Leadership in the Dealership

Welcome to Leadership in the Dealership, an Upstart podcast where automotive innovation meets real-world insight. Each episode helps dealers elevate both the customer and employee experience by learning from the industry’s top leaders. Danielle Mills Walden and Phillip Greer explore the strategies, stories and trends shaping the future of automotive retail, from technology and training to transparency and trust.

Recent Episodes

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Sept. 2, 2026

What If Buying a Car Could Actually Be Easy?

What would it take to make buying a car actually feel easy? Amanda Gordon, founder and CEO of GoJo Auto, has built her dealership around that question. Instead of accepting long waits, unnecessary handoffs and disconnected systems as part of buying a car, she has focused on creating a faster, more personal experience for her customers. In this episode of Leadership in the Dealership, Amanda joins Danielle Mills Walden and Phillip Greer to talk about what that looks like in practice, from underst

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Aug. 19, 2026

Too much tech? How to Audit Your Dealership Tech Stack

How do you know if your dealership has too many technology platforms?If your team is re-entering the same customer information into multiple systems, chasing data across disconnected tools or paying for platforms that overlap, your tech stack may be creating more work than it solves. Danielle Mills Walden and Phillip Greer break down how dealerships can take a closer look at the systems they already have before adding the next shiny tool.They get into CRM hygiene, integrations, F&I, digital ret

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Aug. 5, 2026

When Something Goes Wrong, Everything Matters

Every dealership has problems. A delivery gets delayed. A repair takes longer than expected. Financing changes. A customer leaves frustrated. The dealerships customers remember are not the ones that avoid those moments. They're the ones that know how to recover from them. In this episode of Leadership in the Dealership, Danielle Mills Walden and Phillip Greer break down what great customer recovery actually looks like. Through real stories and firsthand experiences, they discuss why communicat

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July 22, 2026

TikTok Is the New Car Salesperson

Who's Influencing Your Customers First? Most buyers don't start their car search at a dealership anymore. They're spending hours on TikTok learning what to ask, what to avoid and how to negotiate before they ever step onto your lot. Danielle Mills...

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July 8, 2026

More Profit or More Sales? What Actually Wins?

Every dealership wants to make more money. But is the smartest move maximizing profit on every deal or moving more inventory? In this episode of Leadership in the Dealership, Danielle Mills Walden and Phillip Greer break down the strategy behind gross versus volume and why the best operators know when to switch between the two. They discuss: • When it makes sense to maximize gross • When volume becomes the smarter play • How inventory and OEM incentives should shape your strategy • Why holding

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June 24, 2026

The Motor Oil Supply Risk You Should Be Watching

Everyone is talking about gas prices. But what if the bigger risk is motor oil? In this episode of Leadership in the Dealership, Danielle Mills Walden and Phillip Greer discuss how global supply disruptions could impact synthetic oil, service departments and the products dealers rely on every day. They get into: • Why motor oil and gas prices are not the same conversation • How supply disruptions can impact service departments • What dealers should be doing now to prepare • Why fixed ops may fe

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About the Hosts

Danielle Mills Walden

Head of Ops for Auto

Danielle is a former pro tennis player turned brand expert, author, and keynote speaker. She’s spent a decade leading high-impact CS and Ops teams across 1,000+ dealerships, building the playbooks and systems that power growth and retention. Known for her clarity, energy, and people-first leadership, she helps teams and brands unlock their next level. She brings a unique blend of competitive grit and strategic focus to every room she walks into.

Phillip Greer

Manager, Dealer Success and Launch Operations

Phillip is a people-first post-sales leader with a decade of experience in Customer Success, training enablement, and operational growth. He’s supported 700+ rooftops, led 1,200+ trainings, and launched 65+ product deployments, all while strengthening workflows and empowering teams. Known for his calm clarity and operational rigor, he builds scalable programs, drives adoption and retention, and helps organizations perform at their best.