Podcasts

Welcome to Wednesday as we take a look at Walmarts earnings report which indicates a new type of clientele at its stores. We also cover GM welcoming a luxury brand member to its board, as well as an candid EV review we think every Dealership employee should read.

Brian Kramer is in a whole new ballgame. After spending years on the dealership side, he has joined Cars.com as their EVP and GM of Accu-Trade. Michael Cirillo, Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier talk to Brian about this transition, and the issues that he’s now experienced on both sides. They also touch on haircuts, lead fatigue and pitch slapping.

This Tuesday we’re talking about unconventional healthcare with big time satisfaction. The Walmart - Amazon rivalry takes another step up. We also cover Apple's return to work (finally) and layoffs at Best Buy which could benefit Dealership employee searches.

If you give Scott Simons your phone number, he will text you at least once a year. Everything is about relationships for Scott, and he has a lot of them. His college roommate from Sri Lanka, Grant Cardone and the other 6000 contacts in his phone. Relationship is the way that Scott sells cars, and the way he teaches his team to sell. It’s like having 233 people on your marketing team. Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier spend time learning about this system and hearing how much Scott cares for people.

It’s a fantastic Monday to sell and service some cars. Today we’re talking about the shifts Dealerships are seeing in used cars, and how hundreds of Dealers and Industry Partners are coming together to take advantage of the changing landscape head-on. We also cover a Utah grocer who is breaking convention to serve consumers the way they want.

“How’s your family?” This is the essence of Todd Caputo, our guest today on Auto Collabs. Todd is the definition of loyal and caring. And on top of that, he’s a really skilled operator. He sold his 4 dealerships, but before that, his dealerships retailed 6000-6500 vehicles annually of which 5500 were used car sales. Paul J Daly and Todd spend time talking about what Todd is up to now, and some of the trends he’s tracking

Not only is David Long a strategic operator, he is proving that it’s possible to both lift and empower others while providing the structure and accountability required to grow. Also, he has the best hugs, according to Michael Cirillo. Michael, Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier listen to David’s insights on building up the culture of an organization, and keeping it laser focused on its goals.

Walking into a much cooler Friday than last week for most of the country, we’re covering a move by startup Autonomy to boost EV offerings, GM retooling and simplifying its chip infrastructure, as well as the Gen Z trend of trusting TikTok for search.

We hope you’re up and at ‘em this Thursday as we share a great story about a recent acquisition deal between two families on a handshake. We also cover Disney’s moves in streaming and theme parks to keep consumers happy, as well as a big day coming for cryptocurrency Ethereum.

Danny Zaslavsky, the DP/GM and Country Hills Motors and Founder at VinCue joins to share his unique vantage point about how efficient inventory management systems can lead to an elevated customer experience.

This is an eventful Wednesday as we unpack some business and some drama while we talk about the Shift/CarLotz merger, GM forcing a very expensive subscription on buyers, Echo Park hiring a cutting edge social agency, and Google trying to shame Apple to get rid of it’s blue imessage bubbles.

Have we been looking at CRMs all wrong? Jasen Rice, our guest on Auto Collabs, thinks so. Jasen is a veteran of the industry. He was selling 100% online at a time when AOL was still mailing Internet CD-ROMs to homes. Consequently, he’s helped launch Digital Dealer, vAuto and much more. In his conversation with Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier, he dives deep into CRMs, conversion rates and a new way of thinking about leads.

Tuesday is all about loyalty as we talk about the continued decline of both brand and Dealership loyalty, the lack of confidence in Auto brands, Dealerships, and the housing market. We also talk about premium brand McLaren getting into the sneaker game.

Energy. That is what Glenn Lundy brings to life, whether it’s consulting with the 800% Elite Automotive Club, hosting Breakfast with Champions or calling Michael Cirillo out of the blue to interview him. Michael, Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier were reminded by Glenn that doing great things requires change, and change means someone is going to quit or be fired. But taking steps today will make your business great down the road, and Glenn believes that’s achievable for everyone.

Welcome to a fresh, shiny new week as we follow up on the weekend’s progress of the EV Tax credit bill we covered last week. We also talk about the advice circulating the internet regarding the best time to buy a car, as well as CVS’s plans to expand into primary care.

Every hero has an origin story. Understand the origin story and you understand the hero. Steve Greenfield has spent more than 20 years of his professional career in automotive industry leadership roles and today, he is an authoritative voice when it comes to automotive technology and the innovators that are revolutionizing our space. Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier had so many questions for Steve that they actually ran out of time, but that’s how it goes when you’re talking to a hero.

We’re rounding out the week with Carvana’s Q2 performance and integration of ADESA, as well as general retail traffic increasing in shopping malls leading to tenants moving in. We also talk about a substantially more powerful sensor for autonomous vehicle operation.

Today’s guest is an accountant turned executive turned dealer. Damon Lester leads NAMAD’s (National Association of Minority Auto Dealers) mission to increase equitable access and meaningful opportunities for minority entrepreneurs and employees across the automotive industry. Our conversation reminded us to get in the dirt and work, and that automotive encompasses everything.

As we cruise into the back half of the week we’re giving you a breakdown of the proposed EV Tax Credit. We also talk about why capital investments from big companies are a good sign for the economy. Finally, we’re getting to the bottom of whether or not that legendary tire return story at Nordstrom’s is true or not.

Today's guest is a NYT Bestselling Author, the Co-Founder of Square, the Chairman of the St Louis Federal Reserve, and a Professional Glass Blower. That’s not all either. Jim McKelvey is one of the most purebred entrepreneurs we’ve ever met, and he’s here to help us tell ourselves the truth about innovation, entrepreneurship, and how to stack your laptop on laundry baskets for a zoom call.

We are fired up after a day of content creation and invigorating conversations! Today we dive into the OEM sales data from July, an issue with credit reporting from Experian, and a downturn in overall job listings pertaining to Metaverse roles across job boards. Time to kick it into high gear as we roll up our sleeves and get to work!

Hosts Michael Cirillo, Kyle Mountsier, and Paul J Daly tell the story of how they came to create this podcast and why they believe it is critical for there to be more collaboration in the Retail Auto community between not only Dealers and Industry Partners, but also OEM’s and Consumers. And there’s also a joke or two...or three or four...

There’s a lot to cover this morning as we dive into a letter from GM to its dealers penalizing resale of hot models. We also talk about the major current and projected growth of the service and parts departments, as well as the moves CPG companies are making to feel out the consumer mentality on value and luxury in the personal care products they are purchasing.

Welcome a fresh, shiny new month as we kick off the last full month of Summer with news about Ford CEO, Jim Farley’s comments on a recent shareholder call, Rivian’s service center plans, and the reason NBA fans are helpling the adoption of Web 3 move forward.

We’re closing out another great week of Troublemaking as we talk about Ally Financial’s report on the strength of consumer demand amongst rising rates. We also talk about why Amazon is faring better than its competitors, as well as JetBlues acquisition of Spirit and what it means for air travel.