Point of Rental: Recent Episodes
Point of Rental Software
In 1982, we started serving the rental industry. Ever since then, we've noticed that one thing about this industry stands out: its people. We'd like to introduce you to the people we work with, the people that work with you, and share the backstories of the people that make this the best industry in the world.
Joseph (Joey) Marks drops by the Front Porch to talk about his path from paleontology to selling software. He explained the differences in working with strategic accounts vs SMB, talked about the growth of the company's SDR team, and how he got into sales in the first place.
We also discussed his enthusiasm for watch collecting, the time he traveled the same roads as James Bond, and played a game of "Joey or Noey".
SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel or find us on the podcasting platform of your choice!
Apple: https://apple.co/43kVz7u
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3njwQ3y
Google: https://bit.ly/PORonGooglePods
Subscribe to keep updated on what's happening with Point of Rental's software - now and in the near future!
Point of Rental's product manager for Essentials, Brad Bell, recaps Q2 2023 developments and lets us know what's coming up later this year in this episode of Quarter Notes.
We're doing this quarterly! If you have questions for Brad about developments in Essentials looking forward, comment below.
If you don't need to see our faces but you still want the information, you can subscribe to our Quarter Notes podcast on the platform of your choice: https://podcast.pointofrental.com/podcasts/quarter-notes/
Or you can subscribe to all of our audio content! https://podcast.pointofrental.com/podcasts/the-por-podcast/
Subscribe to keep updated on what's happening with Point of Rental's software - now and in the near future!
Point of Rental's product manager for our mobile products, Martin Baugh, recaps Q2 2023 developments and lets us know what's coming up later this year in this episode of Quarter Notes.
We're doing this quarterly! If you have questions for Martin about developments in our mobile products looking forward, comment below.
If you don't need to see our faces but you still want the information, you can subscribe to our Quarter Notes podcast on the platform of your choice: https://podcast.pointofrental.com/podcasts/quarter-notes/
Or you can subscribe to all of our audio content! https://podcast.pointofrental.com/podcasts/the-por-podcast/
Evan Fort, Point of Rental's SVP of Global Technology, drops by the Front Porch to talk about his career in technology, from starting in IT for a school district to building the company's Essentials product from the ground up in 2014 to leading Point of Rental's development and QA teams.
We also discussed his escape room expertise, ranked the country's best escape rooms, and played a game of "Fort or Fort No". We also talked about the company's recent Hackathon, where our developers explore concepts they couldn't normally take concentrated work time to focus on.
Evan's Top 3 Escape Rooms, if you're looking for some places to visit:
Strange Bird (Houston)
Cutthroat Cavern (Baton Rouge)
Zoe (Los Angeles)
Subscribe to learn more about the people providing your Point of Rental software!
Matt Gaffin joins us in Point of Rental Studios to celebrate 10 years of being a Pointer, from being one of the original Essentials crew to having a much more free-ranging role, and the lessons he's learned in the meantime with host Scott Plomer.
Subscribe to keep updated on what's happening with Point of Rental's software - now and in the near future!
Point of Rental's Syrinx product manager, Matt Foster, recaps Q2 2023 developments and lets us know what's coming up later this year in this episode of Quarter Notes.
We're doing this quarterly! If you have questions for Matt about Syrinx developments looking forward, comment below.
If you don't need to see our faces but you still want the information, you can subscribe to our Quarter Notes podcast on the platform of your choice: https://podcast.pointofrental.com/podcasts/quarter-notes/
Or you can subscribe to all of our audio content! https://podcast.pointofrental.com/podcasts/the-por-podcast/
Subscribe to learn more about the people providing your Point of Rental software!
Andrew Sherrington joins us in Point of Rental Studios to celebrate five years of being a Pointer, starting as a videographer and getting into all sorts of other things in the marketing team, and the lessons he's learned in the meantime with host Scott Plomer.
Brooke Ryan joins Point of Rental as the company's Global Director of Customer Support, unifying the company's support organization worldwide. She brings 10 years of experience in SaaS support, both in providing support directly and in building organizations and procedures designed to help customers get the information they need, as quickly as possible.
Subscribe to keep updated on what's happening with Point of Rental's software - now and in the near future!
Point of Rental's Elite product manager, John Wooten, recaps Q2 2023 developments and lets us know what's coming up later this year in this episode of Quarter Notes.
We'll be doing this quarterly! If you have questions for John about Elite developments looking forward, comment below.
If you don't need to see our faces but you still want the information, you can subscribe to our Quarter Notes podcast on the platform of your choice: https://podcast.pointofrental.com/podcasts/quarter-notes/
Or you can subscribe to all of our audio content! https://podcast.pointofrental.com/podcasts/the-por-podcast/
Subscribe to keep updated on what's happening with Point of Rental's software - now and in the near future!
Point of Rental's eCommerce product manager, Caleb Yell, recaps Q2 2023 developments and lets us know what's coming up later this year (spoiler: all of the things are coming up in the second half of the year) in this episode of Quarter Notes.
We'll be doing this quarterly! If you have questions for Caleb about Point of Rental's eCommerce solutions looking forward, comment below.
If you don't need to see our faces but you still want the information, you can subscribe to our Quarter Notes podcast on the platform of your choice: https://podcast.pointofrental.com/podcasts/quarter-notes/
Or you can subscribe to all of our audio content! https://podcast.pointofrental.com/podcasts/the-por-podcast/
On this episode we talked to Andy Clark about his career, coming from construction to tube sales to car sales to software. We learned about the time he decided rodeo was no longer for him, about how to chase fulfillment in your career rather than what you're told success is, and more!
Bianca Nieto joins us in Point of Rental Studios to celebrate five years of being a Pointer, going from support to the Learning & Development team, and the lessons she's learned in the meantime with Scott Plomer.
Robert Flach joins us in Point of Rental Studios to celebrate 10 years of being a Pointer, working with our development team, and the lessons he's learned with Scott Plomer.
Subscribe to learn more about the people providing your Point of Rental software!
Dave Cameron joins us in Point of Rental Studios to celebrate five years of being a Pointer and the lessons he's learned with Scott Plomer.
Scott Plomer, Point of Rental's web developer, started his career with interests in firefighting and engineering. He ditched it all to pursue creative passions, move to the DFW area, and start a career in web development. Now he's helping Point of Rental build out a YouTube channel, developing new features on internal and external projects, hitting the links on occasion, and he's even published a book, available now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Rivet-Stone-Scott-Plomer/dp/B09QP5J7PT
Let's meet Alex Hall, a Point of Rental Implementation Consultant in our UK office, all the way from back when he first joined the company in May 2022. If you see him, ask if he's made it to where he wanted to be in a year!
Melanie Kaye is a Project Coordinator in Point of Rental's UK office, working with renters and hirers to get them set up and happy with their new software. We learned about how she got into the industry, all about her job, and more about her and her love of live music and leopard print...everything!
Let's meet Luis Cruz, back from his first week at Point of Rental! He's our "new" Implementation Specialist joining us from Arizona.
Look over there! It's Robert Hebert, our new customer support specialist in Canada! Let's learn about how he got to Point of Rental.
Let's meet Chip Cosby, our Solutions Engineer and musician in Virginia!Here's his most recent work: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0aJJxKQmV9ALSM6kPWzBS4
Point of Rental CEO Wayne Harris joins us for a webinar to discuss the future of rental, what Point of Rental is doing as a company to help rental businesses meet those demands, and take viewer questions.
Adam Seyedmortaza is one of Point of Rental's Software Engineer Team Leads and has been a Pointer for about six years now. He joins us on the Front Porch to chat about his career, how he got to Point of Rental, and play a game of Seyedmortaza or Say-no-mortaza.
Let's meet Michael Cimino, one of Point of Rental's new Sales Development Representatives in the U.S.!
Let's meet Conner McClellan, one of Point of Rental's Sales Development Representatives in the US!
Point of Rental's Consulting Services Lead, Sean Konys, introduces the company's consulting services option, building on his presentation at the 2022 International Conference. Also, an announcement: The 2023 International Conference will be in Fort Worth from Oct. 1-4, so save those dates!
UK Software Support Manager Rob Warwick sits down on the PORch to talk about how he got into software support, lessons that translate from the soccer pitch to the workplace, and a host of other things.*NOTE: This episode is marked explicit for references to a TV show title that sounds like a swear word and because we're not sure if the game "Rob or Knob" should be censored, but it would've required a LOT of beeps to edit. Listener discretion advised.
Let's meet Samuel Van Duyne, a Sales Development Representative here in the United States!
Let's meet Alex Barrett, one of Point of Rental's Sales Development Representatives in the UK!
Joan McKinlay joins The Front Porch fresh off her trip to Slovakia as part of Plant & Hire Aid Alliance's convoy to bring supplies to Ukrainian refugees there.
While we spent a lot of our chat talking about her experience there, we also learned how she started her career, her time at Point of Rental, her love of musical theatre (including her Top 5 musicals of all time), and we even had our first guest who immediately had an answer for "most embarrassing moment of her career".
This month's Front Porch guest is Joan McKinlay from our UK office, who participated in the Plant & Hire Aid Alliance's recent convoy to Slovakia to provide equipment and supplies to Ukrainian refugees.
Since the full episode won't be shared until after the next Plant & Hire Aid Alliance event, we wanted to share this segment from the interview (slightly modified) to encourage people interested in helping her at the Wrapathon scheduled for 26-27 November to stop by and help. The people involved will play a big role in brightening the lives of people who could really use it after an incredibly difficult 2022. If you can't make the Wrapathon but you'd like to help in other ways, you can get connected by signing up at the Alliance's website: https://www.aid-alliance.com/
In a special edition of The Front Porch, we recorded our Industry Panel session at the 2022 International Conference. Panelists include, in order of appearance:
John Hiatt, SitePro Rentals Frances Ellison, Curated Events Michelle Kuenning Bullock, Tates Rents Matt Musgrove, Tejas Equipment Rental
Let's meet Emerald Palacio, our new Professional Services Recruiter in the United States.
Point of Rental's International Conference is coming up, and we're using that as an excuse for not having full episodes of The Front Porch this month.
Instead, Alistair Bennett from Skyjacks joined us from South Africa to talk about his company's experience working with Point of Rental software. We also learn a little bit about International Conference Platinum Sponsor enVista BI.
Meet Chris Lewis, our "new" Sr. Implementation Consultant here in the US, in this International Podcast Day episode of The Four.
Now we'll hop over to the UK to welcome Jenny Tracey to the Point of Rental team. She's our "new" Customer Success Manager. Yes, it's still International Podcast Day.
Let's welcome Jodie Cornish, our Australian Accounts Administrator, to the team on International Podcast Day.
As we continue International Podcast Day, let's meet Keith Roper, Point of Rental's "new" Software Support Technician!
On International Podcast Day, let's meet Kelly Ly, Point of Rental's "new" Software Support Technician!
In August, HIANZ held their annual conference and Kiwi Hire Group walked away with three of the association's annual awards. We talked to Christine Potter, one of the founders of Kiwi Hire Group, about the awards and what's led to Kiwi Hire's success in such a short time.
Jeremy Mackey grew up wanting to be a Power Ranger and now he's delivering lessons and knowledge to Point of Rental users...so, pretty close! We got his backstory, learned what brought him from Oklahoma to Texas and got his fantasy football insights just in time for your drafts (he's a back-to-back defending fantasy league champion around these parts).
Adeel Ahmed is our new Customer Support Technician in the UK! Let's find out what he had to say in his first week as a Pointer.
The ARA's Bridget Otten joined us on the Front Porch this month! We talked about her career in event organizing, YPN events, played a game of "Otten or Not In", and learned a surprising amount about the Quad Cities.
Giri Logeswaran joins us from Australia! He's our new Software Support Technician down there; he talked to Kayla about joining the team.
We talked to our HR and Payroll Manager Sara Wilhite to learn more about what HR is really all about and it pretty much turned into a "tell us good stories about people that either got fired or really should've been fired" session. We also learned about her karaoke side career and got the most confusing Top 5 list we've heard on the show.
Samantha Ruttura and her family have been in the construction or construction-adjacent industries for 100+ years (OK, just her family has; she definitely isn't 100+ years old). We talked about managing to find her own way while sticking close to family, leadership philosophies, and discovered which local restaurant she'd opt to have her last meal from (if it ever came to that).
Brian Beaudry is Point of Rental's NI Content Generator. You can learn what that means, about filling in as an emergency guest, and learn about his ArenaBowl championship ring.
We welcome our first Australian guest to The Front PORch! Amy Mulligan joins us from Western Australian - she and her husband founded AJM Hire in 2019 after having wanted to open a hire business for years...only to have to close it as COVID and lockdowns hit Australia. But they're back in now and growing quickly. We talked to her about her background and running multiple businesses with her husband.
We talked to Essentials Team Lead Ross Stratman about being a developer for many, many years, some of what he's done professionally, and how he went from wanting to be a cowboy into becoming a software developer.
His website, which he mentioned in the episode: https://stratmansoftware.com/ Here's the wikipedia entry for the Collatz conjecture, if you'd like to prove/disprove it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collatz_conjecture
Our software is always getting new features added! This time it's a pretty big development over in Essentials: Delivery Vehicles.
To celebrate last month's 40th-anniversary celebration, we take you behind the scenes a little bit to our internal "Ask Me Anything" Q&A webinar that featured CEO Wayne Harris, EMEA MD Mark Goodrum, and APAC MD Dave Cameron. (Note: we're taking two webinars and combining them as though they were one, because so much of the content would have been repeated otherwise.)
Let's meet James Robinson, our new Implementation & Data Consultant in our Reading, UK office!
Let's meet Rene Martinez, our new Senior Accounts Receivable Specialist in our Fort Worth office!
Ben Sinclair heads up Point of Rental's Canadian operations, having moved all the way from Australia to do so. We talked to him about the transition between countries, his hobbies, and what he's looking forward to doing in his new hometown!
Peter Maginnis's journey has taken him through California's wine industry, through Australia, running a rental store, and self-storage. Now he's helping make inefficiencies extinct with Makinex.
We talked about rental from the supplier side of things, learned about his fear of birds, and how kids affect his competitive side.
Let's meet Raidis Chacon, our new Product Specialist, and welcome another guest host of The Four, Heather O'Sullivan!
Let's meet Anne Thompson, our new Junior Project Coordinator & Resource Coordinator, and welcome another UK guest host of The Four, Sarah Crowther!
As our Director of Software Development for Essentials (and eSign), Robert Flach is a busy man. But that doesn't mean he can't make time for drama - or comedy - by participating in community theatre projects after work. We learned about Essentials and many of Robert's surprising talents in this episode of The Front Porch.
Matt O'Neill, our new Application Trainer in the UK, used to be a teacher. Those skills seem like they should suit him well!
Our new Customer Support Specialist in our Australian office, Jonathan Korakas joined fellow Australian Michael Pavlov to talk about his backstory.
If you learn just one thing about Andrew Heesacker and Arvada Rent-Alls by listening to this video, let it be how to pronounce his name. It seems like there's a pretty good chance you'll run across him if you're in the rental industry.
We talked about his journey to becoming President/CEO of his own company, and how he got the buy-in from staff that had been there since he was a kid. He had books to recommend as you're developing your company's vision.
Charlie Stratman is our new Lead Generation Specialist. He's looking forward to working with people that aren't hangry when they meet him (he used to work at restaurants).
Let's meet Kayla O'Loughlin, our new Marketing Coordinator out of our Australian office!
Paul Alleyne started in the radio business as a teen and has made his way to become a Tier I Software Support Technician at Point of Rental. He taught us all about being on the other end of the line for the emergency call buttons on a car and what it's like to work the night shift at a gas station. We even learned about the time he failed out of "jail school" - probably for being too nice.
Let's meet Daniel Hollingshead, our new Implementation & Data Consultant in our UK office!
Did you know about Point of Rental's new Learning Management System? How about the video training courses and certificates? Ed Hewitt joined me to talk about a lot of cool features and how you can get your team enrolled in the customer training portal.
Frances Ellison is CE Rental's IT Business Development Director, but once upon a time she was one of Point of Rental's leading software experts. We talked about her career, from her time in the equipment rental to POR to her job at CE and how she's handled those transitions.
We also learned how she handles remote working and her plans for the future, which apparently includes a lot of cool parties that some of us have been missing out on for a while.
This month on The Front Porch, we talked to Collin Pike, the company's new Chief Architect of Cloud Engineering. We found out what on earth that means, about his paramotoring adventures, and learned a lot about FAA rules along the way.
Matt Foster's our new project manager in our UK office! Let's meet him on this episode of The Four.
Let's meet Matt Olsen, one of our new developers! If you want to talk game development, he's the guy to go to (we don't have plans for him to develop games here at POR; rental is serious business).
In a short version of The Front Porch this month, we talk to POR's VP of Customer Experience, Darrin Smith, about many of the changes in Point of Rental's customer experience process - both those that have been made and those that are upcoming.
Muz Syed will be managing website projects for Rental Hosting clients! Let's meet him and learn about how his career led him here and about his music production side gig.
Let's meet Scott Laurel, Point of Rental's new database administrator...and learn what on earth a database administrator does.
Caleb Yell is one of Point of Rental's boomerang employees, having started here with Rental Essentials. He left for an opportunity that was too good to pass up and wound up leading RentalHosting as it got acquired by Point of Rental again - and he couldn't be happier to be back.
We also talked about the alligator he keeps behind him, his soccer-playing career, and the worst piece of advice he ever received.
If you want to hear more about RentalHosting and what Caleb and his team are doing there, check out the interview he did with The Rental Journal podcast: https://www.therentaljournal.com/podcast-episodes/caleb-yell
Huy Nguyen is Point of Rental's new Technical Recruiter, where he can take his sales and conversational skills and help people find a job that they'll love and grow in.
In this episode of The Four, we'll meet Nick Fryar, one of our new mobile software developers!
Tim Dodd came to the Porch to talk starting from the bottom in the party rental industry, career planning, business advice, dealing directly with Chinese companies, and why, after living in so many places, he loves to call Atlanta home.
In this episode of The Four, we'll meet Nick Jennion, our new Project Coordinator on our Australian team!
Let's meet Leon Du Plessis, Point of Rental's new Sr. Account Executive from our South African team!
Nhlanhla Nkomo is our new South African Account Executive - he brings a ton of experience in basically every aspect of the business.
On this episode of The Four, we'll meet Nico Virgino, one of our new mobile software developers!
Roberto Hernandez is a Tier I Windows Support Technician and only thing that rivals his obsession with helping customers is his obsession with finding the perfect banana pudding.
We talked about his love of Japanese sports cars from the '90s, how he got to Point of Rental, and if he'd consider changing his name to Rob, Bob, Robert, or Bobbert.
Patrick Flannery has been a busboy, a grocery clerk, painter, bar bouncer, crane yard worker, pizza store clerk, construction worker, copywriter, writer, and salesman in several industries. He also prepped taxes and worked in call support before finally going back to his roots in journalism, eventually becoming the editor of not just Canadian Rental Service, but several other trade publications across Canada.
The host of four of his own podcasts, including Counter Talks, Pat is good at talking. This is our longest-ever episode, but I think it’s a good one. We talked about trade publications and some of the challenges he faces in covering an industry in a location that spans thousands of miles (or kilometres), multiple languages, and full of people who don’t like to toot their own horns.
Lathan Andrews is Point of Rental's talent manager, which we've decided is a much cooler title than "recruiter". He talks about how he got into the business, joined Point of Rental, and how the movie Midsommar really changed his life.
Peerless Events & Tents' Will Wright didn't grow up in the rental industry; he had to fall in love with it. He talks about the move from the finance industry to acquiring Peerless and learning to run a rental business, recommends some books, and tells us about his time as a literal sea captain.
Let's meet our new HR assistant, Kimberly Medellin! She likes bad comedies, so tweet your bad comedy recommendations to @PointofRental.
Michel has joined our US team as a Tier 2 Support Technician in IT! When he's not working, he's playing tennis competitively three nights a week.
We've added another data specialist to our US office! This time let's meet Brian LaFrance, Point of Rental's seventh Brian.
Tyler Jae-Brinkman joins the Point of Rental team as a Data Specialist. What's that mean? You'll have to ask him. Or listen to this episode. You could do that, too.
Charlie Garrison started in security and realized he has a passion for helping customers, leading him to become a software support technician here at Point of Rental.
Hey everyone! It's International Podcast Day. Instead of just releasing the next episode of The Front PORch, we're going to spend the day introducing you to new Pointers - every hour, on the hour, a new episode of The Four will drop. And tomorrow, we'll have our ARA Show preview to welcome in October! Thank you for listening!
It's almost time for the ARA Show! Our four guests talk about what's in store at the show for people interested in Point of Rental. We'll talk about our pre-show reception, our booth (#2607), what you can expect there, the swag we're giving away, our show specials, and even the post-show annual training.
RSVP for the reception: https://www.point-of-rental.com/ara Read more: https://www.point-of-rental.com/booth-2607-at-the-2021-ara-show
Dave Roberts is here to help you integrate solutions! Fortunately, he has a lot of experience - he started in software because he'd bought a computer in 1993 and by golly, he was going to learn how to use it. He's only gotten more knowledgeable throughout the years.
Kacie Brewer, United Rentals' Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager (and member of Rental Management's "12 to watch under 40" list for 2021) joined us to talk about what got her into HR and rental, hiring challenges, and being a YouTube star.
The video we reference in the podcast can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=if63vRuD8Ac
Let's meet Solutions Engineer Blake Wiederstein! He's been in rental management for 20+ years - having had to manage several software transitions while managing a rental business, he's ready to help other people make the transition to Point of Rental.
Implementation Manager Melih Koksal has been managing projects, teams, and taking care of business in multiple countries for years.
Ben Santiago is Point of Rental's graphic designer and the marketing team's Pokemon expert, we think. His dream since childhood has been to become an "artificial pastor" and he has an extensive acting background thanks, in part, to his wife being a high school drama teacher.
The music interlude in this podcast is part of a track by new Pointer (and music producer) @muzofficialmusic.
One Stop Hire went from just an idea for an online-only hire store to become one of the UK's largest independent hire and sales companies in a few short years; MD Steve Hitchen discusses the company's recent acquisition of Lord Hire Centres and more.
Lukasz Dobbek is a Salesforce Administrator here at Point of Rental. He and his bird, Cookie, introduced themselves to us.
Strategic Business Development Manager Khaoula Midani started in the telecom industry and now she's here at Point of Rental to help you digitize your processes.
The American Rental Association's Event Segment VP stopped by the PORch...turns out journalism degrees can be useful! He's built businesses from the inside and now works with them as an industry advocate in the ARA. Stay tuned after the podcast seems to be over for a great take on French fries.
Anne Vokal is our UK office's new Senior Project Manager! She'll be putting all the pieces in place for successful processes.
Rental eSign, Point of Rental's electronic signature product, is adding some new, long-asked for functionality. Essentials' Director of Software Development Robert Flach tells us all about it.
Gustavo Castaneda, our Salesforce Platform Manager, tells us about his journey from engineering to software, the time he thought he was going to have his organs harvested, and gives us his top 5 board games.
He also played along with English 101, our game where our non-English Pointers learn UK English words and phrases.
This episode also features the first produced version of Evelyn's Kitchen, where Evelyn Perez (check our earlier episodes) tells us how to make her favorite meals.
Frances McDonagh joins the team from Ohio after more than a decade in the event/party rental industry!
Elliott Neal, Point of Rental's new 1st Line Customer Support Technician, used to work for an optician and, far more relevantly, for Sage prior to joining us. He enjoys gaming with friends, particularly during lockdown.
Josh Nickell likes his steaks with a reverse sear and his metaphors to be orchestra-related. He's helped build a rental business, worked in rental software, and now he's able to use his knowledge and leadership abilities to benefit the entire industry at the ARA. His English and Scottish accents, though, need a lot of work.
Point of Rental's new UK Sales Development Representative Ricardo Medina spent about four minutes talking about his experience, what he's looking forward to at POR, and explaining that he likes to put himself in situations where he's going to get shot.
Badger Rental Services' Garrett Shurling was featured in a recent edition of Rental Pulse discussing a recent scam perpetrated in his area and how he was able to recover stolen equipment using his drone.
Article: https://www.ararental.org/Rental-Pulse/Article/ArticleId/1943/Drone-recon-assists-in-stolen-equipment-recovery Badger Rental Services' site: https://badgerrentalservices.com/
Darrin Smith, our new VP of Global Customer Experience brings decades of experience with global brands delivering excellence in customer interactions.
Kareem, our new Windows Support Technician, spent four minutes telling us about his lengthy journey to get from being born in Florida to working in Texas and manages to upset a whole lot of Texans very quickly. Rough start.
Andrew Sherrington, our resident videographer/media manager, joins us on the porch to talk his path to videography, the time he almost killed his now-father-in-law, and the time basically the entire office convinced him he was going to prison.
In early June, Murray Pollok from KHL/IRN talked to several professionals about trends in rental software and digitalization in a webinar. We've edited it to include only our own Glenn Pearson's answers - if you'd like to check out the entire webinar, check it out on the KHL Group's website: https://www.internationalrentalnews.com/news/video-irn-webinar-on-rental-software-trends/8012884.article
KHL and IRN talk to industry leaders in quarterly webinars. To see what's coming up and catch up with the other webinars they've done, visit their webinar page: https://www.khl.com/webinars
Let's meet Brad Bell, Point of Rental's new Senior Solutions Engineer, comin' to us from all the way in Wyoming!
The ARA's Young Professional Network is expanding! COO/CFO Marcy Johnson joins the Porch to talk about the YPN, the change in policy, and why the group is excited to welcome associate members.
To apply to join the group, fill out the application form here: https://ararental.org/young-professional-network
Let's meet James Walton, Point of Rental's new Account Manager, coming to you from Glasgow!
Senior Accountant Evelyn Perez talks about how she got into accounting, taught us a bit about her teammates, and her future political ambitions. We also learned how she developed a distaste for pork, which of her dogs is her favorite, and what she knows of her mom's enchiladas recipe.
Jody Kerr, a Key Account Manager at The Toro Companies, talks about growing up in Denver, being a remote-work expert, her time as a beer taste-tester, and a pretty cool project Toro and the ARA are working on together.
Let's welcome one of our new developers, Grant Strickland, to the team. Just don't call him Brant, please.
North London Plant Hire's Paul Huckstep tells us about his company's 100-year history, some highlights from the 100 years, and how he and his team are planning on celebrating the occasion.
Let's meet Jack Baker, our new Sales Development Representative, in this episode of The Four.
Let's meet Kim Hamilton, our new Tier II Product Support Agent, in this episode of The Four.
Account Executive Mark Jordan joined us on the PORch. He told us about his dream of becoming a professional football player. He told us about the roadtrip from hell. And he took it pretty well when we made fun of his Indiana Hoosiers.
Joey Marks is another new Sales Development Representative joining the crew from Pennsylvania! If you end up talking to him, ask him about his love of hip-hop and muscle cars.
Alexis Brumm of Rental Magazine is used to being the one asking the questions. She joined The Front PORch anyway to talk about how she got started in the construction and rental industries, about her favorite Star Wars movies, and to pick out her fast-food all-star meal.
Ali McCallay is one of Point of Rental's new Sales Development Reps, coming to Point of Rental from the worlds of bridal retail and tacos. We guess she'll be pretty used to working with people passionate about what she's offering.
Scott Donovan has been helping companies implement smooth processes for a while now, and he'll keep doing that as Point of Rental's Strategic Business Manager. He's also into the punk rock life and listening to others about their passions.
Leppo Rents CEO Glenn Leppo came onto the PORch to tell us about his (and the company's) charitable giving programs, which were featured in the March/April edition of Pro Contractor Rentals.
Article: https://procontractorrentals.com/pages/Print-Edition-MA-21-RC-The-Leppo-Way.php
Bryn Farci joined Point of Rental by way of Rental Hosting. She has run her own retail business and if you want to talk about organizing - your life, your business, your room - she's there for you. But, professionally, you two should talk about building an awesome website for your rental business.
Sara's been getting ready for working for Rental Hosting her whole life. We'll meet her real quick and find out who she'd really rather talk about.
Oh no! Lauren left the PORch for this episode! We'll talk to the next-best thing; her now-husband and the reason she's not a part of this podcast, Ben Mohorc. We'll learn how he came to Point of Rental, how he and Lauren got together, and his many sausage parties.
Caleb Yell helped bring Rental Hosting into the fold at Point of Rental and heads up the company. You'll learn how he got here, what he looks forward to, and he has a special request of you: Please send him videos of dogs playing soccer with some good background music.
Matej Gabris joined Point of Rental when RentItOnline joined the company in late 2020. See how he got here, why he got into development, and learn what you should talk about to build rapport.
Glenn Pearson loves making things work more efficiently. It's why he founded RentItOnline and it's what he looks forward to doing with Point of Rental. He also likes riding bicycles for longer than most sane people would.
Let's meet David Austin, Point of Rental's new Global Operations Manager, in our first episode of The Four - four questions, four minutes, for you.
APAC Director Dave Cameron joins Lauren and Brian on the Porch to talk about his journey to Point of Rental, what he does in his downtime, and more before he has to log off for a meeting with Wayne.
Earl Sherman is the longest-tenured Pointer, having joined the company in 1985. 35 years later, he's still helping Point of Rental users get the most out of their software. We learned about his favorite city, his art, and what keeps him coming back to work after all these years.
We're getting international now! Kristian Pisano joined us from our Australian branch to talk about his time as a sports journalist, what a big Taylor Swift fan he is, and we even learned about the time he roadtripped through the US to catch up with his favorite American team.
(Which team is it? I guarantee you won't guess - listen and find out!)
Implementation Specialist Patrick Kiefer tells us about his pre-Point of Rental music career, his bobblehead collection, and the list of countries he's no longer allowed in.
Dante Ramos-Delgado, IT Lead Windows Implementation Engineer, has fulfilled his childhood goals by becoming an IT Lead here at Point of Rental. We found out his music preferences and why he's called "24/7" by his fellow IT Pointers.
Sailesh Kumar, one of Point of Rental's Elite developers, talks about coming to America, his top museums, and how it was either this, medicine, or becoming a mechanic for him.
Scott Lovell, owner of Party Time Rentals, actually didn't grow up renting! He did grow up with an entrepreneurial mindset, however, and we learn how he got into rental, what it was like growing up in the middle of Florida, and more. (Note: This episode was recorded prior to the ARA Show in February 2020).
What role does your community pay in your life? How does strengthening those around you benefit them (and you)? Caleb and Sean discuss.
You can talk to Sean or Caleb on LinkedIn and make show suggestions, ask questions, or just say hi: Find Sean: www.linkedin.com/in/sean-sebastian-1928313a/ Find Caleb: www.linkedin.com/in/calebyell/
Sean and Caleb talk through cereals and the process of changing from an employee mindset to an owner mindset.
You can talk to Sean or Caleb on LinkedIn and make show suggestions, ask questions, or just say hi: Find Sean: www.linkedin.com/in/sean-sebastian-1928313a/ Find Caleb: www.linkedin.com/in/calebyell/
Our first guest! Sean and Caleb talk about automating tasks to free up your time with Deniero Bartolini, the CEO and Founder of Gold Rush Social.
Find Deniero on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/the-business-coach/ Find Sean: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-sebastian-1928313a/ Find Caleb: https://www.linkedin.com/in/calebyell/
Thomas Choi was born in South Korea and immigrated to the United States with his parents when he was 10. He pursued a musical career as an excellent cellist before realizing that there weren't many jobs out there for cellists. And now he's Point of Rental's web developer, responsible for our cool website. He's also a proud new papa.
It's easy to be a leader when everything's going smoothly. But what do you do when things go wrong or the world enters a pandemic? Sean and Caleb discuss.
You can talk to Sean or Caleb on LinkedIn and make show suggestions, ask questions, or just say hi: Find Sean: www.linkedin.com/in/sean-sebastian-1928313a/ Find Caleb: www.linkedin.com/in/calebyell/
How does being present change how people feel about you, how you feel about yourself and...well, basically, how does it change everything? Caleb and Sean discuss.
Show references: David Morelli, Craig Ballantyne, "The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read". If we missed any, let Sean or Caleb know on their LinkedIn pages:
Sean: www.linkedin.com/in/sean-sebastian-1928313a/ Caleb: www.linkedin.com/in/calebyell/
ABC Rental Center "President" (as he likes to say) David Delk joins the Front PORch and discusses his interests outside of rental and what it was like recovering from Hurricane Katrina, both personally and as a rental store.
Is the customer always right? Point of Rental's Sean Sebastian and Rental Hosting's Caleb Yell explore this age-old question.
Connect with Caleb and Sean on LinkedIn! Sean: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-sebastian-1928313a/ Caleb: https://www.linkedin.com/in/calebyell/
Point of Rental's Sean Sebastian and Rental Hosting's Caleb Yell host their first podcast together! And thus begins the first of many discussions that will focus on how to do business in a way that leaves you and your team feeling fulfilled at the end of the day while keeping customers happy.
Find them on LinkedIn! Sean: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-sebastian-1928313a/ Caleb: https://www.linkedin.com/in/calebyell/
Jonathan Ingram, one of our Sales Development Representatives, taught us what on earth an SDR is. He helped us upgrade our shoes. He told us about the leadership books he's reading.
We also learned about the time he waited in line 10 hours in the rain to get some shoes, and got on the news...all to be denied at the end. He even gives a hot tip on who your 2020 NBA Champions are going to be, just in time for the NBA season to re-start.
Vicki and Doug Dickerson run A to Z Equipment Rentals & Sales, one of the 100ish largest rental operations in North America. But how did they get into the rental business (and out of it? and back into it again?)? Why do people stay in the rental industry? What are the keys to enjoying your visit to an ARA Show? We had so many questions for them and they had answers for all of 'em.
Matt Gaffin, Point of Rental's Mobile Product Lead, has packed a lot into his 37 years. From an impressive childhood sports career to international travels, he tells Lauren and Brian all about it.
Point of Rental's European Sales Development Manager Sean Sebastian spoke with Hire Association Europe's CEO, Graham Arundell, on a webinar last week. They discussed the coronavirus, how national and local governments can help the hire and rental industry in the UK, and the future of training in Europe.
We welcomed Brad back to the porch because a few things have happened in the world since we last spoke. We found out about what his plans were for the year, how coronavirus has affected them, and what Peoria and Morton Rentals will look like moving forward.
Part I, where we learned more about Brad as a person and how he got into the industry, is available here: https://soundcloud.com/user-916449026/brad-kniep-peoria-rentals-part-i
Brad invites us to visit his grandma for his favorite sandwich, talks about both of his families - his rental family along with his wife and eight kids, and what makes the rental industry so much more collegial than other industries.
In Part II next week, we'll talk about how he and his business have been affected by events since this interview took place last November.
Here's Part II: https://soundcloud.com/user-916449026/brad-kniep-peoria-rentals-part-ii
Special Quarantine episode: IT Specialist extraordinaire Taylor Dees shares the sounds of his guitar, tells us about his time renting computers, and how that got him to Point of Rental.
And we know what you're thinking: We're pretty sure the mustache is an isolation-only thing.
Point of Rental's Media Production Manager, Andrew Sherrington, provides his guide on how to capture high-quality video using the tools you already probably have handy.
Here are links to the things mentioned in the video: Slideshow: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uh_nkujZWhdjk4KPZ0Vb7M76YDMubD9P/view Lav mic: https://www.amazon.com/Rode-smartLav-Lavalier-Microphone-Smartphones/dp/B00EO4A7L0 Gimbal: https://www.amazon.com/DJI-Lightweight-Portable-Stabilizer-Compatible/dp/B07RSPPQ18
And here's where you'll find the full editing webinar, where Andrew went through HitFilm Express and edited a short video to show the basics of editing in a free editing software: https://app.livestorm.co/point-of-rental-1/make-your-content-pop
This podcast is taken from our webinar series.
Sean Sebastian sat down with Brian Beaudry, Point of Rental's NI content generator, to discuss the fundamentals of creating enjoyable content. Sean referenced a couple of links; you can find them below:
Killen Tool Rental's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/killentoolsandhire/ MD Tool Hire's (Matt Dolan's) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-dolan-3a756173/?originalSubdomain=uk Inside a Tractor Cab YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dQItxc5zto
We learn about James’ renting of sports equipment to friends as a kid, his time outside of the rental industry as a pizza marketing consultant, and his justification for the one time he was late to work.
Joel Labrosse may have been made for Point of Rental - his career ran through construction, event rental, and his dad's IT company. First, he tells us about the time he realized reality wasn't real. Then, we learned how a bad piano lesson led to 14 years of playing the drums. Perhaps most importantly, he shares (at least the ingredients of) his world-famous chili recipe.
Daryl discusses growing up in the rental business, the benefits of being able to work with family throughout his career, and the time a flood turned a wedding into the most memorable event he’s been involved in.
John Wooten, former CEO of All Star Rents and current Product Innovation Manager at Point of Rental, gives his three simple tips for getting your team to close more phone deals.
Resources: Here's Josh Nickell's blog that John referenced: https://www.point-of-rental.com/mastering-the-close-in-three-steps/ Here's the eSign & Pay deal he referenced: https://www.point-of-rental.com/esign/
Global Implementation Director Pat Lawlor was visiting America, back when we were allowed to travel. So, naturally, he visited Lauren for some scones, tea, and a discussion of his career in the hire industry. Oh, and you'll also learn about the time he ripped a guy's arm off.
Guest Host Sean Sebastian and our Product Innovation Manager, John Wooten, mine John's 35+ years of rental industry experience for suggestions on how to handle the current economic situation.
If you're interested in taking advantage of the Rental eSign offer mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.point-of-rental.com/rental-esign.
Brian is back, this time with Mac Whittlesey, who tells us about her very specific sandwich ordering procedure, her professional baseball dreams, and the fun of having your business be a part of the memories of a community.
Find out more about Ideal Rent-All: https://www.idealrentall.com/
Lisa tells us how she became a report specialist through a 20+ year career in the rental industry and her surprise hobbies for someone who lives in DFW. She also has written some children’s books, so if you know a publisher...
Lauren and Brian discuss the ARA Show, from planning everything to the truck ride over to Tuesday night's Universal Studios tour. Lauren apologizes to Australia and wishes her mom a happy birthday.
Producer Brian takes over for Lauren and talks with Marty Leber about wanting to grow up to be an accountant, her strategies for improving her business at the ARA Show, and her time at Point of Rental’s International Conference (including some spontaneous karaoke).
Holly, our Accounting Manager, has been with Point of Rental for 15+ years, but it’s not even her current longest-running job! She tells us of her tales with the Texas Rangers, what it’s like working with a spouse, and how her role has changed as Point of Rental has grown.
Lauren introduces Brian, one of the show's producers, and the two talk a little about some internal Point of Rental initiatives Wayne announced recently. Brian shares an interview from a recent trip to Phoenix, Ariz., whee he talked to A to Z Equipment Rentals & Sales' Joe Crossey, a store manager, about coming from Queens, N.Y. to Phoenix, his first repair in the rental industry, and what's kept him in the industry for more than 20 years.
Daniel tells us when he realized he wasn’t going to be a Dallas Cowboy (3:37), shares his resume tips (7:11), and about the time he shot 11 snakes in the head (not a metaphor - 26:18).
Point of Rental’s dynamic duo talks about how they met (5:17), the best in-office snack food options (4:20), and their upcoming move to England to join Point of Rental’s Reading office (17:15).
The former Army “human intelligence collector” tells Lauren about the best meal he’s ever eaten (29:32), Dungeons & Dragons (19:12), and how interrogation techniques are a part of great customer service (9:05).
Lauren catches up with Albert about his sandwich scheme before hearing from Jeff about his childhood dreams (2:59), his high school soccer stardom (4:15), and which band his dog Jack would be if he were a band (21:04).
We learn about Albert’s meticulously calculated sandwich meal plan (14:48), the reason he carries so many keys (10:40), and marvel at the absurd lengths Lauren goes to for a “last meal” question (25:58).
If you'd like to hear more from Pointers and people in the rental industry, email us at news@pointofrental.com.