In this ASOTU CON 2025 session, Paul J Daly sits down with Kielan Whitner of Townsend Nissan to explore what it really means to lead from "eye level." A former Syracuse football player and public accountant, Kielan breaks down how he transitioned into the auto industry and climbed the ranks to General Manager in just seven years. His approach? Lead with empathy, be accessible, and create a dealership culture where personal connection drives professional performance.

Kielan shares his philosophy on how culture isn't just set at the top—it must be enforced and nurtured in the middle. He unpacks the principles behind his now-viral stance on negativity (hint: you go home), why starting in service gave him a unique leadership edge, and how transparent career paths like the one he experienced at Greenway Automotive can help attract and retain next-gen talent. If you're looking for leadership lessons grounded in experience, humility, and action, this one’s for you.

Learn more about SpaceAuto at https://space.auto/

⏱️ Timestamped Takeaways

0:00 Intro

0:36 Kielan shares his Syracuse roots and sports background

1:53 Social media helps sharpen his leadership ideas

2:22 “Leading from eye level” means starting with human connection

3:27 Greenway’s MIT program helped shape his leadership journey

5:09 He compared finance vs auto retail—and chose speed, income, fun

6:28 Writing service first gave him deep appreciation for fixed ops

7:43 Negativity sends you home—no exceptions

8:16 Culture enforcement is consistent and contagious

9:04 Kielan reflects on leadership lessons from sports and life

In this compelling ASOTU CON session, Paul J Daly sits down with John Bozzella, President and CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, to discuss the evolving role of leadership in the modern auto industry. Bozzella shares his journey from politics to automotive policy, offering a unique lens into how government, innovation, and economic strategy intersect. With decades of experience at Ford, Chrysler, and now leading a critical trade organization, Bozzella unpacks the deep impact the auto industry has on national security, job creation, and technological advancement.

TIME STAMPS:

0:00 Intro

1:07 From politics to auto: John's unique industry entry

2:36 Ford hired him to bridge policy and technology

4:33 Skills are transferable—policy, labor, leadership

6:00 Alliance for Automotive Innovation’s mission explained

7:05 Auto industry contributes to national security and GDP

8:05 A strong U.S. auto sector protects economic independence

9:22 Dealers must embrace a bigger-picture industry narrative

In this ASOTU CON 2025 session, Paul J Daly sits down with Glenn Pasch to discuss his latest book, The Road to Sold, and dive deep into the practical realities of online sales process optimization. Glenn, a seasoned operator, consultant, and trainer, explains how the book was born out of a common but frustrating gap between marketing performance and showroom results. With his signature “hands-in-the-dirt” approach, he reveals how disconnects between online lead handling and in-store engagement often stem from poor communication—not poor marketing. The conversation explores how meaningful conversations, not just leads, are the key to increasing conversions.

Glenn shares actionable insights for dealers, from auditing CRM habits to improving cross-functional accountability. He also emphasizes the need to view online shoppers with the same level of attentiveness and nuance as showroom visitors. With relatable examples and a conversational tone, this episode highlights how dealers can use better process design, data awareness, and team coaching to move beyond clicks and calls—and actually sell more cars. It’s not about reinventing the wheel; it’s about building a process that consistently leads to conversations, appointments, and ultimately, conversions.

Learn more about SpaceAuto at https://space.auto/

Takeaways

0:00 Intro

0:30 Glenn Pasch joins to discuss The Road to Sold

1:57 The book addresses the disconnect between traffic and sales

3:40 The heart of the issue is a lack of meaningful customer conversations

4:13 Online shoppers are handled differently than walk-ins—and it’s a mistake

6:35 Convenience has changed buyer expectations permanently

7:30 Focus should shift from “making calls” to “starting conversations”

8:46 First step is auditing the process—not necessarily changing it

9:36 Execution, not strategy, is usually the biggest challenge

10:02 The Road to Sold is available now on Amazon

In this fast-paced and thought-provoking conversation recorded live at ASOTU CON 2025, David Spisak sits down with Ben Hadley to explore what he calls “The Age of Compression.” Ben breaks down how innovation cycles, attention spans, and consumer expectations are all accelerating—and why traditional automotive processes are struggling to keep up. This episode dives into the psychological and technological shifts reshaping how businesses must think, build, and serve in an era of instant gratification and continuous iteration.

Learn more about SpaceAuto at https://space.auto/

TIME STAMPS:

0:00 Intro

1:01 What is the “Age of Compression”?

2:20 Attention spans have dropped to 1.4 seconds

3:25 TikTok’s rise shows compressed innovation cycles

5:07 Auto retail lags behind due to data and API bottlenecks

6:09 Speed Layer helps websites load 50% faster

8:19 Consumers never go back to inferior solutions

10:08 Effort and meaning still matter in digital experiences

11:43 Direct mail and personalization are making a comeback

13:21 Luxury = decompressed, high-effort experiences

14:47 Budget 15% of ad spend for R&D and experimentation

16:19 Most tech stacks are outdated and need disruption

In this thought-provoking ASOTU CON 2025 session, David Spisak of Disruptive Growth Solutions sits down with Daniel Govaer to tackle one of the most pervasive operational issues in automotive retail: shiny object syndrome. With over two decades of experience in retail automotive, Daniel breaks down how impulsively chasing new tech leads to stalled implementations, team confusion, and ultimately, failure to launch.

Together, they discuss the critical importance of identifying real problems before chasing tools, why vendors must stop selling solutions to unprepared clients, and how involving frontline stakeholders in decisions drastically improves adoption. Govaer emphasizes that buying software doesn’t solve problems—utilizing it does. Dealers will walk away with a fresh perspective on vetting their tech stack, auditing utilization, and empowering their teams to drive transformation from the inside out.

Learn more about SpaceAuto at https://space.auto/

⏱️ Timestamped Takeaways

0:00 Intro

1:06 Shiny object syndrome begins at the dealer level

2:54 Stop buying tools—start solving actual problems

4:14 Decision makers must not be the only champions

6:06 Leadership often abandons implementation too early

7:04 Dealers must regularly audit their bloated tech stack

8:20 Too many tools disengage frontline staff

9:37 Friction-filled tech leads to friction-filled CX

11:08 Associates deserve better solutions, not more complexity

13:06 Audit how easy it is to sell something—start there

In this playful yet insightful session from ASOTU CON 2025, Arthur Bratton of Holiday Automotive joins Brad Gelber to explore what his young children unknowingly taught him about website user experience (UX) in automotive retail. Drawing inspiration from how his three, five, and seven-year-olds interact with technology, Arthur emphasizes that intuitive, simple design doesn’t just help younger users—it benefits every shopper. From click behavior to visual clarity, this episode breaks down the parallels between child-friendly interfaces and effective dealership websites.

The conversation digs into specific UX best practices, including optimizing page speed, cleaning up information overload, and eliminating distracting pop-ups. Arthur also highlights how the human touch still matters, advocating for authentic personalization through employee photos and immediate follow-up from real people. This unique perspective offers a practical and accessible roadmap for dealers looking to enhance their digital storefront—starting with a mobile phone, a critical eye, and maybe even a little help from their kids.

Learn more about SpaceAuto at https://space.auto/

⏱️ Timestamped Takeaways

0:00 Intro

0:10 Arthur Bratton joins to discuss what his kids taught him about UX

1:22 Simplicity is powerful—if kids can use it, everyone can

2:26 Big buttons and obvious CTAs improve mobile and desktop experience

2:50 Dealer websites often overload users with too much text

4:08 Site speed matters—users bounce if it takes more than two seconds

5:55 Visual clutter and pop-ups create frustration and distrust

6:13 Show relevant content first, like price and key features

7:36 Human touches like staff photos create trust and comfort

8:57 Regularly test your own website and remove unnecessary bloat

10:10 Overloaded pop-ups are the fastest way to lose shoppers

In this ASOTU CON 2025 session, Elizabeth Shults of RML Automotive joins Brad Gelber on the podcast stage to unpack one of the most contentious issues facing dealership marketers today: one-size-fits-all mandates from OEMs. Elizabeth shares firsthand how top-down directives—like Stellantis’ recent GMB access requirements—create operational chaos at the dealership level. Drawing on her deep experience with domestic brands, she highlights the disconnect between OEM decision-makers and the day-to-day realities of running a marketing operation inside a dealership. Elizabeth argues that many OEMs operate on outdated assumptions and fail to understand the sophistication and capabilities of their top-performing dealers.

The conversation critiques the inefficiency and unintended consequences of universal digital governance policies. From duplicate Google Business Profiles to wasted time executing unclear mandates, Elizabeth lays out the tangible costs of misaligned strategies. But she also offers solutions, advocating for OEMs to embed specialized digital talent, develop tiered support based on dealer performance, and stop treating innovation as a threat. For anyone who’s ever felt bogged down by compliance over strategy, this episode will strike a chord—and offer a path forward.

Learn more about SpaceAuto at https://space.auto/

⏱️ Timestamped Takeaways

0:00 Intro

0:11 Elizabeth Shults joins to discuss OEM mandates and dealer misalignment

0:44 OEM decision-makers lack front-line experience and real-world context

1:39 Stellantis GMB mandate creates confusion and duplicate profiles

3:30 Many OEMs demand control without providing actionable support

4:38 Ford praised for greater flexibility and feedback loops

5:47 Franchised dealerships need individual flexibility—not uniform digital policies

6:09 GMB strategy fails by focusing on the wrong performance tiers

7:52 Dealership marketers are forced to fix problems OEMs create

8:41 OEM digital governance often blocks innovation

9:07 Solution: embed digital specialists and modernize dealer performance scoring

In this high-powered ASOTU CON 2025 session, Steve Greenfield moderates a conversation with three top-tier venture capital voices shaping the future of automotive retail: Bill Cariss of Holman Growth Ventures, Chase Fraser of FM Capital, and Brian Donnelly of Autotech Ventures. With decades of operational, investment, and mobility experience between them, these investors unpack what it really takes to attract funding in today's automotive startup ecosystem. The conversation covers everything from fund strategy and portfolio construction to how OEM disruptions, EV adoption, and workforce shifts are impacting where dollars go.

Each guest brings a unique lens: Brian from a tech-driven, early-stage VC perspective; Chase from a dealer-tech and mobility investor with deep roots in retail; and Bill from a strategic corporate VC angle tied to one of the most diversified companies in the space. The panel gets candid about what entrepreneurs do wrong when pitching, the red flags that shut deals down fast, and the rare qualities that earn startups a second meeting. They also explore how venture investing in auto is more collaborative than cutthroat—and why relationship-building and execution still matter most in this tight-knit vertical.

Learn more about SpaceAuto at https://space.auto/

0:00 Intro

0:11 Steve welcomes Brian Donnelly, Chase Fraser, and Bill Cariss to the stage

0:41 Brian outlines Autotech’s early-stage, mobility-focused $500M fund

3:31 Chase introduces FM Capital’s dealer tech roots and $240M fund

6:06 Bill explains Holman’s evolution from fleet operator to investor

8:22 Holman’s partnership with FM Capital bridges strategic and financial VC

12:26 VC collaboration in auto is more synergistic than competitive

14:25 Key difference between strategic and financial VCs

19:58 Returns now top priority—even for corporate VCs like Holman

24:15 What VCs look for: problems, unique fit, and major industry “tidal waves”

28:45 The quickest way to lose an investor’s interest? Not getting to the point

32:30 Final advice for entrepreneurs pitching automotive-focused venture capitalists