The UAW Gauntlet Is Laid, Two Icons Return

‍Paul Daly: 0:19

You all right. Welcome to Thursday, the UAW gauntlet is laid, we're talking about that today. We've been talking about that, waiting for it to happen. So I'll start about two icons returning two different stories to different industries, to different items that people really want to know. is important for Tuesday, Thursday.

Kyle Mountsier: 0:45

No need to repeat first of all, I can't wait for this first story,

Unknown: 0:48

because it's like, like, like,

Kyle Mountsier: 0:51

it reminds me of the meme. Where to do just like walks past like.

Paul Daly: 0:57

Yeah, so we'll get there. Oh, yeah, that'd be the meme of they actually get it, which they won't. Exactly. It'll be an interesting story. Hey, yesterday.

Kyle Mountsier: 1:04

So I don't know if the people know this. If you weren't following on the gram or on the on the LinkedIn we were at. We were in Baltimore. final walkthrough of the asoto con venue, which, look, if you only come for, like the first hour of the thing, the energy around just walking in the space is going to be nuts, our team, they're like walking us through. I love it. Because, you know, historically, it's always been like Paul and me going, hey, what if we what if we, and our team is walking us through, they're like, we're gonna do this little activation and this little activation, Paul and I were like, we're like, little kids in a candy shop. That's great. Let's do it. Let's do it. But we're halfway through. And I get a FaceTime from my man, Kobe Joyner. This dude just loves to FaceTime people out of the blue. He's, he's with the Cavinder Auto Group has been, you know, a couple of different places. And if you don't know, I'm just a great all around guy. And we're chatting. And he's like, I'm coming. And I've talked to, you know, a couple other people about coming. And I had this revelation in the moment, and I had no clue that Kelly was recording me when I said, this is great. But I said, you know, so many people will send one or two people forget an organization to an event. And I know travel expenses, time away from store, all of those are major things. But the difficult part. And he even he said that it's a 700 person organization, which is like a midsize organization when it comes to dealer groups. The ability to to enact change, at an organizational level, from things that you might hear at an event, when it's only one or two people tired of beating the drum is extremely tough. And we're just we had this like candid conversation that got caught on video. So you can find it on LinkedIn or Instagram. It's candid conversation about just how you need a small critical mass to really enact change. We even had a couple of industry partners last year that were like, Hey, we really, we need to send six people because we're actually there was actually one industry partner last year that sent six people, they said we don't even we're not even interested in like the sales game. We're not even trying to pick that up. But we know that after every session, we're gonna have to go away and have a conversation, the six of us so that we make sure we know what it looks like for us to go home and do this well. So like, just think about that as an as an org, like, what's the value of sending one or five or six people? And how much can you impact the organization? The more critical mass you have in an event like whether it's a soda con, or nada, or any any of these. So,

Paul Daly: 3:40

we're shaping up topics right now I know that's a big question that a lot of people have, you can see the speaker list that a soda con.com, which is not just a partial speaker list already have over 1000 rooftops represented and growing every day. Topics are going to include things like tech recruiting CDP's, and data going to include things like how do we move toward a retail buying experience, maybe if you're struggling with one price, or considering we're gonna have experts and people have done it. This is going to be a place where you actually meet the people who are doing the things that you are trying to do or considering doing or want to do better. Those conversations are happening happening. Get your tickets now because you want to also be able to book in the main hotel before the rooms are gone. And it's discounted this month too. So we're gonna do that. Let's get into some news. We got a lot of stuff going on today a lot of things to do. So here's what Scott was talking about. At the beginning of the show. The players are all on the field now as the UAW president Sean fain has announced the union's intention to pursue the what some are calling an audacious set of proposals. I think most people call it that. From the Detroit's big three. He's calls it the quote, most ambitious contract demands in decades, including double digit wage gains, restoration of pensions and improved benefits for retirees. Also, buckle your seatbelt pun intended. They're pushing for a read deuced 32 Hour Work Week in manufacturing Why create your pad cover? Yeah, I mean I don't know if this is the part where like we're gonna just like the the old like Donald Trump negotiating tactic. We're gonna like say something so ridiculous. Just a lie every wherever we backup to is still a really good place okay? A feint emphasized that if the automaker's want to celebrate their record profits and he's if you have we have a picture of this article in front of all like the billboards I don't know if we do if we don't. But yeah, there you go. He's sitting in front of to like, you know, old school like foam core boards on a tripod. And it's like news headline clips GM earnings sore from CNN still Lancers new record profits for q2 profits are so he's like, Hey, if you want to brag about profits, you should be prepared for record contracts. Yeah, well, you know, still anthesis saying, Hey, we're definitely looking to they use the word collaborate. I like that they've been watching lately. While also emphasizing the need, like, hey, we want to have a globally competitive company that pays globally competitive wages. And so this this one's gonna be a thing. The current contract expires September 14,

Kyle Mountsier: 6:11

man for soda cup right before soda con, everybody's everybody's conversations there.

Paul Daly: 6:17

No more inventory they stopped. You know, we'll be alright.

Kyle Mountsier: 6:22

This is we've known that the shots fired, we're coming. You know, as we started to hear, in July, the q2 reports and the UAW talking about the potential of a strike. And so I'm not surprised by this, but like the screenshot, putting the articles behind you,

Paul Daly: 6:39

I knew that was coming. We talked about it hold we've been flooded. So it's we've been talking about that this like, it's gonna be a little awkward, right? Let's

Kyle Mountsier: 6:48

get this troublemaker you want to make it

Paul Daly: 6:51

awkward. Let's make it awkward. You

Kyle Mountsier: 6:52

want to make it awkward?

Paul Daly: 6:53

Well, tell me you're broke. Tell me you're broke yet? Tell me you're

Kyle Mountsier: 6:57

broke right now. And we'll figure this out. No, this is, and we talked about this earlier this week, you know that the balance between moving to Evie and understanding that record profits are happening on the ice side. And trying to balance you know, manufacturing and reducing expenses as the transition and both research and development and manufacturing move into evey cycles is just going to be something that manufacturers continue to struggle with, but kudos to the Union for just paying attention to the news, you know, and leveraging that. Yeah, and here's the thing like you look at the thing like wage gains wages are up across every industry and unions have to fight for that every few years. It's not something that like just because profitability or anything like that that is just happening that's the that's the like downfall of having a union right it's it's this like cycle of fighting for wage increases. That doesn't just that isn't just demanded personally by the people. So that's that makes complete sense, restoration of pensions and improved benefits for retirees. Hey, look, that's like, why wouldn't you want to take care of your people? And so I if I had to guess the big three are probably going to look at this and be like, Okay, we got you. We see you there's going to be a little bit in negotiations and privacy a couple of weeks of of strike just because that's the way you leverage your best negotiation. No, we'll be right back on it.

Paul Daly: 8:20

Kyle seems pretty certain. Well, some

Kyle Mountsier: 8:22

I'm speaking of being right back on it. Oh, yeah.

Paul Daly: 8:31

The internet is abuzz with the iconic Toyota Landcruiser. As its stages its comeback. I'm excited. I drive a Land Cruiser discontinued in the United States in 2021. It's making a grand return with the 2024 model that exudes retro charm. Now this is I've never seen a vehicle before it will I get this in a minute. The transformation is marked by it's a little bit smaller. And it's going to have a hybrid version, which is an improvement. I can I can vouch for it when it says the iconic core fuel efficiency of the vehicle. It's disgustingly bad. Like it's got this big vat in it and it's like 12 to 14 miles a gallon. If the winds behind you and you're going downhill. The new design shares its architecture with other Toyota models. So it's starting to look more like the lineup like the Sequoia that Tacoma the tundra also looks very similar to that Lexus GX that they released a little while ago that really cool it and the Lexus DX has definitely an edge on it. But it's still wider than the old 200 series. And, you know, it's also probably the biggest thing people are talking about. It's affordability, it's $30,000 less than the 200 series that was out. And you know, so there's a couple things one really interesting thing is that you can order different headlight packages. I haven't seen that much. Oh yeah, so like a different trend. Yeah, so like one of them is like very retro, like round looking headlights. Yeah, but that's something I haven't seen in like Toyota is keeping it interesting. I do wonder though, how it's interesting online. Yeah, manufacturing that no How crosses over with I mean as long as you can put it in the same thing and it's not like a different front grille, I guess. But, but like man, it's like this is getting real close to like the foreigner price point wise, even size wise like but Toyota is always kind of been like that. So Highlander it's a four runner now it's gonna be a Land Cruiser, but I'm excited about it because I think the Land Cruisers just epic.

Kyle Mountsier: 10:20

It's it's a really dope look, it's a little bit narrower and but it's a nice stance.

Paul Daly: 10:26

It's wider, it's, well, it's

Kyle Mountsier: 10:28

wider weight, it's wider than it's wider than the current one than the current one. But if you haven't gone and watch the video, like it's funny, because it's kind of a retro car, but the announcement video is like pure rock and roll. Oh, I didn't really see it that way. They brought him into this garage thing and like staged it was really really neat. So I'm excited about it. I've never been like a big Land Cruiser type fan, but I feel like this like meeting old with new type feel and vibe is just a really fun truck. So

Paul Daly: 11:03

yeah, I never was either until I bought this one. Some people might know I bought it from Gary Vaynerchuk it was his land cruiser. It's got like 260,000 miles on it run and you were in it last week. You're like

Kyle Mountsier: 11:15

10k It's unbelievable.

Paul Daly: 11:17

Unreal. It's unreal. Speaking, we do,

Kyle Mountsier: 11:22

there was there should have been a good transition

Paul Daly: 11:24

really, as well from one legend to another to another. I don't know if this one's as legendary, as

Kyle Mountsier: 11:32

in a bold move to redefine its online retail identity. overstock.com CEO Jonathan Johnson revealed his jealousy

Paul Daly: 11:40

assistant John Johnson for real Jonathan

Kyle Mountsier: 11:42

Johnson. They've decided to adopt the name of a well known competitor. So if you didn't remember, just a couple of months ago overstock acquired the digital assets of the then bankrupt Bed Bath and Beyond. And it has since made a full transition to its iconic brand significant a significant shakeup in the E commerce home goods sector. If you go to overstock.com is it's not overstock.com anymore, that thing redirects right over to red bath and beyond.com There's like there is a little bit of if you I've been to Bed Bath and beyond.com and overstock they definitely like they've done a little bit in the design to kind of like meld the two and make you know the recommendation engine feel more like overstock but the stocking and the kind of look and feel look more like Bed Bath and Beyond. So basically overstock historically has just been a clearance sale kind of the Overstock place where you know they would buy large large stock of overstock and then resell it at cheaper prices. And so they're they're trying to reposition their brand is like a premium first stock home goods store. Now this is this is what's wild old Bed Bath and Beyond customers can still utilize up to $50 of their rewards points on this rebate website. So it's like all your coupons all coming over you got overseas, it's just this like home meld mash up of of home goods. And I think we were talking yesterday, it's like, it's like, kind of like Marshalls, TJ Maxx, but for homes and you know, Overstock, but it's bed bath, it's like this whole mashup of things, but it's actually like we I was I was looking on it yesterday, just the site in general was actually pretty easy to

Paul Daly: 13:33

do good. I love Kyle says it's easy to navigate that, you know, you might pass it with flying colors, because he's a little particular the way site supposed to work like and rightfully so, I'm going to wrap all three of these articles back. This last one talks about brand and the power of brand moving into something people expect into what's something people already know. Right? The reason the brand has power, and the experience has powers because both companies have executed to that they mash them up together, right? And you're thinking like, Okay, now everything works together. Toyota Land Cruiser, the reason why they can come back so strong is because what they had built on the brand platform already has an expectation and a desirability to it. So when the new one comes out, it's just going to sell go all the way back up to the first store, we're talking about the unions, and we're talking about the OEMs. And we're talking about them trying to work out the differences. And that might lead to a stoppage of new vehicle supply. We're no stranger to that. We're just getting back on our feet. But if you are a dealer, you can do a lot on a regular basis to make that a non factor. I mean, it'll always impact you a little bit. But every day, what is the perception of your store? What is the perception of working in your store the experience on your website, you have so much you can do about those things that frankly, you don't have to worry that much about the other things if you're focusing on the right things, and and there's a place that you can do that. Called a soda con. Yeah, coming up with it. Oh, Like we're talking about because we truly believe the best thing for you to do with us and of your people is to just be there with us for 48 hours to change this industry. So get out there and love some people and build some brands.

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