Car Dealership Guy Podcast - podcast cover

Car Dealership Guy Podcast

Car Dealership Guydealershipguy.com
The Car Dealership Guy Podcast Network is your front-row seat to the people, companies, and trends shaping the future of automotive retail—delivered across three focused formats: 1. The Car Dealership Guy Podcast (Tuesdays & Thursdays) Hosted by Yossi Levi, these deep-dive interviews feature top dealers, operators, and innovators driving the industry forward. 2. Daily Dealer Live (Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays) Our live-streamed show, also released here in audio format, brings real-time news, sharp takes, and high-impact guests—think CNBC for car dealers. 3. Industry Spotlight Hosted by Sam D’Arc, this segment highlights standout dealerships and vendors with tactical insights and stories from the front lines. Follow us on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for highlights and behind-the-scenes content from every episode.

Episodes

#47 Managing $500M+ in dealership ad dollars, Uncovering marketing budgets, Do gimmicky dealership mailers work? | David Regn, Co-Founder & CEO of Stream Companies

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?...

Jan 02, 202438 minSeason 1Ep. 47

#46 Selling $5.5B+ worth of car dealerships, State of the auto market, Most and least desirable brands, What’s next for dealership profits? | Alan Haig, President & Founder, Haig Partners (Part 2)

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) ...

Dec 28, 20231 hr 5 minSeason 1Ep. 46

#45 Building a $200M+ car parts empire, Solving the auto repair crisis, Most profitable parts, Using A.I. and 3D printing | David Meniane, CEO Carparts.com

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...

Dec 26, 202339 minSeason 1Ep. 45

#44 Making millions from Parts & Service, Dealership incentives, Economic concerns, Record profits and Daryl’s favorite auto franchises | Daryl Kenningham, CEO at Group 1 Automotive

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.c...

Dec 19, 202352 minSeason 1Ep. 44

#43 Building a $1.5B+ digital car auction, Peter’s car market predictions, OPENLANE's acquisition of Manheim Canada | Peter Kelly, CEO at OPENLANE

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 ...

Dec 14, 202327 minSeason 1Ep. 43

#42 Building an app store for 16,000 dealers, Pitfalls of direct-to-consumer, Dawn of the A.I. salesperson? | Phil Oriani, CEO at Shift Digital

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...

Dec 12, 202356 minSeason 1Ep. 42

#41 How CarGurus is evolving, Amazon’s threat to car dealers, Cracking down on fake car prices, Why he’s hiring former dealers | Jason Trevisan, CEO at CarGurus

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...

Dec 05, 202352 minSeason 1Ep. 41

#40 Secrets behind dealership franchise laws, Consumer-friendly auto brands, Dealers’ top legal concerns | Leonard Bellavia, Founding Partner at Bellavia and Blatt Law

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?...

Nov 28, 20231 hr 12 minSeason 1Ep. 40

#39 Predicting auto loan defaults, 96 month terms, Vehicle affordability, Will repos keep rising? | Betty Jotanovic, President of Chrysler Capital and Auto Relationships at Santander

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? Dro...

Nov 21, 202346 minSeason 1Ep. 39

Emergency Podcast: Amazon and Hyundai launching online car sales?

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 une...

Nov 20, 202358 minSeason 1Ep. 39

#38 DealerRater’s unstoppable rise, Dealership incentives, Car buyer concerns, Secrets to Carvana | Jamie Oldershaw, VP of Reputation Strategy at Cars Commerce and GM of DealerRater

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 pod...

Nov 17, 202351 minSeason 1Ep. 38

#37 Making millions from subprime loans, From the streets to $150K/month, Raising capital at Church, Acquiring stakes in dealerships | Bruce Miller, Owner at Miller Motors

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 ...

Nov 10, 202354 minSeason 1Ep. 37

#36 Car market predictions, Alex's acquisition playbook, Solving software fatigue, Will online car sales go away? | Alex Vetter, CEO of Cars Commerce (Part 2)

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 T...

Nov 03, 202341 minSeason 1Ep. 36

#35 Raising $300M+ for automotive venture capital, Rise and fall of Vroom, Hottest auto tech investments, His biggest wins and losses, AVs, EVs and A.I. | Chase Fraser, Founder and Managing Partner, FM Capital

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 ...

Oct 31, 202356 minSeason 1Ep. 35

#34 Secrets to successful dealership acquisitions, Tools for wealth creation, Industry trends he’s bullish on, Profiting $10M on Tesla stock | Daniel Crainic, Owner of Time Auto Group

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...

Oct 27, 20231 hrSeason 1Ep. 34

#33 Launching a dealership with $40K, Profits and losses, Selling Teslas in the Midwest, Highs and lows of running a small dealership | Brandon Miller, Founder of Miller Auto

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 u...

Oct 20, 202346 minSeason 1Ep. 33

#32 Will the dealership survive, Where she's investing big, Tech's biggest challenges in the dealership, Vulnerable leadership | Barb Edson, Chief Marketing Officer, CDK Global

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 ...

Oct 13, 202338 minSeason 1Ep. 32

#31 Used car auction frenzy, Stumbling upon million-dollar classics, UAW & bankruptcy risk for car companies | John Clay Wolfe, Founder & President @ GiveMeTheVin

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) - Startin...

Oct 06, 202348 minSeason 1Ep. 31

#30 Why auto loan fraud is rising, Riskiest types of dealerships, Novel credit repair scams, $8B “fraud” opportunity | Frank McKenna, Chief Fraud Strategist, Point Predictive

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 ...

Oct 03, 202346 min

#29 Secrets to selling exotic cars, Rise of rich crypto buyers, Profits in the exotic business, Selling a company for millions | Jason Putnam, Co-Founder, Tactical Fleet

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, wr...

Sep 29, 202343 min

#28 Marketing with college athletes, Future of online car sales, Brewing auto lending issues, Creativity in an unsexy business | Rick Ricart, President of Ricart Automotive

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, ...

Sep 22, 20231 hr 20 min

#27 State of auto lending, Best and worst car deals, UAW strike, #1 issue for car shoppers, Winners & losers in the EV space | Jonathan Smoke, Chief Economist at Cox Automotive

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 improv...

Sep 15, 20231 hr 9 min

#26 Secret sauce of used car wholesaling, Biggest threat to used car auctions, Viability of zero-fee auction, Elon Musk and A.I. | Robert Hollenshead, Founder of RH Auto Sales and Accu-Trade

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 i...

Sep 08, 20231 hr 8 min

#25 Raising $47M to simplify car shipping, How RunBuggy makes money, Solving the "cold start" problem, Growing repos in the car market | Kevin Malik, CEO of RunBuggy

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...

Sep 01, 202347 min

#24 Acquiring 60+ dealerships within 7 years, Raising kids into generational wealth, Paying $200M+ for a Toyota store & Brett’s blunt message to Ford CEO Jim Farley | Brett Morgan, CEO, Morgan Auto Group

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 Brett Morgan, CEO of Morgan Auto Group. 00:00 - Intro 02:48 - Brett’s background 08:20 - Succession & raising kids in generational wealth 13:51 - The journey to becoming CEO 29:53 - What Brett looks for in an acquisition 50:50 - Toyota and EVs 1:02:00 - Has dealership profitability peaked? 1:07:39 - B...

Aug 25, 20231 hr 30 min

#23 Vegas meeting w/ Michael Rubin, Economics of mobile car care, Trick to hiring 600 technicians, Leveraging AI, Why EV maintenance is so profitable | Scot Wingo, Founder & CEO of Spiffy

In this episode, I’m speaking with Scot Wingo, Founder & CEO of Spiffy. 01:09 - Scot’s background 04:50 - The hardest business meeting ever 07:05 - Being a serial entrepreneur 15:41 - Trick to hiring technicians 20:08 - Leveraging custom software to drive process efficiency 25:30 - How Spiffy makes money 32:38 - Consumer behaviors around auto repair 35:00 - Where the industry is headed 46:24 - Wrapping up Follow Scot & Spiffy: @scotwingo on X Spiffy's website Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠the website⁠⁠⁠⁠ for mo...

Aug 18, 202349 min

#22 Gatekeepers of Automotive media, Carvana avoiding bankruptcy, Integrating AI into your car, Making EV batteries obsolete, CDG’s announcement for 2024 | Cliff Banks, Founder, The Banks Report

In this episode, I'm speaking with Cliff Banks, Founder of The Banks Report. 00:00 - Intro 01:38 - Cliff’s background 08:30 - The Fate of Carvana 16:40 - What’s next for the used car dealer? 34:10 - Are new car prices sustainable? 39:36 - Talking public auto stocks 44:25 - How automotive media is changing 56:30 - Wrapping up Follow Cliff: ⁠Twitter⁠ ⁠The Banks Report⁠ Please take a moment to visit this episode's sponsor: ⁠⁠Fullpath⁠⁠ – Discover Automotive's Leading Customer Data and Experience Pl...

Aug 11, 202358 min

#21 Secrets of buying and selling dealerships, Best and worst auto franchises, Lessons from $5.5B of dealership buy-sell transactions, Have dealership profits peaked? | Alan Haig, President & Founder, Haig Partners

In this episode, I'm speaking with Alan Haig, President & Founder of Haig Partners, LLC. 00:00 - Intro 01:51 - Alan's background 10:07 - The journey to founding Haig Partners 20:21 - The state of dealership M&A 50:11 - Best & worst brands for consumer experience 59:36 - Will this hot market continue throughout the decade? 1:03:54 - The independent dealer market of the future 1:20:57 - Wrapping up Follow Alan: LinkedIn Haig Partners Please take a moment to visit this episode's sponsor: ⁠Fullpath⁠...

Aug 04, 20231 hr 25 min

#20 Selling a company for millions, Why most car sales are private party, Online car marketplace economics, Dealership hazing stories | Brad Parker, Founder & CEO of PrivateAuto

In this episode, I'm speaking with Brad Parker, Founder & CEO of ⁠PrivateAuto⁠. 00:00 Intro 01:05 Brad's background 04:55 What inspired Brad to build a P2P marketplace 16:25 Inside PrivateAuto's business 32:05 Why most transactions are still private party 43:10 Wrapping up Follow Brad: ⁠Twitter⁠ ⁠PrivateAuto⁠ Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more and follow me on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠@GuyDealership⁠⁠⁠! Interested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Send us a note ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. This podcast is for i...

Jul 28, 202347 min

#19 How Ghost is different than Tesla, Bringing true self-driving to every car, Raising $230M for auto tech | John Hayes, Co-Founder & CEO of Ghost Autonomy

In this episode, I'm speaking with John Hayes, co-founder and CEO of Ghost Autonomy. 00:00 - Intro 01:12 - John's background 05:19 - What is Ghost? 09:34 - The Levels of Autonomy 23:13 - Ghost's business model 29:13 - OEM adoption & benefits 39:33 - The future of AVs & commuting 44:11 - Wrapping up Follow John: Twitter LinkedIn Ghost Autonomy Check out ⁠⁠⁠the website⁠⁠⁠ for more and follow me on Twitter ⁠@GuyDealership⁠! Interested in advertising with CarDealershipGuy? Join the sponsor waitlist ...

Jul 21, 202345 min
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