What The Prompt?

AI isn’t breaking dealerships — it’s exposing them. In this episode of What The Prompt (from Automotive Intelligence), Michael Rodriguez sits down with Todd Smith, CEO of Core AI and author of the upcoming book The Intelligent Dealership, to break down what dealership leaders are really reacting to when they say “AI isn’t working.” This isn’t a vendor hype conversation. Todd and Michael get into t...

What happens when a lifelong “car guy” spends 15 years on the showroom floor… then 15 years in SaaS and AI? You get a brutally honest look at why most dealers aren’t ready for the 2030 dealership—and what to do about it. In this episode of What The Prompt?, host Michael Rodriguez sits down with Jason Chabot to unpack two decades of lessons from retail, F&I, general management, and now AI innov...

Send us a text AI isn’t killing SEO in auto retail — bad strategy is. In this episode of What The Prompt? , host Michael Rodriguez sits down with legendary automotive SEO expert Greg Gifford , COO at SearchLab Digital, to unpack what’s actually true about SEO, content, and AI for car dealers… and what’s pure snake oil. If you’ve ever been pitched “20 pages of SEO content a month,” promised 500 lea...

Send us a text What if your service drive could run like a perfectly packed Tetris board — every technician at full capacity, no empty lifts, and no chaos? In this episode of What the Prompt?, host Michael Rodriguez sits down with Dave Anderson, founder of Evenflow AI, the platform re-engineering how dealerships schedule service, allocate technician time, and recover lost revenue. Drawing on his b...

Send us a text Ever had a customer say, “I’ll call you back,” and they actually meant it — but when you followed up, they’d already bought somewhere else? That’s not a missed call… that’s lost revenue. Welcome back to What The Prompt?, where AI meets the showroom floor. Today, host Michael Rodriguez sits down with Sanjay Varnwal, founder of Spyne — the company behind Vinny AI, a voice engagement p...

Send us a text In today’s What The Prompt?, I sat down with Lindsey Gallagher from Authenticom —a true advocate for data freedom in auto retail. We covered: 🔹 Why API-driven orchestration is a survival move, not a trend 🔹 How locked-up data is bleeding your profits 🔹 What questions every GM should ask before buying the next AI tool 🎙️ Lindsey’s product insights are 🔥 for any vendor, OEM, or de...

Send us a text Dealership marketing is changing FAST — and AI is rewriting the rules. In this episode of What The Prompt?, host Michael Rodriguez sits down with Sean Toussi, CEO of Glo3D, to break down how dealers can use AI-powered marketing to compete with larger groups, create scalable content, and win in the digital-first retail era. ✅ How smaller independents can automate their marketing wit...

Send us a text Why do dealerships keep paying for tech they never use? This week on What The Prompt?, we sit down with progressive dealer-operator Scott Falcone to dig into why culture—not tech—is the real driver of innovation in automotive retail. Scott’s been in the trenches for over 30 years, and in this episode, he shares why most AI tools flop in dealerships, how he’s flipping the training mo...

Send us a text What if you could onboard a new hire and get them to full sales effectiveness in just 36 days? In Part 2 of our conversation with Zach McVicker, founder of Onboardian, we dive deeper into how A.I. is revolutionizing dealership training, onboarding, and employee retention. From AI-driven roleplay and digital scoreboards to the power of centralized data and real-time coaching insights...

Send us a text What if your dealership could know a customer’s interests, credit range, and car history before they even shake your hand? In this episode of What the Prompt? , we’re joined by the team from Capture DS — the pioneers behind an AI-driven platform using license plate recognition (LPR), behavioral targeting, and real-time data to transform automotive retail. We break down how they’re r...

Send us a text Why do U.S. and European dealerships operate so differently? And how is AI reshaping the global auto retail landscape? In this episode of *What The Prompt?*, 25-year auto industry leader Ned Nedialkov (former BMW Sales Director, Lithia GM, and founder of Alterra. BG) joins us to break down global dealership culture, tech gaps, and what most sales teams are still getting wrong. 🚘 He...

Send us a text In this episode of What The Prompt? , Michael Rodriguez sits down with Todd Smith, CEO of QoreAI, to break down the real state of artificial intelligence in automotive retail. From CRMs that fail to deliver, to lead quality myths, to why most AI tools are just “smarter spreadsheets,” this conversation hits where it matters: dealership performance. Todd reveals what a true System of...

Send us a text Why does traditional auto training fall flat — and how can dealerships actually fix it? In Episode 002 of What The Prompt? , Michael Rodriguez sits down with Zach McVicker , CEO of Onboardian , to explore why most dealership training is broken and how AI-powered coaching, emotional intelligence, and real leadership can change everything. We talk: ✅ Why 80% of salespeople fail to ge...