In this first official episode of Conversations with Car Dealers, I’m honored to bring you this conversation with Justin Cole.
Justin is the founder of Accelerate Auto Group and the online platform FAST.CARS. Born with “the car bug”, he started his first business at the age of twelve. He then started his first dealership while he was still in college. His story is a fascinating one and his journey is anything but a straight line to the top.
In this episode, we chat about:
- How Justin started his first business at the age of twelve
- The experience of buying his first car at the age of fourteen
- How his passion for cars started at a young age, how he landed a multi-million-dollar loan in his twenties to start his first dealership selling classic cars
- The biggest disasters he had to overcome during the early days of the dealership
- The one car that saved his business from doom, how the 2008 recession completely shifted what his business operations
- The circumstances that led to his decision to close the business in 2011
- How his time working at other car dealerships ultimately led him back to owning his own dealership again
- Why he finds marketing so frustrating
- The number piece of marketing advice he has for other car dealers
- His advice for someone looking to get into the car business
- How a stolen fuel door turned into a moral victory for his team
Resource Links:
- Accelerate Auto Group
- FAST.CARS
- Justin's Dealership Phone Number: (469) 300-9669
To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.
Heard something on one of the shows and want to discuss it further or just looking for some ideas on how to grow your dealership?
I'd be happy to have a quick chat with you about it. Book a virtual "coffee" and we can talk about your car business and where you want to go next. Click to access my private calendar for a 15 minute chat.
Or alternatively look me up on Linkedin or Facebook or feel free to reach out to me directly at Zane@ZaneMyers.com