Latest / Auto Collabs / Keep Climbing with Bill Zadeits

Transcript

Keep Climbing with Bill Zadeits · Auto Collabs

• 0:00
  I'm excited about today's episode because [upbeat music] This is Auto Collabs. Today's guest is kind of a foundational part of the automotive media landscape. Absolutely.
• 0:17
  And I've heard so many people mention his name and say great things about him, but we've never had a conversation, and those are some of my favorite podcast episodes.
• 0:25
  Yeah, the man is Bill Zdeits, and he has a long history of serving the industry, uh, specifically with used car knowledge. Mm-hmm. It's, like, very, very defined. What...
• 0:38
  If you go to Cherokee Media Group or to Auto Remarketing, you know what you're getting yourself into.
• 0:43
  You are learning about the pace, the progress, the, the people that are doing it best, uh, the changes in the used car market.
• 0:51
  And so I'm excited to see how that kind of, how that's continued to stay that refined as the business has grown. Um, and, uh, yeah. Well, the business has been around forever. Right.
• 1:00
  And I think any, any dealership or any business that has been around for decades, and you can measure that in the plural, there's definitely something to learn. Yep.
• 1:09
  And they've seen a few cycles of the auto industry specifically.
• 1:13
  We've been talking about, like, "Hey, it's nice that y- we see a couple cycles," but our couple cycles are relatively recent when we talk about the last 10, 15 years. Um, but- Right...
• 1:22
  they've had the opportunity to see, like, big cycles and big technology changes. And, um, it'll be interesting because, I mean, I've just only heard good things about this man. Absolutely.
• 1:32
  Well, we hope you enjoy this conversation, uh, with Bill Zdeits. [upbeat music] Oh, man, Bill, we are so excited to, uh, have you in a conversation today. Another partner in the automotive mediaverse as it is.
• 1:48
  [laughs] So thanks for joining us here on Auto Collabs. Oh, man, Kyle, Paul, uh, I appreciate this. It's an honor for me to be able to spend some time with you guys.
• 1:55
  And, uh, yeah, looking forward to our time together and, uh, and our conversation. It's gonna be a lot of fun. Yeah. Awesome. Uh, so, you know,
• 2:03
  many people have heard about the, the properties by which Cherokee Media Group now manages over the years that you have kind of grown the reach and the events and the digital and the print and all the things that, that serve our industry so well.
• 2:19
  But, um, how did you get into all of that? Oh, man. Where did that start? It's going back to the beginning. Man, we're going way back. Here we go. I'm a lot older than you guys, so this is, uh, this'll take you back.
• 2:28
  But, um, yeah, so I, I joined the company in, uh, '95, 1995. Wow. So I'm coming up on my 28th year here in, uh, the middle of March. Um, but you know, my background, um, I was in radio and TV. You know?
• 2:43
  I was in radio and TV. So I came out of college, and like a lot of guys, I wanted to be a sportscaster. I wanted to go to ESPN. I wanted to be that guy. And, um- [laughs]... happened to be, you know, really fortunate.
• 2:54
  Uh, we're here in North Carolina. And, um, I got a job with the University of North Carolina, the Tar Heels, doing some of their radio, radio stuff. Oh, no. Oh, no. So you Syracuse guys, yeah?
• 3:05
  Uh- Well, the good news is I'm not from Syracuse. I'm a Duke fan. Okay. Okay. [laughs] All right. I gotcha. I'm a Duke fan through and through, my guy. Oh, my gosh. I went to Duke. Well, good talking to you guys.
• 3:14
  Yeah, I know. Got it. Keep grinding. Keep grinding, man. It was good, it was a good chat, Paul. You- [laughs] I don't even like college sports. I can stay, right? [laughs] That's good. Um, so yeah.
• 3:23
  No, and I w- you know, like anybody, you start out, you're the low man on the totem pole. But it was just a great learning experience. Uh, this is back in the day when the, uh, the radio play-by-play guys were iconic.
• 3:33
  You know, this is before- Yeah... the internet. Oh. And you know, they... So I learned a lot, man. And it, uh, it was great. I hap- my wife was in school at North Carolina at the time.
• 3:42
  And so, uh, got a chance to meet her, and that's been a, been a great, uh, thing for me throughout my life. We just celebrated 30 years last year. Oh, congrats. So that's been fun.
• 3:51
  Um, so yeah, I learned a little bit about, uh, the business from that standpoint. I was on the, on the broadcast side.
• 3:59
  And so I learned a lot about production, and I learned a lot about, you know, how that business works. But I think the biggest part, it was, it was almost like an unofficial grad school thing for me.
• 4:07
  Because I really didn't understand the business side of it, you know? Uh, the revenue side and how it all worked. And, um, and so that was, uh, that was really formative for me at that time.
• 4:20
  And so after doing that for a couple years, I was fortunate. I got the, uh, I got a TV gig. Um, there's a small market here in North Carolina, if you're familiar with Wilmington, Myrtle Beach area. Okay.
• 4:31
  Kind of down on the coast in Southeastern North Carolina. And I got a job as a, as their sports anchor. And, uh, you know, 22 years old, rolling down. It was the, uh, the NBC affiliate down in Wilmington. WECP.
• 4:42
  You were like, you were, like, doing the walk, right? Oh, my gosh, man. Yeah. He was doing the walk. [laughs] I thought I was big stuff. Um- Yeah. [laughs]...
• 4:49
  but again, you know, it, it's, it's, it's part of the, it's part of the growth, right? It's part... You're young, and you're figuring it all out.
• 4:54
  So I worked in TV for about four or five years, and anchored sports and did that type of thing. Again, a lot of learning, a lot of understanding about the production side and how things come together.
• 5:04
  But even more so about the, the revenue side of the business and how you, how you're, you know, the, the goal to couple great content for whatever your audience may be with the revenue side, which kind of underwrites and, and keeps everything flowing.
• 5:19
  And so after four or five years there, I had had enough of, you know, getting home at 12:30 in the morning and, uh, that type of thing. We knew we wanted to start a family.
• 5:27
  So we kind of came back here to the triangle area, the Raleigh-Durham area, and I was fortunate to, uh, to join our company. Um, I was the fourth one. There were three people at the time. I was the fourth one.
• 5:38
  And my job was to come in and, and start selling advertising for Auto Remarketing, which at the time was just a, a 8.5 by 11 magazine that we produced 10 times a year.
• 5:48
  And, um, kind of, uh- How, how was selling the magazine? Like, how did selling that go? Tell us about that process. It, it was, you know, it was difficult because I, I don't have an automotive background, right?
• 5:57
  I have no automotive industry background. Everything I had done before would be considered, um-B2C type of stuff, you know- Yeah...
• 6:05
  to a mass audience, whether you're a Tar Heel fan or whether you like sports, you know, uh, NASCAR or whatever it was in Southeastern North Carolina. Mm-hmm.
• 6:14
  So it was coming into a B2B audience that was, you know, auto dealers, you know, franchise, independent, the, the OEMs, the banks, you know, all the vendors- Mm... all that type of thing. Mm-hmm.
• 6:22
  And learning the business a little bit. And, um, and I'm not that smart, so it took me a long time. I'm still in that learning phase. [laughs] Um, but you know, I, I was fortunate.
• 6:32
  Uh, because of that, the, you know, the five or six years before that, I did understand kinda coupling advertising or sponsorship dollars with content. And, um, and it's, yeah, 28 years later, here I am.
• 6:44
  I'm, you know- Well-... knock on wood, you know, I'm still around, so- Well, we can tell you- It's been a lot of fun... from firsthand experience, that's not easy. [laughs] It's not easy. And so- [laughs]
• 6:53
  We're, like, just taking notes over here. Yeah. Okay? Yeah. I, I wish I had the magic bullet for you. I know. I mean, we, we always, we, we feature your content quite a bit in our morning show.
• 7:03
  Actually, I think the first story today was an auto remarketing story- Yeah... about, um,
• 7:08
  how people value, how the in-store experience actually makes a big impact on the overall experience, especially with millennials and Gen Z. Yeah.
• 7:18
  Um, you've been, you've been in that seat now through the transition of, of a couple of these generations. And how have you been, like, approaching things differently now?
• 7:27
  I mean, we're starting to see Gen Z become a, a major buying demographic. For sure. And, and millennials becoming, you know, leaders inside stores- I know...
• 7:35
  and, and having some authority, and obviously pushing a lot of feedback up and, and looking to you for guidance, you know, and your publications. Yeah. I appreciate that.
• 7:43
  You know, and I have to give all of, all the credit to our content team. I don't know if you guys know Joe Overby, Nick Zullinger- He's come, he's coming to ASOTU CON this year. Yeah. Good, good, good.
• 7:53
  Those guys are great. And, and they're really the ones that have their fingers on the pulse of the industry. Um, they, in their own rights, have kinda grown up with us as well.
• 8:02
  We hired them when they were just young guns. They're both former newspaper guys, and, um, worked in sports, worked in news, had, you know, just some really great experiences, learning experiences coming out of it.
• 8:13
  And they, too, they've kind of learned the industry, right? Neither one of them- Yeah... had worked in a store. Neither one of them had sold a car. None of that type of stuff.
• 8:21
  But what they do, and I give them great credit for it, is that they're great listeners, you know? They're great listeners. Mm-hmm. And, and really smart i- in their own right.
• 8:29
  So, um, it, it's been great to see those guys grow up and kinda grow up the editorial team, um, uh, beneath them. And, um, and you know, we're humbled.
• 8:38
  You know, uh, the fact that people trust us, uh, as a content source is, uh, is something you can't buy. You earn over time. And, uh, and we've been fortunate to do that. But yeah, I mean, it's changing, right?
• 8:48
  I mean, we're hiring people now that, that actually understand social media. [laughs] And, and unlike me, right? I'm thinking, "Oh, I made a Facebook post a couple of weeks back." You know, that- [laughs]...
• 8:58
  you know, it doesn't work that way. And I think, I think part of it is, is being humble enough to understand that I'm not the person with the skillsets for, to reach, as you mentioned, Paul- Mm...
• 9:08
  I mean, this new generation, right? I mean, or new generations as they come through. Yeah. Um, uh, my kids communicate completely differently than, than the way I do.
• 9:18
  And, and understanding that and diving into that and not being afraid of it, understanding you're gonna make mistakes along the way, but also being bold enough to say, "Hey, you know what?
• 9:27
  You fail fast and you keep going, man. You keep stepping forward." "Keep climbing" is one of our phrases around here. Yeah. They're tired of me saying... I'm the, I'm the old guy that says, "Hey, you know what, Kyle?
• 9:36
  Great work, bro. Hey, keep climbing." They're like, "Oh, yeah." [laughs] That's like, no, it's like a sign-off. Yeah. You know what I mean? That's the radio. Yeah. That's the radio sign-off, right? Keep climbing.
• 9:45
  Keep climbing. There you go. So. I like it. Yeah. What, um, y- you know, over the years, because it started out as auto remarketing- Yeah... but you've grown to, you know, the buy here, pay here space- Yeah...
• 9:55
  the used car, and, and even getting into Canada- Yeah... uh, which is, which is a whole other ballgame- Yeah... of content and the way the dealers and industry partners and OEMs interact. Yeah.
• 10:07
  How has that, like, movement to scale and bring other things on, um, it, you know, impacted or, or been impacted by the growth that, that you've experienced, and, and how has that transition over time worked? Yeah.
• 10:22
  Uh, you know, like any company, I mean, you have some ideas, and then you, you, you end up on an off ramp, right? You know, oh, this, this didn't work. We're going that way. Um, I think that, you know- That's familiar.
• 10:31
  As... [laughs] You, you understand where I'm coming from? So familiar. You can feel, you can feel me on that? [laughs] Oh, real deep.
• 10:36
  Um, but anyway, I think that the, you know, as, as we moved forward with, uh, with the, with the title and with the content, um, you know, we, we got into having a website. And we got into sending email to people.
• 10:50
  And those were some of the first kinda baby steps in terms of that.
• 10:54
  Um, I would say one of the biggest things, and I give our founders, a gentleman by the name of Ron Smith, who started the company years and years ago, originally just as a small public relations firm. Mm-hmm. Um- Mm...
• 11:05
  but Ron, I mean, and he retired a few years ago, uh, back at the end of 2017, and kind of entrusted us with his baby, you know, to kinda carry it forward. And, um, I give Ron a lot of credit.
• 11:16
  You know, he, um, he saw the opportunity in live events. And, and that really changed the face of what we do and how we do it. Um, you know, you talk about Canada.
• 11:26
  Going into Canada and, and starting an event, and that really began to help us build relationships with people, other than just being on the phone or texting or, you know, whatever it might be.
• 11:37
  And, um, and so I would say that, you know, that, that really was a, a major factor in it, you know? The, the example I give to a lot of our staff or to people that ask me about the value of that,
• 11:52
  it's, it's as if you're a sports fan or you're a music fan or you're a comedy fan, whatever it might be. Yes, you can watch that game at home. You can sit on your couch. You can drink the beer from your own fridge.
• 12:03
  You can eat your own snacks and hang out and relax and just chill.
• 12:06
  And when it's over, you turn it off or you go to the next one or whatever it might be.But if you go to a football game or you go to a Buffalo Bills game or whatever, it's the tailgate.
• 12:15
  It's the interaction with the people. It's the vibe. It's the smell. It's the excitement of that. And I'm not comparing- Yeah... an automotive event other than yours to, to that type of experience, right?
• 12:25
  [laughs] I see the music back there, right? We're, we're breaking out the guitar. We're hanging out. But being there, showing up, does make a difference. The relationships are cemented. They are grown.
• 12:37
  They're new, whatever it might be. And yes, hopefully you get some knowledge out of that. Maybe you furthered a relationship for your business. Maybe you furthered a relationship for your career and the next step.
• 12:47
  Mm-hmm. Whatever that might be. But that really started the energy. And our first event was, uh, October of '99, so we're 25 years into it. Wow. It's changed a lot. It's changed a lot. Congrats.
• 12:58
  Um, you know, I never knew we'd have a pickleball tournament at our event, right? I mean, I, I- That was great. That was so cool. I mean, I- That's so smart this year. You know.
• 13:05
  [laughs] That was, that was Kyle's and I first event that we had been to, like, Used Car Week. Okay, cool. Yeah. That was our first one- Yeah, we-... and this year and we went out.
• 13:12
  And, like, we pulled up and, like, we're looking at the agenda. We're like, "I'm doing this right." [laughs] Yeah. The end... Yeah, the vibe was great. It, it's a lot of fun.
• 13:20
  You know, these, these after hours events and these different things, you know, that really, that really kind of make it what it is as an experience for people. Um- Well, just relationship goes faster. Yeah. Yeah. Right?
• 13:32
  I think that, that regardless of whether it's a new relationship or it's an existing one that gets cemented, um, it goes faster and farther- True enough... when you're in person. You know?
• 13:41
  Like, we're all, uh, you know, used to these Zoom calls, but I guarantee you if the three of us were in the same room right now- Yeah... we would have a vastly different experience than we are right now.
• 13:50
  Totally different. Yeah, 100%. Um, you know, because it's the, it's the pre-game, it's the post-game. Like you mentioned- Yeah... live music. It's, it's the nuance of the presence of the band. Right.
• 14:00
  And then the other fans. You, you're... The presence and the nuance of the other people in the community that believe the same thing in a slightly different way and a slightly different take.
• 14:10
  There's just a level of trust that's built instantly. Yeah. And you, you cannot, I think we've learned through the last three, three years with all the questions being asked, like, "Will we return to office?
• 14:20
  Will it, this just be the way it is? Are events dead now?" Like, I think we've answered that question once and for all- Yeah...
• 14:26
  that they will never, you will never, ever, ever be re- be able to replace, uh, the velocity and the intensity of relationship when you're in person. No doubt. No doubt. Like, I, I love to listen to Rush, right?
• 14:37
  So I've got Rush cranked up in my truck coming into the office this morning. Mm-hmm. But unless you're standing in that stadium or that coliseum and you got Geddy Lee just, you know, belting it out- Right.
• 14:46
  Watching Neil Peart just do his thing... you can't, yeah, right, right? Yeah. Neil Peart just living on a drum. Right. Neil Peart just tearing it up, right? I mean, it, you know, God bless him, man.
• 14:54
  I mean, what a great, I mean, all time, right? Mm-hmm. But- You're like now, I'm like, okay. Yeah. Those are people, my man. Dun, dun, dun, dun. Right. Some Rush on the way in. [laughs] You know?
• 15:05
  But, but unless you, unless you went to that Rush concert, you know, you can't tell it... It's, we've all seen it, right? Some guy's at a concert and he's recording it on his phone. You're like, dude, that is not...
• 15:14
  And then he posts it. You're missing the show. Yeah. [laughs] Yeah. And then he posts it and you're listening to it and it's just, like, totally over-modulated, the light's off. I mean, you can't see anything.
• 15:21
  Did you go to, did you go to The Sphere when you were at NAIA? No, I didn't. I didn't get a chance to. Okay. So- I didn't get a chance to... Kyle and I went to the, we went to the welcome reception one.
• 15:29
  We didn't go see U2, which I really wish we could've. Oh, yeah. Um, and, and we're in there, right? And you're in this immersive experience, right? And everyone's got their phone out. And, like, I did, too.
• 15:39
  I was like, [laughs] look at this. Yeah, it's, it's not the same. And then, then I was like, this doesn't even come close- No... to- Explaining it, right... not even close. And I, and I brought it home to my family.
• 15:48
  I was like, "Look at this." I was like... They're like, "Oh, it's cool." I was like, "No, no, no. This isn't, like, a planetarium. Like, you j- Right... never mind. Yeah. [laughs] Never mind. Yeah. Yeah. Right.
• 15:56
  You can't. You can't. Not even close. And I get it. I get it. A, an automotive event may not be a Rush concert. It may not be, you know- Right... the Super Bowl or whatever.
• 16:04
  But, uh, what we're talking about is just the basics of human nature, right? Mm-hmm. If you're in the automotive industry and you're not hitting these events and you're not s- investing, I get it.
• 16:12
  It, it's more expensive. Yeah. You're gonna spend more to go. It's, and it's time, right? It is. It, it, all of those elements play into it. But if you go
• 16:22
  and you really, you know, p- uh, apply yourself to it, get so much out of it. So, so many unexpected things, really. So much, yeah.
• 16:30
  And I think there's, there's a lot of, like, what we're starting to see now, like, I mean, we're just getting started in our journey.
• 16:36
  Um, but even seeing, like, last year at the event, the collaboration that happens between dealers and industry partners- Yep... that would never, ever happen on a Zoom call because they just get to talking. Right. Right?
• 16:46
  Right. And, like, when you schedule a Zoom, there's this pressure of, like, we have to accomplish this in this timeframe, so everyone's like, "All right" and you have people call.
• 16:54
  But they get, they get to talking and we've wa- actually watched, like, products be developed- Sure... that synthesized at conversations when people were in person. No doubt. No doubt.
• 17:03
  And, and that can't happen any other way. No, it can't.
• 17:06
  And I can say one of the things that, that really is cool to me, and this is over the course of time, but inevitably in the automotive industry, someone gets pushed out of a position or decides to leave a position, whatever it may be.
• 17:18
  You know- Mm-hmm... it's just not the right fit. And maybe I've got a relationship with that person or they said, you know, "Bill, I, I'm not working with XYZ company right now, but I'd still really love to come out."
• 17:30
  I would absolutely probably done this 10 or 12 times over the course of time. Like, "Hey, Paul, no doubt, you come out. If you can pay for your flight and the hotel,
• 17:39
  you have a free pass to come and network and find this next position," right? Oh, that's amazing. Right? Love it.
• 17:45
  And talk about fulfilling when they get that note back or something like, "Dude, I just i- at your place, you know, at, at Used Car Week, I met so and so, and guess what? I start on Monday." And that- Ah...
• 17:55
  that to me is a little bit of the cool factor that nobody sees. Very cool. It's kind of the underlying type thing. But again, it's the power of showing up. You know, you can't do that on a Zoom.
• 18:04
  You, you can't do that on a call. Here's my res- whatever. Um- There it is, the power of showing up. Yeah, showing up. The next book. Yeah. Yeah.
• 18:10
  [laughs] So those are some of the little, the little things that over time have been gratifying and, um-And, and a lot of fun for me.
• 18:17
  A lot of fun for me because I think the skillsets that I had early on kind of naturally lead into hosting a panel conversation or- Mm-hmm... building out content or try- you know, trying to figure some stuff out.
• 18:27
  And not that we have it right, you know? We, we're always tweaking, you know, always trying to get better.
• 18:32
  But it did really give me, personally at least, a good foundation for, for where we are today, which is still, you know, a lot of fun for me. That's awesome.
• 18:40
  I always say never straight, never straight, always forward, is kind of like- Yeah. Love it... you never get there, actually. You just kind of keep, keep moving. Keep climbing, baby. Kyle, you can just take- Oh.
• 18:48
  Keep climbing. Keep climbing. Keep climbing. [laughs] Yeah. So what's on the horizon? Like, as you're climbing, what are you, uh, looking forward to next in the next year or two? Yeah.
• 18:56
  Uh, uh, what is Cherokee Media Group, Auto Remarketing, Used Car Week- Yeah... uh, kind of gearing up for? Well, you know, we're in the process right now of hiring some new people.
• 19:06
  Uh, I mentioned some younger people, younger demographics that understand our social better, understand our technology better, um, understand some things that I know we need to be doing better, but I don't have the skillsets for it.
• 19:20
  Mm-hmm. And, you know, for me, at this point, it's almost kind of sitting back and saying, and listening, continue to listen- Mm... because everyone has different ideas about, um, which way we should move.
• 19:30
  But for us, I mean, certainly when you look at the title Auto Remarketing, our goal is to be, you know, the, the source for used car information.
• 19:37
  And, and that spans from, as you mentioned, buy here, pay here, all the way through to, you know, Brian Binstock and his CPO operation. Whatever it may be, right?
• 19:46
  We wanna be that source, that first source for used car information for the industry. Franchise dealers, independent dealers, OEMs, banks, auto finance companies, the vendor community, all of that.
• 19:59
  So that, that is primarily, that is our, that is job one. We wanna be that. Yep. And so that's a, as you said, that's a never ending game. E- every day starts fresh. There's always some new things there.
• 20:08
  So we continue to kind of climb in that direction. Well, the Auto Intel Summit is coming up in April. Yeah. Uh, is it the 23rd, right? April 23rd through the 25th. Yeah, we're the 23rd through the 25th, absolutely.
• 20:19
  What is that? What, d- tell us about the event for people who might not know. Yeah. You know, I think that, um, as we kind of looked at our portfolio of events and c- as you mentioned, Canada Used Car Week is in June.
• 20:29
  We have Used Car Week in November. We had this hole, um, in the spring, um- Mm-hmm... of each year.
• 20:36
  And one of the thoughts around it was that, you know, the industry, and this was 2018, um, so we've kind of carried this baby through COVID and kind of do a restart- Mm-hmm...
• 20:45
  with it because, um, it, as you guys know, two or three years, you really, I mean, if, if you don't have it after the third year, you really need to rethink what you're doing. Yeah.
• 20:53
  Um, but we had some great momentum and, um, what we thought with regard to the focus of it was built completely around business intelligence. We get it, there's gonna be networking.
• 21:04
  We get it, there's gonna be, you know, VPs of sales, all those kinds of things that might be a part of it.
• 21:09
  But it was really digging deeper and answering the question for, for AIS, the question that needs to be answered at this event is, "What's next?" And so that changes from year to year. It's- Yeah...
• 21:22
  again, we're always looking forward.
• 21:23
  And so the idea was to bring in these experts, these people that we would, might not normally have at, uh, any of the other two events, and have them share with us, um, some of those thoughts, some of those prognostications, some of those things that, hey, we don't know a thing about.
• 21:37
  I don't understand a thing about this AI. Whatever it was, right? Um, and have that come together. And it's just, it's just played together very nicely. It's, uh, it's not our biggest event, you know?
• 21:47
  It's not designed to be our biggest event. But it really kind of serves a need among some of the brainiacs out there. You know, at first we were like, "Are we gonna call this the conference for the nerds?"
• 21:57
  And I'm like, "No, that's, that's, that's, you know, I don't wanna say that." [laughs] That's not what it is. But it is what it is. [laughs] I'm, I'm there. I'm, I'm chief nerd- Yeah... right?
• 22:05
  I'll be the nerdiest of the nerd. But, um, [laughs] but certainly not qualified to speak.
• 22:10
  Um- [laughs] But anyway, so that's, that's where, that's where we came out of the ground with it, and it's kind of evolved over time. We have brought in a little bit of our core remarketing group. Um- Mm-hmm...
• 22:19
  in that they were saying, you know, to us, the feedback was, "Hey, this is great, but we'd really like to see a little bit more on the wholesale side and what's happening there."
• 22:26
  And such a dynamic, you know, industry that- Always... uh, in- incredible. Just the supply of the used vehicle, you know, uh, market is, is incredible in, on its own.
• 22:37
  So we've blended those two together and it's, uh, it's been a lot of fun. And, um, yeah, we're gonna be in Cary right here, right down the street from our offices, uh, in April. And, uh- Awesome...
• 22:45
  it's coming together really nicely. So you guys have a personal invitation. Love to have you come down and scope it out. Oh, thank you for that. Yeah. Thank you for that.
• 22:51
  I actually have a really good friend who lives in Cary. Uh, it was my best friend growing up in, grew up in Philly and New Jersey. Kyle, do you know what they call Cary? Well, yes.
• 22:59
  C-A-R-Y, containment area for relocated Yankees. Yes, they do. Yes. But as a native- The COLs... but as a native North Carolinian, I would say it's- That's true... it's still a good blend.
• 23:08
  [laughs] And, and- Don't let that keep you away... don't let that keep you out. [laughs] No, I- Well, Bill-... love Cary... it was amazing spending a few minutes with you.
• 23:17
  Thank you so much for sharing some of your trip, uh, down memory lane, and also for the meaningful work that you're doing, uh, every day. Yeah. Keep climbing. I'm gonna say it to you. Yeah. Guys, I appreciate it.
• 23:26
  Paul, Kyle, a great spending some time with you. Appreciate what you guys are doing, really do. I think it's creative and, uh, the energy and the passion you have for it, man, is obvious. So yeah, keep climbing, guys.
• 23:36
  Hope you have a great day. [upbeat music] Keep climbing, Kyle. Keep climbing. That's fantastic. It's a great s- It's a sign-off... it is. It's a full, when you said it, it's like a full-on radio sign-off, you know?
• 23:48
  [laughs] I'm, I'm gonna remember where he's like, "I'm the old guy." Nah, he doesn't seem that old to me, but- Not at all... maybe that's because I'm getting [laughs] old, right?
• 23:56
  I'm around, I'm around to the corner now where it's like I'm getting to the point where it's gonna be 40... I'm gonna be 45 soon, so it's like I'm no longer a young man. I'm not an old man. Yeah. I'm just, just a man.
• 24:06
  [laughs] Just a, just a man. Just a man learning to be a man. I so appreciate, because we talk so much about what live events mean to us- Yes... just personally- Mm-hmm...
• 24:17
  but also the brand of a So Do More Than Cars, and how we see communitiesLike flourish through live events. And I love how he said, "Hey, if you're not at least hitting a couple few events a year- Mm-hmm...
• 24:33
  like, it is worth the investment- You're missing out...
• 24:36
  of your time, your finances to do that because the speed of innovation, the speed of connection, the speed of conversation that happens within these live events, no ma- I don't care which one you go to.
• 24:48
  It can be the br- newest one, the oldest one, the biggest one, the smallest one.
• 24:52
  They all have something unique to offer that if you do them the right way, carefully attend them, pay attention, engage with the right people, can provide massive business change, way more than...
• 25:05
  I mean, we love podcasts, we love interviews, we love daily emails, we love all of that part of media, but it is so much faster when you're in person.
• 25:12
  Because let's be honest, you're gonna turn this off and you're gonna forget about it. There it is. Right?
• 25:16
  It, and when you're in a live event, it's right there, and you, you make connections, and even, like, neural connections. Yep. This and this, 'cause you're perceiving all the nuance- Well, the smells-...
• 25:27
  all the inputs... the sights, the feel, the enga- Yeah, it's, it's, it's all of that. All of it. I mean, we weren't intending on saying this now, but we are having an event called ASOTU CON- Hey!...
• 25:37
  [laughs] May 14th through 17th in Baltimore. Uh, we hope you can join us there because we put a lot of intentionality into all the nuance of the event. And the people that show up there,
• 25:46
  yep, they're ready to do that, too. But, uh, for today, on behalf of myself and Kyle Mountsert, thank you for joining us on Auto Collapse.
• 25:54
  Sign up for our free and fun-to-read daily email for a free shot of relevant news in automotive, retail, media, and pop culture. You can get it now at asotu.com. That's A-S-O-T-U dot com.
• 26:07
  If you love this podcast, please leave us a review and share it with a friend. Thanks again for listening. We'll see you next time.
• 26:15
  [upbeat music] Welcome to Auto Collapse. Welcome to Auto Collapse. [laughs] Why are we recording? Are we rolling yet? Not yet.