Today I'm joined by Michael Maroone, Chairman and CEO of Maroone USA. We dig into what really changes when you move from running a public retail giant to building a private, partner-driven dealer group. Michael breaks down why new cars are becoming commodities, where profit has actually migrated, and why culture, curiosity, and operational freedom matter more than pay plans. He also shares blunt takes on EV overinvestment, framework agreements, and why he’s not afraid of Tesla or Chinese OEMs.
This episode is brought to you by:
CDG Circles – A digital peer group for top auto dealers. Private dealer chats. Vendor reviews. Real insights — confidential, compliant, no travel required. Join dealers representing 3,000+ rooftops at https://cdgcircles.com.
1.@Podiumsoftware78% of customers buy from the first business that responds, yet most businesses reply an hour or more late. In 2023 Podium deployed AI Employees to close that gap. In 2025 Podium released Jerry 2.0, a massive update that completely reimagines the AI Employee. Jerry 2.0 is the only fully customizable AI Employee. Jerry learns your playbooks, understands your inventory, schedules appointments, books test drives, handles trade-ins, books consultations, sends promotions, requests reviews, and learns from your feedback—within minutes, day or night. In the past year alone, Jerry influenced more than $30B in sales and handled 4.5M+ leads, 350K+ appointments, and 125K+ calls. Businesses now let Podium’s AI Employees handle 40% of their inbound leads, giving teams more time for their customers—and more time home for dinner. Learn what Jerry can do for you @ https://go.podium.com/vVXgtu
2. @carfaxDrive long-term customer loyalty with CARFAX. Visit @ https://www.carfax.com/cdg to learn more.
3. Nomad Content Studio - Most dealers still fumble social—posting dry inventory pics or handing it off without a plan. Meanwhile, the store down the street is racking up millions of views and selling / buying cars using video. That’s where Nomad Content Studio comes in. We train your own videographer, direct what to shoot, and handle strategy, to posting, to feedback. Want in with the team behind George Saliba, EV Auto, and top auto groups? Book a call @ http://www.trynomad.co
Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff:
For dealers:
CDG Circles ➤ https://cdgcircles.com/
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://cdgguest.com
For industry vendors:
Advertise with Car Dealership Guy ➤ http://cdgpartner.com
Industry job board ➤ http://jobs.dealershipguy.com
Request to be a podcast guest ➤ http://cdgguest.com
Topics:
06:10 Instead of GMs, use equity-owning "President Partners."
06:45 Use a "Freedom Frame" for flexible governance.
08:00 High goodwill stores make partner buy-ins impossible.
19:55 Never use compensation to run your business.
21:10 Ask 20 questions in every elevator ride.
24:15 New car product has been totally commoditized.
26:15 We are facing a lost generation of CapEx.
32:15 Measure "Super PVR" to see total deal economics.
39:45 Reject framework agreements; they only hinder growth.
Car Dealership Guy Socials:
X ➤ https://www.x.com/GuyDealership
Instagram ➤ / cardealershipguy
TikTok ➤ / guydealership
LinkedIn ➤ / cardealershipguy
Threads ➤ https://www.threads.net/@cardealershi...
Facebook ➤ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...
Everything else ➤ https://www.dealershipguy.com
Информация по комментариям в разработке