Sensei Playbook

Rock 'n' Roll Leadership: A New Era in Automotive Management | Gregg Stegmann (Episode 38)

In this episode of The Sensei Playbook, host Chris interviews Greg Stegman, General Manager of Wharton Chevrolet, GMC and Ram Country in Wharton, Texas, about building dealership success through people-first leadership. Stegman shares how he entered the car business from restaurant work, rose quickly into sales and finance, and credits mentors and a personal "book" of lessons—reminders of what he vowed never to do as a future GM. He explains how authentic recognition, visibility, accessibility, and individualized motivation create trust, accountability, employee retention, and a stronger customer experience, emphasizing that culture drives sustainable results and OEM metrics. He also outlines a social media approach focused on real people, entertainment and education over constant ads, and says he wants to be known for treating people well and assembling elite teams. 00:00 Don't Forget Your Book 00:19 Podcast Intro 00:44 Meet Greg Stegman 02:09 From Restaurants to Cars 05:19 Dad's Influence and Integrity 07:39 Chasing the Finance Office 11:09 Mentors and the GM Notebook 14:19 Becoming GM and Staying Grounded 16:50 Authentic Recognition and Trust 20:51 Personalized Leadership and Motivation 24:37 Culture Drives Customer Experience 29:31 Circle of Trust and Cici's Concept 31:56 Welcome to CiCis 33:01 Make Guests Feel Seen 33:59 Culture Meets Conflict 35:17 Accountability Builds Trust 36:28 Lead With Care 38:07 Saying I Love You 38:21 Family Roots of Empathy 42:58 Circle of Trust 43:44 Social Media With Culture 48:59 Content Mix That Works 50:36 Jab Jab Right Hook 53:16 One Habit for New GMs 56:11 Legacy and Closing Connect with Gregg: Instagram: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbVgxWlpZRzdEV0h4YzBMck1HWEZrUDBhN1dCZ3xBQ3Jtc0tuV19GS2x5RGgteWVUZFVqc1VGZGtGTW5DZHZsZGw3eWxCZ25qN0Q1SHZyck91ekZHVGlucWc2NzFsX3NKS1hzTlo2VkdqYzBvbXAwdEdVNlJRcGxSX2JnZmZJNWJHanZLUDhOUklPVmx4Wjdvd3lDcw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.driveherforward.com%2F&v=MewmjK6COaQwww.instagram.com/htown.carguy/ [http://www.instagram.com/htown.carguy/] Facebook: www.facebook.com/gregg.stegman/ [https://www.facebook.com/gregg.stegman/] LinkedIn: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbWlCMVd3LTYxN3lkX1VZSVNDNnBINTBXTUZBd3xBQ3Jtc0trY3pFVnpvandPNWpvNU9NVnE4TnZqNVpBWkFvN3FtX1dNWDFYTjFXdjM3QmtnQTdWa0x6VHNGTW1UQUtlVldLTXRQQkVMQVNlaTF3TDQ5NU4zdTJrVVYzazRYRUdpc0hoWG16aVR1VTFfTHgxOFZhUQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fkatiemnaughton%2F&v=MewmjK6COaQwww.linkedin.com/in/stegmangregg/ [http://www.linkedin.com/in/stegmangregg/]

Her Grandfather Helped Build Chrysler, Now She's Leading the Industry | Katie Naughton

In this episode of the Sensei Playbook, Katie Naughton shares her upbringing in an automotive family, including a grandfather who rose through Ford with Lee Iacocca and helped turn around Chrysler, and a father who ran Mike Naughton Ford for 47 years and modeled hard work, relationship selling, and customer-first service. Katie describes carving her own path, training through NADA Dealer Academy, then moving to Toronto at 32 to buy and operate a Kia dealership as part of the less-than-1% of female dealer principals, navigating intimidation in a male-dominated industry by reading the room and building allies. She explains shifting from a tough management style to employee-first leadership, removing toxic performers, and using culture standards like constant hospitality and "Cinderella doesn't have a bad day." After COVID border constraints, burnout, and selling both the family Ford store and later her Kia store, she joined DSMA to guide M&A and valuations, and founded Drive Her Forward to provide deeper, community-based leadership development for women. 00:39 Introduction 01:55 Growing Up in the Car Business 12:38 Navigating as a Female Dealer Principal 16:03 US vs Canada Operations 16:58 Leadership Evolution 24:18 Building Culture 27:55 The Decision to Sell 38:05 Drive Her Forward 49:21 Legacy and Impact Connect with Katie Naughton Website: https://www.driveherforward.com/ [https://www.driveherforward.com/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiemnaughton/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiemnaughton/] Watch more episodes of The Sensei Playbook Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiR2e-qlKR_6tb99b9j2kuiovVry89fCL

The Secret to 5-Star Dealership Experiences with Jean Reitelbach

In this episode of the Sensei Playbook Podcast, Chris Snellgrove interviews Jean Reitelbach, a seasoned automotive marketing strategist with over 12 years of experience in the industry. Jean shares her journey from traditional marketing to automotive marketing, emphasizing the need for a strong connection between brand and operations. She discusses her role as an independent consultant assisting organizations in amplifying their brand messaging and operations. Jean also highlights the importance of leveraging technology, developing proactive strategies, and fostering a trust-based team culture in dealerships. The conversation delves into effective reputation management, conflict resolution, using reviews as data points, and the potential of AI tools in enhancing customer experience.

Inside the Auto Industry with Veteran Larry Feldman: Recruitment, Training, and Insights

Welcome to The Sense Playbook! In this episode, we sit down with Larry Feldman, a 30-year veteran of the automotive industry. With experience ranging from salesperson to dealer principal, Larry shares his passion for recruiting, training, and developing talent within dealerships. We discuss his recent busy schedule, including training sessions across states and handling over 100 ads for various dealership positions. Larry also opens up about his positive experience at NADA, the importance of customer experience, the symbiotic relationship between sales and fixed operations, and his philosophy on staying optimistic and hard-working in the industry. Additionally, Larry and Chris Snellgrove discuss the value of video testimonials and effective customer engagement strategies. Don't miss out on Larry's invaluable insights and upcoming events aimed at enhancing dealership operations.

Creating Extraordinary Customer Experiences: Lessons from World Record-Holder Ali Reda and Trainer Damian Boudreaux

In this episode of the Sensei Playbook, listeners are treated to an invaluable discussion with Ali Reda, the current world record holder for the most cars sold in a year, and his mentor Damian Boudreaux, a top automotive trainer in the US. They delve into the transformative power of relationship selling, emphasizing the importance of community involvement, personalized customer care, and the immense value of believing in one's potential. Ali shares his journey from selling 30 cars a month to over 100, attributing his success to a customer-centric approach that avoids transactional sales methods in favor of building lasting relationships. The episode provides actionable insights for general managers of car dealerships on enhancing customer experience and leveraging community engagement for sustainable success in the automotive industry. Auto Training Academy - https://autotrainingacademy.com/ [https://autotrainingacademy.com/] Damian Boudreaux - https://damianboudreaux.com/ [https://damianboudreaux.com/] Reputation Sensei - https://reputationsensei.com/ [https://reputationsensei.com/]