Car Dealership Guy Podcast

Today's show features: Bill Vaughn, General Manager of Al West Nissan, Ed Petersen, CEO of Wrench, Ryan Knight, Director of Operations at Knight Automotive Group. This episode is brought to you by: BizzyCar – How are top dealers keeping service profits high—even in uncertain times? They're using BizzyCar—the “easy button” for turning recall opportunities into real revenue. Built by dealers, for dealers, BizzyCar’s AI-powered Recall Management and Mobile Service Platform helps service departments reengage lost customers, fill service bays, and boost revenue. Try BizzyCar today and get a special offer only for CDG listeners at https://carguymedia.com/bizzycar Wrench – Want to boost your gross profits by selling prepaid maintenance, without a service center? This new offering levels the playing field between independents like me and the big dealers. Wrench TotalCare lets you offer mobile maintenance plans—oil changes, tire rotations, even brakes—all done at your customer’s home. Your customers get convenience. You get more revenue on every deal. And if you’re using DealerCenter, it’s already built into your workflow for seamless upsells.Not on DealerCenter? No problem. Visit https://carguymedia.com/wrench_ddl and start earning on every deal today. Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here: ⁠⁠https://cdgpartner.com⁠⁠ Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here: ⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3Suismu⁠⁠ Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff: CDG News ➤ ⁠⁠⁠https://news.dealershipguy.com/⁠⁠⁠ CDG Jobs ➤ ⁠⁠⁠https://jobs.dealershipguy.com/⁠⁠⁠ CDG Recruiting ➤ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/⁠⁠⁠ My Socials: X ➤ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.twitter.com/GuyDealership⁠⁠⁠ Instagram ➤ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/cardealershipguy/⁠⁠⁠ TikTok ➤ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@guydealership⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn ➤ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy/⁠⁠⁠ Threads ➤ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@cardealershipguy⁠⁠⁠ Facebook ➤ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683⁠⁠⁠ Everything else ➤⁠⁠⁠ dealershipguy.com

Jack Hollis, the former COO of Toyota Motor North America, shares insights from his impressive 30-year career at Toyota. He discusses his surprising exit at the peak of success, emphasizing the importance of humility in leadership. The conversation shifts to adapting dealerships to meet evolving consumer demands, especially with the rise of electric vehicles. Hollis also highlights the potential for customer-centric services and the need for dealerships to integrate technology while maintaining human connection and authenticity. His personal journey reflects a commitment to excellence and the balance between career and family life.

Today's show features: Brian Benstock, Partner GM of Paragon Honda, Curtis Biggs, General Manager of NewRoads Mazda, Alex Lawrence, CEO of EV Auto. This episode is brought to you by: BizzyCar – How are top dealers keeping service profits high—even in uncertain times? They're using BizzyCar—the “easy button” for turning recall opportunities into real revenue. Built by dealers, for dealers, BizzyCar’s AI-powered Recall Management and Mobile Service Platform helps service departments reengage lost customers, fill service bays, and boost revenue. Try BizzyCar today and get a special offer only for CDG listeners at https://carguymedia.com/bizzycar Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here: https://cdgpartner.com Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here: https://bit.ly/3Suismu Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here: ⁠⁠https://cdgpartner.com⁠⁠ Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here: ⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3Suismu⁠⁠ Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff: CDG News ➤ ⁠⁠⁠https://news.dealershipguy.com/⁠⁠⁠ CDG Jobs ➤ ⁠⁠⁠https://jobs.dealershipguy.com/⁠⁠⁠ CDG Recruiting ➤ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/⁠⁠⁠ My Socials: X ➤ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.twitter.com/GuyDealership⁠⁠⁠ Instagram ➤ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/cardealershipguy/⁠⁠⁠ TikTok ➤ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@guydealership⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn ➤ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy/⁠⁠⁠ Threads ➤ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@cardealershipguy⁠⁠⁠ Facebook ➤ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683⁠⁠⁠ Everything else ➤⁠⁠⁠ dealershipguy.com

Today's show features: Patricia Muyshondt, CMO of Sames Motor Company, Brett Morgan, CEO of Morgan Automotive Group, Preston Stewart, National Variable Operations Director at Napleton Automotive Group. This episode is brought to you by: CDG Recruiting – Hire top dealership talent, fast. From sales managers to GMs and C-suite execs, we’ve placed over 1,000 roles across auto retail. Ready to scale without the hassle? Visit ⁠cdgrecruiting.com⁠ to get started. Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here: ⁠https://cdgpartner.com⁠ Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here: ⁠https://bit.ly/3Suismu⁠ Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff: CDG News ➤ ⁠⁠https://news.dealershipguy.com/⁠⁠ CDG Jobs ➤ ⁠⁠https://jobs.dealershipguy.com/⁠⁠ CDG Recruiting ➤ ⁠⁠https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/⁠⁠ My Socials: X ➤ ⁠⁠https://www.twitter.com/GuyDealership⁠⁠ Instagram ➤ ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/cardealershipguy/⁠⁠ TikTok ➤ ⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@guydealership⁠⁠ LinkedIn ➤ ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy/⁠⁠ Threads ➤ ⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@cardealershipguy⁠⁠ Facebook ➤ ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683⁠⁠ Everything else ➤⁠⁠ dealershipguy.com

Today I’m joined by Jimmy Douglas, CEO of Plug. We dive into why over half of dealers are missing an entire used segment, how two months on the lot is the tipping point for EV valuations, why dealers are shipping EVs an average of 800 miles — and much more. This episode is brought to you by: 1. Copart – Are you looking to expand your dealership’s wholesale inventory? Finding front-line ready vehicles from finance, fleet, and rental consignors is now easier than ever. Copart Select gives you transparency that drives profitability and the assurance you need. Register as a Member to Get Started @ www.copart.com/doRegistration 2. Podium - With Podium’s AI BDC, dealerships are seeing an 80% increase in after-hours appointments by handling leads 24/7. Instantly respond to inquiries, book test drives, and let your team focus on what matters: closing deals. Learn how Podium can help you sell more cars @ http://www.podium.com/car-dealership-guy 3. Plug – The only wholesale auction built for EV’s, making used EV buying fast, transparent, and profitable. If your dealership is taking EV trade-ins you need to check out https://plug.vin/ Need help finding top automotive talent? Get started here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cdgpartner.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3Suismu⁠ Topics: 00:15 Why are EV trade-ins important? 03:09 How did you transition to Tesla? 04:45 Key lessons from Elon Musk? 08:33 Biggest secondary EV market challenges? 10:32 How charging networks impact value? 22:39 How does Trade Desk work? 26:53 What EV trends excite dealers? 32:11 Where is EV charging headed? 42:59 Hardest part of founding company? Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff: CDG News ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://news.dealershipguy.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ CDG Jobs ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://jobs.dealershipguy.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ CDG Recruiting ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Socials: X ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠x.com/GuyDealership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/cardealershipguy/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tiktok.com/@guydealership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threads ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠threads.net/@cardealershipguy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Everything else ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠dealershipguy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

Today's show includes Chris Barman, CEO of Slate Auto, Ryan Maher, CEO of Bizzycar, and Austin Conroy, Fixed Ops Director at Rohrman Toyota. This episode is brought to you by: CDG Recruiting – Hire top dealership talent, fast. From sales managers to GMs and C-suite execs, we’ve placed over 1,000 roles across auto retail. Ready to scale without the hassle? Visit cdgrecruiting.com to get started. BizzyCar - How are top dealers keeping service profits high—even in uncertain times? They're using BizzyCar—the “easy button” for turning recall opportunities into real revenue. Built by dealers, for dealers, BizzyCar’s AI-powered Recall Management and Mobile Service Platform helps service departments reengage lost customers, fill service bays, and boost revenue. Try BizzyCar today and get a special offer only for CDG listeners at https://carguymedia.com/bizzycar Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here: https://cdgpartner.com Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here: https://bit.ly/3Suismu Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff: CDG News ➤ ⁠https://news.dealershipguy.com/⁠ CDG Jobs ➤ ⁠https://jobs.dealershipguy.com/⁠ CDG Recruiting ➤ ⁠https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/⁠ My Socials: X ➤ ⁠https://www.twitter.com/GuyDealership⁠ Instagram ➤ ⁠https://www.instagram.com/cardealershipguy/⁠ TikTok ➤ ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@guydealership⁠ LinkedIn ➤ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy/⁠ Threads ➤ ⁠https://www.threads.net/@cardealershipguy⁠ Facebook ➤ ⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683⁠ Everything else ➤⁠ dealershipguy.com

Today I’m joined by Brad Wise, executive manager at Ferman Chevrolet Mazda. We dive into his mission to sell 900 cars a month, why he’s handing out hundreds in cash to his service team five times a day, how “energy vampires” kill sales culture — and more. This episode is brought to you by: 1. Kenect AI – The platform auto dealers are using to gather reviews, generate leads, and improve their online reputation, all powered by AI @ http://www.kenect.ai 2. CarGurus - maximize your performance on the #1 most visited car shopping site in the U.S. With data-driven intelligence on what to buy, how to improve the visibility of your listings, and how to optimize pricing, CarGurus will help drive revenue at every stage. Learn more @ http://insights.cargurus.com/cdg - Similarweb, Traffic Report (Cars.com, Autotrader, TrueCar, CARFAX Listings (defined as CARFAX Total visits minus Vehicle History Reports traffic), Q4'24, USA. - CarGurus analysis of US dealers that changed a vehicle price based on NBDR recommendations compared to vehicles without an NBDR- informed price change from Nov 2023 through Dec 2024, finding that dealers that made NBDR-price informed change see a 42% median increase in VDP views per day. - Market Probe International, blinded survey of 600 dealers, Aug 2024. Based on 313 dealers who pay for at least two listings sites. 3. CDG Recruiting - The Go-To Talent Partner for Dealers. Hire pre-vetted GMs, sales, F&I, fixed ops, C-suite, and back-office talent—ready to perform. Faster hires, better results. Book a call → http://www.CDGRecruiting.com Need help finding top automotive talent? Get started here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cdgpartner.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3Suismu⁠ Topics: 00:19 How to build business resilience? 01:05 What defines Ferman's leadership legacy? 03:31 How to build winning teams? 06:18 Why prioritize ethics and compliance? 16:28 Keys to operational excellence? 24:49 Best incremental growth strategies? 26:54 Why obsess over research? 32:51 Innovations in used car sales? 36:59 How to measure progress/happiness? Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff: CDG News ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://news.dealershipguy.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ CDG Jobs ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://jobs.dealershipguy.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ CDG Recruiting ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Socials: X ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠x.com/GuyDealership⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/cardealershipguy/⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠tiktok.com/@guydealership⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threads ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠threads.net/@cardealershipguy⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683⁠⁠⁠⁠ Everything else ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠dealershipguy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

Today's show includes Chad Cunningham, CEO of DuPONT Registry Exchange, Andy Wright, Managing Partner of VINart Dealerships. This episode is brought to you by: CDG Recruiting - Building on the success of my industry job board, I’m launching CDG Recruiting — a more hands-on, white-glove automotive recruiting service. Our team has decades of experience and has successfully placed over 1,000 roles in the automotive industry. So if you’re ready to find your next rockstar employee, try CDG Recruiting today by visiting cdgrecruiting.com Need help finding top automotive talent? Get started here: https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/ Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here: https://cdgpartner.com Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here: https://bit.ly/3Suismu Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff: CDG News ➤ https://news.dealershipguy.com/ CDG Jobs ➤ https://jobs.dealershipguy.com/ CDG Recruiting ➤ https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/ My Socials: X ➤ https://www.twitter.com/GuyDealership Instagram ➤ https://www.instagram.com/cardealershipguy/ TikTok ➤ https://www.tiktok.com/@guydealership LinkedIn ➤ https://www.linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy/ Threads ➤ https://www.threads.net/@cardealershipguy Facebook ➤ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683 Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com

Welcome to Industry Spotlight—a focused series hosted by Sam D’Arc, highlighting standout dealerships and innovative companies, and exploring the trends driving success in today’s automotive market. Today, Sam sits down with Kimberly Scogin, Controller at Hudson Management Group, and Shane Bigelow, CEO of CHAMP Titles. This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by CHAMP Titles: CHAMP Titles - In automotive retail, everything moves fast — except vehicle titling. Consumers can shop online, secure a deal, and take delivery in hours, but titles still get bogged down in a maze of paper, processes, and state-by-state variation. For dealers, this means delays, errors, and tied-up cash flow. The National Digital Titling Clearinghouse (NDTC) powered by CHAMP Titles is changing that. By streamlining multi-state title transfers and reducing turnaround times from 30–60 days to less than 24 hours, NDTC helps you move vehicles — and revenue — faster. Learn more at http://www.champtitles.com/ndtc and see how faster titles drive faster deals. Need help finding top automotive talent? Get started here: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/⁠⁠⁠ Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here: ⁠⁠⁠https://cdgpartner.com⁠⁠⁠ Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here: ⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3Suismu Topics: 00:37 Kimberly's path from teacher to Hudson Auto controller 01:10 Why people get hooked on the car business 01:56 Controllers: vital, underappreciated role in dealerships 02:46 Hudson’s perks: Disney trips and family summits 03:34 Titling chaos keeps controllers up at night 04:30 Why titling is still stuck in the past 05:05 Champ Titles: a digital fix for paper titles 08:47 How digital titles save time, money, and stress 19:16 The road to true digital titles by 2030 29:43 Final thoughts on innovation, efficiency, and next steps Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff: CDG News ➤ ⁠⁠⁠https://news.dealershipguy.com/⁠⁠⁠ CDG Jobs ➤ ⁠⁠⁠https://jobs.dealershipguy.com/⁠⁠⁠ CDG Recruiting ➤ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/⁠⁠⁠ My Socials: X ➤ ⁠⁠⁠x.com/GuyDealership⁠⁠⁠ Instagram ➤ ⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/cardealershipguy/⁠⁠⁠ TikTok ➤ ⁠⁠⁠tiktok.com/@guydealership⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn ➤ ⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy⁠⁠⁠ Threads ➤ ⁠⁠⁠threads.net/@cardealershipguy⁠⁠⁠ Facebook ➤ ⁠⁠⁠facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683⁠⁠⁠ Everything else ➤ ⁠⁠⁠dealershipguy.com⁠⁠⁠ This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

Today I’m joined by Joe Neiman, President of DealerClub, part of the Cars Commerce ecosystem. We dive into the details behind his $25M exit, how reputation-based wholesale is shaking up the auction block, why he’s paying dealers to sell on DealerClub, and more. This episode is brought to you by: 1. DLRdmv - Dealers, are you still stuck using outdated interstate titling methods? DLR50 from DLRdmv modernizes out‑of‑state titling by providing 24/7 sales tax, title, and registration fees, pre‑populated state-specific forms, through an online platform that directly integrates with your DMS. CDG listeners get 30 days of free full-service access to DLR50 on unlimited out-of-state deals. Head over to @ DLRdmv.com/CDG, use code POD30 to claim your free month today. 2. Qmerit - Selling EVs can have a lot of friction points. But home charging installation shouldn’t be one of them. That’s why dealers and automakers trust Qmerit — the go-to expert for home charging installations. Join Qmerit’s dealership partner program and start earning referral incentives on every installation. Visit @ qmerit.com/carguy to learn more. 3. Cars Commerce - The platform to simplify everything about buying and selling cars. Learn more at https://www.carscommerce.inc/ Need help finding top automotive talent? Get started here: ⁠⁠https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/⁠⁠ Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here: ⁠⁠https://cdgpartner.com⁠⁠ Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here: ⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3Suismu Topics: 01:00 What inspired launching DealerClub? 03:22 How did you revolutionize wholesale auctions? 06:07 Why is trust crucial in auctions? 14:06 How to compete with CarMax/Carvana? 17:02 What fueled Dealer Club's rapid growth? 22:55 What's DealerClub's revenue model? 24:32 Why did you sell the business? 34:04 What market trends impact dealers most? 36:02 How do reconditioning centers boost efficiency? Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff: CDG News ➤ ⁠⁠https://news.dealershipguy.com/⁠⁠ CDG Jobs ➤ ⁠⁠https://jobs.dealershipguy.com/⁠⁠ CDG Recruiting ➤ ⁠⁠https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/⁠⁠ My Socials: X ➤ ⁠⁠x.com/GuyDealership⁠⁠ Instagram ➤ ⁠⁠instagram.com/cardealershipguy/⁠⁠ TikTok ➤ ⁠⁠tiktok.com/@guydealership⁠⁠ LinkedIn ➤ ⁠⁠linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy⁠⁠ Threads ➤ ⁠⁠threads.net/@cardealershipguy⁠⁠ Facebook ➤ ⁠⁠facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683⁠⁠ Everything else ➤ ⁠⁠dealershipguy.com⁠⁠ This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.