In this episode of Cue the Next Leader, VINCUE CMO Michael Hopkins sits down with Ryan Junek, owner and GM of Junek CDJR in Spearfish, South Dakota, to talk fourth-generation dealership legacy, used car acquisition in one of the most isolated markets in the country, and how data changed everything. With nearly 30 years behind the dealer's desk and a family business rooted in the Black Hills since the 1930s, Ryan brings a perspective on rural dealership survival that every independent operator needs to hear.

In this episode of Cue the Next Leader, VINCUE CMO Michael Hopkins sits down with Michelle Hutchinson, Director of Strategic Accounts at SYCN Auto Logistics and founder of Leveling Up Logistics, to talk vehicle transport, dealer inefficiencies, and the hidden costs most dealerships never see coming. With nearly two decades of experience across automotive logistics, Michelle brings a perspective that every dealer moving cars across the country needs to hear.

In this episode of Cue the Next Leader, VINCUE CMO Michael Hopkins sits down with Ed Hyde, dealer principal at Legacy Nissan, Legacy Ford, Legacy GMC Chevrolet, and Tinker Williams Chevrolet out of London, Kentucky — and one of VINCUE's longest-tenured customers.

Ed's path to dealer principal is anything but conventional: it winds through a family grocery store, his dad's transmission shop, the Marine Corps, and a used car lot he opened in 1997 before landing his first franchise store three years later. That grit and resourcefulness still defines how he runs his stores today.

In this conversation, Ed and Michael dig into the real challenges of multi-rooftop inventory management, why sourcing used cars remains the toughest puzzle in the business, and how Ed's team is using VINCUE — from trade appraisals to service-to-sale outreach — to gain a competitive edge that pricing tools alone can't deliver.

Ed also shares his candid take on AI in the dealership ("it's not going to eliminate jobs — it's going to make everybody's job better"), what he's learned about building a team that grows together, and why transparency might be the most powerful tool any dealer has right now.

This episode of Cue the Next Leader is a special exclusive, hosted by VINCUE President Danny Zaslavsky, and joined by Chip Perry, former CEO of Cox Automotive, and his friend and colleague, and former Vice President of Product & Business Development, Steve Greenfield. 

These two men are true industry titans, arguably the primary architects of the first major digital transformation in automotive. Together, they created an empire and forever changed the way dealerships appraise, acquire, manage, and sell inventory. 

As advisors to VINCUE, they are again looking into the future and helping us define Vehicle Lifecycle Management for the next generation of retail automotive. We were honored to host them during a recent visit where they toured our building, met with our teams, and inspired us keep innovating. 

During that visit, they sat down with Danny Zaslavsky to talk about their history in the industry, major achievements, and where they see automotive retail going in a future where AI will dramatically change everything from inventory operations to customer experience.

In this episode of Cue the Next Leader, host Michael Hopkins sits down with Russell Tabone, General Manager and Dealer Operator at CMA’s Hyundai of Lynchburg.

From 19 years in the car wash industry to leading one of the most successful dealerships at Carter Myers Automotive, Russell shares his unconventional journey, and how he went from avoiding car sales to becoming a champion of people-first leadership. Under his guidance, CMA’s Hyundai has opened a state-of-the-art showroom and is nearing completion on a cutting-edge service department expansion.

Russell is a proud NADA Academy graduate and a passionate advocate for CMA’s employee-owned model. He believes that when people love where they work, whether it's employees or customers, great results follow.

He talks openly about:

• Why perfecting the customer experience matters more than inventory
• How VINCUE has helped streamline operations, grow used inventory, and cut costs
• What it means to lead with transparency, trust, and real-time data
• The value of dealer feedback in building better tech
• His personal advice to new salespeople and dealers considering VINCUE

Whether you’re a seasoned leader or just breaking into automotive, Russell’s perspective on culture, process, and purpose is packed with wisdom and heart. As he says: “Love people. Love cars.”

In this exclusive interview, VINCUE President Danny Zaslavsky sits down with Charles McDonald, Marketing and Brand Manager at AutoAlert, to break down the integration between two of the industry’s most powerful platforms.

AutoAlert is the “OG of customer insights,” helping dealers mine their database for equity and lifecycle opportunities. Now, with a direct integration to VINCUE, dealers can instantly access real-time trade values, vehicle history, and lifecycle data, all from a single screen. The result? Smarter inventory decisions, faster deals, and more confident conversations between associates and customers.

“The first way to remove friction is to improve culture, and you do that by removing silos,” Danny explains. “Our mission at VINCUE has been connecting all of these steps in that vehicle lifecycle management process so that appraisal is connected to equity mining. So when a customer is coming in from online, they can pick up where they left off. All of those things used to live in separate places.”

Danny and Charles discuss how this partnership eliminates guesswork, reduces friction, and empowers dealers to stop settling for what’s available and start acquiring what they actually need, based on data, demand, and strategic forecasting.

If you're looking to streamline your tech stack, level up your lifecycle strategy, and win more deals with less wasted time, this interview is for you.

Key takeaways:

• Real-time ACV sync between AutoAlert and VINCUE
  
  
• Full visibility into past appraisals, purchases, and sales
  
  
• Predictive inventory insights and model-specific planning
  
  
• Empowering teams with tools to act confidently, on the spot

Listen now or visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTjNRNVWWzs&t=1051s to see how AutoAlert + VINCUE are helping dealers stay ahead by aligning data, people, and process.

Dave Janssen has been part of his family’s dealership group since 1998. What started as a single Chrysler store in McCook, Nebraska has grown into Janssen Auto Group, a seven-rooftop operation across four cities, representing brands like Ford, Honda, RAM, Chevy, and GMC. As owner and operator, Dave has led the group through steady, strategic growth by staying focused on efficiency, discipline, and delivering a great customer experience.

But running multiple rooftops comes with serious challenges: parts shortages that slow down service, inventory imbalances that make it hard to stock the right vehicles, and inconsistent marketing that hurts turn times. On top of it all, Dave needed better visibility into what was happening at each store, and faster access to the data that drives decisions.

That’s where VINCUE came in.

Since implementing VINCUE, Janssen Auto Group has transformed how they operate. Real-time inventory insights, smarter pricing tools, and improved communication between departments have helped them streamline processes and boost profitability. With tools like Service-to-Sales and Description Builder, they’re turning cars faster and presenting listings that actually drive action.

Dave credits their continued growth to consistency, accountability, and the right technology partner. With VINCUE, he’s built a more connected, more efficient, and more competitive dealership group, and they’re just getting started.

Charlie Spradlin, Sales Director at Art Moehn Auto Group, helps run three rooftops across Michigan—two Chevrolet stores and a Honda dealership. He’s been in the car business for just a few years, but he’s already made a big impact. After starting his career in retail with The Buckle, Charlie brought his leadership experience into automotive, quickly rising from salesperson to Sales Director in just 18 months.

Charlie is focused on growth, but not just more, smarter. He’s helped the group go from selling 275 used cars in March of last year to 330 this March. Under his leadership, Art Moehn has embraced a strong used car strategy that combines operational efficiency, culture, and the right tools.

Charlie uses VINCUE to appraise every car, and says he sees an average of $500 more front-end gross compared to a nearby store still using vAuto. He’s also cut recon-to-frontline time from 14 days to 8 by using Rapid Recon, internal photo processes, and VINCUE’s inventory system.

He’s a big believer in sourcing from the service lane, acquiring 10–12% of inventory there today, with a goal of hitting 25%. With 850-1,000 ROs a month, that’s a real opportunity. Charlie also credits VINCUE BOOST and social media presence for helping move inventory faster and with better margins.

Charlie’s all about building strong teams and strong systems, and creating a fun culture while doing it.

In this episode of Cue Next Leader, host Angela Rizzo sits down with Matt Love, Director of Dealer Services at MaxOffer by CarMax, to explore the game-changing integration between VINCUE and MaxOffer.

MaxOffer is a free, no-obligation web app that delivers real-time trade-in offers in under two minutes, providing immediate insights to validate your appraisals. Now fully integrated with VINCUE, dealers can seamlessly access MaxOffer within their appraisal process, receiving instant, CarMax-backed offers directly on any appraisal or vehicle. 

With 19 years in the industry, Matt leads strategy and product enhancements that empower dealers nationwide. He debunks common misconceptions, including the idea that MaxOffer is only for selling to CarMax, and highlights how this collaboration provides dealers with fast, accurate vehicle data to streamline their acquisition process.

Angela and Matt also discuss how this partnership supports VINCUE’s mission to modernize inventory appraisal and management - while aligning with CarMax’s core values of transparency, putting people first, and winning together. Together, they explore how these principles help drive efficiency and confidence for dealers and customers alike.

Watch or listen now to discover how this innovative, best-in-class integration is reshaping the trade-in experience, why “taking the time to gain the time” is crucial for success, and what’s next for dealers in an evolving automotive landscape.

Cue the Next Leader is an exclusive podcast by VINCUE where dealers, software partners, and thought leads from across the industry share insights, ideas, and innovations to help all automotive professionals grow and win. 

You can find all our Cue the Next Leader podcasts at https://vincue.com/resources/cue-the-next-leader-podcast/. 

In her final symbolic interview, outgoing Chief Marketing Officer and founding host of Cue the Next Leader podcast, Angela Rizzo, hands the microphone to Michael Hopkins, the person who will succeed her in both roles.

Angela and Michael have a long history together and Michael credits Angela as a friend, a colleague, and a mentor for many years. They forged their decade long friendship through volunteer opportunities and shared community involvement, including the Metzler Mentor Program, started by Michael and on which Angela served as a mentor.

Michael Hopkins has been with VINCUE since 2021, originally serving as Chief Marketing Officer for a year before a brief hiatus where he helped found a whiskey distillery in Kansas City. He came back in 2022 as Chief Experience Officer and worked closely with Angela and the marketing team to extend the VINCUE brand identity, messaging, and mission to current dealers and partners.

During the interview, Angela shares some of her favorite memories at VINCUE and as host of the podcast, including some fun episodes with VINCUE dealers like Patrick Abad of ‪@BeaverToyotaofCumming‬   Liza Borches of ‪@CarterMyersAutomotive‬  Jose Lazo of ‪@Southdadetoyota‬  and Bob Kain with ‪@jackkain1‬ . 

She also interviews Michael about plans for his new role and the future of the podcast. Michael answers that the next few years at VINCUE will be all about taking advantage of the momentum and structures in place and using them to scale sales, marketing, and onboarding exponentially. As host of the podcast, Michael plans to invite more VINCUE employees to share the mic and speak directly with #TamVINCUE dealers, partners, and automotive industry thought leaders.

Cue the Next Leader is an automotive industry podcast from VINCUE, the company behind the only Vehicle Lifecycle Management solution that unifies every step of the inventory Plan, Buy, Manage, and Sell process. Cue the Next Leader is a series of conversations designed to focus on a common journey and help automotive leaders go further, faster, by learning from other operators in our industry.

Find this episode, and all Cue the Next Leader episodes, at https://www.vincue.com/podcast. Schedule a Demo of VINCUE at https://www.vincue.com.