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Jen Suzuki doesn’t walk into a room, she revs it.

In this episode, she brings her signature “Jenergy” to a direct conversation about what’s really holding dealerships back: comfort. From outdated sales processes to leaders who’ve stepped too far away from the front lines, Jen makes it clear that if you’re not pushing yourself, someone else is already catching up.

This episode also dives into the role of mentorship in a world being reshaped by AI. Jen explains why leaders need to stay hands-on, how tools like GPT are changing customer expectations, and why ignoring them is no longer an option. AI isn’t just another tool. It’s exposing who is willing to adapt and who is not.

Timestamped Takeaways

0:00 Comfort leads to getting replaced

0:33 What “Jenergy” actually means

2:14 Learning the hard way without a mentor

3:04 Why one person believing in you matters

6:02 Where leadership development is falling short

8:02 Why leaders need to stay in the trenches

8:49 The sales process is outdated

9:32 Why templates are hurting your business

11:00 How to use AI in real conversations

12:23 Handling customers who use GPT

14:09 The risks of using AI without guardrails

16:14 Why AI is not going away

18:08 The cost of missed follow-up

20:22 Discipline does not change with the season

23:18 The real test of whether you embrace change

Connect with Jen Suzuki at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifersuzuki/

Learn more about ZusiTalk at https://www.zukitalk.com/

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If your competitive edge is still price, you’re already losing—the real battle is happening in experience, simplicity, and how you make people feel.

Glenn Pasch has logged over a million miles in the air and many hours helping dealerships rethink how they market, sell, and retain customers. In this episode, the crew unpacks what he’s seeing now. The market has shifted. Inventory is no longer the advantage, and the real differentiator has quietly become something most dealers still underestimate: the experience.

From friction-filled processes to the rise of convenience-first competitors like Carvana, Glenn explains why simplicity is becoming the ultimate strategy. The conversation goes beyond AI buzzwords and focuses on what actually moves the needle: clean data, strong processes, and teams that know how to make customers feel remembered. Selling a car isn’t just about the car. It’s about how easy, personal, and human you make the journey.

Key Takeaways

0:00 The Guest Who Opened Doors. Why Glenn Pasch Shaped Their Early Careers

2:19 A Million Miles of Perspective. What Travel Teaches About Customer Experience

6:17 Inventory Isn’t Your Advantage Anymore. What Actually Matters Now

7:30 Dealers Are Splitting in Two Directions. Control vs Convenience

8:48 The Experience Economy Is Here. Why Ease Beats Price

9:54 Complexity Is the Enemy. Why Simplicity Wins Everywhere

10:30 Carvana Didn’t Win With Tech. They Won by Removing Friction

12:24 The Hidden Revenue Leak. How Small Frictions Cost You Deals

13:41 A $2 Interaction That Proves Everything About Personalization

14:42 You Already Have the Data. Why Aren’t You Using It?

16:30 Customers Don’t Care About the Car. They Care How You Treat Them

18:39 AI Isn’t the Strategy. Execution and Clean Data Are

20:00 The Most Misunderstood Role in Dealerships. Marketing Managers

22:31 Why In-Person Events Still Matter More Than Ever

26:29 Ignore People and Process. Fall Behind. It’s That Simple

Learn more about Glenn Pasch at https://www.linkedin.com/in/glennpasch/

Learn more about PCG Digital / Digital Marketing Strategies Conference at https://www.digitalmarketingstrategies.org/

⭐️ Love the podcast? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your LinkedIn or Instagram handle so we can thank you personally!

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Automotive spent years patching old systems together and now AI is forcing the industry to confront what should have been rebuilt a long time ago.

Misty Tippets of Podium joins the show with a perspective the industry badly needs: one foot in modern SaaS, the other in the reality of retail automotive. With a background in agency work, Salesforce implementations, and enterprise tech, she brings an outsider’s clarity to one of the biggest questions dealers are facing right now: why does adopting new technology still feel so messy, expensive, and fragmented?

This conversation quickly moves past the usual AI hype and gets to the deeper issue underneath it: infrastructure. Misty breaks down why bolt-on AI tools are already falling behind, why month-to-month vendor culture may be doing more harm than good, and why fixed ops could be the biggest overlooked opportunity in the market right now. It’s a sharp conversation about contracts, data, operational discipline, and the narrow window dealers still have to leap back to the front of the pack.

Timestamped Takeaways

0:00 AI Moved Fast Dealers Went From “Maybe” to “We Have No Choice”

2:22 Why Misty’s Tech Background Made Automotive’s Systems Gap Impossible to Ignore

4:24 What Salesforce Implementations Reveal About How Underbuilt Auto Tech Really Is

6:01 Dealers Don’t Actually Want Salesforce, They Want Modern Systems That Finally Fit 2026

7:35 Automotive May Be Years Behind on the Data Foundation It Needs

9:47 The Bolt-On AI Era Is Ending Faster Than Most Vendors Want to Admit

12:04 COVID Gave Other Industries a Reason to Rebuild Automotive Mostly Kept Selling Cars

13:49 Fast Onboarding Sounds Great But Some Tools Should Take 90 Days to Get Right

14:39 Month-to-Month Contracts Might Feel Safe But They Can Quietly Kill Real Partnership

18:46 The Vendors Winning Trust Aren’t Selling from a Distance They’re Sitting Inside Dealerships

20:20 This Isn’t Really an AI Conversation It’s a Technology Reckoning the Industry Delayed Too Long

21:23 The Biggest AI Opportunity in Auto May Be Fixed Ops Not the Sales Floor

Connect with Misty Tippets at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mistytippets/

Learn more about Podium at https://www.podium.com/

⭐️ Love the podcast? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your LinkedIn or Instagram handle so we can thank you personally!

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https://www.asotu.com

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🎧 Like and follow our other podcasts:

1. Automotive State of the Union
2. ASOTU CON Sessions