“Burn The Ships!” – Scott Simons’ Tactics for Fixing a Dealership From the Ground Up | Scott Simons, Dealer Principal of Simons Chevrolet GMC
Car Dealership Guy Podcast
Timing Issues: Licenses, Banks, Inspections
Scott outlines bureaucratic sequencing that delays full operations and why launches realistically take weeks.
Today I’m joined by Scott Simons, Dealer Principal of Simons Chevrolet GMC.
Scott breaks down the leap from corporate leadership to dealership ownership — the money discipline, personal brand, and network it actually takes.
He lays out the unexpected challenges of buying his first store, how he navigated a sub-$10M investment, and why adaptability became his biggest edge. Dealers will walk away with clear, tactical insights on evaluating opportunities, managing risk, and jump-starting early growth.
This episode is brought to you by:
1. vAuto - Join us at the Cox Automotive Village during NADA. See the latest vAuto innovations and talk to our experts. Reserve your spot now at https://www.coxautoinc.com/nada/vauto. Don’t miss it—your next big advantage starts here. Visit @ https://www.coxautoinc.com/nada/vauto
2. Lotlinx - What if ChatGPT actually spoke dealer? Meet LotGPT — the first AI chatbot built just for car dealers. Fluent in your market, your dealership, and your inventory, LotGPT delivers instant insights to help you merchandise smarter, move inventory faster, and maximize profit. It pulls from your live inventory, CRM, and Google Analytics to give VIN-specific recommendations, helping dealers price vehicles accurately, spot wasted spend, and uncover the hottest opportunities — all in seconds. LotGPT is free for dealers, but invite-only. Join the waitlist now @ http://www.Lotlinx.com/LotGPT
3. Nomad Content Studio - Most dealers still fumble social—posting dry inventory pics or handing it off without a plan. Meanwhile, the store down the street is racking up millions of views and selling / buying cars using video. That’s where Nomad Content Studio comes in. We train your own videographer, direct what to shoot, and handle strategy, to posting, to feedback. Want in with the team behind George Saliba, EV Auto, and top auto groups? Book a call @ http://www.trynomad.co
Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff:
For dealers:
CDG Circles ➤ https://cdgcircles.com/
Industry job board ➤ http://jobs.dealershipguy.com
Dealership recruiting ➤ http://www.cdgrecruiting.com
Fix your dealership’s social media ➤ http://www.trynomad.co
Request to be a podcast guest ➤ http://www.cdgguest.com
For industry vendors:
Advertise with Car Dealership Guy ➤ http://www.cdgpartner.com
Industry job board ➤ http://jobs.dealershipguy.com
Request to be a podcast guest ➤ http://www.cdgguest.com
Topics:
03:10 Key to acquiring the dealership?
06:24 How does family drive your motivation?
11:42 Biggest operational challenge and strategy?
14:13 Most crucial vendor relationship lesson?
24:59 Securing OEM approval: hardest part?
28:42 How to build a strong team?
29:52 How does networking drive career growth?
49:27 What is your ultimate legacy goal?
Car Dealership Guy Socials:
Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com
The AI-powered Podcast Player
