Podcast
Car Dealership Guy Podcast
Hosted by Car Dealership Guy · EN
The Car Dealership Guy Podcast Network is your front-row seat to the people, companies, and trends shaping the future of automotive retail—delivered across three focused formats:
The Car Dealership Guy Podcast (Tuesdays & Thursdays)
Hosted by Yossi Levi, these deep-dive interviews feature top dealers, operators, and innovators driving the industry forward.
Daily Dealer Live (Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays)
Our live-streamed show, also released here in audio format, brings real-time news, sharp takes, and high-impact guests—think CNBC for car dealers.
Industry Spotlight
Hosted by Sam D’Arc, this segment highlights standout dealerships and vendors with tactical insights and stories from the front lines.
Follow us on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for highlights and behind-the-scenes content from every episode.
84episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
“Stop The Bleed!” How Dealers Can End Lot Theft Forever (and Save on Insurance Premiums)
3d ago00:41:40Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the Industry Spotlight, joining host Sam D’Arc are Damian Arras, General Sales Manager at Credit Union Auto Sales, and Barton Harris, Chief Revenue Officer of Titan Secure, to discuss a South African-inspired prevention model that stops vehicle theft before a car ever crosses the curb. Damien shares how his New Mexico dealership eliminated losses by shifting from reactive GPS tracking to proactive ignition and fuel-cut technology. Barton explains how this "prevention-first" approach secures inventory in high-crime areas while creating a significant F&I revenue stream with a 90% plus customer penetration rate. The conversation also highlights how "bait car" technology is helping local law enforcement catch repeat offenders without the danger of high-speed chases. Have questions about Titan Secure? Reach out to Barton Harris directly: Cell: 480.392.6620 Email: barton@titansecure.com This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by Titan Secure. Titan Secure - Titan Secure is a multi-layered vehicle theft prevention system built specifically for automotive retailers. Dealers protect their inventory, gain real-time inventory intelligence, and implement a reinsurance-friendly profit center that goes far beyond traditional GPS recovery solutions. Learn more @ https://carguymedia.com/3PsN5Ju. 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 Topics: 03:25 Why A 2:00 AM GPS Alert Is Completely Useless. 05:00 The Judge Who Praised A Thief For Logging Into Zoom. 07:35 When Your Inventory Becomes Uninsurable. 09:45 Why One Dealer Refuses To Play Vigilante. 13:45 The $0 Fix That Ends Dead Inventory Loss. 16:20 The Insurance Lie Every Dealer Believes. 18:55 Why Car Companies Might Want Theft To Happen. 35:00 The Two-Minute Blackout That Terrified A Dealer. 39:25 The Ride-Along That Exposed Auto Theft's Dark Secret. Car Dealership Guy Socials: X ➤ x.com/GuyDealership Instagram ➤ instagram.com/cardealershipguy/ TikTok ➤ tiktok.com/@guydealership LinkedIn ➤ linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy Threads ➤ threads.net/@cardealershipguy Facebook ➤ facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683 Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com
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Fixed Ops Friday w/ Ruffolo, Norris, and Stephens | Daily Dealer Live
3d ago01:05:15Tap to summarizeToday's show features: - Nick Ruffolo, Fixed Operations Director at Rohrman - Matt Norris, Fixed Operations Director at Bozard Ford Lincoln - Jeremy Stephens, Remote Operations Director at Bozard Ford Lincoln This episode is brought to you by: OPENLANE – OPENLANE brings easy, intelligent digital wholesale to dealers across the country, and was once again voted the most preferred digital wholesale marketplace by dealers. If you’ve never used OPENLANE before, or it’s been a while since you have, you’re eligible to earn up to $2,500 in buy or sale fee credits. Learn more at https://openlane.com/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
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"The Score Lies!" What Credit Scores Miss (& What The Top 1% of Dealers Are Doing to Sell More Cars)
5d ago00:30:36Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the Industry Spotlight, joining host Sam D'Arc are Ben Atkinson, VP of Auto Lending at Upstart, and Evan Driscoll, General Sales Manager at Audi Jacksonville to discuss why the credit score has become the most overrated number in auto lending and how a full-spectrum dealership running everything from $2,000 used cars to $400,000 Rolls-Royces gets first-time buyers approved at competitive rates with no money down. Evan breaks down how a slow approval costs his store at least $1,000 per car per day in aging inventory, and how a 10-second automated decision changed the math. They also get into why 24/7 automated approvals matter most during the weeks traditional lenders go dark. This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by Upstart. Topics: 04:30 Why Slow Approvals Kill Deals. 05:50 The $1,000 Cost Of One Extra Day. 08:00 How Soft Pulls Close More Deals. 09:50 Why Customers Love Soft Pulls. 11:20 The 10-Second Approval. 15:00 Why First-Time Buyers Get 7% Rates. 16:30 The 280 Data Points Beyond Credit Scores. 20:00 24/7 Automation Beats Banking Hours. 21:00 The Beach Chair Email That Enraged A Store. 24:30 Why Manual Credit Apps Are Dead. 26:00 One Portal Beats Five Logins. 29:00 People First, Tech Second. Upstart - Unlike traditional auto financing, Upstart uses thousands of data points – not just credit scores – to approve more buyers, structure more profitable deals, and speed up funding. Learn more at 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: X ➤ x.com/GuyDealership Instagram ➤ instagram.com/cardealershipguy/ TikTok ➤ tiktok.com/@guydealership LinkedIn ➤ linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy Threads ➤ threads.net/@cardealershipguy Facebook ➤ facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683 Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com
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Criscione on Margin Compression, Highstreet on Liability, WE Auto on Culture | Daily Dealer Live
5d ago01:04:02Tap to summarizeToday's show features: - Kenneth Criscione, Finance Manager at Harte Auto Group - Rich Stazzone, Director of Business Development at Highstreet Automotive - Mike Keese, Agency President at Highstreet Automotive - Dana Wines, Director of Training at WE Auto - Valerie Niedermeier, Director of Community Relations at WE Auto This episode is brought to you by: OPENLANE – OPENLANE brings easy, intelligent digital wholesale to dealers across the country, and was once again voted the most preferred digital wholesale marketplace by dealers. If you’ve never used OPENLANE before, or it’s been a while since you have, you’re eligible to earn up to $2,500 in buy or sale fee credits. Learn more at https://openlane.com/cdg. Highstreet Automotive – Highstreet Automotive specializes in insurance solutions for automotive dealerships, working with operators across the country to help manage risk, control costs and protect long-term profitability. Explore solutions at https://carguymedia.com/432QKkG 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
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"Own It, Don't Owe It!" The Dealer Debt Trap Nobody Is Talking About & What Operators Need to Know | Marcello Sciarrino, Co-Owner at Island Auto Group
1w ago00:47:04Tap to summarizeToday I'm joined by Marcello Sciarrino, Co-Owner at Island Auto Group. Marcello runs 20 stores across New York and New Jersey — the 37th largest business in New York State, ahead of the Yankees and the Giants — and he watched peers go from 3 stores to 12 overnight while he and his partners sat on their hands. He breaks down the math trap killing over-leveraged dealers, why brokers in the New York market are secretly extracting thousands per deal at the consumer's expense, and why his next big bet isn't more acquisitions — it's 70 to 100 new service bays in the next 12 months. Topics: 01:20 Why Overexpansion Crushes Bad Dealers. 02:20 The 60,000-Square-Foot Toyota Bet. 03:50 The 12x Multiple You Cannot Afford. 06:30 The Three-Person Boardroom. 07:20 Why You Buy the Person, Not the Store. 14:00 The $7,500 Broker Fee That Kills Consumers. 19:40 Why Toyota Might Finally Enforce the Rules. 26:30 The $3,000 Down Payment Lie. 27:50 The Carvana Lesson Dealers Ignore. 32:20 Why New York Is Losing the Rich. This episode is brought to you by: 1. Podium - If your AI isn’t driving real outcomes, it’s time to take a closer look @ here. 2. Wikimotive - Wikimotive delivers organic and paid search solutions to hundreds of dealerships from rural rooftops to multiple top-5 national dealers. Visit @ here for more info. 3. CDG Circles – A digital peer group for top auto dealers. Join dealers representing 3,000+ rooftops @ 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: X ➤ x.com/GuyDealership Instagram ➤ instagram.com/cardealershipguy/ TikTok ➤ tiktok.com/@guydealership LinkedIn ➤ linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy Threads ➤ threads.net/@cardealershipguy Facebook ➤ facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683 Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com
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Sedano on Leadership, SelectFI on F&I Efficiency, Lamphere on Veterans in Auto | Daily Dealer Live
1w ago00:57:51Tap to summarizeToday's show features: - Manny Sedano, Dealer Principal at Sedano Chevy and Sedano Ford - Andrew Sweet, CEO of SelectFI - Chris Taylor, Owner of Certified Auto Brokers - Katie Lamphere, Founder of Veterans in Automotive This episode is brought to you by: OPENLANE – OPENLANE brings easy, intelligent digital wholesale to dealers across the country, and was once again voted the most preferred digital wholesale marketplace by dealers. If you’ve never used OPENLANE before, or it’s been a while since you have, you’re eligible to earn up to $2,500 in buy or sale fee credits. Learn more at https://openlane.com/cdg. SelectFI – SelectFI helps you quote accurately, submit once, reduce compliance risk, and move deals through F&I dramatically faster — without increasing friction for your customers. Book a demo or meet us at NIADA 2026 at https://go.selectfi.com/niada-2026 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
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Fixed Ops Friday w/ Nicholson, Rivera | Daily Dealer Live
1w ago00:57:52Tap to summarizeToday's show features: - Spencer Nicholson, Fixed Operations Director at Stuckey Automotive - Xavier Rivera, Service Director at Greenacres Nissan & I-95 Nissan This episode is brought to you by: Zurich – Zurich helps dealers operate with clarity, confidence and certainty — driving stronger performance today while protecting long‑term value. From proven F&I processes and insights‑driven training to income‑generating programs, profit participation, and risk management solutions, Zurich is built to help dealers win now — and build for what’s next. Discover more at: https://carguymedia.com/4wxv8dz 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
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"Driving Past You!" The Hidden Reason Your Best Customers Defect to Jiffy Lube | Industry Spotlight
2w ago00:33:32Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the Industry Spotlight, joining host Sam D'Arc are Art Dessein, Vice President of Sales at Impel, and Rebekah Scheussler, Business Development Director at Walters Auto Group to discuss why luxury dealers are quietly losing service customers to independent shops and how AI is rebuilding the personalized experience at scale across both sales and service. This conversation surfaces the silent retention leak inside fixed operations: a nine-minute average service hold time, an 80% abandonment rate on the online service scheduler, and 190,000 independent shops siphoning loyal owners away. Walters has run 107,000 leads and over 600,000 messages through Impel, lifted per-rep capacity from 200 leads to 300-400, watched show rates climb, and seen days to sale drop. Customers are even thanking the AI agent for the best service experience they have ever had, without knowing it isn't human. The takeaway for any dealer on the fence: it isn't if, it's how fast. This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by Impel. Topics: 03:15 200 Leads Per Agent. 05:40 The Overnight Lead Problem. 08:00 The 9-Minute Hold Time. 09:20 Will AI Replace Me? 13:20 The Better The Tech, The Worse The Support. 17:55 Why Zach Travels (My Son's Secret). 19:10 Why Set It And Forget It Fails. 20:05 107,000 Leads Handled. 21:00 The 10-Person Savings. 23:00 27% Repeat Purchase Rate. 25:10 When Customers Thank The AI. 32:55 Something Doesn't Have To Be Broken. GetImpel - Dealers are caught between rising customer expectations and the math of meeting them without staffing every problem. Impel's AI Operating System unifies the entire customer lifecycle — sales, service, voice, chat, marketing, merchandising — engaging, qualifying, and scheduling every shopper and customer in seconds, in the dealer's brand voice, at unlimited scale. The human team focuses on what builds loyalty: the relationships. Visit https://impel.ai/ to learn more and experience the power of Impel. 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: X ➤ x.com/GuyDealership Instagram ➤ instagram.com/cardealershipguy/ TikTok ➤ tiktok.com/@guydealership LinkedIn ➤ linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy Threads ➤ threads.net/@cardealershipguy Facebook ➤ facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683 Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com
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Portaluppi on F&I Pay Plans, Fusco on Pricing Transparency, Crain on Video MPI | Daily Dealer Live
2w ago00:59:52Tap to summarizeToday's show features: - Christian Crain, VP of Operations at Crain Automotive - Doug Fusco, Managing Partner, Dealer Compliance at Informativ - Leo Portaluppi, Owner/CEO at P4 Automotive This episode is brought to you by: Zurich – Zurich helps dealers operate with clarity, confidence and certainty — driving stronger performance today while protecting long‑term value. From proven F&I processes and insights‑driven training to income‑generating programs, profit participation, and risk management solutions, Zurich is built to help dealers win now — and build for what’s next. Discover more at: https://carguymedia.com/4wxv8dz Informativ – Informativ's SmartPencil gives dealers a credit-qualified, lender-specific first pencil the moment a soft pull returns -- VIN-level accurate, optimized for both consumer payment and dealer profit. It eliminates the guesswork that costs deals and speeds up the sales process. See how it works at https://informativ.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
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“It'll Eat You Alive!” Turning Tragedy Into a Billion-Dollar Dealership Group (And the Lessons Learned Along the Way) | Corina Straub Diehl, CEO and President at Diehl Automotive Group
2w ago00:58:08Tap to summarizeToday I'm joined by Corina Straub Diehl, CEO and President at Diehl Automotive Group. After the sudden loss of her husband in 2007, Corina ignored advice to sell the business and instead scaled it into a 24-store powerhouse generating over a billion dollars in revenue. This conversation breaks down her "rebel" leadership style, her aggressive 5-year ROI acquisition strategy, and why she views collision centers as the ultimate customer retention tool. This episode is brought to you by: 1. Openlane - If you’ve never used OPENLANE before, or it’s been a while since you have, you’re eligible to earn up to $2,500 in buy or sale fee credits. Learn more @ here. 2. Autovision - If you’re looking for ways to improve turn rates, reduce bottlenecks, and gain a clearer picture of your inventory strategy, check out AutoVision's suite of solutions. Visit @ here. 3. CDG Circles – A digital peer group for top auto dealers. Private dealer chats. Vendor reviews. Real insights — confidential, compliant, no travel required. Join dealers representing 3,000+ rooftops @ 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 Topics: 01:35 The Hermetically Sealed US Auto Market. 02:00 The Franchise Corinna Calls Her Ugly Stepchild. 06:15 The 5-Year ROI Rule That Built An Empire. 13:45 The Husband's Final Warning She Ignored. 21:00 Why She Still Shops At Target. 23:40 The 300-Email Hack Every Executive Needs. 28:30 The Customer Email That Terrifies Her Team. 31:45 The GM Who Stole From A Widow. 39:45 The 20x Multiple She Refuses To Pay. 55:15 The Old-School Fraud She Still Catches. Car Dealership Guy Socials: X ➤ x.com/GuyDealership Instagram ➤ instagram.com/cardealershipguy/ TikTok ➤ tiktok.com/@guydealership LinkedIn ➤ linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy Threads ➤ threads.net/@cardealershipguy Facebook ➤ facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683 Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com
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