The Dealer Playbook

What if your success today could quietly sabotage your future, unless you build a plan beyond the next car deal?

In this episode of The Dealer Playbook, I sit down with Tustin Ulrich, General Manager of Roper Kia (one of the most dominant Kia stores in Missouri) and founder of The 1% Effect, a real estate investor concierge designed specifically for high-earning operators who don’t want to lose focus on today while building freedom for tomorrow.

This is not a conversation about selling cars.

This is a conversation about long-term thinking, generational wealth, tax strategy, leverage, and protecting your family’s future, without sacrificing performance in the present.

Tustin shares his deeply personal story, from childhood adversity and financial struggle to building a record-breaking dealership and acquiring over $10M in real estate while paying less than 1% in taxes. He breaks down exactly how high achievers in automotive can use real estate as a strategic tool, not a distraction, to create optionality, time freedom, and legacy.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why most high earners stay trapped in a short-term income mindset
• How car dealers and operators can invest in real estate without losing focus on the store
• What the 1% Effect really means, and how the top 1% preserve wealth for generations
• Why 401ks and Roth IRAs alone won’t create true financial freedom
• How leverage, 1031 exchanges, and tax strategy work in plain English
• The difference between good debt vs. bad debt
• Why real estate favors operators, even during recessions
• How to think in multiplication, not cash flow
• Why automotive is one of the only industries that enables this path

Timestamps

00:00 Hook Intro — Building wealth without losing today

02:00 Tustin’s story: from struggle to GM

06:30 Why high achievers need a future plan

10:45 The 1% Effect explained

15:30 Real estate, taxes, and leverage (simple breakdown)

22:30 Recession myths vs reality

28:00 Single-family vs multifamily investing

33:30 Living on debt & generational wealth

38:00 How to get started + final takeaway

Who This Episode Is For

• Dealer Principals & General Managers
• High-earning sales professionals
• Automotive operators thinking beyond the next 30 days
• Anyone serious about generational wealth, tax efficiency, and long-term control

What happens when precision from aviation meets creativity in automotive marketing?

In this episode, Ashley Brockhurst, Director of Marketing and Health & Safety at Charlesglen Toyota in Calgary, Alberta — “Alberta’s Celebration Destination” — shares how her dealership’s community-first philosophy is redefining what automotive retail can look like.

From aviation safety to dealership marketing leadership, Ashley’s story proves how curiosity, culture, and compassion fuel innovation. She opens up about her journey from receptionist to director, the strategy behind hosting 27+ community events a year, and how authentic philanthropy (not just PR) builds real customer loyalty.

You’ll learn how Charlesglen Toyota turned community connection into a competitive advantage, and how your dealership can do the same.

In This Episode:

• How Ashley went from aviation safety to automotive marketing
• The mindset shift that helped her climb from receptionist to director
• Why authentic community giving outperforms transactional marketing
• How Charlesglen Toyota became Alberta’s Celebration Destination
• Turning charity and local events into a powerful brand advantage
• Why women are leading Canada’s charitable sector, and how dealerships can connect
• The ROI of relationships: how community focus drives dealership growth
• How to measure unmeasurable marketing (and prove impact beyond KPIs)
• Why “look after your city and they’ll look after you” still works in 2025

Timestamps

00:00 Intro — From Aviation to Automotive

04:12 How a receptionist became a marketing director

09:05 The secret behind Charlesglen Toyota’s “Celebration Destination” brand

14:20 Culture that empowers people to take chances

18:55 How to build authentic community events that connect

24:10 Why women drive community impact (and dealership loyalty)

32:00 Measuring ROI when you can’t “track” community relationships

37:30 Building team buy-in for charity and local events

Who This Episode Is For

1. Dealership marketing teams

2. General Managers & Dealer Principals

3. Community relations & event coordinators

4. Women in automotive leadership

5. Anyone who believes marketing can build more than sales — it can build connection.

Connect with Ashley Brockhurst

🔗 LinkedIn: Ashley Brockhurst

🌐 Charlesglen Toyota: charlesglentoyota.com

What happens when a dealer group bets big on hospitality, culture, and process, instead of pressure, price, and tradition?

Today, multi-store operator JB Burnett joins me to unpack the launch of his brand new Ford Signature 2.0 store, the first of its kind in the world, and why the guest experience is now his most powerful competitive advantage.

We dive into how he moved an entire dealership eight miles in four days, opened to record-setting sales weeks, and rebuilt the buying journey around hospitality, not haggling. JB also shares his response plan to recession chatter, how he keeps teams aligned under heavy pressure, and why he believes contagious optimism is a non-negotiable leadership skill.

If you’re a dealer principal, GM, GSM, or fixed ops leader looking for a real-world blueprint on culture, execution, and modern retailing, this episode is required listening.

In This Episode You’ll Learn:

• What a Ford Signature 2.0 store actually is and why the experience is radically different
• How JB’s team moved 300 units + full service + parts in less than a week
• Why hospitality-first retail is out-performing traditional sales tactics
• The subtle vocabulary shifts (“guest,” not “customer”… “reservations,” not “appointments”) that change everything
• How JB builds buy-in for elevated dress codes & elevated expectations
• Why international markets are beating the U.S. on dealership hospitality—and what we can learn
• JB’s mindset framework for leading calmly through chaos

Timestamps

00:00 Intro

02:10 Inside the world’s first Ford Signature 2.0 store

07:45 Moving 300 units + full operations in four days

11:12 The mindset required to lead through chaos

18:55 Hospitality vs. legacy retailing: why the guest experience wins

24:20 Why other countries are beating the U.S. in dealership decorum

29:02 Dress code, culture, and team buy-in

36:15 Preparing for a potential recession

42:40 Contagious optimism vs. toxic positivity

45:05 JB’s framework for hard conversations

49:15 How to connect with JB

Who This Episode Is For

Dealer Principals, General Managers & GSMs, Fixed Ops Leaders, and Retail Auto Operators

Anyone responsible for culture, customer experience, or profitability in automotive.

If you’ve ever wondered how a small-town Ford store ends up going mega-viral, builds a loyal community, and turns everyday dealership life into must-watch content… this episode is for you.

Today I’m joined by the brilliant, hilarious, and wildly creative Noella Salter, the marketing manager behind Lang & Fetter Ford’s social media presence that the entire industry can’t stop talking about. She’s turned a rural Canadian dealership into a personality-driven brand that people actually want to follow.

In this episode, we get into:

• How Noella went from PR grad to dealership storyteller

• The moment she realized she had to stop copying her predecessor and start creating as herself

• Why the people inside your dealership matter more than any vehicle walkaround

• What to do when your content flops, trolls show up, or you feel creatively tapped out

• The power of consistency, authenticity, and letting your team shine

• Why viral moments don’t matter nearly as much as you think, and how she stays grounded anyway

• Live reactions as we watch some of Lang & Fetter Ford’s most viral posts together

If you’re in automotive marketing (or honestly, any business where trust and community matter), this conversation is a blueprint for turning small beginnings into big impact. Noella proves that you don’t need a massive budget, a big city, or sponsorship deals, you just need people who are willing to show up, be themselves, and have a little fun.

This episode will make you laugh, rethink your approach to social, and maybe even give you the nudge to try that idea you’ve been sitting on.

What if your biggest dealership problems aren’t “market problems”… but creativity problems?

In this episode of The Dealer Playbook, Michael sits down with Nir Bashan, world-renowned creativity expert, founder & CEO of The Creator Mindset, LLC, Clio Award winner, and Emmy-nominated former Hollywood/advertising executive to show car dealers how to use creativity as a practical business tool, not fluffy “inspiration,” but real-world tactics that move metal, grow service, and improve culture.

Nir has coached leaders at AT&T, Microsoft, NFL Network, EA Sports, Suzuki, JetBlue, and more. In this conversation, he maps the same creativity frameworks directly onto retail automotive in 2025 and beyond.

You’ll learn:

• Why creativity + innovation are the only sustainable edge as regulations, EVs, and consumer behavior change
• How to translate Hollywood-level creativity into daily dealership operations
• A simple mindset shift to turn “crisis after crisis” into opportunity (EV overstock, chip shortages, changing regs, etc.)
• How to balance data and creativity so your analytics don’t kill your humanity
• A dead-simple language exercise that can boost customer satisfaction and sales
• Why everyone is creative (backed by research) and how to unlock it in your team
• How to use creativity to transform your BDC, service lane, and sales culture

Book Giveaway – 10 Free Copies of The Solution Mindset

If you got value from this episode:

• Leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
• Screenshot your review
• DM it to Michael on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, or X

👉 The first 10 people to do that will get a free copy of Nir’s new book, The Solution Mindset.

How should Canadian dealers REALLY be using data to price, appraise, and move inventory in 2025?

In this episode of The Dealer Playbook, Michael sits down with Yolanda Bishwah, President of Canadian Black Book (CBB), the data backbone behind used vehicle valuations and residual forecasts for OEMs, lenders, and retailers across the country.

With 65+ years of market data at her fingertips, Yolanda breaks down how Canadian Black Book reads the market, what’s really happening with wholesale and retail values, and how dealers can use valuations more strategically instead of just “checking a number.”

We get into:

• How CBB blends wholesale auction data, upstream OEM/lender data, and retail listing data to forecast values
• Key differences between the Canadian and U.S. wholesale markets (and why Canada moves more gradually)
• How to use residual value forecasts to build better remarketing and equity-mining plans
• Practical ways to reduce pain around aging units using data instead of gut feel
• Why consumer confidence, supply & demand, and economic signals matter for your next 90 days of inventory decisions
• How Canadian dealers can tighten the gap between consumer-facing trade tools and in-store appraisals
• 
  

If you’re a dealer principal, GM, used car manager, or lender trying to make smarter decisions with every unit on the lot, this conversation will change how you think about values, equity, and remarketing.

Guest Marion Cain (ACE founder; creator of Kharisma Mastery) breaks down a science-based playbook for dealership sales and F&I teams to own the room, deliver luxury touchpoints (on any brand), and turn trust into revenue. We cover the first 90 seconds, nonverbal cues, “portable stories,” True Cost of Ownership framing, and how to use GPT/AI to tailor your pitch to any buyer’s personality, without losing the human.

You’ll learn

• Why buyers now follow salespeople and how to stand out in a saturated market

• The luxury experience blueprint (even if you don’t sell a luxury marque)

• The first 90 seconds: posture, eye contact, tone, cadence, confident welcome

• Status framing that stops margin compression (people pay more when status rises)

• “Portable stories” that customers retell (and why they convert better than features)

• True Cost of Ownership: simple math that moves logical buyers today

• Personality-based selling with GPT: your type + their type → custom talk-track in minutes

• The Dominoes Method to stack actions and create 3-car days + F&I platinum wins

Timestamps / Chapters

00:00 Introduction

02:38 Introducing Marion Cain and Charisma Mastery

05:03 Creating a Luxury Experience

05:46 Building Lifetime Relationships

09:42 Effective Introductions and Customer Engagement

14:36 Personal Stories and Vulnerability in Sales

16:01 Controlling the Sales Experience

21:06 Understanding Customer Psychology

23:49 The Importance of Personalization

28:07 Practical Insights for Scaling Human Connection

31:35 The Domino Effect in Sales

33:55 Final Thoughts and Connecting with the Speaker

Who this helps: Dealer principals, GMs/GSMs, sales managers, F&I, BDC leads—anyone driving grosses, CSI, and repeat/repurchase.

AI vs. Google isn’t theoretical anymore; your buyers are already switching how they search.

In this episode, Marcus Sheridan (author of They Ask, You Answer and Endless Customers) shares fresh data from ~3,000 pros on how often they now use ChatGPT instead of Google, what that means for SEO, content, and lead gen, and how car dealerships can pivot now to stay discoverable.

You’ll learn:

• Why “extremes get clicks” (and how to win with balanced, trust-first content)
• The real timeline for AI in customer service (and why “faster, friction-free” always wins)
• What “legacy Google is dying” actually means (and what still works today)
• A pragmatic playbook to future-proof dealership SEO with AI search behavior in mind
• The 4 pillars from Endless Customers to become the most known and trusted brand in your market

Timestamps

00:00 Intro00:04 The Rise of Chat GPT00:39 The Value of Human Connection02:14 Introducing Marcus Sheridan03:21 Why extremes go viral (and why nuance converts)09:20 The Future of SEO and AI20:02 Authenticity and Performance31:21 The Concept of Agency32:08 Identity and Belonging39:04 The Future of SEO and AI44:55 The Power of Adaptation51:10 The Middle Ground Perspective57:58 Endless Customers and AI01:00:40 Conclusion and Call to Action

Giveaway: We’re gifting 10 copies of Endless Customers. Rate the show on Apple/Spotify, screenshot it, and email [email protected]. First 10 in the inbox win.

Who this is episode for: Car dealership owners, GMs, marketing leaders, BDC, fixed ops, and anyone responsible for traffic, leads, and CSI.

Curiosity beats fear in modern retail automotive. In this episode of The Dealer Playbook, Michael Cirillo sits down with Sebrina Westbrooke, Program Manager at Georgian College’s Automotive Business School of Canada and lead for the Canadian Dealer Academy, to unpack how car dealerships are future-proofing leadership teams for AI, electrification, digital retailing, and connected services—without losing the human connection that drives performance.

You’ll hear how the Academy builds real operators, not shelf-ware: learners work directly from their own DMS reports, financial statements, PMA data, and benchmarks, then implement changes in-store—like a fixed ops tune-up that lifted department profit by 6% in the first month. We also dig into the gaps that hold back new general managers (often promoted for past results, not leadership readiness) and how to close them with clarity, data, and soft-skill mastery.

What you’ll learn:

1. How to turn curiosity into an operating system that reduces fear around AI and EV transitions

2. A practical way to replace “gut feel” with dealership data—and the exact questions great leaders ask

3. Why fixed ops fluency is the hidden unlock for many first-time GMs from the variable side

4. The leadership capabilities that matter now: critical thinking, problem-solving, human-centric management

5. How to align culture, engagement, and training with profitability (and stop overspending to “buy” results)

Who this is for: car dealership owners, dealer principals, general managers, department leaders, and emerging leaders who want measurable performance in sales, service, and F&I—without waiting on manufacturer incentives or bigger ad budgets.

There’s something special about people who build where no blueprint exists.

My guest today, Alex Lawrence, is one of those people.

He’s a tech veteran, tenured professor, and serial entrepreneur who co-founded EV Auto, one of the first dealership groups in the U.S. dedicated entirely to used EVs and plug-in hybrids.

But what really stands out about Alex isn’t just what he’s built, it’s how he’s built it. With patience, conviction, and a willingness to play the long game while everyone else chases trends.

In this conversation, we get real about what it takes to grow an EV-only business through volatility, tax credit chaos, and all the unpredictable swings of an emerging market. Alex breaks down how he and his team literally sold their final cars minutes before the EV tax incentive expired, using the power of social media.

We also dive into:

Why authenticity on social media has become one of the strongest moats in business today.

The psychology of urgency, and how it can move people to take action at 11PM on a Saturday.

What it really means to juggle entrepreneurship, teaching, and family without losing your soul in the process.

Why the EV revolution isn’t dead, it’s just getting started.

Alex’s story is proof that doing the hard thing, the long thing, and the real thing still works.

If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like to build something meaningful when the market’s uncertain and the playbook doesn’t exist. this one’s for you.