Welcome to the Car Dealership Guy Podcast. In this episode, I sit down with Lonny Soza, Vice President of Fertitta Auto Group, to discuss how he built a multi-million dollar powerhouse, the biggest lesson he learned acquiring vehicles for CarMax and AutoNation, and how he's bringing Bentley-level customer service to his new Chevrolet store—plus much more. This episode is brought to you by: 1. Auto Hauler Exchange - Ship Smarter. Pay Less. No Middlemen. Tired of brokers driving up costs and slowi...
Feb 06, 2025•38 min
Welcome to the Car Dealership Guy Podcast. In this episode, I sit down with Rob Cavender, COO of Cavender Auto Group, and Eric Barbosa, VP of Variable Operations, to discuss how they create and execute a blueprint for success in retail automotive, how they’re training salespeople to become General Managers, the growing pains of scaling a dealer group, and the secrets they've uncovered along the way—plus much more. This episode is brought to you by: 1. IkonTechnologies - Ikon Technologies was fou...
Feb 04, 2025•55 min
Welcome to the Car Dealership Guy Podcast. In this episode, I'm speaking with Ric Saatzer, General Manager of BMW of Minnetonka where we discuss: How to run a dealership like a $10B Company, How Lean Six Sigma has transformed his business, The role of a GM to build a winning culture of detail, and more secrets of a Lithia Motors General Manager. This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by: 1. Mia - Your 24/7 AI receptionist who speaks like a human, not a robot. No more "p...
Jan 30, 2025•55 min
Welcome to the Car Dealership Guy Podcast. In this episode, I’m joined by Brian MacDonald, CEO of CDK Global. We explore why he’s betting $250M on a major shift in automotive retail, the winners and losers as service department trends evolve, and his prediction for a wave of dealership acquisitions this year—and much more. This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by: 1. Richtech Robotics - Titan is the autonomous parts delivery system that keeps techs in bays, helping you...
Jan 28, 2025•30 min
Welcome to the Car Dealership Guy Podcast. In this episode, I'm speaking with Sam Mahrouq, CEO of Ikon Technologies where we discuss: Scaling his auto group to 11 dealerships and millions in sales, How an "ah ha" moment at the dealership led him to found a $55M revenue tech company and much more. This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by: 1. Uber for Business - With Central, you can request a ride on behalf of your customers even if they don’t have the Uber app. If you’...
Jan 23, 2025•47 min
Welcome to the Car Dealership Guy Podcast. In this episode, I’m speaking with Brian Kramer, EVP at Cars Commerce, where we discuss: why dealers are losing 70% of trade-ins for every new car they sell, the future of data ownership for dealers, how Brian and his team are working to tackle—and beat—online vehicle price manipulation, and much more. This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by: 1. Dealer Pay - Designed to increase productivity and customer retention, offering a...
Jan 21, 2025•36 min
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 David Steinberg, CEO and Founder of Foureyes. This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by Foureyes: Foureyes - No one buys a car because AI bombards them about test drives. They buy when they find the right match on your lot. That's why Foureyes built...
Jan 19, 2025•27 min
Welcome to the Car Dealership Guy Podcast. In this episode, I'm speaking with Peter Kelly, CEO of OPENLANE where we discuss a breakdown on how the wholesale car market finished off 2025, how volume trends are bucking expectations, and the key trends and challenges facing the segment in 2025. This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by: 1. OPENLANE - The world’s leading online dealer marketplace for used cars, bringing you exclusive inventory, simple transactions, and bett...
Jan 16, 2025•25 min
Welcome to the Car Dealership Guy Podcast. In this episode, I sit down with Bryan Collins, Shop Foreman at Braman Miami, to discuss life as a Master Technician, his journey rising through the ranks of a dealership shop, strategies for retaining technician talent, the real pay ranges technicians can achieve and much more. This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by: 1. Ikon Technologies - Ikon Technologies was founded by dealers, for dealers, to solve the daily challenges ...
Jan 14, 2025•49 min
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 Jay Healey, CMO of Healey Brothers Automotive Group, and Justin Friend, SVP of Dealers United. This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by Dealers United: Dealers United – Specializing in Social, SEM, and SEO, Dealers United is the premier digital mar...
Jan 12, 2025•39 min
Welcome to the Car Dealership Guy Podcast. In this episode, I'm speaking with Tasso Roumeliotis, CEO of Numa, where we discuss: how to extinguish service department "heat cases" before they burn profitability, why 911 started his entrepreneurial journey, when AI should answer phone calls and when it shouldn't, and much more. This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by: 1. Numa - Numa is the first AI agent platform for auto dealerships. Address communication breakdowns wit...
Jan 09, 2025•36 min
Welcome to the Car Dealership Guy Podcast. In this episode, I'm speaking with Dorian Jimenez, Dealer Principal at Classic Chevrolet, where we discuss: Going from leading the #1 Chevy store in America to rescuing a broken dealership. How one small Texas dealership in the ’90s minted 10 Dealer Principals. Why his wife secretly enrolled in the NADA academy, and much more. This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by: 1. Openlane - The world’s leading online dealer marketplace...
Jan 07, 2025•45 min
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 Findley Ewing IV, CEO fo Ewing Automotive Goup, and Phil Zheng, COO of Richtech Robotics. This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by Richtech Robotics: Richtech Robotics – Titan is the autonomous parts delivery system that keeps techs in bays, helpin...
Jan 05, 2025•38 min
Welcome to the Car Dealership Guy Podcast. In this episode, I'm speaking with Matt Murray, CEO and Jake Hughes, Director of Marketing at Widewail where we discuss the raw truth about what customers think of dealerships and why customers are the empty chair in the board room. This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by: 1. Widewail – Power your reputation engine with Widewail. Go Google-first. Our approach is proactive: mostly automated, sometimes manual. The perfect blend...
Jan 02, 2025•35 min
Welcome to the Car Dealership Guy Podcast. In this special episode im speaking with my toughest critics, the Car Dealership Guy team! This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by: 1. Access Point Consulting - Access Point Consulting is a consulting firm that specializes in providing strategic solutions to enhance business performance and drive organizational success. Learn more @ https://accesspointconsulting.com/ 2. CDG Recruting - Building on the success of my industry j...
Dec 31, 2024•1 hr 5 min
Welcome to the Car Dealership Guy Podcast. In this episode, I speak with Taseer Badar, CEO of ZT Automotive. We dive into his entrepreneurial journey, including how President Obama "pushed him" into the car business, explore his M&A strategy, uncover which brands are on his wishlist, and reveal the tough realities behind employee layoffs. This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by: 1. Corpay - Corpay is transforming how dealerships handle payments. We help you save time,...
Dec 26, 2024•43 min
Welcome to the Car Dealership Guy Podcast! In this episode, I’m joined by Tina Tasche, Head of Innovation & Tech at Van Horn Automotive Group. We dive into how to build the next-generation dealership BDC, Her AI features wishlist for the call center of the future, and why the traditional lead form is dead. This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by: 1. Podium - Turn every lead from website, email, text or phone into more sales for your dealership. Podium’s AI BDC convers...
Dec 24, 2024•41 min
Welcome to the Car Dealership Guy Podcast. In this episode, I’m speaking with Brice Englert, CEO of TradePending. We discuss how car dealers are cracking the customer retention code, insights from competing with car-buying giants like Carvana, and how consumer loyalty is shifting in the age of hybrids. This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by: TradePending - TradePending makes dealers' websites convert better with their trade-in tool and payment calculator on steroids,...
Dec 19, 2024•42 min
Welcome to the Car Dealership Guy Podcast! In this episode, I sit down with Ernie Garcia Jr., Co-founder and CEO of Carvana. We dive into topics like the greatest comeback story of any public company ever, lessons from selling millions of cars, the future of the automotive wholesale business and much more. This episode is brought to you by: DealNow - The safe and simple way to avoid fraud, sign documents, and instantly transact any vehicle online. Learn more at https://dealnow.com/ CDG Recruitin...
Dec 17, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 147
Welcome to the Car Dealership Guy Podcast! In this episode, I’m joined by David Donaldson, SVP at DLRdmv, for an insightful conversation about the technology helping dealerships sell cars coast-to-coast. We discuss the daily challenges dealerships face when managing out-of-state sales, explore why banks are holding the stopwatch for vehicle titling, and unpack the infamous "Montana loophole" and much more. This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by: DlrDMV – With DLR50, ...
Dec 12, 2024•29 min
Welcome to the Car Dealership Guy Podcast. In this episode, I'm speaking with Nathanael Greklek, Corporate Brand Director at Mohawk Auto Group where we discuss: How he's hacking the game of dealership attention by creating viral videos for his dealership, Getting on General Motor's radar and landing one of the biggest cameos in automotive, and his next big idea for automotive content. This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by: Edmunds - Premier is a solution from Edmund...
Dec 10, 2024•52 min•Season 1Ep. 144
Welcome to Industry Spotlight, a new show on the Car Dealership Guy Podcast hosted by Sam D'Arc. In each episode, Sam highlights the most compelling dealerships and innovative companies in automotive, diving into key trends, best practices, and insights from those shaping the future of automotive retail. Today, Sam sits down with Ross Tinkham, GTM Leader at Podium, and Alex Lawrence, CEO of EV Auto, to discuss how dealers are leveraging AI to cover busy showrooms and sell more cars. This episode...
Dec 08, 2024•37 min
Welcome to the Car Dealership Guy Podcast. In this episode, I speak with John Temerian, CEO of CURATED, a Miami-based boutique dealership specializing in rare, vintage supercars and catering to the ultra-elite. We discuss how a lifelong obsession with supercars turned into an impressive business, his wild search for "blue chip" cars, and how he became the go-to car concierge for the rich and powerful looking to build world-class car collections. This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is ...
Dec 05, 2024•57 min•Season 1Ep. 143
Welcome to the Car Dealership Guy Podcast. In this episode, I'm speaking with Angela Zepeda, Global Head of Marketing for X, where we discuss: Her role in reshaping Hyundai's brand presence in the American Zeitgeist, Why Hyundai is leaning into EV innovation, and her vision for taking on her biggest challenge yet... the social platform, X. This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by: Tax Max - The Tax Max “File and Drive” Sales Event is a simple tax season program that wi...
Dec 03, 2024•47 min•Season 1Ep. 142
Welcome to the Car Dealership Guy Podcast! In this episode, I’m joined by Aharon Horwitz, Founder & CEO of Fullpath, and Brad Title, Founder & CEO of Gubagoo. We discuss how dealers are transforming car shopping experiences with data, AI’s mainstream adoption in dealerships, 2025 predictions for data integration in automotive, and much more. This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by: OPENLANE - The world’s best online dealer marketplace for used cars, bringing you exclu...
Nov 28, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 141
Welcome to the Car Dealership Guy Podcast! In this episode, I sit down with Dustin Collins, Vice President at Bill Kay Auto, to explore how an "old-school car dog" thrives with an unlikely mix of tech and EQ, why $500 might be the key to increasing car sales, the traits that define a great service director—and much more. This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by: Dealer Pay – Designed to increase, productivity and customer retention, Dealer Pay is a "dealer-specific' pa...
Nov 26, 2024•52 min•Season 1Ep. 141
Welcome to Industry Spotlight, a new show on the Car Dealership Guy Podcast hosted by Sam D'Arc. In each episode, Sam highlights the most compelling dealerships and innovative companies in automotive, diving into key trends, best practices, and insights from those shaping the future of automotive retail. Today, Sam sits down with Melissa High, Vice President at @LoJack, and Aaron Zeigler, President at Zeigler Automotive Group, to discuss the winning strategies for car dealers to address the shif...
Nov 24, 2024•27 min•Ep. 139
Welcome to the Car Dealership Guy Podcast. In this episode, I'm speaking with Alan Haig, CEO of Haig Partners, where we discuss: how dealers can navigate the post-election landscape in the automotive business, Fords wild rise in recent months, the imapct on AI on dealership valuations, VW's fatal mistake rolling out the relaunched Scout brand, and much more. This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by: OPENLANE - The world’s best online dealer marketplace for used cars, b...
Nov 21, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 139
Welcome to the Car Dealership Guy Podcast. In this episode, I’m speaking with Leigh Ann Conver, Senior Director of CDK Data Services. We discuss how AI is quietly integrating into dealership operations, the top AI trends for 2024 and how dealerships of all sizes can leverage AI to boost car sales. This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by: Edmunds - Premier is a solution from Edmunds that connects you with in-market shoppers when, where, and how they want to connect. Le...
Nov 19, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 138
Welcome to Industry Spotlight, a new show on the Car Dealership Guy Podcast hosted by Sam D'Arc. In each episode, Sam highlights the most compelling dealerships and innovative companies in automotive, diving into key trends, best practices, and insights from those shaping the future of automotive retail. Today, Sam sits down with Royce Neubauer, CEO of Auto Hauler Exchange, and Denton Gupton, Used Car Director at Jim Ellis Volvo Cars Mall of Georgia, to discuss the game-changing solutions redefi...
Nov 17, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 137
