What if the most overlooked lever in your dealership… is actually the one that determines your profitability?

We talk a lot about acquisition in this business. But what happens after the car hits your lot, and more importantly, how it exits, might be the difference between grinding harder or winning smarter.

In this episode of The David Spisak Show, I sit down with Joe Neiman, founder of Dealer Club and one of the sharpest minds in wholesale, to have an honest conversation about the side of the business most dealers don’t want to talk about… but absolutely should.

Joe takes us all the way back, flipping cars out of his parents’ driveway, selling on eBay in the early 2000s, building what would become ACV Auctions, and eventually launching Dealer Club with one bold idea: what if wholesale actually worked in the dealer’s favor?

And now, with Dealer Club officially part of the Cars Commerce ecosystem, that idea has evolved into something even bigger.

In this episode, we unpack:

• Why exit strategy is the real profit lever in used cars
• How reputation, not just price, drives wholesale value
• The hidden costs of “reactionary wholesale” (and why it quietly destroys net)
• What most auctions get wrong about buyers and sellers
• How Dealer Club flips the script by paying dealers to sell cars
• Why transparency and accountability create better outcomes for everyone
• How Cars Commerce, AccuTrade, and Dealer Club finally close the inventory loop

There’s a moment in this conversation where wholesale clicks differently, where it stops being the ugly stepchild of the dealership and starts looking like the opportunity it’s always been.

If you’re serious about becoming a more disciplined, intentional, and profitable used car operator, especially in a tightening market, this is one of those episodes that will challenge how you think and change how you act.

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

Like this show? Please leave us a rating and review where you're listening right now!

• 🎧 Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-david-spisak-show/id1602552929
• 🔊 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oPjFeHfnxNXPTHXxNwIsm?si=4fc3f546d07a4679

What if the car business isn’t really about cars at all?

In this episode of The David Spisak Show, I sit down with Adam Cherin, Variable Operations Director at Hudson Automotive Group, for a conversation that goes way deeper than rooftops, revenue, or expansion headlines.

Adam’s story starts the way so many great automotive stories do, unexpectedly. A 12-year-old kid, a school shadow day, and a grandfather who didn’t just run a dealership… he commanded it. From that moment on, Adam never looked back. And what unfolds from there is a masterclass in leadership, culture, adaptability, and why doing business the right way still wins.

What we dig into:

• How early influences shape lifelong leadership styles (and why Adam’s grandfather still guides his decisions today)
• Why culture isn’t a slogan on the wall, it’s a daily discipline
• How Hudson Automotive scaled from 6 dealerships to 65 without losing its soul
• The real reason “people are the key to success” isn’t just a feel-good phrase
• The hidden risks (and massive opportunities) of remote selling and offsite deliveries
• How fraud is evolving, and what smart operators are doing to stay ahead
• Why transparency, adaptability, and convenience are no longer optional
• And how this industry can literally change families, not just paychecks

Along the way, we swap stories, challenge outdated thinking, talk about leadership through empathy, and even revisit first cars, toaster sales meetings, and why the car business remains one of the most opportunity-rich industries on the planet.

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

Like this show? Please leave us a rating and review where you're listening right now!

• 🎧 Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-david-spisak-show/id1602552929
• 🔊 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oPjFeHfnxNXPTHXxNwIsm?si=4fc3f546d07a4679

What if the most misunderstood part of the car business is the one keeping the whole thing alive?

In this episode of The David Spisak Show, I sit down with Kevin Tynan, Director of Research at The Presidio Group, for a conversation that cuts past headlines, hype, and talking points—and gets to the real mechanics of the automotive industry.

Kevin’s journey alone is worth the listen. From growing up in Queens obsessed with cars, to Wall Street, to calling the cracks in the domestic auto industry years before they became impossible to ignore, his perspective isn’t theoretical—it’s earned.

But where this conversation really gets interesting is where we go next.

We talk about why new car sales may be the least important (and least profitable) part of the business, why franchise dealers continue to outlast every “death of retail” prediction, and why some of the biggest strategic moves by manufacturers today may be creating more risk than opportunity.

We also explore:

• Why resilience—not scale—may be the industry’s real advantage
• The growing gap between OEM reality and dealer reality
• What’s actually happening beneath the EV conversation
• Why China changes everything—even if it doesn’t show up on your lot tomorrow
• And why the smartest leaders aren’t being told what to think, but what to think about

This isn’t a forecast.

It’s a framework.

If you’re a dealer, operator, executive, or anyone trying to make sense of where this industry is headed without the noise, this episode will challenge how you see the business, without trying to sell you a conclusion.

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

Like this show? Please leave us a rating and review where you're listening right now!

• 🎧 Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-david-spisak-show/id1602552929
• 🔊 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oPjFeHfnxNXPTHXxNwIsm?si=4fc3f546d07a4679

What if the secret to surviving the next era of automotive disruption isn't about technology at all, but about people, perspective, and the power of a well-earned scar or two?

In this episode, I sit down with someone I’ve admired for decades, and someone who’s quietly shaped more of the modern auto tech landscape than most people will ever realize: Robert Burnett, legendary M&A leader for Reynolds & Reynolds and now the driving force behind 1876.

We recorded this conversation the morning after the Presidio Group Tech Summit, buzzing from conversations with founders, VCs, OEMs, and innovators, and let me tell you, Robert brought the kind of clarity, candor, and humility that only comes from thirty years of doing the real work in the real world.

In This Episode, We Get Into…

• The origin story: how a small-town kid from Texas A&M ended up shaping one of the industry’s most successful acquisition strategies.

• The truth about buying companies: what really matters (hint: it’s not AI, and it’s definitely not bankers—until it is).

• Why founders almost always misunderstand valuations and how that disconnect derails deals before they even start.

• The explosion of automotive tech complexity and why dealers today face decision fatigue like never before.

• What makes a product worth acquiring in 2025 and beyond — and what Robert still thinks most innovators don’t understand about building something real.

• The wild rise of retail fraud and how MAPS Sign (Maverick/MavSign) is becoming the quiet giant solving a problem nobody thought would scale this fast.

• Why AI won’t save you — but it better be in your product anyway, and how the next wave of evolution will force founders to rethink their moat.

If you're a founder, a dealer, a tech leader, an operator, or someone who wants to understand what’s ACTUALLY happening behind the scenes as this industry accelerates into its next chapter — this episode will absolutely change the way you think.

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

Like this show? Please leave us a rating and review where you're listening right now!

• 🎧 Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-david-spisak-show/id1602552929
• 🔊 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oPjFeHfnxNXPTHXxNwIsm?si=4fc3f546d07a4679

What if the most profitable opportunity in your entire dealership isn’t something new… but something you’ve been driving past every single day?

In this episode, David Spisak sits down with Todd Cooperider, the founder of Esoteric Detail, one of the most respected names in automotive preservation to unpack a quiet revolution happening inside modern retail automotive… one that most dealers won’t notice until their competitors are already cashing the checks.

Todd’s story isn’t just impressive, it’s the kind of journey that makes you rethink everything you believe about opportunity, craftsmanship, and the power of timing. And what he reveals about the current market might change the way you approach your business from this day forward.

What we discuss Inside This Episode

• The unexpected moment Todd realized he had been sitting on a business idea that could change the trajectory of an entire dealership group.
• Why dealers often underestimate the very customers who would gladly invest more in their new vehicle if given the chance.
• The real difference between offering a service and building a high trust protection program customers ask for again and again.
• How a single request in 2020 opened a door Todd never planned to walk through and why it now matters to every retailer in the country.
• What separates an average shop from a partner who can actually transform revenue, CSI and the customer experience.

This conversation is not about selling add ons. It is about recognizing a shift in buyer behavior and learning how forward thinking retailers are capturing value most of the industry has left untouched.

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

Like this show? Please leave us a rating and review where you're listening right now!

• 🎧 Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-david-spisak-show/id1602552929
• 🔊 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oPjFeHfnxNXPTHXxNwIsm?si=4fc3f546d07a4679

There’s something about Thanksgiving that slows the world down in a way almost nothing else does.

For one day, the noise drops. The pace eases. And we’re reminded sometimes gently, sometimes by contrast of what actually matters.

In this episode, I sat down alone with a microphone and a heart full of gratitude… the kind that comes from years of hard chapters, unexpected blessings, and the people who showed up when life didn’t make it easy.

I talk about the early years I barely remember, the strength of a mom who carried more than anyone ever saw, and the mentors in automotive who shaped far more than a career — they shaped the man I became. I look back on the mistakes, the turning points, the decision that dropped me into the military, and the car business that handed me opportunities when I had nothing but a duffel bag.

And somewhere in between all of that… I found myself reflecting on the bonds that never broke, the family that kept showing up, the spiritual foundation that steadied me, and the quiet reminders that gratitude isn’t something we perform, it’s something that forms us.

It’s not a long episode. It’s not complicated.

It’s just honest.

Exactly the way Thanksgiving should be.

Wherever today finds you, surrounded by family, trying to catch your breath between seasons, or simply grateful to still be here, I hope this conversation meets you in a meaningful place. Not because you need to listen… but because sometimes it helps to know we’re all walking through something, and somehow still giving thanks.

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

Like this show? Please leave us a rating and review where you're listening right now!

• 🎧 Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-david-spisak-show/id1602552929
• 🔊 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oPjFeHfnxNXPTHXxNwIsm?si=4fc3f546d07a4679

Most people think the revolution in automotive is “AI.”

But what if the real disruption, the one that will separate the next decade’s winners from everyone else, is something far quieter?

What if it’s the moment your systems start making decisions faster than your people can understand them?

That’s the conversation I sat down for with Marianne Johnson, Chief Product Officer at Cox Automotive, live from the Presidio Group Tech Summit at the Denver Art Museum. And in a day full of big ideas, her perspective stopped me in my tracks.

Here’s the question underneath everything we talked about:

Are dealers prepared for a world where their tech stack becomes more powerful than their playbook?

Inside this episode, Marianne and I unravel:

•  Why “AI everywhere” can silently break your customer experience
•  The hidden cost structure behind AI that almost nobody in retail is factoring in
•  How data governance is about to matter more than lead generation
•  Why scale not speed is the real advantage in the age of agentic systems
•  The risk of fragmented tools when AI agents start acting independently
•  And the one mistake dealers can’t afford to make: waiting

Nothing in this episode is theoretical.

Nothing is hype.

It’s the real-world blueprint from someone who sees where the industry is actually heading—not where the headlines say it’s heading.

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

Like this show? Please leave us a rating and review where you're listening right now!

• 🎧 Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-david-spisak-show/id1602552929
• 🔊 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oPjFeHfnxNXPTHXxNwIsm?si=4fc3f546d07a4679

What if the future of automotive innovation wasn’t 20 years away, but sitting right around the corner?

At The Presidio Group Tech Summit, I sat down with Pearl Percy, Chief Development Officer at JM Group, for a conversation that perfectly captures where our industry is heading. Surrounded by art and innovation at the Denver Art Museum, we dug into what’s really driving progress in automotive, and spoiler alert it’s not just about technology.

Pearl brings a rare mix of strategy, humility, and forward-thinking that few can match. In this episode, we explore:

• How the auto industry’s DNA of continuous evolution keeps it alive and thriving, decade after decade.
• Why innovation doesn’t start with technology, it starts with people (and what it takes to bring teams, dealers, and consumers along for the ride).
• The game-changing startups JM is investing in, from Automated Tire Innovation to Sky Vision and RocketEd, and how they’re solving century-old problems in totally new ways.
• Why the boldest leaders aren’t chasing the “next big thing”, they’re creating real solutions that improve lives, one innovation at a time.
• And, the big one: how technology, talent, and culture intersect to shape the next chapter of automotive retail.

This conversation isn’t just about what’s possible in the future, it’s about what’s happening right now behind the scenes of one of the most influential companies in the industry.

If you’ve ever wondered what real innovation looks like in motion or how legacy and vision can coexist in perfect balance, this episode is one you’ll want to lean into.

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

Like this show? Please leave us a rating and review where you're listening right now!

• 🎧 Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-david-spisak-show/id1602552929
• 🔊 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oPjFeHfnxNXPTHXxNwIsm?si=4fc3f546d07a4679

Ever wonder what it actually takes to go from selling used cars in Chico, California, to running one of the top Audi dealerships in the nation?

In this episode, I sit down with Brandon Hale, Executive General Manager of Fletcher Jones Audi, to unpack a 25-year journey that’s as gritty as it is inspiring.

Brandon’s story isn’t your typical “worked hard and made it” tale. It’s a real-world masterclass in how loyalty, hospitality, and relentless consistency can transform an 18-year-old kid with a $10K-a-month hustle into a world-class leader.

We get into:

• The mindset that helped Brandon outsell the titans of Fletcher Jones Mercedes-Benz in his very first year.
• How “worrying about the guest experience” (not just talking about it) became the secret to building lifelong clients.
• Why servant leadership is the most underrated superpower in business, and how it turns top performers into top leaders.
• And, the bold moves that shaped Fletcher Jones’ culture of excellence, a playbook every dealer should study.

You’ll hear how Brandon built loyalty through the smallest, most human touches, handwritten notes, magnets with customer photos, 25 check-ins a year, things that most people would dismiss as “old-school,” but still drive modern success.

This episode isn’t just about car sales. It’s about playing the long game, leading with heart, and proving that the real competitive advantage in business isn’t technology, it’s people.

If you’ve ever wondered how to build a career, and a reputation, that stands the test of time, this conversation will give you a blueprint.

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

Like this show? Please leave us a rating and review where you're listening right now!

• 🎧 Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-david-spisak-show/id1602552929
• 🔊 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oPjFeHfnxNXPTHXxNwIsm?si=4fc3f546d07a4679

What if the secret to building a $9-billion company wasn’t strategy or capital—but character?

In this episode, I sit down with Bill Cariss, President and CEO of Holman Growth Ventures, to explore how one of the most respected names in automotive quietly reinvented itself for the future, without losing the soul that built it.

We talk about the kind of leadership you can’t fake… the moves that kept Holman relevant when others stalled… and a few behind-the-scenes moments that will make you rethink what real success looks like.

There’s a story in here about a decision Bill made early in his career that changed everything.

Another about how Holman pulled off one of the smoothest acquisitions the industry’s ever seen.

And one that might just make you question how you measure legacy in your own life.

If you think you know what drives innovation in automotive, you’ll want to hear this one all the way through.

🎧 Tap play and find out why some leaders never have to chase relevance—it finds them.

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

Like this show? Please leave us a rating and review where you're listening right now!

• 🎧 Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-david-spisak-show/id1602552929
• 🔊 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oPjFeHfnxNXPTHXxNwIsm?si=4fc3f546d07a4679