- 37 minutes 47 secondsMeet The Secret Agent Running This Dealer's Operations | Industry Spotlight
In this episode of the Industry Spotlight, joining host Sam D'Arc are John Keohane, VP of Operations and Partner at Temecula Valley Buick GMC, and Liam Golightly, SVP of Customer Success at Podium to discuss how AI operator agents are giving dealership leaders a way to run their entire operation without being in every conversation themselves.
John built his own AI agent, which he nicknamed Emily, to scrape telematics data, run weekly revival campaigns on stale leads, and even coach his sales team by timing how fast they respond before Emily steps in.
The results are hard to ignore: Emily replaced his old bulk texting tool, helped uncover a customer-pay revenue drop in six seconds instead of weeks, and pushed his service department's customer-pay repair orders up 12 to 13 percent this year.
For a single-point dealer competing against much larger groups, John says the technology has become a genuine equalizer.
This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by Podium.
Topics:
04:15 CPA Brain Overwhelmed By Reports.
06:10 Low-Hanging Tech Is Ripe.
07:25 Telematics Data Was Untouched.
09:25 Cold BDC Texts Feel Impersonal.
10:45 Operator Is AI For GMs.
13:00 Emily Texts Revival Campaigns Daily.
14:25 AI Revives Dead Leads Warmly.
16:15 Emily Surfaces Near-Miss Sales.
18:45 Salespeople Race To Beat Emily.
19:55 Employees Use AI To Beat AI.
23:30 Podium Sieves All Outreach.
33:50 AI Levels The Playing Field.
Podium - the AI platform trusted by one in three dealerships. Podium helps dealers consolidate sales, service, messaging, and voice into one connected system that actually runs the work. If your AI isn’t driving real outcomes, it’s time to take a closer look @ here.
Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff:
For dealers:
CDG Circles ➤ https://cdgcircles.com/
Industry job board ➤ http://jobs.dealershipguy.com
Dealership recruiting ➤ http://www.cdgrecruiting.com
Fix your dealership’s social media ➤ http://www.trynomad.co
Request to be a podcast guest ➤ http://www.cdgguest.com
For industry vendors:
Advertise with Car Dealership Guy ➤ http://www.cdgpartner.com
Industry job board ➤ http://jobs.dealershipguy.com
Request to be a podcast guest ➤ http://www.cdgguest.com
Car Dealership Guy Socials:
Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com
22 August 2026, 9:05 am - 1 hour 4 minutesFixed Ops Friday w/ Diana Lee, Felicia Barr, & Bobby Perkins | Daily Dealer Live
Today's show features:
- Diana Lee, CEO and Founder at Constellation
- Felicia Barr, Service Director at Bertera Auto Group
- Bobby Perkins, Fixed Operations Director at Lexus Montgomery & Toyota of Montgomery
This episode is brought to you by:
Digital Dealer – Lost opportunities and slow processes are quietly draining your dealership's bottom line — Digital Dealer fixes that with real sessions, hands-on labs, and live demos covering sales, service, marketing, and AI, so you walk away with strategies you can use the second you're back on the lot. Join us September 22–23 in Detroit and bring your whole team.
Register at digitaldealer.com — use code CDG25OFF for a team discount. Check it out at https://digitaldealer.com/
Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff:
CDG Circles ➤ https://cdgcircles.com/
CDG News ➤ https://news.dealershipguy.com/
CDG Jobs ➤ https://jobs.dealershipguy.com/
CDG Recruiting ➤ https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/
My Socials:
X ➤ https://www.twitter.com/GuyDealership
Instagram ➤ https://www.instagram.com/cardealershipguy/
TikTok ➤ https://www.tiktok.com/@guydealership
LinkedIn ➤ https://www.linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy/
Threads ➤ https://www.threads.net/@cardealershipguy
Facebook ➤ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683
Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com
21 August 2026, 7:18 pm - 45 minutes 59 secondsThe Biggest Opportunity in Car Dealership Acquisitions Nobody's Talking About | Alan Haig, President/Founder of Haig Partners
Alan Haig is the President and founder of Haig Partners, the leading merger and acquisition advisory firm for auto dealerships, where he has guided some of the industry's largest deals.
He tracks buy-sell trends and franchise values across every major brand, and he's watched Infiniti collapse further than any other name in the business while Toyota and Lexus keep climbing.
He speaks candidly about which franchises are worth buying today, which ones aren't, and what a wave of new competition from China could do to dealership values.
Topics:
03:30 Scarcity Creates A Virtuous Cycle.
09:05 Toyota Store Is A Bond.
11:15 Ford And Chevy Are Half Price.
15:05 Honda Beats Toyota As A Buy.
23:50 Chinese EVs Threaten Values.
42:00 Clean Up Before Exit.
This episode is brought to you by:
1. Kenect - Kenect helps dealership GMs automate customer outreach by turning days of manual calling into seconds.
Go to @ here today.
2. CDG Circles - Connect with verified dealers all inside the CDG Platform. Learn more @ here.
3. Haig Partners - The Haig Report® sets the standard for dealership M&A data and trends in auto retail. Read it @ here.
Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff:
For dealers:
CDG Circles ➤ https://cdgcircles.com/
Industry job board ➤ http://jobs.dealershipguy.com
Dealership recruiting ➤ http://www.cdgrecruiting.com
Fix your dealership’s social media ➤ http://www.trynomad.co
Request to be a podcast guest ➤ http://www.cdgguest.com
For industry vendors:
Advertise with Car Dealership Guy ➤ http://www.cdgpartner.com
Industry job board ➤ http://jobs.dealershipguy.com
Request to be a podcast guest ➤ http://www.cdgguest.com
Car Dealership Guy Socials:
Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com
21 August 2026, 3:15 pm - 56 minutes 37 secondsLundy on Training, Nielsen on Digital Dealer, Salas on EV's and Hybrids | Daily Dealer Live
Today's show features:
- Glenn Lundy, President at 800% Elite Automotive Club
- Jaymie Nielsen, Show Director at Digital Dealer
- Al Salas, Founder/Chairman at Eco Auto
This episode is brought to you by:
Digital Dealer – Lost opportunities and slow processes are quietly draining your dealership's bottom line — Digital Dealer fixes that with real sessions, hands-on labs, and live demos covering sales, service, marketing, and AI, so you walk away with strategies you can use the second you're back on the lot. Join us September 22–23 in Detroit and bring your whole team. Register at digitaldealer.com — use code CDG25OFF for a team discount. Check it out at https://digitaldealer.com/
Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff:
CDG Circles ➤ https://cdgcircles.com/
CDG News ➤ https://news.dealershipguy.com/
CDG Jobs ➤ https://jobs.dealershipguy.com/
CDG Recruiting ➤ https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/
My Socials:
X ➤ https://www.twitter.com/GuyDealership
Instagram ➤ https://www.instagram.com/cardealershipguy/
TikTok ➤ https://www.tiktok.com/@guydealership
LinkedIn ➤ https://www.linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy/
Threads ➤ https://www.threads.net/@cardealershipguy
Facebook ➤ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683
Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com
19 August 2026, 6:23 pm - 38 minutes 57 secondsThe Chick-fil-A Strategy Behind This Dealer's Explosive Growth to $1B | Leo Portaluppi, Owner/CEO at P4 Automotive
Leo Portaluppi says the accountability gap holding back growing dealer groups is one owners create themselves.
He argues that titles without real equity produce managers who still think like employees, and that fixing it means giving partners a real path to owning 10, then 20 percent of the store they run.
Topics:
02:10 Fixed Needs Variable, Vice Versa.
04:10 "If You Want Reliable, Don't Buy This."
08:25 Oil-Change Dad Built An Empire.
15:00 Don't Hire Bad Habits, Train Them.
17:00 App Steers Customers To Right Store.
21:00 GMs Write Rules, No Complaints.
31:45 Owner Operators Beat Managers.
This episode is brought to you by:
1. Digital Dealer - Join us September 22–23 in Detroit and register today at DigitalDealer.com. Use code CDG25OFF at checkout and bring your team for a generous discount. Visit @ here for more info.
2. Widewail - Widewail uses AI to turn raw customer feedback into clear operational insights so you know exactly what to fix and where to focus. Go to @ here to book a demo.
3. CDG Circles - Connect with verified dealers all inside the CDG Platform. Learn more @ here.
Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff:
For dealers:
CDG Circles ➤ https://cdgcircles.com/
Industry job board ➤ http://jobs.dealershipguy.com
Dealership recruiting ➤ http://www.cdgrecruiting.com
Fix your dealership’s social media ➤ http://www.trynomad.co
Request to be a podcast guest ➤ http://www.cdgguest.com
For industry vendors:
Advertise with Car Dealership Guy ➤ http://www.cdgpartner.com
Industry job board ➤ http://jobs.dealershipguy.com
Request to be a podcast guest ➤ http://www.cdgguest.com
Car Dealership Guy Socials:
Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com
18 August 2026, 9:05 am - 1 hour 9 minutesCavazos on Women in Auto, Gates/Lusk on China Cars Risk, Spisak on Leaders | Daily Dealer Live
Today's show features:
- Ashley Cavazos, President at WOCAN & Moderator/Trainer at NCM Associates
- Steve Gates, President at Gates Auto Family
- Cody Lusk, President/CEO at American International Automobile Dealers Association (AIADA)
- David Spisak, President/CEO at Disruptive Growth Solutions, LLC
This episode is brought to you by:
Digital Dealer – Lost opportunities and slow processes are quietly draining your dealership's bottom line — Digital Dealer fixes that with real sessions, hands-on labs, and live demos covering sales, service, marketing, and AI, so you walk away with strategies you can use the second you're back on the lot. Join us September 22–23 in Detroit and bring your whole team.
Register at digitaldealer.com — use code CDG25OFF for a team discount. Check it out at https://digitaldealer.com/
Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff:
CDG Circles ➤ https://cdgcircles.com/
CDG News ➤ https://news.dealershipguy.com/
CDG Jobs ➤ https://jobs.dealershipguy.com/
CDG Recruiting ➤ https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/
My Socials:
X ➤ https://www.twitter.com/GuyDealership
Instagram ➤ https://www.instagram.com/cardealershipguy/
TikTok ➤ https://www.tiktok.com/@guydealership
LinkedIn ➤ https://www.linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy/
Threads ➤ https://www.threads.net/@cardealershipguy
Facebook ➤ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683
Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com
17 August 2026, 6:51 pm - 1 hour 8 minutesFixed Ops Friday w/ David Hennessey, Tully Williams, & Owen Montgomery | Daily Dealer Live
Today's show features:
- David Hennessey, VP of Fixed Operations at Harris Auto Group
- Tully Williams, Fixed Operations Director at The Niello Company
- Owen Montgomery, Service Advisor at Chariot Automotive Group
This episode is brought to you by:
800% Elite Automotive Club – 800% Elite Auto is a whole-dealership solution. Live weekly training and 1-on-1 executive coaching align Owners, Sales, F&I, BDC, Marketing, and Culture into one well oiled machine. The result? A guaranteed 25% sales increase in 90 days. Get started today https://www.800percent.life/cdg
Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff:
CDG Circles ➤ https://cdgcircles.com/
CDG News ➤ https://news.dealershipguy.com/
CDG Jobs ➤ https://jobs.dealershipguy.com/
CDG Recruiting ➤ https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/
My Socials:
X ➤ https://www.twitter.com/GuyDealership
Instagram ➤ https://www.instagram.com/cardealershipguy/
TikTok ➤ https://www.tiktok.com/@guydealership
LinkedIn ➤ https://www.linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy/
Threads ➤ https://www.threads.net/@cardealershipguy
Facebook ➤ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683
Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com
14 August 2026, 6:29 pm - 34 minutes 25 secondsThe $100K Secret Why Dealer Credit Card Fees Keep Climbing Every Year | Industry Spotlight
In this episode of the Industry Spotlight, joining host Sam D'Arc are Eric Cohen, CEO of Merchant Advocate, and Cole Frankman, Owner/Operator of Frankman Motors, to discuss why credit card processing fees keep climbing year after year and how dealers can uncover the hidden increases buried in their merchant statements.
Eric reveals that 80 percent of dealerships he reviews are being overcharged by 20 to 25 percent, and explains why the fee never really stops rising: the sales rep who set up the account earns a cut of every transaction for as long as the dealer stays a client.
Cole shares how a routine expense review turned into a two-month rabbit hole before an independent audit uncovered over six figures in annual savings, all without switching processors or changing equipment.
The conversation exposes why dealers rarely read past page one of their statements, and what that costs them.
This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by Merchant Advocate.
Topics:
06:35 Fees Were Never On His Radar.
08:30 He Tried AI To Fix It.
09:15 Audits Aren't Just For Mega Dealers.
11:15 80% Of Dealers Overpay.
12:45 Processors Raise Rates Anytime.
16:35 Hidden Fees Saved Six Figures.
18:45 Dealers Pay High Fees Despite Low Risk.
21:30 Processors Keep Coming Back.
23:40 Visa Doesn't Set Rates.
26:45 Statements Are Deliberately Confusing.
28:40 Non-PCI Fees Cost $500 Monthly.
30:15 Contingency Aligns Incentives.
Merchant Advocate - Merchant Advocate helps dealerships uncover and eliminate unnecessary credit card processing costs through independent, contingency-based audits. Our experts identify hidden fees, pricing errors, and optimization opportunities—all without requiring dealers to switch processors, replace equipment, or disrupt operations. Learn more at https://merchantadvocate.com/
Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff:
For dealers:
CDG Circles ➤ https://cdgcircles.com/
Industry job board ➤ http://jobs.dealershipguy.com
Dealership recruiting ➤ http://www.cdgrecruiting.com
Fix your dealership’s social media ➤ http://www.trynomad.co
Request to be a podcast guest ➤ http://www.cdgguest.com
For industry vendors:
Advertise with Car Dealership Guy ➤ http://www.cdgpartner.com
Industry job board ➤ http://jobs.dealershipguy.com
Request to be a podcast guest ➤ http://www.cdgguest.com
Car Dealership Guy Socials:
Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com
13 August 2026, 9:05 am - 1 hour 2 minutesLundy & Law on Partnership, Naamani on Sales Data, Cunningham on Auctions | Daily Dealer Live
Today's show features:
- Glenn Lundy, President at 800% Elite Automotive Club
- Jay Law, Head of Sales at Car Dealership Guy
- Jad Naamani, Director of Marketing at Seez
- Chad Cunningham, CEO at DuPONT Registry Exchange and Live
This episode is brought to you by:
800% Elite Automotive Club – 800% Elite Auto is a whole-dealership solution. Live weekly training and 1-on-1 executive coaching align Owners, Sales, F&I, BDC, Marketing, and Culture into one well oiled machine. The result? A guaranteed 25% sales increase in 90 days. Get started today https://www.800percent.life/cdg
Seez – Seez is a leading automotive technology company redefining the modern dealership through AI, data, and transformative digital tools. Its offerings include AI-powered chat solutions, AI-driven performance marketing, as well as omnichannel retail platforms and predictive pricing models. Visit Seez.co to book a demo.
Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff:
CDG Circles ➤ https://cdgcircles.com/
CDG News ➤ https://news.dealershipguy.com/
CDG Jobs ➤ https://jobs.dealershipguy.com/
CDG Recruiting ➤ https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/
My Socials:
X ➤ https://www.twitter.com/GuyDealership
Instagram ➤ https://www.instagram.com/cardealershipguy/
TikTok ➤ https://www.tiktok.com/@guydealership
LinkedIn ➤ https://www.linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy/
Threads ➤ https://www.threads.net/@cardealershipguy
Facebook ➤ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683
Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com
12 August 2026, 6:30 pm - 40 minutes 58 seconds"The Poison Is Out": Confessions of a Former Broker-Addicted Car Dealer | Matt Haiken, President of Prestige Auto Group
Matt Haiken is the President of Prestige Auto Group, a second-generation dealer who has run stores under the Lincoln, Volvo, and Polestar brands for more than 20 years.
He built LotVision, an AI platform that gives dealers live analytics on competitors' inventory, and he watched Polestar pull its franchise from under him with almost no warning.
Topics:
13:40 Carvana Runs Without Sales Managers.
21:00 Tesla's Calculator Is The Gold Standard.
24:10 Brokers Fill Dealer Blind Spots.
27:45 Broker Deals Lost $2,000 Each.
29:55 OEM Awards Are Addictive.
31:50 LotVision Spies On Competitors.
This episode is brought to you by:
1. Digital Dealer - Join us September 22–23 in Detroit and register today at DigitalDealer.com. Use code CDG25OFF at checkout and bring your team for a generous discount. Visit @ here for more info.
2. CDK Global - CDK’s Built-In Customer Data Platform, CDP, unifies customer data across your dealership and brings AI-driven insights directly into your everyday workflows. Learn more @ here.
3. CDG Circles - Connect with verified dealers all inside the CDG Platform. Learn more @ here.
Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff:
For dealers:
CDG Circles ➤ https://cdgcircles.com/
Industry job board ➤ http://jobs.dealershipguy.com
Dealership recruiting ➤ http://www.cdgrecruiting.com
Fix your dealership’s social media ➤ http://www.trynomad.co
Request to be a podcast guest ➤ http://www.cdgguest.com
For industry vendors:
Advertise with Car Dealership Guy ➤ http://www.cdgpartner.com
Industry job board ➤ http://jobs.dealershipguy.com
Request to be a podcast guest ➤ http://www.cdgguest.com
Car Dealership Guy Socials:
Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com
11 August 2026, 9:05 am - 56 minutes 53 secondsPecoraro on Used, Swiech on F&I, Anderson on Social | Daily Dealer Live
Today's show features:
- Phil Pecoraro, Operating Partner at Murdock CDJR
- Jason Swiech, Sr. Product Marketer, F&I at CDK Global
- Jimmy Anderson, GM at Checkered Flag Porsche
This episode is brought to you by:
800% Elite Automotive Club – 800% Elite Auto is a whole-dealership solution. Live weekly training and 1-on-1 executive coaching align Owners, Sales, F&I, BDC, Marketing, and Culture into one well oiled machine. The result? A guaranteed 25% sales increase in 90 days. Get started today https://www.800percent.life/cdg
CDK Global – CDK Global empowers dealers with the tools and technology they need to build deeper relationships with customers and sell and service more cars. Visit https://www.cdkglobal.com/
Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff:
CDG Circles ➤ https://cdgcircles.com/
CDG News ➤ https://news.dealershipguy.com/
CDG Jobs ➤ https://jobs.dealershipguy.com/
CDG Recruiting ➤ https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/
My Socials:
X ➤ https://www.twitter.com/GuyDealership
Instagram ➤ https://www.instagram.com/cardealershipguy/
TikTok ➤ https://www.tiktok.com/@guydealership
LinkedIn ➤ https://www.linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy/
Threads ➤ https://www.threads.net/@cardealershipguy
Facebook ➤ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683
Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com
10 August 2026, 6:24 pm - More Episodes? Get the App