Franchised Dealers Podcasts
"Copy the Best!" Rick Hendrick's #1 Business Decision in 50 Years (An…
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 leavin...
"One Deal Is Enough!" The Blind Spot That's Costing Dealers 10–20 Sal…
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 —...
"Your Presence Is a Lie!" The 60-Second Car Deal: One Dealer's Bet on…
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 pen...
"The Score Lies!" Why Credit Scores are Failing First Time Buyers (& …
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 m...
"Own It, Don't Owe It!" The Dealer Debt Trap Nobody Is Talking About …
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 watche...
“It'll Eat You Alive!” Turning Tragedy Into a Billion-Dollar Dealersh…
Today I'm joined by Corina Straub Diehl, CEO and President at Diehl Automotive Group. After the sudden loss of her husband in 2007 , Corina ignored advice to sell the business and instead scaled it into a 24-store powerhouse ...
“The Tower is Dead!” Inside the No-Commission 4-Day Work Week (And Wh…
Today I'm joined by Erikka Tiffani, General Manager at Walser Hyundai Brooklyn Park. In an industry defined by grind and tradition, Erikka breaks down how Walzer has successfully implemented a 4-day work week and a non-commis...
“Dealers Are Fed Up!” — Inside the Automaker Squeeze, FTC Crackdown a…
Welcome to Dealer War Room from Car Dealership Guy — a new series where host Yossi Levi sits down with top operators to break down the biggest challenges in auto retail. Today I’m joined by Matt Bowers, Owner of Matt Bowers A...
“Rigidity Will Kill!” Why Dealers Must Pivot Strategy Now (+ How to B…
Today I'm joined by Rob Cochran, 2026 Chairman of NADA and CEO of #1 Cochran. We dive into the high-stakes world of dealer advocacy, exploring how NADA defeated the onerous CARS rule and why the FTC still has the industry in ...
“Bucking The Trend!” How Fred Timbrook Scaled to 20+ Rural Rooftops (…
Today I'm joined by Fred Timbrook, CEO at Timbrook Automotive. We dive into Fred's unique diversification into Power Sports , the intense efficiency required to run a high-volume collision center , and the personal philosophy...
“Win Every Inning!” How a former MLB Pro Runs a 4-Store Group (+ His …
Today I'm joined by Brian Dorsett, President of Dorsett Automotive. Brian breaks down why he is moving away from OEM-mandated digital spend , his "Big Stick" radio branding tactics, and t he strict inventory rules required to...
"Pour Gas On It!" How Joey Logano is Scaling Huntersville Ford (+ his…
Today, Sam D'Arc is joined by Joey Logano, NASCAR Driver and Co-Owner of Huntersville Ford. Joey breaks down his transition from the NASCAR track to the dealership floor , revealing how he applies a "Sunday report card" menta...
"People Are The Asset!" – How No Layoffs and Radical Retention Built …
Today I'm joined by Michael Joe Cannon, Owner of Cannon Motors of Mississippi. After stepping away from a coaching career at Ole Miss to take over his father’s 12x12 used car lot, Michael has scaled his group to 37 rooftops b...
"Outcome is Income!" – Process, Accountability & The One Change Addin…
Today I'm joined by John Hiester, Dealer Principal at John Hiester Automotive Group. In this conversation, we discuss how video and AI are transforming sales and F&I coaching , why Hiester moved toward salaried “ product spec...
"We Fired All Our Managers!" — Lessons From a $500M Expansion (& What…
Today I'm joined by David Wyler, CEO of Jeff Wyler Automotive Family. We dig into why Wyler abandoned traditional corporate management in favor of a “coach” model , how a strict 100-mile acquisition rule protects execution, a...
"The Lost Generation of CapEx" – How Dealers Can Win in a Commoditize…
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 ...
"Like Rocket Fuel for Growth!" – The Scale-Up Playbook Behind a Rapid…
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 ...
Profit Or Peril: Why The Final 1% Of Vehicle Condition Makes Or Break…
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...
The Profit Squeeze: 5 Costs Dealers Are Reducing — And Why It Matters…
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...
The $11B Dealer Group Secret – Why Your Used Car Strategy Needs More …
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...
The $7K Store that Built a 55-Year Dealer Empire & Where It's Going N…
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 ...
Why Most Service Departments Leak Calls – And What Actually Stops It …
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...
The Next Frontier for Dealership Service Phone Lines (+ The Hours Sav…
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...
"Fair Doesn't Mean Equal": How Spitzer Autoworld Doubled in 5 Years (…
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 ...