Car Dealership Guy Podcast

In this episode of the Industry Spotlight, joining host Sam D'Arc are Travis Siebert, SVP at DealerPay, and Kris Towle, Chief Accounting Officer at Niello Company to discuss why one of the auto industry's oldest processes, collecting cash and checks from parts and service customers, still costs dealerships money, time, and trust.

They speak candidly about the safety risk of sending drivers out with cash, why most dealerships never question an outdated process until something goes wrong, and why live phone support, not just software, is what keeps a group this size from ever looking at another...

Today's show features:

- Wes Lloyd, Service Director at Stuckey Auto

- Spencer Nicholson, Fixed Operations Director at Stuckey Automotive

- Ryan Maher, CEO at BizzyCar

- Galal Hamdy, Strategic Relationship Leader at Zurich U.S. – Direct Markets

This episode is brought to you by:

Zurich – Zurich Advisor IQ is Zurich’s AI-driven training and coaching platform built to help F&I teams perform more consistently and sell more effect...

Laddie Stern is the Founder of Stern Auto Group, a 20-store empire he has built over 65 years in the car business.

He started as a wholesaler for his uncle before buying and scaling the Skyline and Hatfield auctions into the country's largest privately held auction company, then returned to grow a new car group alongside his son Jonathan.

He speaks candidly about the 2008 downturn that changed how he manages cash for good, the mistakes he made prioritizing the business over his family, and what he looks for before letting the next generation, including his own...

Today's show features:

- Tustin Ulrich, General Manager at Roper Kia

- Mike Yates, General Manager at BMW of Bridgewater

- Mike McVeigh, Sales Manager at Jeff D'Ambrosio Auto Group

This episode is brought to you by:

Zurich – Zurich Advisor IQ is Zurich’s AI-driven training and coaching platform built to help F&I teams perform more consistently and sell more effectively — using real transaction data, not theory.

By analyz...

Kielan Whitner made more in his first 90 days selling cars than he made in an entire year working as a certified public accountant at a Big Four firm, and he says that gap is exactly why automotive struggles to attract the talent it needs.

A fourth-generation dealer, he built his foundation on the fixed side of the business, service advisor to service manager, before stepping into the general manager role, and now leans on a network of industry mentors and organizations like NAMAD to keep leveling up.

Topics:

04:20 90 Days Beat...

Today's show features:

- Nathan Shaver, Managing Partner at Shaver Auto Group

- Christopher Schrementi, Managing Director at Gallagher

- Chris Singleton, Managing Partner at Mike Terry Auto Group

This episode is brought to you by:

Zurich – Zurich Advisor IQ is Zurich’s AI-driven training and coaching platform built to help F&I teams perform more consistently and sell more effectively — using real transaction data, not theory.

By analyzing actual...

In this episode of the Industry Spotlight, joining host Sam D'Arc are John Keohane, VP of Operations and Partner at Temecula Valley Buick GMC, and Liam Golightly, SVP of Customer Success at Podium to discuss how AI operator agents are giving dealership leaders a way to run their entire operation without being in every conversation themselves.

John built his own AI agent, which he nicknamed Emily, to scrape telematics data, run weekly revival campaigns on stale leads, and even coach his sales team by timing how fast they respond before Emily steps in.

The results...

Today's show features:

- Diana Lee, CEO and Founder at Constellation

- Felicia Barr, Service Director at Bertera Auto Group

- Bobby Perkins, Fixed Operations Director at Lexus Montgomery & Toyota of Montgomery

This episode is brought to you by:

Digital Dealer – Lost opportunities and slow processes are quietly draining your dealership's bottom line — Digital Dealer fixes that with real sessions, hands-on labs, and live demos covering sales, service, marketing, and AI, so you walk away...

Alan Haig is the President and founder of Haig Partners, the leading merger and acquisition advisory firm for auto dealerships, where he has guided some of the industry's largest deals.

He tracks buy-sell trends and franchise values across every major brand, and he's watched Infiniti collapse further than any other name in the business while Toyota and Lexus keep climbing.

He speaks candidly about which franchises are worth buying today, which ones aren't, and what a wave of new competition from China could do to dealership values.

Topics:

03:30...

Today's show features:

- Glenn Lundy, President at 800% Elite Automotive Club

- Jaymie Nielsen, Show Director at Digital Dealer

- Al Salas, Founder/Chairman at Eco Auto

This episode is brought to you by:

Digital Dealer – Lost opportunities and slow processes are quietly draining your dealership's bottom line — Digital Dealer fixes that with real sessions, hands-on labs, and live demos covering sales, service, marketing, and AI, so you walk away with strategies you can use...

Leo Portaluppi says the accountability gap holding back growing dealer groups is one owners create themselves.

He argues that titles without real equity produce managers who still think like employees, and that fixing it means giving partners a real path to owning 10, then 20 percent of the store they run.

Topics:

02:10 Fixed Needs Variable, Vice Versa.

04:10 "If You Want Reliable, Don't Buy This."

08:25 Oil-Change Dad Built An Empire.

15:00 Don't Hire Bad Habits, Train Them.

17:00 App Steers Customers To Right Store.

21:00 GMs...

Today's show features:

- Ashley Cavazos, President at WOCAN & Moderator/Trainer at NCM Associates

- Steve Gates, President at Gates Auto Family

- Cody Lusk, President/CEO at American International Automobile Dealers Association (AIADA)

- David Spisak, President/CEO at Disruptive Growth Solutions, LLC

This episode is brought to you by:

Digital Dealer – Lost opportunities and slow processes are quietly draining your dealership's bottom line — Digital Dealer fixes that with...

Today's show features:

- David Hennessey, VP of Fixed Operations at Harris Auto Group

- Tully Williams, Fixed Operations Director at The Niello Company

- Owen Montgomery, Service Advisor at Chariot Automotive Group

This episode is brought to you by:

800% Elite Automotive Club – 800% Elite Auto is a whole-dealership solution. Live weekly training and 1-on-1 executive coaching align Owners, Sales, F&I, BDC, Marketing, and Culture into one well oiled machine. The result? A guaranteed 25% sa...

In this episode of the Industry Spotlight, joining host Sam D'Arc are Eric Cohen, CEO of Merchant Advocate, and Cole Frankman, Owner/Operator of Frankman Motors, to discuss why credit card processing fees keep climbing year after year and how dealers can uncover the hidden increases buried in their merchant statements.

Eric reveals that 80 percent of dealerships he reviews are being overcharged by 20 to 25 percent, and explains why the fee never really stops rising: the sales rep who set up the account earns a cut of every transaction for as long as the dealer stays a client. <...

Today's show features:

- Glenn Lundy, President at 800% Elite Automotive Club

- Jay Law, Head of Sales at Car Dealership Guy

- Jad Naamani, Director of Marketing at Seez

- Chad Cunningham, CEO at DuPONT Registry Exchange and Live

This episode is brought to you by:

800% Elite Automotive Club – 800% Elite Auto is a whole-dealership solution. Live weekly training and 1-on-1 executive coaching align Owners, Sales, F&I, BDC, Marketing, an...

Matt Haiken is the President of Prestige Auto Group, a second-generation dealer who has run stores under the Lincoln, Volvo, and Polestar brands for more than 20 years.

He built LotVision, an AI platform that gives dealers live analytics on competitors' inventory, and he watched Polestar pull its franchise from under him with almost no warning.

Topics:

13:40 Carvana Runs Without Sales Managers.

21:00 Tesla's Calculator Is The Gold Standard.

24:10 Brokers Fill Dealer Blind Spots.

27:45 Broker Deals Lost $2,000 Each.

29:55 OEM Awards Are Addictive.

31:50...

Today's show features:

- Phil Pecoraro, Operating Partner at Murdock CDJR

- Jason Swiech, Sr. Product Marketer, F&I at CDK Global

- Jimmy Anderson, GM at Checkered Flag Porsche

This episode is brought to you by:

800% Elite Automotive Club – 800% Elite Auto is a whole-dealership solution. Live weekly training and 1-on-1 executive coaching align Owners, Sales, F&I, BDC, Marketing, and Culture into one well oiled machine. The result? A guaranteed 25% sales increase in 90 da...

In this episode of the Industry Spotlight, joining host Sam D'Arc are Alex Lawrence, CEO and co-founder of EVauto, and Chris Roig, Director of Sales Engineering at Netchex, to discuss how the country's largest EV-only dealer group is scaling into new states without letting payroll and HR become the bottleneck.

Alex reveals a payroll tax scare that nearly caught EVauto off guard and how a surprise refund from the IRS became a turning point.

Now growing toward 4,000 cars a year across three states, he explains why he trusts AI to approve timecards and overtime, and...

Today's show features:

- Bob Kuehl, Vice President of Fixed Operations at Zeigler Automotive Group

- David Meltzer, Owner at David Meltzer Enterprises

This episode is brought to you by:

Podium – Most AI is a black box. Podium's is yours to control — and it increases conversion by upwards of 26%. Check it out at podium.com Check it out at https://www.podium.com/

Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff:

CDG C...

Matt Muilenburg is the Chief Product Officer at Impel, a company building the AI platform used by thousands of dealerships to run sales, service, and fixed operations.

He has spent thirty years working in dealer technology, starting at the Cobalt Group in the early internet era. He has focused on the impact of artificial intelligence on dealership operations over the last several years.

Topics:

09:55 The Trade-In Lead Killing Profits.

18:40 Smallest Dealers Face Biggest Existential Risk.

21:40 First $100K Goes To Fixed Ops.

25:00 50% Of Dealers Use...

Today's show features:

- Jeff Laethem, President at Ray Laethem Buick GMC

- Malcolm Gage, General Manager at Park Place Motorcars Arlington

- Peter McKay, Owner at Car Dealership Kid

This episode is brought to you by:

Podium – Most AI is a black box. Podium's is yours to control — and it increases conversion by upwards of 26%. Check it out at podium.com Check it out at https://www.podium.com/

Ch...

Today I'm joined by Eddie Stivers, President of Stivers Auto Group.

He breaks down why his own cost of people sits at 56% of gross against Carvana's 20%, and the plan to fix it within 36 months.

Eddie also unpacks how he is using Claude to catch missed fleet sales and rethink decades of gut-feel vehicle ordering.

Topics:

03:30Ford Hit Dead Last In Satisfaction.

08:05Stivers Buys Broken Toys.

10:30Repeatable Turnaround Playbook Works.

14:16Car Business Is Now Tech-Driven.

37:35AI Disrupts Dealerships In 18 Months.

Today's show features:

- Robert O'Koniewski, Executive Vice President and General Counsel at Massachusetts State Automobile Dealers Association (MADA)

- Dan Mowid, Senior Division Reinsurance Executive, Direct Markets at Zurich North America

- Josh Wear, Vice President of Underwriting, Direct Markets at Zurich North America

- Chris Hudson, General Manager at Mark Miller Subaru

This episode is brought to you by:

Podium – Most AI is a black box. Podium's is...

Today's show features:

- Jeff Pister, Executive Manager at Honda Marysville

- Chris Collins, Owner at Chris Collins Inc

- Nicolas Salvo Labelle, Fixed Ops Manager at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Quebec

This episode is brought to you by:

Zurich – Zurich Advisor IQ is Zurich’s AI-driven training and coaching platform built to help F&I teams perform more consistently and sell more effectively — using real transaction data, not theory. By analyzing actual F&I transa...

Today I'm joined by Jimmy Douglas, Founder & CEO at Plug.

He breaks down why the top used EV dealers turn inventory in 30 days instead of 59 while selling for 3% more, and shares the arbitrage move of stocking a competitor's EV so you capture a sale that was happening anyway.

Topics:

00:47 Tax Credits Killed EV Residuals.

08:20 Selling A Computer On Wheels.

18:29 Live With An EV For One Month.

21:35 Stack Teslas For Massive Arbitrage.

27:25 Detroit's Global EV Future Is Bleak.

39:52 Build More Bays...

Today's show features:

- Rob Dell, Vice President at Bob Ruth Ford

- Jeremy Miller, Director of National Partnerships at In the Car

- Kelly Midgett, Owner at Kelly’s Automotive

This episode is brought to you by:

Zurich – Zurich Advisor IQ is Zurich’s AI-driven training and coaching platform built to help F&I teams perform more consistently and sell more effectively — using real transaction data, not theory. By analyzing actual F&I transact...

Today I'm joined by Frank Esparza, General Manager at Tracy Honda.

Frank walks through how his Honda store in Tracy, California, turned a stagnant pay plan into more than a million dollars in net profit growth in twelve months.

He breaks down enforcing minimum sales standards, why he moved his advertising budget from broad reach to buyers already in the market, and how a lending partner is approving finance deals that traditional banks reject outright.

Topics:

03:00 Raising Standards Drove $1M Growth.

09:20 The Marketing Company That Worked.<...

Today's show features:

- Paul Sansone III, General Manager at Sansone Jr’s Keyport Kia

- Billy Sherman, Sales Manager at Sansone Jr’s Keyport Kia

- Travis Baldwin, Vice President at Best Deal Auto Sales

This episode is brought to you by:

Zurich – Zurich Advisor IQ is Zurich’s AI-driven training and coaching platform built to help F&I teams perform more consistently and sell more effectively — using real transaction data, not theory. By analyzi...

Today's show features:

- Mike Stanton, President & CEO at National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA)

- Danny Negalha, Corporate Fixed Ops Director at McGovern Automotive Group

- Chris Skinner, Fixed Operations Director at Granbury Nissan

This episode is brought to you by:

Experian – Experian Automotive helps marketers identify and engage high-value auto shoppers, strengthen customer loyalty, grow service revenue, and activate 1,100+ automotive audiences across 30+ advertising platforms. Learn more here: https://carguymedia.com/3RTNi9H

...

Today I'm joined by George Karolis, President at The Presidio Group.

George breaks down why the average dealer is over 70 years old with no succession plan, why nearly 18% of dealers now say they want to sell in the next year, and why the biggest groups are trading luxury stores rather than walking away from them entirely.

He also unpacks why Toyota stores now trade like BMW and Mercedes dealerships, and why Carvana's rapid new-car growth might not be the experiment dealers think it is.

Topics:

02:30 Ernie Garcia's Tight-Lipped...

Today's show features:

- Yossi Levi, Founder at Car Dealership Guy

- Matt Sokolowski, COO at Willis Automotive

- Jaiden Bobo, Sales and Leadership Intern at Willis Automotive

- Glen Trafford, General Manager at Salmon Arm Toyota

This episode is brought to you by:

Experian – Experian Automotive helps marketers identify and engage high-value auto shoppers, strengthen customer loyalty, grow service revenue, and activate 1,100+ automotive audiences across 30+ advertising platforms. Learn mo...

Today I'm joined by Husband and Wife, Kelly and Rob Ruth of Bob Ruth Ford.

Married 24 years, Rob and Kelly built the dealership together while he worked bell-to-bell, 78-hour weeks, and she ran the household solo, raising their kids largely on her own.

Kelly reveals the role she played long before it had a title, shaping personnel decisions from behind the scenes and backing Rob's zero-revenue media bet on nothing but belief before any money came in.

Topics:

05:45 Why Growth Meant Letting Go.

07:20 The Two-Year Transition.<...

Today's show features:

- Shane Helms, Founder / CEO at TrueView Media Group

- Shelley Pratt, Director, Media, Activations, and Business Intelligence at Nissan USA

- Kristin Coleman, Vice President Marketing at AutoNation

- Mario Diez, CEO at Peer39

This episode is brought to you by:

Experian – Experian Automotive helps marketers identify and engage high-value auto shoppers, strengthen customer loyalty, grow service revenue, and activate 1,100+ automotive audiences across 30+ advertising platforms. Le...

In this episode of the Industry Spotlight, joining host Sam D'Arc are Bill O'flanagan, Dealer Principal at Reedman Toll Auto Group, and Todd Kaminski, Head of Direct Markets at Zurich North America to discuss the one interview question that predicts almost everything about whether a new hire will thrive or wash out, and why building a culture of transparency and daily accountability is the real fix for automotive's turnover problem.

O'Flanagan shares his go-to interview question, "Who was your best boss and why, and who was your worst boss and why," and explains how the answer tells...

Today's show features:

- Glenn Lundy, President at 800% Elite Automotive Club

- Brian Benstock, Vice President & General Manager at Paragon Honda and Paragon Acura

- Kyle Coleman, President & CEO, Coleman Automotive Group

This episode is brought to you by:

The Presidio Group – Today’s episode is brought to you by The Presidio Group, one of the automotive industry’s leading buy-sell advisors. Visit Presidio’s new Research & Reports portal for M&A insights, blue sky mult...

Today I'm joined by Matt Leone, CEO at DriveCentric.

Matt breaks down why one dealer group ditched a $100,000 Salesforce contract they were barely using, why building your own software rarely pays off the way it promises, and why the next fight in the industry is over who actually owns the customer relationship.

Topics:

06:00 The Referee Analogy For Software.

11:50 Consolidation Isn't Happening.

18:30 You're Replacing 7 Vendors.

24:50 Why They Sell You A Car Post-Purchase.

35:10 Auto Is Still A Handshake Industry.

...

Today's show features:

- Jay Law, Head of Partnerships at Car Dealership Guy

- JB Burnett, Executive General Manager at Preston Automotive Group

- Robert Ebin, Director of Legal Affairs at KPA

- Jeff Pister, Executive Manager at Honda Marysville

This episode is brought to you by:

Presidio – Today’s episode is brought to you by The Presidio Group, one of the automotive industry’s leading buy-sell advisors. Visit Presid...

Today I'm joined by Kelley Stumpe, Founder & CEO at The Car Mom.

She has built the largest online following of car-buying moms in the country, and she has never taken a dollar from a manufacturer to do it.

That refusal has gotten her blacklisted from press events and cut off from loaner cars, but it has also made her the most trusted voice family car shoppers turn to.

Topics:

04:00 The Most Car Seat-Friendly SUV.

06:30 Selling To Women Isn't Different.

09:30 The Seven-Door Car Parents Want.<...

Today's show features:

- Charlie Spradlin, General Manager at Art Moehn Auto Group

- John Murphy, Used Vehicle Director at Holler-Classic Automotive

This episode is brought to you by:

Presidio – Today’s episode is brought to you by The Presidio Group, one of the automotive industry’s leading buy-sell advisors. Visit Presidio’s new Research & Reports portal for M&A insights, blue sky multiples, exclusive benchmark data with NCM Associates, dealer sentiment, and analysis of the trends shaping automotive retail a...

Today's show features:

- Ryan Downing, Dealer Principal / Owner at Ross Downing Auto Group

- Jay Trivedi, Dealer Principal/Owner at Jay's Chevrolet GMC

This episode is brought to you by:

Haig – Haig Partners – When it comes to selling your life’s work, trust the only advisors who have built a reputation for maximizing value for family-owned dealerships. The team at Haig Partners has achieved record-setting values across multiple franchises and has represented more owners in the sale of their...