What happens when a kid who grew up homeless, digging through dumpsters for survival, becomes one of the most respected leaders in the automotive industry?

This episode isn’t just a conversation, it’s a reminder that your past doesn’t get to vote on your future.

On this episode of Keep the Change, I sit down with Ed Roberts, and fair warning…this one goes deep. Real deep.

What we unpack in this episode:

Ed’s story is raw, honest, and powerful, but it’s not just about where he came from. It’s about how he thinks, why he leads the way he does, and what elite leadership actually looks like when it’s done with humility, empathy, and intention.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll hear:

• How Ed went from sleeping in a car to becoming COO and General Manager of Bozard Ford Lincoln, leading explosive growth in a small-town market
• The concept of “Mile One” why progress isn’t about giant leaps, but about taking the next achievable step
• Why great leaders don’t just hold people accountable, they align expectations, earn commitment, and build trust
• The difference between entitled, co-existing, and opportunistic team members (and how to actually lead each one)
• Why empathy, one-on-ones, and listening without agenda are no longer optional for leaders
• How Ed’s book Mile One and his coaching work are creating “starfish moments”—changing lives one person at a time

There’s faith. There’s grit. There’s leadership wisdom you can apply immediately, whether you’re running a dealership, leading a team, or just trying to become a better version of yourself.

This is one of those episodes where you’ll probably pause, rewind, and say, “Man… I needed that.”

If you’ve ever felt underestimated, stuck, or unsure of your next step—this conversation will meet you right where you are and challenge you to move forward.

Enjoying the show? Subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast players!

• Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/keep-the-change/id1622521488
• Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2xcQk7kNGNOnWuZ14aDkWC

Connect with Ed Roberts

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ed-roberts-00948b36/

Connect with Bart Nollenberger:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bart-nollenberger-4949405a/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BartNollenbergerCoaching

What if the questions you’re asking are actually holding people back instead of moving them forward?

I sat down with my friend Dan Nicholas, one of the most quietly influential humans I know, and what unfolded wasn’t just a podcast… it was a masterclass in leadership, listening, faith, and real transformation.

Dan is the kind of guy who can walk into a room, whether it’s a boardroom, a restaurant, or a recovery meeting, and make every single person feel seen. I’ve watched him lift people who were at their lowest and speak life into CEOs, business owners, and world-class leaders with the exact same heart. And in this conversation, you get to experience why.

We unpack a frustrating (and honestly eye-opening) call Dan had right before recording, one of those conversations where someone talks at you, not with you, and use it as a springboard to talk about something every leader, salesperson, coach, and human needs to hear:

The difference between asking “why” and asking better questions.

In this episode, we get into:

• Why “why” questions often create defensiveness instead of growth
• How tone and curiosity can instantly change the direction of a conversation
• The shift from motivation to true transformation (and why it matters)
• How great leaders build trust without power plays or posturing
• Journaling, gratitude, and the power of “I am” statements
• Leading with the fruit of the Spirit, not pressure, ego, or fear
• How faith, discipline, and obedience unlock purpose in business and life
• The idea of “dream vampires” and how to stop letting them steal your calling
• Why listening, really listening, is the most underrated leadership skill there is

This isn’t theory. It’s lived experience.

We talk sales, leadership, recovery, faith, failure, purpose, and what it actually looks like to help people move forward without shaming them for where they’ve been. If you’re tired of surface-level motivation and ready for conversations that actually change how you show up, with your team, your clients, your family, and yourself, this one’s for you.

Enjoying the show? Subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast players!

• Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/keep-the-change/id1622521488
• Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2xcQk7kNGNOnWuZ14aDkWC

Connect with Bart Nollenberger:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bart-nollenberger-4949405a/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BartNollenbergerCoaching

What if the way you lead at work didn’t cost you your soul at home?

That’s the question that kept coming up for me in this conversation with Joel Manby. And honestly, it’s one of the most meaningful conversations I’ve had on Keep the Change.

Joel’s resume is impressive on paper. Harvard. General Motors. Saturn. CEO of Saab North America at 34. Chairman and CEO of Herschend Enterprises, the company behind brands like Silver Dollar City and Dollywood. But this episode isn’t about titles. It’s about the moment when success stopped being enough and significance started to matter.

In this episode, Joel and I talk about what it really looks like to lead with love without losing results. We dig into his journey from growing up poor in Michigan, to navigating toxic corporate cultures, to discovering a radically different way of leading that actually produced better employee engagement, higher customer satisfaction, and stronger long-term returns.

We talk about Saturn and what made it different. We talk about failure, including a painful startup collapse that left Joel questioning everything. We talk about the phone call that changed his life, when Jack Herschend invited him into a company that believed people came first, not last. And yes, we talk about Undercover Boss, the letters that poured in afterward, and why that experience pushed Joel to write Love Works.

 If you’re a leader who’s tired of choosing between results and relationships, this episode is for you. If you’ve ever felt that tension between who you are at home and who work seems to require you to be, this conversation will hit close to home. And if you believe there has to be a better way to lead without becoming someone you don’t recognize, you’ll want to hear every minute of this one. 

Enjoying the show? Subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast players!

• Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/keep-the-change/id1622521488
• Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2xcQk7kNGNOnWuZ14aDkWC

Connect with Joel Manby

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joel-manby-3850b911b/

Connect with Bart Nollenberger:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bart-nollenberger-4949405a/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BartNollenbergerCoaching

What if the single decision that changes your entire life looks ordinary in the moment. What if the turning point in your career doesn’t feel like a turning point at all until years later. And what if the leader you become is shaped not by victory, but by what you choose to do when no one else is paying attention.

That is the heartbeat of today’s conversation with Chris Martinez CEO of  IgniteUps.Ai, and it is one of the most revealing episodes we’ve ever released.

Chris’s story is not a typical automotive success story. It is a blueprint for what happens when hunger meets humility, when bold choices collide with adversity, and when a leader learns to build people just as passionately as he builds numbers. The man has run massive stores, written bestselling books, built technology before the industry knew it needed it, and weathered personal storms that would level most of us. And yet, what he shares in this episode is not about bragging rights. It is about lessons. Real ones. Earned ones. The kind leaders rarely talk about.

This episode is not simply a conversation. It is a masterclass in building something meaningful from wherever you stand today. If you are a dealer, a leader, a salesperson, or someone trying to figure out how to take the next step in your life, the perspective inside this discussion will stay with you long after it ends.

Enjoying the show? Subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast players!

• Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/keep-the-change/id1622521488
• Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2xcQk7kNGNOnWuZ14aDkWC

Connect with Chris Martinez

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisjmartinezatx

Connect with Bart Nollenberger:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bart-nollenberger-4949405a/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BartNollenbergerCoaching

What if the biggest breakthroughs in your dealership weren’t hiding in new tech… but in the way you lead your people?

That’s exactly where today’s conversation goes and trust me, you’re going to feel this one.

In this episode, I sit down with someone who needs no introduction in automotive: David Long. A man whose leadership has shaped careers, transformed dealerships, and sparked movements like The Pandemic of Positivity and All Things Used Cars. David doesn’t just talk about leadership — he lives it with a clarity and conviction you don’t see every day.

What we get into in this conversation

This one goes deep into the heart of what separates dealerships that thrive from those barely hanging on, and David does not sugarcoat a thing. We talk about:

• Why leadership clarity is the #1 differentiator heading into 2026
• The one skill every automotive professional should master (but shockingly few do)
• Why so many dealers say they want growth but don’t have the discipline to earn it
• The real truth behind training and why skipping it is costing dealers more than they realize
• How David has opened over 100 buy centers and why most stores fail before they even start
• The exact framework he uses to help dealers buy cars at 85% cost-to-market without extra expenses or fancy tools
• Why the old-school “get ’em in” mentality is officially dead
• And the kind of leadership culture that actually turns people into high performers

This episode isn’t theory. It’s David, honest, sharp, experienced, and fully locked in on helping leaders become better leaders.

If you’re in automotive and you care about your people, your processes, or your performance… this conversation gives you something you can act on before the day ends.

Enjoying the show? Subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast players!

• Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/keep-the-change/id1622521488
• Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2xcQk7kNGNOnWuZ14aDkWC

Connect with David Long

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjlong4/

Connect with Bart Nollenberger:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bart-nollenberger-4949405a/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BartNollenbergerCoaching

What if the gap between the leader you think you are… and the leader your people actually experience… is wider than you realize?

That’s where we’re going today.

I’m Bart Nollenberger, and on this episode of Keep the Change, I’m sitting down with someone who has reshaped the way I look at leadership, purpose, and the quiet battles most leaders never talk about — my friend Bill Goodwin.

Bill’s a former pastor, a leadership coach, and the author of Priority Living. But labels don’t capture him. He’s one of those rare people who can look you in the eye, ask one question, and suddenly you’re rethinking your entire approach to life and influence.

So today, we poured some coffee and dug into the conversations leaders usually avoid — the kind that shift cultures, families, businesses, and everything in between.

Inside this episode, you’ll hear us explore:

•  Why some leaders run from honest feedback… and what that decision silently costs them.
•  What happens the moment you stop leading from your title and start leading from your truth.
•  The surprising impact of discovering your purpose and why most people never actually do it.
•  The real story behind the Purpose Factor assessments… and how they’ve been reshaping teams from the inside out.
•  A life-changing moment in Bill’s past that completely reframed the way he lives, leads, and serves today.
• The everyday habits that quietly drain leaders — and the “rhythm reset” that can change everything.

But here’s what makes this conversation special: Bill doesn’t give you theories. He gives you lived experience. Hard-earned wisdom. And a way of seeing yourself that feels both challenging and hopeful at the same time.

If you’ve been needing a reset… or even just permission to rethink what leadership looks like in this season of your life… press play.

Enjoying the show? Subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast players!

• Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/keep-the-change/id1622521488
• Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2xcQk7kNGNOnWuZ14aDkWC

Connect with Bill Goodwin

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-goodwin-priority-living/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prioritylivingconsultinggroup/

Connect with Bart Nollenberger:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bart-nollenberger-4949405a/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BartNollenbergerCoaching

What if the biggest breakthroughs in your dealership have nothing to do with inventory, rates, or traffic, but everything to do with you?

In this solo episode, I pull back the curtain on the real mistakes managers make and the simple shifts that can completely transform your culture, your people, and your results.

Today we’re diving deep into material straight from my upcoming book, “Leadership in the Dealership: Mistakes Managers Make”. It is a collection of insights that comes from forty years inside showrooms, training rooms, crisis meetings, coaching sessions, and team huddles. Nothing here is theory. Everything here is lived experience.

What we explore in this episode

You will hear me unpack the most common leadership traps that quietly destroy momentum inside a dealership and the practical solutions that will help you build a culture you can be proud of. We walk through:

• Why failing to cast a clear vision kills more careers than a bad market
• The hard truth about avoiding tough conversations
• The difference between managing and leading
• Why toxic high performers are the biggest threat to your culture
• How structured daily training, accountability, and real coaching transform results
• The power of self awareness, vision, and personal growth

This episode is designed to help you look at your store, your people, and your leadership through a clearer lens. These are the quiet shifts that create massive change over time. The small decisions that alter culture. The everyday habits that elevate results.

If you want the free copy of the book before it releases, listen to the end and send me an email. I would love to put it in your hands.

Enjoying the show? Subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast players!

• Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/keep-the-change/id1622521488
• Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2xcQk7kNGNOnWuZ14aDkWC

Connect with Bart Nollenberger:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bart-nollenberger-4949405a/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BartNollenbergerCoaching

Ever wondered why some dealerships have record-breaking months while others, with the same tools and talent, can’t seem to sustain momentum?

In this solo episode of Keep The Change, Bart Nollenberger breaks down one of the most overlooked profit drivers in the car business: culture. Not the posters on the wall kind of culture, but the real stuff that shows up in how your people communicate, learn, and show up every single day.

A few weeks ago, Bart introduced us to the Cultural Impact Scorecard, a 360° assessment revealing what’s really going on inside a business. Today, he unpacks what those results actually mean—and why two key areas, communication and continuous learning, can quietly make or break your store’s performance.

You’ll hear Bart pull back the curtain on:

• What happens when leaders think they’re communicating but their teams disagree.
• Why training once a month doesn’t count as development (and what to do instead).
• The “3 Cs” that can instantly change how your team connects and collaborates.
• Real stories from dealerships that turned conflict into connection and profit.

If you’ve ever felt like your team knows what to do but just can’t seem to get aligned… this episode will hit home.

By the end, you’ll have a roadmap to build a culture that communicates, grows, and wins, without losing the people who make it possible.

So before you roll into another meeting or morning huddle, hit play.

This one might just change the way you lead.

Schedule your complimentary 15-minute strategy call: https://calendly.com/bartcoach/15min

Enjoying the show? Subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast players!

• Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/keep-the-change/id1622521488
• Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2xcQk7kNGNOnWuZ14aDkWC

Connect with Bart Nollenberger:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bart-nollenberger-4949405a/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BartNollenbergerCoaching

If you’ve been in automotive longer than five minutes, you’ve probably heard the name Tom Stuker.

He’s the guy who literally invented the BDC. The guy who turned phone sales into an art form. The guy who logged 23 million miles training dealerships across the planet

And today, he’s on Keep the Change.

In this episode, I sit down with the legendary Tom Stuker, founder of Stuker Training, to unpack 50 years of real-world lessons about sales, leadership, and what it truly takes to build a business that sells cars instead of waiting for buyers to show up.

We talk about:

• Why most dealerships are still managing like it’s 1985 (and how to fix it).
• How to hire salespeople who actually want to sell, not just survive.
• The four pillars every retail leader should master if they want long-term success.
• Why your CRM is probably costing you money,and how to turn it into your biggest profit center.
• The mindset shift that separates high-performing stores from the rest of the pack.

Tom breaks down the systems, the scripts, and the hard truths every leader needs to hear, plus the practical ways to change the game starting tomorrow morning.

If you’re a GM, GSM, or just someone who’s tired of “theory” and ready for real-world leadership that moves the needle… this is your episode.

Enjoying the show? Subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast players!

• Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/keep-the-change/id1622521488
• Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2xcQk7kNGNOnWuZ14aDkWC

Connect with Tom Stuker

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomstuker/

Connect with Bart Nollenberger:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bart-nollenberger-4949405a/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BartNollenbergerCoaching

Hey Keep The Changers, today’s episode might just change the way you look at leadership and culture forever.

I’ve been in the automotive business for over 40 years (yeah, I know… you can do the math), and one thing I’ve realized after all that time is this: the word “culture” never shows up in conversations inside low-performing stores.

They talk profit. They talk process. But they rarely talk people.

And yet, culture is the heartbeat of every thriving business. It’s the invisible force that shapes how people think, act, and interact, or as John Maxwell puts it, “You do what you’re going to do, that’s culture.”

In this solo episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on something that completely redefined how I lead: The Culture Scorecard.

This tool helps you see your business from the inside out, through the eyes of your people.

Because let’s be honest, if your team doesn’t feel safe, trusted, or heard… they’re not giving you their best.

If you’ve ever wondered why your culture isn’t clicking, or how to get your people fully engaged and aligned again… this one’s for you.

Enjoying the show? Subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast players!

• Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/keep-the-change/id1622521488
• Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2xcQk7kNGNOnWuZ14aDkWC

Connect with Bart Nollenberger:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bart-nollenberger-4949405a/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BartNollenbergerCoaching