Rob Ruth (Bob Ruth Ford) proves you don’t need a massive metro market or a “Taj Mahal” store, to win big in used cars. From Dillsburg, PA (population ~2,900), Rob’s team sold 300+ used cars in a month and bought 240 vehicles off the street by building a disciplined acquisition engine, a buying-center approach, and a startup mindset inside a franchise dealership. This episode breaks down the exact thinking, processes, and leadership moves behind a high-volume pre-owned operation.

In this episode of The Dealer Playbook, I sit down with Matt Birkhead, Dealer Principal at Sir Walter Chevrolet in Raleigh, North Carolina, a nearly 100-year-old, single-point store that’s grown by leaning into transparency, simplified pricing, community involvement, and people-first leadership.

In this episode of The Dealer Playbook, we sit down with Josh Keough, Licensed Architect and Studio Director at Gensler, to unpack how dealership architecture, layout, and environment design directly impact sales efficiency, fixed ops performance, employee retention, and guest experience.

In this solo year in review episode, I’m slowing things down to reflect on what 2025 actually taught us. Not the highlight reel. The real stuff. The hard conversations, the uncomfortable growth, the moments where leadership, culture, and discipline mattered more than any shiny new strategy.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

In this episode of The Dealer Playbook, Michael Cirillo sits down with Sebrina Westbrooke, 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.

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.

In this episode, I sit down with Tara Willis, a seasoned automotive professional who turned her childhood love for cars into a 20-year career working with major automotive brands like BMW, Subaru, Nissan, and Infiniti. Tara now leads product marketing and incentives planning at Infiniti, and she’s using her voice to shape what leadership looks like in today’s auto industry.

Selling more cars isn't for the faint of heart. It requires daily commitment, discipline, and genuine human connection. In this episode, my guest is Jean-Pierre Lacroix, president and founder of SLD, a global branding firm that’s spent more than 30 years helping businesses win customers by tapping into what really drives decisions: emotion.

In this episode my guest is Brad Gelber, Digital Media and Content Marketing Manager at West Herr Auto Group, the largest privately owned dealer group in New York.

We love to talk about legacy in this industry. The photos on the walls, the family names on the buildings. But the truth is, legacy can’t just be something we inherit or frame. It has to be something we create every single day. And most stores don’t have a framework for how to actually do that.

In this episode my guest is Jimmy Douglas, founder and CEO of Plug and former Tesla exec. Jimmy’s one of the sharpest voices in the pre-owned EV market, and he’s here to break down what most dealers are missing, and what a small group is quietly getting right.

In this episode my guest is Ondar Tarlow, a marketing strategist with more than 20 years of experience working with brands like Fastlane Drive, Pacific Premier Bank, and the LA Chargers. He’s built a career on creating events and campaigns that actually move people—sometimes literally into showrooms.