ASOTU CON Sessions

Live from ASOTU CON 2026, Kyle Mountsier sits down with Jennifer Parsons, Senior F&I Director at Walser Automotive Group, to discuss the evolution of finance operations inside one of the industry's most innovative dealer groups. Jennifer shares her unconventional journey into automotive, her passion for developing people, and the lessons learned as Walser reimagines the role of F&I within its single-point-of-contact retail model. The conversation explores Walser's transition from a highly centralized finance structure to a hybrid approach that places more strategic decision-making back inside the dealership. Jennifer also discusses the launch of the industry's first F&I-specific 20 Group with NCM Associates, the importance of employee resource communities, and how Walser is challenging every step of the customer journey to eliminate unnecessary friction and create a better retail experience. Timestamped Takeaways 0:00 Intro 0:12 Meet Jennifer Parsons and Walser Automotive Group 0:46 Discovering a Passion for F&I 2:15 From Selling One Vehicle to Leading Finance Operations 3:28 Why Walser Reimagined Its F&I Structure 4:41 Building a New Generation of F&I Leaders 6:06 Defining Success in a New Role 7:03 Launching the Industry's First F&I 20 Group 8:18 Creating Community Through Employee Resource Groups 9:43 Collaboration as a Competitive Advantage 10:31 The Future of Automotive Retail Operations 11:08 Mapping the Customer Journey From End to End 11:49 Why Every Process Should Be Questioned 12:00 Closing Thoughts Connect with Jennifer Parsons at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-parsons-77969b31/ Learn more about Walser Automotive Group at https://www.walser.com

Live from ASOTU CON 2026, Russell Richardson brings together Sheridan Schreiber, Anthony Reich, and Austin Conroy for a candid discussion about the role of social media in modern automotive retail. Rather than focusing on theory, the panel shares firsthand experiences from actively creating content every day, building personal brands, generating leads, hiring employees, and creating new business opportunities through simple, authentic video content. The conversation explores why so many automotive professionals hesitate to get started, the misconceptions around equipment and production quality, and the growing importance of human connection in a digital-first marketplace. From dealership recruiting and technician hiring to customer acquisition and vendor sales, the panel demonstrates how consistent content creation is helping dealers and vendors build trust, expand reach, and create opportunities that traditional marketing channels often miss. Timestamped Takeaways 0:00 Intro 0:12 Why Social Media Still Feels Uncomfortable for Dealers 1:15 Meet the Panel 3:05 The Fear of Being on Camera 4:33 How Consistency Creates Better Content 5:54 Overcoming the Fear of Judgment 6:42 The Biggest Excuse: “I'm Too Busy” 7:54 Real Results From Automotive Social Media 9:16 Unexpected Opportunities and Career Growth 10:53 Selling Cars Through Personal Branding 12:17 How to Find Time to Create Content 13:19 Why Views and Followers Aren't the Goal 15:54 Why Video Outperforms Photos and Text 17:50 The Year of the Human 18:18 Social Media as the Ultimate Follow-Up Tool 20:43 Building Trust Through Daily Content 22:43 Which Social Platforms Matter Most? 25:39 Finding Endless Content Ideas 27:06 What Dealers Should Avoid Posting 30:41 The Biggest Missed Opportunity in Automotive Marketing 33:26 How Vendors Win With Personal Branding 34:46 From Websites to Social Media 35:37 Different Styles of Content That Work 37:17 Social Media and Hiring the Right People 40:09 How Customers Research Vehicles Today 41:41 Final Advice for Getting Started 44:32 The Challenge: Post Your First Video Today Connect with Russell Richardson (@RussFlipsWhips) https://www.tiktok.com/@russflipswhips Connect with Sheridan Schreiber (@SocialSheridan) https://www.tiktok.com/@sheridancschreiber Connect with Anthony Reich (@TexasCarGuy) https://www.tiktok.com/@texas_carguy Connect with Austin Conroy (@DealerPlayGuy) https://www.tiktok.com/@dealerplateguy

Live from ASOTU CON 2026, Erroll Bomar sits down with Adrian Gonzalez to discuss how consistent, behind-the-scenes content transformed the way his dealership connects with customers and employees. What began as an effort to challenge common excuses around social media quickly evolved into a strategy generating millions of organic views, hundreds of monthly leads, and a stronger connection between the dealership and its community. Throughout the conversation, Adrian explains why transparency matters more than trends, how educational content helps demystify the car-buying process, and why authenticity consistently outperforms gimmicks. He also shares an unexpected outcome of the strategy: attracting technicians, salespeople, and new team members who already understand the dealership culture before they ever walk through the door. Timestamped Takeaways0:00 Intro0:11 Meet Adrian Gonzalez1:00 Using Social Media to Build Customer Trust1:43 Expectations Versus Reality in Content Creation2:08 Proving Social Media Works for Dealerships3:41 Why Educational Content Resonates With Customers4:35 Breaking Down the Mystery of the Car Business5:37 Balancing Transparency and Compliance6:25 Building Trust Through Behind-the-Scenes Content7:44 Scaling a Social Media Sales Team8:11 Turning Content Into 250 Free Monthly Leads9:25 The Unexpected Impact on Hiring and Recruitment10:13 Why Social Media Became a Talent Magnet11:18 Authenticity, Consistency, and Long-Term Growth11:55 Stop Chasing Views, Start Chasing Leads13:16 The Human Side of Dealership Storytelling Connect with Adrian Gonzalez at https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-gonzalez-793008131/Learn more about Payne Auto Group at https://www.payneautogroup.com/

Live from ASOTU CON 2026, David Long brings together an all-star panel featuring Rob Dell of Bob Ruth Ford, John Ellis of Agile Auto, Brian Kramer of Cars Commerce, Jaden Abad, and Michael Porro for a deep dive into the strategies reshaping vehicle acquisition. The conversation explores what separates elite acquisition operations from average ones, highlighting the role of discipline, accountability, process ownership, and leadership involvement in scaling a successful buy-center strategy. From buying more than 300 vehicles per month in a town of just 2,700 residents to creating customer experiences that allow consumers to sell a vehicle in under 10 minutes, the panel shares practical lessons learned on the front lines. Topics include private-party acquisition, appraisal confidence, inventory turn, data-driven decision-making, customer experience, and why the most successful operators remain deeply involved in the daily execution of their acquisition strategy. Timestamped Takeaways 0:00 Intro and Welcome to All Things Used Cars 1:40 Rob Dell on Scaling Vehicle Acquisition 3:17 Why People and Process Drive Results 5:16 Defining Accountability and Performance Expectations 6:45 The Owner's Role in Buy Center Success 7:55 John Ellis on Building Agile Auto 9:08 Curiosity, Discipline, and Execution 10:57 The Impact of All Things Used Cars 12:09 From 312 Cars to 1,000 Cars Per Month 13:04 Inventory Turn and Acquisition Efficiency 14:04 Common Buy Center Mistakes Dealers Make 17:34 Brian Kramer on Digital Appraisals and Consumer Expectations 25:35 Jaden Abad on Customer Experience and Acquisition Growth 27:32 How to Buy a Vehicle in Under 10 Minutes 28:53 Competing With Carvana and CarMax 33:50 Building an Acquisition Culture Across the Dealership 41:52 Final Advice for Dealers Building Buy Centers 42:37 Why Data and Exit Strategy Matter 43:31 The Pandemic of Positivity Connect with David Long at https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjlong/ Learn more about All Things Used Cars+ at https://www.linkedin.com/company/all-things-used-cars/

Live from ASOTU CON 2026, Michael Cirillo sits down with Beth Hill, leader of The Shop by FordDirect, to discuss how dealers can navigate an increasingly crowded technology landscape. Drawing on her unique perspective across legal, compliance, privacy, sourcing, and vendor partnerships, Beth shares the origin story behind The Shop and the challenge it was built to solve: helping dealers identify trusted solutions without wasting valuable time sorting through endless options. The conversation explores the evolution of dealership technology purchasing, the importance of vendor curation, and the growing need for data governance in an AI-driven environment. Beth explains how FordDirect approaches trust, privacy, and dealer choice, while highlighting why transparency, rigorous vetting, and customer data protection have become foundational requirements for modern automotive technology providers. Timestamped Takeaways 0:00 Intro 0:12 Meet Beth Hill and The Shop by FordDirect 1:07 The Origin Story Behind The Shop 3:13 Listening to Dealers and Solving Technology Overload 4:56 Reimagining the Dealership Buying Process 5:35 How Trusted Solutions Are Selected 5:55 The Vendor Certification and Vetting Process 6:59 Dealer Choice Versus One-Size-Fits-All Solutions 8:34 Protecting Dealer and Consumer Data in the AI Era 10:18 Why Dealer Choice Matters More Than Ever 11:24 Curating Technology for Different Dealer Needs 12:39 The Balance Between Curation and Personalization 13:29 How Dealers Can Connect with Beth and The Shop Connect with Beth Hill at https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethhill2/ Learn more about The Shop at FordDirect at https://www.forddirect.com/