In Search Of...

What happens when everyone wants success, but relationships still break down? Whether it's a dealership's relationship with a vendor, an employee, or a customer, the quality of every outcome is ultimately shaped by communication, trust, accountability, and shared expectations. Yet many organizations focus on processes, performance metrics, and results while overlooking the conversations that make...

What happens when dealers assume vendors are the problem… while vendors assume dealers just don't understand the data? Distrust is common in automotive vendor relationships. Missed expectations, unclear reporting, weak communication, and underperforming campaigns have trained many dealers to stay skeptical. But skepticism alone doesn't create better outcomes. In this episode of IN SEARCH OF…, host...

What happens when an industry spends millions on paid advertising… but still measures success by the cheapest possible lead? In automotive, cost per lead has become the default scorecard. Lower is better. Higher is a problem. But outsde of automotive, that way of thinking has already been left behind.  In this epiosde of IN SEARCH OF..., host Dave Estey and Wikimotive Co-Founder Zach Billings are...

What happens when your dealership keeps increasing marketing spend to drive more traffic… only to realize the real problem isn't traffic at all? Many stores fall into the trap of chasing more leads and more tools, when the real breakdown is happening in process, data ownership, and customer experience. In this episode of IN SEARCH OF… host Dave Estey and Wikimotive Co-Founder Zach Billings sit dow...

What happens when your dealership keeps increasing marketing spend to drive more traffic… only to realize the real problem isn't traffic at all? Many dealerships fall into the trap of "adrenaline marketing" relying on short-term paid tactics to stimulate results instead of building sustainable marketing infrastructure. In this episode of IN SEARCH OF… host Dave Estey and Wikimotive Co-Founder Zach...

What happens when your dealership is spending $20K–$100K/month driving traffic… only to send shoppers into a digital storefront that's cluttered, slow, and quietly killing conversion? In this episode of In Search Of , new host Dave Estey and Wikimotive Co-Founder Zach Billings sit down with Lance Boehmer of Motive to break down the real cost of outdated website platforms—and why "good enough" webs...

What happens when "being nimble" stops meaning clever marketing tweaks—and starts meaning leadership, discipline, and brutal honesty about what's actually changing week to week? In this episode of In Search Of , Dan Barker and Wikimotive Co-Founder Zach Billings sit down with Andrew Ruck, GM of LaFontaine Automotive Group, for a real-world look at what it took to win in 2025—and what it'll take to...

What happens when the "AI revolution" meets the unglamorous reality of dealership operations, OEM programs, and messy data? In this new episode of  In Search Of ,  Dan Barker  and Wikimotive Co-Founder  Zach Billings  sit down with  Brooke Furniss  to cut through the noise and get brutally practical about what actually moves the needle heading into 2026. Together, they unpack why "AI-only" promise...

In this episode of ' In Search of...Insights' , Dan Barker and Wikimotive Co-Founder  Zach Billings  break down their biggest takeaways from MRC 2025 — from real-world tech adoption to AI myths, dealership education, and why so many stores are still chasing "level 47" when they haven't mastered levels 1–4. This conversation pulls back the curtain on what dealers are  actually doing with advanced t...

Can Atlas Really Change the Car-Buying Journey? In this episode of In Search of Insights , Dan Barker and Wikimotive Co-Founder Zach Billings unpack the hype surrounding OpenAI's newly released Atlas - and what (if anything) it means for automotive dealers right now. Is Atlas the beginning of a fundamental shift in how shoppers discover, research, and buy vehicles? Or is it just another AI headlin...

What happens when the automotive industry's biggest blind spots finally get called out? In this new episode of  In Search Of , Dan Barker and Wikimotive Co-Founder  Zach Billings  sit down with  Brian Pasch  - author, researcher, conference founder, and one of automotive retail's most respected voices. Together, they unpack what's  actually  hurting dealership performance today: bloated websites,...

What happens when you cut through the hype and look at what's  actually  driving dealership performance? In this new episode of  In Search Of , Dan Barker and Wikimotive Co-Founder  Zach Billings  sit down with  George Nenni , Founder of Generations Digital and one of automotive retail's leading digital minds. Together, they unpack the myths, metrics, and realities behind Google Performance Max, G...

Can AI really handle your dealership's SEO?  In this first episode of  In Search of Insights  — a new spinoff of the  In Search Of  podcast — Wikimotive Co-Founder  Zach Billings  joins Dan Barker to unpack the  realities vs. misconceptions  surrounding generative AI in automotive marketing. Why Watch Understand where AI tools actually fit into dealership marketing workflows Learn why AI content c...

In this episode of  In Search Of… ,  Dan Barker  is joined by  Zach Billings  (Co-Founder, Wikimotive) and  Patrick Downes  of  Ruge's Automotive Group  to uncover how a  family-owned dealership  competes — and thrives — in today's mega-group marketplace. From  reputation management  (1,500+ reviews at 4.9 stars!) to smart use of  third-party automotive sites ,  SEO vs. SEM strategy , and where  A...

In this premiere episode of In Search Of… , Dan Barker (CEO, Wikimotive) and Zach Billings (Co-founder, Wikimotive) sit down with Tara Rego (Director of Strategic Partnerships, Spectrum Reach) to demystify the evolving world of OTT video advertising. From her unorthodox entry into automotive retail to her leadership in digital media strategy, Tara shares sharp insights into audience fragmentation,...