 million.

In this episode, Gina Cocking and Jeff Guylay discuss business due diligence.  Due diligence is so important in any M&A transaction that we're devoting four episodes to the topic. Please stay tuned for upcoming episodes 004 through 006 about Due Diligence.  In addition to business due diligence, we'll cover financial, legal, and technology-related aspects of due diligence. Here are two key points from the discussion on business diligence in today's episode: 1) Organization is crucial in this process; every document will be requested, every question will be asked. 2) Prepare so that there are no surprises; every rock will be overturned.  Essentially, a seller needs to tell their advisors the good, the bad, and the ugly. You’ll see why we’ve named this episode “Uncovering the Skeletons in Your Closet”. This episode features guest Rob Humble to provide his insights from his involvement with transactions as both the buyer and seller. Rob is the Senior Vice President of Strategy and Corporate Development at IAS.  In this episode, Gina and Jeff of Colonnade Advisors address the following questions: What is due diligence? (02:18) The process of working with the management of a company and, at a very high level, learning everything that possibly can be learned about the company. Colonnade Advisors turns over every rock to understand all of the strengths and weaknesses of the company, understanding both the past, present, and future. We understand why the company does certain things, what the contracts say, and what its obligations are. We do an assessment so that when the buyer or a lender comes in, they know what they're getting into. What is examined during due diligence? (02:48) Employee records, contracts, financials, lawsuits, marketing plans, training manuals, handbooks, analyzing turnover, customer concentration, unit economics, etc. All the skeletons in the closet, everything about the business. How does due diligence affect the Purchase Agreement? (04:41) A large component of the purchase agreement is the reps and warranties section, where the seller represents that everything they have shown and shared with the buyer is true and correct, etc. The legal agreement, the purchase agreement, governs the transaction and the future. What is a confidential information memorandum (CIM)? Jeff Guylay:  “When I think about the CIM, the confidential information memorandum, or the book, that's really a mix of disclosure, risk, and market business and how great is this company and what are the future prospects... also what's happened in the past and what are the risks for a future buyer, going forward.” Who is involved in due diligence? (08:13) Gina Cocking: “It’s handled by a number of people. If it's a private equity firm, the private equity firm team members are very knowledgeable and will ask a lot of questions in the business diligence segment. There will also be consultants that are hired from time to time, specialized consultants that understand the industry or the specific product that's being done, or sometimes they're HR consultants or specific marketing-types consultants.” What happens first in Colonnade’s due diligence process? (08:55) Jeff: “When we get hired to work with a client, the first thing we do is put together a due diligence request list and a data (request) list. We get together with the company, and we spend the better part of a day, and sometimes a day and a half, going through our lists and just asking question after question after question.”  What is the purpose of Colonnade’s due diligence? (09:35) Jeff: “The point of us going through and asking all these questions is to put our investor hat on or our buyer hat on and ask 90% or 95% of the questions that they (the buyer and/or investor) are going to ask. We want to make sure that we have all the right answers...before they're required by a buyer, and we want to make sure the story is consistent.” What if there are skeletons in the closet? (10:10) Jeff: “If there are any problems, let's hear about it now, because the worst thing you want, as we've talked about, is to have surprises later on or something come up at the last minute that can kill a deal or have a major change in pricing or terms.” Gina (10:34): “I'm your business confessor, for all the ugly and dirty and you-wanted-to-hide-it-under-the-bed (items; it's) time to talk about it because it will come out later, and the worst thing is to not be prepared for when that happens, so we need to know everything.” The advisor-client relationship is one of trust. What are the first questions asked when kicking off Colonnade’s diligence session with a new client, and how do those questions add to the story? (12:49) When and where was the company formed? What is the corporate history? What are the major operating entities? What are they doing, what's the purpose of them? Is there any tail liability that we should be thinking about or carving out? Why are these questions important in the due diligence process? (13:51) Gina: “Everybody remembers a story. It's great to hear the owner's story because we often are retelling their story later on.” Jeff (14:36): “When we launch into the market..we're the front line of communications. We're expected to be able to answer 90% or 95% of the initial questions that come through. We're telling the story, and the (Colonnade) diligence process is meant to educate us, to make sure that we're as fully informed about the history and the prospects of the company as possible.” What are some of the legal aspects of the diligence process? (15:00) Gina: “Not only do we have the different legal entities, but we also have different tax structures, sometimes they're C-corps, sometimes they're S-corps, and so you have all these different legal entities, all these different tax structures.” Jeff (17:21): “This is usually where we request the name and contact information of the attorney. If you have ten entities and there is no holding company, we should probably do some leg work ahead of time and clean things up. I know we've done that on a number of deals.” (Please note that the Middle Market Mergers & Acquisitions podcast will dedicate an entire aspect to the legal aspects of due diligence) What kinds of documents are requested in the due diligence process? (18:16) Gina:  “We're going to ask for all the formation documents, operating agreements, shareholder agreements, articles of incorporation, the state articles of incorporation, that can be three or four documents per legal entity... “ Jeff (19:10): “In addition to the shareholder documentation, we're looking for board minutes, board packages, (and) all the corporate organizational materials that have been accumulated throughout the years.” What important business aspects tend to come up during the diligence process? (20:32) Gina: “An important component of any transaction is customer concentration. That has a big impact on valuation, and there's a very logical reason as to why. If a customer represents a lot of the company’s revenues, the buyer's concern is, ‘Wow, what if that customer walks? What if you lose that customer?’ And then I just bought a company and it has 60% of the revenues that I thought it had. There are a number of PE firms... where their fund will say, ‘We cannot buy a company that has customer concentration of greater than 20% for one customer or 60% for the top three customers." Jeff (22:17): “The next topic we cover when we're talking about revenue is the sales force, so sales and marketing in general. We get a good picture of what they're selling and who they're selling to, and now the question is how are they selling? Do you have a direct sales force? Is it a channel strategy? What are the different ways that this company goes to market, and how are they selling stuff?”  What are some other questions that come up during business due diligence? (22:57) Jeff: “How do you pay your sales force? What sort of non-solicitation or non-compete agreements do you have with your sales force?  How institutionalized are the relationships? How long have they been around?”  Gina (24:29): “A (common) situation is when the buyer says, ‘I would like to speak to the end customer.’  We often get into discussions with the buyers about when those conversations will happen. Jeff (25:27): “The other thing I would comment on in sales and marketing is getting a sense of competitors, so what does the competitive landscape look like? (26:02): Part of the go-to-market discussion is how are you going to market against your competitors? So, what are they doing differently than you? How do you compete against them? And how are you going to win?”  Gina (27:00): “The next area that we start looking into is marketing channels and marketing partners. Clients sometimes have a partnership where they are co-marketing with another entity. We get really excited about marketing partnerships. It's not necessarily because there are a lot of sales coming through those channels, but because of the validation that they give to the company.” Gina (28:38): “The other side of sales is the cost of goods sold. Who are your vendors? We're going to look into all of your vendor relationships.” (29:32): “We will take a look at the pricing from the vendors. We'll be looking at the contract terms with the vendors.”  Gina invites Rob Humble, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Corporate Development at IAS, who shares his perspectives from both the buy and sell sides as related to business due diligence. Gina: “How do you stay organized and keep the process moving quickly?” (32:10) Rob: “It's definitely like herding cats.  Upwards of 100 people, between advisors and internal folks. I believe, fundamentally, that time kills deals; so you have to be as efficient as possible.” It really comes down to two fundamental points in the process: 1) Preparation (Pre-game) 2) Truly committing to the sale process (Game on). “(Pre-game) we literally took our own medicine, and it took us a few months of answering our own questions before we had a data room that we felt was full. You can be much more strategic about the way that you present (the information) in your sales material, and you can also be more strategic about the rate and timing of when you release those documents. We used the diligence checklist that we use for the buying process...for creating our own internal data room.” Gina: “I think one of the biggest problems that companies run into is trying to stay the course and do their day job (running the business) while going through a sale process without all the wheels falling off the bus.” (34:00) Rob: “There are three components (to our success) that come to mind: 1) Designate a leader of the process. The best person for this is that utility player that is great at coordinating across the team and ensuring the organization is really given the attention that it deserves. You need a utility player that knows the organization, knows the people, knows the data, knows the system, and can run point for you. 2) Form a team that meets every week. That's a cross-functional team with the players that have access to the data systems and decision-making authority that you need to answer questions and have them be supported by the evidence that will ultimately get dug up in later diligence.  3) Follow a clear process. We were very careful. Gina:  “You did quite a few acquisitions over the last four or five years. But you were also involved in the sale of IAS. How did it feel to be in the hot seat? I mean, the tables were turned.” (39:00) Rob (39:17): “I loved it.  A sales process, at the end of the day, is just telling a story and supporting that story with evidence to make it as believable and credible as you possibly can. I loved the process of understanding what our story is, building the dataset to support that story, and then going out and telling the story.”  Gina: “Now, looking back on all that you've done, is there one piece of advice you would give to someone that is getting ready to go through an M&A process?” (40:07) Rob (40:36): “Get the right advisors.”  About Our Guest Rob Humble leads strategy and corporate development for IAS. Before coming to IAS Rob held strategy and corporate development leadership roles with financial services firms NetSpend and Rent-A-Center. Prior to his time in financial services, Rob held strategy, finance, and operations roles at Fortune 500 companies spanning the automotive, defense & aerospace, and chemical industries. Rob earned his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Washington U. in St. Louis, graduating magna cum laude. He also holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. Rob lives in Austin, TX with his wife and two young kids. He enjoys hanging out with his family, distance running, watching Oklahoma Sooners football, and indulging in random interests including knitting, furniture building, and home improvement. Email: rhumble@iasdirect.com About Gina Cocking Gina Cocking serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Colonnade Advisors. She returned to Colonnade as a Managing Director in 2014. Gina began her career in investment banking at Kidder Peabody, was an analyst at Madison Dearborn Partners and an associate at J.P. Morgan & Co. She was a Vice President at Colonnade Advisors from 1999 to 2003. She left Colonnade to gain operating experience as the Chief Financial Officer of Cobalt Finance, a specialty finance company. She went on to become the Chief Financial Officer of Healthcare Laundry Systems, a private-equity backed company for which she oversaw the successful sale to a strategic acquirer. Gina served as the Line of Business CFO – Consumer Banking and Lending at Discover Financial Services. Gina serves on the Board of Directors of CIB Marine Bancshares, Inc., a bank holding company based in Waukesha, Wisconsin, that operates banking offices in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. Gina received her BA in Economics and an MBA from the University of Chicago. Additionally, Gina holds the Series 24, 28, 79 and 99 securities licenses. About Jeff Guylay Jeff Guylay is a Managing Director of Colonnade Advisors. Prior to joining Colonnade in 2000, Jeff was an investment banker at J.P. Morgan in the firm’s Mergers & Acquisitions and Fixed Income Capital Markets groups in New York. He also spent several years in J.P. Morgan’s Chicago office. Jeff has over 20 years of M&A and investment banking experience and has served as lead execution partner on over 25 M&A and financing transactions at Colonnade. Jeff received an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management and a Master of Engineering Management from the University’s McCormick School of Engineering. Jeff received a BA from Dartmouth College and a BE from Dartmouth’s Thayer School of Engineering. Jeff holds the Series 7, 24, 63, and 79 securities licenses. Jeff serves as a director of the non-profit Nurture, an organization dedicated to enhancing the nutrition and wellness of children and families. About the Middle Market Mergers & Acquisitions Podcast Get the insiders’ take on mergers and acquisitions. M&A investment bankers Gina Cocking and Jeff Guylay of Colonnade Advisors discuss the technical aspects of and tactics used in middle market deals. This podcast offers actionable advice and strategies for selling your company and is aimed at owners of middle market companies in the financial services and business services sectors. Middle market companies are generally valued between $20 million and $500 million. If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to the podcast, and please consider leaving us a short review. Learn more about Colonnade Advisors: https://coladv.com/ Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/colonnade-advisors-llc_2/

This week Rue pretends to be good at math and talks about the Fermi paradox, then Jessi tackles some of E-Bay's most haunted offerings.  Got a story you think we should cover? Email us at supposedlypod@gmail.com follow us on Instagram and Twitter @SupposedlyPod Reminder that the fight isn't over, there's still more to do, figure out how you can get involved here https://linktr.ee/nationalresourceslist Now and always Black Lives Matter.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/supposedlypod/support

This podcast is the only podcast directed specifically to the home owner & home buyer.We talk life in Florida and dealing with the Covid Quarantine .We talk:Commercial Real EstateLease to Own Lease PurchaseRentalsPatty's Playhouse, we talk about real estate and life in the small southern town.The conversations are consumer driven inviting entrepreneurs, real estate professionals and interesting people who make up our world of real estate. We talk real estate with some interesting and fun facts... Its like house porn! We talk lifestyle, staging tips, home buying selling and investing... all with a happy ending...House Talk with a Happy Ending See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Local Entrepreneur Opens Fireworx CoWorking in Historic Fire House Image the excitement you might feel when you have a strong attachment to historic building and you want to encourage entrepreneurship in your hometown and you discover an opportunity.   For Bruce Rowley, an entrepreneur, marketer, creative thinker, commercial real estate developer and managing partner at RSM Marketing, that's what happened one day as he drove by an historic firehouse near his office in downtown Wichita, Kansas.   He had driven by this building many times. The city was using as staging area for public works projects, with trucks and gear parked here and there around the site.   He stopped one day for look at the building, just a bit curious about what the inside looked like. As he was looking around, he stepped into the historic fire station, and was greeted by one of the workers. He got a tour of the building from one of the city employee who mentioned that the city was planning to move their functions out and sell the space. Once Bruce saw the space, that got Bruce's creative juices flowing and he went home that evening, wrote up a plan and sent it off to his parters by 10 PM that night.   In his research he discovered that co-working has gone into old banks and old schools. He realized that his rather difficult spaces can be repurposed in some space ways. It took some time to get a contract with the city in place to acquire the building with an agreement to turn the firehouse into a co-working space. One of the creative things they did was to take the huge doors of the fire station and used them for interior walls for conference space.   The grand opening included many of the retired fire workers who actually served at the station. Find out more information FireWorxWichita.com.   Bruce, grew up in Wichita when the aviation industry was growing rapidly as a community of entrepreneurs that included Pizza Hut and the Rent-A-Center corporations grew to national chains. That changed later in the 1990s and the early part of this decade. But over the last few years things have really taken off for entrepreneurs in Wichita with the whole ecosystem for entrepreneurs rapidly expanding.   As Bruce said, “We got the beginning of our MoJo back and we are not taking no for answer anymore.” and “We are not playing by the rules set by who knows who anymore.”   The entrepreneurship is the reason Bruce and his business partner Mike Snyder choose to locate their business here as it as grown to a national firm. One of the things they have done is look around in the downtown area with other investors to build up the area south of the sports arena.   The entire top floor of the building has been leased out, but there is space on the ground floor and the loft area. The plan is to bring even more economic diversity to the area with the addition of the co-working space and is within walking distance to the sports arena, the new baseball stadium and many eating spots.   Be sure and tune in to find out what Bruce feels is the three elements needed to make entrepreneurship grow in any community.   Be sure and check out our sponsors for Saunders and Cash and let then know you found them right here: Foreman Law, Retreat To Joy, FlagshipKansas.tech, SCKEDD, Lee Gray Action Coach, Friends University, Shaken not Stirred Bartending, and 2UAuto.   You can listen to the Saunders and Cash podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play and most other popular podcast directories.

Stories from Franchisees & Founders   Shirin Kanji serves as the President of Impact RTO Holdings, a family business based in Florida operating for more than 30 years. He started the retail division back in 2015 with the acquisition of franchised Rent-A-Center locations in eight states across the Southeast.    Since then, Shirin has trailblazed his way to the top as the country's largest Rent-A-Center franchisee, amassing 75 properties.   Shirin says, “I just knew how important it was for our family to find diversification and I felt truly confident in the brand and its position in the industry and what we knew about the business model at that point in time. Once we found it, we would do whatever it takes to bring it home.”   Moving from the hospitality and real estate industries to renting and retail, Shirin offers a look behind the scene at developing emerging concepts, corporate refranchising, and deal structuring to expand the family business.     Tune in to this week's episode and learn about Shirin's journey from Wall Street to transforming the family business in a big way.    What we talk about: The kind of business Shirin's family has and how they got into it Leveraging abilities and available resources for growth The operational structure of the business Being able to keep everyone holding in the business Getting better as you go through difficult times  How Shirin got into Rent-A-Center franchise How it looked like going from zero to multiple stores Having a franchisor that believes strongly in re-franchising The idea behind re-franchising Growing from 40 stores to 75 How the economy changes and the people is critical to the business and its growth Keeping the humility  Having mutual trust within the family members in the business Allowing freedom to identify if the skill fits within the family business The vision for the future   What we mention: Rent-A-Center Impact Properties  

Command and control. That's what Cathy Skula did at Rent-a-Center, starting just a few months out of college, and then working her way up for the next 18 years. From working the desk, to driving a truck, and even working collections, she has worked...

Command and control. That’s what Cathy Skula did at Rent-a-Center, starting just a few months out of college, and then working her way up for the next 18 years. From working the desk, to driving a truck, and even working collections, she has worked in every possible aspect of the business until, finally, she was tapped to step into a new kind of role—”influencer” (not the social media kind) and motivator, and ultimately Executive Vice President of Franchising. She now oversees 50-60 franchises. While this company is all this successful “Intraprenista” (and working mom) has ever known in her 26-year career, her current place in it was fought for strategically, and now she’s playing a role in empowering other women to be leaders. Cathy joins Socialfly Co-Founders Stephanie Cartin and Courtney Spritzer for a conversation about building her career and describes her journey to success. She discusses why moving into a franchising role was the biggest risk she ever took; why she was willing to make someone uncomfortable to find out why she didn’t get a promotion; the value of being an advocate for yourself; what she thinks about keeping work at work and home at home; why showing your career and imperfections to your kids is a good idea; and, how Cathy was able to move up in the organization. Plus, a surprise!

David Alto takes us on a journey through his life. From working his first job delivering newspaper, Burger King, washing dishes at a restaurant, to several other jobs in between, all the way to his current position as a District Manager at Rent-A-Center. Learn how he moved up and got better jobs without a college degree. David shares the knowledge and skills that helped him along the way.https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidalto/

Week 2 of Ronnie vs The World's Greatest Hits is the infamous Rent-A-Center episode. I will be spending the next few weeks thinking of the direction I want to take RVTW in, so I hope you enjoy some of the most highly regarded episodes from the past while I figure it out.

Shirin Kanji is responsible for overseeing all of Impact Properties investment related activities and directly oversees the newly formed retail division which includes 75 Rent a Center franchised locations and 2 CARSTAR franchised locations. Mr. Kanji holds a B.S. in Finance and Political Science from NYU Stern School of Business and an M.S. in Real Estate Finance & Development from NYU Real Estate Institute. Mr. Kanji is a member of YPO Florida chapter, part of the NYU Alumni Advisory Board for the West Coast of Florida chapter and the NYU Alumni Mentor Network. Key Takeaways: [0:18] Today’s episode of Franchise Euphoria is brought to you by IndyFranchiseLaw.com, a leading resource in the franchise space. Head over to IndyFranchiseLaw.com learn more! [0:59] Josh introduces today’s guest, Shirin Kanji, who is responsible for overseeing all of Impact Properties’ investment-related activities. [2:05] Josh welcomes Shirin to Franchise Euphoria. [2:27] Shirin tells the Impact Properties story, which begins when his father immigrated to the United States in the 1970s. [5:20] In the mid- to late-80s, Shirin’s family signed onto a hotel franchise development deal. [7:01] Shirin worked in finance on Wall Street for a few years after college before deciding to join the family business with Impact Properties. [10:50] As Impact Properties moved into the restaurant industry, they found that they could pair their hotels and restaurants to provide a premium product. [14:16] Shirin explains the importance of crafting a concept that is scalable and looking at replication into other markets to maximize your success. [17:29] Shirin agrees with Josh’s notion that there isn’t an exact science to signing on with a franchise opportunity and the most important thing is to find a semblance of comfort with the right opportunity. [18:47] Recently, Shirin has been involved with the development of a variety of brands including Rent-A-Center and BurgerFi. [21:28] Some factors that Shirin looks for in a quality franchise system include the level of support you’ll receive and making sure existing franchisees are satisfied with the system. [26:25] If you want to learn more about Impact Properties, you can visit the website listed below. [27:07] Thanks for listening, and please, reach out to Josh anytime through email at josh@franchiseeuphoria.com. If you enjoyed this interview, please leave us a review on iTunes.   Mentioned in This Episode: josh@franchiseeuphoria.com www.franchiseeuphoria.com www.indyfranchiselaw.com http://www.impact-properties.com @ShirinKanji www.linkedin.com/in/shirinkanji

Roy Samuelson is a voice actor that has worked on numerous movies, animated series and video games. He has been the voice of Raphael in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles video game based on the recent Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Films, the narrator for the series Cheating Vegas and the voice over for the series Mata Hari. However, even being one of the voice of National Public Radio (NPR), Samuelson is becoming most recognizable as a Descriptive Narrator for films that assist people who are blind and visually impaired to get the full experience of full length feature films. The narrator provides descriptions of key elements without interfering with the audio or dialogue of a program or movie. There is now a push in the entertainment industry to market Descriptive Narration outside of the visually impaired community where fans can listen to their favorite films and television, much like listening to books on tape. Samuelson is leading the charge of this emerging concept. Samuelson's resume includes several Hollywood films including Spider-Man: Homecoming, Atomic Blonde, The Hateful Eight, Krampus, Fate of the Furious and so many more. Commercially he has been the voice for Quaker, State Farm, Direct TV, Ford, Target, Stand Up 2 Cancer, Rent A Center, Sketchers and multiple spots for McDonald’s. We spoke with Samuelson about Descriptive Narration and how it has affected his his life as a performer. You can follow Roy Samuelson on Facebook: Roy Samuelson Biz, Twitter: @RoySamuelson, Instagram: roysamuelson and check out the very intriguing Facebook group run by Samuelson's friend called Audio Description Discussion

The Activist Investing Today Podcast spoke with The Deal's intrepid Delaware expert, David Marcus, about what to expect in Delaware Chancery Court later this month when rent-to-own retailer Rent-a-Center faces off against its would-be buyer, Vintage Capital. In December, Glenn Welling-targeted Rent-A-Center surprised the markets by saying it was terminating its $1.37 billion deal to be acquired by Vintage Capital after it "did not receive" an extension notice from the buyer. Vintage said RCII's move was invalid. Now the two companies are in the midst of a Delaware battle over the deal and a whopping (at least for Vintage) $126.5 million termination fee that hasn't been paid yet. It's a story with everything: Activism, private equity, M&A, intrigue and now, litigation. Will more lawsuits follow this one?

In this Episode of Pop Culture Paradise, Joey and Jeff talk- Dallas Cowboys over the Philadelphia Eagles- Michael Irvin Losing His Mind- Tony Romo- Maine Snow- Jeff’s first real Tennessee Tornado- Jeff’s review of the movie Hideaway with Alicia Silverstone and Jeff Goldblum to continue his pervy Alicia Silverstone Movie Marathon- Joe hates Siskel and Ebert.- Jeff’s Bubsy Love- Early 2000 Computer Tales of viruses and sneaking porn at night.- The Rent-A-Center Daryl Story- Tim Allen is BACK and Better Than Ever- Christmas with The Kranks stresses Jeff Out- Michael Myers Halloween 2018 Follow Up- Forgetting Curse Words and Jeff’s Gamestop DJ Gig for Grand Theft Auto 5 Midnight Release.- Jeff DJS Clothing Store- Black Friday 2018 Shopping with Jeff. - Spiderman Homecoming and Jurassic World 2- Joe wants to collecting Jurassic Park 90s toys.-- WWE2K19 MyCareer is pissing Joe Off- Braun Strowman’s Death Threat- Alexa Bliss and her Christmas Instagram- Teeth Treatments, Coconut Oil Trick, Charcoal toothpaste, HiSmile- Weighted Blankets and Hookah and Vaping

In this Episode of Pop Culture Paradise, Joey and Jeff talk- Dallas Cowboys over the Philadelphia Eagles- Michael Irvin Losing His Mind- Tony Romo- Maine Snow- Jeff’s first real Tennessee Tornado- Jeff’s review of the movie Hideaway with Alicia Silverstone and Jeff Goldblum to continue his pervy Alicia Silverstone Movie Marathon- Joe hates Siskel and Ebert.- Jeff’s Bubsy Love- Early 2000 Computer Tales of viruses and sneaking porn at night.- The Rent-A-Center Daryl Story- Tim Allen is BACK and Better Than Ever- Christmas with The Kranks stresses Jeff Out- Michael Myers Halloween 2018 Follow Up- Forgetting Curse Words and Jeff’s Gamestop DJ Gig for Grand Theft Auto 5 Midnight Release.- Jeff DJS Clothing Store- Black Friday 2018 Shopping with Jeff. - Spiderman Homecoming and Jurassic World 2- Joe wants to collecting Jurassic Park 90s toys.-- WWE2K19 MyCareer is pissing Joe Off- Braun Strowman’s Death Threat- Alexa Bliss and her Christmas Instagram- Teeth Treatments, Coconut Oil Trick, Charcoal toothpaste, HiSmile- Weighted Blankets and Hookah and Vaping

Seth and Brandon check-in from Saturday morning run and discuss whether or not Brandon is a toxic locker room presence, if the Kings are tricking us all again, the Blazers win streak against the Lakers, and more. Also with a special guest appearance by the one and only Jewish Draymond: Jake Silberman. 

Bud Gates has served as Chairman and CEO of Easygates, LLC, from March 2007 to present. In addition, he serves as President and CEO of Gates Enterprises, Inc., 1985 to present. Gates was owner and operator of Rent-A-Center and ColorTyme franchises from 1996 to 2006 and Pizza Hut franchises from 1985 to 2007. The company owned and operated Heroes Sports ... Read More

Trading Block: Trump trade war spooks markets again. We are fully into zone two. Will vol explode, or is it just a bunch of nothing? Will there be a 50-handle move in the S&P within the next three days? Will this be another year of record volume? Which exchange is dominating the flow so far? Odd Block: TSLA takes a drubbing. Returning to the Rent-A-Center trade from Tuesday. SBUX closing some locations. Is IQIY Inc. being impacted by the threat of trade war? Strategy Block: Managing risk comes before sentiment. Going from a diagonal spread into a put spread. Mail Block: Listener questions and comments Options question of the week: Let's have some fun. These "entertainment" stocks are pricing in big moves. Gun to your head: Which July ATM straddle would you rather own in your portfolio? WWE? DIS? WYNN? SEAS? #DegeneratePremiumBuyers #PalmsIn #FearNoTheta WWE July ATM Strad: $7 WYNN July ATM Strad: $12 SEAS July ATM Strad: $2 DIS July ATM Strad: $5 @PatrickSnoke: Just pull the trigger so I don't have to choose the least worst option. Listener questions: Question from Running Roger: Forgive me for asking but I need some help and have done something I didn't mean to. I bought ETSY puts at 40.00 strike and then wanted to sell to close. I accidentally sold a put contract, same strike price and same expiration date. Do they wash out? At this point I'm not even worried about the couple of hundred bucks I lost on the spread. I'm worried about selling the put contract. I used Robinhood on this one (instead of TOS) and I can't find a way to sell to close. Some help would be appreciated. Question from nowledg3ispower: I think I understand most things about calls. But I can't figure out and no one is able to give me an estimate if I have an option in the money. And I want to sell the option as opposed to letting the contract expire and buying the shares. What's my ballpark profit? I've been looking at this option for Twitter. If you have to provide an example. Around the Block: What are we watching for the near future? Watching VIX. Andrew doubles down on a big move in the S&P.

Trading Block: Trump trade war spooks markets again. We are fully into zone two. Will vol explode, or is it just a bunch of nothing? Will there be a 50-handle move in the S&P within the next three days? Will this be another year of record volume? Which exchange is dominating the flow so far? Odd Block: TSLA takes a drubbing. Returning to the Rent-A-Center trade from Tuesday. SBUX closing some locations. Is IQIY Inc. being impacted by the threat of trade war? Strategy Block: Managing risk comes before sentiment. Going from a diagonal spread into a put spread. Mail Block: Listener questions and comments Options question of the week: Let's have some fun. These "entertainment" stocks are pricing in big moves. Gun to your head: Which July ATM straddle would you rather own in your portfolio? WWE? DIS? WYNN? SEAS? #DegeneratePremiumBuyers #PalmsIn #FearNoTheta WWE July ATM Strad: $7 WYNN July ATM Strad: $12 SEAS July ATM Strad: $2 DIS July ATM Strad: $5 @PatrickSnoke: Just pull the trigger so I don't have to choose the least worst option. Listener questions: Question from Running Roger: Forgive me for asking but I need some help and have done something I didn't mean to. I bought ETSY puts at 40.00 strike and then wanted to sell to close. I accidentally sold a put contract, same strike price and same expiration date. Do they wash out? At this point I'm not even worried about the couple of hundred bucks I lost on the spread. I'm worried about selling the put contract. I used Robinhood on this one (instead of TOS) and I can't find a way to sell to close. Some help would be appreciated. Question from nowledg3ispower: I think I understand most things about calls. But I can't figure out and no one is able to give me an estimate if I have an option in the money. And I want to sell the option as opposed to letting the contract expire and buying the shares. What's my ballpark profit? I've been looking at this option for Twitter. If you have to provide an example. Around the Block: What are we watching for the near future? Watching VIX. Andrew doubles down on a big move in the S&P.

Ttrading Block: Making up for lost ground. Weekend risk. Silver give up gains on tarriff talks.New low in the July VIX futures.Square up for no discernible reason. TWTR. TSLA. Put buyers. VIX zones. Fifty cent is back.Why are there so few market makers left? IL Rep takes it on. Where should regulators focus their attention? Odd Block: Mystery TSLA puts. Rally-ho in Dropbox. Finding value in Rent-A-Center. Mail Block: Listeners take over Last week's question of the week: We've broken down the weekly ATM straddles expiring 6/22 for the follow popular names. Gun to your head, which ATM straddle would you reather buy? TSLA? FB? SPY? GLD? 42% - TSLA 25% - FB 15% - SPY 18% - GLD This week's question of the week: : Let's have some fun. These "entertainment" stocks are pricing in big moves. Gun to your head: Which July ATM straddle would you rather own in your portfolio? WWE? DIS? WYNN? SEAS? #DegeneratePremiumBuyers #PalmsIn #FearNoTheta WWE July ATM Strad: $7 WYNN July ATM Strad: $12 SEAS July ATM Strad: $2 DIS July ATM Strad: $5 Comment from ThetaSeller: Can't we just sell an O.T.M. strangle instead? LOL Comment from traderjrae: I'm trying to decide which would be worse... Placing an ATM straddle when long options are overpriced, or getting shot in the head. Comment from 1SimpleTrader: Re: TSLA. Musk sells $600 million worth of stock in 2016, nobody bats an eye. He buys $10 million back and everyone loses their s*#t. Around the Block: Trade wars? Watching the POTUS Twitter account.

Ttrading Block: Making up for lost ground. Weekend risk. Silver give up gains on tarriff talks.New low in the July VIX futures.Square up for no discernible reason. TWTR. TSLA. Put buyers. VIX zones. Fifty cent is back.Why are there so few market makers left? IL Rep takes it on. Where should regulators focus their attention? Odd Block: Mystery TSLA puts. Rally-ho in Dropbox. Finding value in Rent-A-Center. Mail Block: Listeners take over Last week's question of the week: We've broken down the weekly ATM straddles expiring 6/22 for the follow popular names. Gun to your head, which ATM straddle would you reather buy? TSLA? FB? SPY? GLD? 42% - TSLA 25% - FB 15% - SPY 18% - GLD This week's question of the week: : Let's have some fun. These "entertainment" stocks are pricing in big moves. Gun to your head: Which July ATM straddle would you rather own in your portfolio? WWE? DIS? WYNN? SEAS? #DegeneratePremiumBuyers #PalmsIn #FearNoTheta WWE July ATM Strad: $7 WYNN July ATM Strad: $12 SEAS July ATM Strad: $2 DIS July ATM Strad: $5 Comment from ThetaSeller: Can't we just sell an O.T.M. strangle instead? LOL Comment from traderjrae: I'm trying to decide which would be worse... Placing an ATM straddle when long options are overpriced, or getting shot in the head. Comment from 1SimpleTrader: Re: TSLA. Musk sells $600 million worth of stock in 2016, nobody bats an eye. He buys $10 million back and everyone loses their s*#t. Around the Block: Trade wars? Watching the POTUS Twitter account.

Rob Black talks about facial recognition, Canada, Rent-A-Center, Apple, and counting on an inheritance.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tom Devlin is a business legend. Devlin is the founder of Rent-A-Center. He created it, became CEO then sold it. Then he created one of the top-rated golf courses in the country, Flint Hills National in Andover. Devlin is my guest in episode 12 of the BizTalk with Bill Roy podcast, along with the president-emeritus of Flint Hills National, Tom Dower. Devlin asked Dower, his good friend, to build the golf course and fulfill Devlin's vision for it.

In this interview, Angela Yochem, CIO of Rent-A-Center, discusses World Class IT Principle Four, IT & Business Partnerships. Some of the topics discussed include: Executing Rent-A-Center’s digital transformation CIOs driving business innovationt Taking intelligent risks The impact of a single decision across the enterprise Keeping the end-customer at the front of the decision making process Excelling in the First 100 Days The two characteristics that board search committees are seeking in CIOs Methods for staying abreast of and understanding cutting edge technology Angela’s Entrepreneur as Residence experience Eyes on the trends: Fast prototyping and feedback, Artificial intelligence, STEM education

Dave and Chuck the Freak talk about the weirdest things listeners are doing right now,  a video of a guy banging a stripper in the middle of a Detroit strip club making its way around the internet, a robot that helps you sleep by breathing near you, the most used toys in the bedroom, two idiot criminals that stole from a Rent-A-Center then crashed into each other in the parking lot, what women really expect on Valentine's Day, and more!

Rod and Karen are joined by Brandon and Justin from the Medium Popcorn Podcast to discuss the Golden Globes, Throwing Shade gets a TV show, creepy Coachella trip, Rebecca Ferguson, Rent-A-Center, BallerAlert, man shoots at wife, GOP horse thief, boyfriend kissing his ex's mom and sword ratchetness. Twitter: @rodimusprime @SayDatAgain @TBGWT @MediumPPodcast @JBrownDidIt @AmericanCollins Email: theblackguywhotips@gmail.com Blog: www.theblackguywhotips.com Voice Mail: 704-557-0186

Rent-A-Center’s challenge was to architect, deploy, and manage a mission-critical SAP Hybris ecommerce platform that could scale to 2 million users a month. Together with Flux7, an AWS Advanced Consulting Partner, Rent-A-Center created an AWS-based approach that would help deliver the solution to market faster, in a secure, highly available, PCI-compliant fashion. In this session, we walk through the implementation details of this solution and its challenges, and explore how Rent-A-Center is now able to achieve ROI through agility, scalability, security, and cost savings.

@PointBreak_Dave opens his home to the show, denies being at the Trump rally and tries to duck Rent-A-Center for another week. @3_11 Glen shares a brush with greatness.

Hey, Newnew and Joi! Did y'all see Jameshia Mayweather? The club still don't see it for fat Bruce. HIV is real! Rent-A-Center debuts it's new line of Michael Kors bag, its so much tea in the city and was C Nile selling washing powder on 45?

Continuing our "worst job" stories..... Mike works for Rent-A-Center. Denture talk. High school fight stories.    Editors note.... Now it's Libbies turn to be busted up. Wishing you a speedy recovery!

More "worst jobs" talk including Dana selling shoes to diabetic customers, Mike nearly drowns in cow manure working for Mosquito Abatement; his brief stint as a child counselor at Families First; Rent-A-Center horror stories. Other topics include Libby faking being shot, Mikes broken hand and fat girl problems.

Neil Haley, The Total Tutor will interview Four Day Weekend's David Wilk. Neil will interview David to find out about what Four Day Weekend is, latest projects, and latest news.   Live in Dallas, TX  A little more about David David Wilk is a Founding Member of the Four Day Weekend Comedy Theater.  Born in Tulsa OK, Dave is a graduate of the Second City Conservatory in Chicago. In addition to having performed more than 5,000 live shows, Dave also travels nationally and internationally emceeing and keynote speaking for corporate clients.  His client list reads like a “who's who” of the fortune 500. You may (or may not) recognize Dave from one of his many national commercial campaigns including Dish Network, Rent-A-Center, Papa Johns, Charles Schwab and Rold Gold Pretzels.  Dave has appeared in many films you've never seen. Dave and Four Day Weekend recently were invited to be a Keynote Presenter at the United States Congress Democratic Caucus Issues Conference in Cambridge, MD. They received a standing ovation and met President Barack Obama.  Always eager to be equal and fair, the next year he and Four Day shared the stage with former President George W. Bush on September 11, 2012 in Las Vegas. In 2012, Dave and Four Day Weekend were given a great honor when Mayor Mike Moncrief presented them the Key to the City of Fort Worth for being “Fort Worth's Greatest Ambassadors”.