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Description
Collaboration through connection.
Hosted by Paul J Daly, Kyle Mountsier, and Michael Cirillo, Auto Collabs is your connect point to the human side of the retail automotive industry: what motivates its leaders, how they navigate change, and what keeps them pushing forward. It’s beyond-the-business-card conversations with real people powering dealerships, technology platforms, and everything in between.
From the team behind the More Than Cars movement, this podcast is built on one big belief: thriving people create thriving businesses. With candid conversations, industry insight, and just enough unfiltered banter to keep things interesting, Auto Collabs delivers authentic stories that inspire real collaboration.
// Auto Collabs is produced by Automotive State of the Union (ASOTU). Learn more at https://www.asotu.com
223 Episodes
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Send a text Third-gen dealer leader Emily Marlow Beck breaks down why humility is a competitive advantage, how to become “essential” to customers, and how to lead through AI-era uncertainty without losing your heart. Emily Marlow Beck didn’t expect to be recognized—especially not as a TIME Dealer of the Year nominee. She runs a three-store group, not a mega-empire, and her first reaction was basically: “Oh… me?” But as the conversation unfolds, it’s clear why her name landed in that room: s...
Send a text This episode originally released on April 4, 2024. Will Guidara has never told this story before. He’s now world-famous, a New York Times bestseller, and has appeared on talk shows, stages and podcasts. But this is the first time he shares how he and Simon Sinek met and connected, ultimately leading to Simon asking him to write a book, ‘Unreasonable Hospitality.’ He opens up about his belief that anyone, in any profession, can choose to be part of the hospitality industry by pri...
Send a text Bob George breaks down why AI won’t save automotive retail—unless the data underneath it is rock solid. Before Dealer.com became a household name in automotive tech, Bob George was employee number ~80, learning in real time how to scale a company that would eventually grow to more than 1,100 people in Burlington alone. In this episode, Bob shares what hypergrowth actually feels like from the inside—spoiler: even the founders were figuring it out as they went. We talk leadership ...
Send a text Managing 76 dealerships and 11% of Toyota’s U.S. sales isn’t about control—it’s about trust, care, and showing up better every day. Marcus Williams oversees Toyota’s Los Angeles Region—76 dealerships across Southern California representing 11% of Toyota’s total U.S. sales. That scale brings constant pressure, but Marcus’s approach stays remarkably grounded. His focus centers on leadership development, operational alignment, and making sure dealers are equipped to take care of gu...
Send a text Live from the Washington, DC Auto Show at Public Policy Day 2026, Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier sit down with Alex Kwanten, Managing Editor of U.S. News Autos, to unpack what “affordable” really means in today’s car market. Fresh off presenting U.S. News’ annual Best Cars for the Money awards, Kwanten explains how affordability goes far beyond sticker price—factoring in transaction prices, insurance, fuel, maintenance, and long-term ownership costs that most shoppers overlook. ...
Send a text Live from the Washington, DC Auto Show at Public Policy Day 2026, Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier sit down with Brian Skalovsky, Director of Battery Recycling at Cox Automotive, to unpack one of the least understood—but most critical—parts of the EV conversation: what actually happens to batteries after they leave the vehicle. Skalovsky explains why battery service speed is one of the biggest barriers to EV adoption, how Cox’s EV Battery Solutions division can turn three-week repai...
Send a text Live from the Washington, DC Auto Show at Public Policy Day 2026, Kyle Mountsier and Paul J Daly sit down with Drew Ferguson, Head of the Office of Policy and Government Affairs at Hyundai Motor Group, to unpack how automakers navigate uncertainty without losing focus. As policy shifts, geopolitical pressure builds, and affordability dominates the conversation, Ferguson explains why Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis have stayed steady—by doubling down on value, innovation, and long-term i...
Send a text Live from the Washington, DC Auto Show at Public Policy Day 2026, Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier sit down with Erin Keating, Executive Analyst at Cox Automotive, to challenge one of the most repeated headlines in the industry: the $50,000 new car. Keating breaks down why average transaction price is often misunderstood, how it reflects buying behavior rather than availability, and why affordability isn’t as broken as many believe. With data from Kelley Blue Book and Cox Automotive...
Send a text As auto loans stretch longer and negative equity piles up, one former prosecutor explains why transparency—not pressure—might be the most profitable move dealers can make. Robert Steenbergh didn’t come up through the showroom—he came from the courtroom. After years as a prosecutor and later representing dealers as an attorney, Robert saw both sides of the auto industry’s biggest tension point: compliance versus profitability. What surprised him most wasn’t dealer intent, but how...
Send a text Live from the Washington, DC Auto Show at Public Policy Day 2026, Paul J Daly sits down with John Bozzella, CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, to unpack the rapidly shifting landscape of U.S. auto policy. With fuel economy rules under revision, autonomous technology advancing, and affordability under pressure, Bozzella shares what he’s most focused on ahead of an upcoming conversation with Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy—and why the stakes for consumers, dealers...
Send a text Live from the Washington, DC Auto Show during Public Policy Day 2026, Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier sit down with Will Bright of SafeRide AI to unpack what autonomy really means—and what consumers actually want from it. After experiencing SafeRide’s technology firsthand in a Toyota Corolla, the conversation cuts through the hype around full self-driving and focuses on a simpler truth: people don’t want robot cars, they want safer and more convenient driving. Bright clearly explai...
Send a text At Public Policy Day 2026, Kyle Mountsier and Paul J Daly sit down with Jamie Darvish, owner of Darcars, to unpack the growing affordability crisis facing the automotive industry. With the average new car price now hovering around $50,000, Darvish delivers a sobering reality: roughly one-third of Americans are effectively locked out of the new car market. He explains why car shows still matter more than ever, how they spark real showroom traffic, and why dealers increasingly sit a...
Send a text Behind every car is a chain of decisions — made by lawmakers, regulators, and executives long before the vehicle hits the road. Joe Koch from the Washington D.C. Auto Show joins us to unpack how politics, pricing, and technology collide to shape the future of driving. We talk affordability, electric innovation, and why the showroom experience still beats the online checkout. 0:00 Intro: A New Look at the D.C. Auto Show 0:30 Where Cars and Policy Collide in Washington 1:32 Inside t...
Send a text Jay Ku says the next wave of AI in automotive won’t win by automating people out—it’ll win by making average teams deliver a top-tier human experience every single time. Jay’s path into automotive is the kind you don’t storyboard—he left home at 14, found cycling in New Hampshire, rode a bike across America at 17, turned pro while at Harvard, and eventually landed in auto through OEM work and his time leading at TrueCar. But the throughline isn’t prestige or titles—it’s obsessio...
Send a text Since we'll be at Public Policy Day on January 21, we're releasing one of the best conversations we had at last year's event. In this episode, we sit down with Senator Bernie Moreno of Ohio, a former car dealer turned policymaker, to discuss the future of the automotive industry and American manufacturing. Moreno shares his strong belief in the franchise model, highlighting how car dealers serve as a crucial link between automakers and consumers. He emphasizes the importance of ...
Send a text New episodes release Thursday. This episode was originally released in August 2023, when we had the opportunity to interview the one and only Jesse Cole. Just imagine having a dream so powerful that you'd risk everything, even mortgage your home and live on a shoestring budget to make it a reality. This episode's guest, Jesse Cole, owner of the Savannah Bananas, took that bold leap and is now reaping the rewards with a waitlist for tickets nearly hitting 900,000! Tune in to hear ...
Send a text New episodes every Thursday! This episode was originally released in July 2022. Today we're throwing back to the very first episode of Auto Collabs, where our guest was a NYT Bestselling Author, the Co-Founder of Square, the Chairman of the St Louis Federal Reserve, and a Professional Glass Blower. That’s not all either. Jim McKelvey is one of the most purebred entrepreneurs we’ve ever met, and he’s here to help us tell ourselves the truth about innovation, entrepreneurship, and ...
Send a text Recorded live at the Alliance for Automotive Innovation's The Merge 2025, this episode features Drew Ferguson, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis, sharing a deeply personal view of what automotive investment really means for American communities. From his hometown of West Point, Georgia—once devastated by the collapse of textiles—to the arrival of Hyundai’s manufacturing footprint, Ferguson explains how advanced auto plants don’t just build v...
Send a text Recorded live at Merge 2025, this episode of Auto Collabs features Congresswoman Debbie Dingell of Michigan, a lifelong advocate for the auto industry and someone whose personal and professional history is deeply tied to it. From growing up with “Body by Fisher” in her blood to working more than three decades in and around automotive before Congress, Dingell makes a clear case for why the automobile remains a backbone of the American economy—and why that reality is often underesti...
Send a text Recorded live at the Alliance for Automotive Innovation's the Merge 2025, this episode of Auto Collabs features Jason Hoff, CEO of Mercedes-Benz North America, sharing a clear look at where the brand is headed—and what that means for dealers. Hoff outlines the largest product launch cycle in Mercedes-Benz history, with nearly 40 models set to debut over the next three years, spanning both electric and internal combustion powertrains. His message is straightforward: customers want ...
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