JCW ARCHIVE: Memories of Marietta

Summary

Podcast Summary: The John Clay Wolfe Show – JCW ARCHIVE: Memories of Marietta

Date: August 22, 2025
Host: John Clay Wolfe
Notable Contributors: DJ Pre K, John Clay Wolfe's Friend, Associate/Colleague
Theme: Lessons from the trenches of the car business—meth, cons, and the unbelievable realities behind dealership success

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Episode Overview

In this candid, gritty throwback episode from the JCW archives, John Clay Wolfe dives into his personal memories of running car dealerships in small-town Oklahoma. With characteristic wit and hard-earned wisdom, he exposes the darker side of explosive business growth—especially the role of con men, rampant drug use (methamphetamine in particular), and the emotional toll taken on those in charge. The conversation unfolds as an entertaining mix of storytelling, cautionary tales, and reflections on aging and experience.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Reflections on Aging and Burnout

• Timestamp: 01:09–01:50

• John opens up about hitting 50, feeling "tired," and how relentless ambition can wear you down.

• Notable Quote:

  "I'm depressed turning 50, but I'm really not... I'm just tired. I'm just. I know, I know. But you go and you go and you go... I had a large life interruption about 32 years old, and I fell back down the mountain and had to start over." — John Clay Wolfe (01:09)

• Discussion on how, as you age, you understand why older people get jaded and less patient.

• Notable Quote:

  "You just—You go through so many experiences that you don't need to experience that again. And you're just like, just shut up and listen to me." — John Clay Wolfe (01:55)

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2. Behind the Scenes: Dealership "Rock Stars" and the Dark Side

• Timestamp: 01:51–04:06

• John shares stories of encountering a high-performing sales manager in Tyler, Texas, whose energy and success masked underlying problems.

• He describes hiring this manager for his own store near Marietta, hoping to replicate the success but ignoring red flags about his associates.

• Notable Quote:

  "A lot of times when you see something happening that is defying gravity, there's a lot of bad that goes along with it. Drugs. Crookedness... If it doesn't smell and taste right, then there's typically a reason." — John Clay Wolfe (03:27)

• The group discusses the "strings holding up the show"—implying that many big successes in the car industry can be traced to bad behavior or outright cons.

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3. The Marietta Debacle: Theft, Cons, and Community Fallout

• Timestamp: 04:52–07:49

• John recounts his attempt to revitalize a Chevy dealership in Marietta, Oklahoma, leveraging the talents of Justin F. and Steve R., ignoring warnings about their checkered reputations.

• Key story: Steve R. lasted only three days before absconding with a new Chevy truck and trailer—never to be seen again.

• Notable Quote:

  "Before it was all over...He was there for three days. He was rocking and rolling, had his staff with him. He said, 'Hey, I got to run to Houston... Can I borrow a truck?'... Never saw the man again for the rest of my life." — John Clay Wolfe (05:20)

• Complications grew when Steve R. became "deputized" by the local sheriff, manipulating townsfolk and local businesses into loaning money he had no intention of repaying.

• Notable Quote:

  "He's the last man in the world you need to give a badge to...Now he's a deputy." — John Clay Wolfe (05:51)

• The host reflects on shouldering the debts left behind:

  "There was probably 20 occurrences of personal loans in that small community that I had to make good on for this clown." — John Clay Wolfe (07:23)

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4. Spotting Manipulators and the Role of Methamphetamine

• Timestamp: 07:58–09:27

• Lively exchange about the abilities of manipulative "sociopaths" in the business, and how hard it is, even with experience, to see through their facade.

• Side discussion on a similar situation with a former "GiveMeTheVIN.com" employee, identified as a "good liar" and manipulator, attempting to return after being let go.

• Notable Quotes:

  "They make you question your own judgment. They'll make you question your own conscience." — John Clay Wolfe (08:24)
  "Sociopaths are excellent at it." — John Clay Wolfe's Friend (08:26)

• John bluntly connects these issues to methamphetamine use:

  "There's something to do with meth and these lies and these talented people and their meth deals, and you have no idea." — John Clay Wolfe (09:06)

• Lays out a hard stance: zero tolerance for anyone involved with meth, detailing the financial and legal consequences of helping them.

  "Because the closer you stay to that person, the worse things that are fixing to happen to you if you try to help them at all. 10 grand minimum. 100 grand, probably. And maybe you're gonna get in trouble, too, legally." — John Clay Wolfe (09:27)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• "I'm exhausted watching you." — John Clay Wolfe's Friend (01:50)
• "Used Cars, the Goods? Jeremy Piven... Great film." — (07:48)
• "I get it." — John Clay Wolfe (09:54), capping his philosophy with an air of hard-won acceptance.

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Memorable Moments by Timestamp

• Turning 50 & Burnout Real Talk: 01:09–01:50
• The High-Performing but Toxic Sales Crew: 01:51–03:27
• The Marietta Cons: Truck Theft & Deputy Disaster: 04:52–07:49
• Dissecting Sociopaths and Meth in the Car Biz: 07:58–09:27

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Tone and Style

Throughout the episode, John Clay Wolfe is brutally honest, self-deprecating, and sardonic, all while maintaining the show’s trademark irreverence. The conversation flows with camaraderie, dark humor, and practical wisdom—a behind-the-scenes look at the surreal world of small-town auto sales and the hard lessons learned along the way.

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Conclusion

This episode of The John Clay Wolfe Show is a whirlwind of wild stories and essential warning signs for anyone in or orbiting the high-pressure world of car dealerships. Wolfe’s experiences underscore the cost of ignoring red flags, the dangers of enabling addicts and con men, and the personal toll of learning these lessons the hard way. The Wolf Pack serves the stories up raw—leaving listeners with a mix of laughter, disbelief, and food for thought.

Transcript

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[John Clay Wolf]

The John Clay Wolf show has appeared on terrestrial radio for a really, really, really long time. So we dug into our pockets and on the other side of our. We found something funny. And yes, it's contagious. Gather round as the wolf pack goes on this throwback adventure.

[DJ Pre K]

What's the damn deal? It's your boy DJ Pre K with the John Clay Wolf show chilling in the archive. And this week, man, John is sick and tired of being sick and tired. You know, this car biz will take a lot out of you, a whole lot of money out of you, that is. And sometimes you got to learn the hard way that it's hard to spot a functioning meth addict. Check it out.

[John Clay Wolf]

I just, you know, I was. I'm depressed turning 50, but I'm really not. I was thinking about. Depression's not the right word.

[John Clay Wolf's Friend]

You didn't seem depressed.

[John Clay Wolf]

I'm just tired. I'm just. I know, I know. But you. You go and you go and you go and you go. And younger people, you'll really understand. You know, you want to go get it, you want this. You set your life goals and you go. I had a large life interruption about 32 years old, and I fell back down the mountain and had to start over. And I climbed a long way from, you know, 15 to 32, and then I fell all the way down and start all the way back. But I mean, the crap that I've gone through and done to get here is so ridiculous that I'm. I'm just tired.

[John Clay Wolf's Friend]

I've just watched the last 13 years. I'm exhausted watching you, I'm not kidding.

[John Clay Wolf]

It made me think one of the. And it, you know, the old man, like, why does that old man think he knows everything? Or the boss at work that says no, right? Why? And he didn't even want to explain himself. Why? Because I understand now. I mean, you just. You go through so many experiences that you don't need to experience that again. And you're just like, just shut up and listen to me. Here's one. Okay, So I start in the wholesale business when I was, I don't know, 21 years old. And I used to drive to Tyler, to this Toyota store to buy their trade ins. And I met these guys and they were just rocking it. I mean, you'd go dealership to dealership and we would buy the trade ins. You make relationships. But this one in Tyler was just killing it. I mean, they were doing bigger numbers than anybody. And you walk into the sales manager's office and Metallica's on and this big beefed up guy, good looking guy, and all of his sales guys were lined up like drill sergeant style. And I mean, he just got this thing rocking. And they were a great client of mine forever. And I met his staff and anyway, when I bought a Chevy store right on the other side of the border, I was like. And that fella came up, he quit that job. I'm like, I need to put him in my store. And it will make my store rock because I'll be able to do what I saw in Tyler. And he brought some of his carnies with him. But the bad effect that comes with some of these people, it's just unbelievable.

[John Clay Wolf's Friend]

Well, bad effect, what bad things they've done?

[John Clay Wolf]

Just a lot of times when you see something happening that is defying gravity, there's a lot of bad that goes along with it. Drugs. Oh, okay. Crookedness, you know, it just doesn't look like it isn't. If it doesn't smell and taste right, then there's typically a reason. And I've seen over the years again and again and again. Some somebody can jump a 10 foot high jump. Yeah, because they're on roids. That's why. Sammy Sosa. Home run, man. All the Super Bowls come out of the bat. It's just always something.

[John Clay Wolf's Friend]

But so anyway, there's strings somewhere holding the show up.

[John Clay Wolf]

I can say this guy's name now because he's passed, right? Sure. Say it anyways. Justin F. Okay. And he brought this other guy along. Steve R.

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[John Clay Wolf]

And another guy from that place that I'm friends with said, man, are you sure you want them? Do you realize what comes along with these guys? I'm like, if they can do for me what they did for that, for that store in Tyler, it'll be fine. And oh, my God. I mean, before. Before it was all over. JD and this is a smaller town in Oklahoma, Marietta, Oklahoma.

[John Clay Wolf's Friend]

I know it well.

[John Clay Wolf]

Okay. And I bought it because there was a big casino going in and I wanted to move the Chevy dealership up on the highway next to casino.

[John Clay Wolf's Friend]

Makes sense.

[John Clay Wolf]

So I had suggested before it was over, he took off with a new Chevrolet truck and a trailer because he was going to run to Houston and get his stuff and move back. He lasted three days. He was there for three days. He was rocking and rolling, had his staff with him. He said, hey, I got to run to Houston, right? Can I borrow a trailer? There was a big cargo trailer. Can I borrow a truck? I'm going to run down to Houston, get my stuff to move up here. Sure. Never saw. Never saw the man again for the rest of my life. Never, never ever did I ever see him ever again.

[John Clay Wolf's Friend]

The truck in the trailer, gone. Paper?

[John Clay Wolf]

No. We did get the truck out of an impound about two years later. What? Yeah. Now, he died in a car wreck a few years later. But his cronies that came with him, I kept them. And that fella wound up getting deputized. They're just liars. Professional liars. Got deputized by the Love County Sheriff's Department. He's the last man in the world you need to give a badge to. He's official. I mean, this is great. So now he's a deputy.

[John Clay Wolf's Friend]

You wonder why I want to do the documentary on your life in small town Oklahoma. No one would believe it.

[John Clay Wolf]

And the sheriff in that area is always being criticized. He's gone by now. Of being crooked. And they got this crooked stuff going. And. And then Steve was going around with his deputy badge to these businesses, and he's. Now he's part of the force, of course, and they're loaning him money. And then like, no. And then customers are coming in and he's doing deals with and he's making promises to them that he can't keep. But little old people that, you know, they're nice, but he's such a con man that he gets to them and they start loaning him money.

[John Clay Wolf's Friend]

And you're watching all this.

[John Clay Wolf]

I'm not watching it until it's over. You don't see it until it's over. Over. You have to deal with it after it's over. And there's a line of people, There's a train of People at your door saying, hey, where's Steve? Well, he's left. He went to so and so. I don't know where Steve is.

[John Clay Wolf's Friend]

He's got my money.

[John Clay Wolf]

Yeah, well, he owes us eighteen hundred dollars. I'm like, okay, so guess who has to pay it. The Chevy dealer, Wolf Chevrolet. I mean, that's not one time. There was probably 20 occurrences of personal loans in that small community that I had to make good on for this clown. And they would just go town to town to town, these people. And you guys don't know that, but remember the movie Used Cars, the Goods? Jeremy Piven.

[John Clay Wolf's Friend]

Great film.

[John Clay Wolf]

Where they go into a dealership with a sales crew and they're gonna fix it, those people. It's unhealthy environment, bud.

[John Clay Wolf's Friend]

Just don't. And you see that now, being 50.

[John Clay Wolf]

Yeah, I saw it back then when I was 30. I just didn't realize it until I was 31. What happened now? You don't have patience, but you just. So these. These guys, they're such good liars. The lies in the. The intensity of the lie, in the believability of the lie. And the proof of the lie is they'll make you question your own judgment. They'll make you question your own conscience.

[John Clay Wolf's Friend]

Sociopaths are excellent at it.

[John Clay Wolf]

Excellent. So good.

[Associate/Colleague]

I'm thinking of a person that worked at Give me the vin. I know you know who this is. You're describing him. I never realized this until you talked about it.

[John Clay Wolf]

Is he still. He's not. No, no, he's been.

[Associate/Colleague]

And now. Yes.

[John Clay Wolf]

Is he the young guy?

[Associate/Colleague]

He's a younger guy.

[John Clay Wolf]

Is his. R.B. is his initials.

[Associate/Colleague]

Yep.

[John Clay Wolf]

Okay. So he texted me.

[Associate/Colleague]

Oh, I know.

[John Clay Wolf]

Two days ago. Because he wants to come back.

[John Clay Wolf's Friend]

Of course.

[John Clay Wolf]

So he's working me as the owner because he knows that he's a producer and he's working every. They work every single angle. They manipulate every single angle. I had. I. And then methamphetamines.

[John Clay Wolf's Friend]

Oh, here we go.

[John Clay Wolf]

There's something to do with meth and these lies and these talented people and their meth deals, and you have no idea. I. I still can't sniff them out a mile away, but I can tell you my patience with meth is just absolute zero.

[John Clay Wolf's Friend]

Nothing. No.

[John Clay Wolf]

Hey, man, I. I gotta let you know, sir, you know, I had a little problem. You. Get out. Did you do meth?

[Podbean User]

Yes.

[John Clay Wolf]

You're gone. Get the hell away from me. Get out of my life. Forget my number. Please, Please get this guy out of my face right now. Because the closer you stay to that person, the worse things that are fixing to happen to you if you try to help them at all. 10 grand minimum. 100 grand, probably. And maybe you're gonna get in trouble, too, legally. God, it is. You're gonna miss your truck and trailer, I can tell you that. I get it.

[DJ Pre K]

All right, y' all know what to do. Hit us up on John Claywolf.com youm can check out old episodes on there. You know, stay up to date with what we got going on. Get cool gear, we got shirts, all that. Hit us up on Facebook, you know, search John Clay Wolf show. We're on Instagram. John's on Twitter. You know, you can holler at all of us. Okay. You know how to spell it. Okay. We appreciate y' all listening. Keep on rocking with us.