Expert Talks: Insights and Innovations in Automotive

Host Shasta Haddock wraps up Day 1 at NADA 2026 with a high-impact conversation featuring Amberly Allen, a true automotive industry trailblazer and the force behind Dealer Merchant Services (DMS) powered by Priority. In this episode, Amberly breaks down the "meat and potatoes" of how dealers can stop leaving money on the table through cash discounting and smarter merchant service strategies. She warns about the serious legal audit ramifications and sales tax compliance issues for dealers trying ...

Host Shasta Haddock sits down with Molly Kristick, Vice President of Marketing at TrueCar, live from the Authenticom booth at NADA 2026. Molly shares her incredible journey from selling newspaper ads in "Wheels For You" magazine to leading the marketing strategy for one of the biggest names in digital automotive retail. They discuss the shifting landscape of consumer engagement, the fulfillment of helping car buyers find the right price, and the current "weird game" of LinkedIn networking. Molly...

In this episode of the I'm a Car Chick podcast, host Shasta Haddock welcomes Kelly Ann Sparks-Berger, Amazon Sale Strategist at Dealer eProcess (DEP), for a deep dive into the evolution of digital marketing in the automotive world. Recorded live from NADA 2026, Kelly Ann explains how Amazon's behavioral data is a game-changer for dealers, allowing them to move away from "blanketed" marketing toward a highly targeted, "sniped" strategy that actually reflects how buyers shop online today. They dis...

Host Shasta Haddock is joined by Jason Tryfon, CEO of Authenticom, for a high-speed deep dive into the digital infrastructure powering the automotive industry. Live from NADA 2026, Jason reveals how Authenticom has evolved from the industry's "best-kept secret" into the essential backbone for hundreds of vendors. They discuss the critical importance of Data Experience Management (DXM), the "no-brainer" value of the free Dealer Vault tool for data hygiene, and how AI is set to transform 2030 reta...

Join host Shasta Haddock for a high-stakes episode of the I’m a Car Chick podcast , live from the Authenticom booth at NADA 2026. In this candid sit-down, NADA President Mike Stanton and Authenticom Founder Steve Cottrell pull no punches regarding the future of the automotive industry. Stanton reveals why he is "pissed" about misguided direct-to-consumer sales efforts and details how NADA is utilizing its legal defense fund to litigate and protect the franchise dealer model. The conversation al...

In this episode of I’m a Car Chick, Shasta sits down with Kristin Kolodge, Vice President and Head of Auto Benchmarking and Mobility Development at J.D. Power — a woman whose work quite literally shapes the global automotive industry. Kristin oversees the world’s most influential vehicle quality and customer experience studies, including the Initial Quality Study (IQS), APEAL, VDS, and TXI, along with J.D. Power’s future mobility research. If you’ve ever seen a commercial where a manufacturer br...

In Part 2 of Shasta’s conversation with Gayle Rogers of The Atomic Agency, they go from theory to step-by-step execution. If Part 1 was the why, this is the how. Gayle walks through exactly how he uses long-form video, AI, and a simple system to help businesses create consistent, local, authority-building content without needing a full production team. In this episode, they cover: ● The tech stack Gayle recommends for recording and repurposing content (hello, Riverside) ● How to turn one convers...

In this episode of I’m a Car Chick, Shasta sits down with Gayle Rogers, founder of The Atomic Agency, to talk about what real marketing looks like for dealerships in 2025 and beyond. Gayle has worn all the hats — agency, OEM, and in-dealership marketing — and he breaks down how those experiences shaped his approach to helping stores stop “doing ads” and start actually showing up in their communities. In Part 1, we talk about: ● How Gayle got his start in automotive at J. Walter Thompson in Detro...

In this inspiring episode of I’m a Car Chick, Shasta sits down with Dara Koenig — author, coach, speaker, and all-around champion for women chasing purpose and growth. Dara’s career has spanned every corner of empowerment — from corporate marketing and recruiting to launching a nonprofit uplifting women, career coaching, and publishing her devotional series. Through every chapter, her focus has remained the same: helping others rise. Together, Shasta and Dara talk about: ●Turning purpose into im...

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What happens when a Wall Street finance pro jumps into the world of automotive tech? 🚗💡 In this episode of the I’m a Car Chick Podcast, host Shasta Haddock sits down with Lauren Langston, President & CEO of Tekmetric, to talk about leadership, innovation, and how technology is reshaping the auto repair industry. From startup strategy and AI to technician burnout and independent shop growth, Lauren shares her journey from investing in software to leading a company that’s changing the game for rep...

In Part 2 of Shasta’s conversation with Tracey Fields, Chief Experience Officer at Premier Automotive Group, we explore a defining chapter in both her career and the company’s history: Hurricane Katrina. Tracey shares her firsthand experience of how Katrina impacted New Orleans, the community, and Premier Auto Group—and the leadership lessons that emerged in the aftermath. Nearly 30 years into her career, she reflects on how the business has evolved and how resilience shaped her perspective on g...

In this episode of I’m a Car Chick, Shasta sits down with Tracey Fields, Chief Experience Officer at Premier Automotive Group. With nearly 30 years in the industry, Tracey has been instrumental in shaping Premier into a nationally recognized dealership network with over 35 locations. Tracey’s leadership is centered on one thing: creating an experience that sets dealerships apart. From facility design and acquisitions to culture-building and online reputation, her work proves that customer experi...