On today's episode of Connected, we're shining a spotlight on the winners of our Automotive Amplifiers Contest!

At Reynolds Retail Summit: Amplify 2024, we held a best practices contest to share great ideas across the automotive industry. We highlighted ideas from three different categories: fixed operations, variable operations, and people.

In this episode, you'll hear from the three winners.

-Variable Operations: Justin Rash, F&I manager at Beau Townsend Ford Lincoln, talks about creating a completely paperless finance and sales process.

-People: Jeremy Reardon, service production manager at Westside Lexus, discusses recruiting technicians from local high schools and colleges.

-Fixed Operations: James Dieli, warranty administrator at Beau Townsend Ford Lincoln, covers going paperless in service.

Connected Podcast Episode 154: Best Practices from Automotive Amplifiers

On today's Connected, Greg reconnects with Colin Carrasquillo, digital marketing manager at Nielsen Automotive Group. With over a decade of experience, Colin is always at the forefront of what's going on in automotive marketing.

Greg and Colin cover:

-How to measure success in marketing.
-Insights into creating vs. capturing demand and how to direct it to your stores.
-The four key elements that make up an impactful Customer Data Platform (CDP).

Connected Podcast Episode 169: Creating and Directing Demand

On this episode of Connected, host Greg Uland sits down with Inga Maurer, Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company. Inga leads McKinsey's work with dealerships, aftermarket players, and OEMs, keeping her very plugged into the automotive ecosystem.

She also recently co-authored an article titled "Boosting auto sales productivity: A playbook for excellence," and as soon as Greg read it, he wanted to have her on Connected to pick her brain on the topic of dealership efficiency.

Together, the two of them dig into the information in her article and dive deeper into topics like:

-AI as a means of boosting productivity and efficiency.
-Taking an end-to-end view on customer profitability.
-How new tariffs might impact the industry. 

Connected Podcast Episode 170: Boosting Dealership Efficiency

Today on Connected, Greg is joined by Lyle Dizon from AutoVision!

Lyle and Greg talk about AutoVision's AI assistant Avery, the innovation driving it forward, and some of the broader momentum building within AutoVision.

They get into:

-What's new with Avery and how it's evolving.
-The exciting things happening at AutoVision.
-Broader trends impacting digital retailing and inventory strategies. 

Connected Podcast Episode 171: Inventory Insights Using AI

On this episode of Connected, Greg sits down with Nathan Shaver, a dealer at Shaver Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram. Nathan is a fifth-generation automotive dealer and has a great vision for the industry's growth.

It's clear Nathan has a passion for what's new in automotive technology and how it can impact his business. He and Greg touch on this and other interesting topics, including:

-How Nathan works to define a clear and concise strategy for his store as a new owner.
-Building buy-in with his team and how they prepare to operate more efficiently in this market.
-Creating new opportunities by identifying what’s next in automotive technology.

Connected Podcast Episode 172: Enhancing Business with Automotive Technology

On today's Connected, Elgie Bright returns for a conversation with Greg! 

Elgie is the chair of the automotive marketing and management program at Northwood University, has an impressive background in the automotive industry, and is dedicated to helping those interested in entering the field.

This time around, he and Greg discuss:

-The President's Freedom Celebration and International Auto Show at Northwood.
-The importance of having strong values and leaning into them.
-Relationship building and connection within the industry.

Connected Podcast Episode 173: Business Values and Using Your Network

This week on Connected, Greg's talking with Joe Pytel, general manager of LaFontaine Volkswagen of Dearborn and LaFontaine Hyundai of Dearborn.

Greg and Joe caught up after a recent launch event at the Volkswagen Group of America (VWGoA) office in Auburn Hills, MI, where a GoMoto kiosk was installed and LaFontaine began providing mobile service to VWGoA employees.

Joe summed up the purpose of mobile service perfectly: "It makes things seamless, convenient, and efficient for the customer." He and Greg explored that and other topics like:

-LaFontaine's journey with mobile service so far.
-Mobile service as a training tool for new technicians. 
-Partnering with rental car companies as a mobile service opportunity.

Connected Podcast Episode 174: Building Opportunity in Mobile Service

Today on Connected, it's Russell Richardson, aka Russ Flips Whips!

Russell has built a really impressive online presence across platforms, founding RFW Training and establishing himself as an expert at the intersection of automotive and social media. We dive into Russell's background building up his social media success and his advice for any individuals or dealerships trying to build up a presence of their own.

Three tips from Russell:

1.) Be consistent and authentic when building your personal brand. 
2.) Don't overthink it - just start creating and the rest will come together.
3.) Strategically align personal and dealership brands to benefit everyone. 

Connected Podcast Episode 176: Developing Your Brand on Social Media

This week, Greg sits down with two of the most energizing voices in retail automotive: Fred Lennartz and Lou Ramirez, founders of Certified Solutionaries and hosts of the Car Guy Coffee Podcast.

These two bring more than just caffeine to the conversation. Their approach to automotive leadership is personal, practical, and rooted in optimism — and it’s refreshing.

They cover:

-Why forgiveness is the first step toward progress. 
-What ego-free collaboration looks like in the dealership world.
-How to stay energized when the grind gets real. 

Fred and Lou don't preach buzzwords, instead they share real stories from their careers, dealerships they’ve helped, and their own struggles. They remind us that building culture and lifting people up can be just as important as selling cars.

Connected Podcast Episode 177: The Importance of Culture in Automotive

Today on Connected Greg's catching up with AJ McGowan, founder of AutoVision and lead developer on Reynolds' new AI assistant, Rey. 

After the reveal of Rey yesterday at Amplify 2025, AJ sheds some light on the next chapter of AI for Reynolds and beyond.

In this episode, Greg and AJ cover:

-Rey as an agentic AI that works with your existing tools. 
-The difference between UI (user interface) and UX (user experience).
-How AI will enhance productivity in automotive roles, not replace them.

Like AJ says, understanding AI shouldn't require a software engineering degree! It was great to have him break down some of the basics and share more about automotive AI today and into the future.

Connected Podcast Episode 178: Understanding AI in Automotive

The champs are here! This week on Connected, you'll hear the best practice presentations from the winners of our 2025 Automotive Amplifiers Contest.

Two weeks ago, the second annual Automotive Amplifiers Contest was held at our Reynolds Retail Summit: Amplify in Dallas, TX. Five finalists presented their best practices live at the event, and our panel of judges selected these two winners:

Innovation: Kamir Martínez Díaz, Chief Financial Officer at Pepe Abad Auto in Puerto Rico for her work reducing internal document processing times. 

Impact: Chris Lasko, Parts Manager from Scranton Chevy in Connecticut for how he has improved the off-the-shelf fill rate at his dealership.

A big thank you to all our finalists and judges for participating and making this a really great part of the Amplify event and continuing to remind us how much we can learn from one another in the industry.

Connected Podcast Episode 154: Best Practices from Automotive Amplifiers

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