Auto Collabs
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
Episodes
This episode was originally released on April 24, 2025.
In 2025, we joined up with Erroll Bomar III to bring the world the Unscripted podcast, live from the ASOTU CON floor. This was our first long-form conversation with him and the More Than Cars mindset that he has is on full display. Erroll will be back at ASOTU CON 2026, from May 12-14 in Hanover, MD. You can get tickets and learn more at https://www.asotucon.com...
A candid, hosts-only conversation about the mindset shift quietly transforming the automotive industry from the inside out.
Somewhere between a conversation and a checkpoint, Paul J Daly, Kyle Mountsier, and Michael Cirillo zoom out on what “More Than Cars” actually means when you’re living it day to day. From dealership floors to global conversations, they unpack how a simple mindset shift is helping people see...
Behind every dealership is an unseen battle over regulation, competition, and control—and the next few years may decide who really owns the future of the automotive industry.
Ted Smith has spent his career in the engine room of the automotive industry—working inside associations that quietly shape how cars are sold, serviced, and protected across America. As President of the Florida Automobile Dealers Associatio...
If service drives sales, why are dealers letting their best customers slip through the cracks?
Shane Wilson, President of Connected Dealer Services, joins Auto Collabs with a bold claim: dealers don’t have a pricing problem in service—they have a trust and communication problem. While most consumers believe dealerships cost more, the data tells a different story. In fact, independent shops are often $10–$15 high...
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 ...
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 pr...
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...
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, operationa...
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,...
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, maintena...
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 a...
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 st...
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 ...
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 T...
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, ...
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 th...
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.
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...
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 a...
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 reapin...
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