Kathi Kruse and Mike theCarGuy Correra

Beyond The First Pencil

Business EN ↓ 131 episodes

Beyond The First Pencil is where dealership operations meet financial reality. Hosted by Kathi Kruse, of Kruse Control and Automotive CFO-To-Go™, this podcast is for dealers, OEMs, GMs, and controllers who want more than surface-level advice. You’ll get straight talk on financial statements, internal controls, cash flow, and the operational gaps that quietly erode profit. From gross to net, from process to profit, each episode delivers real-world insights on how dealerships actually make money… and where they lose it. Because selling cars is one thing. Keeping the profit is another.

Be sure to visit the podcast's website and support the creator: thefirstpencil.buzzsprout.com

Author

Kathi Kruse and Mike theCarGuy Correra

Episodes

Episode 6: Are Your Digital Assets Safe? 08.11.2021 29:53

Kathi and Mike talk about a situation that happened last week and all dealers should take note: Keeping a close watch on vendor activity around digital assets. We explain what we found and provide ways to prevent situations like this from happening to you. Here’s a link HERE to the Facebook Pixel Helper extension we mentioned so you can do your own reconnaissance work. We also talk about (squeeeee...

Episode 5: More Transitions, But What About Company Culture? 04.11.2021 31:55

A lot of consolidation happening in auto retail - lots of buying and selling of dealerships. Many buyers talk about needing a "cultural fit" before they buy, but what are they willing to do to keep to that promise? We'd love to hear about some real strategies and applications of a "cultural fit." What would happen in auto retail if we had a customer-centric, employee-centr...

Episode 4: Supply Chain Issues, New Auto Retail Models, We'll Get the Hang of This! 16.10.2021 28:17

It's Mercury Retrograde and that means transitions! We are definitely in the middle of some things. Shifts in the car business accelerating with supply chain issues. Going into the end of the year is not great but second quarter '22 should see some rebound (hopefully sooner!). Demand is driving orders and production will ramp up, then we'll need more transitions when things level ou...

Episode 3: It's All About Having Fun And Getting It Done! 11.10.2021 32:14

Mike talks about his awesome monthly event Riverside Cars and Coffee. Hot Rods, muscle cars and coffee - what more could you want? Visit Riverside Cars and Coffee Instagram for more info: HERE Then, we chat about the value of welcoming local car clubs and other groups to the dealership for MORE exposure. Bringing customers to the store is always good. In fact, Service Clinics were once common and...

Episode 2: Humor, Selling Cars, Google My Business 09.10.2021 30:05

Our second chat and we are getting better at this! Join Kathi and Mike for some great auto biz talk! We hope to inject a little humor to make our lives more enjoyable...and hopefully yours! In this episode: Digital Retailing/Operational processes changing in auto retail. Consumer shopping behavior changes and how operations must adapt to serve customers and employees. Training and educating employ...

Episode 1: The First Pencil, Our Maiden Voyage! 30.09.2021 33:00

In our first episode we talk about why we wanted to dip our toes into the podcasting waters and why we think car people might find our show interesting! A little background, some automotive stuff and a little bit of tunage thrown in! PS: Would you like to learn on how to laser-target your prospecting, establish rapport through existing connections...and sell more? Download your FREE Social Selling...