The PartsEdge Podcast

What better way to learn about success in the automotive industry than to learn from the founder of PartsEdge himself?

Chuck Hartle has decades of experience with the automotive business. Through the 1990s, he has worked with some of the largest parts dealers in the country with his primary focus and expertise on inventory control. He draws inspiration from previous experts whom he had the opportunity to work with.

In an industry where trends constantly change, Chuck found out that maintaining the quality of automotive parts is the key to running a successful business. Just like car dealerships encourage test drives, the only way for a shop to guarantee that their parts are fully functional is to test them out.

As an entrepreneur who founded PartsEdge and launched his own consultancy business, Chuck encourages people in the industry to be more proactive instead of reactive. There may be challenges along the way, but there can easily be overcome if one keeps driving the path to success.

In this Episode:

0:00 Introduction

0:57 How Parts Edge Began

5:07 Dealing with Parts

7:23 Issues

9:43 Advice for Parts Managers

14:01 Legacy of the Experts

15:51 Failures

22:30 What Keeps Chuck Going

Connect with Kaylee

LinkedIn: Kaylee Felio

Website: https://www.partsedge.com/

Connect with Chuck Hartle

LinkedIn: Chuck Hartle

Website: https://www.partsedge.com/

Growing your Fixed Operations takes a lot of guts. You’ll have to face and overcome challenges along the way, but you will also learn. For Michael Barich, a.k.a the Fixed Ops Doc, challenges are stepping stones for success.

Being in the fixed ops automotive industry for 30 years, Michael achieves success by getting out of his comfort zone. This year, he launched his own consulting business and has partnered with Fixed Ops Marketing which helps car dealerships promote their parts and service to connect them with lucrative deals.

On top of being an action taker, Michael continues to step up his game by learning about the industry’s newest trends. These days, companies have shifted to digital platforms where they can expand the scope of their business and sell more parts and service. Michael puts it in simple relatable terms: Learning never stops in the pursuit of success.

In this Episode:

0:00 Introduction

1:20 Digital Aspects

2:55 Biggest Challenge and Advice

4:15 Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone

6:58 Parts Language

8:09 Goals

11:50 Connect with Michael

Connect with Kaylee

LinkedIn: Kaylee Felio

Website: https://www.partsedge.com/

Connect with Michael

LinkedIn: Michael Barich

A successful automotive company always prioritizes their people just as they do with their customers. After all, they’re an essential part of the business and they help run it. That’s Mike Weldon’s advice.

As the Fixed Operations Director of the Hansel Auto Group, Mike has had extensive experience with the automotive industry. He takes inspiration from his father who was his first mentor when they worked together in the 1950s fixing their clients’ television appliances and other electronic equipment. When they opened their car business in California in the 1960s, he learned relevant skills in automotive and valuable techniques in dealerships. Working with the Toyota Agency and the Ford Motor Company in the 1970s and 1980s further defined his career.

Mike stresses the importance of valuing people in the company and hiring potential employees on the basis of their desire and interests for the job. Experience may qualify a person for the position, but their desire to learn and excel will encourage them to achieve their full potential. With interested employees and the quality of their work, the business will continue to succeed, even during challenging times. As Mike puts it, giving people chances to learn and grow with the company matters most in running a successful automotive business in an ever-changing industry.

In this Episode:

0:00 Introduction

0:38 Growing Up with the Business

3:13 Venturing Out on Your Own

6:08 Experience vs. Desire

8:55 Do It for Others

9:20 Females in the Industry

10:34 Overcoming Challenges

13:00 Culture

14:14 Tools for the Business

16:13 Value of Time

18:15 Reach Out to Mike

Connect with Kaylee

LinkedIn: Kaylee Felio

Website: https://www.partsedge.com/

Connect with Mike

LinkedIn: Mike Weldon

Website: https://www.gohansel.com/

Want to stay alive in the hyper competitive auto industry? Steve Apicella, CEO of Strategic DX, shares his best tips for standing out in this industry in flux.

Steve brings decades of experience and multiple awards, including 2022 AWA, 2021 Platinum Dealers’ Choice, 2018 Industry Summit Tech Challenge… Let’s just say, Steve knows the business.

Steve shares a glimpse of his story from starting his career as a vendor, to being dedicated in sales and service for consumers. We discuss team collaboration strategies and how that impacts the customer experience. Let’s face it, if you’re going to compete with Amazon, you MUST give an unforgettable experience, but what does that look like in the social media, post-lockdown world? Steve is about to break it down!

In this episode:

03:57 — Knowing your consumer

06:27 — Dealer-Customer ownership journey

07:21 — Business built on relationships

14:35 — Modern way of engagement

16:59 — Acknowledging awareness as a challenge

31:29 — Inclusivity in the Auto Industry

44:32 — What would you say your biggest failure is?

Connect with Kaylee

LinkedIn: Kaylee Felio

Website: https://www.partsedge.com/

Connect with Steven

LinkedIn: Steven Apicella

Website: https://strategic-dx.com/

Meet James Holloway, After Sales Business Development with Swickard Auto Group. James brings over 35 years of parts automotive experience. He has coached and mentored hundreds of Dealerships with business development, eCommerce sales platforms, best practices , wholesale growth strategies and value proposition. In this episode we discuss what Dealerships be should focusing on, in their PARTS DEPARTMENTS. Get to know Mr. Holloway as we get into the details of inventory management and creating culture to be a great leader.

I had the opportunity to meet with Kate Beirowski, Sales Director of Wrenchway. Her story and how she got into auto is absolutely amazing!! She shines bright in her mission to solve the technician shortage. Kate is an all around great person and inspires many of us to make a difference in the auto business. We get into topics like women in automotive, who inspires her and what Dealerships can change to attract technicians. You won’t want to miss this one!!

I’m so excited to announce my first episode of The Parts Girl podcast is with Russ Mann of Salt Automotive!! I can’t express how kind and humble of a person he is. We discuss his journey throughout the car business. The lows and the inspiration that has led him to the limitless opportunities to impact dealerships across the country today. He is a one of a kind type of person and would urge you to listen to his story and be inspired just as I was when I got the chance to really get to know his story.

Do you challenge the status quo? If yes, this podcast is for you! My name is Kaylee Felio and my goal is to bring you conversations that level up the way we do business in the auto industry. In each episode, you will gain insight into the wins and struggles from automotive professionals across the industry. You’ll leave feeling motivated, challenged, and ready to implement lessons that will make your Dealership stronger than ever before.

New episodes every first and third Friday of every month!