Franchised Dealers Podcasts
“Win Every Inning!” How a former MLB Pro Runs a 4-Store Group (+ His …
Today I'm joined by Brian Dorsett, President of Dorsett Automotive. Brian breaks down why he is moving away from OEM-mandated digital spend , his "Big Stick" radio branding tactics, and t he strict inventory rules required to...
"Pour Gas On It!" How Joey Logano is Scaling Huntersville Ford (+ his…
Today, Sam D'Arc is joined by Joey Logano, NASCAR Driver and Co-Owner of Huntersville Ford. Joey breaks down his transition from the NASCAR track to the dealership floor , revealing how he applies a "Sunday report card" menta...
"People Are The Asset!" – How No Layoffs and Radical Retention Built …
Today I'm joined by Michael Joe Cannon, Owner of Cannon Motors of Mississippi. After stepping away from a coaching career at Ole Miss to take over his father’s 12x12 used car lot, Michael has scaled his group to 37 rooftops b...
"Outcome is Income!" – Process, Accountability & The One Change Addin…
Today I'm joined by John Hiester, Dealer Principal at John Hiester Automotive Group. In this conversation, we discuss how video and AI are transforming sales and F&I coaching , why Hiester moved toward salaried “ product spec...
"We Fired All Our Managers!" — Lessons From a $500M Expansion (& What…
Today I'm joined by David Wyler, CEO of Jeff Wyler Automotive Family. We dig into why Wyler abandoned traditional corporate management in favor of a “coach” model , how a strict 100-mile acquisition rule protects execution, a...
"The Lost Generation of CapEx" – How Dealers Can Win in a Commoditize…
Today I'm joined by Michael Maroone, Chairman and CEO of Maroone USA. Michael breaks down why new cars are becoming commodities , where profit has actually migrated, and why culture, curiosity, and operational freedom matter ...
"Like Rocket Fuel for Growth!" – The Scale-Up Playbook Behind a Rapid…
Today I'm joined by Matt Stuckey, President of Stuckey Automotive. Matt explains how real estate mandates, throughput targets, and workforce pipelines intersect, and why productivity— not volume —is the real competitive edge ...
Profit Or Peril: Why The Final 1% Of Vehicle Condition Makes Or Break…
In this episode of the Industry Spotlight, we dive into why used car success in 2026 is no longer j ust about the purchase price , but about the high-stakes ability to acquire and articulate a vehicle's complete story. Joinin...
The Profit Squeeze: 5 Costs Dealers Are Reducing — And Why It Matters…
Today I’m joined by Donald Kemp, General Sales Manager at Stowasser Buick GMC. We dig into why human-first social content is outperforming inventory posts , how moving F&I earlier drives higher penetration , and where dealers...
The $11B Dealer Group Secret – Why Your Used Car Strategy Needs More …
Today, Sam sits down with Steve Hoggle, General Manager at Honda of Lake City and Sarah Copp, Director of Major Accounts at Lotlinx to pull back the curtain on the "Moneyball" strategy of modern automotive retail. While many...
The $7K Store that Built a 55-Year Dealer Empire & Where It's Going N…
Today I’m joined by Andrew Habberstad, CEO at Habberstad Auto Group. We unpack how a single relationship led to a $7,000 BMW franchise . Andrew breaks down generational continuity, smart expansion, and why listening to peers ...
Why Most Service Departments Leak Calls – And What Actually Stops It …
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 capt...
The Next Frontier for Dealership Service Phone Lines (+ The Hours Sav…
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 Volk...
"Fair Doesn't Mean Equal": How Spitzer Autoworld Doubled in 5 Years (…
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 ...
‘The CSI Illusion’ : The Death of the Survey and Why Speed is the Rea…
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....
“We 3x'd Fixed Revenue!” – How Dealers Are Leaning Into Service for t…
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 ...
“Take On The Big Boys!” — Inside the Mind of a 70+ Rooftop Canadian A…
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 acros...
The Real Cost of Car Theft at Dealerships – Security, Recovery, and R…
Welcome to Industry Spotlight—a focused series hosted by Sam D’Arc, highlighting standout dealerships and innovative companies, and exploring the trends driving success in today’s automotive market. Today, Sam sits down with ...
“Burn The Ships!” – Scott Simons’ Tactics for Fixing a Dealership Fro…
Today I’m joined by Scott Simons, Dealer Principal of Simons Chevrolet GMC. Scott breaks down the leap from corporate leadership to dealership ownership — the money discipline, personal brand, and network it actually takes. H...
The King of Staten Island: Real Strategies to Win Against Deceptive P…
Today I’m joined by Marcello Sciarrino, Co-Owner Island Auto Group. We unpack how family-owned dealerships can stand out against national groups , why transparency matters now more than ever , and the biggest fixed ops opport...
The Human Skill the Industry Lost — and How Great Dealers Are Scaling…
Welcome to Industry Spotlight—a focused series hosted by Sam D’Arc, highlighting standout dealerships and innovative companies, and exploring the trends driving success in today’s automotive market. Today, Sam sits down with ...
“Retail Is Detail!” — Why Todd Blue Returned to Luxury Retail and the…
Today I’m joined by Todd Blue, Dealer Principal of Mercedes-Benz of Northern Arizona and CEO of LAPIS. We break down how luxury dealerships can truly differentiate in a crowded market and why direct customer engagement still ...
From Corporate to Rural Dealer: What It Takes to Win Today in Every M…
Today I’m joined by President & Dealer Principal at Alpha One Automotive. We break down his jump from a corporate career into dealership ownership , and why social media became one of his strongest tools for credibility and r...
The Hidden Leak in Service: How Data is Exposing The Customer Retenti…
Welcome to Industry Spotlight—a focused series hosted by Sam D’Arc, highlighting standout dealerships and innovative companies, and exploring the trends driving success in today’s automotive market. Today, Sam sits down with ...