Auto Collabs

Most dealerships are chasing AI tools. Dave Perry argues the real opportunity is solving bigger problems, keeping service customers for life, and turning AI into a force multiplier instead of a replacement. Dave Perry has spent his career solving complex problems across industries—from secure communications in the United States Air Force to leadership roles in technology companies—and now he's bringing that outside perspective to automotive as CEO of BLiNK AI. What surprised him most? Automotive isn't like other industries. Instead of a level playing field where the best idea wins, Dave describes it as a collection of powerful kingdoms, where OEMs, DMS providers, regulators, and dealers all shape the path of innovation. In this conversation, Dave shares why most companies waste time solving small problems, how his military experience taught him to identify mission-critical challenges, and why Fixed Ops may be the most underappreciated growth engine in retail automotive. The discussion dives deep into AI hype, the dangers of chasing technology without a clear objective, and how dealers can use automation to scale people—not replace them. If you're trying to separate AI reality from AI marketing, this episode delivers a practical roadmap. Timestamped Takeaways 0:00 Why Automotive Operates More Like Kingdoms Than A Free Market 2:40 The Outsider's Shock: What Makes Automotive So Different From Every Other Industry 4:16 You Can't Solve One Piece Of Automotive—You Have To Solve The Entire Value Chain 5:54 The Air Force Lesson That Taught Dave To Focus Only On Mission-Critical Problems 7:36 Most Companies Waste Time Fixing Small Problems While The Big Ones Grow 9:11 If You Can't Quantify The Problem In Dollars, It Probably Isn't The Priority 10:47 Could A Seven-Year-Old Understand Your Business? Most Founders Fail This Test 12:38 The Biggest AI Mistake Dealers Are Making Right Now 14:18 Why Fixed Ops Generates Far More Value Than Most Dealers Realize 15:20 AI Isn't Replacing People—It's Removing Friction From The Customer Experience 17:12 The Missing Layer In Most Dealership Technology Stacks: A System Of Action 20:49 Stop Measuring Activity: How AI Can Help BDC Teams Triple Their Output 23:00 What Happens After The AI Hype Cycle Peaks 24:33 Every Extra Service Appointment Question May Be Costing You Customers 25:56 The Service Advisor Has More Influence On The Next Vehicle Sale Than The Salesperson Connect with Dave Perry at https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveperry360/ Learn more about BLiNK AI at https://www.blinkai.com

Send us Fan Mail The rules around pricing transparency are changing fast, and the industry is scrambling to keep up. Jim Fitzpatrick, Founder and CEO of CBT News, joins Auto Collabs to discuss why he's bringing the industry back together for a live event focused on one of the biggest challenges facing dealers today: compliance, pricing transparency, and the growing impact of FTC enforcement. As confusion spreads around pricing disclosures, advertising standards, and third-party marketplace responsibilities, Jim shares why now is the time for dealers to get informed and involved. The conversation explores the ripple effects of the FTC's recent actions, the challenges vendors and lead providers face in adapting to new expectations, and why collaboration between dealers, legislators, regulators, and industry partners is critical. Jim also reflects on the return of CBT's live events, the evolving role of automotive media, and why bringing the right people into the same room may be the fastest path to clarity. Timestamped Takeaways 0:00 Why Spending Time Together Still Creates Better Industry Conversations 1:24 The Compliance Questions Dealers Won’t Stop Asking 2:19 What Inspired CBT News to Launch a Washington Summit Right Now 3:05 The FTC’s 97 Letters Created Industry-Wide Anxiety 4:01 How a Single Social Media Post Could Create Compliance Risk 5:24 Why Third-Party Lead Providers Are At The Center Of This Debate 6:15 The Competitive Pricing Problem Nobody Has Solved Yet 7:19 The FTC’s Push For Dealer Reporting Changed The Conversation 8:00 What Dealers Should Expect To Learn From The Summit 9:31 Why Dealer Feedback Matters More Than Ever In Washington 10:40 The Real Opportunity Dealers Have To Influence Policy 12:58 Media’s Responsibility Isn’t Just Reporting—It’s Creating Accountability 14:22 How CBT News Reinvented Itself For The Next Generation Of Dealers 15:34 The Industry Needs More Conversations—Not More Commentary Connect with Jim Fitzpatrick at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-fitzpatrick-2977b325/ Learn more about CBT News at https://www.cbtnews.com/ ⭐️ Love the podcast? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your LinkedIn or Instagram handle so we can thank you personally! We have a daily email!  https://www.asotu.com ✉️ Sign up for our free and fun-to-read daily email for a quick shot of relevant news in automotive retail, media, and pop culture. 🎧 Like and follow our other podcasts:  Automotive State of the Union ASOTU CON Sessions

Send us Fan Mail The rules around pricing transparency are changing fast, and the industry is scrambling to keep up. Jim Fitzpatrick, Founder and CEO of CBT News, joins Auto Collabs to discuss why he's bringing the industry back together for a live event focused on one of the biggest challenges facing dealers today: compliance, pricing transparency, and the growing impact of FTC enforcement. As confusion spreads around pricing disclosures, advertising standards, and third-party marketplace ...

Send us Fan Mail She's spent decades watching technology trends rise, crash, and reshape industries and she says the AI era feels familiar, dangerous, and full of opportunity all at once. Beth Hill, General Counsel & COO/Founder, The Shop at Ford Direct has one of the most unexpected résumés in automotive tech. She started in hospitality, planned to become a Wall Street attorney, became an “internet lawyer” during the dot-com boom, wrote about Pokémon Go security risks before most people cared, and now helps shape how Ford and Lincoln dealers evaluate emerging technology. Somewhere along the way, she also named her ChatGPT assistant “John Connor.” Naturally. In this episode, Beth joins the Auto Collabs crew to unpack what dealers, startups, and tech companies are getting wrong about AI. She explains why every major technology shift follows the same emotional cycle — fear, hype, overcorrection, then real adoption — and why today’s AI boom feels a lot like the early internet era. The conversation dives into cybersecurity risks, AI governance, vibe coding, data ethics, dealer trust, and why the future belongs to companies solving real operational problems instead of simply adding “.ai” to their branding. Timestamped Takeaways 00:00 Why Beth Hill Named Her ChatGPT Assistant “John Connor” 02:17 From Bartender to Wall Street Lawyer to Automotive Tech Strategist 06:07 How Beth Became an “Internet Lawyer” During the First Dot-Com Boom 07:21 Her First Amazon Purchase in 1999 Says Everything About Her Career 08:53 The AI Security Risks Dealers Aren’t Thinking About Yet 10:26 “Who’s Vibe Coding Here?” — The Hidden Dangers of AI Development 11:30 The Worst-Case AI Scenario Isn’t Science Fiction Anymore 15:07 Why Gen X Has a Unique Advantage in the AI Revolution 17:19 The Same Fear Happened When Email & The Internet First Appeared 18:34 Remember When Every Company Thought They Needed an App? 21:35 Why Beth Thinks AI Will Follow the Same Pattern as Every Tech Boom 22:24 The Real Future of AI Isn’t Hype — It’s Solving Actual Dealer Problems Connect with Beth Hill at https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethhill2/ Learn more about The Shop at FordDirect at https://www.forddirect.com/ ⭐️ Love the podcast? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your LinkedIn or Instagram handle so we can thank you personally! We have a daily email!  https://www.asotu.com ✉️ Sign up for our free and fun-to-read daily email for a quick shot of relevant news in automotive retail, media, and pop culture. 🎧 Like and follow our other podcasts:  Automotive State of the Union ASOTU CON Sessions

Send us Fan Mail She's spent decades watching technology trends rise, crash, and reshape industries and she says the AI era feels familiar, dangerous, and full of opportunity all at once. Beth Hill, General Counsel & COO/Founder, The Shop at Ford Direct has one of the most unexpected résumés in automotive tech. She started in hospitality, planned to become a Wall Street attorney, became an “internet lawyer” during the dot-com boom, wrote about Pokémon Go security risks before most peopl...