The Walk Around

Latest Episodes:

S4E19 - From Tesla to Tekion: How One Founder is Redefining the DMS Oct 23, 2025

Show notes

Jay Vijayan, Founder & CEO at Tekion, discusses the dealership pain points he saw which led to the creation of his business. He also shares insights on AI and digital retail and lessons he learned from his leadership role at Tesla.

For more information about our guest, visit their ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Episode Breakdown

0:00 - Jay’s introduction to the automotive industry

7:42 - Why Jay’s company decided to acquire dealerships

10:23 - The major pain points he saw dealerships facing

15:38 - What Jay learned from owning dealerships

21:14 - How a focus on people drove their platform creation

26:11 - Addressing dealers’ concerns with changing technologies

33:03 - What can dealers expect from AI in the next few years?

37:56 - The F&I process and what dealers are saying

39:53 - Best Bets: Cloud platforms, the next industry disruptor and APIs

42:32 - Lessons learned from working at Tesla

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S4E18 - Consumer Buying Trends Dealers Need To Know Oct 08, 2025

Show notes

Marc Bland, Head of New Business and Growth Audiences for S&P Global, breaks down the trends he’s seeing across customer bases, the segment OEMs are overlooking, how to engage more buyers and his opinion on TikTok car sales.

For more information about our guest, visit their ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠.

Episode Breakdown
0:00 - Marc's insight on OEM sales and consumers
3:33 - What’s important for dealers to pay attention to
7:14 - Who is driving buyer growth?
9:09 - How dealers can engage fast growing buyer populations
12:51 - Ways dealers can hit gross margins
17:10 - Generational buying trends
21:23 - Is there a segment OEMs are overlooking?
26:20 - Best Bets: TikTok car sales, small EV buyers adoption

Liked this episode? Find our full episode library ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

S4E17 - Built to Last: Strengthening Your Dealership’s Future Oct 01, 2025

Show notes

Jenell Ross, President at Bob Ross Buick GMC, discusses taking over the helm of her father’s dealership, how she is working to improve operational performance and supporting the presence of women across the industry.

For more information about our guest, visit their ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠.

Episode Breakdown

0:00 - Meet Jenell

2:13 - The state of the business

3:46 - Key leadership lessons learned

5:55 - The industry at its core is...

8:49 - Innovations that had the biggest impact

12:41 - Navigating talent retention

15:51 - Supporting women in the auto industry

18:17 - Lessons learned from leading a dealership group

23:47 - Advice for new dealers

24:30 - Best Bets: GenZ purchase habits, Amazon-like car delivery and more!

Liked this episode? Find our full episode library ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

S4E16 - Leading the Next Generation of Dealers Sep 24, 2025

Show notes

Karen Ford, President at Sutton Ford and incoming NextGen Committee President at NAMAD, talks cultivating culture and continuing legacies at dealerships. Plus, what she had to do before she could join her family’s dealership.

For more information about our guest, visit their ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠.

Episode Breakdown

0:00 - Karen’s journey to becoming a dealer

5:50 - What OEM work-experience gave Karen as a dealership leader

6:47 - How Karen’s continuing a dealership legacy

8:10 - Top rewarding moments from becoming a dealer

9:25 - Cultivating a culture at her dealerships

10:49 - The goal of NextGen and building up future dealers

12:00 - Dealership operations: What Karen’s focusing on

14:04 - Establishing connections with local communities

17:50 - Opportunities for increasing sales

19:12 - Karen’s Best Bets on community-first dealerships, digital retail and more

Liked this episode? Find our full episode library ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠.

S4E15 - The Human Connection At Your Dealership Sep 17, 2025

Show notes

Perry Watson IV, President of NAMAD, explains the necessity of improving the human element at dealerships. He details different ways dealers can accomplish this and shares how NAMAD is helping dealers and their communities evolve.

For more information about our guest, visit their ⁠LinkedIn⁠.

Episode Breakdown

0:00 - Meet Perry
1:56 - Are dealers optimistic regardless of market uncertainties?
3:39 - Being a servant leader
5:59 - What does winning look like in automotive?
7:00 - How dealers can connect with their community
11:03 - 2026 priorities for NAMAD organization
15:05 - Talent retention and operational practices working well for dealers
17:55 - How dealers can create more relational customer experiences
19:25 - Where are dealers using AI most?
21:09 - Best bets on online and DTC buying

Liked this episode? Find our full episode library ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠.

S4E14 - The Grit Behind Great Dealers Sep 09, 2025

Show notes

Joey Huang, Dealer Owner at Great Lakes Auto Group, discusses the transition from medical school to automotive. He shares how a tenacious, yet respectful attitude has driven his career, along with people believing in his potential.

For more information about our guest, visit their LinkedIn.

Episode Breakdown

0:00 - Meet Joey

4:04 - Why NAMAD is important for the industry

5:10 - How relationship building advanced his career

8:01 - Getting selected for his first open point

10:50 - How Joey stays persistent in his career

11:44 - Finding optimism in market uncertainties and preparing for 2026

14:17 - OEM and dealers benefit from this

15:11 - Joey’s Best Bets on consolidation, leadership and data trends

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S4E13 - Tariffs & Transitions: Navigating Automotive Changes Jun 20, 2025

Show notes

Jonathan Jordan and Jamie Horowitz of JM&A Group dive into the latest uncertainties facing the automotive industry, including the impact of tariffs. Don’t miss strategic insights to help you navigate the changes at your dealership.

For more about our guests, visit their LinkedIn: Jonathan Jordan & Jamie Horowitz

Episode Breakdown

0:00 - Meet our guests!

1:50 - Financial impacts of tariffs in the automotive industry

6:55 - How dealers can reposition F&I products for customers

9:54 - Claims patterns and service contracts patterns

10:48 - Controlling costs at your dealership

12:41 - One of the best tools for customer retention is...

13:54 - Utilizing the service department to sell F&I

16:35 - Streamlining online claims with AI

21:57 - Staying informed and what dealers can do now

Liked this episode? Find our full episode library ⁠here⁠.

S4E12 - What Dealers Should Know About Customer Sentiment | Chris Sutton Jun 18, 2025

Show notes

Chris Sutton, Senior Vice President of Auto Benchmarking and Customer Success at J.D. Power, talks data around customer sentiment in the dealership, digital retail and technology advancements and his view of the 2025 industry.

For more info about Chris, visit his LinkedIn.

Episode Breakdown

0:00 - Meet Chris

2:59 - What should dealers be mindful of in 2025?

4:06 - Why some dealers are less focused on digital

7:15 - The top issue seen in customer experience data

8:08 - How to boost customer satisfaction

12:08 - Video Multi-Point Inspection in the dealership

14:27 - Is customer sentiment improving?

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S4E11 - How Micro-Learning is Changing Dealership Training | Matthias Stoever May 14, 2025

Show notes

Training your dealership’s team is a continuous, yet important process. Discover ways to explore innovative training opportunities at your dealership and empower your team with Matthias Stoever, Co-Founder and CEO at RockEd.

For more about Matthias, visit his LinkedIn.

Episode Breakdown

0:00 - Meet Matthias & RockED

10:11 - The origin story behind his startup

14:37 - What training behaviors are being seen from micro training?

16:46 – Why is training in this area the least invested in?

18:36 - How training plays a role in employee retention

21:37 - What's next for RockED in 2025?

22:09 - Reducing fear around artificial intelligence in the dealership

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S4E10 - How to Effectively Market Your Dealership with Special Guest Laurie Halter May 05, 2025

Show notes

Laurie Halter has worked in automotive marketing and PR for 20+ years with her company, Charisma! Communications. She shares valuable advice for developing a content strategy that empowers your team and engages your customers.

For more about Laurie, visit her LinkedIn.

Episode Breakdown

0:00 - Meet Laurie!

0:57 - What are you excited about in the industry this year?

1:27 - AI technology in the service lane

3:05 - Are more dealers expanding mobile service options

4:48 - Balancing technology and human engagement

5:42 - Are customers and dealers thinking of 2025 optimistically?

7:46 - Giving customers payment options with technology

9:04 – How can dealers stand out with their marketing?

12:54 - How to start creating marketable content

14:27 – Laurie’s journey into the auto industry