What's Going On? with Shaun: Recent Episodes
Shaun Raines
What's Going On? with Shaun is a variety podcast with a marketing lean, but a healthy appetite for conversations about things that make life worth living. Most episodes are about 60 minutes in length and hosted by automotive internet guy and dealer superhero, Shaun Raines. Guests include business executives, entrepreneurs, musicians, enthusiasts, artists, authors and a variety of interesting people.
What's Going On?...with Shaun is back with one of the brightest minds in the automotive industry. Bill Playford, is a Founder at Dealerknows and a deeply experienced veteran of the car business. I've known Bill long enough to not remember how many years it's been. His automotive experience includes retail inside dealerships, technology providers, true data science, and expert, results-based consulting. If you're not connected with Bill, start with Linkedin as this is where he drops thought provoking articles he doesn't need chatGPT to write and they are worth reading.
During the episode, we talk about Bill's journey in revolutionizing car sales through online transactions and lead scoring technology, his evolving views on Business Development Centers (BDCs), management challenges within dealerships and advocacy for a fresh approach to training staff to be the best version of themselves. We also talk about the upcoming Dealerknows Summer Camp event and invite automotive professionals to attend. I hope you enjoy this listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed capturing it.
Ladies and Gentlemen...Bill Playford.
Shoutout to Hired Guns for producing this podcast. Check them out for yourself at www.hiredgunsagency.com
In this podcast episode, Shaun finds out what's going on with the CEO of Reunion Marketing, Dave Spannhake. After a brief chat about their shared love for the Texas Rangers and their first ever World Series win, the discussion quickly turned to Google and the automotive industry. Dave, expresses frustration over Google's decreased support and increased automation, and reduced assistance for dealers. He criticizes Google's verification process and the impact of their policies on small businesses.
They also discuss the evolution of Google Ads, its impact on small businesses, and the potential reputation risk for Google. The episode concludes with hopefulness and a call for more transparency and open communication from Google. It's clear to see and hear Dave's passion and care for the businesses that trust his company to provide premium quality services. Enjoy!
Well it's about time!!! Long overdue, but worth the wait, my long-time friend from the car business Eliana Raggio finally joined me for an episode. Eliana is well known in the automotive industry as the Webinar Goddess. In addition, she is an intelligent, thoughtful marketer, public speaker, US Navy Veteran, wifey of Mike, mother of Tristan and the kind of friend and colleague we all wish we had more of. Recently, Dealer eProcess recruited Eliana to join their leadership team as Chief Marketing Officer and I'm still cheering the decision. In this episode, we cover a lot of ground and I guarantee you'll enjoy finding out What's Going On with Eliana Raggio. Enjoy!
When you need someone who can and will fight like hell to help you find success, improve your business and be a better human...look no further than Mike Donovan and Cody Jerry from SearchEnginesMD! On this episode we talk about the origins of their company, SEO, digital marketing, music, MMA and much more. I'm blessed to know guys like this and they have so much to offer. Their approach to business is grounded in true effort to do the right things for the right reasons. Knowing that, it should be no surprise that they have a killer team and a growing list of very happy clients. I hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we did creating it. Episode 1 of What's Going On With Shaun 2023 kicks off with two diamonds from a company you should get to know. Let's get into it with Mike Donovan and Cody Jerry of SearchEnginesMD...
No matter how much I wanted to end 2021 with an amazing podcast episode, life (covid) had other plans. Recorded in November of 2021, this episode features someone who has been blazing trails since the day he snapped off his training wheels. Bill Wittenmyer is a friend from the car business who I never seem to have enough time with. For more than 25 years, Bill has been an industry leading revenue, performance and profitability driver. His unique value comes from years spent on both the retail and vendor side of automotive. Ask anyone who knows him and everyone who simply knows of him and they'll affirm his tenacious approach to sales, business development and executive strategy. Sales professionals along with marketers and of course the automotive industry will all enjoy this podcast episode very much. Enjoy hearing and seeing a Bill Wittenmyer you may have not experienced before. He absolutely hit a grand slam on this episode of What's Going On?...with Shaun.
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Count it as a blessing when you meet someone in Marketing who you can also call a friend. Not like a Facebook "friend", but a real friend you can drink a Bud Light with. A friend who will reach out and ask how your mom is doing because they know she's fighting cancer. I'm blessed to know Dave Spannhake and Dane Saville of Reunion Marketing. Dedicated to results driven by data, appreciative of honest marketing practices and hell bent on making a difference for each and every one of their clients, Dave, Dane and the Reunion team are the real deal. On this episode we talk about the origins of Reunion, prioritizing options and maximizing budgets. We also talk about how political opposites like and respect each other without agreeing on all the issues. This one was informative, fun and way too short. I hope you enjoy listening or watching as much we did recording it.
On this episode, I'm joined by Steve Roessler from DealerCentric. Steve is not only the Chief Evangelist Officer at DriveCentric, he's a passion sales person who also loves family, dogs and karaoke. Steve's professional experience includes an engineering degree and many successful years of sales in the medical industry. Long before he took a crazy pill or lost a bet and wound up in the automotive industry, Steve had learned how to blend knowledge, skill and talent with his magnetic personality. It's good to have people in your life who are not only smart, but also fun. I know you'll love this episode. Enjoy!
On this episode of WGOWS, I welcome Blake Norberg. Sales professional, young hustler, road warrior, super BAMA fan and all around great guy. Blake is passionate and polite. He commands knowledge without making people feel intimidated and this guy simply will not be out worked. No stranger to the road, Blake has taken to the road to help car dealers utilize technology that improves their business results and increases their profits. From sharing and ice cold beer talking sports to discussing how priority mail delivered research packets open sales opportunities...I always enjoy the time spent with Blake and this podcast is no exception. Enjoy!
When a conversation covers marketing, music, family and friendship it is usually great. This episode was exactly that! What a pleasure to spend some time with Pogo Parr. Pogo is a passionate, driven business professional. His sales experience includes a customer focused, solution oriented approach and he impresses from greeting to goodbye. He leads the sales and business development for the company that invented call tracking...CallSource. A loving husband and father, Pogo allows his life experience to make all things around him better. I love his enthusiasm for helping car dealers dramatically improve all aspects of their business relative to the phone. You will hear him talk about OWN. SET. CLOSE. and the timing couldn't be better for businesses (especially car dealers). Pogo and his team are making great impact for car dealers. It was a great time finding out What's Going On with Pogo Parr. Enjoy the episode!
Settle in for another great episode as my guest Megan Barto drops non-stop greatness. I've known Megan for several years and yes, she's another friend from the car business. She's not just any friend though. Megan represents the under-represented gender in the automotive industry. With more than a decade working inside dealerships, Megan's value was acquired by VinSolutions a few years back and I sure hope they pay her well because she's worth a million a year at least! Take a listen to how Megan demonstrates her masterful knowledge of the car sales game, process, CRM and marketing. We even spend a little time talking about health, nutrition, karaoke and things that make life worth living. She's a loving mom and a friend I'm blessed to have! Enjoy!
Friendships develop throughout our lives and some of them stand the test of time. On this episode, I welcome a time tested, very appreciated friend, Tim Lage. From the first day I met Tim, I knew he was no non-sense, GSD kind of person. You won't be surprised to learn that Tim is deeply experienced in the automotive industry. His practical knowledge and results focus has always impressed me. Marketing, Sales, Business development, operations...Tim's real world experience is the reason why his value is so high. In addition to his professional capabilities, he's a husband, father, golfer and musician. Like many of my guests, Tim is someone I don't get to spend enough time with, so this podcast was a treat for me and I know it will be for you too.
On this episode I had the pleasure of hosting someone who literally changed my life. I met Seth Winterer in 2007 at the Digital Dealer conference. Seth had been leading sales efforts at ReachLocal and was tasked with growing their automotive business. It took a few months, but I ended up working with Seth and the ReachLocal team for a few years where we built millions of dollars in automotive SEM business. On the surface, Seth is calm, calculated and considerate. If you're fortunate enough to become his friend, you find out he's also quietly confident, very competitive and extremely capable. I consider Seth among the more elusive jedi-like digital marketing professionals. He's part salesman (and a damn good one), part Don Draper, part level 5 leader (Good to Great reference) and part passionate father who loves Porsche, a little heavy metal from time to time and baseball. Seth is the founder and CEO of Digital Logic in Shreveport, LA and an old friend I know you'll enjoy hearing from.
Sometime last year, I asked a question on Facebook. I wanted to know if anyone would be my guest if I started a podcast. I expected a few friends from the car business to have interest, but I wouldn't have guessed the guest on this episode would want to podcast with me. Phil Luce is an old friend from my hometown of Aberdeen, WA. We covered a lot of ground on this episode from mentions of Nirvana and Rude Awakening to Phil's long career in radio to the fact that I did not know he took drama in high school to Phil not remembering that I play the drums. This conversation was a super fun journey and I hope Phil comes back to the podcast again in the future. We could have talked for days. Enjoy!
Have you ever thought about making a difference in the world? On this episode, I speak to Dara Moore about her non-profit passion project Changing Your Conversation. Dara has a vision to see that women everywhere know the beauty, strength and endless possibilities they possess. I met Dare is the car business many years ago, when I announced the launch of my podcast, she reached out and said she wanted to be a guest, but didn't want to talk about the car business. I was delighted to oblige! Dara is a down to earth, truth telling, God loving woman committed to making a difference in the lives of others. She's a delightful person who I'm glad to call a friend and I couldn't be more proud of the work she's doing with Changing Your Conversation (CYC). Enjoy!
Ladies and gentlemen, on this episode of WGOWS I link up with my old buddy Greg Gifford. We met several years ago and even worked together for a few years at DealerOn. Those who know Greg are most familiar with his SEO jedi status, but he's also a movie buff, hair metal fan and wealth of knowledge when it comes to Star Wars. Greg is a straight-shooting communicator who is not known for candy coating the truth. This podcast recording was somewhat tame in comparison to how Greg delivers presentations from the stage. Up until the pandemic ;) lockdowns, Greg was probably the most traveled speaker at SEO conferences worldwide! I know you'll enjoy this reunion of The Beard and The Hair!
20 plus years of friendship is enough time to get to know someone well. Barry Brodsky is and automotive industry veteran and a pioneer when it comes to online trade-in tools. I really wanted the audience to get a sense of who Barry is as a business professional, but also as a person. He prefers to keep some parts of his life private, but I will tell you that he is a family man. He loves his wife, children and grandchildren more than anything on the planet. In addition, Barry has been and remains one of very few people in my life who understands the hell that comes with caring for parents until end of life. I can't say enough about how much I respect and appreciate Barry personally and professionally. I love to drink water or whiskey with him, discuss new ideas to help car dealers find greater levels of success, talk hockey or baseball or tag along with him in his hometown Chicago hearing countless stories about his early life. Enjoy this episode as we talk a lot about the car business and life.
Glenn Pasch is a business leader who understands and appreciates process. His grasp of marketing, team building and personnel management is impressive. I've always admired Glenn's desire to collaborate and share all done in the interest of helping business owners. Yes, my podcast episodes usually feature guests who happen to be friends, but Glenn is a guy that I never seem to have enough time with, so this was a treat. I was so glad he joined me for an episode where we covered pandemics, digital marketing, car business and life.
If you bet $100 this guest would never bring up D&D (yes, dungeons and dragons), you would lose $100. That's right, Erika Simms is not only a fantastically talented marketing pro, she's a gamer, a dog lover and the Vice President at Dealer Authority. Erika was raised in the car business, so she has a well developed perspective of car sales. Her digital marketing interest turned into passion and she clearly loves helping dealers find new levels of success. I'm thankful Erika joined the podcast and I hope you enjoy the episode.
A fellow Washingtonian joined the podcast for a fantastic conversation about marketing, the automotive industry, COVID19, politics and and who knows what else. I met Chris Olson when he was a leader on a team that worked exclusively with Acura. He's a smart, compassionate process and marketing professional who I'm glad to call a friend. I very much enjoyed having Chris on as we covered a lot of topics near and dear to my heart. Enjoy finding out what's going on with Chris Olson!
A powerhouse of knowledge, intelligence and capability wrapped up in a super kind person. That's Amy Eddins-Hughes and she was a fantastic guest who came prepared with some insightful data compiled by Experian Automotive. I've know Amy for years, but I never seem to have enough quality time to learn from her and engage in quality conversation. I'm so glad she joined me and I know you'll love this episode.
Oh Canada! Thank you for blessing the world with Mitch Gallant! Inspiring, hard-working and grounded. Mitch is a fine fellow who appreciates and welcomes challenge and lives life with meaning and purpose. I've appreciated him for many years as a thoughtful automotive professional who represents the retail side of the car business extremely well. We cover a lot of ground in an episode that seemed to go by very fast. I loved this conversation with Mitch almost as much as I enjoyed riding Harley's through the Valley of Fire with him in October 2019.
Underneath the Texas charm and admirable manners, Brad Paschal is a multi-talented superstar. I met Brad when he was working for a Volkswagen dealership in Amarillo, Texas. He impressed me his appetite for learning and his ability to execute on his acquired knowledge. He's a capable marketer who understands process and loves to help business owners succeed. More important than his business acumen is his heart for serving and his consideration of others. We talk a little marketing, a little COVID19, a little UFC, a little hunting, a little guns and little bit about the car business too. Enjoy getting to know what's going on with...Brad Paschal.
Filmmaker and all around creative expert David A. Hudson joined the podcast for a conversation you're going to love. If you like storytelling marketing and high quality, inspirational people, you'll likely wish this episode was longer. David is a storyteller and I'm thankful to know people like him.
Always interesting and thoughtful, Eric Miltsch is a long-time friend I've had the pleasure to work and laugh with. His automotive retail experience paired with his digital marketing intellect have allowed him to make a big impact in the car business. In addition to being a great business man, the importance of family and living a life with purpose is not lost on him. I hope you enjoy this episode with Eric as much as I enjoyed recording it.
When it comes to data backed marketing conversations...Dan Moore is one of the greatest people to speak with. Dan is not only a metrics driven, results oriented marketing professional, he's a husband, father and author. That's right Dan wrote and published his first book "Do Moore, Get More: The Road To You" in 2019. His passion for life is supported by a strong belief system and a service focused demeanor. He's another person I'm honored to call a friend and I thoroughly enjoyed having him join me for this episode. I hope you enjoy it!
A lousy pandemic can't keep a good conversation down. This episode features Sean Stapleton. The CEO of Dealer Teamwork is an automotive industry icon with tons of experience building companies, assembling teams and achieving results. He's one heck of a passionate guy who deeply cares about family, his employees, the industries he serves and giving more than he takes. Hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it!
One of my favorite friends from the car business. Integrity, honesty and balance are attributes that define my guest. Please enjoy this great episode featuring Chris Hanson. We talk digital marketing, fly fishing, wellness, family and share some great true stories from our lives in and outside of the automotive industry.
Another great conversation that covered a lot of ground. From marketing, to stories about meeting rock stars, the global COVID-19 pandemic and some discussion on how to care for ourselves. Jamie Adams is not only likable based on his humor, intellect and charm. He's a thoughtful leader who cares deeply for those he loves. This includes a strong connection to family, friends and the businesses he connects with. He's currently the Chief Revenue Officer at Scorpion Digital Marketing. He's been a trail blazer since day one and he's also someone you can enjoy live music with. Hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did recording it.
The official launch episode of the What's Going On?...with Shaun podcast features Shaun's long time friend Aaron Bickart. Aaron is a true sales and marketing marvel who always brings great ideas to the market. His journey is inspiring, so tune in to hear about the early days of automotive digital marketing, the importance of family, caring for our health and many more golden nuggets.