In this episode, my guest is Rich Sands, CEO of STELLA Automotive AI—a company I’ve had my eye on for a while now. Not just because they were one of the first to embrace AI in their name, but because they’re actually delivering results in an industry full of overpromises.

We cover a lot of ground in this one.

Rich shares how growing up in Detroit and walking on to a college football team shaped his relentless mindset, and how those same leadership lessons—what he calls “11 as One”—are being applied at Stella today to build something truly impactful for dealers.

You’ll hear how Stella is tackling the real problems dealers face every day: missed calls, poor response times, and disconnected tools. Rich explains why most AI tools fall flat, what true integrations actually mean, and how Stella is flipping the entire model to focus on the guest experience—without replacing the people that make this industry special.

He also gives a sneak peek at something big they’re launching: an outbound customer engagement engine that might just be a game-changer for retention and lead follow-up.

If you’re a dealer looking to understand how AI can actually make your team’s life easier (not harder), and want to hear from someone who knows the industry inside and out, this episode’s for you.

We talk football, leadership, culture, and the future of tech in retail auto—all through the lens of someone who’s doing the work.

Connect with David Spisak to Achieve Exponential Growth:

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidspisak/
• Website: https://www.davidspisak.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: +1 (510) 604-0308
• Visit https://linktr.ee/spisakd for all our links

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