Welcome to another edition of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast Recap newsletter—the key lessons from top operators, founders, and execs shaping the future of auto retail.
Today's guest is Josh Potts, CEO of Mac Haik Automotive.
At 17, he was living in his car. A few years later, he was running one of Houston’s top dealerships. Now, he’s leading a $500M auto group.
Learning from industry peers accelerates growth beyond isolated operations.
Traditional dealership insularity limits access to proven strategies and innovative approaches.
"Everybody's got something. Everybody knows something you don't know."
This philosophy of aggressive learning from competitors and industry leaders became the foundation for transforming underperforming operations into market dominators.
Balanced accountability eliminates toxic management while maintaining performance standards.
Organizations require equal investment in results-driven metrics and genuine care for people to avoid dysfunction.
"You have two buckets you have to operate with. You have accountability, have culture, and they have to be equally full."
This approach prevents both the extremes of abusive management and unproductive country club environments that plague many dealerships.
Continuous learning mindset accelerates career advancement despite inexperience.
Acknowledging knowledge gaps while actively seeking mentorship enables rapid skill development in new roles.
"I know that I don't know everything."
This humility-based approach prevents overconfidence mistakes while creating opportunities to learn from experienced operators across the industry.
Daily-focused metrics maximize team performance potential.
Breaking down monthly goals into daily requirements creates manageable pressure while maintaining consistent urgency.
"I only care about the day that we're operationally living in today. That's it. Don't care about yesterday. Don't care about tomorrow. Only care about today."
This granular approach prevents the feast-or-famine cycles that create stress and inconsistent results across sales teams.
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Time off as compensation builds stronger loyalty than money alone.
Offering personal days for life events transforms retention while competitors focus solely on monetary compensation.
"The car business always feels like…the only lever you can pull to get more out of people is to take their life away. And I want to give it to them."
This philosophy directly challenges industry norms about work-life balance and creates emotional bonds that money alone cannot replicate.
Great culture attracts top salespeople from competing brands.
Creating the market's best culture draws elite salespeople from competing brands automatically.
"At Mac Haik Chevy, we have numerous number one Honda salesmen that now sell Chevys. We have a number one Hyundai salesman, a number one Mazda salesman, number one Kia salesman, multiple number one Ford salesman, a number one Stellantis salesman. They all come there."
Talent concentration creates self-reinforcing cycles where elite performers attract more elite performers, elevating entire organizations.
Being the manufacturer's favorite dealer creates unique opportunities.
Positioning as a supportive problem-solver rather than chronic complainer creates access to opportunities others don't receive.
"I want to be the guy the factory counts on, the guy they love, the guy they call, the guy they need, the guy that helps them."
The collaborative approach leads to pilot programs, better inventory allocation, and advisory positions that influence future industry initiatives.
Volume and culture investments never lose money long-term.
Focusing on these two fundamentals creates sustainable competitive advantages regardless of short-term costs.
"There's two things in the car business you'll never lose on and you can bank on it. You'll never lose on volume unless you're just terrible at selling cars...And the second thing is, is building incredible culture with your people."
These twin investments compound over time while operational shortcuts and cost-cutting measures typically create larger problems.
Fixing underperforming stores starts with evaluating the leader first.
Underperforming stores typically suffer from management problems rather than structural disadvantages that require capital investment.
"I'm not going to say that none of the other people matter…I'm not gonna say that facilities don't matter…I'm not gonna say location, brands, geography, all those things [don’t] matter, but it all starts with the person at the top."
Leadership-first diagnosis enables accurate assessment of whether operational improvements can be successfully implemented or if leadership changes are required first.
Physical constraints don't limit growth when teams embrace creative problem-solving.
Successful operations can overcome space limitations through adaptable mindsets rather than expensive facility expansions.
"Everyone comes there and they're like, how the do you do it, dude? And I'm like, we just operate with the mentality that we'll figure it out. And we always figure it out."
Mac Haik Chevy's ability to sell 800-900 cars monthly on just 11 acres with no employee parking demonstrates how operational excellence trumps physical limitations.
