ConnectedPodcast

Today on Connected, Greg speaks with Jim and Bridget Fitzpatrick, co-founders of CBT News and co-hosts of the new CBT Live.

While Jim and Bridget have produced content with CBT News for the past 14 years, they took on a new endeavor back in September when they launched CBT Live, a daily live show streaming on YouTube. They've developed such a notable presence in the industry and are still finding new ways to reach dealers with the interviews and stories that matter.

In this episode, Jim and Bridget cover:

-The origin story of CBT Live and what it takes to produce a daily live show.

-How they manage to balance their marriage and their business.

-The other verticals they produce content in, and how that connects back to what they are doing with CBT.

If you want to learn more about the people behind this important legacy of automotive journalism, give this one a listen and get Connected with Jim and Bridget this week!

Today on Connected, Greg talks with Felicia Barr, service director at Bertera Auto Group.

Felicia has spent the past 14 years working her way up through the dealership to her current role. Now she's taking on another endeavor: building a social media presence sharing skits about what's working in the service drive. Felicia pulls back the curtain on her social media approach and the changes she's seen in her business since starting.

In this episode, Felicia covers:

-How she uses social media to shine light on the reality of processes in the service drive to build transparency with customers.

-Tangible advice for other industry professionals wanting to increase their social media presence.

-Her approach to coaching and the value she sees in having someone help employees get familiar with their role, especially service advisors.

Get Connected this week with Felicia Barr!

Today on Connected, you'll hear from Rich Sands, CEO of Stella AI and a longtime automotive technology leader.

Rich has spent nearly 30 years at the intersection of automotive and technology, with leadership roles at J.D. Power, Ford, Microsoft, and now Stella AI. In this episode, Rich shares how artificial intelligence is reshaping dealership operations, improving customer engagement, and creating new opportunities for growth.

In this episode, Rich talks about:

-How AI helps dealerships increase efficiency by handling routine tasks, letting employees focus on higher-value customer interactions.

-Why dealers are rapidly adopting AI tools to improve communication, uncover new opportunities, and drive revenue growth.

-What the next phase of AI looks like, including agentic workflows, customer-facing AI assistants, and the systems dealers need to have in place today.

If you're evaluating AI tools, planning your technology strategy, or simply trying to understand where the industry is headed, this conversation offers practical insights on what matters now and what's coming next.

Get Connected with Rich Sands!

Today on Connected, Greg speaks with Chris Lasko, general sales manager at BMW of Pittsburgh and winner of the Innovation Award from the 2026 Automotive Amplifiers Contest.

Chris is a two-time finalist at the Automotive Amplifiers Contest and has a history both in and out of the dealership, devoting his time to innovation and problem-solving. In this conversation, he digs deeper into his winning best practice—implementing a fully remote finance department at his dealership.

Chris dives into:

-What factors led them to implement a remote F&I process.

-How their customer base has responded to the remote experience.

-The benefits their team has seen, both in improved metrics and process efficiency.

If you're interested in hearing about a fresh way to approach F&I in the dealership, you'll definitely want to give this one a listen.

And don't forget, we're bringing the Automotive Amplifiers Contest back at Amplify 2027 in Nashville, TN! Register now to secure your spot and hear next year's finalist presentations live. And stay tuned for updates on when we open the 2027 contest. If you've got an innovative best practice, we can't wait to hear about it!

Get Connected with Chris Lasko!

Today on Connected, you'll hear from Randy Carlton, general manager at Volvo Cars Bellevue and one of the winners of the 2026 Automotive Amplifiers Contest.

Over the past 30 years, Randy has built an impressive automotive career spanning retail, software, finance, and leadership roles with some of the industry's largest organizations. Randy shares the experiences, lessons, and leadership principles that helped him transform Volvo Cars Bellevue into a top-performing Volvo dealership.

In this episode, Randy discusses:

-The three traits shared by great dealerships: low turnover, high integrity, and an exceptional guest experience.

-Why creating a workplace where employees enjoy coming to work leads to stronger performance and loyalty.

-Lessons learned from working with some of the industry's most successful dealer groups and leaders.

Welcome to Connected, an audio/video podcast from Reynolds and Reynolds.

Every other week, host Greg Uland (Reynolds vice president of marketing) sits down with the people shaping the future of automotive retail.

These are real conversations with the experts and innovators driving change across the automotive industry.

Whether you're a service manager, a sales leader, or just curious about where the industry's headed, watch or listen to Connected for meaningful dialogue with leaders throughout automotive retail and technology.

This week on Connected, you'll hear the best practice presentations from the winners of our 2026 Automotive Amplifiers Contest.

At Amplify 2026, we held our Automotive Amplifiers Contest for the third time. This year's event was in Carlsbad, CA. Five finalists presented their innovative ideas at the live event, and the panel of judges selected two winners.

In this episode, you'll hear the two winning presentations:

-Impact: Randy Carlton, general manager at Volvo Cars Bellevue, on how they introduced videos to engage with sales leads.

-Innovation: Chris Lasko, general sales manager at BMW of Pittsburgh, on creating a totally remote F&I department.

If you're interested in hearing how real dealers are finding new ways to improve operations at their stores, you should listen to this one!

We're bringing the Automotive Amplifiers Contest back at Amplify 2027 in Nashville, TN! You can register for the event now and secure your spot at the event to hear next year's finalist presentations live. And stay tuned for updates on when we open the 2027 Automotive Amplifiers Contest. If you've got an innovative best practice, we can't wait to hear about it!

Get Connected with the Automotive Amplifiers!

On today's episode of Connected, Greg sits down with with Zach Doran, president of the Ohio Automobile Dealers Association, to learn more about their Concert for a Cause event that happened on August 8.

This is the second year of the Columbus Auto Dealers Concert for a Cause, an event where they bring in notable artists for a night of great music and raising money for local charitable organizations. This year's event featured country artists Chris Young and Chase Rice and really highlighted the way our industry cares for our communities.

In this episode, you'll hear:

-The impact this event has for local community partners like Charity Newsies and Canine Companions.

-Why the OADA chose a concert as a way to raise money and connect with the community.

-Zach's takes on the direct to consumer model and transparent pricing.

If you're interested in how automotive organizations are working to better their local communities, this episode is for you. Get Connected by checking out this conversation with Zach!

Dealership advertising is nothing new. But where those ads are being shown and the strategy behind them is always evolving. With new advertising channels and changing customer behaviors, it can be difficult getting your ads in front of the right audience by doing it the way it's always been done.

Today, Greg's catching up with Owen Moon, CEO at DealerStream. Owen was on Connected 131 back in 2024 and it was great to hear about his new focus in the industry - connecting dealerships to customers through advertising on popular streaming platforms.

In this episode, Greg and Owen discuss:

-The value of streaming platforms as advertising opportunities, especially with the growth of that audience.

-How to capitalize on a mid-funnel approach, capturing customers before they've made their decision.

-Ways dealerships using streaming advertising today are seeing success.

If you're looking for ways to increase your dealership visibility and reach, or are just interested in other advertising opportunities, give this conversation a listen!

And don't forget that Amplify 2026 is happening on August 10 and 11. The event brings together some of the brightest minds in automotive to share ideas, best practices, and innovations that are shaping the future of the industry. We'd love to have you join us there!

Great ideas don't always come from the boardroom.

Sometimes they come from the service lane, the parts department, the accounting office, or the showroom floor. They're the small innovations and best practices that solve real problems and make dealerships run better every day.

In this episode of Connected, Greg sits down with Michael Cirillo, founder of The Dealer Playbook and one of the judges for the Automotive Amplifiers Contest, to talk about innovation in automotive retail and why sharing what works matters more than ever.

In this episode, you'll hear:

-What separates a good idea from a truly impactful innovation in a dealership.

-Why sharing best practices helps the entire industry improve and grow.

-What excites Michael most about serving as a judge for the Automotive Amplifiers Contest and celebrating the people moving automotive forward.

Whether you've submitted an idea, plan to attend Amplify, or simply want to learn how the industry's best operators think about innovation, this conversation is one you won't want to miss.

And if you haven't already, make plans to join us at Amplify 2026. The event brings together some of the brightest minds in automotive to share ideas, best practices, and innovations that are shaping the future of the industry.