Three years ago, JB Burnett stood up in a Ford meeting and said something most dealership leaders would never admit:

"I wouldn't buy a car from me."

That uncomfortable realization led him to challenge nearly every assumption about how dealerships operate—and ultimately helped him build one of the first Ford Signature 2.0 stores in the world.

JB Burnett never planned on a career in automotive.

At 20 years old, he was waiting tables at a TGI Fridays in Annapolis when a conversation with customers changed the course of his life. Within weeks, he was selling cars. Within a few years, he had moved into F&I. By age 23, he was running his first dealership as a General Manager.

Today, JB oversees multiple dealerships for the Preston Automotive Group and recently opened one of the world's first Ford Signature 2.0 facilities—a concept designed to rethink what a dealership experience can be.

In this episode of ASOTU Unscripted, JB shares why he became obsessed with innovation after realizing the traditional dealership process wasn't something he would personally enjoy as a customer. Instead of asking how to improve the existing model, he began asking a bigger question: what if the entire experience was designed differently from the ground up?

The result is a radically different approach to automotive retail. No traditional sales desks. No rows of computers. No customers waiting for hours while paperwork moves from office to office. Instead, customers guide much of their own transaction through digital tools while dealership staff act more like concierges than negotiators.

JB also discusses the unexpected lessons that came from launching a first-of-its-kind store. Some assumptions proved wrong. New challenges emerged. Teams had to adapt. Leadership had to evolve. But those adjustments ultimately revealed opportunities to improve training, accountability, customer experience, and operational efficiency.

At its core, this conversation isn't just about technology. It's about challenging long-held assumptions, staying open to change, and creating experiences that customers actually want to return to.

Timestamped Takeaways

00:00 – Live from ASOTUCON 2026

00:46 – JB's first ASOTUCON experience

01:31 – From TGI Fridays to the automotive industry

02:05 – Moving from F&I to General Manager at 23

02:45 – Leading multiple dealerships with Preston Automotive Group

03:37 – Why innovation became his biggest focus

04:06 – Inside the Ford Signature 2.0 dealership concept

04:35 – Selling cars without desks or traditional workstations

05:03 – The realization: "I wouldn't buy a car from me"

06:32 – Expectations versus reality during implementation

07:22 – How customers responded to the new experience

08:10 – Building trust through hospitality and transparency

09:11 – The challenges of creating a blueprint from scratch

10:42 – How automation changed management responsibilities

11:18 – Focusing leaders on coaching instead of busy work

12:02 – Scaling the model across additional dealerships

13:15 – Why customer-controlled transactions reduce friction

15:23 – The lesson: today's innovation becomes tomorrow's normal

JB Burnett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jb-burnett-14534626/

Preston Automotive Group: https://www.prestonmotor.com/

Learn more about ASOTU CON: https://www.asotucon.com/

More Than Cars: https://www.morethancars.com

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