Shows / Auto Collabs
Auto Collabs
Collaboration through connection. Hosted by Paul J Daly, Kyle Mountsier, and Michael Cirillo, Auto Collabs is your connect point to the human side of the retail automotive industry: what motivates its leaders, how they navigate change, and what keeps them pushing forward. It’s beyond-the-business-card conversations with real people powering dealerships, technology platforms, and everything in between. From the team behind the More Than Cars movement, this podcast is built on one big belief…
Episodes
Auto CollabsWhy AI Needs to Understand Your Dealership Before It Can Help with Mike Gilson
What if the biggest opportunity for AI in dealerships is giving your people more time to actually be people? Mike Gilson, CEO of Conversica, joins Paul J Daly…
Auto CollabsWhy Dealerships Need to Stop Working in Silos with Dan Gaughan
What happens when you've spent nearly 30 years seeing the automotive industry from every side of the table? You start realizing that some of the biggest…
Auto CollabsWhy the LA Auto Show Is About More Than Just New Cars with Andy Steinhauser
What do cruise ships and car dealerships have in common? More than you'd think, especially when it comes to making people feel welcome. Andy Steinhauser…
Auto CollabsHow Mobile Service Won Back Dealership Customers Who Disappeared | Amir Alahwal
A mobile service van can look like an expensive side project—right up until it starts bringing back customers the dealership hasn’t seen in years. Amir Alahwal…
Auto CollabsWhat Happens When Amazon’s Convenience Meets the Dealership with Carlos Mojica
Amazon has trained consumers to expect convenience, transparency, and fulfillment. But when it comes to selling cars, Carlos Mojica sees one important…
Auto CollabsYour Dealership AI Is Only 90% Right. That’s the Problem.
Your Dealership AI Is Only 90% Right. That’s the Problem. AI can make messy data look usable. But AJ McGowan says that gets a lot more dangerous when you…
Auto CollabsWhy Association-Dealer Relationships Should Start Before There’s a Fire With Zach Doran
Zach Doran believes dealer relationships are built long before there’s a problem to solve. As president of the Ohio Auto Dealers Association, he’s pushing the…
Auto CollabsIs GEO Real, or Is It Just SEO With Another Acronym? | Chad Graves
Everyone is talking about how AI search is changing changing how dealerships are evaluated, how reputation gets interpreted, and which marketing metrics still…
Auto CollabsWhy the Car Business Has to Stop Sitting on the Bleachers with Don Hall
Don Hall has spent decades fighting for car dealers. That doesn’t mean he’s afraid to tell one when he’s wrong. The president of the Virginia Automobile…
Auto CollabsWhy The Same Bad Car Keeps Getting Sold At Auction with Travis Baldwin
After watching the same bad vehicles circulate through auctions, one independent dealer decided to build the solution himself. Dealer Defender is tackling one…
Auto CollabsWhy Most Automotive AI Projects Fail with John Coles
AI is being broadly adopted in the automotive industry, but many companies are implementing it without a clear understanding of the customer problem they're…
Auto CollabsHow Dealer Associations Help Navigate Compliance Changes with Laura Perrotta
Compliance changes can create uncertainty for dealerships of every size. Laura Perrotta, President of NJ CAR, explains how dealer associations help retailers…
Auto CollabsHow Dealers Can Create New Revenue Streams with Sam Weaver
Dealership growth doesn't always come from selling more vehicles. Sam Weaver, dealer principal of Chevy Chase Acura and author of Together Is How We Win…
Auto CollabsHow Training Turns Marketing Into Revenue with Eric Mercado
Dealership sales training can make or break a marketing investment. Eric Mercado, Chief Revenue Officer and Partner at Force Marketing, explains why even the…
Auto CollabsHow Dealers Are Adapting to New Compliance Standards with Kevin Frye
Dealership compliance has become one of the most important conversations in automotive retail. Kevin Frye shares how his organization responded after receiving…
Auto CollabsHow TrueCar Is Building the Future of Car Buying Tech with Scott Painter
TrueCar CEO Scott Painter shares his vision for a future where AI helps consumers choose the right vehicle, financing becomes more flexible, and car ownership…
Auto CollabsTransparent Dealership Pricing Starts with Marketing | John Fitzpatrick
Transparent pricing starts with marketing. At the CBT New Auto Leadership Summit on Fair Pricing & Compliance, John Fitzpatrick of Force Marketing explains why…
Auto CollabsWhat Does A Transparent Dealer Look Like? | Zach Shefska
Building trust in automotive retail starts with transparency. At the CBT News Auto Leadership Summit on Fair Pricing & Compliance, Zach Shefska, co-founder and…
Auto CollabsBuilding a Dealership Culture That Can Scale with John Osborne of Carter Myers Automotive
Dealership leadership is built in the everyday choices that shape hiring, culture, accountability, and trust. John Osborne of Carter Myers Automotive joins…
Auto CollabsWhy Most Dealers Are Solving The Wrong Problems With AI
Most dealerships are chasing AI tools. Dave Perry argues the real opportunity is solving bigger problems, keeping service customers for life, and turning AI…
Auto CollabsThe Industry Needed Answers On Pricing Transparency. So He Built The Room
Send us Fan Mail The rules around pricing transparency are changing fast, and the industry is scrambling to keep up. Jim Fitzpatrick, Founder and CEO of CBT…
Auto CollabsWhat the Internet Boom Taught Beth Hill About the AI Hype Cycle
Send us Fan Mail She's spent decades watching technology trends rise, crash, and reshape industries and she says the AI era feels familiar, dangerous, and full…
Auto CollabsThe Startup Rule That Beats Billion-Dollar Competitors And Dealers Should Pay Attention To
Send us Fan Mail Most companies chase growth—Sanjay Varnwal is chasing velocity, and it’s changing how dealers think about inventory, AI, and survival. In this…
Auto CollabsThe State Dealer Association That Cracked the Technician Shortage
Send us Fan Mail Most industries are still complaining about the talent shortage. New Jersey decided to fix it. In this episode, Laura Perrotta, President of…
Auto CollabsThe #1 Reason Dealers Lose Customers (It's Not What You Think)
Send us Fan Mail Most dealers think they’re losing on price—but the real reason customers walk away is far more human (and far more fixable). Tom Kondrat…
Auto CollabsWhy “Good” Is the Most Dangerous Word in Retail Automotive | Auto Collabs
Send us Fan Mail Jen Suzuki doesn’t walk into a room, she revs it. In this episode, she brings her signature “Jenergy” to a direct conversation about what’s…
Auto CollabsWhy “Friction” Is Killing Your Sales (And What Carvana Got Right)
Send us Fan Mail If your competitive edge is still price, you’re already losing—the real battle is happening in experience, simplicity, and how you make people…
Auto CollabsAI Isn’t a Bolt-On Anymore And Dealers Are Running Out of Time
Send us Fan Mail Automotive spent years patching old systems together and now AI is forcing the industry to confront what should have been rebuilt a long time…
Auto CollabsWhy Honda Is Doubling Down on Hybrids | NY Auto Forum
Send us Fan Mail At the NY Auto Forum, Lance Woelfer, Vice President of Automobile Sales at American Honda, breaks down a major shift in strategy as the EV…
Auto CollabsWhy Pricing Transparency and Affordability Are The Top Issues of 2026 | NY Auto Forum
Send us Fan Mail At the NY Auto Forum, Tom Castriota, former NADA Chairman and Owner of Castriota Chevrolet, breaks down the growing pressure dealers are…
Auto CollabsHow To Earn Customer Trust in the Service Drive Before It’s Too Late | NY Auto Forum
Send us Fan Mail At the NY Auto Forum, Liza Borches, President of Carter Myers Automotive, breaks down a growing disconnect in the service lane. Despite years…
Auto CollabsThe Hidden Cost of Success in the Car Business | NY Auto Forum
Send us Fan Mail At the NY Auto Forum, Alan Cooper shares a deeply personal perspective on an often-overlooked reality in the automotive industry—mental…
Auto CollabsThe New Rules of Service Customers Expect Today | NY Auto Forum
Send us Fan Mail At the NY Auto Forum, Stewart Stropp, VP of Customer Success at J.D. Power, breaks down how service is becoming one of the most critical…
Auto CollabsThe Type of Auto Dealer That Will Succeed In 10 Years | NY Auto Forum
Send us Fan Mail At the NY Auto Forum, Steve Greenfield, CEO of Automotive Ventures, breaks down how dealers need to rethink their business for the next 5–10…
Auto CollabsWhy Auto Shows Still Matter in a Digital World | NY Auto Forum
Send us Fan Mail At the New York Auto Show, Mark Schienberg, President of the show, breaks down what it actually takes to bring one of the largest automotive…
Auto CollabsWhy This US Senator Is Drawing a Hard Line on China | NY Auto Forum
Send us Fan Mail At the NY Auto Forum, Senator Bernie Moreno lays out a blunt, high-stakes reality facing the U.S. auto industry. With China’s massive…
Auto CollabsThe Truth About FTC Crackdowns & Dealer Transparency | NY Auto Forum
Send us Fan Mail At the NY Auto Forum, Force Marketing CEO John Fitzpatrick breaks down the real forces shaping automotive retail right now—from tariffs and…
Auto CollabsWhy Dealers and OEMs Must Work Together or Risk Losing Everything | NY Auto Forum
Send us Fan Mail At the NY Auto Forum, John Bozzella, CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, breaks down one of the most critical moments facing the…
Auto Collabs(Re-Upload) Inspiration Over Motivation With Erroll Bomar III
Send us Fan Mail This episode was originally released on April 24, 2025. In 2025, we joined up with Erroll Bomar III to bring the world the Unscripted podcast…
Auto CollabsYou’re Not in the Car Business (And You Never Were)
Send us Fan Mail A candid, hosts-only conversation about the mindset shift quietly transforming the automotive industry from the inside out. Somewhere between…
Auto CollabsChinese EVs, Amazon, and the Future of the Dealer Model with Ted Smith
Send us Fan Mail Behind every dealership is an unseen battle over regulation, competition, and control—and the next few years may decide who really owns the…
Auto Collabs74% of Service Customers Will Buy Again, If You Don’t Lose Them First with Shane Wilson
Send us Fan Mail If service drives sales, why are dealers letting their best customers slip through the cracks? Shane Wilson, President of Connected Dealer…
Auto CollabsThe TIME Dealer Nominee Who Built a Business Around Humility (Not Hype) with Emily Marlow Beck
Send us Fan Mail Third-gen dealer leader Emily Marlow Beck breaks down why humility is a competitive advantage, how to become “essential” to customers, and how…
Auto Collabs(Re-Release) Unreasonable Hospitality = More Than Cars with Will Guidara
Send us Fan Mail This episode originally released on April 4, 2024. Will Guidara has never told this story before. He’s now world-famous, a New York Times…
Auto CollabsAI Is Only As Smart As Your “Regular-I” with Bob George | Auto Collabs
Send us Fan Mail Bob George breaks down why AI won’t save automotive retail—unless the data underneath it is rock solid. Before Dealer.com became a household…
Auto CollabsHow Toyota Thinks About Affordability, AI, and the Guest for Life with Marcus Williams
Send us Fan Mail Managing 76 dealerships and 11% of Toyota’s U.S. sales isn’t about control—it’s about trust, care, and showing up better every day. Marcus…
Auto CollabsWhat Really Happens to EV Batteries After They Fail with Brian Skalovsky | Public Policy Day 2026
Send us Fan Mail Live from the Washington, DC Auto Show at Public Policy Day 2026, Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier sit down with Brian Skalovsky, Director of…
Auto CollabsWhy Cheap Cars Can Still Be Great Cars with Alex Kwanten | Public Policy Day 2026
Send us Fan Mail Live from the Washington, DC Auto Show at Public Policy Day 2026, Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier sit down with Alex Kwanten, Managing Editor…
Auto CollabsWhy Consumer Choice Is the Real Fight in Auto Policy with Drew Ferguson | Public Policy Day 2026
Send us Fan Mail Live from the Washington, DC Auto Show at Public Policy Day 2026, Kyle Mountsier and Paul J Daly sit down with Drew Ferguson, Head of the…
Auto CollabsWhy the Average Car Price Is Misleading Everyone with Erin Keating | Auto Collabs
Send us Fan Mail Live from the Washington, DC Auto Show at Public Policy Day 2026, Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier sit down with Erin Keating, Executive Analyst…
Auto CollabsWhy The F&I Office Feels Like A Timeshare Presentation with Robert Steenbergh, Esq. | Auto Collabs
Send us Fan Mail As auto loans stretch longer and negative equity piles up, one former prosecutor explains why transparency—not pressure—might be the most…
Auto CollabsMost People Don’t Want Self-Driving Cars. They Want Safer Ones | Public Policy Day 2026
Send us Fan Mail Live from the Washington, DC Auto Show during Public Policy Day 2026, Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier sit down with Will Bright of SafeRide AI…
Auto CollabsWhat Chinese Vehicles in Canada Means For The USA | Public Policy Day 2025
Send us Fan Mail Live from the Washington, DC Auto Show at Public Policy Day 2026, Paul J Daly sits down with John Bozzella, CEO of the Alliance for Automotive…
Auto CollabsWhy One-Third of Americans Can’t Afford a New Car—and What Dealers Must Do Next | Public Policy Day 2026
Send us Fan Mail At Public Policy Day 2026, Kyle Mountsier and Paul J Daly sit down with Jamie Darvish, owner of Darcars, to unpack the growing affordability…
Auto CollabsHow Washington Shapes What We Drive | Public Policy Day 2026
Send us Fan Mail Behind every car is a chain of decisions — made by lawmakers, regulators, and executives long before the vehicle hits the road. Joe Koch from…
Auto CollabsHe Built an AI Wingman for Dealers… and It’s Not What You Think with Jay Ku
Send us Fan Mail Jay Ku says the next wave of AI in automotive won’t win by automating people out—it’ll win by making average teams deliver a top-tier human…
Auto CollabsThrowback To Our First Conversation with Senator Bernie Moreno
Send us Fan Mail Since we'll be at Public Policy Day on January 21, we're releasing one of the best conversations we had at last year's event. In this episode…
Auto Collabs(Re-Release) Don't Make the Process Shorter, Make It Funner with Jesse Cole of the Savannah Bananas
Send us Fan Mail New episodes release Thursday. This episode was originally released in August 2023, when we had the opportunity to interview the one and only…
Auto Collabs(Re-Release) "So we had to..." with Jim McKelvey
Send us Fan Mail New episodes every Thursday!This episode was originally released in July 2022. Today we're throwing back to the very first episode of Auto…
Auto CollabsWhat Auto Investment Really Does to American Communities with Drew Ferguson | The Merge 2025
Send us Fan Mail Recorded live at the Alliance for Automotive Innovation's The Merge 2025, this episode features Drew Ferguson, Senior Vice President of…