In this episode of I’m a Car Chick, Shasta sits down with Kristin Kolodge, Vice President and Head of Auto Benchmarking and Mobility Development at J.D. Power — a woman whose work quite literally shapes the global automotive industry.
Kristin oversees the world’s most influential vehicle quality and customer experience studies, including the Initial Quality Study (IQS), APEAL, VDS, and TXI, along with J.D. Power’s future mobility research. If you’ve ever seen a commercial where a manufacturer bragged about “J.D. Power Awards”… yep. That’s her world.
Together, we unpack the why behind the data — and what dealerships, OEMs, consumers, and even EV skeptics need to know.
In this episode, we dive into:
● How Kristin went from mechanical engineering to running global benchmarking at J.D. Power
● What today’s vehicle quality landscape actually looks like (and what’s changing fast)
● Why customer expectations are rising faster than manufacturers can keep up
● The difference between initial quality, long-term dependability, and tech experience
● The truth about EV satisfaction, charging frustrations, and adoption roadblocks
● Practical insights for dealers on improving customer trust and communication
● How future mobility trends will reshape the car biz over the next decade

This episode is the ultimate blend of data, strategy, consumer psychology, and real-world dealership impact — told through the lens of one of the most influential women in the automotive industry.

Connect with Kristin Kolodge on LinkedIn:
👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-kolodge/

Kristin Kolodge
Vice President & Head of Auto Benchmarking and Mobility Development, J.D. Power
Kristin Kolodge leads all global vehicle quality research at J.D. Power, including the industry-defining Initial Quality Study (IQS), APEAL Study, Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS), and Tech Experience Index (TXI). She also oversees mobility development initiatives, creating future-focused solutions for OEMs navigating the evolving landscape of electrification, autonomy, safety, and consumer behavior.
Kristin holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Michigan Technological University and a master’s degree in engineering management from the University of Michigan.
Her work influences manufacturers, dealerships, and consumers worldwide — shaping decisions across product development, quality improvement, and customer experience.

Subscribe to I’m a Car Chick on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify — and leave a review to support women’s voices in the car biz.

In Part 2 of Shasta’s conversation with Gayle Rogers of The Atomic Agency, they go from theory to step-by-step execution.
If Part 1 was the why, this is the how. Gayle walks through exactly how he uses long-form video, AI, and a simple system to help businesses create consistent, local, authority-building content without needing a full production team.

In this episode, they cover:
● The tech stack Gayle recommends for recording and repurposing content (hello, Riverside)
● How to turn one conversation into transcripts, topics, and a full content calendar
● Using tools like ChatGPT to pull out brand pillars, personas, and StoryBrand-style messaging
● Why unscripted, conversational videos often outperform stiff, teleprompter content
● How dealers can build a searchable library of video and image assets (cars, features, people)
● SEO lessons from naming his company “The Atomic Agency” and outranking massive competitors
● Why you can’t wait for “perfect” content — you just need to start
● The surprising power of personal posts (fantasy football, anyone?) and human moments in building your brand

Part 2 is a practical masterclass in content and authority-building for dealerships, vendors, and anyone trying to stand out online without burning out.

In this episode of I’m a Car Chick, Shasta sits down with Gayle Rogers, founder of The Atomic Agency, to talk about what real marketing looks like for dealerships in 2025 and beyond.
Gayle has worn all the hats — agency, OEM, and in-dealership marketing — and he breaks down how those experiences shaped his approach to helping stores stop “doing ads” and start actually showing up in their communities.

In Part 1, we talk about:
● How Gayle got his start in automotive at J. Walter Thompson in Detroit
● What he learned moving between OEM, agency, and dealership roles
● Why you’ll never outspend the big players, but you can out-local them
● A real estate case study that led to his philosophy on local content and interviews
● How dealers can become the local experts instead of just the place that sells cars
● Using community-focused content (not “look at us” charity posts) to build trust
● Where AI fits in — and why it still needs a human face in front of it

This episode is packed with practical ideas for dealers, marketers, and vendors who want to move beyond generic ads and build real relationships with the people they serve.