Franchised Dealers Podcasts

Today I'm joined by Michael Maroone, Chairman and CEO of Maroone USA. Michael breaks down why new cars are becoming commodities , where profit has actually migrated, and why culture, curiosity, and operational freedom matter ...

Today I'm joined by Matt Stuckey, President of Stuckey Automotive. Matt explains how real estate mandates, throughput targets, and workforce pipelines intersect, and why productivity— not volume —is the real competitive edge ...

In this episode of the Industry Spotlight, we dive into why used car success in 2026 is no longer j ust about the purchase price , but about the high-stakes ability to acquire and articulate a vehicle's complete story. Joinin...

Today I’m joined by Donald Kemp, General Sales Manager at Stowasser Buick GMC. We dig into why human-first social content is outperforming inventory posts , how moving F&I earlier drives higher penetration , and where dealers...

Today, Sam sits down with Steve Hoggle, General Manager at Honda of Lake City and Sarah Copp, Director of Major Accounts at Lotlinx to pull back the curtain on the "Moneyball" strategy of modern automotive retail. While many...

Today I’m joined by Andrew Habberstad, CEO at Habberstad Auto Group. We unpack how a single relationship led to a $7,000 BMW franchise . Andrew breaks down generational continuity, smart expansion, and why listening to peers ...

In part 5 of our Pre NADA AI Spotlight series, Sam sits down with Luke Sontag, Marketing, & IT Manager at Kissee Ford and Ari Polakof, CEO & Co-founder of Flai. We explore how one family-owned dealership used voice AI to capt...

In part 3 of our Pre NADA AI Spotlight series we break down why call handling is still broken , and how a new generation of agentic AI is changing the equation . Today, Sam sits down with Chris Murphy, General Manager of Volk...

Today I’m joined by Andrew Spitzer, COO of Spitzer Autoworld. Spitzer breaks down how his fourth-generation family business doubled its footprint to 26 rooftops while maintaining radical showroom etiquette. He reveals why he ...

This year, auto retail crossed a real inflection point with AI — not just experimentation, but actual adoption inside dealerships. With that shift came a flood of questions from operators trying to separate signal from noise....

Today I’m joined by Nathan Shaver, Managing Partner, Shaver Auto Group. We dig into why fixed operations have become the most reliable growth engine for dealerships, what it actually took to triple service gross in 18 months ...

Today I’m joined by Jared Priestner, CEO of Go Auto. Jared breaks down why Go Auto is expanding aggressively into the U.S. , how concentration risk in Western Canada shaped that move , and what it takes to scale culture acros...

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 ...

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. H...

Today I’m joined by Marcello Sciarrino, Co-Owner Island Auto Group. We unpack how family-owned dealerships can stand out against national groups , why transparency matters now more than ever , and the biggest fixed ops opport...

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 ...

Today I’m joined by Todd Blue, Dealer Principal of Mercedes-Benz of Northern Arizona and CEO of LAPIS. We break down how luxury dealerships can truly differentiate in a crowded market and why direct customer engagement still ...

Today I’m joined by President & Dealer Principal at Alpha One Automotive. We break down his jump from a corporate career into dealership ownership , and why social media became one of his strongest tools for credibility and r...

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 ...

Today I’m joined by Jim Keffer, CEO of Keffer Auto Group. We break down his radical 10-year buyout model , why he hunts “unicorn” operators instead of centralizing , and how underperforming rooftops become high-ROI assets . J...

Today I’m joined by Kirk Rogers, Wholesale Manager at McCarthy Auto Group. We dig into why wholesale should be a strategic lever —not a last-resort escape hatch, how efficient transport unlocks massive savings , and the proce...

Today I’m joined by Fred Emich IV, Partner at Emich Automotive. We cover how Emich Automotive became the #1 EV retailer for Kia , the challenges Fred’s faced as Chairman of VW’s National Dealer Council , and the evolving thre...

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 ...

Today I’m joined by Doug Gilmour, Dealer Principal of Malone Ford. We get into Doug’s 13-year run at Ford , the 7% profit swing that put him on the map, and the all-in gamble that made his dream a reality. This episode is bro...