Inside the Culture Shift Powering Paradise Chevrolet: From People to Profit — and What’s Next | Katelyn Gilmore, General Manager of Paradise Chevrolet Cadillac
Today I’m joined by Katelyn Gilmore, General Manager of Paradise Chevrolet Cadillac. We discuss why she's betting big on the world's first fleet only service center, how to attract and retain gen z talent in the dealership, why shes handing out Rolex's to senior employees and much more.
This episode is brought to you by:
1. Auto Hauler Exchange - Ship Smarter. Pay Less. No Middlemen. Tired of brokers driving up costs and slowing you down? Auto Hauler Exchange puts YOU in control. Ship cars faster and cheaper with 5,500+ vetted carriers. Get cars delivered in just 4 days on average. Transparent pricing, no hidden fees, and real-time tracking. Move cars smarter. Move cars faster. Learn more @ autohaulerexchange.com
2. Cox Automotive - Discover what’s driving improved customer experiences—and dealership results. Download the Drivers of Shopper Satisfaction ebook from Cox Automotive today: Visit @ https://carguymedia.com/464vOfw
3. Impel - Meet the AI Operating System built for a new era of automotive retailing. From CRM to service bay, from website to DMS, it unifies and orchestrates every part of your dealership operations—and your customer lifecycle. Visit @ http://www.impel.ai and and discover how Impel AI turns routine interactions into VIP experiences.
Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff:
For dealers:
Industry job board ➤ http://jobs.dealershipguy.com
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Topics:
00:26 What is the Cadillac Champions group?
01:19 Why are 20 Groups valuable?
02:33 How to maintain high fleet sales?
07:55 Best community/employee initiative?
25:39 Managing generational shifts in workplace?
26:46 Current revenue and financial trends?
27:58 Managing a large service department?
31:58 Strategy for Cadillac/EV market?
35:04 Top leadership goal as GM?
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Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com
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Starkey on After-Sale CX, DAS Tech CEO on Driving Sales, Ruder on Client Growth | Daily Dealer Live
Today's show features:
Tony Starkey, Customer Experience Manager at Bob Poynter Family of Dealerships
Alexi Venneri, CEO of DAS Technology
Chris Ruder, General Manager at Northcutt Chevrolet
This episode is brought to you by:
Repair360 – If you’re in the used car business, you know wasted time is wasted money. Check out Repair360—the first and only reconditioning software that connects every function in the dealership to tighten recon and help you sell more cars — No more hounding vendors. Goodbye endless texts and hallway chases. Repair 360 connects all the dots. See where every car is and what its recon is costing minute-to-minute in real time. Visit repair360.com
DAS Technology – Digital Air Strike helps dealerships attract, convert, and retain more customers with a single-platform approach that powers your inventory merchandising, customer data experience, social media, reputation management, and more. We bring innovation to your dealership with cutting-edge technology like AI-powered videos for recall and declined service follow-up. Now, we’re taking you behind the scenes with a 10-Part Dealer-to-Dealer Masterclass from our Ultimate 20 Summit in Naviva, Mexico. Real strategies shared by top dealership leaders, recorded just for you.
Insights you can’t Google or ask ChatGPT — available free for a limited time at Ultimate20Group.com.
Car Dealership Guy is back with our second annual NADA Party—happening in Las Vegas on Thursday, February 5th. It’s the hottest ticket at NADA 2026. Spots are limited and unfortunately we can't invite everyone —so RSVP today at https://carguymedia.com/cdglive and we hope to see you in Vegas!
—
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CDG News ➤ https://news.dealershipguy.com/
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My Socials:
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Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com
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Appraisal Landmines Costing Dealers $1,000's — And How To Defuse Them | Industry Spotlight
Welcome to Industry Spotlight—a focused series hosted by Sam D’Arc, highlighting standout dealerships and innovative companies, and exploring the trends driving success in today’s automotive market. Today, Sam sits down with Terry Chechakli, Director of Operations at Smith Auto Group, and Frederick Grimm, Co-founder of FIXD.
This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by AppraisalPRO:
AppraisalPRO - Stop getting hammered on hidden trade-in costs. AppraisalPRO instantly reveals repair costs, alerts you to recently cleared codes, and integrates directly with vAuto— meaning diagnostic data populates automatically in your appraisals. Our comprehensive scans take seconds, not minutes, and are simple enough for anyone on your team to use. Join dealers saving $10,000s per month with the fastest and most accurate OBD2 appraisal solution in the market. Special deal for CDG listeners: FREE 1-week trial, then just $195/month with no setup fees and OBD2 scanners included. Visit @ http://www.getAppraisalPRO.com
Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff:
For dealers:
Industry job board ➤ http://jobs.dealershipguy.com
Dealership recruiting ➤ http://www.cdgrecruiting.com
Fix your dealership’s social media ➤ http://www.trynomad.co
Request to be a podcast guest ➤ http://www.cdgguest.com
For industry vendors:
Advertise with Car Dealership Guy ➤ http://www.cdgpartner.com
Industry job board ➤ http://jobs.dealershipguy.com
Request to be a podcast guest ➤ http://www.cdgguest.com
Topics:
01:22 Smith Auto's growth and acquisition strategy?
02:10 Biggest used car acquisition challenges?
03:12 Auctions vs. alternative inventory sources?
06:28 How AppraisalPro improves transparency?
10:30 Appraisal Pro's financial impact?
21:59 How do OBD scans help?
24:52 From fault codes to recon estimates?
27:31 Benefits of transparent dealings?
38:35 Future developments for AppraisalPro?
Car Dealership Guy Socials:
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Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com
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Outside The Box – Expert F&I Roundtable | Daily Dealer Live
Today's show features:
Jonathan Blain, F&I Manager at Goldy Auto
Trevor Caulfield, F&I Manager at Pine Belt Chevrolet
Dennis Gingrich, Sales & Finance Director at The Niello Company
Wade Higgins, Regional Sales Director at GSFS Group
This episode is brought to you by:
AppraisalPRO – Stop getting hammered on hidden trade-in costs. AppraisalPRO instantly reveals repair costs, alerts you to recently cleared codes, and integrates directly with vAuto— meaning diagnostic data populates automatically in your appraisals. Special deal for CDG listeners: FREE 1-week trial, then just $195/month with no setup fees and OBD2 scanners included. Visit getAppraisalPRO.com to get started.
Car Dealership Guy is back with our second annual NADA Party—happening in Las Vegas on Thursday, February 5th. It’s the hottest ticket at NADA 2026. Spots are limited and unfortunately we can't invite everyone —so RSVP today at https://carguymedia.com/cdglive and we hope to see you in Vegas!
—
Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff:
CDG News ➤ https://news.dealershipguy.com/
CDG Jobs ➤ https://jobs.dealershipguy.com/
CDG Recruiting ➤ https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/
My Socials:
X ➤ https://www.twitter.com/GuyDealership
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Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com
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1:13:01
Stop Bleeding Margin: 3 Red Flags in Dealership Ops — and How to Turn It Around | Jim Roche, CEO of WarrCloud
Today I’m joined by Jim Roche, CEO of WarrCloud. We dig into the $100K+ most dealers miss in warranty work, why surging warranty volume has made WarrCloud one of the fastest-growing companies in America (#1 in Missouri), and how you can retain techs and boost profits at the same time—plus much more.
This episode is brought to you by:
1. Matador AI - Discover why the biggest dealership groups in America are using Matador AI to enhance their Sales and BDC teams to sell and service more cars than ever before. Right now, podcast listeners get the first 30 days risk-free with an included white-glove onboarding, so you can experience the difference in your store. This offer is only available until the end of the month, so don’t wait! Head to @ http://www.matador.ai and book your demo today.
2. Digital Dealer - Digital Dealer Conference & Expo – Get real strategies that work in marketing, advertising, AI, fixed ops and more when you register to attend. Plus, the expo hall is packed with top exhibitors, quick-hit expert talks, and hands-on workshops that’ll help you turn ideas into action. Mark your calendars for October 14-15, 2025 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas and register today @ http://www.digitaldealer.com/registration
3. WarrCloud - Your warranty claims process shouldn’t drain your profits—or your people. Our award-winning AI technology transforms OEM warranty processing, helping you capture every dollar you’ve earned. Dealers reduce costs, speed up reimbursements, and uncover new revenue opportunities—while consistently improving OEM claim scores. The future of fixed ops belongs to those who adapt. Let’s talk about automating your warranty processing today. Visit @ https://warrcloud.com/get-an-analysis
Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff:
For dealers:
Industry job board ➤ http://jobs.dealershipguy.com
Dealership recruiting ➤ http://www.cdgrecruiting.com
Fix your dealership’s social media ➤ http://www.trynomad.co
Request to be a podcast guest ➤ http://www.cdgguest.com
For industry vendors:
Advertise with Car Dealership Guy ➤ http://www.cdgpartner.com
Industry job board ➤ http://jobs.dealershipguy.com
Request to be a podcast guest ➤ http://www.cdgguest.com
Topics:
00:47 Current auto sales and service trends?
01:38 Why the shift towards vehicle service?
02:18 How to interpret market forecasts?
04:44 Warranty vs customer pay dynamics?
09:58 AI and RPA's role in dealerships?
18:06 How to optimize warranty claims?
28:05 Key insights for business growth?
31:38 Future trends for dealerships?
Car Dealership Guy Socials:
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Instagram ➤ instagram.com/cardealershipguy/
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Threads ➤ threads.net/@cardealershipguy
Facebook ➤ facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683
Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com
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Flere Fritid podcasts
Trendige Fritid podcasts
Om Car Dealership Guy Podcast
The Car Dealership Guy Podcast Network is your front-row seat to the people, companies, and trends shaping the future of automotive retail—delivered across three focused formats:
The Car Dealership Guy Podcast (Tuesdays & Thursdays)
Hosted by Yossi Levi, these deep-dive interviews feature top dealers, operators, and innovators driving the industry forward.
Daily Dealer Live (Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays)
Our live-streamed show, also released here in audio format, brings real-time news, sharp takes, and high-impact guests—think CNBC for car dealers.
Industry Spotlight
Hosted by Sam D’Arc, this segment highlights standout dealerships and vendors with tactical insights and stories from the front lines.
Follow us on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for highlights and behind-the-scenes content from every episode.