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Welcome to Leadership in the Dealership — an https://www.upstart.com/dealers/ podcast where automotive innovation meets insightful conversations. We help dealers improve their customer and employee experience by tapping into the minds...
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Welcome to Leadership in the Dealership — an Upstart podcast where automotive innovation meets insightful conversations. We help dealers improve their customer and employee experience by tapping into the minds and experiences of the industry’s top leaders. We’ll also explore cutting-edge trends shaping the auto industry across digitization and customer experience, both online and in the showroom. Ready to meet your hosts and catch a sneak peek of what's to come? Check out the trailer.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Upstart. Any content provided by the hosts or guests is for informational purposes only and is based on their own experiences and perspectives.
show less
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Upstart. Any content provided by the hosts or guests is for informational purposes only and is based on their own experiences and perspectives.
Episodes & Posts
Episodes
Posts
13 MAY 2026 · In 2016, you could lease a vehicle for under $200 a month.
Today, that same payment is pushing $1,000. And it’s not just one thing driving it.
Inventory is stacking. Tariffs are quietly working their way into costs. Gas prices have jumped fast. And OEMs are still reacting to where the market was, not where it’s going. Your customers are feeling all of it. They’re hesitating more. Looking harder at used.
Taking longer to make decisions. “People are hesitating in ways they didn’t before.” In this episode of Leadership in the Dealership, Danielle Mills Walden and Phillip Greer break down how these forces are colliding and what it means for how deals are getting done right now.
Because this isn’t just about higher prices. It’s about how those prices are changing behavior at the desk.
Catch it early, or you’ll feel it in your deals.
29 APR 2026 · Most dealerships are already using AI in their CRM.
But they’re using it to do more of the same thing, faster.
More follow-ups. More templates. More “just checking in” emails. And customers can tell.
In this episode of Leadership in the Dealership, Danielle Mills Walden and Phillip Greer break down where AI follow-up goes wrong and how dealers are actually using it to improve communication, not just automate it.
They get into:
• Why most CRM emails feel generic
• How to use AI without sounding like AI
• The “be me, but better” approach to communication
• Where automation helps and where it hurts
• How AI can improve speed without killing authenticity
• How it’s changing F&I, lending and approvals
“If you’re not contacting them well, they’re not telling their friends about you.” This isn’t about using more AI.
It’s about using it where it actually works. Stop being "that guy" at the airport talking to his phone like a crazy person and start winning at the dealership. Here is how to use the "AI touch" to get them in the door without sounding like a robot.
15 APR 2026 · The trade-in process is slowing deals down and costing dealerships opportunities they should be closing.
This episode breaks down the math, the friction and what dealers can do to improve the process. Phillip Greer and Danielle Mills Walden unpack why trade-ins have become one of the most challenging parts of the modern car deal and how dealerships can approach them differently.
In this episode:
• The impact of negative equity and how it shows up in today’s deals
• How instant appraisal models are reshaping customer expectations
• The cost of longer deal times and what it means for the customer experience
• Why incremental improvements can drive better results
• Why experience matters more than ever in the dealership process
Connect:
Website: www.leadershipinthedealership.ai
LinkedIn: Danielle Mills Walden
LinkedIn: Phillip Greer
#dealership #automotive #autoretail #cardealer
This podcast is powered by Upstart.
1 APR 2026 · Ten years ago, buying a car meant paper, fax machines and waiting around the dealership. Today, customers are doing most of the process before they even walk in. So why are some dealers still operating the same way? In this episode of Leadership in the Dealership, Danielle Mills Walden and Phillip Greer break down how the dealership experience has changed and where some stores are falling behind.
They get into:
• Why customers are coming in more informed than ever
• The gap between old-school processes and modern expectations
• What happens when dealers resist new tools and technology
• Why transparency and communication matter more than ever
• How AI, CRM and digital retail are reshaping the sales process
• The real reason some dealerships are winning more deals today
This is not about replacing the salesperson. It is about evolving the process. If your dealership is still relying on the same playbook from years ago, this conversation will hit home.
18 MAR 2026 · Are EVs ready for the real world? That depends on who you ask.
In this episode of Leadership in the Dealership, Danielle Mills Walden and Phillip Greer get into what EV adoption actually looks like from a dealership perspective. Not the headlines, not the hype. What happens when these vehicles hit your lot, your service lane and your customers.
They talk through the real questions that keep coming up:
• What happens to the battery over time, and why warranties matter more than ever
• Why servicing an EV is not the same as servicing a gas engine
• The gap between EV demand and service infrastructure
• How connected vehicles change the conversation around data and security
• Why some customers are all in on self-driving and others are not even close
• What platform sharing between OEMs really means behind the scenes
There is a lot of excitement around EVs. There are also real operational challenges that dealers are working through every day. If EVs are part of your future, this is not a conversation you can sit out.
Subscribe for more conversations that help you run a smarter dealership.
leadershipinthedealership.ai
4 MAR 2026 · When money gets tight, consumers are making different choices than many dealers expect.
In this episode of Leadership in the Dealership, Danielle Mills Walden and Phillip Greer sit down with Charles Rowe from FICO to unpack how payment behavior is shifting and what that means at the desk. The data shows a surprising trend: auto loans are often prioritized over mortgages. That shift changes how lenders assess risk and how dealers should structure deals.
In this conversation, they break down:
• Why the payment hierarchy has shifted
• How student loan delinquencies are influencing credit profiles
• What hidden prime buyers look like
• Why declines are not always about score
• How F&I managers can use this insight to structure smarter deals This episode is about more than data.
It is about understanding how buyers actually behave and how that behavior should inform your lending strategy. If you want to lead your dealership with better credit insight and better structure decisions, this one matters. Subscribe for more conversations that move the industry forward.
18 FEB 2026 · NADA 2026 was not subtle.
From the F1-themed opening night in Las Vegas to packed halls and nonstop energy, this show felt different from the moment we walked in.In this episode of Leadership in the Dealership, Danielle Mills Walden and Phillip Greer break down their experience on the ground. For Phillip, it was his first NADA. For Danielle, it was a return to Vegas at full capacity. For both, it was clear the industry showed up ready to talk about what is really happening.
We recap:
• Why the F1 opening set the tone for the entire week
• What stood out at the Women in Automotive Retail event, especially the conversation around trust
• How AI moved from buzzword to real strategy discussion
• Dealer reactions to OEM pivots, including EV direction and product shifts
• The networking moments that mattered just as much as the booths
What surprised us most? Dealers were not just talking about dealership problems. They were talking about the real world, buyer behavior and how those shifts are influencing every deal.Whether you were in Las Vegas or watching from afar, this episode captures what it felt like to be there and what dealers should be thinking about next.
Stay tuned. More conversations from the floor are coming.
4 FEB 2026 · Today’s car buyer isn’t asking what their credit score is. They already know it, and that is changing how deals get done.
In this episode of Leadership in the Dealership, Danielle Mills Walden and Phillip Greer are joined by Charles Rowe, director of auto sales and client success at FICO, to unpack new data on how younger buyers are engaging with credit and what that means inside the dealership.
The conversation explores why many buyers understand their score but not the structure behind the deal, how student loan delinquencies are reshaping credit profiles, and what really drives approvals, payments and affordability. Charles explains how that disconnect shows up at the desk and in the finance office.
Most importantly, they focus on the opportunity for dealers. When teams understand credit behavior and can explain it clearly, deals move more smoothly, trust builds faster and more buyers can get into the right vehicle without unnecessary friction.
21 JAN 2026 · Amazon Autos is no longer just an idea. Its beta version is live, expanding and already changing how people think about buying cars online.
In this episode of Leadership in the Dealership, Danielle Mills Walden and Phillip Greer break down what Amazon Autos really means for dealers, using Ford’s certified pre-owned partnership as a real-world example of a much larger shift. This conversation is not about one brand. It is about how large digital marketplaces are changing vehicle discovery, buyer expectations and the path to purchase.
Danielle and Phillip explain why this model does not remove dealers from the process, how CPO inventory fits naturally into Amazon’s ecosystem and what dealers should be thinking about now when it comes to listings, photos, reviews, digital retail and readiness for nationwide exposure. They also discuss how Amazon’s buying experience is shaping expectations around speed, transparency and convenience.
The episode then shifts to another major issue impacting the industry: recalls. With millions of vehicles still on the road with open recalls, Danielle and Phillip walk through the operational, safety and trust implications for dealers, service departments, rental fleets and customers. They share real-world experiences and explain why clearer communication and stronger processes matter more than ever.
Whether you are a dealer principal, general manager, used car manager or industry professional, this episode offers grounded insight into where digital car buying is headed and how to prepare without chasing hype or fear.
Listen, subscribe and share with someone in your dealership who needs to hear this.
7 JAN 2026 · Gen Z car buyers are changing the rules, and most dealerships are not ready. In this episode, Danielle Mills Walden and Phillip Greer break down how Gen Z shops, why they reject old-school sales tactics and what dealers must do to earn their trust quickly.
If you want to understand the psychology of Gen Z buyers and how to adapt your sales process before you lose them, this conversation is your playbook. Danielle and Phillip unpack the real behaviors they are seeing on the showroom floor, including phone-first communication, one-click buying expectations, low tolerance for friction and the rise of salespeople who mirror a customer’s energy to close deals more naturally.
We also explore how millennials and boomers fit into this shift and why a blended generational strategy is now essential for dealership culture, staffing and the overall customer experience. From pairing the right salesperson with the right buyer to rethinking the traditional “next up” system and building a customer journey that moves as quickly as TikTok, this episode highlights what top-performing stores are already doing.
Do not risk losing future customers to outdated processes. Learn how to adapt now and win the next generation of buyers.
Welcome to Leadership in the Dealership — an https://www.upstart.com/dealers/ podcast where automotive innovation meets insightful conversations. We help dealers improve their customer and employee experience by tapping into the minds...
show more
Welcome to Leadership in the Dealership — an Upstart podcast where automotive innovation meets insightful conversations. We help dealers improve their customer and employee experience by tapping into the minds and experiences of the industry’s top leaders. We’ll also explore cutting-edge trends shaping the auto industry across digitization and customer experience, both online and in the showroom. Ready to meet your hosts and catch a sneak peek of what's to come? Check out the trailer.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Upstart. Any content provided by the hosts or guests is for informational purposes only and is based on their own experiences and perspectives.
show less
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Upstart. Any content provided by the hosts or guests is for informational purposes only and is based on their own experiences and perspectives.
Information
| Author | Upstart Podcasts |
| Organization | Upstart Podcasts |
| Categories | Business |
| Website | - |
| leadershipinthedealership@gmail.com |
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