Latest / Auto Collabs / Bobby Knight Prepared Me For Auto with Jason Stein

Transcript

Bobby Knight Prepared Me For Auto with Jason Stein · Auto Collabs

• 0:00
  Did any of you actually eat a Philly cheesesteak when we were in Philly? [upbeat music] This is AutoCollabs. No. I- Kyle.
• 0:15
  Well, I can say I had a few bites of one, but not from the Geno's. It was one of the catered ones from Xfinity Live, which I might add, was really good. There you go. It was really good.
• 0:27
  Like, it still, I, it- Thanks for having that... it gave me... I didn't eat a lot. Like, that always happens at events, right? I just run around- Man, it's frustrating...
• 0:34
  and I just nibble on this and I just- Well, because you're always talking in the mic. You don't wanna be all burpy. [laughs] Yeah, it's bad. Either talking in a mic or talking to people. You feel like, the- Right...
• 0:44
  is there a semblance when you, like, it's g- sometimes even before we start a pod and, like, I've just eaten lunch or something, and you eat and you're like, "I better throw some gum in." Yeah, get in your mints.
• 0:53
  Like, it might come through the mic or something. [laughs] Yes. No, it, there, there's definitely, there's definitely a thing there. There's definitely a thing there. You know,
• 1:01
  all of the activity around, well, all the activity around ASOTU CON, there was the moment when we were on stage, or I wasn't on stage, but Jason Stein, today's guest, was on stage.
• 1:12
  And I had this flashback to the first automotive event that I went to, which was an Automotive News Retail Forum, which actually we found out Jason conce- concepted that and started that when he was the publisher at Automotive News.
• 1:25
  And I remember seeing him on stage at that event and hearing him speak, and he was just so articulate and knowledgeable, and he commanded the authority. And I was like, "Dude, that dude is buttoned up." Right?
• 1:35
  I felt like I was at a real thing.
• 1:37
  And then to see him on the stage at ASOTU CON bringing that heat and the energy to kind of, like, a new, uh, with a, but with a new tone, new questions, like, a new vibe, understanding things have changed.
• 1:47
  For me, it was like a moment of, like, full circle. It was just total full circle. There was a new tone. That's for sure. It was different.
• 1:54
  There was definitely a new tone, and I feel like he was willing to push some boundaries, and I appreciate that about...
• 2:00
  A, a lot of people in our industry, k- everyone's kind of like loosening the belt buckle just a little bit. Have to. You know? Have to. Yeah. Well, I mean, I hope that shines through in our conversation today.
• 2:11
  I didn't get a chance to actually... I feel like I was running around. Man, you boys put me to work. We- [laughs] He's like, "You know I have another job."
• 2:20
  [laughs] Like, "Michael, we just need you between the hours of 9:00 AM and 3:30 PM with interviews on the 20s. Is that okay?" He's, "Uh..." Yeah, totally okay. Let's go. I can't. But, um, call me Mr. Miyagi.
• 2:32
  But I, uh, I, I'm excited to hop into this conversation with Jason Stein and feel some of that energy. I know it's gonna shine through, and we hope you guys enjoy it as well. [upbeat music] All right.
• 2:48
  This has been a long time coming, but, uh, Jason, thank you so much for spending a few minutes with us today on the AutoCollabs podcast. It is great to be with the two of you. Paul, Kyle, thank you. So- Absolutely...
• 2:59
  so, like, you were the face of, I feel like, retail automotive when I first started paying attention. And I went to the, the AutoNews Retail Forum in Louisiana the last time the, the show was there.
• 3:11
  And it was the first time I heard you from stage. And I was like, "This dude is buttoned up." Like, I felt like I'm- [laughs] I, I was just like...
• 3:20
  And, and I, I was, like, I was living- Are you sure you were looking at the right person? I was, because I was living- He's like, "I must have been interviewing Alex Vetter." [laughs] Wasn't that Carl Sewell?
• 3:27
  I think that was Carl Sewell that was on that. Well done. No, it was, it was definitely you.
• 3:31
  Because at the time I was in the reconditioning business, so this was my first industry event, and I had this feeling like, "I am nowhere near smart enough to be in this room right now."
• 3:41
  And you were just, like, leading everyone through this half-day event and, and I was just struck with the poise and the...
• 3:48
  Everyone you spoke with, I was like, "He knows everything about everybody and everything that they do." And so, um, [laughs] that being- It was a good research team. It was a, it was a great research team.
• 3:57
  [laughs] It was not me. [laughs] So, but my, my question, uh, the follow is that, is like, how did you get to that spot? Like, how did you get into what you were doing with Automotive News?
• 4:06
  Like, what path in automotive led you, led you there? Uh, well, uh, two, uh, two hands on the steering wheel, uh- [laughs]... ironically enough, um, and quite literally.
• 4:17
  Uh, so how I got down that path was by, uh, uh, starting my own car column in Fort Wayne, Indiana, when I was a sports writer covering Bobby Knight and Indiana University basketball and watching him choke people and get fired.
• 4:31
  Throw chairs, right. [laughs] Um, throw chairs, the whole thing. Or, or was covering- Similar industry. [laughs] Yeah, but you know what?
• 4:35
  I was totally prepared for automotive once I dealt with Bobby Knight because, uh, you know, red, red sweaters or not, you know, they're very similar styles.
• 4:45
  [laughs] Uh, and I was covering Peyton Manning's first year, a disastrous first year as the quarterback of the, uh, Indianapolis Colts, and, um, Bob Davie's, uh, terrible exit out of Notre Dame football.
• 4:56
  So I was, I, I had this- You're like, "There must be more." [laughs] There's gotta be more here somewhere, and it was two hands on the wheel. And what it was was starting my own car column.
• 5:04
  And, uh, the newspaper, uh, at the time did not have a car columnist for its Sunday paper. This was... I said newspaper, remember that? Oh, my goodness. Remember, remember the fond days of a newspaper?
• 5:15
  Oh, my- No, that's where I started... goodness, the smell of it. I know. The sound. They w- you'd go on an airplane and everybody would be reading a newspaper. That's right.
• 5:22
  [laughs] Or they'd be handing it to, you know, it'd be like, "Oh, are you done with that sports section?
• 5:26
  Because, you know, I know it's tucked into the pocket in front of you, but I'd really like to see what the scores were last night." Oh, my gosh. You know, things like that.
• 5:32
  I barely have enough room for, like, my phone and my elbows these days. How in the world did that even work? I'm just like, you know- [laughs]... crossing over with the newspaper in front of everybody's face.
• 5:42
  Someone's gotta do a spoof of that, like four people across in an airplane. Yeah. Yes. That's great. And our fingers are definitely cleaner these days. No doubt. That's for sure. No doubt.
• 5:49
  Um, because you get all that ink all over it. But no, I was definitely ink-stained from the start.
• 5:53
  I grew up in Canada and made my way down to the US, uh, and eventually as that sports writer who started his own car column.
• 6:00
  And what I discovered was, as a car columnist-Lo and behold, manufacturers really like to bring their vehicles to you to have you drive them and test them and write about them- [laughs]...
• 6:11
  in the Sunday paper so that car dealers who are in the area will, will appreciate the fact that you're testing the new product, and then they can sell, uh, or they can put their ads next to the, next to that content.
• 6:21
  They can sell more cars. It's a wild formula that worked for about 150 years or so, or at least 100 years with, uh, you know, the vehicle. But, you know, that, that, that, uh, experience gave me...
• 6:33
  All of a sudden I, I had, uh, five or six different, uh, uh, manufacturers with vehicles in my driveway. And of course, my neighbors thought that I was dealing drugs or something of that nature- [laughs]...
• 6:43
  because I had all this new product all the time. "How do you get this?" And you'd explain to people that, "I'm a car columnist," and they're like, "Whoa. What's that?"
• 6:49
  And I said, "Well, you can read it in Sunday's paper." [laughs] So lo and behold, that got me close to the, um, uh, you know, the auto industry, uh, closer.
• 6:58
  It, it also got me closer with the retail industry because many friends became, uh, or many dealers, uh, became friends. [smacks lips] Uh, and it, it just all started on a path.
• 7:09
  But, uh, ultimately led to Automotive News and, uh, the, uh, role as a marketing, uh, reporter, which was what I was hired in at, uh, in, uh, uh, 2003. Huh. And, uh, this beautiful world of, of automotive was wide open.
• 7:23
  And all of a sudden people were calling with story ideas, and I was getting to know many, uh, uh, the, the same dealers who, who, uh, you both know. I mean, the successful car dealers who are out there.
• 7:34
  And I discovered the entrepreneurial-ism of, of the automotive, uh, retail world. And I s- I'm still driving the cars, and now I just have a different platform.
• 7:43
  And after 18 years at Automotive News, including the last eight as the publisher, um, it's been an enormously, uh, gratifying, uh, ride, uh, so to speak.
• 7:53
  And, um, and now here we are with, uh, still a very close connection to the retail world. Uh, a, uh, radio show on SiriusXM, uh, that runs four times a week. And, uh, my neighbors still think that I'm dealing drugs.
• 8:06
  So, you know- [laughs] We've come full circle. Well, see, I- How do you- Let's switch to driving right now. Okay, go ahead...
• 8:08
  it's funny 'cause I think my wife actually has, like, a question sometimes whether I'm in the car business, the CIA, or dealing drugs. [laughs] Just because there, you know, and not that, not that- Let me talk to her.
• 8:19
  Let me talk. But... [laughs] Yeah, let me talk to her. No, but it really is. Like, I remember back, you know, the, the... It's such an, uh...
• 8:27
  The, the auto industry as a whole is an au- is an industry that a lot of people only get to barely peer into. And because of that, there, there's a, a very, a lot of ambigu- ambiguity, a lot of ominous feeling to it.
• 8:40
  You know, I, I remember, I'll never forget, I... This was probably, gosh, eight, nine years ago. And, uh, and I had the evening off, and we had a new finance manager, and I was the, the new car director.
• 8:54
  And the finance manager calls me up, and he's in Reynolds. We're in Reynolds at that point. And, uh, and, and, and he calls me up and goes, "Hey, I can't find where to put..." I can't remember what data point in is it.
• 9:05
  And my wife's sitting across. We're, we're both watching TV. We have it muted. And I go, "All right. All you gotta do is Control + Shift + J. Move to the back screen. Hit K."
• 9:15
  B- You know, and like, I'm walking through this. She goes, "What are you?" [laughs] As he's eating a slice of- I'm a coder. "I'm a coder." I'm a coder. Yeah. Right. I'm sure you've had those similar experiences.
• 9:26
  Um, fast-forward to today and, and the experiences are, are kind of coming at us. And I, you know, at least from my perspective, and I've only been in the industry for 12 years.
• 9:36
  But, you know, we, we were actually just on, we recorded with Tom Ryan. And, and just this speed of new things hitting, new ideas. Uh, you know, there's a news story one day that, that says this and the next...
• 9:48
  You know, chips are up, chips are down. You know, there's- Yep... uh, inventory's up, inventory's down.
• 9:53
  You know, approaching this from the perspective of having been in news and now being on, you know, the tech and consulting side, you know, how are you kind of encouraging people or, or how are you approaching these many facets of news and change and, and, and the, the potential realities over the next five years?
• 10:11
  Uh, i- it's absolutely crazy. And, uh, what I would tell you is that when I joined, uh, the industry, I would say, full time in 2003, we thought that we were operating at a fairly blinding level at that stage.
• 10:24
  'Cause it was talked about at that time, and now you think about it almost 20 years ago, "Wow, things really are changing. Wow, this, this auto industry-" [laughs] "... it's never, it's never been faster."
• 10:33
  And, and, and I think back to those, those days when really kind of inventory was the only issue. Maybe incentives were the only issue.
• 10:41
  And when I was covering General Motors, they were making more money on their mortgage business than they were on vehicles, which was, you know, that w- that would, uh, foreshadow a huge problem.
• 10:52
  Uh, but yeah, the, the, what was, what was the, the, you know, the biggest concern? It w- it was not the transition to, um, more of a direct selling, uh, method. Nobody really talked about Tesla very much.
• 11:06
  Um, there, there wasn't the concern over chips or, or labor shortages or any of the factors that have even just come on over the course of the last two years.
• 11:16
  I would argue the last two years has been more impactful than the previous 20. Wow. And it's, it's shifted and changed everything, uh, with an inertia that could never have been realized.
• 11:27
  In fact, one automaker executive told me about a year ago, "Look, we wanted to go to build to order, and we're at build to order now.
• 11:34
  But we never could have got there, never could have made that happen, um, in, in the, uh, quote, the old days."
• 11:42
  And I think what, what COVID taught us was that all that acceleration that was leading up to 2020 just went into hyperdrive.
• 11:50
  I mean, if it was moving along at five miles an hour, and the industry was making changes, and it was, the industry was concerned about autonomous vehicles or ride sharing or peer-to-peer or any of that stuff, any of the things that would really, um, hit the retail network in the stomach-Certainly, the last two years have shown that the changes can be even more remarkable than, than we imagined.
• 12:12
  Not necessarily in a bad way. And actually, the value of the American car dealer is greater than ever.
• 12:18
  Um, and I would argue against the direct selling method, they've learned to become just better direct sellers in general. And they've learned to connect with their communities in a better way, in a deeper way.
• 12:29
  They've learned how to provide service in a way that, uh, maybe they didn't realize before. And, um, you know, now they're more successful than ever.
• 12:37
  So I would say how to navigate where we are right now, uh, it, it's all about context. I mean, what speed are we at now? What speed were we at in 2003 when I joined Automotive News? It's probably the same type of speed.
• 12:49
  There's just different issues. It always f- Right. Mm It always fe- The velocity always feel fast when you're in it, right, until you- Always... until you ride the rollercoaster- Until you-...
• 12:56
  the second time or the third time, and we don't get that- Yeah... we don't get to do that, right? It's always a new rollercoaster, right?
• 13:01
  It's al- And, and- The hill's always different, the drop, the acceleration, they're all different.
• 13:05
  And this, and this automotive industry, uh, and the two of you know this, uh, you know, as, as well as anybody, it's a different ride every day, for sure.
• 13:15
  And that's what makes it exciting, whether you're on the dealer side or the automaker side or the parts suppliers or the other vendors, is that no two days are the same, that's for sure. It's true.
• 13:26
  I mean, whether it's a month-long close or a new product that's rolling out or a new challenge to the business coming from some disruptor that's coming from the side that you can learn from.
• 13:35
  But that's what makes it the best, most dynamic business, uh, of any, in my opinion. Couldn't agree. Couldn't agree.
• 13:42
  So you, you mentioned that, you know, deal- You just talked about dealers being great at serving their communities and learning how to do service better, learning how to do dir- you know, like a, a, a more streamlined sales process better.
• 13:54
  But you also have, like, n- y- this experience in the retail side, and you have a lot of interaction with the retail side of the auto industry.
• 14:02
  Right now, the FTC, uh, these proposed, uh, regulations that are up for public comment, um, has been a little bit brutal, right, as the public comments have opened up.
• 14:12
  And Kyle and I have been paying attention to, like, number of YouTubers and content creators that really position the dealers that we know and love so much because we understand who they are as people and what they do.
• 14:23
  Um, it's a very different narrative, right, and the kind of the PR problem of franchise retail auto.
• 14:28
  What is your perspective on how we can maybe start to, like, communicate the essence of the good side of franchise retail auto to the retail public?
• 14:38
  Yeah, I mean, it, it's a challenge in general because, unfortunately, car dealers have had this stigma for an awful long time.
• 14:44
  And it's got nothing to do with what's happened, even the improvements even over the last couple of years. There just seems to be this thing, like, sort of the dentist.
• 14:51
  I mean, you know, the, the, you know, "I don't wanna go to the dentist. I don't wanna..." I, or, "I don't wanna get my car fixed at the dealership." You know, there are obviously some bad actors in every field.
• 15:03
  Um, and you know, that's, that's, that's car dealers or non-car dealers or, um, you know, other, other industries.
• 15:10
  But the point is, I think that car dealers have made enormous strides over the course of, of the last few years to really change some, uh, reputational, uh, issues that, that existed prior to.
• 15:22
  And what's the best way to get out there and, and tell that story?
• 15:25
  Well, I think they, they probably, there probably has to be a more concerted effort to tell the consumer that your local car dealer is supporting the local community and the charities and, and is a member of the community.
• 15:37
  And you're, and you're gonna see them all over the place helping people. And there are so many efforts that are going on.
• 15:42
  I'm, I'm gonna be involved in a, in a charity, uh, uh, golf outing, uh, that occurs next week that's, that benefits the kids of Southeast Michigan and, and actually, uh, across the US.
• 15:54
  And there are numerous, uh, actors and athletes and superstars coming to that to help support this.
• 15:59
  And those, uh, car dealers don't generally go out there and say, "Hey, look at, this is what I've done" and they- Right... you know, necessarily run an ad in the, uh, you know, in the local news.
• 16:09
  Uh, but you know, it, it is, there are really, really, really entrepreneurial, positive forces that are in every community that are the backbone of those communities.
• 16:20
  And so I, I think that it's always gonna be a PR challenge. Um, the, the best that, that can happen is, is that I think car dealers tell their stories maybe a little bit better.
• 16:31
  Um, and um, and, and of course, associations like NADA can help that. But, um, yeah, some, some of the comments are fairly brutal. They're, but they're nothing new. Have you ever seen- Yeah...
• 16:42
  a concerted effort, like, I mean a broad scale concerted effort, be effectively deployed in, in your time in the industry? And I mean, like, a broad scale PR campaign to promote the good parts of franchised auto dealers.
• 16:56
  Have you ever seen anything like that? Not really, no. I, I think, um, you know, i- if, if anything, uh, the, the franchise car dealers have just stuck to their knitting. I mean, they've sold cars. They've- Yeah...
• 17:10
  they've helped members of the, uh, community. They've provided jobs. Um, I mean, we ran a program for years, you know, The Best Dealerships to Work For- Mm-hmm... uh, a program that I was a part of,
• 17:21
  um, uh, just in the, in the formation of it. And what a awesome feel-good program- Mm-hmm...
• 17:26
  that was, that highlighted all of the great things that those dealerships do, not just for their employees, but for their communities. And you know, there are numerous examples of, of those efforts.
• 17:36
  It's just, no, Paul, it- there's, there's not been a concerted effort to really go out there and say, "Hey, look at, this is what we're doing." But you know, the dentists don't do that either. So, um- Right...
• 17:46
  you know, but you gotta have, you gotta have clean- You can choose not to go to the dentist unless you have an emergency, though. Right. The car is, like, a little bit more of a, a regular flow of life, you know?
• 17:54
  Well, we'll, we'll see what happens. I mean, unfortunately with the pricing of, of new vehicles at record levels, uh, people are hanging onto their cars a lot longer.
• 18:03
  I had the opportunity to interview the head of SEMA, um-Uh, just, uh, to talk about the aftermarket business and the tuner business- Yeah... and parts and service.
• 18:13
  And, you know, there's so much of that that's going on now in this, in this post-COVID world. Because frankly, the, the affordability issue with, uh, primarily the middle class is, is evaporating,
• 18:26
  um, just with the price of vehicles and now interest rates being higher. So with that, I think you're gonna see people spending more time at dealerships getting their cars fixed. Mm-hmm.
• 18:34
  There's an opportunity there for dealers to just get closer with their, uh, customers and to, and to explain the kinds of ways that, that they can assist. Do you think that...
• 18:47
  Do, uh, like obviously, if, if you, if we're gonna change this perception of retail automotive, which I think is, which is necessary if there's any hope of, you know, of things not just coming crashing down on the dealer network.
• 19:04
  And I don't think that that's, like, an imminent, you know, imminent death type thing. I'm not a, I'm not a, a fatalist or anything, where in three years we're all going down, right? But w- where's the...
• 19:17
  Where does the hope lie? Does it, does it lie in just dealers learning to tell their story better? Because I think that, like, I, I was listening to you say, you know, "Dealers haven't told their story well.
• 19:27
  They don't run ads about the charities that they do." And I, and I, and I understand that. Like, I've talked to dealers personally that, "Hey, we just, we just get the job done. We just continue to do the good work.
• 19:38
  We don't praise it. We don't celebrate it. We don't put it in the newspapers. We don't run PR gigs or anything like that."
• 19:44
  Does that need to shift in order for this cultural perception, for it to kind of, like, be brought out into the light?
• 19:51
  And have you seen, like, the best cases of that in, in the way that dealers go about that communication? Yeah.
• 19:58
  I mean, there's gonna be an opportunity for dealers to move forward here anyway because the transition to electric vehicles is real. Mm-hmm.
• 20:05
  Whether we like it or not, uh, the technology is gonna get much more sophisticated.
• 20:10
  It's gonna be very difficult for you to bring your, your new EV or relatively new EV down to the local guy to fix it, uh, 'cause they won't have the tools, the capability, the, you know, the, the technical know-how.
• 20:22
  So dealers are gonna rise to the, to the forefront, uh, because- Sure... you're gonna have to go to your, your local dealership in order to fix that very complicated vehicle that's in your, uh, driveway.
• 20:32
  And, and dealers, good dealers, are putting a lot of money and, and effort into the expansion of, uh, service bays and technical training.
• 20:39
  And, and that EV transition's gonna create a real chance to, to build a closer relationship between the consumer and, uh, the local dealer.
• 20:50
  And I would say examples, you know, I, I think back to the Bergstrom family that's in, uh, you know, northern, uh, uh, Wisconsin area. They, they have been,
• 21:01
  uh, ultimate stewards of, um, uh, the family values and the community and have lent so much support. That's actually a group that does tell its story well. Yeah, they do.
• 21:13
  Um, y- you know, and, and, and they've got, I don't know, uh, 20 to 30 br- different brands, so they're not beholden to any one manufacturer.
• 21:21
  But they, but they take that kind of, um, uh, you know, northern Wisconsin area and, and they have really made it into, um, that culturally relevant family business and transcended that culture to the community.
• 21:36
  And everybody in that area knows who the Bergstroms are, and they know how, how, um, uh, solid the business is, uh, for the community, what they, what they provide back. Yeah.
• 21:48
  And so maybe there should be more Bergstroms in the world. Hmm. Hmm. No doubt. I, I, [laughs] I love... [laughs] I'm like, that is a perfect example. I couldn't have asked it better.
• 21:58
  I know the Bergstrom, uh, organization, and I've seen their stuff. And I- Tim and John... see... Yeah. Yeah. And I, and I, I don't know them personally, but I've watched them, them do that.
• 22:07
  And so I do think that it, it is up to people like us to kind of highlight and bring those to the forefront so that others can just at least have a bird's-eye view, at least have a, uh, at least have a vision for what that looks like, both in the community, with employees.
• 22:20
  You know, you've got... There's so many incredible dealers out there that are, that are not just doing the groundwork but also telling their story well.
• 22:27
  And I think that that's something that, that, you know, you through your time have, have done well for both the OEM and the dealer network.
• 22:34
  Um, and I, I really can't wait f- uh, to have, uh, some time in person with you at ASOTU Con and, and hanging out and listen to the way that you curate these conversations, as Paul said, uh, earlier.
• 22:45
  And, and just thankful for, for you joining us today and, and giving us a little bit of insight into, uh, not just the, the yesterday but tomorrow for the automotive industry. I'm, I'm honored to be part of the program.
• 22:56
  I look forward to seeing you all in person. And, uh, uh, I will, uh, leave my drug dealer friends, uh, behind. [laughs] Wonderful. Thanks so much, Jason. Really appreciate it. Thank you.
• 23:08
  [upbeat music] Can I tell you a legitimate thought [laughs] that ran through my mind as I listened to- [laughs] Is this a real sentence you just said? [laughs]... Jason s- start talk- I mean, the... Well, here it is.
• 23:23
  I wrote down, "Do all Canadians start in the newspaper industry?" Because that's certainly how I got started. That is a really- And that was my entry point to automotive. [laughs] Maybe.
• 23:34
  Every single one of them start that way. All of them. I also wrote down- Even the ones that start as developers start in the newspaper industry. [laughs] Start in newsprint. Seriously.
• 23:43
  I also wrote down that the smell of newspaper gives me anxiety. Like, to this day, if I get a whiff- Really?... of newsprint, I'm like [gasps]. That's funny. It has the opposite effect on me. Complete...
• 23:52
  It's, like, calming and wonderful- I was just gonna say that... and I feel like I need a cup of coffee- Wow... and a great, like, outdoor setting, and I'm good.
• 24:00
  Because of this conversation, I am going to read a newspaper this week. On an airplane. No, not on an airplane. No. [laughs] That brings us back to another episode, though. Don't give me that.
• 24:09
  That's a really great way to bring it around. You know, Jason, it's interesting to see his careerGo from newspaper, right? And then just this massive impact on retail automotive, like just broad scale.
• 24:22
  Everyone knew the name, knew his face, um, you know, heard him speak, and understood that.
• 24:27
  And then he pivots out to actually, like, face more of, like, toward the retail side of the business, like from the consumer-facing, you know, entertainment and just, like, car culture. Mm-hmm.
• 24:37
  And now, like, to see him still, like, the fact that he still speaks at all these industry events, he's interested enough to be involved with what ASOTU is doing.
• 24:46
  There, there still is, like, this, this point of pivot where I think it just iterates, that it just gets in your blood, and you're always, like, gonna be kind of interested in it.
• 24:55
  Well, what I love about it is, and this is a similar story for me and I think a lot of people that are in auto, it's like, okay, I tiptoe into it.
• 25:03
  You know, writing maybe a little thing or being in sales, or maybe I'm a part of a tech company and I tip- tiptoe in. And then there's always this moment where it's like, but over there.
• 25:14
  [laughs] And then you get, you're right back into it. [laughs] But by the time you're back into it, you, you go deep.
• 25:20
  And what I love is y- you know, and we saw this even with Steve Greenfield, it's like, got a job, you know, working for, for Manheim. Love that story.
• 25:29
  And, and, and, and, and so but now, like, literally shifting and working on the trajectory of automotive.
• 25:35
  And that, and to see that as, as a thread for so many of the people that are, that are like Jason Stein, that, that are like Steve Greenfield, that are going, "No, I'm in this, and I'm actually invested in, in crafting and curating the narrative," is so encouraging to me.
• 25:51
  Because it, you know, every- I think many people get the imposter syndrome. It's like, how, who am I to kind of be a part of that?
• 25:58
  And, and Jason, and especially in this conversation, he gave me so much encouragement to go, "Oh, I just started writing a little column in a newspaper-" [laughs] "...
• 26:06
  down, you know, down in a little city, and now I'm shifting the narrative by the conversations I'm a part of." And that's an okay- Truth... place for a lot of people to be in in our industry.
• 26:15
  And I think the more people that lean in in that way, the quicker innovation goes and, and the m- and the more we can be as a retail automotive industry.
• 26:23
  Well, I feel like the story of Jason Stein's re-entry almost into the scrum that is retail automotive is kind of just getting started. [upbeat music] Thank you so much for spending some time with us here today.
• 26:35
  On behalf of Kyle Mountsier, Michael Cirillo, and myself, thanks for listening to Auto Collabs. We'll see you next time.
• 26:41
  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.com.
• 26:54
  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.
• 27:01
  [upbeat music] Welcome to Auto Collabs. Welcome to Auto Collabs. [laughs] Why are we recording? Are we rolling yet?
• 27:19
  Not yet.