Sean Makovsky with his role as Business
John Thedford to Present at the 2025 International Pawn Symposium
That’s right, ladies and gentleman, the return of the International Pawn Symposium has secured a speaking opportunity from another “Pawn Legend”, Mr. John Thedford
PCG International Pawn Symposium
There have been many developments since our announcement for the return of the Pawnshop Consulting Group’s International Pawn Symposium.
2025 Theme – In search of lost knowledge and treasure, in the ancient city of Atlantis!
Dates are October 12th – 17th and will be hosted at the World Class Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas.
This Blog introduces another one of our very special presenters of which our attendees will be blessed to hear it from one of the most accredited professionals in the Pawn Industry today!
Next up, I am very proud to introduce a long-term friend of our beloved Pawn Industry and PCG‘s – Mr. John Thedford!
A bit on John’s BIO along with some observations from myself, Jerry Whitehead:
On a personal level, I have known John since the Initial Public Offering of Cash America back in the 80’s. At that time, John was one of the accountants on the IPO team of Coopers and Lybrand who was involved with the due diligence and much of the underwriting phases of Cash America’s IPO in 1987 followed by EZ Corp out of Austin Texas in 1989.
From there, John moved on to Florida and started the ground work for what would become Value Pawn.
John is a lifelong entrepreneur with a proven success record. He has founded numerous thriving retail corporations, including Value Pawn & Jewelry, Rite-Rite Rental Centers, La Familia Pawn and Jewelry, Premier Pawn and Jewelry, SMART Financial and the current project is Simple Pawn.
It should be noted that Value Pawn became the largest privately owned multi-store pawn chain operating more than 70 stores in the USA at the time of its acquisition.
Value Pawn was a corporate acquisition of EZ Corp in a transaction that totaled 120 million dollars at time of acquisition in January of 2009.
John’s dedication to driving success has earned him multiple awards, including the prestigious Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in the Financial Services Sector in 2019. The Ernst & Young program recognizes entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies who excel in areas such as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities while also transforming our world.
Most recently John was awarded the esteemed William Booth Award at The Salvation Army’s “An Evening for “Others.” This award is among the highest accolades bestowed by The Salvation Army and reserved for the individuals who exemplify unwavering dedication to the organization’s mission.
The author of the book, SMART MOVES MANAGEMENT, John builds and believes in results-driven, World Class Operations through strategic focus on a rigorous human resource approach; he believes that “it’s not about IQ, it’s about “I Do”. John also subscribes to the tenet that “the most powerful force on earth is a human engaged in meaningful work. Employers must select with science and hold together with leadership and culture.”
John’s experience encompasses years of coordinating executive teams and organizational processes which has resulted in winning strategies.
John’s Presentation for the 2025 International Pawn Symposium
It should be noted that Mr. Thedford did present at both of the International Pawn Symposiums that we hosted back in 2011 at the Ritz Carlton in Naples Florida, and also in 2012 at the Ritz Carlton in Georgetown in the Cayman Islands.
For our 2025 event, John will be presenting a high-level piece on the many intricate components that are involved in building award winning culture in ANY organization.
This is a topic matter that is very dear to John, as ALL of his organizations have excelled with winning culture for many reasons, but primarily due to his vision and ability to assemble some of the best teams that ALL of his projects seem to excel in.
This year’s presentation will be like no other John has presented before, as he has continued to polish, revamp, and revise the successes of their award-winning corporate culture aspects with the diversification of multi-national Pawn operations that both LaFamilia, and now Simple pawn have become involved in, in their global expansion.
Simple Pawn currently operates more than 120+ stores as of the date of this blog operating across the USA, Caribbean, Puerto Rico, and Latin America.
It should also be noted, that Mr. Thedford’s team has invited us to consider having some pawn tours while we are in the Bahama’s to tour one of their stores located in Nassau!
Simple Pawn’s – CashWiz brand has a store in Nassau.
This was also another group that PCG had a wonderful opportunity to work with early on in our consulting role.
Pawn tours on the horizon in the Bahamas, stay tuned for more information, as this tour will have a limited head-count!
A footnote from PCG – Producer of the International Pawn Symposium
Our events are not trade shows nor conventions. They are high level inter-active educational seminars conducted by numerous experts within and outside the Pawn Industry.
These events also center on close interaction of ALL of the participants by keeping them together for all of the functions, seminars, food, and ALL social functions which are a primary component of the event itself.
In effect, High Level education and social networking on steroids.
AS for exclusivity, we keep attendance at a controlled level to insure maximum benefit of time with our educators, presenters, participants, and sponsors. All of which are required from our experience to obtain the best of the best, from the best!!
This event is limited to 100 attendees and is only $1495 per head – which includes all meals, social functions and the seminars being presented at this world class resort.
We are currently accepting paid participation to guarantee slots on the roster. We have about 85+ participants on the list currently and paid reservations are coming in now.
We have also procured a room-block at this EPIC resort of only $149 a night plus their resort fees.
IF YOU WISH TO ATTEND THIS EVENT – CONTACT ME DIRECTLY NOW TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR ATTENDNACE PAYMENT AND CONFIRMATION AND WE WILL PROVIDE THE ROOM BLOCK HOTEL PASSKEY TO GUARANTEE YOUR DISCOUNTED ROOM AT THIS WORLD CLASS RESORT.
Jerry Whitehead @ 954-540-3697 – Pawnshopconsultinggroup@gmail.com
This year’s PRESENTERS provide a wide-range of expertise and subject matter, once again making the International Pawn Symposium THE event to attend for Pawn Professionals seeking to advance their business acumen and more.
Jerry Whitehead – Pawnshop Consulting Group – International Pawn Symposium
