The Evening Drive

Success means nothing if you lose yourself while chasing it. For years, leaders have been taught that doing more, working longer, and never slowing down is the path to winning. But what if the greatest leaders know when to reset? In this episode of The Evening Drive, Sam Cox and Evan Walters discuss the power of intentional pauses, protecting your energy, building better routines, and creating suc...

Disruption doesn’t happen by accident.   It happens when someone is willing to challenge what has always been done and ask a different question:   “What could this become?”   In this episode of The Evening Drive, we sit down with Josh Mitchell to talk about the mindset behind becoming an automotive disruptor — building something different, pushing against industry norms, adapting through change, a...

Leadership starts long before strategy, process, or results. It starts with mindset. In this episode of The Evening Drive Podcast, we dive deep into what it really means to develop a winning mindset in leadership, business, and life with our special guest, Phil Gill of Tom Gill Chevrolet in Kentucky. We discuss the habits, perspectives, and mental disciplines that separate reactive leaders from in...

AI is changing the automotive industry faster than most dealerships realize. In this episode of The Evening Drive Podcast, we break down what AI actually means for dealership leaders, sales teams, customer experience, operations, and the future of automotive retail. This conversation goes beyond the hype.   We discuss: • How leaders can leverage AI without losing culture • Why AI should support pe...

What happens when a sixth grader raises his hand and says he wants to be in the car business? In this episode of the Evening Drive podcast, Sam Cox and Evan Walters sit down with Mark Foster to unpack an incredible journey of faith, leadership, culture, and building a dealership the right way. From surviving the chaos of 2008–2009, to taking over a store with only two cars and eight employees, to...

The road home after a long day hits different… and that’s exactly what this episode of The Evening Drive is all about. 🚗💨 In this special episode, Sam Cox and Evan Walters sit down in Scottsdale, Arizona during the 800% Grit Matters Retreat to reflect on the journey of the podcast so far — the guests, the lessons, the laughs, and the real conversations that matter most. From dealership culture a...

🚗 The Evening Drive: From the Congo to a Million-Dollar Fashion Empire | The Power of Experience Over Product What happens when you mix relentless grit, world-class service, and a vision bigger than your environment? In this episode of The Evening Drive, Sam Cox and Evan Walters sit down with a truly special guest—Albert Lokonga, founder of a rapidly growing luxury fashion brand based right here...

What if changing your life didn’t take a massive overhaul—but just 1% better every day? In this episode, we sit down with Tustin Ulrich, who went from working 70 hours a week, weighing 460 pounds, and struggling personally… to leading one of the most culture-driven teams in the automotive industry. We break down: How small daily habits compound into massive results Why most leaders fail (and how t...

What’s up, everybody — welcome back to The Evening Drive. In this episode, Evan Walters and Sam Cox sit down with special guest John Blakely — a high-level dealership leader running multiple stores and leading teams to #1 performance in their market. This conversation goes deep into what’s actually working right now in the car business — not theory, not fluff — but real, in-the-trenches leadership...

What separates high-performers from everyone else? It’s not more hours… it’s better use of the ones they’ve got. In this episode of The Evening Drive, Sam Cox and Evan Walters break down real-world, no-BS strategies for managing your time in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment—whether you’re in the dealership, leading a team, or just trying to win your day. This isn’t theory. This is what actu...

Welcome back to The Evening Drive with Sam Cox and Evan Walters — where real conversations meet real results. In this episode, Sam and Evan break down one of the most critical shifts happening in business today: remote transactions. Whether you're in automotive, retail, or any service-based industry, the ability to sell, serve, and close deals remotely is no longer optional — it’s essential. They...

Join Evan Walters and Sam Cox on the Evening Drive as they explore the Hispanic market and potential outreach to Spanish speakers with guest Rel Delgado!

Join Evan and Sam as they take you on The Evening Drive, where we can kick back and theorycraft just how to help you GROW!

Welcome back to the Evening Drive! Today our hosts Evan Walters and Sam Cox discuss a major pain point for car dealerships... Pushing used inventory. Check it out!

Today we dive in to the hardest part of leading. Being proactive vs reactive. Tune in!

In the second installment of The Evening Drive, Sam Cox and Evan Walters dive in to what it takes to win at ALL aspects of life: personal, and professional. Tune in

In the very first episode of The Evening Drive, hosts Sam Cox and Evan Walters explain why this podcast exists—and who it’s really for.   Built around the often-overlooked drive home after a long day, The Evening Drive is about what happens after the lights are turned off, the gates are locked, and work finally ends. Sam and Evan share their backgrounds in the automotive industry, their journey fr...