Car Dealership Guy Podcast

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...

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 pla...

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 reall...

  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-awar...

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 strategi...

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 Sa...

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...

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...

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 nin...

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 custome...

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,...

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...

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 ex...

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...

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 proprietar...

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 ha...

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...

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...

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 proprietar...

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 Spotl...

Happy New Year everyone! Today I’m recapping 2025, and giving a sneak preview of what's next for 2026. My direct line: (856) 393-5432 This episode is brought to you by: 1. Ikon Technologies - Ikon Technologies delivers a connected vehicle program for dealers that maximizes Customer Lifetime Value by driving sales efficiency and securing non-cancellable PVR on your front end while delivering an ave...

Today's show features a best of roundup from our first year of Daily Dealer Live: Brian Benstock, VP/GM @ Paragon Honda & Acura Doug Horner, General Sales Manager at Mercedes-Benz of North Olmsted Grant Cardone, CEO of Cardone Capital + more! This episode is brought to you by: Impel – Impel’s Service AI with Voice AI changes that with proactive, VIN-specific outreach based on individual driving be...

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, and where dealers are still leaving money on the table. This episode is brought to you by: 1. Lotlinx - What if ChatGPT actually spoke dealer? Meet LotGPT — the first AI chat...

Today's show features: Don Hall, President and CEO of Virginia Automobile Dealers Association Alan Haig, President of Haig Partners This episode is brought to you by: Impel – Impel’s Service AI with Voice AI changes that with proactive, VIN-specific outreach based on individual driving behavior, missed call capture, and instant appointment scheduling by text and email. Advisors stay focused on the...

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 across borders. We talk financial discipline, acquisition integration, and why used cars remain one of the biggest profit unlocks for dealers willing to operate differently. This epi...