RTOHQ: The Magazine, Spring 2018

50 RTOHQ The Magazine Im happy I came from the accounting side of the business Terah notes Now I can review the numbers and understand their significance in order to make decisions set goals etc I really feel the business world is a good fit for me I want to do work where I can see the real life results of my efforts both short term and in the long run And I love operations every day is different but youre playing a long game at the same time Im completely committed here Terah says the secret to FAN Aarons 22 year success is fairly simple Were one of the best options within our markets she affirms We offer the lowest cost of ownership with the greatest flexibility and we have the best people seeking to be problem solvers Our customers might have more options than ever nowadays but they dont have many great choices FAN Aarons is a great choice Geron remains extremely involved in the family business he and Terah talk and meet frequently about company related issues and travel together occasionally for work Terah says she and her dad have similar professional approaches but different personalities she tends toward the impulsive while Geron is a deep seated thinker Were really quite close Terah notes and about 75 percent of the time we come to the same conclusions Naturally we have father daughter moments when we see things differently but we dont go long without being OK with one another He has high expectations of himself and of us and he trusts me because he knows Im going to do it the way he expects it to be done At the same time hes been my biggest supporter in every way possible L ike her dad and due to her own inherent initiative Terah Vail seems happiest with a side hustle In addition to her leadership at FAN Aarons Terah has the beginnings of a real estate portfolio just a few rent houses for now but investments she hopes to grow over time eventually into commercial properties as well Terah still reads rapaciously and still spends time with her siblings her brother is also married with children but lives in North Carolina and two close cousins who all have kids who call her Aunt T She belongs to Vistage a business advisory and executive coaching organization and is a board member of the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Northwest Arkansas a nonprofit working to help single parent families become financially independent Terah gave up her motorcycle a while ago but has an old Jeep she likes to tool around in on weekends exploring all Fayetteville has to offer from beautiful parklands to a vibrant art and music scene to plentiful restaurants and entertainment venues Its a unique time there are so many transitions happening within the rent to own industry and within our company concludes Terah Im just so proud to be part of RTO and of a family business thats been around since 1996 with so many longtime employees People love working for Geron and I understand why hes a good boss an excellent mentor and a great dad Terah Vail hard driver deep diver continual seeker and perpetual student of life seems to have discovered a spot to settle a career to commit to and a life she is loving And to think it all was just waiting for her right back where she started from Kristen Card is a freelance business writer based in Austin Texas HE HAS HIGH EXPECTATIONS OF HIMSELF AND OF US AND HE TRUSTS ME BECAUSE HE KNOWS IM GOING TO DO IT THE WAY HE EXPECTS IT TO BE DONE AT THE SAME TIME HES BEEN MY BIGGEST SUPPORTER IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE APRO Spotlight Terah Vail Terah Vail and father Geron Vail