Rent One's annual store managers' meeting kicked off in Cape Girardeau, Missouri on February 26. The "Rentastic!" themed event consisted of three days, filled with seminars, awards, and camaraderie.

"This week was all about us growing as leaders," Rent One CEO Larry Carrico said. "Our annual meeting allows us to assess our progress as a team, recognize outstanding performance, and educate ourselves on how we can continue to grow our success, all in a fun, laid back environment."

Day one of the event included a four-hour discussion with professional coach Tom Krapu, who challenged attendees to "work on the business, not in the business."

"During Tom Krapu's presentation, we discussed in-the-box and out-of the box thinking, looking at people as people, not objects," Carrico said. "By leading with the people in mind, we can make sure that we are doing things for the right reasons."

The group enjoyed the opportunity to put names with faces during an evening of bowling and team building after Tuesday's dinner. The Rent One footprint has grown across several states, with stores located in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri, so this meeting gave everyone the chance to know more about their fellow team members and leaders.

"It provided us with an opportunity to grow as a team in a fun environment; that is really what this whole event was about. It gave us the chance to connect with each other outside of the everyday work environment," Carrico said. "I'm sure store managers also appreciated seeing everyone in a more personal and relaxed atmosphere, not in our typical leadership roles."

Day two of the Rentastic! meeting was filled with educational seminars, sponsored by various vendors, followed by an awards ceremony that evening. Rent One team members were recognized for having positively impacted the company, with awards for Rookie of the Year, Employee of the Year, and the Rent One Impact award, among others.

"This week, everyone gained additional tools to improve leadership and company success. The feedback from everyone has been positive," Regional Manager Eric Simmons said.

During Rentastic!, Rent One leadership discussed moving forward and the transformation of the company to have a greater focus on employees.

"The greatest success was setting the foundation for having management be more conscious of employee needs, and we've decided to make very conscious effort to achieve this goal," Carrico said.

In progress is the development of the Rent One training program, Rent One Academy, to contribute to this shift in management. The program will be supported by the use of Company Cake, a computer application created by Rent One's advertising agency, Imagery Marketing Consultants.

"Not only will Company Cake house and manage the documents our members use, but it will contain training modules that will contribute to Rent One Academy's ability to effectively train our employees," Carrico said. "I think that Rentastic! has helped to prepare our management team for the goals and future success of Rent One."