Franchised Dealers Podcasts

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...

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 Ivette Dominguez Drawe, Dealer/Owner of Alpine Automotive Group. We unpack her incredible journey from the sales floor to building a t hriving dealership empire — leading one of Colorado’s top-performing t...

Today I’m joined by Ryan Downing, Dealer and CEO of Ross Downing Auto Group. We break down his plan to scale to 20 dealerships by 2040 , how he’s achieved 100% absorption at every store , and what it took to grow group revenu...

Today, special guest host Sam D’Arc is joined by Phil Pecoraro, Operating Partner at Murdock Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram. We dig into Phil’s first month running his new store — why he’s returning to the same dealership where he e...

Today I’m joined by Katelyn Gilmore, General Manager of Paradise Chevrolet Cadillac. We dive into why she’s doubling down on the world’s first fleet-only service center , her playbook for attracting and keeping Gen Z talent ,...

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 ...