Automotive State of The Union
Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier don’t just read headlines, they make the most important connections across car dealerships, general retail, tech, and culture. The goal? To help automotive leaders think clearer and move faster in a world that refuses to slow down.
Whether you’re running a rooftop, building a brand, or just trying to keep up with everything shifting in the business of selling cars, this is your regular stop for a shot of news, insight, and a little bit of chaos…always rooted in people-first thinking.
From the showroom to Silicon Valley.
From Wall Street to Main Street.
Paul and Kyle connect the dots, keep it real, and make it make sense.
Learn more at https://www.asotu.com
- Update frequency
- every day
- Average duration
- 14 minutes
- Episodes
- 1142
- Years Active
- 2021 - 2025
Carmax Sales Swing, Asking the Real EV Questions, Keeping It Moving
This Wednesday we dig into the Carmax Q4 shareholder report…and there is a lot to unpack. We also ask some real questions about EV rollouts and talk through how to prepare to respond.…
Toyota Just In Time, Elon Deletes Twitter, and Flying Motorcycles
Events Season is Here, We Need a Show Name & Dealers Partnering w/ Athletes
Welcome to the first week of what we are dubbing “events season.” Ok, maybe someone else called it that first. However, we can’t wait to see you soon at one or multiple of them. We al…
Diapers With Crypto, 500k Cars From A Single Factory, Trucker Salary Bump
We’re troublemaking our way into Friday with stories orbiting the Retail Automotive ecosystem. Starting with an easier way to use crypto for regular purchases, moving on to the openin…
CDK Acquired, Crypto-Bull, A Dark Horse In the Website Race
We’re talking tech from across the spectrum today from finance, to websites, acquisitions. From Miami’s new crypto-symbolism, to a secret Dealer website project revealed, as well as a…
The Top 150 Dealer List, Honda/GM Partner on EVs, Top 5 Gen Z Brands, and Creative vs. Volume Content
Today we take a look at the latest Top 150 Dealer List published by Automotive News as well as Honda and GM’s Announced Partnership to develop affordable EV technology. We also dig in…
Twitter Full of Characters, Auto Intel Reporting, Satellite Internet Heats Up
Tuesdays are for Troublemakers. This Tuesday is no exception as we talk about the implications of a car-guy being the largest shareholder in Twitter. We also dive into Steve Greefield…
The Grammy’s Get Serious, LIFO On The Ropes, Lithia Looks For #1
Welcome to Monday, Troublemakers! Today we talk about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Grammy Appearance last night, a potential light at the end of the LIFO tunnel thanks to …
Ben-stocks, Negative For Positivity, and Crossfitters Pressing Fuel Prices
Today’s episode cover some shocking news from the Negative test results for David Long, A New Automotive-inspired crypto currency, and harvesting human energy to replace internal comb…
Keeping It Movin’, No Excuses, Started From The Bottom
Today’s show title may or may not include the summaries of our three main topics as song titles from the Troublemaker Swagger Playlist on Spotify. We’re talking about Toyota outpacing…
Brand Loyalty Bumped, Sales slumped, and A Balanced NFL Postseason
Wellllcome to Wednesday. Today we’re talking about what happens to brand loyalty when supplies are tight. Hint: It doesn’t go up. We also cover the most recent sales numbers for Q1 an…
Pass the Chips, Former Disney CEO Makes Meta Moves, CarDealership Guy
It’s a good (maybe great) day to make some trouble this fine Tuesday morning as we talk about moves to make the US more chip-friendly, the former Disney CEO who is betting big on meta…
Customer Experience From Chipoltle to Baseball, A Streaming First, Ditching the Old Indicators for Nimble Insights
This Monday Morning we’re making TROUBLE by calibrating the Consumer Experience dial with real-world, real-time evidence. To quote the heroine Dorothy,“We aren’t in Kansas anymore.” …
The Return of Honest Instagram?, Seizing Auto Manufacturing, Teen Hackers, and Remoooooote Work
On this beautiful Friday Morning we’re leaning into the human element as we talk about how your teams are using social media (and how you can too), Russian Auto Plants potentially bei…
Pent Up Demand, Tesla Party Permit Getting Punked, Meta Execs Far From Home
Today we talk about the potential effects of all the pent up demand that may be building and what that may mean for the next year or so. We also talk about a community pushing back ag…
A Dealership Was a Zoo, Crowd Sourced Markup Tracker, Grit From Ukraine Workers
It’s a great day to make some trouble as we cover some stories from the retail front door all the way across the world to wiring harness production in the Ukraine. From turning a show…
Still A Seller’s Market, German EV Race, Will SXSW Ever Really Return?
Today we ask the question, “With the dealership selling frenzy that happened in 2021, is it possible for 2022 to beat it?” We also talk about the Giga-opening in Berlin and what it me…
Metaverse Madness w/Brian Kramer, New(er) EV Price Hikes, Banks Pushing Back
This Monday we are waking up to a world where you can buy and sell a real life vehicle in the metaverse. Our very own Brian Kramer lets the team who executed the first transaction and…
March Madness Money, Mortgage Rates Climb, Netflix Sharing Party Over
We wake up on a Friday morning expecting that our good friend Brian Kramer is poised and ready to complete a vehicle transaction in the metaverse! Tons to talk about around the world …
Feeling Lucky or Unlucky, HSBC and Retail Auto in the Metaverse, Consumers Pushing Back on Pricing
On this St. Patrick’s Day there are plenty of folks feeling both lucky and unlucky. Today we talk about the big ASOTU announcement at NADA, the first Retail Auto transaction in the Me…