On The Drive

This week, Steve Schau joins Cindy to unpack how Fast Digital's QR-code menus, and e-business cards remove friction on the service drive

👉 Special Giveaway Alert! Steve is giving away 50 FREE e-business cards each powered with a custom landing page. The first 100 listeners who sign up will be entered into a special drawing—50 winners out of 100 entries. Do you feel lucky?

Plus, Steve announces the launch of ServiceAdvisor.com, ...

Not all road hazard protection is created equal—and the fine print can make or break your wallet. In this episode of On The Drive with Cindy Lawrence, we break down the differences between road hazard coverage and car insurance claims. From repair vs. replacement policies, to where coverage is honored, to why pricing with installation and protection matters—details are everything. We’ll also spotlight the big players like Dealer Ti...

This episode of On The Drive with Cindy Lawrence comes to you poolside from the Hyatt Centric in Key West—just steps from Mallory Square, where the crowd gathers each evening to cheer the sunset. We’re here for the second annual Steve Shaw Leadership Event, better known as his “Grateful Tour.”

This isn’t your typical retreat. Steve brought together the people who’ve shaped his journey—his very first customer who came in from Mexico ...

🎧 Some people close deals. Others change the game entirely. In this episode of On The Drive with Cindy Lawrence, meet the powerhouse behind some of the nation’s most successful dealership transformations—Linda Barnette.

From high-stakes sales training rooms to the strategic table of mergers and acquisitions, and all the way to the concrete foundation of new dealership builds, Linda’s career has spanned it all. But ask her the real ...

This week on On The Drive with Cindy Lawrence, we’re jumping headfirst into another real-world convo about one of the industry’s biggest concerns: technician shortages.

What do you say when someone asks, "So, what do you do?" while waiting in line for a drink? Well, if you're in fixed ops, the answer might come with a side of exhaustion and a shot of truth.

Veteran techs are hanging up their wrenches, worn down by ever...

And fittingly, this episode drops on August 5th—the same day Bertha rode into the early morning light to change history. 🌅 Don’t miss this ride through time, innovation, and unstoppable determination!

Picture this: it’s August 5, 1888. At dawn, Bertha Benz, 39 years old and fueled by fierce determination, quietly rolls her husband’s Benz Patent-Motorwagen out of their Mannheim home. With her teenage sons Richard (15) and ...

🎙️In this episode of On The Drive with Cindy Lawrence, we dive into the question everyone in automotive is starting to ask: Is it real or is it AI? 🤔

Thuy from MIA joins us to talk about how their true conversational AI is transforming dealership sales and service—especially in BDCs and campus-store environments. MIA is not decision-tree based like so many others. It listens, responds, and engages like a real person—holding full c...

🎧 Some people close deals. Others change the game entirely. In this episode of On The Drive with Cindy Lawrence, meet the powerhouse behind some of the nation’s most successful dealership transformations—Linda Barnette.

From high-stakes sales training rooms to the strategic table of mergers and acquisitions, and all the way to the concrete foundation of new dealership builds, Linda’s career has spanned it all. But ask her the real ...

🎙️In this episode of On The Drive with Cindy Lawrence, I chat with the amazing Katy Wolda about the DISC personality model—a powerful tool that helps you connect better with customers and teammates, whether you're managing up, down, or across the service drive. 🚗🛠️

Originally developed by psychologist William Moulton Marston (who also created Wonder Woman! 🦸‍♀️), DISC breaks down personalities into four main types:

• D – D...

Dave Rodgers returns to talk about the double-edged sword of chasing metrics. While goals are critical for training and maintaining team performance, too much focus on the numbers can lead to shortcuts, misaligned priorities, and bad behavior. Together, we explore how reports should guide your attention—not define your success. Just like in football, the game is often won in inches. Tune in for real talk on balance, leadership, and...

This week on On The Drive with Cindy Lawrence, we sit down with Christy Cartaya, Vice President of Marketing and Brand Management at The Collection in Miami. Christy shares her unexpected journey from the fast-paced world of marketing into the elite tier of automotive retail—where brands like Ferrari, Audi, Porsche, and McLaren are part of her daily landscape.

What started as a twist of fate turned into a remarkable career, and toda...

From fried wires (thanks, neighborhood squirrels 🐿️) to those “oops” repairs that don’t quite fit the warranty box, Cindy and Dave break down when dealerships step up—even if the coverage technically doesn’t.

Whether it’s a split bill, a friendly favor, or a behind-the-scenes push from your advisor, this episode reminds us that a loyal customer, a good attitude, and a weird accident can still earn you some love.

🔧 Under the Hood Th...

In this unforgettable true story, Cindy takes us back to her early 20s, working in a high-end automotive accessory shop where cash was common, characters were colorful, and one day… danger walked through the door.

When three suspicious men entered the store and tension filled the air, Cindy’s instincts kicked in. No transaction. No words. Just the weight of a moment — and a single code word: “Pineapple.” It wasn’t just a safe word. ...

In this fun, fast-paced episode of On The Drive, I sit down with my good friend, fellow Delray Beach neighbor, and fellow podcaster Carolina Rush—a woman who’s bought over 20 cars and has the stories to prove it.

We chat about the real-deal relationship between customers and service advisors, the value of kindness, and how just saying thank you can be the best tip of all. Carolina shares a hilarious and eye-opening moment at a Jeep ...

In this episode of On The Drive with Cindy Lawrence, I sit down with automotive expert Dave Rogers to bust some of the most common maintenance myths. We dive into why earlier is better when it comes to service intervals—and how pushing it too far can cost you more in the long run.

We break down the conventional vs synthetic oil debate, including how some synthetic oils are thinner than cooking oil (yep, you read that right). What ab...

In this week's episode, we sit down with Cate Ojala from Tekion, a relatively new DMS solution making waves in the automotive space. Cate isn’t just another software rep—she’s a seasoned pro with deep roots in fixed operations, and it shows in how she connects with dealers on a real level.

We dive into her bold approach to dealership sales, from AI-powered research on ownership and systems to her favorite strategy—the classic s...

In another powerful episode of On The Drive with Cindy Lawrence, we’re hitting the gas on one of the most vital—and often overlooked—factors in dealership success: culture.

Joining Cindy is the inspiring Amy Davis, founder of Rise Above Life Coach, as they dig deep into what it really means to build and sustain a high-performance team environment. From the front lines of the service drive to the corner office, they explore the impor...

In this high-octane episode, Cindy Lawrence reunites with her longtime mentor, industry icon, Steve Shaw. What starts as a nostalgic ride down memory lane turns into a masterclass on the "Pass or Fail" philosophy—Steve’s game-changing approach to customer communication, sales integrity, and turning gray areas into green lights. 

From overcoming objections to ditching those fuzzy "recommendations" in favor of clea...

This week, inspired by a powerful group discussion assembled by Dave Foy, I took to the microphone to reflect on my journey in the automotive industry. While I’ve been fortunate to work alongside supportive leaders who mentored and shaped my career, not every experience has been smooth.

In this episode, I share a few memorable stories of moments when customers pushed back—those challenging encounters that taught me just as much as t...