#409 – From Franchise GM to Selling 1,000+ Cars a Year as an Independent 🚗🔥

The Independent Dealer Podcast · Dec 11, 2025 · 54m

In this episode of The Independent Dealer Podcast's "How I Built This" series, we sit down with Ricky Thomas of Wildcat Used Cars in Somerset, Kentucky. 🚗💥 Ricky shares his incredible journey from getting fired on his FIRST DAY as a sales manager to building a 16-acre independent dealership empire that sells 1,000+ cars a year! 🚀Here's what you'll learn: 📚🔹 How Ricky went from 320 cars to 1,400+ in just a few years 📈🔹 Why he built a real estate portfolio BEFORE scaling his dealership 🏢🔹 His strategy for maintaining 43-day inventory turn (down from 160 days!) ⚡🔹 How Capital One and Credit…