The Dealer Lab

Ownex
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Exploring the Future of Dealerships — One Experiment at a Time The Dealer Lab is the official podcast of the Ownex Network — a community of dealers, operators, and industry experts working together to redefine what a modern dealership can be. Hosted by Max Materne, Danny French, and Justin Watson, each episode dives deep into the experiments, breakthroughs, and hard-earned lessons emerging from real dealerships inside the Ownex Cohort. From transforming customer retention and fixed operations to reshaping culture, leadership, and technology — The Dealer Lab explores what happens when you sta

  1. 23 | DELV Analysis: how we study Dealership Operations

    3D AGO

    23 | DELV Analysis: how we study Dealership Operations

    Inside Ownex’s DELV Dealership Analysis: Valuation, Loyalty Data, and a 90-Day RoadmapIn this episode of the Dealer Lab podcast, Justin visits the studio and the team explains how the set was built from an AI-generated image before diving into Ownex’s DELV dealership analysis. Max, Danny, and Justin walk through the report’s structure, including the five-star vitals executive summary across profitability, department contribution, inventory health, technician proficiency, and sales/parts/service penetration, then show how the tool converts gaps into dollar opportunities and identifies the top three highest-ROI priorities. They discuss using DELV for due diligence and valuation, emphasizing customer lifetime gross profit and how top loyal customers can drive a large share of profit, plus how understaffing and process choices can lose loyalty. The demo also highlights seasonality, LIDAR scans for space and profit-per-square-foot analysis, inventory and flooring risk, technician performance, brand profitability, reputation scraping, team sentiment surveys, onsite interviews, and a repeatable 90-day roadmap with supporting documents and accountability.00:00 3D Dealership Software00:29 Profit and Inventory Dashboards03:01 Podcast Studio Arrival03:45 AI Designed The Set06:59 Dealership Lounge Ideas09:04 Dealer Meeting Chaos Stories10:07 Delve Analysis For Acquisition15:18 Customer Value And Loyalty30:15 Back From Break Report Walkthrough31:23 Star Rating Executive Summary34:20 Benchmarks Versus Healthy Stores39:12 Top Three ROI Switches41:53 Vitals Executive Summary43:36 Top Three Profit Levers46:25 Customer Loyalty Economics50:03 Seasonality And Lidar53:52 Inventory And Brand Insights57:30 Reputation Team Onsite01:01:48 Roadmap Accountability System01:08:58 Staff Interviews Real Fixes01:16:32 Wrap Up And Next Steps

    1h 17m
  2. 22 | Jacque Touzet: Moto Justice

    APR 10

    22 | Jacque Touzet: Moto Justice

    Dealerships, Community, and AI: Jacque Touzet on the Ownership ExperienceMax Materne and Danny French interview Jacque Touzet, the longtime dealership attorney, customer, and track-riding motorcycle enthusiast, about what made their former dealership feel like a family and community hub through events, problem-solving, and strong communication. Jacque explains how helping riders after crashes and dealing with insurance issues helped shape his practice focused on riders, and they discuss how dealerships have grown colder post-sale and post-COVID amid consolidation, shrinking margins, lower-displacement sales, and reduced staffing. The conversation compares these shifts to changes in law practice, emphasizes that great experiences—not just volume—drive loyalty, and highlights racing and events (like the Thruxton Cup and Supercross) as ways to build excitement and attract new riders. They also discuss cautious, non-customer-facing uses of AI to reduce administrative workload while preserving human relationships.00:00 Dealership Community Magic01:57 No Headphones Banter02:33 Meet Jacques Tze03:18 Track Days and Rob04:39 Service Talent Gap05:38 Family Feel at TTR07:26 Helping Riders After Crashes09:18 Experience Lost After Sale11:00 Law and Dealer Parallels12:55 Consolidation Kills Soul13:51 Staffing and Margin Crunch18:14 Smaller Bikes New Reality20:05 Why 400cc Bikes Rule25:02 Ownership Experience Focus27:41 Communication Builds Trust28:40 Events and Online Negativity31:57 Thruxton Cup FOMO34:07 Racing Street Bikes Today34:36 Harley Racing Buzz36:27 Supercross Youth Surge38:06 John Franco Build42:34 Dealership Passion Crunch43:18 AI Cautionary Tales44:42 AI For Back Office53:50 Agents And Memory57:36 Future Dealership Mesh01:01:20 Community Over Machines01:04:05 Wrap Up And Thanks

    1h 5m
  3. 21 | Jacob Berry: Motohunt Co-founder

    MAR 31

    21 | Jacob Berry: Motohunt Co-founder

    How MotoHunt Started: Jacob Berry on Inventory Management, Used-Bike Strategy & the Future of DealershipsMax Materne and Danny French interview Jacob Berry, co-founder of MotoHunt, about his background from automotive master tech to RideNow’s internet director and how MotoHunt was born from tedious, multi-day Excel-based inventory meetings that required manually pulling JD Power, NPA, and network data to make pricing and transfer decisions. Jacob explains how seed money and partnering with Michael led to building a centralized, data-driven tool to remove emotion from inventory decisions for both new and pre-owned units, and how dealers can use it for appraisals, competitive pricing, and acquisition strategy. The conversation also covers podcasting lessons, post-COVID normalization and aged inventory challenges, using service ROs as a major source of used-bike acquisitions via DMS API integration, the need for process adoption, and expectations for more online, AI-assisted, transparent buying.00:00 Spreadsheet Inventory Hell01:39 Building MotoHunt Idea03:26 Podcasting Growing Pains05:17 Taking Over a Podcast07:29 Improving the Show Format10:43 Pre vs Post COVID Reality14:55 Dealer Background Story15:29 From Tech to Corporate Digital20:14 Why Inventory Drives Everything21:30 Mechanic Mindset in Sales24:42 MotoHunt Origin with Michael29:29 How Dealers Use MotoHunt32:16 New Features and New Inventory34:51 Pre Owned Becomes the Brand38:35 Used Strategy and Risk40:24 Service Lane Trade Pipeline43:31 Breaking Sales Service Silos46:54 Advisor Incentives And Ownership48:29 Automating RO Equity Mining51:44 Moto Hunt Setup Walkthrough54:03 Future Of Digital Retail01:02:31 Hybrid Sales Team Model01:06:34 Service Future And Tech Shortage01:12:19 Human Touch Versus AI01:15:24 AI For Outreach Consistency01:20:47 Wrap Up And COTA Plans

    1h 23m
  4. 20 | Mark Jacobs: Ownex Co-Founder

    MAR 23

    20 | Mark Jacobs: Ownex Co-Founder

    Building the Dealership of the Future: Loyal Customers, Behavior Change, and AI Tools That ScaleIn this episode, Max Materne, Danny French and Justin Watson talk with partner Mark Jacobs about how industries scale through movements led by visionaries, shared language, and difficult behavior change supported by better tools. They revisit the “Inkwell” meetings where manufacturers, dealers, and vendors gathered without a fixed agenda to map what was holding dealerships back, shifting focus from rearward-looking P&L metrics to understanding customer rhythms, loyal-customer value, and the “adventure” category that powersports, marine, automotive, bicycle, and even restaurants share. They argue the industry must move from “better, faster, cheaper” toward being “different,” improving employee experience to improve customer experience, reducing costly dealership tech, and using AI/learning models to gain insight faster, gamify change, free up cash, and execute disciplined tactical plans. They also discuss how Mark joined the team, the challenges of multi-line dealerships, and why progressive coalitions outperform traditional groupthink.00:00 Scaling Takes Movement03:20 Meet Mark Jacobs04:31 Inkwell Origins08:33 Why Inkwell Worked10:28 Customer Value Focus12:58 Beyond P&L Metrics15:53 Adventure Category Insight18:03 Different Not Cheaper19:30 Tech Costs And AI21:18 How Mark Joined29:56 Hard Times Invest32:26 AI Enables Strategy36:22 Vision Versus Execution37:23 Better Versus Different40:51 Industry Case Study43:24 Always Recheck Fit45:40 Raising the Experience Bar46:45 Dealership Community vs Transaction49:19 Cutting Clicks and Friction50:45 Local Adventure Categories53:04 AI Creates Cognitive Surplus56:43 Ownex Cohorts and Roadmaps01:00:46 Practical AI Tools and Deal Builder01:09:37 Manufacturers and First Movers01:15:21 Multi Line Stores and Brand Profit01:18:35 Staff Customer Tension and Agents01:24:14 Wrap Up and Goodbyes

    1h 26m
  5. 19 | Tom Collins: FreedomRoad Financial

    MAR 17

    19 | Tom Collins: FreedomRoad Financial

    How Motorcycle Lending Works: Tom Collins on Debt Ratios, Digital Buying, Fraud & Growing PowersportsIndustry veteran Tom Collins discusses his decades-long finance career, from banking and indirect auto lending to Harley-Davidson Financial Services and founding Freedom Road Financial in 2006–07, later acquired by Old Second Bank. He explains how Freedom Road grows by staying focused on motorcycle/powersports lending and OEM partnerships, and why the industry must better reach younger riders amid rising living costs, safety concerns from parents, and expectations for faster digital transactions. Collins describes efforts toward end-to-end online purchasing via OEM sites and highlights Echo as a partner enabling approvals and titling, noting Echo was Freedom Road’s top loan-volume “dealer” in 2025. He outlines what lenders need from dealers: accurate customer interviews, full income discovery, deal structuring, real context stories, and trust, plus heightened fraud vigilance. He also emphasizes equity mining and repeat-customer loyalty while noting elevated consumer revolving debt and delinquencies alongside stable unemployment.00:00 Debt Ratio Red Flags02:37 Meet Tom Collins04:12 Finance Career Origins05:28 Harley Lending Breakthrough07:38 Freedom Road Financial Story08:33 Acquisition and Growth Plans12:06 Reaching New Riders15:09 Family Safety and E-Bikes19:02 Digital Dealership Future22:08 Echo Partnership Spotlight25:44 What Lenders Need29:54 F&I Deal Structuring31:38 Trust And Customer Stories34:15 Underwriting The Gray Area35:45 Consumer Stress Signals37:51 Equity Mining And Swaps39:05 Repeat Customer Advantage41:06 Data Sharing And Privacy45:36 Dealer Future Vision49:27 Borrowing From Luxury Retail53:27 Fraud Red Flags57:28 Fraud Checks With Lenders59:38 Full Circle Wrap Up

    1h 1m
  6. 18 | Martin Rich: Service Manager of Hattiesburg Cycles

    MAR 9

    18 | Martin Rich: Service Manager of Hattiesburg Cycles

    How Hattiesburg Cycles Built a High-Output Service Department: Tracking, Staffing, and Customer Experience with Martin RichMax and Danny interview Martin Rich, service manager at Hattiesburg Cycles, about building a profitable service department by treating time as the dealership’s most valuable inventory. Martin shares his path from Northern England to Mississippi and into powersports service management, then details the systems he implemented: daily and weekly tracking of customers through the door, scheduling, WIP and cycle time from RO creation to cash-out, a 24-hour diagnostic guarantee, and complimentary MPIs. He explains how hiring and training technicians through an apprenticeship pipeline grew the team from 4 to 10 and helped boost weekly billed hours and labor revenue, while coordinators for logistics/updates, warranty claims, and customer follow-ups improved communication, increased customer counts, and let advisors focus on customers. He also discusses ongoing challenges like parts delays, seasonal volume shifts, and the need for physical expansion to add bays.00:00 Time Is Inventory01:50 Meet Martin01:54 Accent Banter03:09 From England To LSU04:16 Katrina To Hattiesburg05:36 Enterprise And Auto Service07:53 Joining Hattiesburg Cycles10:02 Process And Tracking11:30 Customer Service First15:16 24 Hour Diagnostics16:00 Scheduling With Lightspeed17:56 Building Tech Pipeline19:37 Pay Plans And Seasonality26:29 Cycle Time And Cash Out28:54 Connect Updates And Walkarounds33:33 WIP Reviews And Whiteboard36:01 Adding A Service BDC37:00 Saturday Service Follow Ups38:59 Annual Service Reactivation Calls41:14 Multipoint Inspections That Sell45:53 Retention Habits And Free Checks49:28 Service Culture And Growth Metrics52:02 Next Steps Physical Expansion57:22 Advisor Coordinator Team Structure01:05:40 Porters Dispatch And Scheduling01:11:02 Time Management And Wrap Up

    1h 13m
  7. 17 | Jokey Froeming: Polaris Field Operations Director

    MAR 2

    17 | Jokey Froeming: Polaris Field Operations Director

    Jokey Froeming is interviewed by Max Materne about how service and the ownership experience drive customer loyalty and dealership profitability. Froeming shares her path from working in small, owner-operated snowmobile and motorcycle dealerships (parts, service, sales, and F&I) to joining Polaris, first training dealers across profit centers and later moving into corporate sales operations and leading a newly formed fixed ops team. They discuss Polaris’ regional Service Excellence Workshops, the team’s focus on non-technical service operations, customer experience, and process efficiency, and results from implementing digital multipoint inspections, including major increases in dollars per repair order. They also cover proactive lifecycle communication, reducing operational “swirl” with actionable plans and accountability, and making dealership experiences more transparent and customer-centric.00:00 Service Drives Loyalty01:53 Show Setup And Intro03:01 Early Dealer Roots05:00 College Hustle Two Dealers09:25 Back To Polaris Dealer Ops11:31 Learning Motorcycles And Customs15:01 Joining Polaris Dealer Training16:20 Corporate Shift To Sales Ops19:53 Building Fixed Ops Team21:31 Service Excellence Workshops24:15 Fixed Ops Field Playbook26:36 Multipoint Inspections Profit Boost30:18 Value Versus Price30:39 Streamlining Inspections32:16 Digital MPI Rollout33:14 Data Driven Retention34:44 Service Drives Repurchase36:11 Stop Ghosting Owners39:14 Ownership Cycle Profits40:38 Dealership As Community46:27 Delightful Customer Journey51:30 Ask Customers Directly52:55 Turning Complaints Into Loyalty01:08:14 Systematize Great Experiences01:10:06 Lifecycle Messaging At Scale01:13:18 Relevance Beats Spam01:13:51 Dealer Profitability Deep Dive01:16:48 Service Profit Levers01:22:58 Turnaround Plan Lessons01:26:10 Accountability and Tools01:29:01 Make Goals Actionable01:32:52 Bottlenecks Before Growth01:34:51 Star Charts Roadmaps01:40:56 Breaking Down Silos01:44:30 Automation and AI Future01:52:19 Wrap Up and Next Steps

    1h 53m
  8. 16 | Stephen Kirkland: New Orleans H-D & Mobile Bay H-D

    FEB 23

    16 | Stephen Kirkland: New Orleans H-D & Mobile Bay H-D

    How Stephen Kirkland Grows Two Harley-Davidson Dealerships: Loyalty, Training, and Smart AIMax and Danny interview Stephen Kirkland, General Manager for two Elite Dealer Group locations—New Orleans Harley-Davidson and Mobile Bay Harley-Davidson—plus the group’s third store, Rally Point Harley-Davidson in Columbus, Georgia. Kirkland discusses managing two stores three hours apart by relying on strong managers, clear processes, and constant communication. He recounts customer-experience stories that build loyalty, including buying a customer a birthday cake and inviting top customers to pick up Mardi Gras king cakes, which he says drove strong in-store transactions at low cost compared to large expensive events. The conversation covers Mardi Gras in New Orleans vs. Mobile, and Kirkland’s past stunt of legally changing his name to “Tex Harley” for one year while working at Texas Harley-Davidson. Kirkland shares views on AI in dealerships: bad, fully automated customer messaging can damage relationships, so AI should support employees (suggested messages and automating repeatable admin tasks) rather than replace authentic human interaction. He explains shifting strategy to counter long-term declines in Harley store transactions by focusing on outbound outreach, social media presence, and reactivating existing CRM customers. He also outlines key operational priorities including daily 30-minute training built around weekly themes, increasing service repair-order count by scheduling customers’ next appointments before they leave, and focusing on selling new motorcycles while maximizing both new and used opportunities. They also discuss improved collaboration with Harley-Davidson under new leadership, including more dealer promotions, a focus on dealer profitability, and stronger dealer advisory council influence.00:00 Birthday Cake Loyalty00:51 Meet the Two Store GM01:23 Building Teams and Culture04:16 Mardi Gras Mobile vs NOLA06:06 The Tex Harley Name Bet11:21 AI in the Dealership12:55 Reversing the Transaction Decline16:48 CRM Focus and Personalized Events18:28 Using AI Without Losing Authenticity20:54 Cutting Admin Time With AI21:58 AI For Employees22:54 OpenClaw Agent Setup23:39 Automating Dealer Reports25:39 Community First Dealership27:44 Leadership Noise Filter30:22 New Versus Used Strategy32:07 Harley CEO Shift36:28 Daily Training System41:24 Service RO Growth Plan46:05 Personalized Marketing Wins52:17 Wrap Up And Thanks

    54 min
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About

Exploring the Future of Dealerships — One Experiment at a Time The Dealer Lab is the official podcast of the Ownex Network — a community of dealers, operators, and industry experts working together to redefine what a modern dealership can be. Hosted by Max Materne, Danny French, and Justin Watson, each episode dives deep into the experiments, breakthroughs, and hard-earned lessons emerging from real dealerships inside the Ownex Cohort. From transforming customer retention and fixed operations to reshaping culture, leadership, and technology — The Dealer Lab explores what happens when you sta

Information

  • Creator
    Ownex
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    23
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Ownex
  • Show Website
    The Dealer Lab

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