In this episode of the Independent Dealer Podcast, hosts Jeff Watson and Luke Godwin welcome back Brandon Pagano for his third check-in—tracking 20 months of real growth, challenges, and transformation at his independent dealership. Brandon shares honest insights on what's working, what's not, and how he built his best year yet.

What You'll Learn:

How Brandon achieved a "10/10 year" in profitability and growth

Strategies for getting out of floor plan financing and reducing interest costs

Real talk on staffing challenges and finding the right team

How to balance family hardships while running a dealership

The importance of tracking goals and adjusting processes (not the goals)

Why focusing on profit per unit matters more than volume

Key Takeaways from Brandon's Journey:

Build capital reserves to eliminate floor plan dependency

Hire slow, fire fast—especially in your service department

Set clear, measurable goals and track them relentlessly

Adjust your processes to hit goals, don't adjust the goals themselves

Use property equity as potential capital for inventory growth

Stay consistent even through personal and business challenges

This episode is perfect for dealers who want to see what real, sustainable growth looks like over time—complete with the setbacks, wins, and hard lessons learned along the way.

Support the businesses that support the podcast:

Buckeye Risk Services - Reinsurance, tax planning, and long-term wealth strategies built specifically for independent dealers.

https://theindependentdealer.com/buckeye

BlytzPay - Buy Here Pay Here payment processing with fast funding, text-to-pay, and real dealer-focused support. https://theindependentdealer.com/blytzpay

Ituran GPS - GPS and payment technology for BHPH and retail dealerships focused on asset protection, recovery tools, and customer management. https://theindependentdealer.com/ituran

Follow & Connect:

Website: www.theindependentdealer.com

Email: info@independentdealer.com

Facebook Group: @independentautogroup

Luke Godwin: @lukegodwin

Jeff Watson: /sendtojeffw

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