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Pushing Back Against Pessimism with Peter Kelso · Auto Collabs

• 0:00
  You wanna know what really grinds my gears? [laughs] Yes. [upbeat music] This is Auto Collabs.
• 0:16
  Did I ever tell you about how- [laughs]... Foo Fighters tickets go on sale?
• 0:23
  And I'm like, "Dope, I'm gonna bring my son to a Foo Fighters concert," and I'm so excited about it 'cause it's gonna be his first concert and just, they're one of my favorite bands. And so for some reason, though,
• 0:37
  I couldn't get the tickets. I was put in this, like, five-hour long queue. Ugh. But my wife was in the salon cutting her girlfriend's hair, and her girlfriend goes, "Oh, I got in. I'll just buy the tickets.
• 0:49
  You can reimburse me." Sounds like a, a legit plan. Oh, nay, nay. [laughs] We find out, like, three days before the event that Ticketmaster will not let us exchange, like, move the tickets. No way.
• 1:05
  Because the old Foo boys have put a limitation in place where they're not allowing that. So that was like, "Okay." I mean, what is it, to try to, like, cut down on scalpers, resellers? I guess. I don't know.
• 1:19
  Scalpers and resellers. I'm like, "Are they dead to me?" Like, I ha- I went through a bit of a faith crisis. [laughs] Oh, the Italian came out. Yeah, I'm like, "Dude." [laughs] You're dead to me. Then, then I...
• 1:27
  It was annoying because I had to be- Suck it, guitar man... help my friend. She had to do the whole reimbursement thing through Ticketmaster. Ugh.
• 1:33
  It took, like, four months to get her money back, and I felt bad about that. And just before we, uh, met earlier, I see that Foo Fighters are in Dallas, Texas tonight, and I did not get the notification.
• 1:53
  And then you went to buy tickets, and there's none left. And you can't buy them on the black market- Or on the secondary market... and you know what this makes me think?
• 2:01
  Well, because they don't let you tran- it would be kind of impos- so this, this kinda makes me think about how little things, little, tiny, little friction points get in the way of- Of amazing experiences...
• 2:19
  amazing experiences, and how that so often relates to our industry. So my gears are grinded. My gosh. Anyway. I don't think we have any m- much more of an intro- Yeah, I'll ground up...
• 2:29
  for Pete Kelso for Full Thro- Throttle. Let's just get into the interview at this point. [laughs] Hey, we're sitting down now with Peter Kelso. You are the VP of strategic partnerships at Full Throttle, right?
• 2:46
  Yeah, that and many other things, I think. Complex Just, just the, the Mr. Miyagi of- Yeah... Full Throttle. Yeah. Okay. Gotcha. I'm not wearing a hat today, but I definitely wear a lot of hats over there. Oh, cool.
• 2:56
  I'm never just doing one thing. Well, we're excited to have you and all your hats on Auto Collabs. Thanks for joining us. Yeah. Happy to be here, guys. [laughs] Hey, I'm curious. That's a great intro.
• 3:03
  I, I'm, I'm curious right out of the gates, because this resonates with me. I'm on your LinkedIn, and I see one of your most recent posts is a video, and it's Friday positive vibes. I like that. Why- I like that.
• 3:17
  What is it about you that gives you the desire to put out those positive vibes in the world? Thanks for asking. So first off, it's that it's part of my job, right? I have to kinda be out there.
• 3:29
  And so why not talk about things that are a little bit more important, in my opinion, than cars and marketing.
• 3:36
  I just like to talk about people and what's on my mind and, and, like, I made a commitment to say, "I'm gonna, I'm gonna make content," right, for, for LinkedIn. But I didn't want it to feel cookie cutter.
• 3:48
  I had it fit me. Mm-hmm. And every time I tried to shoehorn business or some sort of sales message into it, it just didn't feel like me. So- Hmm... uh, positive vibes was what I went with.
• 4:00
  I felt like every morning, especially on a Friday, why not just share a little bit of positivity and let people interpret it how they want? Is that from... W- were you raised that way, to have a positive outlook?
• 4:12
  Is this something you developed later on in life? Like, where, where did it come in? Is it innate in you? Yeah, I think it's both. My parents were definitely hippie-type people.
• 4:22
  They always, you know, helped me lead with positivity and listen with positivity and always try to keep that optimistic mindset.
• 4:31
  And then as I, uh, grew up, I just realized life's a whole lot easier if you have a more positive outlook on things. You can deal with stress- Oh, so true... you know, different people.
• 4:42
  And if you put positivity out, it's like a nice little barometer about who you're around, because [laughs] if they're not receptive to it, then maybe you ought to be around others.
• 4:52
  Hey, and I thank- I love this, I love this episode already... how beneficial that we're not in an inherently negative industry. [laughs] Yeah. Right. Totally. Yeah.
• 4:59
  That's why I love what you guys do, the, the people before cars mindset is, it's the same approach I've taken in every one of my jobs.
• 5:07
  You ask anybody I work with or have worked with, they're gonna tell you I ask them more about themselves and want to talk more about maybe things that aren't necessarily directly related to work.
• 5:18
  But they're the reason we go. They're the reason we get up and grind. And so I, that's just the kind of guy I am.
• 5:24
  Man, I'm sitting here just mind-boggled, because I, I've never met a fan of Michigan football- Oh, right... that I can say, you know, has this type of [laughs] outlook on life.
• 5:36
  Are you talking about the world champion, 15 and 0, Michigan Wolverines? [laughs] There may- I had to mention it... come an asterisk someday. Who knows? [laughs] We've opened, we've opened a can. Right.
• 5:48
  Maybe a little bit of asterisk. Opened a can. No, that's so... Sorry, I had to get that in. Oh, great. It's like the, it's the Ohio State in me, that I had to find an opening, right? Yeah.
• 5:57
  That, that, just, like, that cut right to it. Ohio. I know those guys.Yeah, y- those, those guys to the, to the south. That's right. Right. Um, so, uh, you know, when you look back at, like, your...
• 6:09
  You know, 'cause obviously you said, "Hey, I wanna do this pri- this- this content." Like, what was the impetus for creating the content?
• 6:15
  So go back that, because you, you said you tried to, uh, get into this vibe of, you know, oh, business insights or sales or productization or something like that. Right. But you needed, you knew you needed to do content.
• 6:28
  When did that come about? 'Cause that probably was... How recent has it been since you just started to create this content of Positive Vibes? Yeah.
• 6:35
  Probably, uh, a little over a year, and it was really just me adjusting to my first remote position in a remote sales role where you've gotta put yourself out there.
• 6:47
  And, um, you know, I just kept kinda not feeling right not putting myself out there and just leading with this, you know, business, my company, our product type stuff.
• 6:57
  And at the same time, I was coaching a lotta youth baseball, and I fricking love it. I love seeing and helping these young kids develop.
• 7:08
  As much as I love coaching my son, I feel like he does better when it's another, another, uh, influence helping him. Okay. And the same goes with these other kids.
• 7:17
  And so every night I was coming home with these nuggets that I could relate to my own life, and it just, it just felt natural.
• 7:24
  And I kept saying, "I gotta put stuff out there," and it just, it just didn't feel right to do anything other than to just lead with cool stuff that's about people, that's, you know, grounded in positivity.
• 7:35
  Let me ask you, how does this play? So you, you're VP, you work a lot in agency partnerships and trying to get everybody kinda singing off the same song sheet. Right. Can...
• 7:46
  And I think when we talk about positivity and sowing these good, good things into the world, as people who do that on a regular basis and have been doing that for a long time, often it gets misinterpreted as weakness, um- Mm-hmm...
• 8:01
  lack of being tied to business objectives. Right. Right? And, and so th- that's the fluffy stuff. I wanna talk about the real stuff.
• 8:09
  So I'd be interested to hear your perspective on how that type of thinking and those types of things being out in the world actually helps you in your position.
• 8:17
  And maybe you could first explain a little bit, uh, more about your position, 'cause, like, we generalized it. Sure. Yeah, so me, what do I do?
• 8:25
  I, my whole goal is to kinda find that, that common song, like you mentioned, Paul. I use the analogy of, of a ship.
• 8:32
  So I talk to either agency owners or folks at, at dealerships or dealership groups, and they're in their ship that they've built, and that's everything that they've put together to sail towards a horizon that I think I see.
• 8:45
  And it's up to them if they wanna turn that sail, and all I'm doing is, is hopefully blowing wind in the same direction. And whether they wanna turn all five of their sails or just one or two- Mm-hmm...
• 8:56
  that's really my quest, is whether I'm talking to, directly to a group or to a dealer or to an agency, to s- to see if we can sing that same song. And I like that analogy, uh, and so I'm gonna start using that too.
• 9:07
  Yeah, singing off the same song sheet. Right. Okay. So now, now talk about how this bent and kind of like magnetic pull you have toward this positive mindset and these things actually- Sure...
• 9:19
  helps you close business, helps dealers and agency partners work better together. How does all that work? Right. Um, so my dad told me... He's a, he's a contractor. He was a, uh, owned a painting business.
• 9:30
  Did, did well, but you know, not some huge business. Mm-hmm. But he told me a, a few things that really stuck with me early on, and, um, one was commerce follows the path of least resistance. Mm. I like that.
• 9:42
  And that people, good people are g- are, uh, gravitate towards one another.
• 9:46
  So to me, those relate to one another, and that, that path of least resistance can be eased by having the right rapport and the right type of relationship that's on a personal level, but then you have to be careful about when you can shift gears and how you shift gears into the business objectives and really be able to read the room and the people around you.
• 10:06
  Maybe I'm quick-witted and I'm- I've been used to falling on my face and having to backtrack and, and be serious in, in earlier business conversations when I was younger.
• 10:16
  But I think people, regardless of if you sense they have an appetite to cut right to it, to me, I feel like that's just another challenge to find a way to connect to that individual.
• 10:27
  And if you can do both, then it really makes for a sticky relationship, and I think you guys agree.
• 10:32
  The, the way that you carry yourselves and, and put out that same type of positive people mindset, it's built on the credibility that you have built in the industry by knowing your stuff.
• 10:45
  And I think when you combine those two, it's a, it's a, a great combination. It's a whole lot easier than having to work with somebody who really knows their stuff that's hard to deal with. Yeah.
• 10:56
  Couldn't agree with you more. It's- Is posi- is it possible to be too positive? No. Why not, you know? But w- I mean, don't, don't some people get annoyed with it? You know, um, Kyle mentioned football.
• 11:07
  [laughs] Yeah, they do. But, like, it's free. Optimism is free. So you can, you can have an endless tank of optimism or you can have an endless tank of pessimism and anything in between, and it's really up to you.
• 11:19
  It's true. Um, and so I just figure- It's true... why not be positive? I like it. Hey, I'm, I'm, I'm just asking the question. Like, that's a hypothetical. Yeah. I've been accused of what I just asked you.
• 11:28
  [laughs] Well, I mean, there's, like, the... But, but there is the, the other side of it, right, where rubber meets the road. And
• 11:35
  as an inherently optimistic person, people s- I think sometimes people mistake optimism for being naive. Mm. Totally. Yeah. Yes. Ro- rose-colored glasses, like- Yes... you can't see the world.
• 11:50
  You're an idealist- Yeah, yeah... not a realist. You're an... Yeah, exactly. And, and then especially in leadership, if you're an optimistic leader, you might have...
• 11:58
  You know, I, I've, I've experienced this in the past where-People go, "Hey, man," like all these, you know, business experts say you gotta hire slow and fire fast, and that's something that we all gravitate towards 'cause it's fun to say.
• 12:11
  It rolls off the tongue nicely. Sure. But if, if I'm truly optimistic, that has to be at play in both the good times and the bad. Sure. And I feel like as an optimistic leader, I- Mm-hmm...
• 12:22
  my team deserves me doing my due diligence to determine the scope at which they are actually toxic, or maybe they woke up on the wrong side of the bed, or
• 12:33
  m- maybe they're dealing with something that's, you know, crazy in their life or, or, or, or. Um, and I think some people look in on that and they go, "See? He's just ignorant. He's just blind."
• 12:46
  He, like Kyle said, he's rose-colored goggles. Right. And for me, I see it from the opposite spectrum, which is, um, happy people... Like, optimism doesn't travel as far or fast as negativity does. Right.
• 13:01
  And so- Isn't that wild? It's so crazy. Yeah. People- It's frustrating.
• 13:05
  Like, the, the people that i- if, if somebody disgruntled leaves and I wasn't who I maintained to be in a po- like a positive leader or whatever, their negativity is gonna travel further and harder against my reputation than a positive person leaving just 'cause they outgrew the company or moved on to their own th- You know what I mean?
• 13:24
  Yeah. So, I, I think about the impact- So true... the real impact of optimism, uh, and how do we reconcile that and get okay with it, you know? Yeah.
• 13:32
  I think don't be afraid to be optimistic first, and just read, read the people around you. You know how your optimism is being received a lot of times.
• 13:42
  And so if you're, you come across someone who is gonna challenge you to shift gears a little bit, maybe you gotta challenge them to be a little bit more optimistic.
• 13:50
  At the same time, pull yours back and meet in the middle. Um, I think it's different every day in every interaction and conversation that we have. Yeah, but all of it builds on top of each other. Why not build-
• 14:04
  As you're speaking, I'm like, wow. And, you know, as this translates to the showroom floor and, like, in dealership, you know, we, we sit here and we wonder why the consumer tends to have a negative taste in their mouth.
• 14:20
  Mm. Right. Mm. And it's, and it's because- Come on, now... we hit them with so much negativity and pessimism out of the gate. You can't. That won't work. Yep. That... Yeah. You know, the, the- Oh...
• 14:33
  the hiss through the teeth, the inhale. What do you call it? The, "Ah, let me just check with my... I got a... I'm not sure if... I don't know if it's in stock. Let me double-check." And they're inside the teeth.
• 14:46
  "Oh, that's how we program people." [laughs] Man. Opened up a can of whoop-ass. See now- And-...
• 14:53
  look at the difference you can make by being that one outlier that's optimistic and positive and memorable, and what that can, what you can build from that. It's almost a whiplash in our culture.
• 15:05
  Actually, that's, what... The, the shocking thing right here is the fact that we've, that we can now have, at this point, like a 12-minute conversation about this and not tire of it. Right.
• 15:16
  Like, think a- think about what, what that means to what is happening in the world, is the fact that we have to, like, discover all of the nature of this almost counter-cultural narrative- Mm... that is optimism, right?
• 15:34
  Yeah. Like, whether that's in auto or outside of auto, it, it's almost like a, it's like a hidden gem because it is so counter-cultural. Right. Like, the, the default position, the fallback of our culture- Mm-hmm...
• 15:46
  of business relationships is typically pessimism. Right. Yeah. And that's a dangerous place to be, I think- Right. You shouldn't have to pardon-...
• 15:55
  is what we're discovering just right now You shouldn't have to pardon your, uh, enthusiasm.
• 16:01
  Man, I'm thinking of, I'm thinking of the conversations we have with, like, David Long in the All Things Used Cars room, and how much he advises people when they're doing a walk around of, like an appraisal on a used car with the customer there, like, not to take the pessimistic approach and say, like, "Oh, I don't..."
• 16:18
  You know, and he's always like, "Oh, my gosh, did anyone die in the accident?" [laughs] You know what I mean?
• 16:24
  [laughs] But, but realistically, he's like, tearing, tearing the car down to a- achieve what you think is a business objective is, is a, a much less practical way to go about getting a better price on the car. Mm.
• 16:39
  Instead, instead, using the optimistic approach and be like, "Wow, I love this. This is a great blue. When they made it in this blue..." Right?
• 16:46
  'Cause then the customer's gonna be in an optimistic state of mind, and you're- Right... like complimenting them instead of, like, trying to squeeze every dropout.
• 16:53
  Like- Right, and they wanna do business with you because they like you, and they probably want it to be over with anyway because we love car- I know. It's like, when have-...
• 17:01
  buying cars, but it's really kind of a, it's a long process. I don't even like going to the mall to buy jeans. So if I'm buying a car, I- Finally, someone else that shares my terror for jean buying. Oh, the worst.
• 17:14
  It's the worst thing on the planet. It's the worst. Kyle lucked out, by the way. Side story. Kyle lucked out. We were at the Virginia Auto Dealer Association's annual meeting in- Oh, man...
• 17:25
  uh, the Omni in Asheville, North Carolina. What random story. [laughs] This has never been told before. This is so stupid. [laughs] And they had these jeans there. Keep it coming.
• 17:37
  And Kyle needed, and all of a sudden, Kyle found this pair of jeans that fitted well and he bought, like, all of them. [laughs] I bought all of them. They were all on clearance. I bought every color. It was over.
• 17:46
  I was like, "I'm good for the next three years." Done. I don't know why, it just felt like the right time to tell that story. That's an analogy for the car business, buying jeans. 'Cause nobody likes trying on jeans.
• 17:56
  They're tight at first. They're kind of uncomfortable. Right. They're stiff. You're not sure if you'll like 'em. And then just, with enough time-You find yourself not wanting to take them off.
• 18:07
  And y- and also sometimes you don't know how to take them off. And that is the [laughs] that is the characteristic. Right. It's like, "How, wait, how did I get into this? It was so uncomfortable at first."
• 18:17
  [laughs] And somehow Jordan- This is great now. I love that... played into that. I feel like that play in there somewhere. Never wearing another pair. Wow, what a mess. I, I'm sorry I derailed us with the jean story.
• 18:27
  Peter, we gotta, I gotta ask you because obviously, you know- [laughs]...
• 18:31
  uh, with what you're doing over at Full Throttle, like it's important for us to note, you know, all of this connection drives to something that I'm sure you're super excited about, which is the, the product and the team and what you've built that serves dealers.
• 18:44
  Talk to us a little, like, what are you doing right now that's exciting, th- that you are bringing people from positivity into a product offering that can help them with their real business?
• 18:55
  What's exciting you right now? Great question. It's easy. It's, it's... Uh, I'm a marketing nerd at heart, and I love the fact that we're just changing the lens on how you view the modern shopper.
• 19:07
  And the modern shopper is, uh, it's not just one device, right? Oh, that's cute- Yeah... simple. I like that. It's not one device or, or one computer screen or one decision maker that's shopping.
• 19:18
  And we have all these signals that, that are out there in the, in the ecosystem and all this disruption.
• 19:24
  Everybody's trying to gather that, and all everyone's trying to do is give a clear picture of what's really happening.
• 19:31
  And that's what we're able to do with our technology and our services, is change the viewpoint of how you're viewing a shopper and how we're watching and influencing and really delighting that shopper.
• 19:42
  And at the end of the day, I like to think of that shopper first, and we're making a difference in providing for them because we're thinking about who they really are and how they shop.
• 19:52
  And if, and if we start and make it easier on that customer, that same analogy of path of least resistance, making it easier, let the, let them be themselves. Shop how you want, and we help our clients be where they are.
• 20:06
  And then give a clear picture of what does that really look like at the end. You know- That s- seems simple enough. [laughs] Yeah, right? But- We're all like, "Yeah, that makes all the sense in the world." All the sense.
• 20:21
  We know. Cool. A bunch of marketers. There are a lot of flags in the air. And, and so m- in, in our industry there's, there's so much overlap and perceived overlap.
• 20:30
  Again, I guess leaning into that, that positive people mindset, that I'm just searching for ways that we can work together to collaborate to better serve that end customer. Yeah. I think you're right there.
• 20:42
  That's amazing. And you guys do the same thing. You're, you're bringing good people and great companies together to just collaborate. Yeah, and solve problems. Yeah. And be positive and optimistic. Yeah.
• 20:54
  Let's not try and cut each other's legs out. Let's try and lift each other's legs up. There you go. Well- That's amazing. We... Well, in Canada we call that a piggyback. [laughs] That's right. It's like...
• 21:08
  [laughs] Well, Peter, it has been a ton of fun, man. We laughed, we got encouraged. Michael Cirillo's mind got blown. [laughs] We talked about pants for some reason.
• 21:17
  We went from all of, um, mystery- Talking about wearing them... pants and, and, uh, we're better for it, I think, and I think there's gonna be some people in our industry that are better for it.
• 21:26
  Peter, it's been a pleasure having you on Autocollapse today. Uh, and we can't wait to see you in a couple weeks at Southern Comfort. Yes. Yes. Thank you. Thanks for bringing our industry together.
• 21:38
  [upbeat music] Can I just say that I'm thankful that Peter was such an optimist, because you were so grumpy going into this interview. Bro. He did lighten the mood. He did all of that. He lightened the mood.
• 21:48
  [laughs] I delivered. PK for the win. All... Right out of the gate, too. I'm in there- PK. I, I brought it up, right? We were what? 12 minutes into it, and I was just...
• 22:01
  I'm still st- so stunned that we have to ask these questions, like, "Is too much optimism too much," right? [laughs] I've been accused of being too optimistic. I have, I have been. [laughs] Right. Yeah.
• 22:12
  Like, you said that, right? Or, or, you know, how does putting out positivity into the world return you business, you know- Yeah... effort? How's that good for relationships?
• 22:24
  Like- Do you guys think that- But those are legitimate questions that people are asking- Yeah... that we had to ask because I think culture is not used to an experience that is overwhelmingly optimistic.
• 22:35
  That's what's crazy to me. Yeah, no one walks into the dealership optimistically, or typically not. Mm. Maybe sometimes. I think people, I think people go to a dealership excited. I agree.
• 22:49
  Like, I, I, I think majority of people actually are like- Getting around, like, get a new car... "I'm excited to buy a new car. I love new car smell. I am... I can see myself, I've dreamed about driving the car home."
• 22:59
  I think they show up excited. Mm-hmm. And
• 23:03
  what- whatever it might be, lack of training or empathy or optimism, um, like I, I always just feel like there is nothing wrong with being optimistic and agreeable, even if you know there is no way in the world this 550 Beacon is getting that Mercedes.
• 23:22
  Right. [laughs] Like, you, you can still be- But at least be-... excited for their ambition. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. "Dang, that is so cool, man. Wow. Let's talk about it. Tell me, tell me about the car."
• 23:33
  Instead of just being, like, stiff-arming everything. Yeah. Right? Yeah. Uh, ooh, I, I- "I don't know if we can. I'll check with, you know... It's up to the bank. They're probably gonna say no," you know?
• 23:46
  It's like a Badger commercial waiting to happen. Oh, my gosh. Well, to your point, though, what stands out to me, Kyle, is you're right. Why has pessimism become the norm when we know you can feel...
• 23:58
  Like, it is a brick wall, and we've all felt the brick wall of pessimism. We know that optimism is inviting, and it actually is the fastest way to get someone on your side.
• 24:09
  So I, my mind was going- Optimism's full of hope. That's why... it's full of hope. So that's why I was like, "Blah," because I'm thinking about all of the friction points we put along the way in the car sales process.
• 24:19
  Mm-hmm. Foo Fighters. [laughs] And then, and, and then we wonder why they hated the experience when we could have just- Man...
• 24:28
  got them on our side, brought them in, warmed them up and said, "Hey, like, can we have a realistic conversation?" Maybe not in those words, but the essence of, "Can we have a realistic conversation?"
• 24:38
  They would be much more likely to listen to you and drive away in that '92 Toyota Tercel. Tell us what you really think, Michael Cirillo. Get after it.
• 24:47
  Look, if that little wrap-up didn't give you something to go home with and take back to the store or take back to your company, I don't know what did. Uh, hey- You're dead to Michael...
• 24:57
  we always, we always are so grateful that you make it to this little moment. If you haven't made it to the little moment at the very end of the podcast, we really encourage you to stick around for a few more seconds.
• 25:08
  Hang on for a few seconds. Uh, but on behalf of Paul Jay Daly, Michael Cirillo, and myself, Kyle Mautzer, thanks for joining us on Autocollapse.
• 25:15
  [upbeat music] 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.
• 25:28
  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.
• 25:38
  [upbeat music] Welcome to Autocollapse. Welcome to Autocollapse. [laughs] Why are we recording? Are we rolling yet? Not yet.