The Front Porch

Hosted by Point of Rental Software

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Episodes

123

Latest episode

Sep 2026

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About the show

The Front Porch is where you'll learn about rental leaders in and outside of Point of Rental, how they got to where they are today and a little bit about the person outside of the industry. If you'd like to be a guest on the porch, email marketing@pointofrental.com. If you're in the rental industry, we'd love to talk to you - and because this isn't a business endeavor, it's free. We just want to share your story.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

September 30, 2026Episode 12451 min

Michele Meloche

Michelle Meloche, one of Point of Rental's data specialists, shares her path from Detroit to Point of Rental. She explains how the data team cross-trains and how her role converts customer-supplied spreadsheets into deployed databases via SQL, with every customer's data a new and different challenge. Michelle also discusses learning emotional intelligence while supporting her kids’ autism needs, moving away from people-pleasing, and embracing a “let them” mindset.

August 31, 2026Episode 12351 min

Michelle Hazen

Michelle Hazen, Point of Rental’s Data Services Essentials Lead, covers her background from Northeast Wisconsin, moving from a hairstyling career to working in call centers, getting into finance, and finally becoming the data specialist we know her as. Michelle outlines her responsibilities across Essentials and Elite implementations, reporting, tracking, training, and process documentation, and shares why learning is her favorite part of the job. She discusses the importance of timing and communication in data work, her apothecary and crochet hobbies, homesteading goals, and offers a top five list for preparing to implement new rental software.

July 31, 2026Episode 1221 hr 5 min

Justin Prusi

Justin Prusi joins the Front Porch from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We dicsuss his background from a childhood dream of becoming a police officer to pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering to finding a career in the rental industry. He highlights how he got to Point of Rental, a unique job search, and what he does as an implementation consultant. We also talked about his leadership philosophies, building a career in the rental industry, and went through his top 5 records. Also, he has a really unique "greatest fear."

June 29, 2026Episode 1211 hr 0 min

Asher Cotton

Support Solutions Engineer Asher Cotton joins us on the porch this month from Jacksonville, Florida. He tells us about how his entrepreneurial spirit and some serendipitous encounters have guided his career across industries and to Point of Rental, the business philosophies that have guided him through running a variety of multi-location businesses, and where he got his love for the water. He explains his current role’s focus on advanced problem-solving, process guidance, and coaching support staff and how that ties in with his values and the lessons he's learned over decades of dealing with people of all kinds.

May 29, 2026Episode 12048 min

Melissa Christensen

Melissa Christensen, a Support Solutions Engineer at Point of Rental, shares her journey from literal dancing to the metaphorical dance of the rental industry. She recounts a 25-year rental-industry career, including joining LiftWorks as the second employee, working long hours to help grow it into a 75-person business, and using early manual and fax-based processes before software modernization. Melissa explains her move to Point of Rental, her role helping premier customers, her belief in relationships, extensive volunteering including a COVID “sprinkle” pay-it-forward group, and shares favorite Chicago spots and personal reflections.

April 30, 2026Episode 11938 min

How are Rental Leaders Using AI?

Point of Rental's Head of AI, Matt Gaffin, talks with industry experts Brittany Haas (Crown Rental), Grant Christopher (Christopher Equipment), and Anthony Durante (The Owl, formerly of Durante Rentals) about how rental leaders use AI in their lives. They share practical applications like SOP and policy/manual creation, professionalizing emails and job descriptions, marketing content and images, research and event outreach, brainstorming, and drafting sensitive employee communications, while noting limitations in deeper analytics like utilization, fleet moves, and buy/sell decisions without better context and continuous data.

March 31, 2026Episode 11826 min

The Front Porch LIVE at the ARA Show: Ecommerce with Caleb Yell

Brian talks with Point of Rental e-commerce strategy lead Caleb Yell about how rental e-commerce has shifted from a "nice to have" to a business-critical tool and how you can avoid a lot of the growing pains that come from implementing it. You'll learn about the tools being used to digitize counter workflows online (e-sign, ID verification, ACH/payments), common breakdowns, and the need for optimized consumer-facing images and descriptions. They cover underused tools, key metrics to watch, and highlight the need for great SEO, especially in the AI age.

February 27, 2026Episode 11750 min

Phil Clark

Senior implementation consultant Phil Clark shares his path, from trampolining, engineering and IT curiosity to bus driving, coaching, and ultimately training customers at Point of Rental. He talks about what good training looks like, what he enjoys most about working with customers and teams, and some standout travel experiences on the job. March is MS Awareness month, so Phil also opens up about his experience with multiple sclerosis and how it’s shaped his life and relationships. We also learned about Phil's off-the-clock stories—volunteering with an inshore lifeboat crew and doing the occasional “disco” as a hobby DJ.

January 30, 2026Episode 11648 min

Kim Medellin

Kim Medellin is Point of Rental's Global HR Generalist. She shares her journey from growing up in Michigan with dreams of being a singer to moving to Texas and finding her path in HR. She discusses her career transitions, including her time as a pharmacy tech and her entry into the construction industry, which eventually led her to Point of Rental. We talk karaoke tips, Gen Alpha slang, quotable movies, and more. Don't miss out on Kim's insights and personal stories that highlight her dedication to helping others and creating a positive workplace environment.

December 31, 2025Episode 11545 min

Kayla Winfree

Join us as we welcome Kayla Winfree, the account management team lead at Record360, to The Front Porch. Learn about her journey from managerial experiences at Planet Fitness and Verizon, to her passion for sales and Record360, and her love for her new home in San Diego. Additionally, Kayla opens up about her yoga practice, the challenges of working remotely, and the strategies she uses to maintain a vibrant team culture. With humor and candor, Kayla offers valuable insights on developing self-confidence, managing multiple roles, and prioritizing mental health.