Keep The Change

Bart Nollenberger
  • 5.0 (14)
  • Management
  • Updated Weekly

You can transform your dealership from the inside out, and Bart Nollenberger will show you how. “Keep The Change” is your go-to podcast for leadership growth in the automotive world—and there’s a reason leaders across the country swear by Bart’s coaching. His hands-on, proven approach has helped managers and owners just like you create lasting, meaningful change in their dealerships, and in every episode, he’s sharing his personal breakthroughs, field-tested strategies, and inspiring success stories, so you can do the same. If you’re new here, you’re exactly where you need to be. Each episode of “Keep The Change” will empower you to develop stronger leadership skills, build a winning culture, and stay ahead in a fiercely competitive market. Ready to go beyond sales training and actually transform how your dealership operates? Join Bart and keep the change you’ve worked so hard to create. 

  1. 9h ago

    Culture, Accountability & Faith in the Car Business — Mickey Seelye & Stan Qualls

    Mickey Seelye and Stan Qualls return to Keep the Change for an hour that turned into more than a business conversation. Mickey runs Seelye Auto Group, five Southwest Michigan stores founded in 1963 by his grandfather — a wounded Iwo Jima Marine who went from bagging groceries to janitor to owner. Stan, the group's VP and chairman of the NADA Kia 20 Group, came up with no legacy and no plan until the car business gave him an identity. They get specific about culture: questions are your allies, don't sacrifice the relationship to be right, be curious not judgmental. Empathy, certainty, professionalism. Accountability people thrive in — and why they've lost only two or three managers in five years. Plus why Mickey turns down faster growth to protect impact, and why he'd shut the doors before selling out. Reach Mickey at mickey@seelye.com and Stan at squalls@seelye.com. Share it with someone who needs it, and subscribe wherever you listen.

  2. Aug 7

    Why the Best Leaders Ask Questions Instead of Giving Answers | Chris Saraceno

    Chris Saraceno is back on Keep the Change. As VP and Partner of Kelly Automotive Group (12 franchises, 7 locations, ~500 team members), Chris knows what it takes to build and sustain culture at scale. In this conversation, Bart and Chris go deep on why culture is really about behaviors, how great leaders adapt their communication style to each individual, and why being questioned by your team is a sign of a healthy organization. Chris shares lessons from his mentor Eustace Wolfington — including "think like a customer" and "don't play God, present options" — and how those principles still shape his leadership 40+ years into the automotive industry. They cover the Theory of 5 framework (spiritual, partner, family, business/finance, health/fitness), Chris's upcoming children's book The Magic Stone, the power of catching people doing something right, and why candor paired with compassion is what separates good leaders from great ones. Find Chris at TheoryOf5 and on LinkedIn and Facebook. CONNECT WITH CHRIS SARACENO:  Website: TheoryOf5.com  LinkedIn: Chris Saraceno  Facebook: Chris Saraceno Books mentioned: The Theory of 5 Book by Chris Saraceno | Winning by Jack Welch | The Next Conversation by Jefferson Fisher | The Self-Aware Leader by John Maxwell | Crucial Conversations | It's the Manager (Gallup) Subscribe to Keep the Change for weekly conversations on leadership, growth, and the automotive industry.

  3. Jul 31

    From Marine Corps to Main Street: Ken Cook on Building a Dealership with Core Values

    Ken Cook, owner of BZ Automotive in Indiana, sits down with Bart Nollenberger to share his journey from a short career in the Marine Corps to becoming a successful independent dealer in a market dominated by giants.  Ken opens up about the power of core values in shaping culture, why he rewards employees based on those values (including sending a long-tenured couple to Hawaii), and the personal decisions — like giving up alcohol — that transformed his leadership.  Bart and Ken also dive into the Johari Window, emotional intelligence, and why the best leaders take an honest look at themselves before asking anything of their team. Whether you're running a dealership, building a business, or leading a team of any size, this conversation will challenge you to raise your own standard. Ken's contact: ken@drivebz.com If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone building a business from the ground up. Subscribe and follow Keep the Change on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

  4. Jul 24

    Rob Ruth Returns: The Buying Center Blueprint That Buys 362 Cars a Month Off the Street

    Rob Ruth from Bob Ruth Ford joins Bart Nollenberger for a second time to pull back the curtain on the buying center model that transformed his dealership. Rob shares how he went from personally messaging sellers on Facebook Marketplace to building a six-person team that acquired a record 362 vehicles off the street last month. He walks through the staffing, the daily metrics, the hiring profile, and why your used car department is the single biggest lever you can control as a dealer.  They also dig into leadership, the power of attitude, and why the best time to invest in new processes is when times are good — not when you're desperate. Connect with Rob Ruth on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook. Subscribe to Keep the Change for more conversations with the best operators in the business.

  5. Jul 17

    Sam Sweis: Immigrant Work Ethic, Selling Exotics from Indiana, and Why Your Team IS the Strategy

    Sam Sweis went from washing cars at a California Dodge store to owning Sweis Infiniti in Indiana — with 27 acquisitions along the way. In this episode, Sam and Bart dig into what actually drives long-term success in the car business: building your bench from within, understanding that every customer walks in with an unidentified problem, and knowing that used cars are the one department the factory doesn't control.  Sam talks COVID strategy, the exotic car market, why he'll never buy a high-performing store, and the advice he'd give any dealer getting started — including the question most people don't want to answer: what are you willing to give up? Whether you're a green pea or a seasoned dealer, this conversation is packed with real talk on leadership, culture, and what you have to be willing to give up to own the building. Connect with Sam:  Email: sam@sweismotorsports.com Instagram: @sam_sweis Subscribe and share Keep the Change for more conversations with the people shaping the car business.

  6. Jul 10

    Transformation: Healing From the Inside Out

    Bart Nollenberger just got back from twelve days in Lusaka, Zambia — and he came home with a message he can't stop thinking about. Invited to speak to more than two dozen audiences, from children in the slums to recovering men in a treatment center to business leaders and church congregations, Bart realized he wasn't giving twenty different talks. He was giving one. In this episode, Bart puts leadership, recovery, and faith on the same table and shows how they all connect. Drawing on 41 years of sobriety and 42 years in the automobile business, he walks through the first four steps of a changed life — admit, believe, decide, and take honest inventory — and makes the case that they don't just heal a person, they change a culture. Because culture never changes from the outside in. It changes from the inside out, one heart and one surrendered morning at a time. Whether you lead a company, a church, or a family around the dinner table, this one's for you. You are not too young, not too important, and not too far gone. 📖 Get Bart's book Keep the Change and learn more at bartnollenberger.com 🔔 Subscribe to Keep the Change on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.

  7. Jun 12

    David Long on Step Zero: Why Attitude, Energy & Approach Beat Process Every Time | Keep the Change

    David Long returns to Keep the Change to talk about his new book, Step Zero — and why winning isn't just about executing the process, but everything that happens before step one. Bart and David break down the three things that separate top performers: attitude, energy, and approach. David also shares his personal journey — building four businesses, walking in faith, life as a grandfather, and his path of sobriety, with a message of hope for anyone struggling. David Long is the COO of VAN (Vehicle Acquisition Network), President of David J. Long Consulting, VP of Schumacher Chevrolet, founder of All Things Used Cars, and creator of the "Pandemic of Positivity." Get a free copy of his book and free resources at DavidJLongConsulting.com. If this one resonated, share it with someone who needs it.

  8. May 30

    The Mistake Quietly Killing Car Dealerships in 2026 — And the Leader Who's Calling It Out

    COVID didn't just inflate paychecks — it gutted a generation of car people. Old dogs cashed out, GSMs got promoted before they were ready, and salespeople learned to take orders instead of build value. Now the margins are gone and a leadership gap is staring the industry down. Bart sits down with John Alcorn — Operating Partner of Dogwood Auto Group (Mazda, VW, Volvo) — for a raw conversation on: → The mistake quietly costing managers their best people → John Maxwell's 5 Levels of Leadership — and where most managers are stuck → Why he raises men, not boys ("leaders eat last") → Why "change in the mirror first" is his #1 advice → A first look at SEF Score — his new tool fixing the measurables problem 🎙️ Don't miss Bart's free webinar June 2, 8 PM ET → bartnollenberger.com 📩 john@dogwoodauto.com | john@sefscore.com

See All (199)

5
out of 5
14 Ratings

About

You can transform your dealership from the inside out, and Bart Nollenberger will show you how. “Keep The Change” is your go-to podcast for leadership growth in the automotive world—and there’s a reason leaders across the country swear by Bart’s coaching. His hands-on, proven approach has helped managers and owners just like you create lasting, meaningful change in their dealerships, and in every episode, he’s sharing his personal breakthroughs, field-tested strategies, and inspiring success stories, so you can do the same. If you’re new here, you’re exactly where you need to be. Each episode of “Keep The Change” will empower you to develop stronger leadership skills, build a winning culture, and stay ahead in a fiercely competitive market. Ready to go beyond sales training and actually transform how your dealership operates? Join Bart and keep the change you’ve worked so hard to create. 

Information

  • Creator
    Bart Nollenberger
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    199
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Bart Nollenberger
  • Show Website
    Keep The Change

You Might Also Like