Understanding Your Brand’s ROI with Ben Hadley

Ben Hadley, CEO & co-founder of Auto Genius, joined Tim for the latest episode of “Tim Talks: Leadership and Beyond.” From building a brand that can’t be measured by metrics to empowering teams with creativity and purpose, don’t miss the dynamic conversation on driving success. 

Ben shares his journey through tech, leadership, and launching game-changing strategies. Discover how community, culture, and long-term thinking are reshaping the future of automotive retail. 

Connect with Ben on LinkedIn, and follow Auto Genius. 

[00:00–01:12] Welcoming Ben Tim welcomes guest Ben Hadley, praising his expertise in automotive software and leadership. 

[01:13–02:11] Ben & Auto Genius Ben humbly reflects on the name of his company, Auto Genius, crediting his co-founders as the true geniuses. 

[02:12–06:14] Ben’s Automotive Journey Ben shares his unconventional path into automotive tech. Initially rejected by Dealer.com, he persisted until landing a sales role and rising to Director of Sales. 

[06:15–07:51] Ben’s Entrepreneurial Journey He details his journey helping scale companies and learning from industry trends before launching his own consulting firm. 

[07:52–13:21] Flipping the Script  Ben explains how building a community of top automotive marketers preceded the creation of his product—flipping the typical “product-market-fit” approach. 

[13:22–16:34] Supporting Marketing Departments Tim and Ben highlight the under-resourced dealership marketing departments, leading to the founding idea behind Auto Genius—solving problems like slow websites. 

[16:35–18:08] Metrics Aren’t the Full Story Ben criticizes the industry's over-reliance on short-term metrics and urges leaders to focus on long-term value and customer happiness. 

[18:09–21:18] The ROI of Culture They discuss how true dealership leadership means empowering employees, not just enforcing metrics. Great leaders create culture, not control. 

[21:19–23:36] The Waggle Dance Ben uses a bee analogy to illustrate how allowing experimentation leads to breakthroughs. 

[23:37–27:06] Why Build Local They explore how car dealers can build local brand equity where identity goes beyond metrics. 

[27:07–30:31] There’s No Metric for Brand Tim recaps Ben’s powerful takeaway: Your brand does not have a metric. Creating meaningful customer and employee experiences builds brand loyalty that numbers can’t always capture.