All Podcast Episodes

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 can quietly reshape a dealer’s entire future. Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff: For dealers: CDG Circles ➤ https://cdgcircles.com/ Industry job board ➤ http://jobs.dealershipguy.com Dealership recruiting ➤ http://www.cdgrecruiting.com Fix your dealership’s social media ➤...

Today's show features: Margaret Henney, Vice President of Marketing at CoVideo Taylor Mazock, Social Media Manager at Cavender Auto Group Jason Espin, Automotive Technician at Benzel-Busch Motor Car Lauren Clarke, RV Sales Assistant at Airstream of South Florida Chris Escalante, Finance Assistant at Suburban Buick GMC of Troy This episode is brought to you by: Stream Companies – Stream Companies is a full-service, fully integrated, tech-enabled advertising agency that drives measurable results t...

Today I’m joined by Annie Fallows, Head of Navigator Platform at Capital One. We dive into a massive shift in market sentiment , exploring how dealer trust skyrocketed from 44% to 70% . Annie breaks down why Gen Z is your most loyal—yet most anxious—customer and reveals the "spicy" truth that most digital processes only save five minutes of in-store time . You’ll learn how to bridge the friction-filled gap between online research and the showroom floor to double your conversion rates This episod...

Today's show features: - David Wyler, President and CEO of Jeff Wyler Automotive Family - Ryan Rohrman, Chief Executive Officer of Rohrman Auto Group - Cuyler Owens, CEO of Widewail - Scott Painter, Founder & CEO of TrueCar This episode is brought to you by: Stream Companies – Stream Companies is a full-service, fully integrated, tech-enabled advertising agency that drives measurable results through performance marketing, creative and content development, and proprietary AdTech solutions. Our in...

Today I’m joined by George Karolis, President of The Presidio Group. George breaks down the tension between record-high blue sky multiples and the rising cost of capital, offering a rare look at who is buying, who is selling, and why the "big get bigger" trend is accelerating . Visit @ ⁠https://thepresidiogroup.com/v2ud⁠ to download the data discussed in today’s episode. This episode is brought to you by: 1. Amazon Autos - Sell vehicles to online shoppers who can now buy or lease at Amazon Aut...

Today's show features: - Chris Pres, VP, Automotive Distribution of Polly - Laura Perrotta, President of NJ CAR This episode is brought to you by: Stream Companies – Stream Companies is a full-service, fully integrated, tech-enabled advertising agency that drives measurable results through performance marketing, creative and content development, and proprietary AdTech solutions. Our innovative platforms, including the Retail Ready platform and Integrated Marketing Cloud, empower brands to optimi...

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 capture after-hours and rollover calls without losing its local, human feel. Ari explains why most “bolt-on” AI fails , how deep DMS integration changes outcomes , and what it really takes to get service advisors to trust automation . The result is real appointments, immediate R...

Today's show features: - George Nenni, Founder of Generations Digital - Ryan Maher, CEO of BizzyCar - Rob Studebaker, General Manager of Treasure Valley Subaru This episode is brought to you by: Impel – Your sales team should be selling—not answering the same questions after hours or chasing low-intent leads. Impel Sales AI works the inbox 24/7, qualifying every lead, responding with intent-aware, personalized answers, and booking showroom appointments automatically. With Agentic Response, Impel...

Today I’m joined by Brian MacDonald, CEO & President of CDK Global. We explore the massive scale of the CDK's automotive data ecosystem and what it means to have a touchpoint with nearly 90% of car owners in the country. Brian breaks down how dealers can transform this historical database into a functional asset to improve operations and capture market share. This conversation reveals the strategic power of connectivity in an increasingly data-driven industry. This episode is brought to you by: ...

Today's show features: - Charlie Dyjak, Senior Manager, Legislative Affairs at NADA - Greg York, President/CEO of Vann York Auto Group - Sherryl Nens, SVP Head of US Dealer Sales at Privacy4cars - Josh Johnson, CEO of Don Johnson Auto Group This episode is brought to you by: Impel – Your sales team should be selling—not answering the same questions after hours or chasing low-intent leads. Impel Sales AI works the inbox 24/7, qualifying every lead, responding with intent-aware, personalized answe...

Today I’m joined by Alexi Venneri, Co-founder and CEO of DAS Technology. We dig into why dealers are spending a record $29,000 a month on SaaS yet still feel buried by noise, how AI search is shifting power from SEO to reviews-driven GEO , and why “conversion” now matters more than attraction . Alexi breaks down her vendor agnostic philosophy, the idea of replicating perfect employees with tech , and what actually drives results in today’s market. This episode is brought to you by: 1. Podium - D...

Today's show features: - Fred Beans, Owner of Fred Beans Family of Dealerships - Beth Beans Gilbert, Vice President of Fred Beans Family of Dealerships - Hugh Roberts, Partner at The Rawls Group This episode is brought to you by: Impel – Your sales team should be selling—not answering the same questions after hours or chasing low-intent leads. Impel Sales AI works the inbox 24/7, qualifying every lead, responding with intent-aware, personalized answers, and booking showroom appointments automati...

In part 4 of our Pre NADA AI Spotlight series, I’m joined by Shaun Sorensen, CEO and Co-Founder of Kenect. We dig into why the biggest untapped profit pool in dealerships isn’t sales —it’s service—and how AI agents are moving from “assistive tools” to full-on employees . Shaun breaks down inbound vs. outbound AI , the real risks dealers fear, and how data-driven personalization is already driving nine-figure service revenue results. This episode is brought to you by: 1. Merchant Advocate - Merch...

Today's show features: - Margaret Henney, Vice President of Marketing of Covideo - Nino Sita, General Manager at Lindsay CDJR This episode is brought to you by: Experian – In the past year, 85% of dealers have suspected or confirmed fraud cases, primarily due to income fabrication and forged documents. The fix? Experian Automotive's Fraud Protect. Fraud Protect quickly and easily validates customer identities and documents with zero disruption to your sales flow or the consumer journey. Learn mo...

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 Volkswagen of Oakland and Monik Pamecha, CEO of Toma. We explore how forward-thinking dealers are reallocating human talent away from low-value phone work and back into high-impact, in-store customer interactions. The conversation also tackles a harder truth: as AI becomes a tru...

Today's show features: - Doug Horner, GSM of Mercedes-Benz of North Olmsted - Jameson Riley, General Manager of Riley Volvo This episode is brought to you by: Experian – In the past year, 85% of dealers have suspected or confirmed fraud cases, primarily due to income fabrication and forged documents. The fix? Experian Automotive's Fraud Protect. Fraud Protect quickly and easily validates customer identities and documents with zero disruption to your sales flow or the consumer journey. Learn more...

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 bans AirPods on the floor , how a chance encounter with Henry Ford shaped the group’s legacy , and the specific ways they use AI to scale high-touch customer service . We also explore the group’s "Elite 8" meritocracy and why service retention is now the primary driver of th...

Today's show features: - Stephen Hill, Managing Partner at Oakes Auto Inc - Dave Thomas, Director of Content Marketing at CDK Global - Greg Smith, Vice President of Operations at Leavens Automotive Group This episode is brought to you by: Experian – In the past year, 85% of dealers have suspected or confirmed fraud cases, primarily due to income fabrication and forged documents. The fix? Experian Automotive's Fraud Protect. Fraud Protect quickly and easily validates customer identities and docum...

Today's show features: - David Cerqueira, Service Director at Benzel-Busch Motor Car - Danny Negalha, Fixed Ops Director at McGovern Automotive Group This episode is brought to you by: Stream Companies – Stream Companies is a full-service, fully integrated, tech-enabled advertising agency that drives measurable results through performance marketing, creative and content development, and proprietary AdTech solutions. Our innovative platforms, including the Retail Ready platform and Integrated Mar...

Today I’m joined by Sanjay Varnwal, Co-Founder & CEO at Spyne.ai. In part 2 of our Pre NADA AI Spotlight series we break down how AI is actually being deployed inside dealerships today—from faster merchandising to smarter lead handling—and where it’s delivering real ROI versus hype. Sanjay explains how workflow optimization and tech partnerships are reshaping the dealer tech stack, why voice AI has accelerated dramatically in the last 6–9 months , and what data security and compliance mean in an...

Today's show features: - JB Burnett, Executive General Manager of Preston Automotive Group - Justin Lasky, Business Manager at Lexus of North Hills This episode is brought to you by: Stream Companies – Stream Companies is a full-service, fully integrated, tech-enabled advertising agency that drives measurable results through performance marketing, creative and content development, and proprietary AdTech solutions. Our innovative platforms, including the Retail Ready platform and Integrated Marke...

Today I’m joined by Eric Cohen, CEO at Merchant Advocate. We break down why credit card processing is one of the most overlooked expense lines in dealerships, how 60–70% of stores are overpaying , and which “non-negotiable” fees are actually negotiable . Eric explains where the hidden charges live , how to audit statements properly , and why transparency matters more than ever in a largely unregulated space. The payoff: real strategies dealers can use to reclaim margin without cutting people or ...

Today's show features: - Scott Pharr, COO/Partner of P4 Automotive - Stephane Ferri, CEO of Car Wars - Micah Westrum, General Manager of Ramsey Mazda This episode is brought to you by: Stream Companies – Stream Companies is a full-service, fully integrated, tech-enabled advertising agency that drives measurable results through performance marketing, creative and content development, and proprietary AdTech solutions. Our innovative platforms, including the Retail Ready platform and Integrated Mar...

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. AI is everywhere right now. Claims are loud. Results are uneven. And it’s not always clear what’s actually working. So we’re launching an seven-part series, Pre-NADA AI Spotlight — conversations with the most forward-leaning AI companies in auto retail , focused on what the...