VADA Live

Dealership real estate represents one of the largest single asset classes on an automotive group's balance sheet, but how dealers manage that equity can dramatically accelerate—or constrain—their ability to acquire stores, expand facilities, and execute succession plans . In this episode of VADA Live, host Dan Carrigan sits down with Dan Garces, President and Chief Operating Officer of Capital Aut...

Dealerships spend tremendous effort refining sales scripts, software workflows, and operational processes, but how do employees actually perform when faced with an upset customer, ambiguity, or high-stakes decisions? In this episode of VADA Live, we sit down with Napoleon "Napo" Rumteen, Founder and CEO of Interactive EQ . Drawing on behavioral data from more than 8,000 simulated role-playing expe...

Despite front-end gross compression, tariff uncertainty, and macroeconomic headwinds, automotive dealers continue to prove remarkably resilient across every other department. In this episode of VADA Live, Steve Greenfield, General Partner at Automotive Ventures and author of The Future of Mobility , breaks down the state of retail automotive. Steve explores why the traditional BDC model could beco...

Despite rising interest rates, gas price volatility, and macroeconomic headwinds, the U.S. auto industry continues to show remarkable resilience . In this episode of VADA Live, Brian Finkelmeyer, Senior Director of Enterprise Insights & Advisory at Cox Automotive, breaks down why the auto market is pacing over 16 million new vehicle sales while generating a record-setting $780 billion in overall r...

Navigating over 150 local, state, and federal regulations while handling FTC advertising scrutiny, pay plan disputes, and rising dealership fraud requires more than standard legal advice — it requires real operational insight. In this episode of VADA Live Lisa Olivieri, Attorney and Chief Operating Officer at Davis, Agnor, Rapaport & Skalny, shares how dealers can strengthen compliance and protect...

Promoting your top salesperson or master tech into management without proper leadership training is one of the fastest ways to burn through dealership talent . In this episode of VADA Live, NADA Academy Instructor Georgia Munson draws from decades of experience across Ford Motor Company, Faulkner Ciocca Automotive Group, and Berkshire Hathaway's XTRA Lease. Outlining how top-performing dealerships...

Are you truly operating your stores, or are you just a holding company for automotive real estate? We caught up with Jim Fitzpatrick, Co-Founder of CBT News and retail auto veteran, for an exclusive sneak peek at the industry trends and leadership strategies he is bringing to the VADA '26 Convention stage at the Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront. Register for VADA '26: https://vada.com/convention...

With regulators increasingly urging consumer communities and dealers to "turn in your neighbor," your dealership cannot rely on local complacency to escape compliance penalties. We caught up with Lauren Bailey, Vice President of State and Regulatory Affairs at ComplyAuto, for an exclusive sneak peek at the advertising, privacy, and safety compliance strategies she is bringing to the VADA '26 Conve...

Is your dealership so focused on the end of the month that you're missing the massive geopolitical and economic shifts reshaping the auto industry? We caught up with Sam D'Arc, Chief Operating Officer of Zeigler Auto Group and host of the Daily Dealer Live podcast, for an exclusive sneak peek at the operational insights he is bringing to the VADA '26 Convention at the Marriott Virginia Beach Ocean...

Is artificial intelligence creating a helpful resource for your customers, or is it building a wall between them and your sales team? We caught up with Dr. John Coles, Vice President of Data Science and Analytics at ACV, for an exclusive sneak peek at the machine learning and vehicle valuation strategies he is bringing to the VADA '26 Convention at the Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront . Register...

With front-end margins compressing and credit availability tightening, how do top-performing dealerships continue to run massive numbers in the F&I office? We caught up with Joe St. John, Corporate Finance Manager for Oakes Auto Inc., for an exclusive sneak peek at the F&I strategies he is bringing to the VADA '26 Convention at the Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront. Register for VADA '26: https:/...

Is your sales team still relying on the old-school "just get them in" mentality? In this episode of VADA Live, host Dan Carrigan sits down with NADA Academy instructor Matthew Vollmers. With three decades of experience across dealership operations and OEM roles, Matt explains why the traditional transactional playbook is losing ground to relationship-first cultures . In this episode: The "J Curve"...

Dealerships have been processing warranty claims the exact same way for 80 years . Is your fixed ops department leaving massive dollars on the table? We caught up with WarrCloud CEO Jim Roche for an exclusive sneak peek at the technology and AI strategies he is bringing to the VADA '26 Convention at the Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront Resort. Register for VADA '26: https://vada.com/convention/...

What happens when a customer declines a tire replacement on a Multi-Point Inspection, gets into an accident, and takes the dealership to court? In this episode of VADA Live, host Dan Carrigan sits down with automotive legend and NADA Academy instructor Bob Atwood. With 60 years of experience in the auto industry and a background in law, Bob delivers a masterclass on the legal liabilities hiding in...

We caught up with Presidio Group's Kevin Tynan for an exclusive sneak peek at the data-driven strategy he's bringing to the VADA '26 Convention at the Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront. Register for VADA '26:  https://vada.com/convention/ Kevin is one of the sharpest analysts in automotive retail — and he's not here to sugarcoat it. In this bonus "Convention Sneak Peek" episode, Kevin breaks down...

As vehicle affordability remains a top concern, the role of the dealership's Finance & Insurance (F&I) office is more critical than ever. In this episode of VADA Live, host Dan Carrigan sits down with Robert Hunter, President of Automotive F&I at Brown & Brown Dealer Services. We formally welcome Brown & Brown as VADA's newest Program Partner for Virginia's franchise dealers and dive into the stra...

How do you build trust with a consumer before they ever set foot in your showroom? In this episode of VADA Live, host Dan Carrigan sits down with Tim Pohanka, Executive Vice President of Pohanka Automotive Group, and Chris Einterz, Director of Online Retailing at Dealer eProcess. Together, they break down the current state of digital automotive retailing, where strategies fall short, and how to ef...

Is your parts department the most neglected, underappreciated, and misunderstood department in your dealership? In this episode, we sit down with Brian Crossin, an instructor at NADA Academy who brings over two decades of fixed operations and parts management experience to the table. Brian explains why dealerships routinely hand over half a million dollars in inventory capital to their parts teams...

We're at the halfway point of the Virginia General Assembly session, and the VADA legal team is breaking down exactly what the "Crossover" deadline means for your dealership. Join VADA Live host Dan Carrigan as he sits down with Anne Gambardella, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, and Mimi Perka, Director of Legal and Legislative Affairs, for a Capitol "vibe check." From dodging unexpec...

We know the stats: turnover in the automotive industry is hovering near 46%, and for service advisors specifically, it's nearly 49%. Why are dealership struggling to keep their best people? This week on VADA Live, host Dan Carrigan sits down with Christopher Craig – Author, Fixed Ops Expert, and U.S. Army Reserve Officers – to answer that question. Christopher argues the industry is full of "Manag...

Can a used Nissan with over 100,000 miles and a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) survive the salt flats of Bonneville and the rock crawling trails of Moab? In this episode of VADA Live, host Dan Carrigan sits down with Tim Pohanka, Executive Vice President of the Pohanka Automotive Group, to discuss his hit new YouTube series, "Tour Detour: The Good, The Bad, & The CVT." Tim and two fellow...

The 2026 Virginia General Assembly session is officially underway, and for the retail automotive industry, the stakes remain as high as ever. Join VADA Live host Dan Carrigan for our Season 2 premiere as he sits down with experts Mimi Perka, VADA Director of Legislative & Legal Affairs, and Ralston King, President of RivCo Government Affairs and VADA Lobbyist. With 18 new members entering the Hous...

In this conclusion to our special end-of-year series, VADA President and CEO Don Hall shifts the focus from external threats to the internal dynamics that will define dealership success in 2026. Hall shares candid takeaways from his recent time at the NADA Academy, specifically highlighting the critical, often undervalued role of service technicians. He argues that the service drive touches far mo...

VADA's Don Hall sat down for a candid, two-part interview on the threats facing the franchise system–from manufacturers like VW and Scout pushing for direct sales to the new political landscape in Richmond. In Part 1 Don delivers a message to dealers who think they can coast through 2026: "Manufacturers have made it clear... they would love to be able to take off certain vehicles and sell them dir...