Car Dealership Guy Podcast

Welcome to the Car Dealership Guy Podcast. In this episode, I'm speaking with Scott Gunnell, President of JM&A Group where we discuss: AI regulation coming for the car business, The future of the Finance Manager, negative equity entering back into the market, and much more. This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by: Widewail - If your reviews say you’re the best, you’re the best. Make reviews manageable with Widewail, the fastest-growing reputation management vendor in automotive. Learn more @ https://www.widewail.com/ Upstart - Upstart connects millions of consumers to 100+ banks and credit unions that leverage Upstart’s artificial intelligence models and cloud applications to deliver superior credit products. Their platform includes personal loans, automotive retail and refinance loans, home equity lines of credit, and small dollar “relief” loans. Learn more @ https://www.upstart.com/ Car Dealership Guy Industry Job Board - Connecting world-class talent with top-notch companies in Automotive. Find your next role—or start hiring today—at CDGJobs.com. Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:02:44) - Scott’s background and career (00:11:22) - What is JM&A Group? (00:13:36) - What are you seeing in terms of dealership financing? (00:16:26) - Why are F&I Managers necessary? (00:20:16) - How are you meeting the needs of the modern customer? (00:22:12) - Is there friction behind the scenes with managers and F&I? (00:25:02) - What margins are you seeing across the board? (00:30:13) - Are you seeing any changes in consumer preferences? (00:36:18) - Where are we on the AI hype curve? (00:40:21) - What are you seeing in the market right now? (00:42:11) - Are dealerships risking the loyalty of the service customer? (00:44:53) - Is there anything keeping you up at night? Check out JM&A Group here. Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

Welcome to the Car Dealership Guy Podcast. In this episode, I'm speaking with Alan Haig, President and Founder of Haig Partners where we discuss: Biggest "Sleeper" brand in automotive Selling dealerships for $100M+, most improving automakers, was the F-150 Lightning a flop? and much more. This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by: Impel - From website, chat, sales, and service, Impel AI is custom-built to achieve your business objective featuring a proprietary blend of large language models, automotive optimization layers, and seamless integration with your entire tech stack. Learn more @ https://impel.ai/ Auto Hauler Exchange - The Auto Hauler Exchange has revolutionized the way vehicle haulers and vehicle shippers collaborate. The Exchange is the first digital marketplace of its kind in the vehicle logistics industry. Learn more @ https://www.autohaulerexchange.com/ Haig Partners - Haig provides expert advice based on extensive retail dealership buy-sell experience to lead a confidential and customized sale process helping dealership owners maximize the value of their life's work. Learn more @ https://haigpartners.com/ Car Dealership Guy Industry Job Board - Connecting world-class talent with top-notch companies in Automotive. Find your next role—or start hiring today—at https://jobs.dealershipguy.com/jobs Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:02:02) - The family aspect of the auto industry (00:14:14) - Alan’s background (00:07:46) - Why is the entrepreneur so important to the local dealership model? (00:18:06) - What are you seeing in terms of opportunities for employees? (00:23:33) - What are you seeing in the market? (00:30:38) - What’s happening with Nissan right now? (00:37:26) - What are your thoughts on folks who believe the dealership model is going away? (00:42:53) - What brands are performing best right now? (00:53:16) - Thoughts on Ford (01:00:55) - Do you foresee China coming to the States? (01:06:26) - What’s next for our industry? Check out Haig Partners here - https://haigpartners.com/ Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast, I'm speaking with Julie Herrera, President of IDEA Auto Group where we discuss her journey from broke to millionaire Toyota Dealer, How she's able to sell 1,200 cars on a slow month, what it's like to be a trailblazer as a female dealer principal, and much more. This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by: Auto Hauler Exchange - The Auto Hauler Exchange has revolutionized the way vehicle haulers and vehicle shippers collaborate. The Exchange is the first digital marketplace of its kind in the vehicle logistics industry. Learn more @ https://www.autohaulerexchange.com/ CDK Global - Empowering dealers with the tools and technology to build deeper customer relationships. Learn more @ https://www.cdkglobal.com/dealership-xperience-platform Car Dealership Guy Industry Job Board - Connecting world-class talent with top-notch companies in Automotive. Find your next role—or start hiring today—at CDGJobs.com. Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:01:58) - Julie’s background and career (00:09:00) - What it was like being a woman in auto sales back in the 90’s (00:11:37) - Becoming a GM (00:15:24) - How do you actually open a dealership? (00:21:20) - What are you doing today that’s ahead of the curve? (00:24:52) - Advice for aspiring dealer principals (00:28:43) - Saying the quiet part out loud (00:31:04) - Does doing what you do come at the expense of family? (00:34:20) - What are you seeing in the market today? (00:36:55) - What's your outlook for the remainder of 2024? (00:40:07) - How did you come up with the branding for your dealership? (00:42:47) - What’s your personal mission for the industry? (00:45:42) - What’s next for you? Check out IDEA Auto Group here. Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

Welcome to the Car Dealership Guy Podcast. In this episode, I'm speaking with Alex Rouse, VP, GM Auto at Upstart where we discuss: If AI can fix the broken credit system, Is 40% of US overpaying for their car loans, Racing in the grueling 24 hours of Le Mans, The CEO secrets learned from Jeff Bezos. This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by: Auto Hauler Exchange - The Auto Hauler Exchange has revolutionized the way vehicle haulers and vehicle shippers collaborate. The Exchange is the first digital marketplace of its kind in the vehicle logistics industry. Learn more @ https://www.autohaulerexchange.com/ Upstart - Upstart connects millions of consumers to 100+ banks and credit unions that leverage Upstart’s artificial intelligence models and cloud applications to deliver superior credit products. Their platform includes personal loans, automotive retail and refinance loans, home equity lines of credit, and small dollar “relief” loans. Learn more @ https://www.upstart.com/ Car Dealership Guy Industry Job Board - Connecting world-class talent with top-notch companies in Automotive. Find your next role—or start hiring today—at CDGJobs.com. Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:01:52) - Alex’s involvement in Le Mans (00:06:03) - Alex’s career as a founder and at Amazon (00:12:00) - Why did you join Upstart? (00:15:58) - Where are you seeing the most inefficiency with lending? (00:19:51) - Where is the ‘sweet spot’ with respect to lenders as we look out over the next year? (00:22:06) - The E-start coalition (00:24:35) - What are you doing on the digital retailing front? (00:27:35) - What dealer challenges are you seeing right now? (00:30:13) - What does success look like for you over the next 5 years? Check out Upstart here. Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

Welcome to the Car Dealership Guy Podcast. In this episode, I'm speaking with Ron Andrews, VP of Business Development at Cars Commerce where we discuss: Digital advertising is being disrupted and what it means for digital marketers, Unlocking the secrets of a car shopper's mind, His $1B digital marketing playbook for car dealerships. This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by: CDK Global - Empowering dealers with the tools and technology to build deeper customer relationships. Learn more @ https://www.cdkglobal.com/dealership-xperience-platform Withum - Withum is a forward-thinking, technology-driven advisory and accounting firm, helping clients to be in a position of strength in today’s complex business environment. Learn more at - https://www.withum.com/warranty Cars Commerce - The platform to simplify everything about buying and selling cars. Learn more at https://www.carscommerce.inc/ Car Dealership Guy Industry Job Board - Connecting world-class talent with top-notch companies in Automotive. Find your next role—or start hiring today—at CDGJobs.com. Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:04:19) - Ron’s career in auto (00:07:57) - Modern retailing (00:14:39) - What’s an ideal channel mix for dealerships? (00:16:16) - What are you seeing in the market? (00:19:16) - The “always on” customer (00:21:21) - Where are dealers wasting money? (00:24:26) - The future of data (00:32:22) - What are you working on for dealers today? Check out Cars Commerce here. Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

I am so excited to announce that today is the first-ever episode of my new monthly show: The Car Dealership Guy Market Update—Brought to you by Edmunds. A panel-style, monthly discussion with automotive industry experts and dealers about where our car market is today—and where it may be headed. Think of this as a forum for auto insiders to share everything from macroeconomic trends to ground-level dealership insights, all with a simple goal: To make you smarter and more informed about the car market and economy, in under an hour. Let's get into it! Today, im speaking with Jessica Caldwell, Head of Insights at Edmunds, and Kevin Frye, eCommerce Director of Jeff Wyler Automotive Group. This episode is brought to you by: Edmunds - Premier by Edmunds connects dealers with in-market shoppers when, where, and how they want to connect. New dealers — Get 50% off for 90 days when you sign up at edmunds.com/CDG Car Dealership Guy Industry Job Board - Connecting world-class talent with top-notch companies in Automotive. Find your next role—or start hiring today—at CDGJobs.com. Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:02:11) - Introducing Kevin and Jessica (00:03:33) - The state of the market (00:05:07) - Price trends (00:09:22) - Auto financing (00:11:09) - Leasing (00:18:31) - Acquiring inventory (00:20:43) - The affordability issue in new cars (00:27:55) - Shopper behavior (00:29:20) - Sales volumes (00:33:49) - Brand performances (00:39:40) - Evs (00:41:07) - Dealer growth strategies (00:42:26) - Outlook for the next 90 days Check out Edmunds and get 50% off your first 90 days here! Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Geoff Pohanka, Dealer and Former NADA Chairman where we discuss his involvement in the fight against FTC overreach, the $35B potential cost of the CARS rule, buying a Tesla to experience Direct-to-consumer firsthand, when will Chinese cars come to America and much more. This episode is brought to you by: Auto Hauler Exchange - The Auto Hauler Exchange has revolutionized the way vehicle haulers and vehicle shippers collaborate. The Exchange is the first digital marketplace of its kind in the vehicle logistics industry. Learn more @ AutoHaulerExchange.com CDK Global - Empowering dealers with the tools and technology to build deeper customer relationships. Learn more @ https://www.cdkglobal.com/dealership-xperience-platform Car Dealership Guy Industry Job Board - Connecting world-class talent with top-notch companies in Automotive. Find your next role—or start hiring today—at CDGJobs.com. Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:02:21) - Life after NADA (00:03:07) - The Pohanka family business (00:06:34) - Did you want to be a dealer? (00:11:24) - What have you done to excel and grow your brand? (00:14:23) - What does your role look like today? (00:20:59) - The CARS Rule (00:34:58) - What does Tesla do that is superior to the dealership model? (00:38:46) - The EV future (00:44:56) - Thoughts on China (00:48:25) - What brands are you bullish on? (00:53:22) - Will we have more or fewer dealers in 10 years? Check out Pohanka Automotive Group here. Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with RussFlipsWhips, the world's most famous car salesman, where we discuss his rise in car sales Tiktok, gaining 700,000 followers and 60 million monthly views, what it's like to juggle a full-time job in car sales and content creation, can anyone make a career out of social media, his big announcement with the Car Dealership Guy and much more... This episode is brought to you by: Private Auto - The safest way to buy vehicles privately. Use code ‘CDG’ to list your car for free. Learn more @ https://privateauto.com/ AutoFi - AutoFi empowers your team with digital retail technology that accelerates the sale. Learn more @ https://www.autofi.com/cdg/ Car Dealership Guy Industry Job Board - Connecting world-class talent with top-notch companies in Automotive. Find your next role—or start hiring today—at CDGJobs.com. Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:02:18) - Selling cars as an 18-year old (00:13:27) - What were your aspirations? (00:15:44) - How did you get into content creation? (00:19:57) - Growth inflection points (00:22:44) - Coming up with video ideas (00:24:29) - Who’s your audience? (00:25:21) - Does your content have a significant impact on your customers coming in? (00:26:43) - What does your management think about all this? (00:28:19) - Balancing selling cars and being a full-time influencer (00:31:37) - How much do you make selling cars and the media side? (00:33:29) - Can people replicate what you’ve been able to achieve? (00:41:05) - Joining the CDG creator network (00:46:02) - How do you see your brand evolving? Check out ALL of Russ' content here. Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode of the Car Dealership Guy podcast, I'm speaking with CJ Wilson, Owner and General Manager of Porsche Fresno where we discuss his career as an MLB All-Star pitcher, Racing Miatas with Jimmy John (yes, that Jimmy John), How he acquired his first dealership from the fallout of a divorce, Selling cars for Bitcoin in 2023, and his highs and lows in the luxury car dealership business. This episode is brought to you by: AutoFi - AutoFi empowers your team with digital retail technology that accelerates the sale. Learn more @ https://www.autofi.com/cdg/ Cars Commerce - The platform to simplify everything about buying and selling cars. Learn more at https://www.carscommerce.inc/ Car Dealership Guy Industry Job Board - Connecting world-class talent with top-notch companies in Automotive. Find your next role—or start hiring today—at CDGJobs.com. Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:02:52) - Bitcoin (00:06:25 - CJ’s career from pro baseball to auto (00:13:51) - Experiences running a dealership (00:17:54) - Mistakes made along the way (00:21:25) - Buying a McClaren store for $700k (00:25:00) - Building a financial literacy skill (00:28:15) - Key lessons learned running a dealership (00:37:24) - Setting store goals (00:39:07) - Billionaire aspirations (00:46:42) - The real estate side of dealerships (00:51:00) - Sales revenues, scale, and leadership philosophies (01:01:53) - Wealth (01:03:51) - Hottest and coldest cars in the luxury market right now (01:08:41) - What are your thoughts on the economy? (01:15:51) - 5-year prediction for the luxury market Check out Porsche Fresno here Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast, I'm speaking with Eli Hanna, Dealer Principal of Hanna Cars where we discuss: Selling his first car behind a service shop, expanding his independent car dealership business into the Florida used car market, whether he can succeed in the same location where another dealership failed and much more. This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by: Car Dealership Guy Industry Job Board - Connecting world-class talent with top-notch companies in Automotive. Find your next role—or start hiring today—at CDGJobs.com. Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:01:45) - Eli’s career and background (00:05:51) - Launching a dealership (00:07:24)- Sales numbers today (00:09:23) - Scaling to 600 units (00:11:29) - Eli’s business model (00:13:24) - Who is your target market? (00:16:12) - Financing the company (00:16:52) - What’s your outlook for 2024? (00:17:43) - How did you get lenders early on and how are you experiencing lending today? (00:20:02) - Where do you wholesale inventory? (00:21:38) - How are you marketing? (00:22:04) - Expanding into Florida (00:24:02) - Projected revenue (00:25:43) - Have you considered Franchising? (00:26:16) - What are your biggest challenges right now? (00:27:27) - Plans for the future (00:27:58) - How did you come across CDG? (00:39:39) - What’s your outlook for the independent dealer? Check out Hanna Cars here. Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast, I'm speaking with Ryan Maher, CEO of BizzyCar where we discuss: the looming public safety threat of 70 million vehicles affected by automotive recalls, how the tough months in the dealership business during covid inspired the creation of his company, his journey from infantry officer to chief executive officer and much more. This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by: Private Auto - The safest way to buy vehicles privately. Use code ‘CDG’ to list your car for free. Learn more @ https://privateauto.com/ CDK Global - Empowering dealers with the tools and technology to build deeper customer relationships. Learn more @ https://www.cdkglobal.com/dealership-xperience-platform BizzyCar - BizzyCar Delivers Service Revenue by Automating Recals. Learn more @ https://www.bizzycar.com/ Car Dealership Guy Industry Job Board - Connecting world-class talent with top-notch companies in Automotive. Find your next role—or start hiring today—at CDGJobs.com. Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Links: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:05:34) - Growing up in the dealer business (00:08:18) - Ryan’s military career (00:14:35) - Transitioning back to civilian life and launching BizzyCar (00:17:43) - Are recalls rising overall? (00:25:42) - Recalls 101 (00:30:46) - How are dealers using your platform handling recalls today? (00:44:42) - How do you think about your impact on the industry? (00:52:40) - What has the entrepreneurial journey been like for BizzyCar? Check out BizzyCar here. Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Brian Benstock, Partner and General Manager of Paragon Honda & Acura where we discuss: his rise in the New York automotive industry and becoming the #1 Honda dealership in the world, the wild success of his 24-hour service center, how leasing could be the salvation to the affordability problem, his strategy to mentor and develop his employees in the dealership business, what it takes to keep up with Brian Benstock and much more. This episode is brought to you by: Cars Commerce - The platform to simplify everything about buying and selling cars. Learn more at https://www.carscommerce.inc/ AutoFi - AutoFi empowers your team with digital retail technology that accelerates the sale. Learn more @ https://www.autofi.com/cdg/ Car Dealership Guy Industry Job Board - Connecting world-class talent with top-notch companies in Automotive. Find your next role—or start hiring today—at https://jobs.dealershipguy.com/ Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:03:12) - Paragon’s delivery and pick-up strategy (00:05:11) - Brian’s early career and family life (00:15:30) - Brian’s leadership style (00:21:24) - Who has had a significant impact on your career? (00:23:15) - What does a typical day look like for you? (00:25:06) - Who are the 6-8 people you surround yourself with? (00:29:31) - Do you think the opportunity to become a partner at a dealership still exists today? (00:32:10) - What is it like operating in your showroom and hitting these sales numbers? (00:37:43) - Online vs. in-person trends (00:40:34) - What have you done on the tech side to meet the consumer's needs? (00:48:06) - How have your efforts impacted profitability? (00:52:03) - How do you set your store goals? (00:55:09) - How do you view yourself as a dealer? (00:56:48) - How do you acquire inventory? (01:01:51) - What are your thoughts on the market? (01:04:58) - What are you seeing in consumer health? (01:07:10) - Is affordability the biggest issue right now? (01:09:55) - Solving incentive problems (01:11:25) - Thoughts on AI (01:13:39) - What keeps you up at night? (01:15:45) - Taking advantage of social media and being authentic Check out Paragon here. Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast, I'm speaking with Frank O'Brien, a partner at Withum. We discuss financial fraud in the dealership business, how dealerships can attract and retain technician talent, untapped warranty reimbursements from auto manufacturers, the clashing reality of EV mandates and consumer demand + much more. This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by: Cars Commerce - The platform to simplify everything about buying and selling cars. Learn more at https://www.carscommerce.inc/ CDK Global - Empowering dealers with the tools and technology to build deeper customer relationships. Learn more @ https://www.cdkglobal.com/dealership-xperience-platform Withum - Withum is a forward-thinking, technology-driven advisory and accounting firm, helping clients to Be in a Position of Strength in today’s complex business environment. Learn more @ https://www.withum.com/ Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:02:44) - Frank’s career in automotive fraud (00:03:16) - What’s your outlook on the market today? (00:13:00) - Technician shortages (00:17:30) - What is your specialty in this industry? (00:19:27) - What’s the dollar exposure for dealers in these reimbursements? (00:23:24) - Are there other opportunities like this for dealerships? (00:25:35) - Where do you see trends for dealership profitability going from here? (00:32:46) - Do you see any threats to the industry on the horizon? (00:34:17) - What’s your outlook for 2024? Check out Withum here. Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Devin Daly, CEO of Impel This episode is brought to you by: Private Auto - The safest way to buy vehicles privately. Use code ‘CDG’ to list your car for free. Learn more @ https://privateauto.com/ Valvoline - Go beyond the traditional supplier-dealer partnership today by visiting https://partner.valvolineglobal.com/ Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:02:23) - Devin’s career and Building Impel (00:03:55) - Pivoting to auto (00:06:28) - Did you come from an entrepreneurial family? (00:07:15) - The evolution of the company (00:09:21) - How are dealers using this data? (00:11:36) - What are you building to help dealerships keep evolving? (00:13:13) - Thoughts on AI (00:21:48) - Where are you seeing the biggest impact from AI implementation? (00:23:18) - Raising $130m and acquiring a business in the Republic of Georgia (00:26:59) - Where are we headed with AI and the dealership? (00:28:12) - Where are you seeing customers the most frustrated with the dealership experience? (00:29:15) - What role does licensing play in all of this work? (00:30:52) - Partnering with ACV Auctions (00:33:35) - What do the next 5 years look like for our industry? (00:34:46) - What is your most popular product? (00:35:59) - Having a high bar for acquisitions (00:37:20) - “Oh sh*t” moments (00:38:22) - What products are most important to manufacturers right now Check out Impel here. Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Matthew Haiken, President of Prestige Collection Auto Group This episode is brought to you by: Stream Companies - Full-service, fully integrated, tech-enabled ad agency doing the ordinary extraordinarily well. Learn more @ https://www.streamcompanies.com/ CDK Global - Empowering dealers with the tools and technology to build deeper customer relationships. Learn more @ https://www.cdkglobal.com/dealership-xperience-platform Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:03:13) - Matt’s background and career (00:09:45) - NADA Dealer Candidate Academy (00:11:13) - Matt’s operating philosophy (00:12:52) - Moving away from selling Kia’s (00:15:20) - What’s changed the most in your business over the past decade to successfully operate multiple locations? (00:17:10) - What are you seeing in terms of consumer demand? (00:18:25) - How have your margins changed over the past year? (00:20:04) - Why did you become a Polestar dealer? (00:22:42) - How do you define the agency model? (00:27:03) - How are you making money here? (00:33:00) - Are you considering adding a service arm or selling used? (00:33:51) - Why are you bullish on Polestar? (00:35:07) - Does the agency model have a future in the US? (00:39:08) - Where do you think the market conditions will be as we go into 2024? (00:41:42) - What steps are you taking to insulate yourself? (00:44:13) - What’s next for you in terms of acquisitions? (00:44:49) - Will your kids get into auto? Check out Prestige Collection Auto Group here. Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Jay Vijayan, CEO of Tekion This episode is brought to you by: Car Dealership Guy Industry Job Board - Connecting world-class talent with top-notch companies in Automotive. Find your next role—or start hiring today—at CDGJobs.com. Valvoline - Go beyond the traditional supplier-dealer partnership today by visiting https://partner.valvolineglobal.com/ Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:02:34) - Jay’s time at Tesla and career in tech (00:07:51) - Coming up with the idea for Tekion (00:11:26) - What did you learn from Elon? (00:13:45) - Tekion’s first deal (00:25:29) - What were the most shocking things you learned about dealership accounting systems? (00:33:27) - Putting a DMS into the cloud (00:36:43) - Are you building tech around current processes or are you looking ahead? (00:40:27) - What do your feedback loops look like? (00:42:02) - Tekion’s time owning dealerships and closing them down (00:49:54) - What does it take to create a genuine connection with an audience? (00:51:00) - Does anything keep you up at night? (00:52:46) - What are the biggest opportunities for Tekion? (00:58:52) - What’s the big-picture vision for your company? Check out Tekion here. Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Chad Brooks, Head of Dealer Development at Valvoline Global This episode is brought to you by: CDK Global - Empowering dealers with the tools and technology to build deeper customer relationships. Learn more @ https://www.cdkglobal.com/dealership-xperience-platform Valvoline Global - Go beyond the traditional supplier-dealer partnership today by visiting https://partner.valvolineglobal.com/ Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:02:01) - Experiences at NADA (00:04:05) - Valvoline getting into F1 (00:05:40) - Chad’s career (00:07:50) - How is Valvoline reinventing itself in the age of EVs? (00:10:56) - Valvoline’s entry into the tech business (00:15:12) - What are the biggest opportunities for service providers? (00:17:34) - How does Valvoline perceive EVs and what are you seeing dealerships do with regards to EVs? (00:22:26) - Valvoline’s future after being acquired Check out Valvoline here - https://partner.valvolineglobal.com/ Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Joe Neiman, Co-Founder of ACV Auctions This episode is brought to you by: Car Dealership Guy Industry Job Board - Connecting world-class talent with top-notch companies in Automotive. Find your next role—or start hiring today—at CDGJobs.com. CDK Global - Empowering dealers with the tools and technology to build deeper customer relationships. Learn more @ https://www.cdkglobal.com/dealership-xperience-platform Stream Companies - Full-service, fully integrated, tech-enabled ad agency doing the ordinary extraordinarily well. Learn more @ https://www.streamcompanies.com/ Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:03:06) - Joe’s early career in auto (00:09:21) - Building ACV Auctions (00:17:16) - Have we lost the thrill of the in-person auction? (00:20:41) - What are the major issues with online auctions? (00:23:02) - How do we evolve the online car auction? (00:25:07) - Will you launch an auction platform? (00:26:40) - Having the entrepreneurial mindset (00:34:01) - Why did you leave ACV? (00:38:31) - What’s happening in the wholesale market right now? (00:48:16) - Thoughts on the current market (00:51:04) - Parting advice Check out Dealer Club Get in touch with Joe: [email protected] Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Steve Baucom, President of KEYper Systems This episode is brought to you by: Private Auto - The safest way to buy and sell vehicles privately. Use code ‘CDG’ to list your car for free. Learn more @ https://privateauto.com/ Valvoline - Go beyond the traditional supplier-dealer partnership today by visiting https://partner.valvolineglobal.com/ Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:02:40) - Steve’s journey into auto (00:04:37) - Realizing the major key problem in the industry (00:06:25) - Financing the business (00:07:12) - Did you have a gut feeling of ‘this is going to work’? (00:08:35) - How were you able to build this 35 years ago? (00:11:28) - Is there still opportunity for niche hardware businesses in the car industry? (00:13:24) - How do you innovate against the possibility that keys will go away? (00:15:33) - What is the practical next step for keys? (00:17:20) - How do you maintain a culture of innovation? (00:19:38) - What does your product look like today? (00:21:48) - Selling the company (00:25:52) - Is there competition in this space? (00:29:04) - What theft trends do you see at dealerships? (00:32:39) - Crazy stories Check out Keyper here. Get in touch by emailing [email protected] Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Doug Eroh, President and GM of Longo Toyota This episode is brought to you by: Car Dealership Guy Industry Job Board - Connecting world-class talent with top-notch companies in Automotive. Find your next role—or start hiring today—at CDGJobs.com. Fullpath - Discover Automotive's Leading Customer Data and Experience Platform. Learn more @ https://fullpath.com/ AutoFi - AutoFi empowers your team with digital retail technology that accelerates the sale. Learn more @ https://www.autofi.com/cdg/ Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:03:06) - Doug’s exposure to auto (00:04:39) - Is LA the largest Toyota market in the world? (00:05:29) - Making the jump from corporate to the retail side of auto (00:07:09) - Officing in the dealership showroom & experiences as the GM of Longo Toyota (00:12:37) - Longo’s scale (00:14:00) - The difference between Doug’s roles at Longo and Penske (00:14:58) - Longo’s structure, amenities, and talent recruitment (00:23:48) - Longo’s tech stack & AI implementations (00:32:13) - What metrics are you tracking daily? (00:37:32) - Thoughts on affordability & leasing (00:42:41) - Is Toyota hurting itself for being undersupplied & staying away from EVs? (00:51:02) - Do you have any concerns right now? (00:54:34) - Where are the opportunities right now? (00:57:36) - How are you attracting talent? Check out Longo Toyota here or get in touch. Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Brian Kramer, EVP of Cars Commerce This episode is brought to you by: Valvoline - Valvoline can help drive your service department by streamlining operations and increasing revenue with hands-on technician and sales advisor training, state-of-the-art service lane technology, and a robust preventive maintenance chemical program. They even have programs to help you sell more cars and increase trade-ins! Learn more @ https://partner.valvolineglobal.com/dealership Cars Commerce - The platform to simplify everything about buying and selling cars. Learn more at carscommerce.inc Interested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:01:47) - Brian’s career in auto: Lot Porter to GM (00:10:00) - Launching the VR Car buying experience (00:14:46) - Making the jump to evangelize Accu-Trade (00:19:05) - How is this tool different from legacy options? (00:22:13) - What are the biggest changes we will see in used cars over the next year? (00:27:41) - Is the trade-in process broken? (00:33:45) - Consumer’s ability to appraise a vehicle (00:37:23) - Does it matter where a car comes from when appraising? (00:40:19) - What’s your hope for the evolution of the used car business? Check out Cars Commerce here. Connect with Brian on LinkedIn and check out his YouTube channel. Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Brian MacDonald, CEO of CDK Global This episode is brought to you by: Valvoline - Valvoline can help drive your service department by streamlining operations and increasing revenue with hands-on technician and sales advisor training, state-of-the-art service lane technology, and a robust preventive maintenance chemical program. They even have programs to help you sell more cars and increase trade-ins! Learn more @ https://partner.valvolineglobal.com/dealership CDK Global - Empowering dealers with the tools and technology to build deeper customer relationships. Learn more @ https://www.cdkglobal.com/dealership-xperience-platform Interested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:01:52) - Brian’s career in the industry (00:02:23) - Experiences at CDK and transitioning to Sunoco (00:09:26) - Evs & the future of the dealership (00:13:32) - What services and technology are you offering dealerships? (00:16:40) - How are you staying ahead of dealership needs? (00:18:03) - What are your top focuses today? (00:20:48) - How are you approaching integrating all dealership products into one solution? (00:22:42) - What are you looking for when considering an acquisition? (00:25:51) - Thoughts on AI (00:29:46) - At what point does a dealership typically adopt software like CDK? (00:32:41) - Are you seeing SaaS fatigue in dealerships? (00:35:30) - Will we see some international OEM players enter the US market over the next decade? (00:38:51) - Plans for the NADA conference (00:40:09) - How can people get in touch? Check out CDK Global here. Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with David Domm, CEO at Carmatic. This episode is brought to you by: Cars Commerce - The platform to simplify everything about buying and selling cars. Learn more at carscommerce.inc Interested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:01:38) - David’s early career in gaming (00:08:53) - How did you become the CPO at Cars.com? (00:11:01) - What insights led you to found Carmatic? (00:15:13) - What is the current buying experience and how are you changing that? (00:28:16) - Does this risk anyone’s job at a traditional dealership? (00:30:30) - How are you able to provide the correct payment to the customer if you are not the bank? (00:34:52) - Would Carmatic make digital retailing tools obsolete? (00:42:33) - Carmatic’s early results (00:45:07) - What is the result of mass adoption of this product? Check out Carmatic here. Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is meant for informational purposes only and should not be used as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Tim Lawrence, CEO of LHPH Capital This episode is brought to you by: CDK Global - Empowering dealers with the tools and technology to build deeper customer relationships. Learn more @ https://www.cdkglobal.com/dealership-xperience-platform AutoFi - AutoFi's powerful platform helps dealers sell smarter, not harder—online and in the showroom. Learn more at autofi.com/cdg Interested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:02:24) - Tim’s previous life as a marriage and family counselor (00:07:11) - What is Lease Here Pay Here? (00:08:56) - How is this different from Buy Here Pay Here? (00:11:01) - How does this model impact dealers and consumers? (00:12:51) - How do you and the dealer make money? (00:15:32) - What are you seeing from consumers right now? (00:16:56) - Thoughts on EVs (00:19:13) - How do you break into a new market? (00:21:02) - Who else is doing this model? (00:21:53) - What’s the IRR for a dealer on one of these loans? (00:23:07) - Who’s accountable for service in this model? (00:24:13) - Are we headed to a world where most people will not own their vehicles? (00:29:01) - How are you being impacted by interest rates? (00:31:31) - Will used car leasing ever go mainstream? Check out LHPH here. Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Aharon Horwitz, CEO of Fullpath. This episode is brought to you by: Autofi - AutoFi's powerful platform helps dealers sell smarter, not harder—online and in the showroom. Learn more at autofi.com/cdg Interested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:01:51) - Fullpath & customer data experience Platforms (00:04:47) - What happened that spawned the opportunity for Fullpath? (00:15:03) - How are you leveraging AI for the auto industry? (00:20:29) - Where will AI have the biggest impact in the industry? (00:25:13) - What’s the industry’s appetite for AI? (00:36:53) - What does the car buying experience look like in 5 years? (00:39:29) - How can smaller dealerships survive the AI wave? Check out Fullpath here Follow Aharon on X Read Play Bigger by Al Ramadan Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Tiger Okeley, President at Oak Motors. This episode is brought to you by: AutoFi's powerful platform helps dealers sell smarter, not harder—online and in the showroom. Learn more at autofi.com/cdg CDK Global - Empowering dealers with the tools and technology to build deeper customer relationships. Learn more @ https://www.cdkglobal.com/dealership-xperience-platform Interested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:02:26) - What is a buy here pay here dealership? (00:03:20) - How’d you get into this industry? (00:07:10) - Why is Buy Here Pay Here so controversial? (00:11:23) - What does your business do? (00:13:22) - What’s your customer profile? (00:16:27) - How are you able to approve people who may not qualify elsewhere? (00:18:49) - Pricing risk & interest rates (00:26:02) - Where do you source vehicles? (00:28:05) - Repossessions (00:32:48) - What’s the level of utilizaiton you can get out of a car? (00:37:18) - Do you target a specific IRR or profitability metric? (00:43:24) - How do you fundraise? (00:47:13) - Philanthropy Check out Oak Motors here. Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with David Regn, Co-Founder & CEO of Stream Companies. This episode is brought to you by: CDK Global - Empowering dealers with the tools and technology to build deeper customer relationships. Learn more @ https://www.cdkglobal.com/dealership-xperience-platform Stream Companies - Full-service, fully integrated, tech-enabled ad agency doing the ordinary extraordinarily well. Learn more @ https://www.streamcompanies.com/ Interested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:01:38) - Starting Stream (00:03:52) - What services does Stream offer today? (00:04:16) - How have you seen dealers shift the way they deploy marketing dollars? (00:08:59) - Stream’s scale (00:14:27) - How much are dealers paying to acquire a customer? (00:17:06) - Do local dealers have an embedded advantage over national brands or vice versa? (00:18:35) - What is the budget you are responsible for and where is it being deployed? (00:20:30) - Thoughts on 3rd party listing sites (00:27:20) - Do you still believe in traditional media advertising? (00:30:12) - Call to Actions (00:32:32) - Are you doing anything in the AI space? (00:33:47) - Is there any meaningful AI implementation on the consumer front? Check out Stream Companies here. Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Alan Haig, President & Founder of Haig Partners This episode is brought to you by: Cars Commerce - The platform to simplify everything about buying and selling cars. Learn more at carscommerce.inc Haig Partners - Helping dealers maximize the value of their businesses. Learn more at Haigpartners.com Interested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:01:37) - The state of the car market (00:05:54) - Findings from the Haig report (00:11:36) - How is Toyota doing well with declining market share? (00:15:32) - What brands are dealers flocking toward right now? (00:18:49) - What brands are dealers staying away from & the talent war (00:29:18) - Is it easier to find buyers or sellers right now? (00:36:06) - Drivers Behind Economies of Scale (00:39:26) - How do you explain the rise of non-car business investors getting into the industry? (trim up) (00:45:37) - What are you seeing in terms of dealer sentiment? (00:50:16) - How do you add value to your dealerships today? (00:55:23) - What’s the best way to cultivate talent in this industry? (01:01:26) - What’s your outlook for the car market in 2024? Check out Haig Partners here and the Haig Report here. Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with David Meniane, CEO of Carparts.com This episode is brought to you by: Car Dealership Guy Newsletter - Become an automotive insider in just 5 minutes. Get the weekly email that delivers transparent insights into the car market. Be the first to know where the market is moving, for free. Join here: https://newsletter.cardealershipguy.org/subscribe AutoFi's powerful platform helps dealers sell smarter, not harder—online and in the showroom. Learn more at autofi.com/cdg Interested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:01:59) - David’s journey to America (00:02:54) - Going on Shark Tank *trim up the question* (00:04:33) - Starting CarParts.com (00:08:13) - What are you seeing in the economy? (00:09:53) - Who buys parts online? (00:10:38) - How do you compete with dealers? (00:12:06) - What’s been the experience building this company? (00:19:01) - Are you doing anything with AI? (00:21:15) - How have interest rates impacted your business? (00:21:49) - What are your margins? (00:25:20) - Who is your competition? (00:26:02) - Why are tires considered separate from the parts industry? (00:26:49) - Thoughts on EVs (00:30:02) - Who is your customer? (00:31:14) - What do you think about manufacturing in the US? (00:34:31) - What does the future look like for your business? (00:35:48) - David’s media goals Check out Carparts.com here Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Daryl Kenningham, CEO at Group 1 Automotive This episode is brought to you by: Cars Commerce - The platform to simplify everything about buying and selling cars. To learn how you can measure and improve your team’s follow-up performance, visit carscommerce.inc/experience Dealer Image Pro - A car with bad photos sends the wrong message about your dealership. Photo Assistant improves your photos and increases speed-to-market. Head over to makemyphotosgreatagain.com to learn more. Interested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:03:08) - The founding story of Group One (00:05:47) - Moving from OEM to the dealership side of the business (00:07:52) - What was the driving force behind going international? (00:12:24) - OEM’s appreciation for dealer networks (00:14:07) - Consumer feelings about dealerships (00:16:07) - Incentive programs (00:17:17) - Daryl’s favorite brands and opportunities right now (00:18:06) - Manufacturers side-stepping dealer laws (00:19:21) - Differentiating in service (00:24:31) - Is there any technology you’re investing in? (00:25:50) - Pick up and Delivery for Service (00:29:00) - What do you look for in new acquisitions? (00:30:55) - Are there brands you’re avoiding right now? (00:31:44) - Rebranding acquisitions to fit the brand (00:34:17) - How do you structure your operations? (00:37:15) - Growing while remaining a community-branded dealership (00:38:31) - Operating leverage and economies of scale for dealerships (00:41:17) - Are you seeing an increase in staff turnover? (00:42:55) - Pricing pressure on cars (00:48:41) - How are you thinking about your company over the next 3-5 years? Check out Group 1 Automotive here. Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Peter Kelly, CEO at OPENLANE. This episode is brought to you by: Car Dealership Guy Newsletter - Become an automotive insider in just 5 minutes. Get the weekly email that delivers transparent insights into the car market. Be the first to know where the market is moving, for free. Join here: https://newsletter.cardealershipguy.org/subscribe CarNow - The industry leader in automotive messaging and digital retailing solutions. See how CarNow can make an impact at your dealership by visiting https://info.carnow.com/cdg Interested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:02:41) - Peter’s background (00:06:40) - Were you the first fully digital auction attempt? (00:07:22) - What is Open Lane? (00:09:41) - Acquiring Manheim Canada (00:12:40) - Do you see the future of car buying being all digital? (00:14:32) - What is the key to a successful auction at your scale? (00:16:47) - Supply and demand (00:21:36) - Looking abroad for value (00:23:03) - Should American dealers be looking to Canada for vehicles? (00:25:39) - What does the future of Open Lane look like? Check out more on OPENLANE here. Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Phil Oriani, CEO of Shift Digital. This episode is brought to you by: Cars Commerce - The platform to simplify everything about buying and selling cars. To learn how you can measure and improve your team’s follow-up performance, visit carscommerce.inc/experience AutoFi - AutoFi empowers your team with digital retail technology that accelerates the sale. Learn more @ https://www.autofi.com/cdg/ Interested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:02:41) - Phil’s career journey with Shift Digital and Ford Direct (00:17:10) - How does tier 1, 2, and 3 advertising work for cars? (00:20:44) - Do traditional OEM commercials work? (00:23:19) - What tier 3 marketing have you seen work recently from dealers? (00:26:50) - Do dealers have the technology to compete with Carvana? (00:28:39) - What do you think about the trend of the leading automotive software providers consolidating under one umbrella? (00:32:44) - Who is your customer and how do you make money? (00:35:21) - What is the risk with DTC model? (00:39:43) - Harnessing the power of organic social media (00:44:36) - What does the world look like if Shift didn’t exist? (00:46:31) - Are you seeing anything in AI work to change the dealership experience? (00:50:22) - How do you see the technological landscape changing for dealerships over the next 5 years? (00:52:04) - How do you see Shift Digital evolving? Check out Shift Digital here. Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Jason Trevisan, CEO at CarGurus. This episode is brought to you by: CarNow - The industry leader in automotive messaging and digital retailing solutions. See how CarNow can make an impact at your dealership by visiting https://info.carnow.com/cdg CDK Global - Empowering dealers with the tools and technology to build deeper customer relationships. Learn more @ https://www.cdkglobal.com/dealership-xperience-platform Interested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Links: CarGurus Jason on LinkedIn CDG's emergency episode on Hyundai/Amazon Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:02:30) - Jason’s journey into automotive (00:03:32) - The impact of technology on the consumer experience (00:05:50) - Taking over as CEO (00:08:12) - CarGurus’ core business model (00:12:59) - Balancing keeping customers and dealers happy (00:14:37) - What are you doing to mitigate bad-faith actors? (00:17:45) - How do you hedge your business against Google? (00:22:42) - How do you envision the company evolving alongside the customer experience? (00:26:07) - Why is CarGurus a great option for consumers? (00:27:18) - Do you recruit Ivy League students? (00:33:38) - CarOffer (00:39:46) - Thoughts on Hyundai/Amazon (00:44:20) - How will dealer marketing change over the next 5 years? (00:49:07) - How are you thinking about the future of CarGurus? Check out CarGurus here. Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Leonard Bellavia, Founding Partner at Bellavia and Blatt Law This episode is brought to you by: CDK Global - Empowering dealers with the tools and technology to build deeper customer relationships. Learn more @ CDKglobal.com Cars Commerce - The platform to simplify everything about buying and selling cars. Learn more at carscommerce.inc Interested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:02:47) - Len’s career in law and auto (00:05:52) - How the perception of the dealer has changed over 40 years (00:11:11) - The history of franchise laws (00:15:48) - Do we still need franchise laws in today’s market? (00:21:38) Is there a world where manufacturers become retailers? (00:35:38) - What’s stopping Ford from going DTC with their EVs? (00:47:23) - The benefit of Telsa embracing a franchise system (00:51:09) - Do you get the taste of 2009 with everything we're seeing in the EV push? (00:54:09) - What are the top concerns you hear from dealers today? (00:59:21) - What brands would you recommend to buy or lease? (01:02:44) - Dealers vs. Cancer Check out Bellavia Blatt here Get in touch via email at [email protected] Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Betty Jotanovic, President of Chrysler Capital and Auto Relationships at Santander. This episode is brought to you by: AutoFi - AutoFi empowers your team with digital retail technology that accelerates the sale. Learn more @ https://www.autofi.com/cdg/ Podium - The lead conversion platform for car dealerships. Get 10% of your plan by texting “CarDealershipGuy” to (833) 441-1166 or visit https://bit.ly/48UKr4x Interested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:03:04) - Betty’s background and career (00:09:47) - Distribution channels (00:10:52) - Difficulty in signing up with new dealers (00:12:23) - What makes an excellent dealership to work with (00:15:28) - Quantifying risk (00:16:21) - Auto loan and economic concerns (00:24:28) - Quantifying risk on EVs (00:26:25) - Repossessions and fraud (00:30:37) - Balancing digital lending vs. having a physical presence (00:33:05) - Embedded advantages to being vertically integrated (00:34:46) - What do you do with all the loans once they’re issued? (00:36:10) - Reacting to the changing nature of lending (00:39:16) - Automating the lending business (00:41:44) - Macroeconomic outlooks (00:43:28) - Advice to dealers (00:45:42) - Where to learn more Check out Santander here. Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

You’re probably wondering: what is an “Emergency Podcast”? On November 18, 2023, Amazon and Hyundai made a splashy announcement that they’re teaming up to offer online car sales. I received tons of questions from dealers and consumers and decided to try something new: An impromptu, live podcast on Twitter Spaces. My special guest on this episode is Andrew Wright, a long-time car dealer and the incoming Chairman of Hyundai’s National Dealer Council. The following episode is the full, raw, and unedited recording of our discussion that occurred on November 17, 2023 @ 12pm ET. I hope you enjoy this episode and that it helps bring clarity to the situation. Please leave a comment on X, LinkedIn, YouTube, or wherever you are, and let me know if you want more of these.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Jamie Oldershaw, VP of Reputation Strategy at Cars Commerce. This episode is brought to you by: Cars Commerce - The platform to simplify everything about buying and selling cars. Learn more at carscommerce.inc AutoFi - AutoFi empowers your team with digital retail technology that accelerates the sale. Learn more @ https://www.autofi.com/cdg/ Interested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:03:02) - Jamie’s experience at DealerRater (00:13:12) - The DealerRater Product (00:17:41) - The decision-making process of the consumer (00:24:33) - How DealerRater makes money (00:26:26) - Fraud prevention (00:30:27) - Thoughts on anonymous reviews (00:32:41) - Jamie’s take on Yelp (00:35:24) - Thoughts on the state of the car market (00:37:21) - Adapting the dealership model (00:39:04) - Automating the consumer experience (00:42:27) - Patterns in Brand reviews (00:44;15) - The best way for consumers to purchase and the best way for dealers to leverage platforms like DealerRater (00:48:45) - The future for DealerRater (00:50:36) - Where to contact Jamie Check out Cars Commerce here. Get in touch with Alex by emailing him at [email protected] Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Bruce Miller, Owner of Miller Motors. This episode is brought to you by: Cars Commerce - The platform to simplify everything about buying and selling cars. Learn more at carscommerce.inc Podium - The lead conversion platform for car dealerships. Get 10% of your plan by texting “CarDealershipGuy” to (833) 441-1166 or visit https://bit.ly/48UKr4x Interested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:02:51) - Bruce’s journey into automotive (00:06:17) Bruce’s business today (00:09:57) - Bruce’s mentality in approaching business (00:12:41) - Opening up a dealership (00:27:41) - How Bruce runs his dealership (00:35:44) - Profits (00:36:56) - Marketing and tracking customers (00:39:21) - It takes 100 customers to sell 21 cars (00:41:29) - The main misconceptions about independent dealers (00:43:16) - The future of the independent dealer (00:46:42) - Learning about equity (00:50:44) - Final thoughts (00:53:06) - How to get in touch with Bruce Check out Miller Motors here. Get in touch with Bruce by calling him at (504) 615-9297 Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Alex Vetter, CEO of Cars Commerce. This episode is brought to you by: Cars Commerce - The platform to simplify everything about buying and selling cars. Learn more at carscommerce.inc AutoFi - AutoFi empowers your team with digital retail technology that accelerates the sale. Learn more @ https://www.autofi.com/cdg/ Interested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:03:04) - Ringing the bell at the NYSE (00:04:38) - Launching Cars Commerce & SaaS fatigue (00:08:30) - Alex’s approach to acquisitions (00:11:19) - Current gaps in the customer journey (00:14:57) - Focusing on commerce and thoughts on the economy (00:18:27) - The evolution of retail (00:25:17) - Instant financing (00:26:00) - How onsite behavior has changed (00:27:21) - The upside for Cars.com (00:31:39) - D2D trading (00:34:14) - The loss of the budget car (00:36:12) - Trends in the industry (00:40:00) - Final thoughts Check out Cars Commerce here. Get in touch with Alex by emailing him at [email protected] Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Chase Fraser, Founder & Managing Partner at FM Capital. This episode is brought to you by: AutoFi - AutoFi empowers your team with digital retail technology that accelerates the sale. Learn more @ https://www.autofi.com/cdg/ Podium - The lead conversion platform for car dealerships. Get 10% of your plan by texting “CarDealershipGuy” to (833) 441-1166 or visit https://bit.ly/48UKr4x Interested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:02:49) - Vroom-Carvana Saga (00:05:26) - Chase’s background and specializing in automotive (00:08:34) - Sourcing deals & areas of focus (00:11:00) - How dealers should think about autonomous cars (00:14:28) - The auto agency model (00:16:16) - Tightening parameters in VC for Autotech (00:19:51) - The state of AI in auto and how it will impact dealerships (00:28:07) - Thoughts on EVs (00:38:17) - Dealers acting as investors with Chase (00:42:21) - Regional dealership consolidations (00:44:18) - Economic concerns (00:48:36) - Advice to dealers (00:50:55) - Chase’s biggest VC wins and humbling moments (00:55:00) - Get in touch with Chase Check out FM Capital here. Check out the website for more (https://dealershipguy.com) and follow me on X @GuyDealership! (https://x.com/guydealership) This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Daniel Crainic, CEO of Time Auto Group This episode is brought to you by: CDK Global - Empowering dealers with the tools and technology to build deeper customer relationships. Learn more @ https://www.cdkglobal.com/dealership-xperience-platform Podium - The lead conversion platform for car dealerships. Get 10% off your plan by texting “CarDealershipGuy” to (833) 441-1166 or visit www.podium.com/automotive Interested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line here. Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:02:43) - Daniel’s journey into the industry (00:07:55) - Growing from 1 to 7 lots (00:09:51) - Acquiring real estate (00:13:35) - Marketing tricks (00:15:04) - Financing through Tesla stock (00:19:00) - Balancing family and work (00:20:16) - Delegation (00:21:23) - Dan’s first acquisition & moving into the franchise model (00:29:32) - The turnaround playbook (00:31:01) - Mentors (00:34:37) - Incentivizing General Managers (00:36:41) - Creating wealth in this business (00:44:20) - Biggest challenges (00:47:08) - Rebates, acquiring inventory, and technology (00:54:39) - What are you bullish on in the industry (00:58:49) - How to get in touch Check out Time Auto Group here Follow Daniel on X Email Dan at [email protected] Check out the website for me and follow me on X @GuyDealership! This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Brandon Miller, Founder of Miller Auto. This episode is brought to you by: Podium - The lead conversion platform for car dealerships. Get 10% off your plan by texting “CarDealershipGuy” to (833) 441-1166 or visit www.podium.com/automotive CDK Global - Empowering dealers with the tools and technology to build deeper customer relationships. Learn more @ https://www.cdkglobal.com/dealership-xperience-platform Interested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line here. Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:03:06) - Brandon’s previous life as the mayor of a small town (00:05:42) - Starting a dealership (00:11:40) - Funding inventory and knowing what to buy (00:15:40) - Brandon’s role at the dealership (00:16:38) - The profitability of the dealership (00:17:05) - Financing inventory (00:19:04) - Auction Strategies (00:20:03) - Building a vertically integrated company (00:22:19) - Building a Tesla modification arm of the business (00:28:25) - Monthly sales numbers (00:29:05) - Marketing strategies (00:30:08) - Profits & team structure (00:35:06) - Warranties (00:35:56) - The Tesla market in Wisconsin (00:41:20) - The impact of interest rates on dealerships (00:43:08) - Consumer lending (00:45:21) - How to get in touch with Brandon Check out Miller Auto here. Follow Miller Auto on X & Facebook Check out the website for me and follow me on X @GuyDealership! This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Barb Edson, Chief Marketing Officer at CDK Global. Interested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line here. Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) Intro (00:01:57) - Barb’s career background (00:03:47) - What is the Internet of Things? (00:04:45) - The auto industry is ripe for disruption (00:06:23) - Why the dealership is NOT going away (00:10:46) - The biggest challenges and inefficiencies in the industry (00:14:40) - What areas were you behind the 8-ball most? (00:16:20) - The CDK dealership experience (00:20:25) - The continued digital transformation of the industry (00:23:36) - Future-proofing tech (00:26:33) - Barb’s process for improving the product (00:29:51) - What changes in automotive retail over the next 5 years? (00:32:56) - Will dealers be challenged in adopting this technology? (00:34:35) - Where people can reach Barb and CDK You can learn more about CDK Global here or follow them on X @CDKGlobal. Check out the website for me and follow me on X @GuyDealership! This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with John Clay Wolfe, Founder of GivemetheVIN.com. You can check out the full story of John's historic barn find and see the cars they got ahold of here. Interested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line here. Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:01:33) - John’s early career in media and auto (00:07:17) - How John's radio career impacted his wholesaling business (00:08:52) - Starting GivemetheVIN.com (00:11:05) - Where John sources cars (00:13:26) - Acquiring a barn full of classic vehicles (00:25:57) - John’s take on the UAW strikes (00:35:01) - What car John would recommend buying right now (00:36:04) - John's focus for the next 3-6 months (00:38:55) - Thoughts on the future of vehicle wholesaling (00:41:34) - Why Carmax is the best (00:43:13) - How to reach John (00:44:58) - Closing thoughts You can check out John's radio show here and GivemetheVIN here. Check out the website for me and follow me on X @GuyDealership! This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Frank McKenna, Co-Founder and Chief Fraud Strategist at Point Predictive. This episode is brought to you in partnership with Point Predictive. You can access the free Point Predictive Auto Lending Fraud Report here. Interested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here (00:00) - Intro (01:15) - Frank’s background & Why Point Predictive exists (05:55) - The massive scale and spectrum of fraud (12:15) - Keeping up with evolving fraud methods (26:35) - Are independent dealers riskier than franchise dealers? (37:33) - Preventing losses and making money (43:07) - How COVID enabled a new cohort of fraudsters (45:35) - Wrapping up Follow Frank on X @frankonfraud and on LinkedIn here. Check out the website for me and follow me on X @GuyDealership! This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Jason Putnam, Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Tactical Fleet. Interested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here 00:00 - Intro 01:00 - Jason's background 05:35 - Attracting exotic clients 11:45 - Selling to Sonic Automotive 14:15 - Unit Economics 25:00 - Scaling, customer profiles, internet money 35:52 - The best "deals" in exotic right now 38:15 - Macro forecast, wrapping up Follow Jason on LinkedIn and check out Tactical Fleet's website. Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more and follow me on X ⁠⁠⁠⁠@GuyDealership⁠⁠⁠⁠! This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

This episode is brought to you by: ⁠⁠KEYper Systems⁠⁠ - Key Management Simplified. Fullpath - Discover Automotive's Leading Customer Data and Experience Platform. In this episode, I'm speaking with Rick Ricart, President of Ricart Automotive. Interested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here 00:00 - Intro 02:40 - The Ricart Family & Rick’s background 08:08 - Sponsorship deals in the era of NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) 12:29 - Marketing, media, crafting company culture 19:46 - Ricart’s unique business model 28:30 - Ricart’s fastest-growing division 35:03 - Optimizing the online buying experience 50:02 - Lending, negative equity, repossessions 54:00 - Rick’s marketing idea that didn’t get picked up 56:55 - Inside look at OEM politics and EV rumors 1:01:40 - How manufacturers will change and adapt to new market trends 1:08:00 - Software and investing in the future 1:14:19 - Wrapping up Follow Rick: @RickRicart on X. Rickart Automotive's website. Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more and follow me on X ⁠⁠⁠⁠@GuyDealership⁠⁠⁠⁠! This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

This episode is brought to you by: ⁠KEYper Systems⁠ - Key Management Simplified. Interested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here Today, I'm speaking with Jonathan Smoke, Chief Economist at Cox Automotive. 00:00 - Intro 02:00 - DJ Smokey Smoke returns 05:55 - The general state of the market 15:25 - Interest rates and how they affect the industry 18:03 - Supply & demand, inventory issues, price improvements 26:55 - Winners & losers in the EV space 34:00 - Used car market update 38:30 - Will UAW strike? 48:00 - Best deals for consumers right now 52:25 - The state of auto lending 1:03:10 - Wrapping up Follow Jonathan: @SmokeonCars on X. Jonathan's LinkedIn. Smoke on Cars insights at Cox Automotive. Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more and follow me on X ⁠⁠⁠@GuyDealership⁠⁠⁠! This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

This episode is brought to you by: ⁠KEYper Systems⁠ - Key Management Simplified. Interested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line here Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here In this episode, I'm speaking with Robert Hollenshead, Founder of R. Hollenshead Auto Sales and Accu-Trade. 00:00 - Intro 02:21 - Bob's background 08:27 - Lack of transparency back in the day 13:11 - Creating things the industry needed 35:24 - Accu-Trade, Galves, Manheim index, Kelly Blue Book 48:31 - Consensus forces bad decisions 55:59 - A.I. & The future of auctions 1:07:16 - Wrapping up Follow Robert: ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ⁠R. Hollenshead Auto Sales⁠ ⁠Accu-Trade⁠ ⁠Galves⁠ Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more and follow me on X ⁠⁠⁠@GuyDealership⁠⁠⁠! This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

This episode is brought to you by: KEYper Systems - Key Management Simplified. In this episode, I'm speaking with Kevin Malik, CEO of RunBuggy. 00:00 - Intro 01:54 - Kevin’s background 04:36 - Getting involved with RunBuggy 12:54 - Building the MVP and getting funded 18:04 - The hauling business 21:28 - How RunBuggy makes money 32:57 - Challenges with scale 36:02 - Zooming out 43:17 - Wrapping up Follow Kevin & check out RunBuggy: Kevin's LinkedIn RunBuggy's website Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠the website⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more and follow me on X ⁠⁠@GuyDealership⁠⁠! Interested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Drop us a line ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠. This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.