Expert Talks: Insights and Innovations in Automotive

From a gritty floor of 150 reps to launching her own empire, **Rachel Blatt**, founder and CEO of **Royalty Logistics**, has been shipping cars like candy bars for 15 years. In this high-energy episode, host **Shasta Haddock** dives into the messy, fast-paced world of automotive logistics. Rachel pulls back the curtain on the massive scale of auto auctions, breaks down the hidden operational costs hitting dealerships amid spiking gas prices, and reveals what *truly* separates a reliable transpor...

Dealerships know they should care about cybersecurity—but usually don’t until something breaks. In this episode, host **Shasta Haddock** sits down with **Stacy Maxwell**, Technology Solutions Consultant at **One Step Secure IT**, to unpack the critical mistakes putting dealership data at risk. Stacy shares her journey growing up in her family’s small-town dealership to managing enterprise tech, breaking down why leaning on your day-to-day IT staff for data security is a massive conflict of inter...

In Part 2 of this fantastic conversation, host Shasta Haddock dives deeper with Sandy Zannino, Founder of Innovative Dealer Solutions. Sandy shares the passionate vision behind her upcoming podcast, Ready Set Auto, which aims to bridge the gap between middle/high school youth and the massive, untapped career paths within the automotive sector. From OEM trajectories to floor plan banking at institutions like Chase and Bank of America, Sandy is on a mission to show the next generation that automot...

Host Shasta Haddock reunites with long-time friend and automotive industry veteran Sandy Zannino, Founder of Innovative Dealer Solutions. In this episode, they trace their history back to the Digital Dealer conference circuits and dive deep into Sandy's latest venture: launching her very own podcast. Sandy pulls back the curtain on how dealerships are consistently overpaying for their technology stacks, offering a masterclass in vendor management and cost reduction. She reveals how a free tech s...

Host Shasta Haddock finally sits down for a long-overdue conversation with April Rain, the "Chief Magic Officer" and Founder of Digital Rain Inc. In this episode, they pull back the curtain on the post-NADA pivot and dive deep into the world of fractional marketing. April discusses why dealerships are often overwhelmed by the "alphabet soup" of vendor reports and how her team acts as the "interpreter" to find true ROI. They explore the myths of the car business, the power of mentorship within Wo...

In Part 2 of this deep dive, host Shasta Haddock and Erin Duke, Co-Founder of Auto Lot Impact, tackle the "missing generation" of automotive technicians. Erin explains why the industry is seeing a massive gap in 40-to-50-year-old techs and how the consolidation of 2008 drove a whole generation of talent into other industries. They also pivot to the digital side of the business, discussing the vital importance of LinkedIn engagement for automotive professionals. Erin shares her "homework" for dea...

Host Shasta Haddock is back for her first recording post-NADA 2026, and she’s starting with a heavy hitter. Meet Erin Duke, Co-Founder and Director of Dealer Success at Auto Lot Impact. In this episode, Erin shares her incredible "trial by fire" journey—from being a service advisor to receiving the manufacturer’s "stay in business" letter during the 2008 consolidation. They dive deep into the current technician shortage, the theory behind why vocational programs are struggling to keep up, and ho...