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PODCAST

Learning Without Scars

As a third-generation educator, it is easy to say that teaching and training are in the blood for Ron Slee. From his beginnings as a coach, through his time at McGill University, Ron developed a foundation for the work he does today. From working within dealerships, to operating a consulting company, creating a training business and running twenty groups, Ron has been directly involved in this Industry since 1969. Ron has been known as the industry expert for years, and has brought this expertise to

education courses

All Episodes

53:17

How Fractional HR Helps Founder-Led Firms Avoid...

Learning Without Scars ·

2026/02/26

Send a text Ever wonder why hiring costs keep rising while performance stalls? We sit down with HR leader turned fractional consultant Seth McColley to unpack how founder-led companies in construction, manufacturing, and distribution can get senior HR capability without a full-time hire. Seth shares practical plays that save money fast—like replacing pricey recruiter fees with smart sourcing—and shows how to build a review process that actually improves performance instead of sparking anxiety...

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56:50

If Best Doesn’t Mean What You Think, What Does It Mean

Learning Without Scars ·

2026/02/13

Send a text What if your dealership stopped reacting to problems and started predicting opportunity? We sat down with Mets and Nick, the team behind a from-scratch dealer management platform, to trace how a human-centered CRM evolved into a scalable DMS and where AI now multiplies the impact. The throughline is simple and bold: technology should fit the business, not the other way around—and clean signals beat crowded screens. We walk through the early missteps and course corrections that ev...

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61:38

Old Tools, New Minds

Learning Without Scars ·

2026/02/08

Send us a text Two veterans compare notes across decades and land on a surprising culprit: speed. We’ve made decks faster, calls shorter, and data denser—yet clear thinking, discovery, and trust are harder to find. So we unpack how to win in a world that moves this quickly without letting the work get shallow. We start with an honest look at craft. Flip charts forced logic; slides can hide it. That same trade-off shows up in sales. Features and price feel efficient, but real results come fro...

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68:12

What If The Normal Distribution Is The Biggest Lie In...

Learning Without Scars ·

2026/02/02

Send us a text If 3 percent of your customers drive 60 percent of your revenue, how much of your budget do they actually get? We open the hood on the equipment industry’s quiet math—where rental term length dictates margin, customer concentration drives fragility, and blended sales-rental models bleed value. With Nick Mavrick, we connect dots from Wayne Huizenga’s roll-ups and Blockbuster’s rental logic to today’s Sunbelt and United advantage, then show how dealers can counter with focus, cle...

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64:02

How Concentration, Clean Data, And Customer Choice...

Learning Without Scars ·

2025/10/20

Send us a text What if the fastest path to growth isn’t “more leads,” but fewer, better customers you serve so well they never leave? We dive into the uncomfortable truth most teams avoid: value is concentrated, churn is predictable, and the difference between winners and strugglers is a focused list, clean data, and relentless follow-through. Nick Mavrick of Built Data joins us to unpack how behavioral data flips strategy from guesswork to precision. We talk about why 3 percent of customers...

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56:12

Finding Joy in the 9-to-5: How Comedy Transforms...

Learning Without Scars ·

2025/10/06

Send us a text What if the key to workplace productivity isn't another productivity app or time management system, but something far more elemental – laughter? Kevin Hubschmann, founder of laugh.events, reveals how strategic comedy breaks are revolutionizing corporate culture and employee well-being. The concept is beautifully simple yet scientifically sound: 15-minute comedy sessions that function as cognitive reset buttons during the workday. When scheduled during the notorious 2-4 PM ener...

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55:24

Data Before Decision: How AI Enhances Dealer Operations

Learning Without Scars ·

2025/09/29

Send us a text What happens when you combine 40 years of dealership experience with cutting-edge artificial intelligence? Troy Ottmer returns to share how he's becoming "an augmented individual with an expanded toolbox," using AI to amplify his industry knowledge rather than replace it. Troy reveals his methodical approach to consulting—always examining the data before jumping to conclusions or AI-generated solutions. This process allows him to quickly understand client businesses by analyzi...

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65:30

Business Value and the Human Connection

Learning Without Scars ·

2025/09/22

Send us a text What happens when you strip commerce down to its essence? In this thought-provoking conversation between industry veterans, we explore the fundamental truth that all business boils down to two people exchanging value—and everything else is just overhead. Steve Clegg opens with a powerful framework: the economy only functions through human exchange, yet we've built towering hierarchies of "rent-seekers" atop these simple transactions. Through cryptocurrency and AI, he envisions...

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56:19

Value First, Technology Second: The AI Implementation...

Learning Without Scars ·

2025/09/15

Send us a text Technological revolutions come and go, but the fourth industrial revolution – powered by artificial intelligence – promises to transform business in ways we're only beginning to comprehend. In this thought-provoking conversation, we explore how organizations can harness AI's potential through value-based implementation strategies with Venkat Lakshminarayanan, author of "AI-Driven Value Management." The discussion quickly moves beyond surface-level AI applications to explore wh...

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63:11

Human Intelligence in the AI Era: The Future of...

Learning Without Scars ·

2025/09/08

Send us a text The talent crisis in heavy equipment has reached a critical point. In this eye-opening conversation, recruiting veteran Jay Lucas reveals why technicians remain the industry's Achilles heel and how leadership failures are exacerbating the problem. Drawing from 30 years of experience and thousands of candidate interviews, Lucas offers a rare glimpse into why people leave equipment dealerships and what separates thriving organizations from struggling ones. His unique position as...

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61:10

Two People, One Transaction: The Naked Truth About Money

Learning Without Scars ·

2025/08/25

Send us a text The economic revolution we've been waiting for isn't just coming—it's already here. In this eye-opening conversation, Steve Clegg brings decades of financial expertise to explain how artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency are fundamentally restructuring global commerce by eliminating the layers of middlemen that have traditionally absorbed 20-30% of transaction value. Clegg's journey through international finance began in 1974 when, as a 24-year-old University of Chicago g...

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52:53

From Conventional Dealership to AI-Driven Operations:...

Learning Without Scars ·

2025/08/20

Send us a text Troy Ottmer brings forty years of dealership experience to a forward-looking conversation about artificial intelligence and its profound impact on the equipment industry. Drawing from his unconventional career path—spanning automotive, medium-duty, construction equipment, agricultural machinery, forestry, and recycling sectors—Troy shares how he's leveraged AI to transform traditional business operations without eliminating jobs. The conversation takes a fascinating turn as Tr...

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66:13

The Fourth Industrial Revolution: Navigating Change

Learning Without Scars ·

2025/08/11

Send us a text Are you prepared for the unprecedented transformation sweeping through the equipment dealer and rental landscape? In this eye-opening conversation with industry veteran Nick Mavrick, we dive deep into how technological advancement, market consolidation, and changing buyer behaviors are reshaping the entire industry. "If you continue to do what you've been doing, you will not last the next 20 years. Period. Without any question, without any doubt." This stark warning from our d...

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56:28

AI is not your competition—it's your most powerful...

Learning Without Scars ·

2025/08/04

Send us a text The artificial intelligence revolution isn't coming—it's already here. For equipment dealerships caught in the crossfire of technological disruption, adaptation isn't just recommended; it's essential for survival. When Ron Wilson attended a birthday party and learned that two people's children had recently lost their jobs to AI, it spurred him to investigate how these technologies are transforming our industry. What he discovered challenges conventional thinking: rather than c...

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33:57

Growing From Within

Learning Without Scars ·

2025/06/23

Send us a text Are you constantly searching for new growth opportunities while overlooking gold mines within your existing business? In this eye-opening conversation with industry veteran Ron Wilson, we explore how equipment dealerships and service-oriented businesses can substantially increase revenue by looking inward rather than outward. Ron draws from his 37 years of dealership experience to reveal several overlooked strategies that can boost your bottom line without acquiring new custom...

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58:48

The Profitable Path: Transforming Service From Cost...

Learning Without Scars ·

2025/06/16

Send us a text What if everything you thought about running a service department was backward? That's the provocative question at the heart of this eye-opening conversation with John Dowling, author of "Service by the Boxes" and decorated Marine. The fundamental misconception crippling most equipment dealerships is seeing service as a cost center rather than a profit engine. "Revenue is vanity," John explains, highlighting how dealerships focus on sales while neglecting the departments that ...

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42:15

Breaking Down Dealer Reviews

Learning Without Scars ·

2025/04/27

Send us a text Dealership operational excellence has never been more critical than in today's consolidated market. Troy Ottmer, a seasoned dealership executive turned consultant, dives deep into the often-overlooked opportunity of departmental reviews and their power to transform profitability. The equipment dealer landscape has changed dramatically—where once there were dozens of competitors, consolidation has left many markets with just a handful of dealers. Yet despite this reduced compet...

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59:39

Breaking Down Service By The Boxes: A Marine's...

Learning Without Scars ·

2025/04/14

Send us a text What separates thriving heavy equipment dealerships from struggling ones? The answer might surprise you. It's not their sales volume or brand lineup—it's how they manage their service departments. Marine Corps veteran John Dowling transformed an agricultural dealership from $40 million to $139 million in less than five years by focusing on what most dealership owners overlook: the profitability of the service department. In this eye-opening conversation, John reveals how his "...

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29:07

From Black Books to Watchlists: The Evolution of...

Learning Without Scars ·

2025/03/31

Send us a text What if the key to sales success isn't working harder, but targeting smarter? Nick Mavrick of Built Data joins Ron for a candid exploration of how construction equipment dealers can revolutionize their sales approach by embracing the Pareto Principle—the idea that 20% of customers generate 80% of business. The conversation reveals a startling truth: most construction equipment dealers are still using century-old sales methodologies. Traditional "black book" approaches keep val...

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60:43

The Vanishing Distribution Channel: A Candid Look at...

Learning Without Scars ·

2025/03/31

Send us a text Troy Ottmer brings a unique perspective to the equipment and commercial truck industry that few consultants can match. Having started as an automotive technician in 1987, Troy deliberately worked across every dealership department, developing a comprehensive understanding of how each function impacts the whole. This hands-on experience across automotive, construction equipment, forestry, ag, medium and heavy-duty trucks gives him insight that's increasingly rare in today's lead...

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168 results

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