Today's show features: - Matt Haiken, Dealer Principal and President at Prestige Collection Auto Group - Damon Egan, Service Director at Sherwood Ford - Luis Malespin, Parts Director at Premier Hyundai 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 transactions, Zurich Advisor IQ ...
Jun 26, 2026•1 hr 4 min
Today I'm joined by AJ McGowan, VP of Research and Development at Reynolds & Reynolds. He breaks down why fragmented software platforms are quietly limiting what AI can see and do , uses a service drive scenario to show how a fully connected system could surface a high-value trade opportunity in real time , and explains why Reynolds is investing in its own hardware infrastructure to make that scale. Topics: 03:25 Why Auto AI Is Different. 06:45 Real AI Vs. Gimmicks. 08:45 Why Reynolds Is Buy...
Jun 25, 2026•38 min
Today's show features: - Jameson Riley, General Manager at Riley Volvo Cars Stamford - Eric Barbosa, VP of Variable Operations at Plaza Motors 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 transactions, Zurich Advisor IQ helps identify behaviors and trends influencing results, de...
Jun 24, 2026•1 hr 1 min
Today I'm joined by Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier, Co-founders at More Than Cars. Paul and Kyle break down exactly how a single exposed API key can hand a hacker access to an entire dealer management system , why dealerships are uniquely at risk given the volume of sensitive customer data they store, and what the best operators are doing to build securely before the first major breach hits the industry. Topics: 00:25 Dealerships' Most Under-Resourced Dept. 02:40 Why Auto Ads Are The Worst. 04:5...
Jun 23, 2026•50 min
Today's show features: - Vic Keller, Founder and CEO at Experience Ventures - Namu Keys, Senior Product Marketer, Digital Retail at CDK Global - Sam Vesely, Director of Marketing & Public Relations at Ford of Cookeville 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 transactio...
Jun 22, 2026•1 hr 11 min
Today's show features: - Matt Bowers, Owner of Matt Bowers Automotive Group - Vince McIsaac, Director of Parts Operations at Hawk Auto Group - Jim Sabino, Fixed Operations Director at All American Ford This episode is brought to you by: OPENLANE – OPENLANE is getting ready for DealerFest 2026, its biggest customer event of the year. For the entire month of July, earn points for every transaction you make on OPENLANE, and redeem them for incredible prizes! Make sure you’re ready for the rockin’ s...
Jun 19, 2026•1 hr 2 min
Today I'm joined once again by Alan Haig, President at Haig Partners. Dealer profits fell 16% in the first quarter of 2026, yet the number of dealerships changing hands surged 39% over the same period last year. Alan breaks down the capital stockpile dealers built during the COVID era , why franchise values have held steady despite softer earnings, and which brands represent the best buying opportunities right now. Topics: 00:20 Buy-Sells Boom As Values Drop. 01:45 The Profit Number Dealers Can'...
Jun 18, 2026•44 min
Today's show features: - Patrick Haggerty, President/General Manager at Faulkner Infiniti of Willow Grove - Peter Massimilla Jr, Internet Sales Manager at McGovern CJDR This episode is brought to you by: OPENLANE – OPENLANE is getting ready for DealerFest 2026, its biggest customer event of the year. For the entire month of July, earn points for every transaction you make on OPENLANE, and redeem them for incredible prizes! Make sure you’re ready for the rockin’ sales event of the summer. If you’...
Jun 17, 2026•58 min
Welcome to Dealer War Room from Car Dealership Guy, where we sit down with top operators to break down how they're navigating the biggest challenges in auto retail. These three rural store owners share the specific moves working right now: Scott Simons bought a Chevy store for $6.9M and tripled sales & fixed ops in under a year. Rob Ruth built a street-sourcing machine buying 300 cars/month from consumers at a 7% cost advantage over auction. Kyle Coleman launched a $59.99 oil change , drivin...
Jun 16, 2026•1 hr 7 min
Today's show features: - Ryan Knight, Director of Operations at Knight Automotive Group - Britt DeJohn, Sr. VP of Business Operations at Impel - Nicholas Velez, Internet Director at Valley Kia of Fontana This episode is brought to you by: OPENLANE – OPENLANE is getting ready for DealerFest 2026, its biggest customer event of the year. For the entire month of July, earn points for every transaction you make on OPENLANE, and redeem them for incredible prizes! Make sure you’re ready for the rockin’...
Jun 15, 2026•58 min
In this episode of the Industry Spotlight, joining host Sam D'Arc are Frederick Grimm, Co-Founder and COO of AppraisalPro, and Danny Galat, General Sales Manager at Lithia Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Bend, to discuss how dealers are using real-time diagnostic scanning to stop taking hidden mechanical losses on trade-ins and turn a wholesale department that was bleeding money into one that's actually profitable. Danny walks through the $8,000 Ford Raptor miss that kept him up at night and drove hi...
Jun 13, 2026•23 min
Today's show features: - Joel Love, Service Director at Toyota of Montgomery - Liam Golightley, SVP Dealer Success at Podium - Ryan Carlstedt, EVP Fixed Ops at Willis Auto Group 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 Podium – Podium is ...
Jun 12, 2026•1 hr 2 min
In this episode of the Industry Spotlight, joining host Sam D'Arc are Aaron Zeigler, President of Zeigler Auto Group, and Johnny McKellar, who leads NationsGuard for Hendrick Automotive Group, to discuss why Zeigler is leaving its third-party warranty provider to stand up its own dealer-owned program , Zeigler Guard, and what Rick Hendrick himself says has been the single best decision in his 50 years in the car business. Rick Hendrick joins the conversation to explain how his dealer-owned warra...
Jun 11, 2026•32 min
Today's show features: - Michael Cottone, Head of Subaru Motors Finance at Chase Auto - Steve Rowley, President of Cox Automotive - Aharon Horwitz, Co-Founder and CEO of Fullpath - Katie Gattuso Duncan, General Manager at Mohawk Chevrolet 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 m...
Jun 10, 2026•1 hr 2 min
Today I'm joined by Vic Keller, Founder and CEO at Experience Ventures. In this conversation, he makes the case that most dealers are sitting on hidden enterprise value they haven't tapped, that the vendor landscape is moving too slowly for dealers who want to win now, and that the single biggest lever in any dealership is still the people, not the platform. Topics: 01:30 Fixed Ops Is Unbeatable. 02:45 The $2,600 F&I Number. 04:10 The Cold Call That Changed Everything. 07:40 Job Descriptions...
Jun 09, 2026•42 min
Today's show features: - Adam Stein, Executive Director at Plaza Auto Group - Brian Benstock, Vice President & General Manager at Paragon Honda and Paragon Acura 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 Check out Car Dealership Guy’s ...
Jun 08, 2026•1 hr 5 min
Today's show features: - Dave Rogers, Fixed Operations Director at Piazza Auto Group - Todd Kaminski, President, Direct Markets at Zurich - Doug Coyle, Vice President, Direct Markets at Zurich - Chris Skinner, Fixed Operations Director at Granbury Nissan This episode is brought to you by: Stream Companies – How much revenue is slipping through the cracks at your dealership? Stream Companies’ Missed Opportunities Report analyzes your strategy and highlights where you can drive more sales, faster....
Jun 05, 2026•1 hr 13 min
In this episode of the Industry Spotlight, joining host Sam D'Arc are Karen Chagnon, VP Sales at Guidepoint Systems, and Ferris Hamdan, General Manager at Wesley Chapel Honda, to discuss why most dealers are operating blind — unaware of which vehicles on their lot have a dead battery, a check engine light, or low fuel , and equally unaware of what's happening inside the vehicles they already sold, data their manufacturer sees but doesn't share with them. Ferris walks through how Wesley Chapel Ho...
Jun 04, 2026•39 min
Today's show features: - Joshua Johnson, CEO of Don Johnson Auto Group - Eric DeMont, Executive Director, Dealer Solutions and Growth at Urban Science - Shane Wood, General Manager of Port Orchard Ford This episode is brought to you by: Stream Companies – How much revenue is slipping through the cracks at your dealership? Stream Companies’ Missed Opportunities Report analyzes your strategy and highlights where you can drive more sales, faster. Request your free report today at https://www.stream...
Jun 03, 2026•59 min
Today, Sam D'Arc is joined by Jon Alcorn, Operating Partner at Dogwood Automotive Group. Winchester, Virginia's three-brand Dogwood Auto Group hasn't printed a paper pencil in over a year , yet grosses are up, and finance penetration sits at 89%. Jon breaks down the two systems behind that shift: a salesperson efficiency scorecard that grades reps from 113% down to 58% on metrics they can actually control, and a digital retailing stack that will deliver a 30-second actual cash value and a 60-sec...
Jun 02, 2026•49 min
Today's show features: - Tim Pohanka, Vice President & Executive Manager at Pohanka Automotive Group - Jacob Glassman, Dealer Principal at Brookville Chevrolet - Frankie Florey, General Sales Manager at Acura Of Denville This episode is brought to you by: Stream Companies – How much revenue is slipping through the cracks at your dealership? Stream Companies’ Missed Opportunities Report analyzes your strategy and highlights where you can drive more sales, faster. Request your free report toda...
Jun 01, 2026•1 hr 6 min
In this episode of the Industry Spotlight, joining host Sam D’Arc are Damian Arras, General Sales Manager at Credit Union Auto Sales, and Barton Harris, Chief Revenue Officer of Titan Secure, to discuss a South African-inspired prevention model that stops vehicle theft before a car ever crosses the curb. Damien shares how his New Mexico dealership eliminated losses by shifting from r eactive GPS tracking to proactive ignition and fuel-cut technology. Barton explains how this "prevention-first" a...
May 29, 2026•42 min
Today's show features: - Nick Ruffolo, Fixed Operations Director at Rohrman - Matt Norris, Fixed Operations Director at Bozard Ford Lincoln - Jeremy Stephens, Remote Operations Director at Bozard Ford Lincoln This episode is brought to you by: OPENLANE – OPENLANE brings easy, intelligent digital wholesale to dealers across the country, and was once again voted the most preferred digital wholesale marketplace by dealers. If you’ve never used OPENLANE before, or it’s been a while since you have, y...
May 29, 2026•1 hr 5 min
In this episode of the Industry Spotlight, joining host Sam D'Arc are Ben Atkinson, VP of Auto Lending at Upstart, and Evan Driscoll, General Sales Manager at Audi Jacksonville to discuss why the credit score has become the most overrated number in auto lending and how a full-spectrum dealership running everything from $2,000 used cars to $400,000 Rolls-Royces gets first-time buyers approved at competitive rates with no money down. Evan breaks down how a slow approval costs his store at least $1...
May 28, 2026•31 min
Today's show features: - Kenneth Criscione, Finance Manager at Harte Auto Group - Rich Stazzone, Director of Business Development at Highstreet Automotive - Mike Keese, Agency President at Highstreet Automotive - Dana Wines, Director of Training at WE Auto - Valerie Niedermeier, Director of Community Relations at WE Auto This episode is brought to you by: OPENLANE – OPENLANE brings easy, intelligent digital wholesale to dealers across the country, and was once again voted the most preferred digi...
May 27, 2026•1 hr 4 min
Today I'm joined by Marcello Sciarrino, Co-Owner at Island Auto Group. Marcello runs 20 stores across New York and New Jersey — the 37th largest business in New York State , ahead of the Yankees and the Giants — and he watched peers go from 3 stores to 12 overnight while he and his partners sat on their hands. He breaks down the math trap killing over-leveraged dealers , why brokers in the New York market are secretly extracting thousands per deal at the consumer's expense, and why his next big ...
May 26, 2026•47 min
Today's show features: - Manny Sedano, Dealer Principal at Sedano Chevy and Sedano Ford - Andrew Sweet, CEO of SelectFI - Chris Taylor, Owner of Certified Auto Brokers - Katie Lamphere, Founder of Veterans in Automotive This episode is brought to you by: OPENLANE – OPENLANE brings easy, intelligent digital wholesale to dealers across the country, and was once again voted the most preferred digital wholesale marketplace by dealers. If you’ve never used OPENLANE before, or it’s been a while since ...
May 25, 2026•58 min
Today's show features: - Spencer Nicholson, Fixed Operations Director at Stuckey Automotive - Xavier Rivera, Service Director at Greenacres Nissan & I-95 Nissan This episode is brought to you by: Zurich – Zurich helps dealers operate with clarity, confidence and certainty — driving stronger performance today while protecting long‑term value. From proven F&I processes and insights‑driven training to income‑generating programs, profit participation, and risk management solutions, Zuric...
May 22, 2026•58 min
In this episode of the Industry Spotlight, joining host Sam D'Arc are Art Dessein, Vice President of Sales at Impel, and Rebekah Scheussler, Business Development Director at Walters Auto Group to discuss why luxury dealers are quietly losing service customers to independent shops and how AI is rebuilding the personalized experience at scale across both sales and service . This conversation surfaces the silent retention leak inside fixed operations: a nine-minute average service hold time, an 80%...
May 21, 2026•34 min
Today's show features: - Christian Crain, VP of Operations at Crain Automotive - Doug Fusco, Managing Partner, Dealer Compliance at Informativ - Leo Portaluppi, Owner/CEO at P4 Automotive This episode is brought to you by: Zurich – Zurich helps dealers operate with clarity, confidence and certainty — driving stronger performance today while protecting long‑term value. From proven F&I processes and insights‑driven training to income‑generating programs, profit participation, and risk mana...
May 20, 2026•1 hr
