The David Spisak Show

David Spisak
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What happens when you get access to uncommon conversations with people who achieved the highest levels of success? Join David Spisak as he brings you inside the room where success stories are told by the people who lived them so that you can achieve your definition of success at an accelerated pace. 

  1. 57M AGO

    The Startup Odds Are 9,000 to 7. What That Says About the Future of Automotive with Quin Garcia

    What if the biggest threat to your dealership isn't a competitor down the street? What if it's a startup you've never heard of, funded by capital you don't yet understand, solving a problem you didn't know you had? This week, I sat down with Quin Garcia, Founder and Managing Director at AutoTech Ventures out of Silicon Valley, one of the sharpest minds in automotive and mobility investment, and I'm telling you right now, this conversation will change how you see the road ahead. In This Episode We Cover: The AutoTech Ventures investment model and why the smartest dealers in the country are quietly getting involved.Why some of the technology running your dealership right now may already have an expiration date on its back.The Chinese OEM question everyone is dancing around. Quin lived it firsthand and gives the most grounded take I've heard on this topic.Where autonomous vehicles actually stand today, and what it means for your business.Plus some portfolio wins that will genuinely inspire you.Look, I've had a lot of great conversations on this show. But every once in a while, someone sits across from me and genuinely expands how I see the industry I've spent my entire career in. That's Quin Garcia. This episode is just two people who care deeply about where this industry is going, having the kind of honest, sometimes uncomfortable, always energizing conversation that most people in boardrooms are afraid to have out loud. Whether you're a dealer principal, a GM, a tech founder, or just someone who wants to understand what the next five years in automotive actually looks like, this one's for you. Hit play. Your future self will thank you. Connect with David Spisak to Achieve Exponential Growth: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidspisak/Website: https://www.davidspisak.comEmail: david@disruptivegrowthsolutions.comPhone: +1 (510) 604-0308Visit https://linktr.ee/spisakd for all our linksLike this show? Please leave us a rating and review where you're listening right now! 🎧 Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-david-spisak-show/id1602552929🔊 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oPjFeHfnxNXPTHXxNwIsm?si=4fc3f546d07a4679

    48 min

  2. MAR 12

    How Dealers Are Accidentally Wasting Millions Because of Bad Data with Todd Smith

    What if the biggest competitive advantage in your dealership isn’t more leads… but finally owning your data? In this episode I sat down with Todd Smith, retail automotive lifer, tech founder, surfer, and the CEO of QoreAI and what started as a curiosity-driven conversation turned into one of the most important discussions I’ve had in a long time about the future of our industry Todd and I come from different paths but share the same obsession: curiosity, leadership, and data as the ultimate force multiplier. Between the two of us, we’ve spent more than 35 years in automotive, yet somehow never crossed paths—until now. And once we did, we went deep. From Todd’s unforgettable baptism into the car business at NADA as a teenager (yes, that Joe Girard story), to his journey from selling cars to building technology companies, this episode pulls back the curtain on how real operators think about leadership, culture, efficiency, and AI—without the hype. What we get into in this episode: Why curiosity is the most underrated leadership superpower in automotiveHow most dealerships are unknowingly renting their data, and paying the priceThe dangerous reality of AI layered on top of bad data and broken processesWhy data hygiene, ownership, and structure are non-negotiable for 2026How AI becomes a force multiplier for profit, efficiency, and customer experience, only if the foundation is rightThe coming divide between dealers who own their intelligence and those who outsource itWhy internal efficiency, not just selling more cars, is the next true competitive frontierThis isn’t a “new tool” conversation. This is a mindset shift. If you’re heading into NADA, or even thinking about the next 12–24 months of your business, this episode will challenge how you think about technology, leadership, marketing spend, retention, and what it really takes to compete in an AI-powered world. AI is no longer optional. Owning your data is no longer optional. And doing nothing is the most expensive decision you can make. If you want to understand why, and more importantly what to do next, this is an episode you need to hear. Connect with David Spisak to Achieve Exponential Growth: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidspisak/Website: https://www.davidspisak.comEmail: david@disruptivegrowthsolutions.comPhone: +1 (510) 604-0308Visit https://linktr.ee/spisakd for all our linksLike this show? Please leave us a rating and review where you're listening right now! 🎧 Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-david-spisak-show/id1602552929🔊 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oPjFeHfnxNXPTHXxNwIsm?si=4fc3f546d07a4679

    1h 8m

  3. MAR 5

    Why AI Is Useless Without This One Thing — And Most Dealers Don't Have It | Danny Zaslavsky(NADA26)

    Most dealerships are trying to solve the future with more tools. More software. More dashboards. More “AI”. But what if the real problem isn’t a lack of tools? What if the real problem is that none of the systems actually work together? In this episode of The David Spisak Show, I sit down with Danny Zaslavsky to talk about one of the biggest challenges dealers are quietly struggling with right now. Fragmentation. Disconnected systems. Missed opportunities inside the dealership. And a massive blind spot in how many stores think about acquisition, inventory, and growth. Danny shares what he’s seeing from the front lines of innovative dealerships across the country and why some operators are starting to rethink how they approach data, inventory strategy, and dealership performance altogether. But what struck me most wasn’t the technology. It was the mindset. Danny shares a story from his upbringing that shaped how he approaches challenges, innovation, and leadership. A perspective that might completely change how you think about growth in this industry. If you’re a dealer, operator, or leader trying to figure out what actually matters in the next phase of automotive retail… You’re going to want to hear this conversation. Connect with David Spisak to Achieve Exponential Growth: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidspisak/Website: https://www.davidspisak.comEmail: david@disruptivegrowthsolutions.comPhone: +1 (510) 604-0308Visit https://linktr.ee/spisakd for all our linksLike this show? Please leave us a rating and review where you're listening right now! 🎧 Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-david-spisak-show/id1602552929🔊 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oPjFeHfnxNXPTHXxNwIsm?si=4fc3f546d07a4679

    30 min

  4. FEB 26

    How Dealers Are Losing Six Figures in Fixed Ops with Mark Queen (NADA26)

    Are you unknowingly leaking six figures a year through your service lane? In this episode, I sat down with Mark Queen, Founder and CEO of Skaivision, for one of the most practical, eye-opening conversations we’ve had about dealership acquisition strategy and fixed ops performance. And I’ll be honest… This one exposed some uncomfortable truths. We talk about why most dealers are chasing more leads when the real opportunity is already driving onto the lot every single day. We unpack how timing not volume is the hidden lever behind higher service-lane acquisition rates. We explore what 3 million monthly AI-driven customer conversations are revealing about buying signals, ghosted opportunities, and why handoffs inside the dealership are quietly killing ROI. But here’s what makes this conversation different: It’s not hype about AI. It’s about discipline. It’s about transparency. It’s about turning the service drive into a strategic growth engine instead of a reactive repair department. There’s a moment in this episode where we talk about the $89 oil change being the gateway to lifetime customer value. That idea alone is worth the listen. If you’re serious about improving dealership profitability, increasing service retention, accelerating acquisition from the lane, and tightening your operational efficiency heading into 2026… You’ll want to hear this one in full. Because once you see where the leaks actually are, you won’t be able to unsee them. Connect with David Spisak to Achieve Exponential Growth: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidspisak/Website: https://www.davidspisak.comEmail: david@disruptivegrowthsolutions.comPhone: +1 (510) 604-0308Visit https://linktr.ee/spisakd for all our linksLike this show? Please leave us a rating and review where you're listening right now! 🎧 Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-david-spisak-show/id1602552929🔊 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oPjFeHfnxNXPTHXxNwIsm?si=4fc3f546d07a4679

    24 min

  5. FEB 19

    The 2026 Dealer Reality Check with Inga Maurer (NADA26)

    Most people come to NADA looking for the thing that’s going to “save” their year. A new tool. A new strategy. A new shortcut. But here’s what hit me after sitting down with Inga Maurer, McKinsey Senior Partner at the Encore in Vegas… The optimism is still here. The math is not. Inga and I went places in this conversation that most people avoid on the show floor. Not because they don’t care, but because it’s uncomfortable to say out loud. And if you’re a dealer, an operator, an OEM leader, or anyone building in this space, you’re going to feel that discomfort… in a good way. Because this episode isn’t about hype. It’s about what’s actually happening. Here’s what we get into: Why 2026 could be a “flat year” in volume, and why that matters more than people want to admit.The affordability problem nobody has a clean answer for (and why even 0% doesn’t magically fix payments).What happens if “cheap new cars” show up in the U.S. market and why that wouldn’t be the simple solution people think it is.The inventory pendulum swing we all lived through… and how quickly we forgot the real lesson.The uncomfortable truth: most stores don’t have a shortage of cars, they have a shortage of the right cars for the right customer in the right ZIP code.And why the dealers who win won’t be the ones who chase every new vendor… they’ll be the ones who have a north star and use tech to sail faster.Inga brings a rare combination of deep data rigor and real-world practicality. She challenges the idea of quick fixes. She reminds us that technology is an accelerator not a strategy. And she makes a powerful case for building an orchestration layer around your data before you chase the next shiny solution. Connect with David Spisak to Achieve Exponential Growth: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidspisak/Website: https://www.davidspisak.comEmail: david@disruptivegrowthsolutions.comPhone: +1 (510) 604-0308Visit https://linktr.ee/spisakd for all our linksLike this show? Please leave us a rating and review where you're listening right now! 🎧 Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-david-spisak-show/id1602552929🔊 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oPjFeHfnxNXPTHXxNwIsm?si=4fc3f546d07a4679

    44 min

  6. FEB 12

    How Tekion Is Redefining AI in Car Dealerships with Jay Vijayan (NADA26)

    What if the biggest risk in your dealership isn’t AI… it’s using the wrong AI? Live from the Tekion booth at NADA 2026, in what might be the busiest corner of Las Vegas that week, I sat down with Jay Vijayan for a conversation that goes way beyond buzzwords. And trust me… this one matters. Because while everyone is talking about “AI agents,” very few are asking the harder question: What happens when those agents don’t talk to each other? In this episode, Jay and I unpack what real platform innovation looks like, not marketing innovation, not slide-deck innovation, but foundational, ground-up, security-first innovation. We talk about Tekion’s unimaginable growth. From roughly 100 rooftops just a few years ago… to over 3,000 today. That kind of acceleration doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when product, people, and philosophy align. Here’s what we also dive into: Why most AI solutions fail dealers, and why many get turned off just as quickly as they’re turned onThe difference between “AI features” and a true unified data platformWhy disparate systems + AI is a disaster waiting to happenWhat it actually takes to build compliant, secure, responsible AI in a dealership environmentThe real risk of uploading your financials into public AI toolsWhy security certifications like SOC, ISO, and responsible AI governance aren’t optional anymoreThis isn’t a “how much does it cost?” conversation. It’s a “what is it costing you not to evolve?” conversation. Because the future of your store won’t be determined by whether you adopt AI. It’ll be determined by whether you adopt it intelligently. Connect with David Spisak to Achieve Exponential Growth: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidspisak/Website: https://www.davidspisak.comEmail: david@disruptivegrowthsolutions.comPhone: +1 (510) 604-0308Visit https://linktr.ee/spisakd for all our linksLike this show? Please leave us a rating and review where you're listening right now! 🎧 Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-david-spisak-show/id1602552929🔊 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oPjFeHfnxNXPTHXxNwIsm?si=4fc3f546d07a4679

    38 min

  7. FEB 5

    How Smart Dealers Are Beating the Used Car Shortage (Without the Auction) with Dom Pope

    What happens when a guy from Manchester flies across the pond, challenges how dealerships think about inventory, and casually drops 40% conversion rates into the conversation? You sit him down in the studio, and press record. This episode is different. For the first time, I’m not behind the desk. I’m sitting face-to-face with Dom Pope, founder and CEO of Sell My Ride, who’s been on a mission to help dealers solve one of the most stubborn problems in our industry: vehicle acquisition. Dom didn’t just wake up one day and decide to “try the U.S. market.” He spent five years in the UK helping dealers go direct-to-consumer, scaling acquisition from zero to thousands of vehicles a month, then brought those hard-earned lessons stateside. And what he shares in this conversation will challenge how you think about auctions, marketing spend, competition with Carvana and CarMax, and what it really takes to win locally. We also get into: Why belief is the first competitive advantage most dealers are missingHow smaller dealerships can compete with giants without trying to play their gameWhat successful dealers do differently when it comes to acquisition focus and disciplineWhy stacking acquisition channels beats hunting for a “silver bullet”How direct-to-consumer strategies can dramatically outperform traditional lead modelsThe difference between optimizing for efficiency and maximizing for absolute returnsReal dealer stories, like why acquisition managers are becoming the highest-paid people in the storeAnd yes… we also talk about Vegas hangovers, Manchester vs. America, why Orlando airport carpets spark joy, and whether good fish and chips actually exist in the U.S. (jury’s still out). If you’re a dealer, operator, or leader who’s tired of feeling boxed in by auctions, squeezed margins, and “that’s just how it is,” this conversation will expand your thinking. It’s not about one solution. It’s about building a system that lets you win, on your terms. Connect with David Spisak to Achieve Exponential Growth: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidspisak/Website: https://www.davidspisak.comEmail: david@disruptivegrowthsolutions.comPhone: +1 (510) 604-0308Visit https://linktr.ee/spisakd for all our linksLike this show? Please leave us a rating and review where you're listening right now! 🎧 Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-david-spisak-show/id1602552929🔊 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oPjFeHfnxNXPTHXxNwIsm?si=4fc3f546d07a4679

    36 min

  8. JAN 29

    How Cars.com Is Using AI to Transform the Way People Buy Cars with Matt McDonald

    Buying a car should feel exciting… so why does it still feel like pulling teeth? In this episode of The David Spisak Show, I sit down with Matt McDonald, Director of Product at Cars Commerce, for a conversation that hits right at the heart of where automotive, technology, and the modern consumer collide. Matt isn’t just another tech leader, he’s a lifelong car guy with deep roots at Amazon and GameStop, now standing at the center of one of the most important inflection points our industry has ever seen. Together, we unpack how consumer buying behavior is shifting, why 70% of shoppers don’t even know what car they want when they start, and how AI is finally poised to turn car shopping from painful into pleasurable. This isn’t AI-for-AI’s-sake. We go deep into Carson, Cars.com’s new AI-powered shopping assistant, and why it’s fundamentally different from generic chatbots. We talk about natural language search, intent-driven shopping, and how dealers can finally meet customers where they actually are, not where we assume they are. In this episode, we cover: Why car shopping is one of the only purchases people want but still dreadMatt’s journey from Amazon’s customer-obsessed culture to leading product at Cars CommerceThe surprising data behind undecided buyers, and why that changes everythingHow Carson helps shoppers go from “I have an idea” to “this is the car” fasterWhat better data means for dealers, without being invasiveWhy AI might finally bridge the gap between online research and in-store experienceIf you care about where automotive retail is headed, how AI can actually create value, or how dealers can deliver a better experience without adding friction, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss. Connect with David Spisak to Achieve Exponential Growth: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidspisak/Website: https://www.davidspisak.comEmail: david@disruptivegrowthsolutions.comPhone: +1 (510) 604-0308Visit https://linktr.ee/spisakd for all our linksLike this show? Please leave us a rating and review where you're listening right now! 🎧 Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-david-spisak-show/id1602552929🔊 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oPjFeHfnxNXPTHXxNwIsm?si=4fc3f546d07a4679

    46 min
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About

What happens when you get access to uncommon conversations with people who achieved the highest levels of success? Join David Spisak as he brings you inside the room where success stories are told by the people who lived them so that you can achieve your definition of success at an accelerated pace. 

Information

  • Creator
    David Spisak
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    257
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The David Spisak Show
  • Show Website
    The David Spisak Show

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