What happens when a dealership puts its people and culture at the center of the business?

In this episode of Kain & Friends, I sit down with my longtime friend Michael Spiegel, Dealer Principal of WeAuto.

I've had the pleasure of knowing Michael for many years and watching his career grow from an automotive retailer and dealership leader to an owner, entrepreneur and adjunct professor at the University of Michigan.

We talk about:

• Why WeAuto's mission starts with inspiring people to grow
• Building a strong culture while maintaining accountability
• Developing future leaders in automotive retail
• Using transparency and performance metrics to improve the business
• Why employee experience ultimately impacts customer experience
• How WerkandMe.com helps WeAuto support onboarding, development, communication and employee recognition
• Michael's advice for the next generation of automotive leaders
• Why he believes automotive retail remains an incredible career opportunity

One of my favorite conversations yet because it combines two things I care deeply about — friendship and helping people grow.

Thanks to Michael for joining me and for everything he continues to do for our industry.

Subscribe to Kain & Friends for more conversations with automotive leaders, operators and friends who are working to build better businesses.

There are some podcast conversations that are informative — and some that are simply special.

This episode of Kain & Friends was both.

I had the opportunity to sit down with my brother, Bob Kain, President and General Manager of Jack Kain Ford, and my nephew, Graham Kain, New Car Manager, for a conversation about the automotive business, family, leadership and the lessons that get passed from one generation to the next.

Jack Kain Ford has been serving customers since 1959, and today Bob and Graham are carrying that legacy forward while continuing to evolve the dealership.

We talk about:

• Creating a truly differentiated customer experience
• Why their one-price approach works
• Turning used-vehicle inventory quickly
• The importance of video, lead response time and engagement
• Developing the next generation of dealership leaders
• What Bob wishes he'd understood earlier in his career
• Why Graham believes we should make the most of the time we have with our mentors

And, as you might expect when you put three Kains together, there are plenty of family stories and laughs along the way.

This one meant a lot to me.

I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as we enjoyed having it.

What does it take to transform an underperforming dealership into one of the best in the country?

In this episode of Kain & Friends, I sit down with Brendan Harrington and Daniel Syvrud of Autobahn Fort Worth to unpack a remarkable dealership turnaround — including taking their Land Rover operation from near the bottom of the national rankings to #1 overall.

And here's what makes the story so interesting: they didn't get new cars or a new facility.

They changed the culture.

We talk about why Brendan has shifted from driving KPIs to focusing first on how employees feel, Daniel's philosophy of "Have fun. Be fun," and why great customer experiences begin with engaged team members.

We also explore:

• Why culture can tell you things KPIs can't
• How to hire "future all-stars"
• Turning around a dealership's reputation one customer at a time
• Why community involvement matters
• Using AI and technology like PromptPath to make salespeople more confident and effective
• How to introduce new technology without losing your team
• Career advice for the next generation of automotive leaders

One of my favorite ideas from the conversation is remarkably simple:

Don't just look at the spreadsheet. Look through the window. How does your team feel?

There are a lot of leadership lessons packed into this conversation — whether you're running a dealership, leading a department, or preparing yourself for your next opportunity.

Kain & Friends — Friends Helping Friends Build Better Businesses.