Miracle Ford Podcast

Episode 22 of the Miracle Ford Podcast is here! John Haggard sits down with Simone Pearson, the Parts and Service Zone Manager at the Ford Motor Company. If you’ve ever wondered if aftermarket parts or original equipment manufacturer parts are better for your vehicle, you don’t want to miss Simone’s advice! They also talk about: Simone’s Past Experience How to Keep Maintenance Costs LowTruck Month and Best Selling TruckExpress Service and Mobile Service BenefitsHow Ford Achieves Customer Satisfaction Transcript John Haggard 0:02 Welcome to the Miracle Ford podcast where you will be able to learn the best ways to purchase or lease, maintain, and accessorize your vehicle. Also, how to sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible when you’re ready to. Also, facts about various vehicles to help you make the right choice for you. And also in the high technology area, some of the really cool features about the new Ford lineup at Miracle Ford in Gallatin. I’m your host, John Haggard, and throughout each month right here, we’ll have different team members join us for a Miracle as well as factory representatives to bring you tips that you can use. By the way, we also post a transcript of each podcast so that you can easily refer to it for information that you would like to have right there at your fingertips. On today’s podcast, we’re talking to Simone Pearson, she’s the Parts and Service Zone Manager at Ford Motor Company for the Memphis region, which does include Nashville and the Gallatin area. Hey Simone, welcome to the podcast! Simone Pearson 1:01 Hi, thank you for having me. John Haggard 1:02 Glad to have you! We appreciate taking the time to check in with us. Before we get started, people always like to know, well, who is it behind that voice? So before we learn a little bit about what you do at Ford Motor Company, tell us a little bit about your career and sort of how you wound up here. Simone Pearson 1:19 Yeah, no problem. So my name is Simone Pearson, originally, I’m from Indianapolis, but I grew up outside of Dallas, a suburb called Keller. I went to Purdue University and studied business management, with a concentration in marketing and finance. I wound up at forward actually through Purdue, one of the recruiters came and saw me and I fell in love from there. John Haggard 1:43 I’m sure they said, “We’re impressed with that lady. She’s smart if she goes to Purdue, and we want her at Ford!” Simone Pearson 1:49 Exactly what happened. John Haggard 1:50 Well, there you go. I mean, let’s just call it what it is. So what do you like to do on your time off when you’re not working, Simone, like hobbies or recreation, things that are just fun for you. Simone Pearson 2:01 So the biggest thing I like to do is travel. I will travel anywhere, anytime. It doesn’t matter, obviously not right now because we have a little travel ban going on. But I love to travel and then I love watching sports. So I’m really hyped for this March Madness that’s coming up. John Haggard 2:18 Yeah, there you go. Any favorite team? Simone Pearson 2:21 Honestly, no, not really. I guess I have to root for Purdue since we’re probably gonna make it kind of far. John Haggard 2:27 Think so? So all right. Simone Pearson 2:29 I hope so. John Haggard 2:30 All right. Well, we will see. Speaking of sports and things that you like, is there one thing about you, Simone that people would be surprised to know about you if they knew it? Simone Pearson 2:42 In 2018, I traveled to Tokyo, and actually I did Mario Kart in the streets. So my friend and I, she was Mario and I was Luigi. We were riding the streets of Tokyo in our little suits. Yeah, it was cool. John Haggard 3:00 Do you speak any Japanese by the way? Simone Pearson 3:02 No, I do not. [laughing] John Haggard 3:03 It’s a very difficult language, especially all the I don’t call them hieroglyphics or whatever. But, boy, I would think that it would be extremely difficult to learn if you’re not native. Simone Pearson 3:13 Oh, definitely. But they had signs that had English underneath their language so it was easy to translate. John Haggard 3:20 So let’s jump over to Ford Motor Company and you’re based out of Memphis, is that right? Simone Pearson 3:25 Correct. John Haggard 3:26 All right, and of course, that does cover Gallatin in the Nashville zone as well. Tell us exactly what do you do at Ford? Simone Pearson 3:33 Alright, so I have a group of dealers, 13 dealers, within the Nashville, kind of Kentucky area. So each day I go to one of the dealers or maybe two of the dealers, and I help consult them on their service processes. So I help them with customer satisfaction, their length of time or just things that will help whenever somebody is pulling into the service drive. John Haggard 3:59 That’s one of the things that people are really irritated about when they get service just in general, I mean, even going to a restaurant, to get service. What is it that you tell a dealer in the service lane, like how to speed it up? Or how to better bond with customers? What’s the best advice that you give? Simone Pearson 4:22 We want to make sure our business is similar to let’s say, a Chick-fil-a. Every time you go there, they give you the word tracks, like “Hi, it’s good to see you!” They say everything perfectly and make sure your order is perfect. We want to make sure our dealerships are similar to that to where your customer comes in every time, they have a positive experience, and they know what they’re going to get. So that’s what I tried to have our dealers do. John Haggard 4:46 Gotcha. I noticed in learning about your background, Simone that you once worked at Pratt and Whitney in the Engine Parts Area and don’t they also make jet engines or is that not right? Simone Pearson 4:58 I believe they do. Yes, I didn’t work with the jet engines, but yes, I believe they do. John Haggard 5:03 So tell me what you were doing there. Simone Pearson 5:06 So there I was overseas in Singapore. But there I was doing some more consulting work with some other partners that they had as well. So it was a similar role is what I do now. John Haggard 5:20 Got you. Then I also see on your resume, you also did Motorcraft, after Market Zone Manager for Ford and what does that mean? Simone Pearson 5:29 So Ford has our blue box, which is our Ford box of parts and our red box which are Motorcraft. What I was doing was going to the people who would distribute the Motorcraft like say bulk oil, so I was going to our Ford authorized dealers to help them sell more bulk oil to their different customers. John Haggard 5:49 How does what you do on a daily basis, since you work with the dealers, you are one step removed from the actual customer who comes in. I know we talked a little bit about this, but how is it that the work you do and the work with the dealers impact the customer directly on that experience? Simone Pearson 6:07 It directly impacts it. I try to help streamline the process. So say a customer comes in for their oil change. I try to help them with that length of time so that that customer gets in and out within 60 minutes. Or if they do not, at least they are updated as to why maybe you had a brake job done, so it will take extra time. So I’m helping the dealership with that customer experience part. John Haggard 6:33 So is it more of a communication issue with customers to let them know, “Hey, here’s where we are in the process. I know we told you within 60 minutes, but we’ve run into this or that.” Or are there some secrets of the trade, if you will, that speed vehicles in and out faster? Simone Pearson 6:49 Communication is the biggest part typically when a person comes in. When you tell them an hour after it’s been 30 minutes, they kind of think, “Oh, it’s already been an hour.” Even though it’s not, so it’s just kind of shifting that perception with the time. There are a couple of secrets on how to speed up the in-bay process of whenever your car is actually in the bay with the oil change. John Haggard 7:14 What would you tell people in general, Simone, about the Ford brand? Just in terms of why someone should buy a Ford car, truck, or SUV as opposed to other brands out there? Simone Pearson 7:26 Actually, right now we are in a truck month and we have been the best selling truck for the past 42 and on-going years. So I think that’s a big win on why you should choose a Ford at least for a truck segment. John Haggard 7:38 That’s almost half a century, isn’t it? Simone Pearson 7:40 Right! John Haggard 7:41 That is a long time. Simone Pearson 7:43 Way longer than I’ve been in life. [laughing] John Haggard 7:44 There you go. Simone, what would you say are the one or two big initiatives that Ford has right now that helps customers enjoy the highest possible satisfaction level when they are getting that vehicle serviced? Simone Pearson 7:58 We have two big initiatives right now. The first is called Express Service. So that’s when a customer is going in for an oil change, or with a tire rotation as well. We’re having two guys work on that one vehicle. So we’re trying to get at least three vehicles done per hour in the bay with those two guys. Rather than if there’s only one guy in the bay, it would take at least 30 to 40 minutes to do that. So that’s one big thing. The second is called the Mobile Service. We actually have a van that’ll be coming out to the Nashville area shortly. You can get your oil change done at home, at your work, at the doctor’s office, really anywhere you want it done. So that plays a big part for convenience. John Haggard 8:41 We hear a lot about OEM parts, original equipment manufacturer parts, versus aftermarket parts, because some people think, “Well, if I can save some money, do I really need the original equipment manufacturer part or can I use aftermarket parts?” I guess if you were advising people just say look You could have either one. But here’s the real difference between those two types of parts. What would you say? Simone Pearson 9:06 Quality over quantity. Our OEM parts are going to be much better than your aftermarket parts. So typically, when you’re putting on our OEM part, you’ll have to put it on one time. Yes, it will cost you a little bit more. But if you put on an aftermarket, you probably have to come back into the dealership for that part, at least one or two other times. So I mean, it saves you in the long run. John Haggard 9:28 Okay, and I guess the warranties are probably different as well. Simone Pearson 9:31 Oh, definitely. Yeah, the warranty on the OEM parts are much better. John Haggard 9:35 So what advice would you give someone if they’re saying like, “I want to keep the maintenance cost of my vehicle as low as I possibly can.” What would you advise them and saying, “Hey, here’s how you do that.” Simone Pearson 9:47 That’s easy. Make sure that you are maintaining your vehicle by getting an oil change and a tire rotation every 5000 miles. If you do that, it’s like keeping up with your body, it will take care of itself. So make sure you do that every 5000 miles. John Haggard 10:02 Is there anything I did not ask you that you would want folks to know Simone about Ford in the area of parts and service or maybe just the Ford brand overall. Simone Pearson 10:11 So this isn’t about parts at all. But coming in 2021, we will have our Bronco coming out. So that is super exciting. I know especially a lot of people bought them back in the olden days, this new Bronco. Oh, it looks really good. John Haggard 10:27 Now, can you go to the website and look at it yet? Or is it still under wraps? Simone Pearson 10:32 No, I believe later this spring, it will be coming out and everybody will be able to see it. John Haggard 10:38 All right. So unless you’re on one of the test tracks and know where those are or where the camouflage is, you just can’t see it. Right? [laughing] Simone Pearson 10:46 Correct. [laughing] John Haggard 10:47 All right, Simone Pearson everybody! She’s the Parts and Service Zone Manager at Ford Motor Company for the Memphis region, which again, does include Nashville and Gallatin. Join us again right here for another special edition of the Miracle Ford podcasts and learn more about the best ways to purchase, lease, service, maintain and also accessorize. When it’s time to do it, sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible when you’re ready. Don’t forget the transcript of each podcast. It’s right here on the website so that you can easily refer to it for the information you need at your fingertips. Be sure to like, share and or subscribe to iTunes, Google Play, or Spotify. While you are at it, leave us a review. It really helps us get the word out. I’m your host, John Haggard, and we will see you next time!

Welcome to episode 21 of Miracle Ford Podcast! Host John Haggard welcomes back Jim Galvin to the podcast, the General Manager of Miracle Ford in Gallatin. Jim shares exciting insight into how Miracle Ford has become the successful company that it is today, and even more about the future of the company. They also talk about the following topics: Jim’s Upbringing With Father, Jim Galvin Sr.Surprising Family Values That WorkHow to Keep a Family Company Healthy & Alive Miracle Ford’s Biggest MilestoneThe Best Company Advice from Jim’s FatherThe Exciting Future of Miracle Ford Transcript John Haggard 0:02 Welcome to the Miracle Ford podcast where throughout each month you’ll be able to learn the best ways to purchase, lease, service, maintain, accessorize, and also sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible when you’re ready to do it. You know, we also do discuss vehicle model details, and also the latest technology that makes driving a new vehicle really cool compared to just a few years ago. As always, you can find show notes right here and a transcript, along with the links to content that we do talk about right here on our website, Miraclefordtn.com. Also on Apple podcast, Google Play Podcasts, and on Spotify. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review on any of those platforms, and share! I’m your host John Haggard. Today’s episode we have the honor of welcoming back Jim Galvin with us. Jim is the general manager at Miracle Ford in Gallatin. Welcome back, Jim! Jim Galvin 0:57 John, thank you. It’s good to be back and look forward to the podcast. And hopefully, the viewers out here will be able to learn a little bit about our milestone that is participating as we speak now. John Haggard 1:09 Yeah, let’s talk about that. Because we understand that Miracle Ford did recently celebrate an important milestone in its history. Tell us a little bit about the milestone and how it was achieved, Jim. Jim Galvin 1:20 Well, and thank you, John. First of all, we are celebrating a milestone. If you think about it, not too many businesses can say, “We celebrated 40 years in business.” When I say 40 years, it’s 40 years since 1980. And plus, not only that, John, it’s family-owned. If you put those two together, it equals success, hard work, commitment, and loyalty to our customers in our community. And believe it or not, it all starts with my father, Jim Galvin Sr., who was the original owner, CEO of Miracle Ford, and now Miracle Auto. And I must say I couldn’t be more proud of what my father has achieved of making the success of the Miracle Automotive Group and we look forward to many years as what he has taught us. John Haggard 2:06 Well, you said Miracle Ford was founded in 1980. You had said, Jim, in an earlier podcast that your father had worked for Ford Motor Company first for I think it was 25 years before founding Miracle Ford in 1980. What do you remember him telling you about what it was like to work for Ford? I would assume he would come home and around the dinner table sometimes talk about “Hey, I was on the road. I went here, I went there” and he would talk about Ford. Jim Galvin 2:34 Well, you said it, John, he was definitely on the road. But dad lived an interesting life when he worked for Ford Motor Company. I can remember a lot of examples. I can remember the time where I first walked into the main headquarters in Detroit, Michigan. And when I first walked in the main headquarters, all I could see were men in blue, pinstripe suits. Everybody was in a blue suit. You think about In a corporate world back then, you would not dare not be in a suit. It just blew me away seeing all these guys in a suit. It sort of freaked me out because I was probably eight or nine years old and I’m thinking, “Wow, Dad, look at these people! They must be really something else.” He walked me around the headquarters because that’s where he worked in Dearborn, and he took me into the conference room. When I walked into this conference room, and you think about me, eight or nine, I had never been to a conference room. This room was absolutely unbelievable! I mean, the conference table was as long as the football field, there were pictures on the wall of Henry Ford, and it was all glass and I’m thinking, “Wow, what do we do here?” My dad said, “This is where it all started. This is where I meet, this why travel and this is what Ford Motor Company’s all about.” Then he walked me outside and we went about a half-mile to a place where Henry Ford designed a museum called Greenfield Village. I thought that was pretty cool because it was a replica of how the American culture and agriculture took place and how Henry started the Model T Manufacture, his plan, how people lived. It’s still there in Detroit. But for me, seeing this for the first time, I’m thinking, “Hey, Dad, this is pretty cool. I’m very impressed.” It was pretty cool, because not only did I see all that, but he worked with famous people. He worked with Lee Iacocca, Ross Roberts, Tom Wagner, and probably one of his best friends from this day is Joe Kathy, who was the CEO and the founder of America Motor. Dad had a great life with Ford Motor Company, he was very corporate, he was Ford Blue. All we could think about it in terms of Ford Blue we mean we bleed Ford. It means nothing but Ford is in our system and from this day and age, he loved it and he brought all those characteristics and ability to Gallatin. That’s how we got to become Miracle Ford. John Haggard 2:35 You know, it must have really been interesting because you’re talking about being eight or nine. And before that, you knew your dad traveled and he was away from home. He wasn’t there every night for dinner, but yet you got to go up there and see, “Well, what does he really do?” And would you say that was sort of a spark for you? Did you sort of think, “When I grow up, this is what I’m going to do.” Jim Galvin 5:29 Well, at that time, No, I did not. Dad did travel a lot. He was gone five days a week, and he came home on weekends. But when he came on weekends, it was all about us. I mean, he made sure that he took care of us, he played with us, he did things that we wanted to do. We ate at the kitchen table, I mean, it was family values, and he regretted being gone for that time. We traveled a bunch and we got transferred around a lot. We lived in four different cities before we bought the dealership in Gallatin here in Tennessee. But most importantly, he knew that he had to do what he did to make his life successful, and also to teach us kids to be successful as well. Looking back, I don’t regret him being gone five days a week, because I knew he made up the difference when he came home on the weekends, and he still found time to coach me as Little League team. He took me to ball games, and we really had a good, good relationship and I did not regret him being gone. I still admire him for all his accomplishments that he did with Ford Motor Company. John Haggard 6:37 Yeah, so let’s talk about some of the life lessons. He would come home like you said he’d be there on the weekend. Things that you remember when you were little that really stick in your mind today. “Well, Dad said this, if you’re going to do that,” for example. Jim Galvin 6:51 Well, I’m going to be honest with you and it might get a little emotional, since the passing of him on November 30. My father was simply the best, John. I mean, he was the rock of our family. He was also the rock of Miracle Ford. He loved life and was devoted to the family, and also God. He came from eight brothers and sisters. His dad was a doctor, and his mother was a devoted housewife. Something that really sticks with me and we try to do today is that every Sunday, my grandfather made a point to have everyone sit at the dinner table on Sunday. So they had dinner every Sunday at the dinner table. To me, that brings a lot of family values. He brought that back to us, as kids growing up, he made it a point that he would cook breakfast every morning for us before we got up and went to church, and that was his deal. He wanted to cook breakfast for us and he wanted to make sure that we sit at the table. He loved the fact of doing that to get to know us better and we get to know him. To me, he brought tremendous family values. That’s something that hopefully I’ll teach my kids and my kids to teach their kids. It was all about family and God, that’s why it’s worked for him, and it’s working for me as well. John Haggard 8:14 What would you say, Jim, if you think back of all the things that your dad taught you above everything else? Was there one thing that really stuck in your mind, it’s sort of like front and center above everything? Jim Galvin 8:27 Probably, tradition. It’s all about tradition in our family. We do things a little bit differently because we’re so close. We always seem to talk about things in our life that represent us the best and God as well. How he taught us through tradition, will hopefully teach us as we go on and teach our kids. He tried his best and I think it all goes back to his ties with Ford Motor Company with those executives. Dad always liked to watch and listen. He always taught me, “Don’t be afraid to do things that you think that you should do.” He called it, “Don’t fake life.” When you don’t fake life, that means, don’t fake, make sure you know how to do it. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Sitting with him and working with him for the last, 34 years, he says, “Just listen, and watch. And when you know what you’re supposed to do, go out and do it. Don’t be afraid, make that mistake. Because you are going to make mistakes, but you’re going to learn from those mistakes.” That has stuck with me more than anything else. Because now, since his passing, I’m running the dealership now. I’m always saying to myself, “You know what, what would dad do in this situation?” And I’m saying, “You know what, this is it. What would he do?” And when I sit down and I close my eyes, and I just think it comes clear to me. You know what, John, it really works because I put better decision making because of what he has taught me, and it’s a pretty cool thing, and I thank him every day. I just couldn’t be more proud of the values and the quality of what he’s taught me. John Haggard 10:12 You know, a lot of family businesses, if you look at statistics, don’t make it to the second generation or the third or the fourth, and now you’re on the second generation. What would you say? Because family can be complicated, sometimes. People have different opinions, different ways they want to do things. As you all come together, at the end of the day, is there like one or two keys to success that you would tell someone if they own a family business? Or how do you stay together and how do you come to a consensus and move forward? Jim Galvin 10:43 Communicate. Family Business is hard, It’s very hard. Someone may get their feelings hurt on a situation but the bottom line is, talk about it. Good or bad, you know, we’ve got to stick together because is our business, and we’re the rock. If we start arguing and start doing things that we’re not supposed to do, other people are going to see this. When other people see it, it’s going to break the rock of family tradition and communication. So get it out in the open, and discuss it. Do it from the beginning, don’t wait. Because if you wait, it’s just gonna get worse. So I would say communication is the key to any family business. In this day and age, John, you think 40 years business, there are not really many businesses around that have been here that long or have celebrated 40 years or 50 years. Or family-owned businesses because it’s just changed. I mean, we all see it. In our industry and our family, and with my brother and my sisters, I’m going to be honest with you since the passing of my father we have come closer. We’ve communicated more and we’ve been more open to each other. We say, “You know what, this is what we should do. This is how we should do it.” If it doesn’t work, then we figure out how we’re going to fix it. You know, we talked about it, and we’re talking, we’re communicating, and we’re getting tighter. Even though we’re a close-knit family, but I feel we’re getting stronger, pulled in together. That comes from one thing, that comes from my father upstairs, and he’s looking down on us. I truly believe that’s the whole key is to make sure family communicates because once you break away, then things start to go terribly, and we do not want that to happen. John Haggard 12:38 Yeah, you answered that very quickly. I said, “What’s the one thing? Communicate!” As you said, don’t let it fester, but communicate. So as you look back, Jim, over those 40 years, what would you say some of the milestone moments were some of the big surprises like, “Wow, look at this or look at what we did here or we didn’t think we could go there.” Is anything that sticks out like that were really exciting milestones leading up to 40? Jim Galvin 13:04 Well, if you would have seen our old facility, which was built in 1960. We’ve been in there close to 35 years, with the ceiling with water leaks. I mean, this building was absolutely old. But you know what, we made it our home and people knew where we were. The milestone of us to build a new facility that was probably the biggest, biggest project we’ve ever undertaken. But before that, I would say our accomplishment was the Blue Oval Certification, which is the highest standard of Ford Motor Company with a quality of customer satisfaction. The amount of time, sweat, hardship, and commitment of our employees and us that we had to go to get Blue Oval Certified was an accomplishment. From this day on, we’re very proud of that. We also look back at the best of Sumner County, how we’ve been voted each and every year for the last 10 years as the best Ford Dealership, in our area. We speak highly of that. It’s all due from our people here, our processes and our community involvement. We’re very proud because Gallatin has been an awful good Miracle Forward and Miracle Auto. We like to reach out any way possible to the community and like to thank Him and do special stuff. Without them and without our employees in the commitment that they gave to make us successful for years, we wouldn’t be here, John. You think about the Miracle, I want to talk a little about the Miracle because my father always wanted a dealership, but he did not want it to be called “Jim Galvin Ford,” he wanted something different. When my father and mother got together, they really researched, they’re very religious. They said, “You know what? The perfect word and the perfect scenario would be the name Miracle.” Because they knew Miracle could do so much with that name. People would ask, “Why did you name your dealership Miracle Ford?” Because of the things that we do and how we do it and how we were brought up. It just makes sense and it ties into so many neat things. It’s very clever because dad was very open, but he didn’t want to be in the limelight. That’s why he didn’t want his name, “Jim Galvin Ford.” He wanted something that would truly represent our family values, our community, our religion and most important, “Miracle” came to mind. John Haggard 15:36 So let’s look. It’s been 40 years. Let’s take a lookout with a crystal ball the next 5-10 maybe 20 years, that’s out there? What do you see for Miracle Ford? What’s coming up? Jim Galvin 15:47 I see growth, I see this town booming. Sumner County is the third largest, fastest-growing county in the state of Tennessee. I see electric vehicles becoming more popular, like the autonomous vehicle. I mean, it’s amazing that the manufacturers and what they’re doing. It’s changing, and we’ve got to be on board. Growth, the technology, and we got to change to, we’ve got to make sure we can’t keep doing things the old way. We’ve got to go out and make it better. In 5 to 10 years, you’re gonna see a lot more electric vehicles from Ford Motor Company, along with other manufacturers. I think with the autonomous vehicles, I still we still have a little more time. I see eight 9-10 years down the road before, everybody’s up to speed on that. It’s all coming to that, John. The main thing is Ford is still going to be around, and we’re still going to make them proud. John Haggard 16:43 So as you look at everything that we’ve talked about, over these past 40 years that got you to where you are and what we’ve just now heard about, as you see, the future. Anything we didn’t talk about or does anyone stand out or something that you want to say that I didn’t ask you about? Jim Galvin 17:01 Well, for somebody that wants to achieve 40 years, and they say, “How do you do it?” Customers want to know are you really believable? Do you really actually want to do what you do? Just like my father taught me, he was taught by his executives at Ford Motor Company. It’s amazing when you sit down and you listen, I keep going back to is listening, because I’m a firm believer, just listen to what people tell you, and then do it. And don’t be afraid to do it. If you are, you’re not going to make the next 40 years. Don’t be afraid to make a change either because change is also good. Once you make that change, believe in it, stick with it, and make sure you tell your people, “This is how it’s going to be,” and get them on board. When you get everybody together in that circle, John, it will work. That’s my goal, that’s something I always been taught by my father and from other people for Ford Motor Company. I can honestly say that this business has been such a pleasure and delight and I’m so glad to be part of working for Miracle Ford and for Ford Motor Company. John Haggard 18:07 Jim, let’s say this: Here’s to the next 40 years. Jim Galvin 18:12 John, we’re going to go that way. We’re gonna try really hard! John Haggard 18:16 One more time everybody that’s Jim Galvin, the general manager of family-owned Miracle Ford in Gallatin. And yes, it is a very fast-growing area. Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe on iTunes, Google Play or Spotify. While you’re at it, leave us a review, that really helps us. I’m your host, John Haggard, and we will see you next time!

Welcome to episode 20 of the Miracle Ford Podcast. Host, John Haggard, sits down with Clay McCool, a member of the Extreme Service Team at Miracle Ford located in Gallatin, TN. Clay talks over how the team he is a part of assists their customers in finding the best deals and prices on their purchases. They also talk about the following topics: Clay’s BackgroundA Very Interesting Skill That Clay Has…Miracle VIP Advantage ProgramWays the Extreme Service Team Can Help YouTruck Month at Miracle FordHow to Contact Clay Transcript John Haggard 0:02 Welcome to the Miracle Ford podcast where you will be able to learn about the best ways to purchase or lease, maintain and accessorize your vehicle and how to sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible when you’re ready to. Also, facts about various vehicles to help you make the right choice. And in the high technology area, the really cool features about the new Ford lineup at Miracle. I’m your host, John Haggard and throughout each month right here, as you probably already know, if you’ve been listening to the podcast, we do have different team members join us from Miracle to bring you tips that you can use. And by the way, we do post a transcript of each podcast so that you can easily refer to it for information that you would like to have at your fingertips. On today’s podcast, we’re talking to Clay McCool, he’s a member of the Extreme Service Team at Miracle Forward in Gallatin. Hey, Clay, welcome to the podcast. Clay McCool 0:55 Hey, John. Thanks for having me. John Haggard 0:56 Glad to have you. Hey, before we get started, folks always want to know who are the people behind the scenes? Tell us a little bit about you like what you were doing before you came to Miracle Ford? Clay McCool 1:07 Well, before I came here, I was actually a manager at a country club. And before that, I actually did the sales over at a martial arts school here in Gallatin, the Gallatin Martial Arts. John Haggard 1:20 Wow. So nobody better fool with you, right? Are you black belt? Clay McCool 1:25 Actually, yeah, multiple different areas there. Yeah. John Haggard 1:28 Wow, you are a black belt. That is that’s pretty serious. So how in the world do you go from managing a country club to its not jitsu stuff I guess is it? What do you call it? Clay McCool 1:40 Actually, I do taekwondo, jujitsu, hapkido, gumbo, quite a bit actually. John Haggard 1:48 And so how did you wind up in the automotive business of all things? That’s quite a background. Clay McCool 1:53 Well, John, I really kind of wanted to change the change of atmosphere even if you will. And my dad he’s been working here Miracle and well just kind of took it up and I loved it ever since. John Haggard 2:03 Sort of like father like son? Clay McCool 2:05 Yeah, absolutely! John Haggard 2:07 Now, what does your dad do at Miracle Ford? Clay McCool 2:10 He is the painter. John Haggard 2:12 Wow. Okay, so he’s back in the body shop. Clay McCool 2:15 Mm hmm. John Haggard 2:15 Are you from Gallatin? Clay McCool 2:17 I am, actually. Yeah. John Haggard 2:18 All right. So tell us where you went to school and what you majored in and kind of where you went from there. Clay McCool 2:24 Well, I went to Gallatin High, got my diploma. And actually, from there, I just kind of went straight to work. First thing I did was moved to California and started working on the signs. So, I guess I got homesick came on back. John Haggard 2:37 Yeah, and so you said you were working on signs in California. Tell us about that. Clay McCool 2:43 I’d be the electrician. So, what they would do is they would blow the glass for the lights, the neon lights, they give me the cabinet. I’d take all that and put it in the cabinet put it with the transformer, and light thing up. John Haggard 2:55 All right, all right. You have quite a background, man. I gotta tell you. So let me ask you this, what is one thing that people don’t know about you, Clay, that they would be very surprised to know about you if they found out? Clay McCool 3:08 That would probably be the fact that I have a Martial Arts background, so I don’t really even tell anybody that. John Haggard 3:14 Yeah. They probably run from you right? Clay McCool 3:19 Yeah, better try and pick a fight. John Haggard 3:22 Yeah, yeah, that’s pretty exciting. So tell me this role, Extreme Service Team, at Miracle Ford. What does that mean exactly and what do you do? Clay McCool 3:34 Well, basically what I do, is when you come in for let’s say service, and you have a possibility of saving some money or so, I can go in and talk to you maybe give you an upgrade on your car, upgrade on a service contract. Pretty much to save you some money and you know, just try to help you out. John Haggard 3:51 So you find some situations that come in where someone is going to you know, maybe be spending a lot of money to get some repair work done, older car, whatever it is. And you approach them and you say, “Hey, have you ever considered this and you might look at that, save that money and put that toward a new vehicle?” Clay McCool 4:10 Absolutely. Or even if they have some serious work that needs to be done, I can always come up there and offer to maybe buy their car. John Haggard 4:17 Okay, so tell me about that. When you say “buy the car,” you mean just buy it outright? Clay McCool 4:22 Buy it from them, give them a quote on it. And sometimes a lot of people actually would like to take that up compared to you know, having to actually have it work done. It actually works. I mean, me personally, that’s how I got my first car when I bought my first car. I just got tired of dealing with the one that was always breaking down. So once you know, get it fixed up, somebody offered it to me, and I was like, yeah, actually, that’d be a great idea. I’ve been tired of fixing this thing up. Let me get a new car. John Haggard 4:49 Since you’ve been at Miracle Ford, any unique story or something that you have heard since you have been there? Just something that was maybe unexpected or something you were able to do that helped someone in some way or just a wild story? Clay McCool 5:04 The most wild story I can really think of is one of our customers just bought a brand new car. And he didn’t even get into the car he had to drive off. He was just got everything finished, all his paperwork, signed everything. And one of our guys, he works here, he accidentally backed up into the thing! Everything was taken care of, we fixed him out, he laughed at the whole matter and it was just a funny situation. I just couldn’t believe the man just bought a car, and then bam, he got hit. John Haggard 5:44 I understand from the notes, Clay, here that you have a VIP program. Can you tell me a little bit about what that is? Clay McCool 5:51 Yeah, absolutely. The VIP is actually a phenomenal program. It makes me want to buy a car to be honest with you. What it is is certain things, you can get 5% off of service, you have lifetime powertrain warranty, which is a $16,000 plus dollar amount value right there. So, that’s a phenomenal thing. And then also, you get Concierge Service, and there’s just all kinds of benefits that you can really reap from this. John Haggard 6:18 Alright, so the key is if you get your car serviced, or your vehicle serviced, regular maintenance intervals, like it’s called for, this power train warranty, for did I get this right, as long as you own your vehicle? I mean, it could be seven years, 10 years, 12 years or more. Is that right? Clay McCool 6:37 Yes, sir. Absolutely. Lifetime warranty. John Haggard 6:40 Wow. That is that’s a pretty neat thing right there. Clay McCool 6:43 It’s a phenomenal thing, yeah. John Haggard 6:46 Is there anything I did not ask you, Clay, that you would want people to know either about the extreme team or, VIP program or just anything at all that we didn’t talk about that you say, “You know, this is something people need to know.” Clay McCool 7:02 You know, the one thing that’s really important to me, I believe that a lot of people kind of overlook is when you come in and you get service done, you talk to a salesman, we’re not just trying to sell you a car, you know, but here to help you out too. We can really give you a great upgrade on your car and even cut your monthly payment and getting an upgrade. That’s I mean, to me, that’s awesome. That’s phenomenal. And a lot of people just don’t think they can do that. John Haggard 7:25 So how does it work? Just tell us give us an example of that. Clay McCool 7:28 Oh, well, for an example, there’s a lady I was talking to actually just the other day, she’s driving a 16 Escape. And we gave her a sheet that pretty much can save her $45 a month and get her a 2020 Escape. It helps, and this is with no down payment or anything. It’s actually made based on your rates. And sometimes when Ford see’s you doing well, we’ll give you better rates. John Haggard 7:51 That’s really cool. I mean, imagine that, a brand new car for less than what you’re paying now. That’s what you said, right? Clay McCool 7:57 Absolutely. Yeah, there are cases where that is one hundred percent true, yeah. John Haggard 8:01 Anything else that going on or just you know about Miracle Ford or anything cool coming up that you’ve heard about or just stuff that folks oughta know? Clay McCool 8:09 It is Truck Month! John Haggard 8:10 Yeah! So tell us about Truck Month. Clay McCool 8:12 We have some of our trucks especially the 19’s right now, quite a bit of them and most of them actually, are zero percent on a rate for 72 months, phenomenal actually. And then we have plenty more other savings to go along with it. John Haggard 8:27 Alright, so for all the details go to that website, which is Miraclefordtn.com. Search those 2019 Ford 150s and see all the details right? Clay McCool 8:39 Absolutely! John Haggard 8:40 All right. Well, that’s Clay McCool, everybody. Now, he is the Extreme Service Team guy there Miracle Ford. His dad is in the Paint and Body Shop, also knows judo and karate and everything else. So what’s the best way for people, Clay, for them to get in touch with you? Clay McCool 8:59 My personal Cell Phone actually would be the number is (629)203-9788. John Haggard 9:06 All right, one more time for that. Clay McCool 9:08 It’s (629)203-9788. John Haggard 9:13 All right, Clay McCool everybody, on the Miracle Ford podcast. Thanks, Clay for visiting with us today, I appreciate it! Clay McCool 9:20 Absolutely, it was a pleasure. John Haggard 9:21 All right and ours too. Folks to join us again right here for another special edition of the Miracle Ford podcast. Learn more on automotive topics for the best ways to purchase, lease, service and maintain. And like Clay said, maybe if you’re in a 2016 or 15 or whatever it is, you may be able to upgrade to a new car and pay less with no money down if I understood that right. Am I am I correct on that Clay? Clay McCool 9:44 Absolutely. John Haggard 9:45 All right. Also, how to accessorize and sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible of Miracle Ford when you’re ready to do it. Don’t forget the transcript of each podcast, it’s right here on the website. You can easily refer to it for information at your fingertips. Be sure to like, share and or subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, or Spotify. And while you’re at it, please leave us a review if you would. It really helps us get the word out. I’m your host, John Haggard, and we’ll see you next time.

Welcome to episode 19 of the Miracle Ford Podcast. In this episode, John Haggard sits down with Mary Gauerke, the marketing manager of the Gallatin Parks and Recreation Department. She’stalks about the department and the exciting news of the upcoming Miracle Park. They also talk about the following topics: Mary’s Experience With 4-H ProgramsMary’s Milwaukee Background4-H Then vs 4-H NowMary’s Travels and Her Favorite CountriesMary’s Fondness Of CarsWhat Miracle Park Is All About and Who It’s ForWhere Miracle Park Is LocatedHow to Contact Mary Transcript John Haggard 0:02 Welcome to the Miracle Ford Special Edition Podcast where we also interview community leaders and shakers on upcoming events that are of interest to the Gallatin-Sumner County area, even outside of the area. And today, we’re excited to have Mary Gauerke on the podcast. Mary is the marketing manager for the Gallatin Parks and Recreation Department. Hey, Mary, welcome to the podcast. Mary Gauerke 0:24 Thank you! Happy to be here. John Haggard 0:26 Glad to have you here. And I think before we dive into your role and what you’re doing there, people want to say well, who is Mary Gauerke? So before we talk about Gallatin-Sumner County, and for those who are new to the area, or may know you and just want to know more about you, tell us a little bit about your background. Did you grow up in Gallatin or are you an import from somewhere? Mary Gauerke 0:49 I’m an import. John Haggard 0:50 You’re an import? Mary Gauerke 0:51 Yes. I’m a Midwestern import from the burbs of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. And I’m a mom and a wife. And I have two beautiful teenagers at Hendersonville High School. John Haggard 1:08 Let’s go back just for a moment when you were in the Midwest, and you’re saying Milwaukee area, did I get that right? Mary Gauerke 1:14 Yes, yes, Milwaukee area. I’m from the largest village in the state of Wisconsin. Menominee Falls, Wisconsin. John Haggard 1:23 Alright, so when you were in high school, sometimes, high school can be some of the most fun years and sometimes the most formative years in terms of where people go from there. But, what did you do in high school that was maybe the most fun? Mary Gauerke 1:39 I have a couple of things that stand out in my head. It seems like, that’s been decades ago that I was in high school, but the two things that stand out are one: I participated in a program called the Art Satellite Program where I got to leave my high school at noon and got on a bus that was chartered through the school system. And that bus would take me to downtown Milwaukee. And I got to spend the rest of my day at the Milwaukee Art Museum during this Art Satellite Program. So I studied curative art, art by the masters, drawing, and painting, and that was my emphasis. And so, you know, in those formative years, where you think, Oh, I just, I just don’t fit in. I was very blessed to, I guess being at a high school that just embraced the arts. And I found my niche and that was in Visual Arts and I had so much fun doing that and learning from professors and learning from, you know what it’s like to run a museum, a world-class museum and that was probably one of my bigger things that I remember from high school. And the other one is that I was very, very much involved in the 4-H Program in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. And now as a mom, my kids are highly involved in Sumner County 4-H. John Haggard 3:30 Is there anything different today about 4-H versus years ago? Mary Gauerke 3:36More now. They embrace technology, they embrace STEM. They embrace the deep learning of animals and our impact on how we can make animals better whether it’s equine or swine but see I was a burbs kid, so I did not grow up with cars and cooking, really at all my background in 4-H was with photography, with drawing, and painting with ceramics. I showed my cat. So if you do not live on a farm, there is a place for you and 4-H. And now with, you know, computer science and, and things like that. They’ve really embraced technology in 4-H. So it’s how kids can, you know, maybe have a touch with maybe their future career path. So, yeah. John Haggard 4:40 All right. So before we talk about your role at the Gallatin Parks and Recreation Department, and all the work that you do there, what do you like to do on your time off? Your hobbies, what do you like most? Mary Gauerke 4:52 Oh, I love traveling with my family. So, I was at about 17 foreign countries. Before I was 21. Yeah, my family loves to travel. And so I was very blessed to have a passport that got stamped all over the world. John Haggard 5:11 Wow. So what was the most exciting country, would you say? Mary Gauerke 5:15 Hmm, I mean, my love is definitely Germany. My family’s heritage is German. And so when I walk the street in Germany, I just feel at home. But the most exciting I think, was living as an exchange student in 4-H in Australia. And so I visited Australia, New Zealand, and, you know, learning about forestry in New South Wales was my project when I was there. And, gosh, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to go back again. And the places that I did get to visit are very, very much changed with the wildfires. So yeah, I love Australia and New Zealand for sure. John Haggard 6:02 So the one thing about you, Mary, that most people would not know and that someone would be really surprised to know about you, what would that be? Mary Gauerke 6:13 I would have to say I’m a car nut. And I didn’t realize I was a car nut until I married my husband. And I really love cars. My mom loves her. She has a Lincoln from Miracle and she just got it service there because she’s 77 she has one of those Lincoln SUVs, the fancy-schmancy ones with like air-conditioned seats and all that stuff. Anyways, so she had the tailgate up and forgot and backed out and scratched it on the garage door. And Miracle took so good care of her and getting it, you know, getting it fixed and repaired. And she was just beside herself because that was her baby and she bruised her baby. Funny. So yeah, so I guess maybe my little carnet thing was kind of apropos for the podcast. And I love old cars. I love vintage cars. John Haggard 7:18 Do you have some? Mary Gauerke 7:19 I do. I do. I had my husband ask me to marry him with a 1973 Volkswagen Squareback. John Haggard 7:26 Wow. Mary Gauerke 7:29 And Martha is in the garage as we speak. She does not get right rained on. John Haggard 7:34 Gotcha. Gotcha. So let’s talk about how did you arrive at the Gallatin Parks and Recreation Department as a marketing manager. Mary Gauerke 7:43 Well, I first started out with the city in the Economic Development Agency at City Hall. And an opportunity came about and I talked about it with the mayor before I turned in my application for the position. And she thought that I would be just an amazing fit over here and, and I, I’m very proud of the work that I get to do with Parks and Rec and I get to make an impact in the community. You know, I see where programs are going and I see who they benefit. So that is just a wonderful wonderful opportunity for me as the graphics and the marketing and the branding that I get to do I get to see who it affects. To be able to see you know, see day campers and see the older generations that are coming and working out every day in their 90s and benefiting from the wonderful place that we have here in Gallatin, which is the Civic Center. So it’s a great, great place and we’ve got some amazing parks. We’ve got more acreage and parks than I think any other city in Sumner County. John Haggard 8:54 So, I meant to ask you what brought you to the Gallatin area. Mary Gauerke 9:01 Well, I live in Hendersonville, but what brought me to Sumner County was a job. I got a job with Fruit of the Loom back in 1998. So that’s how I got down south of the Mason Dixon. John Haggard 9:15 Were they headquartered in Bowling Green? Mary Gauerke 9:19 Yes, Bowling Green Kentucky. And then, you know, I realized “Oh, well if I go a little bit south, that’s kind of like the burbs of Milwaukee.” And it just felt Hendersonville, Gallatin, and the distance from Nashville seemed to feel so much more like home than Bowling Green did. So that’s how I got down here. John Haggard 9:43 And I understand there’s a new development underway called Miracle Park. So tell us what Miracle Park is and where it’s going to be when it’s going to open who can go What is it all about? Mary Gauerke 9:55 The Miracle Park was the brainchild of our director David Brown here at Parks and Rec. I it is just a tad under six acres of ADA-compliant recreation that we are planning to take over a little corner of our Triple Creek Park. So it’s going to consist of a ball field, a pedal Park, and a playground. And this is really a place where everyone can play together. It’s an all-inclusive playground. And kids who are mobility impaired can play with typical kids or kids on the autism spectrum. We have a section called the Chill Zone. And that really is something that I was just so excited when I saw the planning for that because I have a child, a young man with autism. And I thought, “Geez, I wish we had this when he was little because he would go to the park and he would play with mulch.” There was nothing there that really interested him. And so this particular section called the Chill Zone is going to have some wonderfully bright-colored panels that are different textures and when the light hits them it will look like a kaleidoscope and it’s just a place where they can feel safe. It’s under shade that particular section so, so a little kid with that is getting a little bit maybe overwhelmed sensory wise, can go and escape to the chill zone. John Haggard 11:37 Are there other Miracle Parks around or where did David get this idea? Mary Gauerke 11:42 There are. We’ve got Miracle Parks… well, we’ve got special needs parks or mobility impaired parks popping up all over the United States. And most recently the one that I got to help with a volunteer with Was Mary’s Magical Place in Hendersonville. So this one has the three aspects to it that make it different and then other special needs parks or mobility friendly parks. So this one has the ball field, the pedal park, and the playground, not just a playground. So this is really, really exciting. The donor for the pedal park, which is the first part of the park that was underway, that is All Access Coach. All Access donated $120,000 to build that and the concrete has already been poured for that. So when weather permits, we’re going to start doing all of the other aspects that need to be done to that. The installation of the equipment, the signs, all of that. And then if you go over to Triple Creek Park this is all located when you drive in from the Main Road 31-E. It is on your left-hand side, behind the outdoor fitness facility. So you can see a sign that says “future home of the Miracle Park” right there. So we are underway. And I cannot give you a time, you know, with weather permitting, you know weather changes things. We have everything for the part the playground ordered. We’re underway with planning-wise, but I don’t have a ribbon-cutting date as of yet. John Haggard 13:39 So how is Miracle Park funded? I know you mentioned donations also, but not only now to complete what you want to have done, but also for the future. Mary Gauerke 13:49 Yes, we have written a grant and we won a grant through the state of $500,000. The city of Gallatin generously donated a matching amount of 500,000. We are in agreement to pay back with donations with fundraising. So our next fundraiser event that we have on the books is for June 20, 2020. It is the Miracle Park Golf Scramble at Long Hollow golf course. John Haggard 14:24 Is there anything that I didn’t ask you about Miracle Park or just for someone who’s listening, something they should know anything at all that we didn’t talk about? Mary Gauerke 14:35 Well, I think the emphasis of this park is that we want it inclusive, not exclusive. We want to make sure that kids that are challenged mobility, intellectually, any sort of disability will be able to play right alongside their typical friends, their typical peers. Because it’s so important in this day and age where we like to compartmentalize kids and say, Well these kids are gifted and these kids need a little help and these kids are way far behind. Well, you know, on the playground, this playground will put them all on the same level and just have fun and be a kid. John Haggard 15:24 And so what’s the best way, Mary, for people to get in touch with you if they want to learn more about Miracle Park or you know, just what’s going on at Gallatin Parks and Rec? Mary Gauerke 15:35 Yeah, they can go on our website and that is www.GallatinParksandRec.com And they can also call the Civic Center, we have many things that they could do to put their stamp on this park. They could have a monument stone on the sidewalk with their name on it or a name of a loved one, or four birthday or an anniversary. That number at the Civic Center is 615-451-5911. John Haggard 16:11 Folks, you’ve been listening to Mary Gauerke, the marketing manager for Gallatin Parks and Recreation, our special edition guest today on the Miracle Ford Podcast. Thanks, Mary for your time, and just we’re looking forward to Miracle Park. All the progress and maybe we can talk again soon and find out what’s been going on since we did this podcast. Mary Gauerke 16:32 Thank you. John Haggard 16:33 All right. So join us right here again, folks for another special edition of the podcast. In addition to the automotive topics, we discuss the best ways to purchase lease service and maintain, accessorize and sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible, when you’re ready to do it. And don’t forget the transcript of each podcast that’s really important because you can go get the information right there in black and white and type right here on the website. You can easily refer to it for information at your fingertips. I’m your host, John Haggard and we will see you next time.

Welcome to the first episode of the Miracle Ford Podcast of the new decade! For our first episode, we go straight to the ART of it. Host John Haggard talks to Bryan Deese, Gallatin-based muralist and street artist who has worked for various companies and events, both local and national. Together, they discuss the following topics: Where Bryan Grew UpHow Bryan Got Into Mural and Street ArtHis Transition From Graphic Design to Full Time Mural and Street ArtistBryan Deese’s Art HeroesExciting Projects He Has Done RecentlyCreative FreedomIs the Gallatin Local Government Supportive of His Works?Most Memorable Artwork He’s Done so FarUpcoming Art ProjectsDoes Bryan Accept Commission Projects?Bryan’s Interesting ObsessionHow to Contact Bryan Transcript John Haggard 0:02 Welcome to the Miracle Ford podcast where, throughout the month, you’ll be able to learn the best ways to purchase, lease, service, maintain, accessorize, and sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible when you’re ready. We also discuss vehicle model details and the latest technology that makes driving a new vehicle really cool compared to just a few years ago. I’m your host, John Haggard, and you know, as always, you can find show notes and a transcript along with links to content that we talked about right here on our website miraclefordtn.com and also on Apple Podcasts, Google Play Podcasts and on Spotify. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review on any of those platforms, and share. Another cool thing that we get to do and that’s to interview community leaders and shakers in the Gallatin-Sumner County area, who are part of great projects. Got a lot of things that are going on and, on today’s podcast, we have the privilege of speaking with Bryan Deese, muralist and street artist. Bryan, welcome to the podcast! Bryan Deese 1:03 Hello! Thanks for having me. John Haggard 1:04 Glad to have you! Before we learn about what a muralist and street artist is and does, tell us a little about you. Are you from Gallatin? Bryan Deese 1:14 I’m from Nashville. I grew up in Nashville, kind of all over that area, and then have been up in Gallatin now for about 10 years. John Haggard 1:22 So from Nashville. Where did you go to school in high school here? Bryan Deese 1:27 Well, I went to two schools. I went to Franklin Road Academy in South Nashville, with my area. And then I graduated from Hillsboro High School in the Green Hills area of Nashville, John Haggard 1:39 The Burros, I think they call that, or something like that. Bryan Deese 1:41 Absolutely, full of pride. John Haggard 1:42 Yeah. Was that a good football team when you were there? Bryan Deese 1:48 Not great when I was there. They have gotten a lot better with the coach they have. Fitzgerald has had a lot of success and they won a state championship after I left. But the Gallatin handed it to them pretty well the last season. John Haggard 2:01 So a muralist and street artist, I guess maybe, before we really dive into that, how would you define that term? If somebody says, “Well, what is a muralist and a street artist?” Bryan Deese 2:13 Yeah, mural artist mural list is anyone who’s painting murals and that could include indoors or outdoors. Street art is more specifically refers to the outdoors and painting, you know, on the streets where people walking, driving can see the work. John Haggard 2:33 From Nashville, how did you wind up in Gallatin? Bryan Deese 2:37 Well, I was living in Madison in 2007. And the recession hit and Madison got really shady there. I kind of starting to have a family and looking for greener pastures and found them at little Northeastern Gallatin and moved out here and have loved it and really embrace this community and just enjoy a lot of things about it. And so that’s kind of what brought us out here. John Haggard 3:05 And when you moved to Gallatin, what was the very first thing you did in terms of employment? Bryan Deese 3:09 At that point, I went to school for graphic design. So I had worked professionally as a graphic designer for years out of college, and I went to the University of Tennessee, in Knoxville. John Haggard 3:24 Go, Orange! Bryan Deese 3:24 Yeah, definitely go Vols for life. Did the graphic design thing for a long time, always kept painting on the side. My kind of painting was graffiti. I came up kind of doing that for fun and adventure. And through that had just learned to paint big and self-taught and through friends picked up a lot of other mural techniques, and just kept painting and painting. And that’s what I was doing though, when I was first arriving in Gallatin. I was still doing graphic design full time and murals on the side. John Haggard 4:02 So how did you actually get into painting murals? Is it something when you were a little boy and you said, Wow, that’s a cool thing. Look at that over there. How did, you know, where did this the artistry, I guess, come out? Bryan Deese 4:15 Well, it was an evolution for sure. But one of the first things in art that really struck me was a mural and it was by a famous Nashville artist Red Grooms. So he’s a big-time pop artist, and this was the Tennessee State Museum was doing a retrospective, maybe its 30th or 40th anniversary of, you know, kind of his career launch. And I went there on a field trip and he created a whole environment that you entered in and I was just blown away. You went down some escalators and there were murals on the sidewalls and then sculpture that you walked into and entered and just took over the environment but in a fun, playful way. It wasn’t a way that would go over a kid’s head, even though if you look at his work, there’s nothing childish about it. It is professional and incredible through and through, every aspect. But it struck me – that stayed with me. And I followed other contemporaries of his, like Myles Maillie and Norris Hall. These are other Nashville painters that were a bit illustrative, worked big. I saw them doing murals around. They work very colorful, and with a black outline. And then, through skateboarding and music, at some point, in high school, I was introduced to graffiti art. Bryan Deese 5:41 And it kind of had all of those same things. It was big, colorful, illustrative, blackout lines, and it had some adventure mixed in. So, I was drawn to that right away. And it was also based on typography and that was the graphic design side of me. As a kid who, you know, designed my own baseball cards and designed my own sneakers. Yeah, so those worlds kind of combined with some fun and adventure. It’s what you’re looking for as a teenager. And I followed that route for a while, and there was never a thought that this is something you’d make money on. But I didn’t just quit. I just took it up a notch or two, and started doing portraits, started doing bigger, more objective things and less of the letter-based graffiti stuff. More what you would consider street art, and just elevating it a little bit as I went along. And eventually, at some point, I just decided this is what I’m going to do this is paying as much or more than the graphic design and I’m going to jump out there and actually call myself an artist. And… John Haggard 6:57 Wow! Yeah, because there’s that phrase that we all hear -starving artist. Great work but a starving artist. And that, you may have starved a little bit maybe but you know you didn’t have that job you said. So you were doing this on the side and then it like as you said you just finally the dollars were there. Bryan Deese 7:14 Yeah and I absolutely had that instilled in me from my parents, too. Maybe not so much my parents but just society as a whole is like it’s a very hard thing to earn a living at – and it is! And so, yeah, I’d always heard starving associated with the word artists. So I look to do something that would fulfill my creative chops but would pay the rent. And then on the side, like I said, I was always doing this stuff that I never thought there’d be an income that it was just fun. Like a lot of people they don’t get into bass fishing, because they think there’s a future in bass fishing, they just enjoy the hobby. So that’s kind of how I approached it, but at some point what I was doing caught on. And a lot of that’s probably based on social sharing online. But people were coming to me to “can you paint big?”. And so yeah, it was a slow transition from full-time graphic design to full-time mural artist with a lot of crossover years, where, you know, in between. John Haggard 8:18 You know, I heard this motivational speaker Tony Robbins, you’re familiar with him? He says, follow your passion, and the money will follow you. And it sounds like you had a lot of passion and you thought, Well, you know, I’m going to try to make this thing work. Maybe it will, maybe it won’t. I’ve got a backup plan. But nonetheless, the passion really seemed to drive you would you say speaking of passion and inspiration, you mentioned Red Grooms? Would he be someone you would consider a major inspiration was to you that got you to the next level or who would you consider that to be? Bryan Deese 8:50 He was a big one because what I didn’t know when I was eight or nine years old on that field trip – well, I wasn’t even there. It was in high school who I figured out who I’d been looking at on that field trip. And it was kind of, “Oh, Red Grooms graduated from Hillsboro High School.” So then that all of a sudden kind of did click with me that you could do it. People from your high school walk in the same halls or you’re reading about them in art history books, you know, it’s not that far-fetched. So and then, as far as the street art stuff goes, there were some conversations I had and people that, artists that I really respected, who came along and did the same job that I had done two years previously. For example, Bonnaroo, I painted some fences at Bonnaroo. And two years later, one of my favorite artists, Steve Powers, he came and painted the fences at Bonnaroo. And so that made me think “Okay, you’re on the right trajectory.” At that point. I was still doing graphic design also. And when a door would open like Bonnaroo would call and say “We’ve got these miles of linear fence. Got any ideas on how to paint something cool?” I’d walk through those doors, I would execute and somewhere in the middle of it, I panic, you know? How am I gonna get this done? You know, I’ve bitten off more than I could chew, but you just stay the course and, and work hard and get through that door and shut it behind you. Hopefully, you know, it worked out well. Bonnaroo did. And then you hope the next door you’re ready for the next door in front of you. And you just keep going. And that’s what I’ve done. John Haggard 10:35 What are some of the more exciting projects that you’ve worked on recently? Bryan Deese 10:39 2019 I had some really cool projects. First and foremost, the NFL Draft came to Nashville. And the NFL Network contacted me to do some murals on the side of Tootsies, the famous Honky Tonk on Broadway and on the back of Honky Tonk Central. And then NFL films recorded it. And it was the very first thing they aired a little two-minute package, right as their draft coverage kicked off. John Haggard 11:11 Wow, that was you? Bryan Deese 11:13 Yeah, and then they shared it with their social. So that was a really cool one. Bonnaroo Music Festival. I painted their iconic fountain the past year. And so those were two really cool ones. I did two really great murals in Gallatin that I’m proud of. So, and some really good work for the Country Music Hall of Fame. They’re one of my steady clients that I do, you know, anywhere from eight to 10 murals a year for. John Haggard 11:44 So in Gallatin, where are those murals? Bryan Deese 11:47 Well, I’ve got three murals in Gallatin. One is in Thompson Park, which is right next to the skate park. And it is a mural of Ray Underhill Jr. and Ray was Tennessee’s first professional skateboarder, and he grew up in Hendersonville in Gallatin. When he packed his car up and drove out to California to chase the dream, he was living in Gallatin. And sadly, Ray passed away from cancer. And so that’s a memorial a thank you to Ray Underhill. And then on the side of Chubbs Sports Bar, and Old Soul Tattoo, I’ve got two murals, they actually face each other. One is a history of the trains and trolleys in Gallatin. And then the other is about the 1970 basketball game between the segregated high schools at the time, Gallatin High School and Union High School. And that’s an incredibly interesting story. q2A`There’s a book about it, maybe plans to do a movie. But those are the three murals that I’ve got in Gallatin right now, and hopefully, we’ll do some more soon. John Haggard 13:07 So Brian, where do you get your ideas on what to paint? Bryan Deese 13:11 Well, a lot of that comes down to how much creative control I’ve got on each project. Some of the projects that I do, I don’t have any creative control, or here’s an album cover, we want to paint it on this wall, and it’ll stay there for three months. And I execute those and I keep it going. When I’ve got complete creative control, and that’s when I’m the most excited on a project as any creative would be. And when I’ve got complete creative control, I like to paint about history that’s very specific to the location I’m painting at. So you know, Ray Underhill next to the skatepark in Gallatin, that makes sense because of the history of who Ray Underhill is to skateboarding in Gallatin. The trains and the trolleys, the location of that Old Soul Tattoo, the wall right next to the Palace Theater, the back entrance, it’s in between the railroad tracks and then where the trolley tracks were on just down the alley. So I like to paint about history because I’m a history buff. And so if you let me paint about anything, it’s going to be generally a giant portrait about history that’s very specific to the location I’m painting. Bryan Deese 13:14 How would you say the support has been in Gallatin for what you’re doing? Bryan Deese 14:35 It’s really been incredible, especially the mayor’s office. When I approached them initially about the Ray Underhill project and the train with the train and trolley mural, the codes would not allow for murals in Gallatin. So we started with the Ray Underhill project because it was actually in the parks. It’s a park property that lays a little bit outside of the jurisdiction of code so they didn’t need to change the codes to actually execute that one. So then we’re able to show some community support and how murals can impact a community positively. And then with that, they took that effort and energy and passed and changed the Gallatin City codes as far as murals go. So now, and then they applied for and got a grant for me to paint the train mural and the basketball mural. So, and then the public at large has been incredibly supportive. Anytime I was painting, I had great conversations with you know, citizens and passers-by and met a lot of great people. In all three of those cases, anytime I was painting, I met a lot of great people. I met Ray Underhill’s family, too. They still live Portland, his parents and brothers, and siblings, and that’s really the most impactful to me is the people I meet when I’m painting. John Haggard 16:11 Yeah. And you know, you mentioned, of course, Gallatin where you live now, Bonnaroo, Downtown Nashville. Do you travel the country or is your work primarily in this area? Bryan Deese 16:22 Well, I do travel. So I head to Florida and Atlanta. There were probably the spots I hit the most. When I was younger, I traveled a lot more. You know, I’ve been to Europe and all over the West Coast and the Northeast Chicago, you know, St. Louis, Kansas City, a lot of cities, painting, and that’s really when it was just a hobby. My professional work though, my home base is Nashville and that’s where the bulk of my work is for sure. John Haggard 16:52 If somebody said, “I want you to paint a portrait of me.” Do you do work for individuals or is it more like what we’ve been talking about? Bryan Deese 17:02 Well, I absolutely could be commissioned. Most of my work now is of a commercial nature. And I’m not exactly cheap, but I absolutely take commissions and I’m worth every penny. John Haggard 17:17 All right, well, there you go. There you go. Bryan, Deese, everybody, we’re talking to. Muralist and street artists. What would you say, Brian, is your favorite painting that you’ve ever done out of all of them? Bryan Deese 17:29 Well, one that was dear to me was a Johnny Cash mural that was in downtown Nashville, that my friends and I would actually paint the wall very first in May in 1998, with like a surrealist desert kind of scene. But then, when Johnny Cash passed away, immediately we painted a memorial mural for him. And that was in 2003. We redid the mural in 2012 whether it just has taken its toll. A lot of people so new to the area, they don’t realize that the area of downtown Nashville flooded in 2010. And that really took a right toll on that mural. Um, yeah. So we redid that and in 2012 and it was perfectly located downtown. It was a joke. It was the last of a little one-story block buildings in you know, south of Broadway. And it was on American Idol and National Geographic Channel and Macy’s campaign, it just got a lot of traction. It was on all the Titans home games when it was a local CBS broadcast it was kind of just became part of their Stock B roll footage. So, unfortunately, like I said it was the last of but it’s unfortunately got knocked down last year. And some of my friends from the Country Music Hall of Fame, pulled aside some of the, the blocks of some of it, and I’ve saved them. But it was only a matter of time that property was worth too much to just be a block little block building. So now it’s like a two or three-story bar. John Haggard 19:17 So for 2020 as we enter the New Year, what big plans do you have? What’s going on anything local, more regional work. What’s happening? Bryan Deese 19:25 Well, one thing I’m really excited, I’m almost hesitant to talk much about it because I’m very much in the initial phases and it’s year one, but I’m going to do a little mural festival in Gallatin at the end of May. And what a mural festival is, is pretty simple. It’ll be anywhere from three to six, this year I’m just kind of starting small to get going on, but three to six murals being worked on by different artists at the same time over the course of a weekend. So you can come in, it’ll be roughly in the same location, so you could come and park your car and walk around and watch these different artists execute the murals. And, so the mayor’s office again, they’re being extremely supportive. And that’s something I’m planning. And then I’m filling up my calendar for 2020 and got some really great jobs and really excited to keep working with the Country Music Hall of Fame. They allow me to paint the icons of Nashville, and that excites me for sure. And hopefully, some other great ones. Some of them, they’re not exactly under contract yet, so I don’t want to jinx them by talking about them. But I’ve got a lot of really great projects coming for 2020. But the most – the thing I’m the most excited about is the mural festival. I’m going to start in Gallatin. John Haggard 20:51 And that’s in May, you said? Bryan Deese 20:52 End of May. So and I’m still on the date. I’m still waiting to hear back from the mayor that we’re not competing with any other long-standing Gallatin events that might conflict with it. But right now they said, it looks like the calendar is pretty open. So I think that’s going to be our date. John Haggard 21:13 So Brian, what would you say your favorite thing about living in Gallatin is? Bryan Deese 21:19 Oh man, there’s so many great things. I love where my kids go to school Sumner Academy. They really care about educating kids. And also just having socially the skills my kids are learning there are second to none. I love Gallatin Square. I like to go down to the square especially in the spring in the summer. When the flowers are the flower pots are out and you’ve got the splashes of pinks and purples violets around and I love to go to Jim Bose records on the square and pick out some old vinyl, maybe go to Phillies on the square and get a funnel Cake they’re delicious and play some games with the kids on my studio in Gallatin. It’s right by the bowling alley and bought my kids and bowling shoes and we go bowling a lot. That’s a lot of fun. And right there, too, I love Old Glory restaurant that’s kind of our greasy spoon diner and definitely love being a regular at all these spots around Gallatin. It’s pretty much everywhere I go now I’m a regular they don’t know what I do. They just know my face. John Haggard 22:28 What would you say of all the things that you have going on in 2020, If you can talk about it, is the most, I guess you would say, the most exciting thing that’s going to happen or that that you’re going to do or that really excites you the most for 2020? Bryan Deese 22:43 Well, I’m hoping to do the Bonnaroo fountain again, I’m trying to turn that into an annual contract. It used to be that they would hire an artist that would come in and they would design and paint the fountain and it would be totally separate from how the festival looks. Now they’re having the designer who designs the overall look for the festival that year as far as ticketing and marketing and all of that. They also design the fountain, but they don’t necessarily have the skills to execute the painting and Bonnaroo doesn’t even want them to have to worry about that. So I always call that my summer art camp anytime I go and spend a week out at Bonnaroo. I come back dark, suntanned, and about 10 pounds lighter. John Haggard 23:34 So let me ask you this one question. What would you say, Brian, the one thing that people don’t know about you, but they would be really surprised to find out about you. Bryan Deese 23:47 I’m big on the number two and things the power of two. So two times two is four times two is eight times two is 16 times two, 32. And doing all kinds of weird little number things in my head, that all break down to number in twos and the power of twos. So that’s some Rain Man autistic kind of side of me a little bit. But it fascinates me even myself is why do I need to stop the pump at 1616 or whatever I’m pumping, you know? So that’s something that is weird. And not a lot of people would know. John Haggard 24:31 If somebody wants to get in contact with you, Brian, what’s the best way to connect? Bryan Deese 24:37 My website is bryandeese.art. And it’s a really simple little site just with some images that slide through. And then there’s two buttons. One is a email that goes directly to my inbox, and the other takes you to my Instagram account which is more of a rolling portfolio of my work. So emailing me through my website is really the best way. bryandeese.art John Haggard 25:05 All right, and we know Bryan is, in your case B-R-Y-A-N. John Haggard 25:10 That’s right. John Haggard 25:11 Got it . Well, that’s Bryan Deese everybody, muralist and street artist on today’s Miracle Ford podcast. Remember, you can find show notes, just everything we talked about and a transcript along with links to content that we talked about right here on our website miraclefordtn.com and also on Apple podcast, Google Play podcast, and on Spotify. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast and leave us a review on any of those platforms and share. I’m your host John Haggard, and we will see you next time.

Welcome back to the Miracle Ford Podcast! And for the second time around Jim Odell, the Used Car Manager at Miracle Ford joins us. In this episode, he and host John Haggard talk more on tips on how to buy a used car. Topics discussed: How to Ensure That You Are Not Buying Other People’s Problems When Buying a Used CarHow to Check on the Vehicle’s HistoryDebunking Other Myths About Used CarsWhat Is a Certified Pre-Owned and Its Advantages?What Is a Powertrain Warranty?Miracle Ford VIP AdvantageCan Out-Of-State Customers Buy Used Cars from Miracle Ford in Gallatin, TN?Pre-Owned Deals Right Now at Miracle Ford Transcript John Haggard 0:02 Welcome to the Miracle Ford podcast where, throughout the month, you’ll be able to learn the best ways to purchase lease service, maintain, accessorize, and also sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible when you’re ready to do it. You know, we also discuss details of the latest and greatest vehicles and technology here today and coming soon. As always, you can find show notes and a transcript along with links to content that we talked about right here on the website www.miraclefordtn.com. Also on Apple Podcasts, Google Play Podcasts and on Spotify… and don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast, leave us a review, if you will on any of the platforms and share. I’m your host, John Haggard, and on today’s podcast, we have the honor of having Jim Odell with us. Jim is the used car manager at Miracle Ford in Gallatin. Jim’s going to be sharing tips on how to buy a used car. Jim, we’re excited to have you back. Jim Odell 0:56 Well, I’m excited to be back, John. Thank you for inviting me John Haggard 0:59 Well, thanks for coming. And for those that didn’t hear, by the way, Jim was on the podcast on episode 11. And in that episode, we were able to get to know Jim quite a bit more and some of the work he does at Miracle Ford. Let me see, Jim, if I remember correctly, you did grow up in New Jersey. Am I right? Jim Odell 1:15 That is right. Yes. Northern New Jersey, just 20 or so minutes outside New York City. John Haggard 1:20 There you go. And I think you also mentioned that you are also a musician in your other life. And I believe you play the drums, right? Jim Odell 1:27 That’s right. Yes. John Haggard 1:29 Three-piece band, as well as in church. Jim Odell 1:31 Yes, exactly. John Haggard 1:32 And on that podcast, we also talked about maintaining your vehicle for resale. Anything new happening in your life at this point? Jim Odell 1:41 No, no, pretty much going along as usual. And that’s a good thing. John Haggard 1:45 All right. Well, let’s just go along as usual then. So in this episode, we want to dive deeper into tips on how to buy a used car. And you know, some people can be nervous around buying a used car because they’re saying, Well, you know, you’ve probably heard the phrase, I don’t want to buy someone else’s problems. Jim Odell 2:03 Oh, yes, that’s exactly right. And that’s… I was expecting you to say something to that, then that was one of the first things that I was going to mention is what are people’s concerns? Am I buying someone else’s problems? And you know, that can be a concern. I understand that aspect of it. John Haggard 2:19 How do you answer that question? Jim Odell 2:22 I would say the few things that you would look for is some type of history of the vehicle. Now our dealership uses CarFax. Carfax is a very popular platform for getting that information. So when you’re buying a used vehicle, we’re more than happy to show you the Carfax history and kind of break it down for you. Here’s a vehicle that has had one owner. It’s been maintained. There’s a lot of platforms that subscribe to Carfax – we do. So when you bring a vehicle into our service department, we push that to Carfax and it shows… Oh, this car had an oil change done at 10,000 miles so we can look at that vehicle history report, see what type of maintenance it’s had, the number of owners as I just mentioned, and also whether it’s had any accidents on the vehicle history report. Those are the kind of things that you can kind of reduce that anxiety when you shop for a car. John Haggard 3:17 That makes sense. And you know sometimes when people look at a vehicle, sometimes looks can be deceiving, even with people you know? It just can. And so when someone is thinking about buying a used car and they say okay, let me get the Carfax, let’s take a look at what is there. If cosmetically the car looks nice and then looks like they’re you know, dents, and paint chips and all these types of things like what else, what other questions should someone ask in addition to the Carfax? Jim Odell 3:46 I would say what has been done to the vehicle to get to retail position. And that’s what we do at the dealership. #very one of our used cars that is on the lot has gone through an inspection process. I have one designated technician, so we have a relationship that we’ve been working for a number of years. He knows if it’s, for example, at a certain level on the brake pads to just go ahead and replace the brakes. So he’s kind of has leeway for that. But we will do an inspection, we’ll do of course all safety inspections, but then we’ll bring maintenance up to where it should be. You know, we’re not going to make a car brand new. However, you know, if the pad has half of its life left, then we’ll leave it alone if it’s got one-eighth of its life left we’ll replace that brake pad. And so those are the types of things that we do here to ensure that what we’re offering to the public is a good solid quality vehicle. John Haggard 4:47 And so would there be other common myths about buying a used car from a dealer that you would say, you know, a lot of people say this but really not true here at Miracle Ford? Jim Odell 4:58 Yeah! Well, and you know we mentioned about buying someone else’s problems, you’re not going to buy someone else’s problems at a dealership. The other myth might be, well, I’m going to be paying more for that vehicle than I would normally. Well, I don’t know whether that’s necessarily true. But to that end, if you were paying $500 more to a dealer than to an individual, would it possibly be worth $500 more? In my opinion, I would say, well, sure! If I know that the dealer has inspected the vehicle brought necessary repairs up to or maintenance up to where it should be, you know, is that worth $500? $700? Whatever the case may be, I would say yeah, there’s a strong compelling reason why you wouldn’t want to pay a little bit more. John Haggard 5:45 Right, because I think what you’re saying is if an individual sells you their car, they probably haven’t put it in a shop or may not have and replaced brake pads like you were mentioning or whatever the problem might be. They may really be selling you their problem or there’s something that’s getting ready to happen, maybe they don’t even know about that’s going to be a big problem because it hadn’t been tested out in a professional shop. Jim Odell 6:09 Well, that’s exactly right. There’s always a reason behind why somebody wants to trade a car. Sometimes it’s just I want a new car. I’m able to have a new car every two years, whatever the case may be. And there’s nothing wrong with the car that I have. But I just want a newer car. However, there are other reasons why someone may just want to go ahead and trade their car. The payment that they’re making is too much. And they just want to maybe just try to reduce that payment. Or they look at the car and they say, gee, it’s getting to be winter time. I’m gonna need to get a new set of tires. And I don’t want to pay for my new set of tires. So I’m going to put the car out on the front yard and see if I can get someone to nibble on it. And you would you just tipped on is exactly right. They don’t know necessarily. Unless they take it to a shop or something like that. What it may need, what it’s in need of or whatever that type of thing where we do. John Haggard 7:03 We hear these words certified pre-owned. So really what does that mean? I think, you know, the English says, hey, it’s you know it’s certified, they obviously stand behind it in some way, certified. What’s the difference between certified pre-owned, I guess maybe what’s the definition of that first and then what is something that’s not certified pre-owned? Jim Odell 7:22 Sure. Well, what it amounts to is two different things. Certain vehicles are only eligible for certification, they have to be under a certain mileage they have to be under a certain number of years. We, as I said before, we inspect all of our vehicles. Some vehicles we certify and others we don’t, it comes down to a couple of different things. Sometimes market conditions will be such that this vehicle is just extraordinarily flooded, if you will, in the market, and certifying it doesn’t really give it that much of a bang. Other vehicles definitely could be that. By certifying you have it stand out in the market. But let’s just say I trade for a one-year-old vehicle that’s got 8,000 miles on it. I’m definitely going to certify that vehicle. I’m going to put it through the same inspection that all of my vehicles get, but then it’s going to also then get an additional 50 points that are mandated by the manufacturer. So certified vehicles are approved by the manufacturer. So we can only certify Ford vehicles. They’re going to have a 172 point inspection. They’re going to be backed by Ford with an additional 12-month, 12-000 mile warranty. The vehicle is also going to then have a seven-year 100,000-mile powertrain upgrade to it. Warranty adds more inspection that’s done. It has to become a vehicle that stands above other vehicles. And then the last thing you can also get is support from Ford Motor Company to get a like-new type APR rate. So like right now on some of our certified vehicles, I think there’s a 60 month 2.9 APR, which is going to be below what, you know, any kind of a used car is going to be able to get or even comparable to what a new car might get. John Haggard 9:17 Wow, that’s very interesting. You’re saying on a certified pre-owned, you could get like new rates. In other words, so that 2.9% 60 months like you’re talking about, is that something that’s going on all the time, some of the time? How does that work? Jim Odell 9:30 It pretty much goes on all of the time. It can fluctuate. This 2.9% rate was just introduced, I want to say, it was about a month ago, to kind of close out the quarter and it’s it’s going on until at least January. I might be going on after that but I don’t have that information in front of me. So I don’t know that now, but call the dealership and we can tell you. John Haggard 9:51 Yeah, and when you said certified pre-owned bumper to bumper. So if a headlight goes out, if there’s a transmission issue, if it’s certified pre-owned, is that what you’re saying? Bumper to bumper covers all those? Jim Odell 10:04 Well, in essence, what it’ll have, like the example that I gave, a one-year-old vehicle with 10,000 miles, of course, it’s still under the factory warranty of three years 36,000. What it will get is an additional 12 months 12,000 miles of. It’s not bumper to bumper but it’s similar to. It’s what Ford calls a premium care plan. And it’s virtually like a bumper to bumper. So in essence, it’s going to get 48 months 48,000 miles of coverage on it. And then in addition to that, they’ll take that five year 60,000 powertrain an upgraded to a seven-year 100,000-mile powertrain. John Haggard 10:41 Alright, so that’s the advantage of certified pre-owned. It extends the warranty. Not in addition, it extends. Jim Odell 10:49 Yes. John Haggard 10:50 Gotcha. So now the powertrain warranty. To explain to someone, first off, what is powertrain and how does that all figure in? Jim Odell 11:00 Powertrain basically, in a nutshell, is the interior or internal of the engine. Anything that’s not connected to the engine. So like pistons, crankshaft, all those types of things and then internal of the transmission as well. So it’s kind of the nuts and bolts of the vehicle. Now since you mentioned powertrain to one of the other benefits of buying from the dealership, as opposed to an individual, we tipped on that already, was the Miracle Ford VIP advantage. As long as we have a vehicle that is under, I think it’s six years and under 90,000 miles, Miracle Ford will give you a powertrain warranty for as long as you own the vehicle. All it requires is that you service the vehicle with the dealership and it comes with a bunch of other nice benefits, concierge service, shuttle service battery checks for two years. It’s a really nice program that costs the customer nothing. We basically incorporate that into all of our new and our pre-owned vehicles that meet all the qualifications. John Haggard 12:11 Alright, and so to understand what you said under 90,000, or under in terms of the mileage one is bought. So if someone has that car, let’s say they have it for five years and they go up to 300,000 miles, would it still be covered? 300,000? Jim Odell 12:27 As long as they’ve done their regular maintenance on the vehicle, yes, it is. John Haggard 12:31 Okay, and what about people? Do you find people from out of state or you know, five, 400 miles away wherever it may be, that also buy a pre-owned car from Miracle? Jim Odell 12:42 As a matter of fact, ironically, just before I came out to talk to you today, a customer called from Utah on, exactly what we just kind of mentioned, a vehicle that is a one-year-old vehicle because we’re in the 2020 model year, a customer traded in a 2019 model with like 4,500 miles. And this person from Utah has called asking about that vehicle. So yes, just because we’re in Gallatin, Tennessee doesn’t mean we’re just selling the folks within, say, 50 miles. We’re selling around the country where people obviously have access to the Internet, and they’re just finding that the vehicle that they’re looking for. John Haggard 13:21 Now, what would you say then for people like that, Jim? What search tips or additional thoughts people should have? If they are, you know, states away, and they’re just out there on the Internet and they’re looking around? Are there any additional tips other than what we have spoken about? If someone’s trying to locate? Jim Odell 13:40 What I would certainly suggest is to, you know, do a little research on the individual. If it’s an individual or the company that you’re buying from now. I mean our dealership is on Google, it’s on platforms like Dealer Rater, and you can go through reviews. So I would just say, you know, kind of do a little search if I’m buying from an individual or dealership, I guess most people will be buying from a dealership that is reputable, has been in business maybe a while, has good reviews online. And don’t, you know, our dealership is not perfect. You’re going to see a smattering of, you know, reviews where we didn’t quite meet the mark. And look if you do see those, look to see if there’s been a response from the dealership and, you know, a plan of action that they took to satisfy that customer, you will see that on our reviews. And that’s the type of thing that you just checking to make sure, that if there’s any kind of an issue because I’m buying a car from somebody who’s three, four or 500 miles away, are they going to give me a hard time about it or they’re going to just say, Oh, hey, let’s take care of it. Let’s work out something that’s you know, between the two of us that we can live with. John Haggard 15:03 You know, that’s very important because the follow up after the sale or after the service, maybe more important than where you buy it, because if you buy it and you can’t get support Jim Odell 15:13 Yeah, absolutely. John Haggard 15:14 What would you say over the years that you’ve been dealing with pre-owned vehicles used cars… There are those when you read consumer reports that tell you things like these are the most expensive to operate, these are the least expensive. These particular models over time are more reliable, have more points, however, that’s rated on a scale. What would you say it just in terms of overall brands, or types of vehicles that seem to be the ones that give less trouble and cost less later than the others? Jim Odell 15:47 I would say in general, your domestic vehicles are going to have lower maintenance costs than your imports. That’s not to say, for example, a BMW or an Audi is not a good car. It’s just the reality that if something needs to be, you know, fixed or even just maintained, those maintenance costs can be significantly higher than a domestic one. So that is one way is one of the things as far as reliability. You know, I’m more or less of the opinion that all manufacturers have a certain level of reliability. It used to not be that way, you know, 30 years ago. But now, everybody’s kind of come up to a standard of vehicle is good and reliable. Of the Ford line vehicles that are very reliable. And you typically show in sales or vehicles like Explores, Escapes, F-150s. Those are our top sellers and there’s a reason for it because they’re good, solid reliable vehicles. John Haggard 16:52 Gotcha. Well, let’s talk about some deals on pre-owned right now. Are there two or three you might want to highlight and say hey, you come now! We got some deals for you here before year-end! Jim Odell 17:04 Well, one, in particular, I could say that I know of just off the top of my head, is a 2017 model Escape Titanium. And this is a vehicle that, frankly, we’ve had in inventory a little bit longer than we anticipated. And that happens as far as pricing. I use a very detailed marketing tool that just looks at what’s in the market, what’s selling, how much they’re selling for average miles. So this particular vehicle is $600 below market average with 7,000 miles less than the market average is a 2017 Escape Titanium. That’s $18,529. It’s a great value and I’ve reduced the price in an effort to sell that vehicle. So my thing in general is I know many platforms you can see how long the vehicle has been in inventory. And what I would say is just because the cars were in an inventory, let’s just say 85 days, doesn’t mean oh, there must be something wrong with it. It can also mean that there’s an awful lot of cars in the market. And this one has just taken a little bit longer to sell. But if that dealer is like Miracle Ford, the longer that it’s an inventory, the more aggressive I’m going to get to put a price on it to get rid of it. Because from a business standpoint, do I want to sit on let’s just say a $20,000 vehicle forever? Or do I want to turn that vehicle and then reinvest that $20,000 into something else that I can make just a little bit of money? I’m going to turn that as fast as I can. John Haggard 18:42 Yeah, yeah. So is there another example of something you’ve got? Jim Odell 18:45 Some of the older vehicles that we have. We don’t, you know all of ours, are not three years old, five years old. I know I’ve got and if it hadn’t been sold 2007 Honda CRV. It was traded in by somebody here at the dealership, and it’s still got life left and it has 180,000 miles on it. But if it’s sitting on my lap with that many miles, you know, it’s a good vehicle because I’ve inspected it. I can stand behind it, I’m going to put the reputation of the dealership behind it. So there’s another one that might be something that somebody might be interested in. John Haggard 19:18 All right. We’ve learned a lot about pre-owned used vehicles, what to look for how to buy, how they are valued, as you’ve talked about. What did I not ask you, Jim, that someone should know about buying pre-owned? Jim Odell 19:32 Well, John, I would have to say you are so thorough that you haven’t asked me anything that anybody else would need to know about. We covered every bit of it. John Haggard 19:40 Good. Well, listen, thanks so much for your time today. It’s been great to have you back again. That’s Jim Odell, everybody, the used car manager at Miracle Ford in Gallatin. Don’t forget to like, share, subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, or Spotify. And while you’re at it, leave us a review folks, if you will. I’m your host, John Haggard, and we will see you next time.

It’s starting to get cold outside but it’s still warm in this special episode podcast. This week, we have Chief Victor Williams of the Gallatin Fire Department. A native of Delray Beach Florida, Chief Williams has been the fire department for only four years! Get to know him more as he, together with host John Haggard, discusses the following topics: How He Ended up from Delray Beach to the Gallatin Fire Department?What Chief Victor Does on His Time-OffHis 27-Year Service as a FirefighterLife Before FirefightingTips to Prevent Fire During WinterHaving a Fire Extinguisher at HomeWhat’s up and Coming for the Gallatin Fire DepartmentSpecial School Programs for Future FirefightersAnnual Events at the Gallatin Fire DepartmentFire Chief’s Biggest Challenges Today Transcript John Haggard 0:02 Welcome to the Miracle Ford Special Edition podcast where we also interview community leaders on topics of interest to the Gallatin and Sumner County area. Today we’re honored to have Chief Victor Williams of the Gallatin Fire Department on the podcast. Chief, welcome to the podcast. Chief Victor Williams 0:18 Thank you so much, John. I count it an honor to be here and I look forward to our conversation. John Haggard 0:24 Well, me too, and glad you are here because we’ve got some good questions for you. And before we dive in, though, as to what’s going on in at the Gallatin Fire Department today for people who may be new to the area or new to the podcast, tell us a little bit about you or did you actually grow up in Gallatin? Chief Victor Williams 0:42 No, I didn’t, John. Actually, I grew up in South Florida, and I am a recent transplant here in the Tennessee area and in Gallatin more specifically. I grew up in a little city called Delray Beach and, just for reference purposes, Delray Beach is a long I-95 corridor on the eastern side of South Florida. And if you look at a map, Delray will be centered about 50 miles northeast of Miami, so most people know where Miami is. And about 20 miles northeast of Fort Lauderdale. So we sit just about 20 miles north of Fort Lauderdale and about 10 miles south of West Palm Beach. So that’s where I grew up. Lifelong resident, I spent 52 years of my life there before we relocated here to Gallatin. John Haggard 1:32 Now, what got you to Gallatin all the way from Florida? Chief Victor Williams 1:36 Well, I was working in the Delray Beach Fire-Rescue Department. I had been working there for 23 years and I was about a year and a half away from retirement. And being 52 years old, I believe that I was too young to really retire. I didn’t think my wife would want me sitting around, you know, around the house at 52. I think I would have driven her nuts. So I was looking for something to do because I felt that I still had a lot to offer to the fire service. And I just so happened to be searching and I came across a posting on indeed.com, in which the city of Gallatin was in a current national search for fire chief. So that was back in September of 2015. So I put in an application in September, and I received notice of an interview in December. So I came up to Gallatin with my wife, did the interview, we kind of stay for a few days, took a look around the community drove around trying to get familiar with it. A week later, I received a phone call from Miss Debbie Johnson, who is the Human Resources director and I was notified that I had been unanimously chosen to be the new fire chief for Gallatin. So, my wife and I then had a discussion to decide if we want it to take the offer, which we did. And so three months later, we were relocated here in Gallatin, which I started working for the Gallatin fire department on March 7, 2016. So that’s basically how I got from Florida here to Middle Tennessee and in the city of Gallatin. John Haggard 3:18 What a story and to hear you unanimous! I think there are people out there who are interviewing for positions or about ready to, how do you get a unanimous decision? You can’t get everybody to agree on anything these days. Chief Victor Williams 3:32 I agree with you. 100% When I received the news, unanimous eight to zero vote to offer me the job. So you know, I took that to heart. And for me, that just, again, followed up and let me know that God’s plan was still moving forward in my life. And all I did then was just was resolved that I was left with the very best job I could to make sure that the council members understood that I was going to live up to their faith and their belief in me. And so that’s been my driving force since I’ve been here. But you’re right. It’s hard to get eight people to agree on anything but to unanimously select the fire chief, I think that was an achievement. John Haggard 4:14 Absolutely. And you know, before we dive into the Gallatin fire department, Chief, I just wonder what do you like to do on your time off? Chief Victor Williams 4:22 Well, that’s, I really like to relax, you know? Because I’m in a very high-octane type of environment all week long. It’s constant. It’s a moving target. It’s so much that I’m involved in throughout the week just leading managing and overseeing this 98-member department. So in my spare time, when I have spare time, I really just like to sit down and relax and take it easy. I like to read I’ll read some journals or some fire service-type articles or I read some religious-type material. And then the other thing I like to do is I just like to sit and cuddle on the blanket with my wife and we watch movies. Now, my wife is a movie connoisseur. She loves movies, and she would watch just about anything. This is great for me, because, you know that way we have that time that we can spend together and we watch everything that you can think of from action movies to dramas, to suspense, but we have that time where we just sit together and reconnect. And that’s how I like to spend my time off when I have some downtime. John Haggard 5:33 Yeah, so you’ve been in the firefighting business, if I’m counting up all the years, I guess, at least 25 years. Chief Victor Williams 5:40 Yes, I’m in my 27th year in the fire service now. John Haggard 5:44 Yes, sir. So what were you doing before? Chief Victor Williams 5:47 After I received my honorable discharge from the United States Navy, I returned to Florida, and I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do. I was thinking I wanted to do something in public safety. Because coming out of the military and being exposed to the military life and the regimen of it and wanting to give back and help, I knew I wanted to do something either in law enforcement or in firefighting. And what pushed me over the top was I had some experience with firefighting because, in the Navy, everybody learns shipboard firefighting. John Haggard 6:22 Yes, I would think so. Chief Victor Williams 6:23 That is a mandatory skillset that you have to learn. So I had some experience. And when I got back to Florida, I really sought to get into the fire service. Now the challenge for me was because it was so competitive at the time in Florida to get into a fire department. So I had to go out and get some additional training, some additional skill sets, but at the same time, I had to work a full-time job. So I floated different types of jobs that gave me the ability to be able to meet the training schedule that I need. So I’ve done everything that you can think of, from doing some construction work during the days, While I went to school at night to doing custodial work, cleaning floors, while I went to school during the day, I would do that at night. I drove for UPS dawn, a seasonal gig for three months over the Holidays. Yeah, I’ve done just about any and everything you can imagine to get to where I want it to be, which was to eventually end up in the fire service. So my background, as far as employment, it’s all over the place. You know, and I’ve done a bunch of different things. And I realized now that I have the best job in the world, and it was worth it all. All of the sacrifices, the crazy hours the crazy jobs I did, it was all worth getting into the fire service because like I said, I’ve been here 27 years now and I wouldn’t trade anything. I really believe it’s the best job in the world. John Haggard 7:53 You know, it’s been said chief that where you stand today, where I stand today, where anybody stands today. is the sum total of all the actions you have ever taken in life when you think about that. Wow, you could have gone here or there or, you know? Chief Victor Williams 8:08 And I agree with that. And I think all of those experiences no matter how minute they may have been and how short of a time I spent there, they all makeup, the person that I am today, and I have a wealth of knowledge and experience to go back to and fall back on even while I’m here in the fire service. You know, there’s things that I experienced in some other jobs that can actually relate to what we’re doing here in the fire service. So I agree with all of those experiences make up the sum of who I am today and I wouldn’t trade any of it. And I think if something is worth fighting for and it’s worth having, then it’s worth sacrificing and giving your all to achieve it. And that’s the way I looked at getting into the fire service. It was something I really wanted to do and so those jobs were, for me, were the stepping stones to get to where I am today. And 27 years later, I am still thrilled to be in the fire service and I’m excited about the opportunities I have here in Gallatin. John Haggard 9:08 Well let’s dive in speaking about fire. You know, in the wintertime, we see more stories on TV and the internet where homes have burned down someone’s left a wall heater too close to a drape or whatever. Generally speaking in terms of what you see, in the wintertime as reminders to someone what would be some of the tips you would say, look to prevent a fire in your home or in your apartment or even in your car, wherever you may be. Here are some things you want to keep in mind. Chief Victor Williams 9:41 Well, I think you touch the biggest one as it relates to wintertime here as our temperatures begin to fall. I think that many residents use space heaters to warm up their bedrooms in their living areas where they spend most of their time during that day. So my tip would make sure that you have a reasonable amount of distance between your space heater and your chair because most people when they sit in chairs, use blankets. And those blankets can transfer that heat from that space heater into the blanket and that could eventually, if left unattended, can cause a fire. So I think as we look at the winter that’s the biggest thing, is just be mindful of the space heater in that open space and, you know, ensure yourself that you’re not going to have an accidental fire started because you left a blanket or something else that combustible and flammable near an open space heater. And another thing, I think that this time of year we have to think about cooking fires because as we go into the holiday, this is probably when most of the cooking is done. You know when we start preparing for Thanksgiving and Christmas so the leading cause of residential fires, John, is unattended cooking. When people put things on the stove and start cooking and then realize I need to run out for a second, I’m only going to be gone two minutes or three minutes, I just need to run next door or whatever, it may leave the pots and pans on the stove. And when they come back, the house is on fire. So it’s important to understand that that is the number one cause of residential fire. So if you’re cooking and you need to run up, turn off the stove, remove that part of that pan from that burner, and then go and do what you have to do and then come back and finish your cooking. I think those are probably the two biggest tips that we have to be mindful of as we go into the winter and into the major holiday seasons on Thanksgiving and Christmas. John Haggard 11:44 Now I think this is an obvious answer that you would, you know, that you would say yes to. But a fire extinguisher, a small one, you know, you see them in stores recommended to have by, you know, by yourself. Chief Victor Williams 11:57 Yes, yes. Like you said there that’s an easy piece of fire equipment that you can have easily purchased at Lowe’s or Home Depot or maybe even Walmart. You can go and find a small residential fire extinguisher that you can have readily available in your kitchen. In case you have a mishap, and I would say that all homes should have at least one. John Haggard 12:22 Let’s say that you don’t have one. And all of a sudden, you know, maybe it’s a grease fire or I mean, if all of a sudden something flamed up out of control, and you said wow, this thing’s out of control. What would you grab? What would you do? Do you throw water on a fire mean? What would you do in a quick emergency if something like totally surprised you? Chief Victor Williams 12:45 As a professional firefighter, my answer is to evacuate. Call 911. You don’t throw water on a grease fire. Because we all know, water and oil don’t mix and if you throw water on a grease fire, it’s gonna splatter Now you’re going to have multiple fires burning in the kitchen in multiple locations. Yeah. So if you have a grease fire, if you have a big flare up and you don’t have an extinguisher where you can extinguish it, you know, my advice would be to evacuate, dial 911 and allow the Gallatin fire department to come and do what we do best. And let’s put the wet stuff on the red stuff and put it out for you. John Haggard 13:23 Yeah, yeah. Okay. So as you look out into the future, your crystal ball Chief, what special initiatives are out there as it relates to the Gallatin fire department? Anything that’s coming up in terms of maybe more engines, maybe higher technology, anything new to look forward to? Chief Victor Williams 13:41 No, I think the biggest thing that we have coming up that, actually, an initiative that we’ve already started that I think is going to be so promising for our community is the Fire Department has partnered with Gallatin High School, and with Vol State Community College. And together we’ve created a fire science management dual enrollment program. And the reason why this is so important is because in our community, as we’re recruiting and looking for future firefighters, our candidate pool hasn’t been as deep and as broad as we would like. And recognizing that we have many students who are probably not going to go off to a four-year college and going to be looking to enter into the workforce immediately, we’ve created this program to work with the college and the high school where this year we have 18 incoming juniors, who started this program. And the beauty of it is in two years when they graduate high school, they would have about half of the necessary college credit to receive an associate’s degree in fire science. But more importantly, they will be marketable because, throughout the two years in the program, they would have received the skills and the certification to graduate as a senior out of high school with a Firefighting One certification and an emergency medical – EMR, it’s not actually an EMT – is some emergency medical first responder certification, which now qualifies them to be employed by a fire department because they come with the resident training and certification. Chief Victor Williams 15:30 So it automatically will make these young people available to seek employment and find employment coming out of high school. Now, that’s a benefit for the Gallatin fire department because again, it puts these individuals in our recruitment pipeline that we know in a couple years, we’re going to have a multitude of high school graduates that’s going to be coming out and we’ll have the skillset to become firefighters for our local fire department. So we started with Gallatin High School. We already have requests from Station Camp to initiate a program there. Yeah. So we’re going to be looking to do that. So I think this program is going to be one of the greatest initiatives that we’ve put together here in this area. And I’m excited about that. And so we’ve been pushing it along with our training chief, Chief Scott Woodward. He’s the lead instructor, and he’s been the catalyst behind this program. And I’m telling you, I think it’s going to be beneficial. It’s going to give those students who knew that they probably wasn’t going to go to college. This is an option for them now, and we’re looking to expand it. So we’re going to have another incoming class in 2020, another set of juniors. So we will have a junior class and our senior class going at Gallatin High School. And we’re going to be looking at, starting with their junior class, at Station Camp high school as well. So we have both high schools involved in this program. And it’s just going to produce candidates for the fire departments in Gallatin and in Sumner County. And I think this program is going to be a wonderful addition to some of the things that we’re doing in the community as we move forward. John Haggard 17:24 Chief, it sounds like you’ve got it all tied up. I mean, you really do. It’s just a great program on the recruiting side. Because a lot of, whether it’s a commercial business, or fire, or lease, or whatever it is, that seems today, I don’t know why, but recruitment is just very difficult to find people who are committed, passionate and want to do the work. Chief Victor Williams 17:44 You’re absolutely right, John, and that’s been one of our greatest challenges as we’ve been moving forward as an organization because we’ve expanded our organization in the three years that I’ve been here. We’ve gone from a total number of 66 firefighters to 97 now. John Haggard 18:04 Wow, it looks like, yeah! Chief Victor Williams 18:05 We’ve grown because our community is growing. And we are growing to try to keep pace with that to provide, you know, the services that are required for us to keep our community safe. So we’ve grown and that’s been one of our challenges finding recruits to fill the positions. So this is a program that we believe is going to pay big dividends over the next several years as the students start to graduate out of that program. Now we’re going to have candidates who are certified who are prepared from day one, to go into Gallatin fire department, into an organization and begin to work immediately because they will have the necessary certification. So we’re excited about it. John Haggard 18:48 Where do you see, we’re over 2019 now, as you look out over the next, say, three to five years, how many firefighters are you going to need? Chief Victor Williams 18:58 I would say we’re looking at building Fire Station 6, and we’re already identifying an area where Fire Station 7 will most likely have to go. Because our city is growing over on the north side of the city, the northwestern part, that’s where these new developments are going in record pace. We just see the applications coming in and the approvals are going out. And we’re seeing the development. So I would say in the next five years, we will probably move from 97 employees to about 120. John Haggard 19:34 Yeah, gotcha. Gotcha. Is there any new technology chief that’s out there? You know, a lot of businesses, the are new ways to, say, fight fires or new types of products or whatever that can help firefighters. Anything in the fire department like that? Chief Victor Williams 19:48 No, not that I’m aware of, John. I mean, the old adage is still the old adage, the best way to put the fire out that we’ve been doing this for over 200 years is organized fires services is to get that wet stuff on the red stuff, and put the fire out. That hasn’t changed in 200 years. Getting water on the fire hasn’t changed. Now we’ve had some new technology as it relates to personal protective equipment RPPE, it’s come a long way over the last years because the fires that we’re dealing with are hotter because of the different type of materials that’s in there. And so for us, our personal protective equipment has advanced because it requires us to be up close and personal with these fires for longer periods of time in order to put them out. So we’ve seen some advancement on that side but as far as the firefighting side and putting fires out, is still pretty much remains constant. And that’s just getting the water on the fire to put it out. John Haggard 20:57 Any advice on lithium-ion batteries? Every once in a while you will hear about, even on an airplane, you know, a lithium-ion battery will explode or catch fire. Or is that just sort of a one-off very rare situation or anything that we should be concerned about? Chief Victor Williams 21:17 Well, I don’t think this is rare as it’s made out to be because we’ve had several instances of those batteries. Just, you know, self-combusting and starting fires on planes, in luggage, on buses, or what have you. And I don’t really have any information on that to really speak to that more professionally. But I would say that our residents should take heed and be careful with those and I know that the industry is trying to move away from those now. They are being replaced and, because of that risk of, you know, that self-combustion and starting fires that you know, they’ve been banned on planes and that kind of thing, and I know that industry is adjusting now to try to find a solution and replacing those type of batteries. But other than that, I really can’t speak to that. John Haggard 22:09 Gotcha. Gotcha. So, Chief anything, you’ve got so many things that are going on. Are there certain annual events that you do each year? Chief Victor Williams 22:18 Well, the one annual event that we do here in Gallatin is every September 11th, one of the things that we do is we have a memorial service here in front of City Hall where the Fire Department takes the lead role, and we honored the victims of 9/11. But more importantly, we celebrate the country’s resolve in our fight against terror. And we celebrate our stance that we will never forget and that we will fight all enemies whether they are foreign or domestic, to protect our way of life and our freedom. So every 9/11 September 11th, usually around 8:30 in the morning, nine o’clock in the morning, we meet and we have a beautiful memorial ceremony, where we use the bags and pipes and drums and we have a guest speaker who gives us a few minutes of reflection. And this past year it was beautiful. We had the children from the United Methodist Church. They came over and they sang a song and it was just, it was awesome. And we do this every year to commemorate 9/11 but to also ensure that we never forget what happened on that Tuesday morning 18 years ago. So we do that program that we like to encourage our community if they can to come out and be a part of and participate in. Because again, this helps us to never forget what happened on that day and at the same time it helps us to celebrate our country’s resolve to never yield to terrorism as well as it helps us to commemorate those who lost their lives, you know, on that day. So that’s the one program that we do, that annual event that we conduct every year, here in Gallatin. John Haggard 24:17 Yeah. Biggest challenge, Chief, that you face today, when you say in the Gallatin Fire Department? Chief Victor Williams 24:24 Now this one is a little tricky, John, because we have several, I think, pretty good-sized challenges. So to say the biggest, it’d be hard to separate from about three, two or three of them, I think, that are really major challenges facing the fire service, as well as the Gallatin Fire Department on a local level. We always think about our challenges, always budgetary, getting the resources that we need in order to provide a high level of service and then the culture that we live in with costs, shrinking budgets, and resources being reduced. It’s a challenge for fire department leaders to be able to maintain such a high level of services when the resources are being reduced. That’s on the local level. And that’s something that all fire departments, all police departments, probably all departments and Gallatin have to face. But when you start to become a little more broad in that thought process, there’s a couple of things, I think, that really was going to challenge us as a fire service for the next several years. And one of those is the increased threat to firefighter safety. And what I mean by that is simply this each year, we lose 80 to 100 firefighters in the line of duty, and it’s been that way. Since these numbers were started being recorded, we’re constantly losing firefighters in the line of duty and, for the life of us, no matter how hard we try, and the things we come up with, that number remains pretty high each year on average, it’s there. So that’s a challenge that we’re still facing today. And we’re trying to come up with initiatives and ways to reduce that number to zero because that’s what we want to see. But every year it remains high. Chief Victor Williams 26:27 A new challenge that I think is really insidious, that affects the fire service, as well as the military, as well as law enforcement, is the increase in firefighter suicides. Our heroes, they’re going out and they’re seeing things that many members of the general public never see. And not only are they’re seeing these things, but they are seeing them sometimes in a repetitive nature, multiple times through their careers. And what’s happening is that we’re losing more firefighters each year to suicide, then we’re losing firefighters being killed in the line of duty. And that is a challenge that the International Association of Fire Chiefs have taken on, the International Association of Firefighters have taken on and every other group that’s in the fire service has taken this on to come up with mental health policies and initiatives and for our members when they get to that point where they feel they can’t cope. And they’re just looking for a way out. And it’s tragic that we’re losing so many firefighters a year now to suicide. Chief Victor Williams 27:42 And then I think the final challenge is a challenge that I think is equally tough for us and that we’re losing so many firefighters now to cancer. Over the past several years. The research has shown now that firefighters have a higher incidence of contracting cancer. In some cases, two to five times to eight times more than members of the general public. And that’s been identified. And the research is showing that it’s because of when we’re in all of the gear, and in these fires and the chemical off-gassing. And when we come out of those things, we have the sun on us and our bodies are warm, our pores are open. And so all these chemicals are just being absorbed into our bodies and into our skin. So it gives us a higher incidence. So again, programs and initiatives have been put in place to try to combat that. But I think this is going to be a really big challenge for the fire service for years to come, on coming up with ways to combat those and provide greater levels of safety to our personnel to decrease the threats that we’re facing in suicide, through cancer, and through, you know, in the line of duty death. So these are, I think, some of the biggest challenges that we’re facing as a fire service. Now, we’ve been fortunate here in Gallatin, that we haven’t had a suicide. We’ve been fortunate here that we haven’t had a line of duty death. We’ve been fortunate here that, to my knowledge, we have not had a confirmed cancer case. Yeah. But this is prevalent, and it’s out there. One of the sister cities in Florida, a neighbor of Delray Beach just a week and a half ago, buried a firefighter who committed suicide. So it’s out there, it’s happening, and it’s touching fire organizations all around the country. And so we’re dedicated to working to find solutions to these challenges, and I believe that it’s going to be a tough battle, but in the end, I believe We’re going to find initiatives and programs that’s going to help alleviate suicides and reduce the number of cancer victims in the fire service. Yeah. John Haggard 30:12 Anything. I did not ask you, Chief that you would want people to know about the Gallatin Fire Department? Chief Victor Williams 30:20 No, you actually asked a lot of in-depth stuff and made me have to think quite a bit. So you did very well, John and I, again, I really appreciate the opportunity to share my thoughts and to give some perspective o,n you know, the programs and initiatives that we have here and available. If any of your listeners have any questions they can, please feel free to reach out to me at victor.williams@gallatintn.gov. That’s my email address. Reach out to me and I will you will hear from me and I will answer your questions. But again, I appreciate the time to be able to share today. John Haggard 31:00 Yeah, Chief. Hey, and just one other thing. Is there one thing about you that most people would not know what they would really be surprised to know about you, Chief? Chief Victor Williams 31:12 One thing about me? I am an avid singer. John Haggard 31:15 Really? Chief Victor Williams 31:16 Yes, really I am. I am an avid singer. I love singing I sing in church, I sing at home, I sing in the shower, I sing in my office, I sing in my car. I am an avid singer. I’m just so happy and full of life, that’s how the joy comes out of me. I just love music and I love singing. So most people wouldn’t know that unless they spend some time around me and they may hear me singing at the drop of a hat. You just never know when it’s going to happen. But yeah, I’m an avid singer. I’m a tenor, and I love singing. John Haggard 31:49 Well, there you have it, folks, Chief Victor Williams of the Gallatin Fire Department, our special edition guest today on the Miracle Ford podcast. Remember to join us again right here for another special edition of the podcast, in addition to our regular topics that we discuss on the best ways to purchase, lease, service and maintain, accessorize, and sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible. There’s also a transcript of each podcast right here on the website. Be sure to subscribe as well. You can refer to that text information for anything you need to know. I’m your host, john haggard and we will see you next time.

If you’re shopping for a Ford Ranger, you need to hear this episode! In this episode of the Miracle Ford Podcast, host John Haggard talks to Chris Laye, Ford Sales Zone Manager, about the new 2019 Ford Ranger, its exciting features and technology. Other topics discussed include the following: Chris’s Start in the Automotive IndustryChris’s Favorite Travel DestinationWhat Does a Sales Zone Manager Do?The Growth in Ford Market in Gallatin, TNThe Rise of SUVs and TrucksThe New 2019 Ford RangerAwards the 2019 Ford Ranger Has Already GarneredThe Most Exciting Features of the New Ford RangerFord Ranger Technology That Everyone Should Know OfAndroid and Apple Car PlayFord Ranger’s Frequently Asked QuestionsWhy Pick a Ranger over Other Brands and ModelsChris’s Go-to Hometown RestaurantUpcoming Mustang-inspired SUV This November Transcript John Haggard 0:02 Welcome to the Miracle Ford podcast where you will learn the best ways to purchase, lease, service and maintain, accessorize, and sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible when you’re ready, and also to learn more about the capabilities and fun features of new vehicles. I’m your host, John Haggard, and throughout each month, we’ll also have special guests join us and you’ll also see a transcript of each podcast for quick reference. If you need some additional information, you can just go find it. On this podcast. We’re speaking today with Chris Laye. He’s the Ford Sales Zone Manager for Zone C in the Memphis region. Hey Chris, welcome to the podcast. Chris Laye 0:40 Thanks, John. Thanks for having me. Man. I’m excited to be here and excited to talk about the all-new Ranger and the new products we have coming out. John Haggard 0:47 Good. I think a lot of folks always want to know about the future. We know about the past but hey, what is coming up? So before we dive into the world of Ford, and get an idea as to what is upcoming, tell us how did you get started in the automotive business. There were a lot of professions you could have gone into, why automotive? How did you get there? Chris Laye 1:05 Yeah, absolutely. So if you spend enough time around Ford employees, you’ll probably hear the phrase, “my blood runs blue”. John Haggard 1:12 Yeah. Chris Laye 1:13 And that’s certainly the case for me. So my grandfather’s on both sides of my family worked for Ford Motor Company, as well as my father. So actually, I held the same position that I do now. So kind of following in their footsteps. But when I was growing up, I started out working at a local dealership, washing cars in the summers and high school and helping out with events. From there, I went to college where I had an internship with the marketing sales and service team out of Atlanta. And at the end of my internship, I was fortunate enough to receive a full-time offer, which I accepted and that’s how I got my start in the automotive business. So kind of always been in my blood and Ford has it as well. John Haggard 1:53 Yeah, it was very interesting. Your story parallels that of Jim Galvin, dealer principal from Miracle ord. Because I said hey, how did you get started? He said, Well I, you know, went to work for my dad I started washing cars to get gas money so I could go to school and all this type of thing. So I guess it really does sometimes run in the family. Did you do anything before automotive, like, you know, maybe you were working in a restaurant when you first got your driver’s license or anything like that. Chris Laye 2:18 To go back to Mr. Galvin. Jim Galvin’s father, Jim Galvin SR., actually worked with my grandfather in Ford. So yeah, small world. So I was excited to be covering that story as well. So the only other job actually had that wasn’t automotive-related was I worked at an animal shelter and I think my freshman year of high school, which I really enjoyed giving back to the community and helping those dogs find a home. John Haggard 2:47 So where are you originally from? Chris Laye 2:50 I’m originally from Swanee, Georgia, which is about 30 miles north of Atlanta. John Haggard 2:54 Okay, about 30 miles north. And you’ve lived in… where are you living now, by the way? Chris Laye 3:00 So I currently live in Memphis, which is where our regional headquarters is. To kinda give you a little bit of background of what we are what areas we cover. So our regions actually made up of five different zones. We cover the state of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and then parts of Kentucky and Tennessee. So Memphis is our central location. John Haggard 3:21 And you travel all of those. Is that right? Chris Laye 3:24 I only cover Nashville. And we have there’s four other sales managers, and each one of those managers covers one of those states. John Haggard 3:32 All right, so when you’re not doing Ford 24/7, Chris, what are your passions outside of work? What do you like to do? Chris Laye 3:39 I think my biggest passion is probably traveling. I enjoy going to new places, meeting new people and seeing things from a different perspective. Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the day to day work of our lives. So traveling is a good way for me to slow things down and enjoy living in the moment and invest in other people. John Haggard 3:56 Any favorite cities or destinations that you have been to that maybe someone has not been to that you would recommend? Chris Laye 4:04 My favorite places I have probably been… Santorini in Greece. It’s a gorgeous gorgeous island. Then the beautiful scenery. So if you know if you get the chance head out to Santorini in Greece. John Haggard 4:16 Alright, so let’s fantasize for a moment. If you could have one superpower, what would it be? Chris Laye 4:22 Oh, that’s a tough one. I’m gonna go with the first one I thought of, and it’s got to be flying. John Haggard 4:26 Okay. So if you could just sort of like jump off the ground and fly? Chris Laye 4:29 Fly. I mean, that would take care of my passion for travel and not a bad superpower to have. John Haggard 4:35 Kind of like Superman? Chris Laye 4:36 Right! John Haggard 4:37 Yeah. You wouldn’t have to stand in any long lines at the airport to go anywhere. You could just jump off the ground and go. That would be kind of fun. Chris Laye 4:44 Right! Yeah, take care of the Atlanta Atlanta airport issue we have going on over here. John Haggard 4:49 You know, I think a lot of people Chris would love to have your job, especially in the world of Ford and on automotive. It’s a fast-moving, fun, exciting industry, always something new to report. What is it about that job that just makes you want to get up every morning and go to work? Chris Laye 5:05 What you’ll hear from myself and probably a lot of people that have been in the business for many years is that no day is the same. And so I enjoy waking up every morning and not really knowing what’s going to happen because it’s going to be a different day. It’s certain incentives that are coming out. There’s customers coming in, new vehicles are being released. And you know, the relationships that you build with your co-workers and the dealer body are absolutely incredible. So you never know what’s going to happen. And I think that’s what makes it so exciting to wake up in the morning and give this job 110% effort. John Haggard 5:39 So tell us about your role specifically, what is it exactly? Chris Laye 5:44 So I think one of the most exciting parts about my job and you know, probably the most valuable asset that we have is Ford Motor Company is our dealer network. So I get the opportunity to work with 13 of the Ford stores each day. Most of them are in the Greater Nashville area but go all the way to Jackson, Tennessee up to Paducah, Kentucky. So a lot of territory to cover, but I get to work with their stores every day. My job is basically to be the liaison between Ford Motor Company and the dealer body that I cover. So I provide business operations consulting, consumer experience support, as well as sales forecasting and metrics to show growth opportunities. But one of the most important pieces of my role is wholesale vehicles. So two weeks out of each month, I go to each store so I’ll start to my stores and we build a sales forecast together to decide how many vehicles they need to purchase from Ford. And this process is extremely important because a dealership needs to have the right quantity and mix of vehicles to better serve the market that they’re in. So I always tell my friends that we know when you drive by a Ford dealership, you’ll see all the new line of Rangers, F150s, Explorers. And those vehicles go through me, so a dealership will earn their wholesale through a Sales Zone Manager. John Haggard 7:09 All right. And as you look at Gallatin, Tennessee for Miracle Ford, just the market as a whole, what do you see there? Chris Laye 7:16 I think the Gallatin market is one of the top 10 fastest growing cities in America. So there’s a huge opportunity for growth throughout that area, which is why you are seeing the pick-up in different OEM moving to the area, as well as Miracle Ford continuing to do a great job in the area. You know, what’s interesting about the Nashville zone and certainly about Gallatin as well is the small utility market. So I think you’ve probably heard a lot from Ford about how we are getting rid of or discontinuing certain car lines. And the industry data all over the zone and in Gallatin show that more and more people are wanting to buy SUV. So whether that’s a small utility, like an Escape, or what we’re going to talk about today, like the new 2019 Ford Ranger, which is a medium-sized pick-up, these customers want to get out of cars move into either a medium or large SUV or truck. John Haggard 8:18 What is causing that trend? Would you say, Chris Laye 8:20 You know, I think it’s the spirit of adventure, the spirit of wanting to have a vehicle that can go off-road. Now maybe you never take that vehicle off-road, but the looks of it, the ability for it to do that. I don’t think you can get that out of a car. So that’s why I think you’ve seen a lot of crossovers and trucks with the ability to have those off-road or aggressive features. John Haggard 8:43 So let’s jump into the new 2019 Ford Ranger. By the way, is that the newest addition to the Ford lineup? Chris Laye 8:50 Yes, it’s kind of a tricky question. You know, the automotive industry. We refresh or come out with our new products every single year similar to how you know somebody might get a new iPhone or an all-new iPhone. And with the Ranger, it’s a nameplate that we’ve had in the past. A lot of customers are aware of our old Rangers that we stopped building in 2011. And so we are bringing back this nameplate and it is the first time we’ve brought back a nameplate in quite a while in an all-new product. John Haggard 9:16 Alright, so it’s been eight years then since there was a Ford Ranger. Chris Laye 9:21 Yes, sir. That’s correct. John Haggard 9:22 All right. And so what do you see right now, you know, Consumer Reports and magazines like that always want to rate cars and trucks and SUVs and whatever it may be, any awards so far that the 2019 Ranger has won a 2019 Chris Laye 9:36 Ranger was actually one of the most awarded medium size pick-ups when it came out. And so two of those really stuck out to me. Both are from JD Power. The first is the best performance and the other is the highest quality, the mid-size pick-up truck segment. And you know, when you think about purchasing a new vehicle, probably two of the most important things are you looking for are performance and quality. So the fact that we can take home both of those awards certainly stands out to me. John Haggard 10:01 All right, and then what would you say are the most exciting features of the new Ford Ranger? Chris Laye 10:06 I have three favorite features that I think are important especially to somebody that’s in maybe a younger generation. The first one being the terrain management system. So we have a normal mode, snow, mud, and sand, which will come in handy if you are taking that off-road. Followed by trail control, which is similar to cruise control, but for load speed for low-speed off-roading. And then one of the safety features that Ford’s done a really good job of not only putting in the Ranger but really cross our lineup is Ford Co-pilot 360, which includes automatic high beam headlamps, bliss, and Lane Keeping system. John Haggard 10:43 All right now so we’re into the technology of the Ranger and people like you were mentioning earlier. You know, every year there’s a refresh and a new iPhone comes out or whatever. Any more about the technology of the Ranger that people are really excited about? Chris Laye 10:57 Yeah, one of the new pieces of technology we’ve really put a lot of innovation and research into and FR to come out with this Ford Pass Connect. So Ford Pass Connect is an app that connects to your vehicle that allows you to lock, unlock, start and stop your vehicle, as well as scheduled maintenance, appointments through your hometown dealership and scheduled times for your vehicle to turn on in the morning. So you can have a warm vehicle in the winter and a cooler vehicle in the summer. I know, often when I take flights or if I’ve been out of my car for a while, I’ll go ahead and start that started from my plane or when I land. And like I said before, Ford Copilot 360 is one of my favorite features. I think anybody that’s buying a new vehicle, this is something that they should look at, because it does have the bliss which is incredibly important. That’s that yellow light that pops up and your mirror to let you know that a vehicle is next to you so as not to get over. And then the lane-keeping system so just stay in the lane. And then the trail control would be exclusive to the Ranger as well. John Haggard 12:04 All right, and we hear a lot about Android and Apple Car Play. Does the Ranger have those available? Chris Laye 12:11 Yes, sir. So the Ranger does have Android and Apple Car Play. So both are available when it comes to choosing which one is really a personal preference. So if you have an Apple phone, use your Apple, if you have Android, you can use Android. Or you can use sync, which is the Ford technology that we have it most Ford customers are used to say. John Haggard 12:31 All right, so really, do you see any advantages over other systems other than Ford SYNC, Android and Apple Car Play? Or are there any other systems out there? Chris Laye 12:39 To me, it really comes down to personal preference. I have friends and I’ve seen customers that have Apple Car Play available that prefer sync. And I’ve seen customers that swear by Apple Car Play. So really, I would try both of them. see which one do you enjoy more, which one’s easier to navigate. And that’s the one that I’ll go with. But all three are available. John Haggard 12:58 What would you say, Chris? Are the top two or maybe three questions that people ask about the Ford Ranger when they are considering Hey, do I get this? Or do I go with another brand? Or what? Chris Laye 13:10 There are quite a few questions that people will ask themselves. And so I kind of wanted to relate that one back to why would somebody pick a Ranger over and F-150. I think when it comes to the Ranger, Ranger customers seek freedom and adventure kind of going back to that transition from cars to SUVs from the mainstream on road to kind of having that adventure feel. And the Ranger customers I think have the need for the freedom of maneuverability, capability, and versatility. And I think that’s what’s going to come into play when you’re looking at a medium-sized pick-up truck. And I think these are kind of the reasons why you would choose the Ranger over an F-150. John Haggard 13:56 All right, you know, there’s a lot of competition out there. Every car brand manufacturer wants to do a deal, of course. So if you were to say, look, here’s why you would want to pick a Ranger over say a Toyota or over a Nissan or a Chevy. Chris Laye 14:11 There are basically three different vehicles that are in these medium-sized pickups that are popular and everybody’s heard of them. So you got the Ford Ranger, the 2019 Chevy Colorado, and the 2019 Toyota Tacoma. When you think about the Chevy Colorado, the Ford Ranger is best in class max payload capacity. Ranger offers more cargo-hauling capacity than the Colorado. The Ranger also offers available technologies not found in the Colorado such as adaptive cruise control, with forward collision warning and intelligent access with push-button start. And it also has a 10-speed automatic transmission with the auto START STOP technology which the Chevy Colorado does not have. And then one of the more popular mid-size pickups is the 2019 Toyota Tacoma. However, we have the best in class max payload the Ranger with its standard 2.3-liter eco boost in line for engine which is an incredible engine. It out tows the Tacoma equipped with either the 2.7 or 3.5 v6. So a smaller engine that able to out tow a vehicle with a bigger engine, which also usually results in better gas mileage. And then the Ranger also offers some technologies that aren’t found in the Tacoma. so smart trailer tow connector, as well as the class-exclusive 10-speed automatic transmission. So several different reasons why you would choose a Ford Ranger over a Colorado or Tacoma John Haggard 15:34 And is a Nissan… Does Nissan have anything in that space that would be something someone would look at to compare? Chris Laye 15:42 Yeah, so Nissan has the frontier which is a vehicle that hasn’t really been updated in the past 10 years. I think most customers are these based off of the market share data that we look at are looking at the Colorado Tacoma, of course, the Ranger. You just don’t see as many customers comparing a Frontier to a Ranger. John Haggard 16:00 Gotcha. Okay, so when you get hungry, Chris, what’s your go-to order at your favorite hometown restaurant? Chris Laye 16:08 Well, I’m hoping that some of the podcast listeners can agree with me on this one. I eat a lot of chain restaurants because I travel pretty often. So if I will go home, it’s been a long week and I need that pick me up. I’m going to Chili’s I’m getting a Triple Dipper. John Haggard 16:22 All right. Does anybody come in second place? Chris Laye 16:29 Second place um, I’d say fast food-wise, Chick Fil A is my hero. So anytime that I need to grab something on the go, I’m always at Chick Fil A grabbing a chicken sandwich. John Haggard 16:40 All right, when you know we all develop in life and there are lots of influences that help us get on our way so to speak. Who would you say is the biggest influence in your life? Chris Laye 16:49 Yes, I think my biggest influence and my role model is my grandfather. I mentioned that I have family members that worked for Ford and that’s why we all kind of bleed blue. And so my grandfather had a significant impact on me when we were young, and he’s still doing really well. So I learned a lot from him. I value his character. He’s taught me many things that are hard to teach, like, compassion, generosity. And so those values that I think he’s instilled in me are priceless, and I think that’s why he’s my hero. Chris Laye 17:24 All right, so is there any book that you would recommend that someone read? John Haggard 17:29 You know, in which as much as I travel, I tend to listen to podcasts. So instead of reading, podcasts are usually my go-to. One of my favorite podcasts out there is it’s called Afford Anything by Paula Pant. It just talks about life and making decisions and how people use their money or save their money and I just find it extremely interesting. John Haggard 17:49 So take a look back if you, something that you wish you had known, is there something that you wish you had known that you do know now that when you first started out in the automotive business, you say gosh, if I’d only know, if only knew today what I knew then? Chris Laye 18:07 Sounds obvious when you think about it, but the relationships that you build and the impacts that they have on your day to day and your, you know your personal life, I just didn’t expect the impact that they’ve had with how much Zone Managers travel. They’re going back and forth, you’re on the road. Now, five days a week, the dealer body and the dealers have truly become not only business assets, but they play a role in your personal life as well. The relationships that you’re able to build not only with the stores, but with customers that you meet and your co-workers is certainly something that I did not expect to be the way that it is. John Haggard 18:44 So you thought it would sort of be kind of all business. Okay, I’m here let’s transact let’s do the market share reports. Let’s see what we can do and off to the next door. Chris Laye 18:52 Correct. John Haggard 18:52 Alright, so is there a story that you could share, just something that we’re a dealer or somewhere down the line has helped you with something or look at something differently or vice versa. Anything like that? Chris Laye 19:01 I think I got a story for you that kind of demonstrate to the relationships that you build with these guys. So my previous zone was New Orleans, which I truly enjoyed. And one of my stores down there had actually won President’s Award. And so in celebrating the partnership and relationship of them winning President’s Award, we actually spent two days out deep sea fishing off the Gulf Coast. Those are the moments or the relationships that you build. You know, I certainly did not take what we’re going to happen in this job. Like you mentioned earlier. I thought it was going to be more transactional. And I’m very, very happy to say that it’s not yeah, you truly enjoy being around all these guys. John Haggard 19:43 So did you reel something in on that deep sea fishing trip? Chris Laye 19:48 I did. Thankfully, because it would have been embarrassing if I did not. I won’t know if I get invited back. I caught a couple of red snappers, and that was good enough for me. I just enjoyed being out there with everybody and I’m just happy I caught something. John Haggard 20:04 What would you say that you are most curious about right now? Chris Laye 20:08 Most curious about? So I guess as it relates to the automotive industry. You see more and more manufacturers coming out with all-electric vehicles, especially Ford so we actually reveal our all-new Mustang-inspired SUV crossover on November 17th. And so I’m most curious about the direction of what we are using as fuel moving forward, and how hybrid and electricity will play into the drivetrains and the engines that we will use in the next, you know, probably a decade or two decades. John Haggard 20:44 One last question, Chris. What would you say the one thing – what is the one thing – that most people don’t know about you but they would be very surprised to learn? Chris Laye 20:56 Oh, man! Going back to what I spoke to about earlier about my passion for travel. About three, four years ago completed a lap around the world. John Haggard 21:07 A lap around the world? Chris Laye 21:09 A lap around the world. So I went to about 15 different countries and did a full circle around the world. John Haggard 21:15 Wow. Okay, so obviously flying into 15 different countries that way. Is that how you’re saying? Chris Laye 21:22 Yes. So one lap around the world. Some of those were flights, some of them were trains. But yes, completed the full lap. John Haggard 21:30 Wow. So what? Just a few of the cities that you landed or took the train to? Chris Laye 21:37 Yes, I went to, I guess, the countries where I went to, Iceland, the Netherlands, Germany, India, Thailand, Belgium. So basically started in Atlanta and then worked my way east. John Haggard 21:52 All right. How long did it take you to do the circle to do the lap? Chris Laye 21:55 60 days? John Haggard 21:56 60? 2 months? Chris Laye 21:58 Two months. So I spent a couple days of each place that I went to and learned a lot and enjoyed meeting new people and having different experiences. John Haggard 22:07 Talking to Chris Laye everybody, the Ford Sales Zone Manager for, they call it, Zone C in the Memphis region on the Miracle Ford podcast. Chris, thanks for joining us here today. Chris Laye 22:18 John, thank you so much for your time. It was an honor to be on the podcast with you. Thank you so much! John Haggard 22:22 You bet. And join us again, folks right here for other topics on the podcast throughout each month. Our goal here is to show you the best ways to purchase, lease, service and maintain, accessorize, and also to sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible when you’re ready to, and to learn more about specific vehicles that you might be interested in. And don’t forget the transcript of each podcast. Yes, we do have it right here on the website. You can easily refer to it for more information at your fingertips. I’m your host, John Haggard, and we’ll see you next time.

This week we once again have a special guest visit us on the podcast, Gallatin Mayor Paige Brown! Mayor Paige grew up in Gallatin, left to go to college at the age of 18, and ended up landing back in Gallatin several years later. This interview is chalked full of details about Paige’s life and her work for the City of Gallatin. Topics Discussed: Mayor Paige’s youth and her time away at College in FloridaHer return to Middle Tennessee and her work at the Nashville Network and News Channel 5 in NashvilleWhat Paige likes to do in her time offHow Paige became interested in becoming a mayorThe reporting structure of the Gallatin City GovernmentThe largest challenges that Paige has faced as MayorWhere Gallatin’s revenue comes fromFuture initiatives for the Gallatin City GovernmentHow to bring to business to GallatinGallatin, TN. Reader’s Digest 2017 Nicest Place in AmericaThe hardest question that Mayor Paige has ever been askedThe economic future of Middle TennesseePaige’s struggle with LeukemiaPaige’s History in the Circus and as a Magician’s AssistantThe future of educationHow to find a job in GallatinWhy visit GallatinHow to get in touch with Paige Transcript John Haggard 0:02 Welcome to the Miracle Ford Special Edition podcast where we also interview community leaders on topics that are of interest to the Gallatin area. And today we’re honored to have Paige Brown on the podcast. Paige is the Mayor of Gallatin. Mayor, welcome to the podcast. Mayor Paige Brown 0:19 Well, thank you. I’m honored to be here. Thank you for the kind words from the beginning. John Haggard 0:22 Well, I appreciate your taking the time out to be with us. And we always like to learn about the person behind the job a little bit. So tell us about you. Are you from Gallatin? Mayor Paige Brown 0:33 I am from Gallatin. I tell people frequently so this is not anything new or shocking to most people probably, but I grew up here and I could not wait to leave! And… I did. And so yeah, I grew up here, went to high school here and came back here when I was in my mid to late 20s. And have been, well worked in Nashville for most of my career. But always lived or most of the time lived somewhere close to Gallatin or in Gallatin. John Haggard 1:07 And when you said you left Gallatin, like most everybody I think who turns 18, let me get out of here and go explore another part of the country. Did you leave the state? Mayor Paige Brown 1:15 Oh, I was so desperate to leave. I graduated high school early. John Haggard 1:19 Wow. Mayor Paige Brown 1:22 And left. Yeah, I went to Florida. I went to school in Florida and then stayed down there to work in a couple of different jobs after I graduated from college. But yeah, wound up with a job back in Nashville. And so that’s what brought me home. John Haggard 1:36 Okay, so yeah, tell us about that. What was the job? What brought you back? Mayor Paige Brown 1:40 I came back to work for a company that did shows for Nashville Network, which doesn’t exist anymore, but people still do remember it. I probably worked on 14 shows there, doing all different kinds of things. My background is journalism. And so was a reporter for the most part. But I’ve done a lot producing. I’ve done a lot of talent work. Just all kinds of weird things as I made a living growing up. And then the last 11 years of my career in television, I was actually at News Channel 5 in Nashville. And I was an executive producer there. John Haggard 2:20 All right, so did we see you on the air? Or were you behind the scenes? Mayor Paige Brown 2:24 I did some on-air work in my early days of channel five, but not for long, and prior to that I always did on-air work. John Haggard 2:31 And then you mentioned the Nashville Network. Now, I think if I remember, that was a country music network for the most part? Mayor Paige Brown 2:43 Yeah. John Haggard 2:43 So you must have met a lot of interesting recording stars during your career. Mayor Paige Brown 2:48 Oh, yeah. Interviewed, not the new ones, of course, but most of the folks that have been around for a period of time. I had the opportunity to interview lots of folks for in my years there. And that was really fun. And in addition to that, I also got to do some human interest stories and worked on a magazine show, worked on a cooking show. So I did some other things to where I got to tell stories and of things that weren’t news. So that was, that was a lot of fun. Very fun years. John Haggard 3:20 And so let’s go back to your time at the Nashville Network, Paige. There must have been, as you said, a lot of interviews that you did, but was there one that was really like, Wow, I didn’t expect that or something surprising that you learned about them? Mayor Paige Brown 3:35 I always felt like I learned something new every time I interviewed people. Probably one of the most fun things I did was a series about emerging artists. And so we would go and we would do profiles about brand new artists and, hadn’t been experienced. And now I remember one time we did a week-long series on Kenny Chesney, and that was probably as a fun memory for me. So I had the opportunity to know him over several years before his career actually did become a very big career. I mean, I’ve interviewed so many people over the years, he and the Cashes and Keith Urban and remember Kathy Matea? Interviewed Garth Brooks, interviewed Dolly Parton. And I remember my news days I actually had the opportunity to interview Bob Hope. John Haggard 4:28 Wow. Yeah. Bob Hope. Go back to high school for just a moment. And you said you got out of there early. So I guess you had obviously good grades to get out of there quickly. Mayor Paige Brown 4:39 Yeah, I was a good student. John Haggard 4:42 What was the most fun thing you did while you were in high school? Mayor Paige Brown 4:46 I don’t know… probably have good memories of ball games. Yeah, it’s been, which kind of correlates with today because Gallatin is actually having a really good football year this year. And so it’s been fun to get to go back to some of the games in town and reflect on how it was back in the day. And ballgames are probably the best memories I have. I wasn’t terribly involved in school. I worked a lot when I was in high school. And so I didn’t do a ton of extracurricular thing, I think I did a couple of things. John Haggard 5:19 Since you are from Gallatin, you probably still have family there now as well. Mayor Paige Brown 5:24 I do have family here. I have my mother and father who live here. I have loads of cousins. My brother and his wife are here. And then I have my niece, and I have one niece and nephew in Hendersonville, one nephew that’s here sometimes because he’s a skateboarder, and he travels all the time. And then another nephew that lives in Louisiana, and then I have one brother who’s passed away. But yeah, so I have a lot of family here, and I have a lot of friends from high school who are here. A lot of people are surprised sometimes to learn that for the city of Gallatin, our Police Chief, our Finance Director, and I all graduated together. John Haggard 6:03 Wow. Same class. Unknown Speaker 6:04 here. Mayor Paige Brown 6:04 Yeah, same class. Yeah, of course, I left early but I still claim the class of ’85. But our city attorney was actually just a year behind us in school. So we have a lot of Gallatin graduates right here at the City of Gallatin, and many many who work for the City of Gallatin. John Haggard 6:25 Small world isn’t it? Mayor Paige Brown 6:27 Um-hum! John Haggard 6:28 So when you are not being mayor, what do you like to do, Paige, on your time off? Mayor Paige Brown 6:33 I love the lake. I love water sport. I enjoy skiing and although I don’t ski much anymore, I primarily just wakeboard. And when I get an opportunity to go out, I do enjoy traveling. I love the Caribbean, have a big vegetable garden, and sometimes people are surprised to know that I have a garden and that I can and I like to cook. John Haggard 6:56 Yeah, so you bring in fresh tomatoes and zucchini, squash and things like that? Mayor Paige Brown 7:02 Yes, and I make gallons and gallons and gallons of tomato juice every year. John Haggard 7:07 Wow. So how did you first become interested or even think about, Hey, I think I’d like to either be the mayor one day or actually when you became the mayor, what were you in high school? For example, were you in civics in government there as well? Or how did you get to this career? Mayor Paige Brown 7:24 No, I had no clue. I never took civics. I never really knew. Most of what I knew about government was from my early days of news coverage, and covering, elections and a little teensy bit of city and county government, but not a tremendous amount. And so I actually took a very, I guess, unusual path into politics because never, never, never, never crossed my mind. And then what happened eventually was I decided that I no longer wanted to work in television. I decided I was going to try and find a job closer to home, and so I applied for a couple of jobs. I was married at the time and applied for two jobs in Gallatin, one was as the executive director of the Gallatin chamber, and the other was at Volunteer State Community College doing their communication. The chamber did offer me a job and it was a very, very different job, a lower-paying job, significantly than what I had done in Nashville, but I really just wanted to do something different. And so I came up here and worked for the chamber. Now ultimately, I wound up end being divorced and made it, kept working at the chamber and we were able to get the chamber on a really good path and make it a very vibrant chamber, and I was actually to make a living at it. And then I guess the path to my Mayor began early in my days of the chamber because somebody said something. Gosh, when I first took that job they said you should be the mayor of Gallatin because I’d always been a strong advocate for the city even when I was working in Nashville and sometimes even using Gallatin for locations when I was doing some other type of production work and that kind of thing. And I just love the city and was proud of it when I came back but I had never worked here. So anyway, back to when they first asked me… this person first said to me, You should be mayor. I was like, I laughed. I said that will never happen. And just over the years, people kept saying you should run for mayor, you should run for mayor and so I started thinking, is this what I’m supposed to do? Is this the path that God has and so I actually prayed about it for about a year and got a little more committed about talking to people and asking questions and learning about it and, and contemplating and praying about it and ultimately I decided that yes, how was supposed to run for Mayor, I did not know if I was supposed to win. But I was supposed to run. And so I did. And of course, that was in 2014. And I was elected to begin serving in 2015 in January of that year. And so now I’m in my second term. First Year. John Haggard 10:20 Is it a four-year term? Is that how that works? Mayor Paige Brown 10:23 Yeah, it’s a four-year term. John Haggard 10:24 Right. Right. Okay. So you would be up for election again in 22, I guess. Is that right? Mayor Paige Brown 10:32 I guess that would be right. Yes. Right. Yes. John Haggard 10:34 Yeah. Yeah. As you look at your government there in Gallatin, in terms of does it work like most mayoral governments, all of the department heads like the chief of police, the chief of fire, I mean, everyone reports into you, or how is the reporting structure? Mayor Paige Brown 10:50 Basically, as the mayor Gallatin, I’m in charge of day to day operations, which means that I do have a lot of contact with our department heads and we meet regularly and I hear from them depending, some departments more than others. But my oversight is a day to day operations, anything related to that. were considered to have a strong Mayor form of government because we don’t have a city administrator. However, when it comes to hiring and firing, our council has the power related to hiring and firing of department heads. I get a vote, but they do too. So that’s a little different and unique and in my opinion, fairly awkward. But they’ve done it that way for a long time, and we’re continuing to do it that way. So when you ask the department heads to report to me, they do but they also have a responsibility to the council since the council has a say in the hiring and firing of them. John Haggard 11:49 So what do you find has been the biggest challenges you’ve had so far as being Mayor? Mayor Paige Brown 11:58 Well, certainly the employee piece is a big challenge because with not having a city administrator, a lot of the employee issues are dealt with by me. We have an HR director of course, but when there are problems or big issues, that becomes our responsibility and I spend a lot more time dealing with personnel issues the not ever anticipated. But I enjoy it. I like that piece of it because, I think that that’s kind of my one opportunity to actually, you know, touch lives of people who are working for the city of Gallatin and actually get to deal with those situations. Because I have an opportunity to spend some time and talk to people and understand what their issues are and engage a little bit. Far less at the high administrative level, which they’re most used to. So, I like that piece of it. So the biggest challenge in the big scheme of things for all of us in leadership in the city of Gallatin right now is the growth. Because with the growth, there are lots of challenges. Citizens have a lot of concerns about it, just the utility problems related to getting infrastructure and trying to move projects along more quickly. And the challenge of the increasing costs of things and then the challenge of being able to hire people to get things done. Our challenges related to growth are actually very similar to those in the development industry or construction because we’ve just had labor challenges and growing challenges and cost challenges because the cost of everything’s gone up so much. So when you’re trying to stay within a budget, and everything is coming in over budget, it creates difficult decisions at times. John Haggard 13:51 Yeah. And so for people who are thinking about moving to Gallatin, whether it be business, or residential, in terms of the tax structure… and I know that everybody’s a little different in terms of where the revenue comes from. But in its simplest form, how is Gallatin funded? Mayor Paige Brown 14:09 Well, we’re funded primarily by two things: property tax and sales tax. When you purchase something, you pay a sales tax, right. And a portion of that comes to us, a portion to the county and a portion to the state. And then we have a property tax that we levy just like the county does. And our property tax this year for years, maybe 15 years, it’s been about 90 cents, I’m sorry, 99 cents. And the way that it’s calculated is you have an assessment value that comes from the assessor property, you take 25% of that, and then you pay and this is true for county and cities in Sumner County, you pay that tax rate on every hundred dollars of 25% of the assessed value. So you know, to make it a little easier to understand, if you have a $200,000 home, you’re going to be paying on $50,000 of that, and then you’re going to be paying that rate on every hundred dollars of that $50,000. So our tax rate in Gallatin has been for years and years and years 99 cents, so you would roughly pay about $500 a year in property taxes in addition to what you’re paying the county. Now we have dropped that rate, because our assessed values have gone up so substantially, and our new rate is now 80 cents. So people will be paying 80 cents per 100 on 25% of their assessed value. Is that clear as mud? Ha John Haggard 15:36 Yeah, you know, in what I’ve always wondered, why wouldn’t a government just say Hey, take the value of your house, and it’s 1% or something simple. Why did they always do this? You know, 25% of this and all that kind of thing? Why is that? Mayor Paige Brown 15:51 I haven’t a clue. I don’t know where that came from or why it’s done, but that’s how it’s been done for as long as I know. It may be, honestly, I don’t know, it could be a state thing, but I know that that’s how our whole county has done it for quite some time. John Haggard 16:10 Now, you know, we were talking about challenges and you said, its cost, its growth, its infrastructure. And as you kind of look out there in the crystal ball over the next three years or so, any big initiatives in addition to that, or things that you see coming for Gallatin? Mayor Paige Brown 16:28 Oh, I mean, we always have big initiatives. I mean, we have lots of projects going on all the time. We’ve been doing a ton related to the roads and drainage infrastructure. Something that a lot of people don’t know about Gallatin is that we own our own utilities too, so when you are handling electric and gas and sewer and water extensions, which they are constantly doing, that makes it even bigger and more important. But we’re very, very fortunate that our utility departments have been so well, that they have planned so well that they predicted well, they’ve invested well because I think that like our electric utility. We are one of the 10 lowest rates in all of the Tennessee Valley Authority service system and the lowest rate in Middle Tennessee on our water and sewer side. We have very, very low rates as well. And so that makes Gallatin a very attractive place for people and businesses to relocate to. Those are projects that are ongoing. I mean, there are huge utility projects planned. On the city side, we have road projects planned. Right now we’re building an extension… it is actually a state project, but we are managing it locally. It is the largest locally managed project ever done in the state of Tennessee. John Haggard 17:49 Really? Mayor Paige Brown 17:50 Yeah, and that isn’t our Gallatin extension, the construction alone on that part of a road that we’re constructing it Is $27 million. And then we had to go through the land acquisition and all the plans and the stuff that you do in preparation. So that’s a big thing. We have traffic light signals, a system being installed that will help those that come on board next year, challenges every single day just planning for the future, and trying to keep the projects flowing as smoothly and efficiently as we possibly can. But there are always hold-ups that you didn’t anticipate. But you work through them and you get the stuff done. And that’s what we’re doing. We do anticipate some really good announcements on the job front. I’m hoping to have one probably in the spring of next year. John Haggard 18:46 Ok. Mayor Paige Brown 18:47 So that should be really exciting for our city if it happens and we are almost certain it will. And we’re always very excited when our existing industries grow. And employ more people and are able to do more in the community that they reside in. Looking to get some good retail and restaurants here, I think people in our city have wanted that for a long time. We do have some great ones, but with our growing population, we need more. And so I think that those kinds of things we’ll see come online, and that will be a good thing. And something that we’re excited about. John Haggard 19:25 Yeah, you know, one of the things that people hear about and I think Amazon probably is brought it to the forefront of many people’s minds and that is, cities and in states compete oftentimes for business. If somebody comes in say, it’s Amazon or ABC Company, do they do you find a lot of what I call shopping for the deals? In other words, they say, okay, page, you know what, we like this. There are a lot of things that could work for us in Gallatin, but we need a better deal. We need you to build us a road or you need … you know, is there a lot of that kind of dealing in this environment? Mayor Paige Brown 20:02 Well, yeah. And typically when a company is looking to go into a new market or they’re looking to move their headquarters or they’re looking to do those kinds of things, we don’t know who they are. Because they don’t want their existing employee base to know, or they don’t want their competitors to know. And they are a lot of times managed by the state. They come to the state first because the state can offer the greatest incentives, as far as you know, getting them to relocate to Tennessee and Tennessee has been active in that for many years. And this age, like Amazon, has attracted some big businesses here, which means good show good jobs for our residents. But yeah, I mean, everybody’s always going to ask for the best deal. A lot of times we will have frustration, especially with all the development that’s going on in the community, because we’ll have developers or we’ll have people who are in the middle of construction. They will ask for all kinds of things from our department heads and I’ll tell the department heads. I said, we can’t do that, and that’s okay. They are appalled that they ask. So you have to realize, why wouldn’t they ask? They’d be foolish not to ask. Wouldn’t you if you were in their shoes and could save a few dollars? John Haggard 21:21 Sure Mayor Paige Brown 21:22 Trying to manage those expectations, because right now, our departments are working so very hard to serve our building industry, because everybody wants to get their projects done as quickly as they possibly can. And they’re facing challenges all over too. Whether it’s construction costs and labor shortages and, the same things that I talked about earlier and the challenges with our projects. So, they view the city as another obstacle, but we’re working as fast as we can to move people through because we understand time is definitely money. John Haggard 22:00 You know, I think I was reading on the mayoral site and maybe it was somewhere else but was Gallatin named one time the nicest places in America? Mayor Paige Brown 22:09 Yeah, in 2017, Gallatin was named by Reader’s Digest is the nicest place in America. This is a contest that they do every year. And we were actually the first one. So I think they’re just in their third cycle. And it was a really neat experience. It was quite a big deal. I think the process went on for almost a year. No, it probably went on for about six months. But there is a voting component there were probably, I don’t know, probably six or seven site visits by Reader’s Digest people. They even spent time in Nashville asking people in Nashville what they thought of Gallatin, and then ultimately awarded us with that honor and yeah, so I was on the cover of Reader’s Digest a couple of years ago. John Haggard 22:55 Wow, yeah! Nicest place in America. I mean, Imagine how many cities I mean, I just it’s wild to think. I mean, how what an honor. Mayor Paige Brown 23:06 I think actually this year, I think Franklin, Tennessee was one of the finalists. John Haggard 23:11 You know, they always say there’s a real difference in the way people are treated. Oftentimes when you go to say, the northeast part of the country and the way people speak to you versus, you know, kind of below the Mason Dixon line that kind of talk like this. It’s just a different sort of welcoming here. I’ve even heard people say, Well, yeah, I’m here for about two years on a corporate reload, and then I’ll be you know, going somewhere else, and there are people who just don’t want to leave. Mayor Paige Brown 23:36 Yeah, I remember I met a man who is retiring. And he told me the story about when he moved here from New York to work with the company that was coming here. He promised his wife that they wouldn’t stay, I don’t know, more than five years or something like that. And he said, and then it wasn’t long and I had to promise my wife that we would say here when we retired, and I thought you know… that makes me really happy to hear. That’s a real compliment to our city. And you talked about the personality differences in different regions of the country… they do exist. But, I think the funny thing that I’ve recognized is that we scare people sometimes because, I think people are understanding our culture a little bit more, because I can remember the days when you’d be somewhere and you start asking somebody all these questions and they look at you like, why do you want to know? Why do you want to know? John Haggard 24:37 Yeah Mayor Paige Brown 24:38 I’m sorry. I’m just curious. And, my background is in journalism. So yes, I’m just curious, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. But I think it’s a good thing that you know, people are understanding our culture, because then I think the people that come here that like it, then they want to assimilate, they want to perpetuate that kindness and that generosity of spirit and they imitate what we do and it becomes a part of their lives as well and then they may help make people feel welcome. So I think it’s a nice kind of cycle. And hope we can keep it going. John Haggard 24:47 Ha Yeah. So Paige if you could boil it all down what would you say your biggest dream for Gallatin as mayor would be? Mayor Paige Brown 25:27 Well, the biggest dream, for me for our city is that we increase the prosperity of our residents. Gallatin still has a lot of poverty. And so I want good opportunities for our residents. I think probably because that’s because I grew up here when there weren’t a lot of opportunities. I mean, if you want to be a teacher, if you want to work for a bank, or if you want to be a doctor or a lawyer, or work in a factory that was about it. And now there are so many opportunities, but not as many as I would like for there to be. Gallatin is growing. It’s important that we retain our character, which is a challenge. But because we are an older community, we’re over 200 years old. And we have a lot of history. And we have an increasing amount of culture and a tremendous amount of character. I think preserving that is what is going to set us apart from what I like to say every other little city along the interstate because we have to capitalize on what’s unique about us. And so I think that prosperity and that retention of character, even while we grow, are the things that I want for our city. John Haggard 26:41 What’s the hardest question that you have been asked as mayor? Mayor Paige Brown 26:46 Well, probably the hardest thing I’m asked is “stop the growth”. Well, we are not going to stop the growth and so that’s the hardest thing. And people just want it to be however it was when they came here. We had an interesting conversation the other night because we’re working on our long-range plan. And we had a gentleman come in and he called it the drawbridge effect. People want to come in and pull up the drawbridge, not let anybody else through. But you can’t stop growth because you want to make sure that you retain opportunities for the people that want to live here. And that maybe my children or my parents or my grandparents or my friends. And so to keep housing somewhat affordable, it’s gone up so much in the last five years, you have to meet the demand. It’s supply and demand. And so I think a lot of people don’t understand that Gallatin is not growing in a vacuum. It’s not the only city growing. All of the metropolitan area is, and so we have to do what we can to provide for the folks that want to live here, and being able to have the opportunity for the people from here, or close to someone from here that want to live here. And keep things affordable and keep the opportunities here for them. I think we’re all going to see a slowdown in growth here soon. And I think that’s gonna help all of us kind of reset, take a breath, and evaluate. But I don’t think we’re on a bad path. I don’t think we’re ruining our.., you know, I’ve been accused of ruining our city because we’re letting it grow. You don’t let something grow. And then me, coming from here many years ago, I also understand how devastating it could be if we were a community and decline. And so it’s that have your cake and eat it too kind of thing. We’re very, very fortunate, but we’re resistant to change. And I understand that, I entirely understand that and it is difficult. But, I am the kind of person that I prefer just to embrace the change, move forward and make the best of it, and find the opportunity there. And that’s what I think that we are doing as a city. And I think that is something that a lot of people wish wasn’t the case. But there really isn’t a better option. I laugh because one of the things I hear so frequently is we don’t need more houses here. We just need the ones here to be more affordable. And I’m like, oh, okay, well basic economics is for a reason, and that is something that you can do. Thankfully, we are not a government where we can dictate prices and close the gates. John Haggard 29:44 So you mentioned you see a slowdown coming in the near future. Tell us about that. What do you see? Mayor Paige Brown 29:51 I’m basing mine on expert projections that, we’re about to experience some dip in the economy, which will cause some people to draw back, that probably not going to be able to sell things at the prices or at the rapid rate that they have been. And so people will be in investing in building less rapidly. And I think, potentially in places in this country, I don’t think you’ll see it here. But you may see some job construction in some areas, which for, a national economies effect on Middle Tennessee is historically very, very fortunate, where we’re typically last in first out of a recession. And we think it will be that way again, and we think that there will be some, I’d like to call it a “correction” on some of the pricing. John Haggard 30:35 Yeah. Mayor Paige Brown 30:35 And then I think we’ll move forward again. I think we’ll have another boom but I don’t think it will be as rapid a boom. Nashville has been such an IT city, at such a time when people were, I think craving just somewhere new and different, that we’ve attracted a lot of people here. We’ve attracted a lot of jobs here. And frankly, I think the biggest challenge for this area for attracting more jobs in the future is our workforce. So it’s that chicken or the egg thing. Do you have the workforce need? Do you have the jobs you need? Well, everybody’s trying to balance that. But the prediction is that there’s going to be a gap. And so when we don’t have the workforce to fill the jobs that the state is trying to recruit, those companies aren’t coming here. And so that… we’ll either have the workforce here or the jobs won’t come. And so I think that we will continue to grow but I think the pace will slow because I think it’s been a bit of a frenzy for everybody to get her first and, as I like to say, because I don’t know a better term, make hay while the sun shining. John Haggard 31:42 Yes, yes, absolutely. So Paige, what’s the one thing about you that people would be very surprised to know about you? Mayor Paige Brown 31:51 I guess a lot of people know this, but not everybody would. I am a Leukemia patient. I have been for a lot of years now. I was diagnosed when I was 32 and was very, very sick for a few years and then went into a clinical trial and was given a drug that was, for me a miracle drug. John Haggard 32:14 Wow Mayor Paige Brown 32:16 So I actually have not been taking that drug for about two years now. I continue to do really well. So, that’s something that a lot of people might not know. John Haggard 32:24 Wow, wow, praise God on that. Mayor Paige Brown 32:27 Another thing a lot of people don’t know is that was in the circus at Florida State when I went to College. John Haggard 32:31 In the Circus! Mayor Paige Brown 32:33 In the circus and probably one of the things that I didn’t do it a lot, but I worked as a magician’s assistant for a magician. John Haggard 32:42 Wow, so you know about the magic tricks when somebody is doing something, you know, what’s behind the scenes? Ha Mayor Paige Brown 32:48 I do. And yeah. John Haggard 32:51 So how did you get attracted to that? That’s so interesting, this circus of all things. Mayor Paige Brown 32:56 Well, the circus was just… I always, always like dance and ballet. And I guess I’m always been a wee bit of a daredevil and like to do athletic things, but not really team things. And I actually when I chose Florida State, I think that was a piece of why because I wanted to try the circus and I actually wound up not doing it for a long time. I only did it for about a year, but I did it and that’s play in the air, but, it’s a Florida State is it’s a non-animal circus. It’s all Aerial Acts and it was a lot of fun. So you were swinging the trapeze is that kind of stuff. I didn’t do… I mean I have flown before but the act that I did was one of the simpler more beginning type acts and it was just fun. Good old days. I wish I actually wound up having surgery on my foot after that first year and that’s why I never went back to it. I was only in college for three years I finished college quickly too. Apparently school just was that my thing. John Haggard 33:59 Yeah. I think a lot of people say that and you know, I wonder today speaking of that, sometimes, you know, we hear people say, you know, you don’t necessarily need a college degree to do some things, maybe just a vocational degree or something. How do you feel about that things have changed? People are saying why do you want to come out of college with a $45,000 or more bill? Mayor Paige Brown 34:22 Well, a job that pays $30,000. John Haggard 34:24 Yeah, yeah. Mayor Paige Brown 34:25 I mean, I’ve actually always said that, because there have always been trade jobs that paid really well where people can make a great living and be their own boss. But of course, in recent years, what I was seeing so much of is the technical jobs. A degree is not going to enhance your skillset. What will is the commitment to lifelong learning. And so I think that we’re seeing that transition, and I think that you’re going to more and more see people do both. Or just to some kind of technical education. But I think the important thing is that people be able to seek what they need for the job they think they want to do. And then if they decide they don’t want to do that job they get a do-over. Because there are so many training opportunities and educational opportunities now that you can do that. Back when I went to college, everything was done in a classroom and you went during the day. We did have some night classes. But now you can go online, you can go at night, you can get a certification from one of our technical schools in a matter of months. And so the opportunities to explore different things and make changes and have different careers are there. And I just think that when I talk to people, I say the important thing is, you don’t go through school and you’re done. You’re not finished for life. You have to understand that along the way, you’re gonna have to learn new things. I do it. I mean, I’ve had to do it. When I went into nonprofit management. I didn’t have a clue. I had to go to school and become the Institute of organizational management. And that’s a great opportunity for me. When I became mayor, I’ve had to attend all kinds of trainings related to various things so that I don’t get our city in trouble. Now, thankfully, we have a great attorney. And she wouldn’t let me either. But… John Haggard 36:16 that’s good. Mayor Paige Brown 36:17 I want to know those things for myself and to be able to better explain to people where we can or cannot do certain things and, and to feel well versed in my field. So I think that’s the big thing, but absolutely, no, people do not have to go to college. As everybody says nowadays, most successful people I know didn’t go to college, and that’s true. Yeah, John Haggard 36:38 Yeah. Hey, just a couple more questions. We’re talking with the Gallatin Mayor Paige Brown, and in terms of employment now, are there lots of jobs open at the city… some amount of jobs? What’s the current employment with the city of Gallatin Mayor Paige Brown 36:53 With the City of Gallatin and we have a few jobs open… we always have a few jobs open. and we have them at all levels. We’re actually looking for department head at this point and then we’re looking for some of the more low skilled jobs. Those are typically available and then we probably have some mid-range administrative type jobs and assistant jobs throughout the city of Gallatin. There are a lot of jobs open and people should have no trouble finding employment in Middle Tennessee at this point. One resource that we created just a few years ago is a WorkInGallatin.com website. And on there, you can go on there and find listings in the Gallatin area, including those in the city of Gallatin and also on our website, which is GallatinTN.gov. We have a page for people can go to see what job openings there are just with the city of Gallatin. Another good resource that I refer people to is the volunteer State Community College website. You know, we’re so fortunate to have them in our city. In fact, if you’ve not spoken to Dr. Faulkner, you need to do that sometime because He is amazing. And so anyway, volunteers Tech Community College maintains a fabulous website of job opportunities. John Haggard 38:09 Yeah, so are there any volunteer positions if there’s someone who’s retired or any way to become involved in the city as a volunteer doing something? Mayor Paige Brown 38:19 I think that there are some opportunities in our parks and recreation to volunteer. We also have a lot of committees and boards that we’re always looking for people to serve on. There’s a portal on our website, think if they just went to our website and searched, boards and committees, that they would find this portal where they can enter their information and share with us what their interest is so that we have a running list of everybody that might be interested in serving in that capacity. We currently have some informal committees within the city. We have a pollinator committee, we have a Gallatin Beautiful committee, we started a senior citizens Roundtable. We have a Youth Council, those kinds of boards and committees there are for volunteering and then we do have some other positions that are formalized board appointments where the appointments actually go through the council, but I like having an on the bench list of people interested in serving when someone’s time is up or they decide to go do something different. John Haggard 39:20 Is there anything else page you would like for folks to know about you or the city of Gallatin? Mayor Paige Brown 39:27 Not about me, but the City of Gallatin is, a wonderful city we’re really closer to Nashville than people think. We have many great opportunities. It is a, I think a very, very good choice for a lot of people for a place to live, or work or visit. We have a great mix of ages that live in our community which I’ve been told signals that we have a healthy community. Because we have people of all ages and just about the right mix demographically. If you haven’t been here, I’d love for you to check it out. You know, come here and visit, us come here and come spend some money. No, just come here. John Haggard 40:09 Ha. There you go… Mayor Paige Brown 40:10 Come enjoy our lake, come enjoy our amenities, come to our downtown historic downtown square. And, pay us a visit. Check out some of our events because we do have lots of great events here throughout the year. And, and then give us your feedback. I tell people all the time, tell me what you see what you think, what you observe any suggestions you may have, I’ll even take your criticism because that helps us do better and we always want to do better. John Haggard 40:35 So what’s the best way if somebody wants to get in touch with you Paige? What’s the best way? Mayor Paige Brown 40:41 Well, the best way is to probably email please don’t message me on Facebook. I do not check Facebook Messages. John Haggard 40:49 Ha, I hear you. Mayor Paige Brown 40:50 That just becomes way too much of a burden. The executive assistant in the mayor’s office is Angela Burnside, and she’s a great resource for people who want to schedule a meeting because I try not to do my own scheduling because I screw it up a lot. But her email is Angela.Burnside@gallatintn.gov. My email is structured the same way it’s Paige.Brown@gallatintn.gov, and anybody’s welcome to give us a call or an email anytime our office number is 615-451-5961. John Haggard 41:26 All right, everybody, Paige Brown, the mayor of Gallatin, and our special edition guest today on the Miracle Ford podcast. Join us again right here for other special edition podcasts in addition to our regular topics that we discuss each month, the best ways to purchase lease service and maintain also accessorize and sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible when you’re ready to do it. And don’t forget there’s a transcript right here of each podcast on the website. You can quickly review and gather information. I’m your host, John Haggard, and we will see you next time.

Welcome to the 13th episode of the Miracle Ford Podcast! This week, host John Haggard is joined by Jessica Raymond, the Service Manager at Miracle Ford. Jessica has been with the company for more than 11 years! In this episode, Jessica talks about how she started in Miracle Ford and her love for cars. She also shares how to keep your car at its top value for a long time – you don’t want to miss that! Enjoy the podcast! Jessica Raymond’s Personal BackgroundHer Move from Florida to NashvilleHer Hobbies and Activities When Not at WorkHer Start at the Car Business with Her FatherHow She Deals with Upset CustomersBeing a Woman in a Male-Dominated IndustryJessica’s Favorite Tasks at WorkWhat She Likes About CarsHow She Started at Miracle FordWhat She Likes About Her JobThe Number 1 Service Function at Miracle Ford How to Enhance Your Car’s Value for Trade-InTrust Factor in Service and RepairHow to Contact Jessica Raymond Transcript John Haggard 0:02 Welcome to the Miracle Ford Podcast where, throughout the month, you’ll be able to learn the best ways to purchase, lease, service and maintain, also accessorize, and sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible when you’re ready to do it. You’ll also find out about new technology on new vehicles. I’m your host, John Haggard, and throughout each month right here we do have different team members join us from Miracle Ford to bring you tips you can use and you’ll also see a transcript as you know of each podcast right here you can easily refer to it, get the information you need quickly. Today’s topic is the Miracle Ford Service Department and how to get the best service and longest life out of your vehicle. Very important there. And on this podcast, we have with us, Jessica Raymond. She’s the service manager at Miracle Ford in Gallatin. Hey Jessica, welcome to the podcast! Jessica Raymond 0:54 Thank you. How are you doing today, John? John Haggard 0:56 I am doing great! You know when I think of service in the car business I know you all put up with a lot of abuse sometimes. And you got things coming at you – top, bottom, and sideways. So a lot of respect and hats off to folks who work in the service department. So, there you go. Hey, before we dive in, by the way for people who are either new to this area may not know you or even Miracle Ford about you. Did you grow up in the Gallatin area? Jessica Raymond 1:23 I grew up in the Hendersonville area, so really close. I moved here from Florida and lived in Hendersonville for most of my life. So… John Haggard 1:32 What part of Florida were you in? Jessica Raymond 1:35 The Sarasota area? John Haggard 1:36 Okay, so what got you to Nashville? A lot of people say, “Hey, I’m in Florida, you couldn’t get me to move anywhere.” Jessica Raymond 1:41 The business actually got me to Nashville because of my father. He actually came up here with a local family and worked with them for 30 plus years. So we’ve lived here and worked with them a lot of my life. So… John Haggard 1:55 All right, and you were how old when you moved here? Jessica Raymond 1:58 About five. John Haggard 2:00 Okay, about five. So where did you go to high school? Was at Hendersonville high school? Jessica Raymond 2:04 It was. Yes, sir. John Haggard 2:05 All right. All right. So you have family obviously here in the area as well as you. Jessica Raymond 2:09 Yes, sir. John Haggard 2:10 Gotcha, gotcha. Now in your career, did you elect to go to college? Or did you graduate high school and go to work early? What was your plan? Jessica Raymond 2:19 I was starting the car business with my father as a file clerk and went to college for Business Management decided that wasn’t my field. So I went back to what I knew best in the car business and has been here ever since. John Haggard 2:33 So before we talk about service and getting into everything that’s behind the curtain, behind the scenes, what do you like to do on your time off? Jessica Raymond 2:41 My time off is spent with my family. In this business, as you know, we work hard and try to make everyone what they need as far as their car and we’re a big family at Miracle Ford. And when I get time off, I like to spend it with my kids and my husband. John Haggard 2:56 That sounds good. And do you have any favorite hobbies, things you all like to do together? Jessica Raymond 3:00 My kids are in baseball. So we do a lot of baseball games and go to their sports and try to see some when we can. And my husband’s also in the car business, and we do a lot of his car shows and stuff when we get the time and just spend time together while we’re able to. John Haggard 3:17 You know, one of the trends that we know now is that more and more ladies are joining service departments, either as service writers or managers and even mechanics. What’s it like, when some man is looking at you and you can tell by looking at his face as he tells you his problems of the day? And you sort of feel like he’s saying through body language, “I’m not really sure she knows what she’s talking about.” I’m sure you must deal with that. Jessica Raymond 3:45 Oh, yes. You know, as you grow up in this business, at first it kind of gets to you. But as you learn through the years, you just kind of laugh it off and kind of just show them that you do have knowledge of the business and what’s going on. And I’ve got my guys back me anytime I need help and but the great team we have it’s just it all seems to work out and then they actually get a different respect for what people can do. So… John Haggard 4:10 Yeah, and you know, you look at the business, we’ve always thought of the car business as almost 100% male. And now you see ladies who are salespeople on the floor and in the service department and do you have any female mechanics as well? Jessica Raymond 4:25 We do not, I’m sure we will see them in the future but as of right now we do not. John Haggard 4:30 Do you see that in terms of mechanics, more women getting into that field? Is that a growth area for them? Jessica Raymond 4:37 I do see some that really enjoy the business and like working on cars and want to get into that field. You do see it more and more and you see more women like come up and learn exactly what’s going on and be able to work on their own vehicle. John Haggard 4:53 Is there any favorite thing, if someone said, “Okay, Jessica, here’s my car. Do anything to it you want to.” Is there anything that you say, “Yeah, I kind of like to tinker with this just a little bit.” Is there something fun about cars and service that you would like to do? Jessica Raymond 5:07 I more enjoy the diesel area. I like diesel vehicles and like in the way technology is bringing them up nowadays. I do enjoy a lot of the gas vehicles the way computerized as far as the tinkering and everything else. It’s just neat to see what technology and what new things they have out there, what they’re coming out with. John Haggard 5:29 Is there anything that’s like really exciting or groundbreaking or something that’s getting ready to either become more of or something you’ve seen, that we have to look forward to? Jessica Raymond 5:40 I would just say the technology in the car, the cars are becoming smarter and can access anything that you need to do anymore as you’re driving. We live in a fast-paced society and people need everything on the go and they’re making the cars to where you can actually just access something while you’re driving and be able to Take care of everything you need right there. John Haggard 6:02 So before I ask you about service, what would you say, Jessica, is the one thing about you that most people would not know but they would really be surprised to know, “Gosh, I didn’t know Jessica did this or was that or had done this.” or whatever. Jessica Raymond 6:18 I’ve always been in my work and people know that I work and been in the car business. As far as that I go home to my family and a lot of people think I’m really reserved and I like to you know, I don’t talk as much I stay in my work. But once we get through it, a lot of people wouldn’t think that I would be a service manager as I am now and just being in the field and everything a lot of people are learning that you know, with women, everything else that you can learn more to get up there. John Haggard 6:45 What brought you to Miracle Ford, there are a lot of places you could have gone? Jessica Raymond 6:50 What brought me in to Miracle Ford, I was with another local dealer, a family-owned dealer. And I had a job offer with the Galvin’s. And I went over and met with the service manager there and Tam and enjoyed their family atmosphere and everything about them and decided to start on at miracle Chrysler actually, as a service rider. And from there I just moved on up. John Haggard 7:17 So now you may have said this earlier, but how long have you been at Miracle Ford? Jessica Raymond 7:21 I have been with the Galvins for 11 years and Miracle Ford for 8. John Haggard 7:26 What would you say that just really gets you up each morning about the car business that really makes you want to come to work rather than, “Oh, no, not another day!” Jessica Raymond 7:38 I’ve always been part of the car business. I enjoy numbers, I enjoy what I do. It comes naturally. So just getting up every morning and knowing that I’m going into a place that I know everybody and it’s a family atmosphere and getting to see customers every day. And doing what I know I can do is always inspiring to get up every day and do more job. So… John Haggard 8:00 Yeah. So any advice, Jessica, that you would give people. You know, people come in sometimes like going to a restaurant. When people are hungry, that seems to be when they’re the angriest about things that don’t go right at the dinner table with the server. Maybe the food was lukewarm or whatever the situation is. But if you were going to give someone advice and you were going to say, “Hey, I know you got a problem. You probably have bought your vehicle in here and there’s an issue but here’s… If you really want to get the quickest service, fastest service, the best resolution, get you back on the road.” Any advice that you would give people who are coming in upset. Jessica Raymond 8:37 We always try to address each issue individually. And with these issues, it’s always different. But most of the time, when able, we recommend appointments. We try to get you in and out, try to prioritize people as they come in and out to get them in and out faster with what they have going on in life. Because with this fast-paced society, it’s hard. Most people because that be their only car or, you know, different situations. So… John Haggard 9:04 Is there anything really cool, Jessica, at Miracle Ford? Either in the service department or the way that companies run, something that’s just like really cool that people may not even know about? Jessica Raymond 9:16 I would just say that what’s cool about Miracle Ford is that we’re all family. We do luncheons, we do different little contests, and this and that to try to, keep people going. John Haggard 9:28 Right! What would you say is the number one service function that you perform most often for customers? Jessica Raymond 9:36 Definitely have to be an oil change. John Haggard 9:38 Okay. Lots of oil changes, yes? Jessica Raymond 9:41 Yes. John Haggard 9:42 Yeah. Yeah. If someone wants an oil change, can they just show up? Is that different than, say a regular maintenance that needs to be done? Jessica Raymond 9:51 Yes, we do oil changes. First, come first serve. With the amount of oil changes we get every day, it’s hard for us to set up appointments. Each day we get so many that we’re trying to accommodate with our Express Line, to be able to get people in and out quicker. Usually, if you can get here earlier in the morning or later in the afternoon, it’s a little bit of a less wait time. But we try to keep everyone go and let them know before they wait or leave their vehicle there that we’re going to be a certain time and try to be at that point. John Haggard 10:23 Jessica Raymond, everybody, the service manager at Miracle Ford in Gallatin. And Jessica, if somebody does want to get in touch with you, what’s the best way for folks to do that? Jessica Raymond 10:34 If they will just call the main line at (615) 452-5267 and ask for myself. They’ll send you directly to my extension. John Haggard 10:45 All right. Once again, Jessica Raymond, she’s the service manager at Miracle Ford in Gallatin. We invite you to join us throughout the month right here where you’ll be able to learn the best ways to purchase, lease, service and maintain, accessorize and sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible when you’re ready. And Jessica, if I could just ask you one more question speaking about service. So, in a way, to enhance the value of a car, when someone is getting ready to trade that vehicle in. Are there any one or two tips that you would give folks? Jessica Raymond 11:19 To enhance the value, just keep up on your maintenance and you know, your vehicles will last longer and run longer and, more than often, you don’t have your vehicle break down when you keep up on that maintenance. And once it’s ready for trade-in, they look, you know, st how you kept up your vehicle on the appearance and usually you can get more of a trade value when you’ve kept up on everything. John Haggard 11:45 In other words, the service records are online you’re saying that someone could go in there and just see when did the person come? Jessica Raymond 11:52 Anytime you do have your vehicle worked on at a dealer. We get on Carfax and it is reported there. And then we also have our records where we can get online and email them to you and get them to you fast. And what this app we have now, you can look up more and we can send you more. We have a text and ability now to send you stuff. And there’s just a lot of new technology that you can figure out, you’re going to be able to find out more and more about a vehicle on what’s been done to it. John Haggard 12:23 Let’s talk about the trust factor in service and repair. Some people think, “You know, I’m not really sure if I needed that part or that work done but I don’t know myself. I mean, the service advisor said you do I have to trust on it.” You know how could you help people trust the service and repair business more? Jessica Raymond 12:47 We strive on the trust aspect where we’re at. You don’t always have everyone trusting you. But anytime we have an issue or someone doesn’t trust us or have a question or anything else, we like to take people on the hands-on and show them. Our number one aspect there is to make sure that we do it right and that you can trust us. And anything that you need we will go through and explain. I’ll help out, take you back there, show you we strive on the trust and to make sure people know. Nowadays, it’s scary to not know for sure if you need something or if someone’s just trying to sell you something. So we do strive on the trust factor, and we will find a way to show you and be accountable for what we do. John Haggard 13:31 All right! Well, one more time Jessica Raymond, the service manager and Miracle Ford in Gallatin. Don’t forget, folks, the transcript of each podcast is right here on the website so that you can easily refer to it for information at your fingertips. Jessica, thanks for being with us today. Jessica Raymond 13:47 Thank you very much, John. John Haggard 13:48 You bet. I’m your host, John Haggard, and we will see you next time.

For this week’s episode of Miracle Ford podcast, host John Haggard talks to Jim Galvin, Miracle Ford’s General Manager, about the company’s altruistic efforts. This 15-minute chat covers: Jim’s Humble Beginnings at Miracle FordBreast Cancer Awareness MonthThe Company’s Support for the Susan G Komen’s OrganizationFord’s “Drive for your School” Program“Galvin Cares”, The Company’s Christmas Program“Best Buddies” ProgramThe Story Behind Miracle Ford’s “Gong”The Miracle Auto GroupMiracle Ford’s Future PlansHow to Connect with Jim Galvin Transcript John Haggard 0:02 Welcome to the Miracle Ford podcast where throughout the month you’ll be able to learn the best ways to purchase, lease, service and maintain, accessorize, and sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible when you’re ready to do it. You’ll also find out about new technology on new vehicles. I’m your host, John Haggard and throughout each month right here, we’ll have different team members join us from Miracle Ford to bring you tips you can use. You’ll also see a transcript of each podcast so you can easily refer back to it something maybe you heard want to get it at your fingertips, not have to listen to the entire podcast again. It’s all typewritten, right there for you. Today we’re visiting again with Jim Galvin. He’s the general manager of Miracle Ford in Gallatin. Today’s topic is what Miracle Ford does off the field so to speak as a community advocate and partner. So hey, Jim, welcome to the podcast. Jim Galvin 0:53 John, good afternoon. Great to be back. John Haggard 0:56 Well, glad to have you back. You know, since we spoke last we learned how you started out in the car business. I think back in 1984 you were washing cars for your dad if I recall properly working your way up through college at MTSU and that you got to then work in each department at Miracle Ford. I think you said you were a service advisor, then over to the parts counter, over to the used car sales department, to sales manager, to GSM – general sales manager, and now to general manager as well as part owner. Did I get all that right? Jim Galvin 1:28 ou got all that right. It seemed like yesterday believe it or not. Time flies. John Haggard 1:32 It does! I counted that up about well, maybe over 33 years, I guess that you have been doing this? Jim Galvin 1:41 It’s amazing, it really is. The car business has been good to me and my family and our community and I just can’t thank it enough. John Haggard 1:48 Well, it you know, time really does fly, there’s no question about it. You know, as we know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And Miracle Ford’s been involved in helping increase awareness of this disease really for some time now. Tell us, there are a lot of charities out there, a lot of individuals and companies that a company like Miracle Ford could support. How did you or how did Miracle Ford become involved with breast cancer? Jim Galvin 2:11 It got started probably about 15 years ago, we partner with Ford Motor Company, and they were really big with Susan G. Komen. And we all know with Susan G. Komen is the world’s largest non-profit breast cancer organization. You know, funded breast cancer research by providing real-time health, for those that really need it because of this bad disease. And we decided, you know what, we want to partner with Ford Motor Company, and we wanted to go a little bit more extra. So we and Ford Motor Company came out with a program, which was a great program. It was called and it still called today is the Ford Warriors in Pink. And what that means, and what our mission is, is to dedicate helping those that are touched by breast cancer through actions, support, inspire, empower, things that we could do to help make this disease get rid of it, and we could support it tremendously. Now Ford Motor Company has been doing this for a long time. I mean, they’ve been doing this since 1993. And we felt like you know what, we want to make things even better. So our dealership promotes breast cancer awareness, Susan G. Komen in the month of October and we decorate, John, our whole dealership in pink. And it’s pretty cool. Our sales department, our parts department, supervisors all dress and pink. And we donate funds. Now when I say funds, like for every new car, Rio, every part that sold, for every service come in, we give a portion of our profit to Susan G. Komen Warriors in Pink. So we can make this a research where we could really fight this disease and make someone or some people happy. John Haggard 4:06 Got it. Well, you know, we also understand that Ford has a drive for your school event each year. And I think you have been participating in that as well. Jim Galvin 4:15 I am at the program which, think about, is the program for local communities, schools, I say schools, high schools, grade schools, middle schools, for all their athletic programs, their music, and art programs, whatever programs that they want, they need to make money. And it’s hard for schools to make money because they got to work so hard. Car washes, bake sales… this seems like it’s not enough money out there. Ford Motor Company came out with a program and this program is called “Drive for your School”. And they have raised over $50 million in the last 12 years. John Haggard 4:56 Wow. Jim Galvin 4:58 And it’s very simple. I mean, we dedicate cars to the school. And we get people to drive cars. And for every test drive, and they don’t have to drive very far, Ford donates – this is Ford Motor Company – donates $20 per test drive up to $6,000. John Haggard 5:15 Man, yeah. Wow. Jim Galvin 5:18 Take 300 drivers in a period of two and a half to three hours, it’s a lot of money. And when they see this check it’s like, you know what we could do so much with this. And it works. I have schools call me during the spring and fall, can I get involved in this “Drive for your School”, it’s a great fundraiser, we need it. And I try to support every school and community in Summer County where our home is at Miracle Ford. And I try to make sure that we can get the $6,000 to them because they deserve it. It’s hard for schools to make money. And I think what Ford Motor Company is doing, with where we’d give them the vehicles for them to test drive, is fantastic. It’s probably one of the best programs I’ve ever seen. It’s probably the easiest fundraising program I’ve ever witnessed. John Haggard 6:03 You know, it really is just sit down in the car, turn it on, put your foot on the accelerator, and then on the brake and you’re and you’re done. Little short distance there. That’s so that’s a wonderful idea. You said how many years that’s been going on? Jim Galvin 6:15 They’re going on their 12th year. John Haggard 6:16 Okay. All right, 12th year, 12th year. Jim Galvin 6:18 And think about that. I mean, they do it twice a year, spring and fall, and think about all the dealerships around the United States. But over 50 million, it’s just amazing how much of the community that Ford Motor Company is involved in. And what we’re doing here in our local area with summer County. John Haggard 6:35 $50 million! I mean that’s phenomenal! I mean, so what a number that is, and I guess there are some other community events as well that Miracle Ford participates in. Jim Galvin 6:46 We support Galvin cares during Christmas time. Yeah, all of their canned goods. We like to help people that need it the most with the food. And we go out and gather all the canned goods we can. We fill it up in the back of the pickup truck, which is absolutely filled overboard over the bed. And then they come and pick it up and it gives a way of them feeding people. And we try to do that every year. One of my favorite and most down to heart is called the best buddies program. And to me, it goes back to my values into my family and enter the best buddy event we’ve been doing now for the last four years. Anthony K. Shriver, the founder, and CEO of this program, and he started his program in 1984. And what this program is, John was best buddy. It’s kids with intellectual and developmental disabilities that don’t have a chance to do things like things that we would want to do. And if you think about it, John, I mean, my child or anybody that goes to school, and they sit by themselves, and they see other kids with other people, or they go to a store or go bowling, it can’t do these things because they have this disability. Best Buddies brings this out to them. It’s a way that you can interact with these kids. And I say these kids are special, they want to be treated like other people. John Haggard 8:10 Right. Jim Galvin 8:11 And they become their friends and they go out and do things with them. You know, they go to movies with them, they go to social events, they go to proms. I mean, we dedicate Miracle Ford each year, the Best Buddy prom at Bridgestone Arena. And these kids, I mean, it’s a delight. They dress up in their prom uniforms, tuxedos, gowns, and they actually go to prom. The Nashville Predators also sponsors this and they do it in their arena Bridgestone, on the floor. And we have bands and a DJ and dance and the Predators come out and join them. It’s exactly like an actual prom because most of these kids are able to go to dances but this gives a way of them to finally say, “Hey, I’m part of things that I want to be!” And I think this program is fantastic and well representative and it’s really dear to my heart. John Haggard 9:05 You know if somebody wanted to find out more about Best Buddies here in the Nashville area, is it here in Nashville for the eight-county Metro? How does that work? Jim Galvin 9:14 Absolutely. They got they’ve got chapters in Nashville, Knoxville, Memphis. I mean, this thing has become worldwide. It’s a good non-profit event. Lot of these college kids in the area. Vanderbilt’s real big on it, David Lipscomb, high school people are involved. And when you see kids in high school, college involved and want to be part of Best Buddies, that means a lot. That means there’s something special with them that they want to help these kids and I think it’s fantastic. John Haggard 9:43 Yeah, that’s really from the heart when you get the youth involved as well. That’s for sure. No doubt, John. No doubt. On another topic, just for a moment, we understand that recently, inside Miracle Ford, a gong has been installed in the showroom. We heard that from Jim Odell, whom we spoke to last week. And but we also understand it was your idea. What is that? Tell us about the gong at Miracle Ford? Jim Galvin 10:09 Well, it’s something I thought about, you know, late at night when I can’t sleep or something’s on my mind. I want people to remember us when they purchase a vehicle. And a lot of times when you purchase a vehicle and you come out of the F&I office, it’s usually “Thank you very much”, then the salesperson comes and shows you all about the vehicle, then you go away. We like to go and introduce the customer to the PA system. You know, “Mr. Mrs. Jones, thank you so much for purchasing your 2019 F-150. Please come over to the gong and ring it!” John Haggard 10:42 Yeah Jim Galvin 10:43 Well, we create excitement. And they get to this big gong with the paddle on there and they bang it. And when you bang it this, this thing is pretty loud. And it goes throughout the whole dealership. And I want other people in the dealership, not only our employees but other people here you know, service or whatever, to hear this gossip. What in the world was that? It just creates excitement, John, it’s something different. It may be a little goofy, but it’s just something that customers will remember. It gives a good way for us to say thank you for your business. And we definitely want you back. John Haggard 11:16 Yeah, so you said late at night, and sometimes when you can’t sleep. So did you have a dream or like where the gong idea itself actually comes from? Jim Galvin 11:25 Actually, it came from my brother in law, who was in the sign business. I had to go to his office in Nashville. I went in there, it was in the backroom, there was a small Gong on the desk. I said what in the world is this? So I picked up the paddle and I just bang the gong, just for the heck of it. And all sudden it just, it just rang and then he comes running out. And I started thinking you know what? I mean, why not do that at the dealership, people can hear it. So that’s where it came from was from my brother in law, the original. John Haggard 11:56 We also are noticing there’s a lot of marketing these days for the miracle Auto Group. Tell us a little bit about that. Jim Galvin 12:04 Yes. We got two stores, as we all know, it’s Miracle Ford and Miracle Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and RAM. And we’re very close together. And with this day and age and was expenses being so high, my brother and I decided, let’s put this thing together, make it one, Miracle Auto Group. And let’s, you know, let’s get our phone systems on one. Let’s get our CRM or computers on one. Let’s make this thing one. And tell people that hey, it’s all about the Miracle Auto Group. What we’re trying to do is reignite everything into one local auto group. Right now, last week, we just became paperless. You know, that’s a big thing in the dealership so we’re learning as we go on. But it’s the same as expenses. we’re promoting it as one dealership, which it should be. That way everybody has the Miracle Auto feeling good when they come to both stores. John Haggard 12:56 All right. Is there anything that I did not ask you that you would want folks to know either about you or Miracle Ford or Miracle Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM or any current or maybe some future initiatives, things that will be unfolding that we can take, you know, look forward to? Jim Galvin 13:13 I just want people to always remember, you know, we’ve been here 34 years. The name Miracle stands out in Sumner County and it always will be. And hopefully down the road, we are looking at a new property, I could tell you that we’ve got a lot next door to the Chrysler store. We just committed to building we hadn’t decided what we’re going to do yet but in the next six months, you’re going to see some action regarding that. John Haggard 13:40 That’s exciting. And you know when you drive into Gallatin, or anywhere near there now I see rooftops construction. I mean, just seems like in the last two or three years things have exploded.there. We’re the third fastest-growing county in Middle Tennessee. Everything’s coming out this way. We just got a new Honda dealership. Subaru is going across the street, more restaurants coming to this area. Gallatin is becoming the next you know, Brentwood, Franklin. I mean, people want to come out this way. It’s affordable. You know, it’s just a good, good, good vibe, in Sumner County. And I think everybody who lives Sumner County is welcoming all the new growth. And I just think it’s exciting. And you’re going to see some good things down the road as the years come. Yeah. So Jim, if people want to get in touch with you, I know you’re busy you’ve got a lot of things going on. What’s the best way? Jim Galvin 14:35 I’m usually here every day. I’m not the type to sit in my office and avoid phone calls. I love phone calls. I love the input suggestions, good or bad. That’s what I’m here for. You can contact me, you know, mainly every day. I’m off on Thursday, but I’m here on Saturday. So please, I mean, I will get messages. You know, regardless if I’m not here, but usually the best way to contact me is this call the dealership because I want to be here and I want to make sure I get every phone call and have customers that really need it the most. John Haggard 15:07 Alrighty. That’s Jim Galvin, everybody. He’s the general manager at Miracle Ford in Gallatin with that update and join us throughout the month right here where you will also be able to learn the best ways to purchase, lease, service and maintain, accessorize and sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible when you’re ready. If you haven’t had a chance to listen to some of the other podcasts all those topics, they’re right here on the site where you are right now. And don’t forget the transcript of each podcast right here on the website as well so that you can easily refer to it for information at your fingertips. I’m your host, John haggard, and we will see you next time.

Welcome to the 11th episode of the Miracle Ford Podcast! This week we speak with Jim Odell, the Used Car Manager at Miracle Ford! Jim has been with Miracle for over 26 years! This is a great episode where we get to know Jim very well, his background, hobbies and his passion… Used Cars. This is a great episode that is jam packed full of information that you DO NOT want to miss. Enjoy! Topics Discussed: Jim’s BackgroundGrowing up in New JerseyHis Music BackgroundHow he met his wifeCollegeWhat Makes Miracle DifferentHow to maximize the value of your car before trading inThe Miracle Ford “Gong”Using online appraisal toolsPreserving the Paint JobAutomatic car washes Transcript John Haggard 0:02 Welcome to the Miracle Ford podcast where throughout each month, you’ll be able to learn the best ways to purchase, lease, service and maintain, also accessorize, and sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible when you’re ready to do it. You’ll also find out about new technology on new vehicles. I’m your host, John Haggard, and throughout each month right here, we’ll have different team members join us from Miracle Ford to bring you tips you can use. Now you will also see a transcript of every podcast so that you can easily refer to it I find sometimes people want to get additional information and say what was that that he said? And you can see it right there at your fingertips. Today’s topic is how to maximize the value of your trade-in. And on this podcast we have with us, Jim Odell. He’s the Used Car Sales Manager at Miracle Ford in Gallatin. Hey, Jim, welcome to the podcast. Jim Odell 0:54 Thank you, John, great to be here. John Haggard 0:55 Well, you know, when somebody is ready to trade in a vehicle, Jim, there are a lot of things you should know on how to maximize the trade-in value. I mean, everybody wants to, you know, get the most amount of money. Why not? But before we dive into those specifics, tell us a little bit about your background. Did you grow up in Gallatin, Jim? Jim Odell 1:13 No, I’ve been here in the Tennessee area for about 26 years now. I actually grew up outside of New York City in northern New Jersey. John Haggard 1:25 Wow. Okay, so we’ll call you a local but you do not have that New Jersey accent? Jim Odell 1:30 No, no, you know, my, my mom was real strict about No, you can’t sound like you’re from Brooklyn or Bronx or whatever. And so she made sure that we spoke just the regular English without too much of an accent. John Haggard 1:46 There you go. Well, what a great mom, what a great mom. So you went to high school there, I guess, right? Jim Odell 1:51 Yeah, I went to high school in northern New Jersey, in a town called Franklin Lakes. The High School was called Ramapo. It’s a comprised part of Franklin Lakes and part of Wyckoff, New Jersey and great place to go to school. Still have some friends from there. John Haggard 2:08 All right. And just to try to get a picture of the map for folks that don’t know exactly where that is, I guess if you were going to say, how many miles south of New York City – Center City, would that be where you were where you grew up? Jim Odell 2:20 Well, we were basically just west of New York City. So if, if you kind of picture Manhattan Island, kind of the upper part of Manhattan Island where the George Washington bridges if you go over the George Washington Bridge, and you had west by about 30 miles, that’s where I grew up in, Wyckoff, New Jersey. John Haggard 2:42 Okay, so did you head into New York City as you were growing up? Jim Odell 2:46 We did. Yeah. Sometimes with sometimes without my parents consent, but yeah. John Haggard 2:54 So when you were in high school, and in the northern New Jersey area, what was the most one thing you did while in school? Jim Odell 3:03 Oh, you know, the same thing I guess that most kids do. I wasn’t involved in sports myself. I really didn’t grow up and out until I was about a junior in high school. So I really wasn’t athletically inclined. So, you know, I went to the sporting events as a spectator and watched all that and you know, just had my social group of friends that we hung around with. Did a lot of listening to music, and and we did a few concerts together, like I guess most high school kids did. Just your regular high school stuff. John Haggard 3:38 Yeah. What were some of your favorite groups that the the concerts that you went to? Jim Odell 3:42 Well, now I was, I was one of those kids that was, I don’t know, experimental music. I listened to groups like Genesis, those types of bands. Progressive rock is what they call it today. And of course, I liked you know, the rock and roll stuff, the Led Zeppelin and the The Who and The Beatles and things like that. But yeah, it was. That was a big influence on me. In fact, I still play music today. I’m a drummer, actually, John Haggard 4:14 Really? So you’re a drummer, now? You say you play music today? Are you like, have a group? Jim Odell 4:22 Well, actually, I do. I’m the drummer of a three-piece band. We call ourselves 3 MAG – three M-A-G, which stands for three middle aged guys. Now. We, we may have to change the name because I’ve recently hit the 60 mark. So yeah, we may be three old guys pretty soon. You There you go. John Haggard 4:40 There you go. Wow. So every weekend, you’re playing somewhere for money, I guess, right? Jim Odell 4:45 Well, not so much that we have done that. But we, you know, we all have real jobs. And it’s hard to get together, or hard to get out and play music out when you have a real job. So but we do still get together and you know, just get together and play music and just do that. We also have recorded music. So we actually have a few CDs that we have available that we’ve recorded. So it’s kind of neat there too. All John Haggard 5:13 Right. So you have one of those concession tables at Miracle Ford. Here are CDs, grab them while you can they’re going fast, folks. That sounds fun. You mentioned your wife and and you’ve been here about 26 years if I got that correct as well. Do you have other family here in the area? Jim Odell 5:31 Well, her family is from this area or has lived in this area a little longer than and we’ve been here. But yeah, her mom and dad, her sister, two brothers are all here with nieces, nephews, that kind of thing. So yeah, we have a pretty extended family here. John Haggard 5:47 Wow. You know, that’s always fun to know how people meet because there you were in northern New Jersey, her family is here. How did you all meet? Jim Odell 5:57 Well, at the time, when we met we met in at college at the University of Dayton. And at that time, she was living in Louisville, Kentucky. So from there to date, and was just a couple of hours. Now me, I followed a brother, my oldest brother, who went to college there. So we just met in Dayton, Ohio, and the rest is history. John Haggard 6:20 And the rest is history, as they say. You know, before we went on the podcast together here, you mentioned, hey, John, we just got back from vacation. And you were saying you went to Italy, to Greece, to Israel, you’re on a cruise. What was the most exciting and fun thing? I guess it was all of it? Probably? Jim Odell 6:38 Oh my gosh, yeah, it was, we literally call it the trip of a lifetime. It’s something we had been wanting to do. We were gone for 17 days total, which is just phenomenal to be able to get away from work for that long. But so many memories, and so, you know, just beautiful countries that we visited and, and people and of course, Israel being the Holy Land, we saw so many sites that just, you know, kind of bring you down to your knees, so to speak, and just a phenomenal adventure that we had. John Haggard 7:10 You know, it sounds like you know, a drummer, international travel. So what would you say is the one thing about you, Jim, that most people would not know that someone would really be surprised to know about Jim Odell? Jim Odell 7:25 Well, that music thing that’s, that’ll… Whenever I say I’m a drummer, they’d go, “Really? That’s really interesting!” And, to that end, I actually play drums at our church just… not really drums when you think of what a drummer would be doing, but more just percussion I guess you could say. Little snare drum, a little cymbal, that kind of thing just to accent the music. But I do that and, and people are surprised that I do that. So yeah, I guess that would be the one thing that that would people would go really I never knew. I never figure you for that. That kind of thing. John Haggard 8:00 Alright, so if somebody wanted to come see you drum in church, where do you attend? Jim Odell 8:05 I go to Our Lady of the Lake Church in Hendersonville. It’s a Catholic Church. John Haggard 8:10 Alright folks, there you know if you want to see Jim Odell on the drums, there’s the place to go. Alright, so let’s move from entertainment, international travel, living in northern New Jersey. How did you get into the car business? Jim Odell 8:26 Well, what happened is, as I said, I went met my wife in Dayton, Ohio. We basically dated throughout college and decided to get married. At the time she was living in Louisville, but during the time that she was in college, her mom and dad moved to Gallatin, Tennessee, where Jim Galvin, Sr. bought Miracle Ford. He since then has opened up Miracle Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram. And he, at one point, invited me down to become a part of the dealership. And I said, well, let’s go ahead and do that. So that’s how I’ve been here. And prior to doing that, I actually had 12 years that I was in the airline business John Haggard 9:16 Airlines? Jim Odell 9:17 Yeah, I worked for Northwest Airlines, I was a little bit of everything. You know, I started off in the reservations office. I went to move from there to the Detroit area, and worked in, you know, at the gate, and the ticket counter, ultimately became a service manager. But the airline business just turned out to be, I don’t know, a different environment than what I expected when when the airline went into its first bankruptcy. You know, as it’s common when those things happen. There was a lot of slashing of reducing of management. And people that I hadn’t known that I kind of thought would be able to move me along, all of a sudden weren’t there anymore. And at that same time, Mr. Galvin, opened up the Chrysler dealership and said, I’m in need of people to come and work for me, would you be interested in I said, Well, yeah, let’s go ahead and do it. John Haggard 10:17 So how did you all meet? Jim Odell 10:21 Again, we just met at college, just socially. We were, she was at a party. I was at a party. I said, that girl looks pretty cute. Let me go and talk to her. And like I said, the rest is history. We’ve been married. In fact, our anniversary was just yesterday. We’ve been married for 36 years. Wow. And we have three wonderful children and two grandchildren. John Haggard 10:42 You know, the question really was see, I know what is on top of your mind. But when I was asking you, how did you meet, I was actually talking about how you met the Galvin family? Jim Odell 10:52 Well, yeah. From dating, her daughter met the Galvin family, and we hit it off just fine. And he said, Okay, I’ll let you marry my daughter. And you know, it just he needed someone to take care of her, I needed somebody to take care of me. And he said, all right, I guess you two are meant to be then. John Haggard 11:20 That is really super. Now you have seen, you know, Miracle Ford, obviously, a family dealership. And there are a lot of dealerships that are owned by the big mega Wall Street corporations. And I guess you know, when people come in, Jim, there is a difference. Maybe they talk about what it’s like when they were at another dealership that’s owned by one of the big conglomerates. But based on your experience, and people that you speak to what is the big difference? I mean, isn’t a car a car at the end of the day? Isn’t a price a price at the end of the day? Or what’s the difference? I mean, why would you know, why would somebody really want to deal with a Miracle Ford versus anybody else? Jim Odell 11:59 Well, and you’re right cars, a car price is a price. You could probably buy a car for the same price that Miracle Ford that you could buy a car for at one of these big conglomerate dealerships. But the difference, I think that you’re going to find is just the backbone of the dealership, as I said, I’m, I guess you could say, part of this family part of the management group that has guided the dealership. And, you know, it comes down to relationships, and not the extreme pressure that dealership might face. If that dealership was owned by, you know, a multi billion dollar corporation, now we obviously are, you know, pressed to, to make money to, to satisfy the customer. But we also do it just in a different environment, a different mindset, which I think if you’re the consumer that’s looking to buy a vehicle from a CarMax, or just a big one of these big dealers. And you have the same option at a Miracle Ford, I think overall, your experience with Miracle Ford is going to be just that little bit better, because of the fact that we are a little closer tied to you. And I think that’s, to me, that’s what most people are looking for. They’re obviously Yeah, you know, you’re spending a lot of money on a vehicle. And you want to make sure you get the best value. But ultimately, you want to make sure that you’re getting the best in everything. Service, quality of how you’re dealt with how your talk to, and all those things really do come into play. And I think we become the advantage there to a larger dealer. John Haggard 13:49 Right, before we talk about tips on how to maximize the value of your car before you trade it in. What about, you know, you’re alluding to this a little but groups like Carvana and all this online? You know, you don’t need to see anybody, you know, just go online, a car is a car… What are the I guess the disadvantage or maybe some scary stories? Or why would you know what, why? Why them? I mean, why not do that? Jim Odell 14:16 Well, and you know, there is a movement toward that. But why not us? I guess would maybe be the answer to, to that is, you know, we have folks that send in internet leads, we respond to them, we set up a time we we give them information in advance for them to be basically ready to go ahead and do business when they walk into the dealership. So while we may not have that same kind of carve on a thing where we deliver the car to a customer, although we have done that, I think it’s just you can get the same experience if that’s the experience that you’re looking for, from a dealership like Miracle Ford, by just starting the process online. And, and we have all the ability to do that to give you everything that you need to basically just walk into the store and say, that’s the car that I want. We’ve already discussed everything and and be in and out. John Haggard 15:20 All right. So really no difference. You find the car… Jim Odell 15:24 That’s right. John Haggard 15:24 All right. Is there anything really cool at Miracle Ford that people may not know about? Something that’s like, you know, just really kind of a neat thing? Jim Odell 15:36 Well, we recently, and me being a drummer, you would have thought that I would have thought of this, prior to it showing up in the showroom. But we recently put a gong in the middle of the showroom. So when customers get all done with their paperwork, and if they have said yes to buying the car, we have them walk out into the showroom, and they take a mallet and they bang the gong as loud as they want to bang it. And it really is pretty cool. It really it. It makes you laugh, it makes you smile. And it kind of gives that customer that little I did it, you know, here’s the proof. John Haggard 16:15 Now, who came up with the idea? Jim Odell 16:18 Actually, that was my brother in law, Jim Galvin, Jr, the general manager. So I have to give him props where it’s appropriate. And yeah, all of a sudden, this gong showed up and I went, I should have thought of this. I’m the drummer in the family. But it really is fun. John Haggard 16:35 All right, well, let’s talk about tips. Someone’s getting ready thinking about okay, you know, I’ve had my car three years or 10 years, or five, or six, or whatever it is, I want to trade it in. But I want to be sure that I’m going to get the most amount again, because money’s money, like you said, that I can get from my car. So how would you advise someone as they’re beginning to, you know, they’re in the market or beginning to get into the market to trade, what do they need to do? How do you increase the value or maximize the value of your car. Jim Odell 17:06 And I would say it goes back to when you first acquire a vehicle. You know that the truth of the matter is cars are depreciating assets, we all know that and everybody knows that. What you just want to do is minimize your depreciation. So what I would do, or what I would suggest is when you first buy a vehicle, treat it like it needs to be treated, you know, make sure that it’s well maintained and all of that. But prior to coming into a dealership, if you’ve got a three year old car or a 10 year old car, you know, just kind of assess it. Does it need some tires on it? Does it need brake work? Has as the brake pedal kind of been pulsating as I pushed down on the on the brake? And maybe take care of minor maintenance items that might need to be done to increase the value of the car. Because these are the kinds of things when I’m doing an appraisal, you know, I’m stepping into a carfor the first time. I’m looking at everything on it. I’m looking at the interior condition, I’m looking at the exterior condition, does it have dings. But then I’m going to drive it and I’m going to feel what I just kind of described. Does the brake pedal pulsate? Does that mean that it probably needs some brake pads? And so the best tip that I can give a customer is just make sure that your car is well maintained, treated like it is a an important asset, which it is. And that will improve the the overall value that you get for the car. And the other thing that I guess I could also suggest is there’s plenty of online type of appraisal type of tools. You know, Kelley Blue Book is one and it’s one that we use, in addition to a lot of other things to how we assess the value of the car. But you can do kind of a self-assessment and say, but be realistic about it. If you’ve got a 10 year old car that’s got 150,000 miles is probably not going to be an excellent condition. Just say, all right, well, it’s in good or fair condition. And, and you’ll have an idea of what you can expect for the car. And then again, like I said, make sure that everything’s in running condition and and if you don’t want to spend that money, well, that’s okay. Just know that that somebody ultimately is going to have to spend that money to bring that car up to a resale standard. So it just comes down to do you want the best out of your car treated like it’s a valuable piece of asset. John Haggard 19:37 Got it. Got it. You know, and one thing that just came to mind when you were talking about that, is there any tip about how to preserve your paint job? Should it be waxed every three months, six months and not at all? Should there be any sealant put on it, or you don’t have to do that today or? Jim Odell 19:53 We actually offer a sealant product here at the dealership both for new and used vehicles, that will definitely improve the overall appearance of the car. Keep it to where nothing can get below the clear coat. And it’ll maintain that new vehicle appearance. But sure things like just waxing the car, I’d say maybe once a year, that’s going to keep that paint looking fresher, newer. And certainly that’s going to affect the resale value, the assessed value when you go to trade it in. Because if it looks good on the outside, and if it runs good, well, that’s the kind of car that people are looking for. Everybody wants to make sure that they’re not getting stuck with someone else’s problem. And you know, we and me personally, as a used car manager, I’m not going to put something out on the lot, that was somebody’s problem and just shoo it off to someone else. We’re going to, we’re going to probably say, you know, this car either is going to need this in this in this taken care of before we put it out on the lot or if taking care of this and this and this is more money than we want to spend, well, then we’ll just decide to wholesale it and and, and move on to another vehicle. That’s all. John Haggard 21:09 All right. One other final question that came to mind and that is a little bit of controversy about taking cars or your car through a carwash. You know, some advertise, hey, we’re brushless, you know, we’re not going to do anything to scratch. Others have the you know, the thing that touches all over your car and so forth. Any advice there? Is it a good idea or bad idea? Should you be touchless, does it matter? Jim Odell 21:32 These touchless… I mean, I have been through these car washes. And I personally like to just hand wash a car. Now I know you can’t do that all the time. And especially, you know, if you’re elderly or whatever, you’re just not able to do it anymore. But yeah, there are there are those car washes that are better than others. The ones that don’t have as much, you know, if you’ve been in some of these car washes, and the cars rocking back and forth. You know, that might be an indicator this the maybe this thing’s doing a little bit more to the car that I want it to be doing. But yeah, I’m kind of on the fence on that when there are some car washes that I’ve used that are good. There’s some others that I’ve used that aren’t so good. Taking a, you know, they’ve taken antenna off the car, so to speak. But yeah, if you could hand wash your car, or even take it to someone where it could be hand-washed, and like you said before, is a good idea to wax a car. Sure, take it to somebody who does a hand detailing, maybe once every year or every two years, something like that. And get the outside looking really good again. They’ll they’ll shampoo the carpet. And we actually have a detailed department here, we can do most of those things. Not fine tooth comb detail, but we can make your car you know, a step above where it was, and do that here at the dealership as well. John Haggard 23:00 Alright, well, Jim, is there anything… I did not ask you that you would want folks to know either about you or Miracle Ford? Jim Odell 23:10 Well, I think we’ve had a pretty good conversation here. And I think, you know, we’ve covered a bunch. It’s a dealership, like I said, the one thing I guess I would… Maybe my final thoughts would be, I’ve been in this business now 26 years. It’s the only dealership that I’ve ever worked for. So I really don’t have some of the experience maybe that some other people have of being in this type of store or that type of store. All I can say is that when I joined the business, I didn’t know kind of what I was getting into. But I immediately found out that my father-in-law, who owns the dealership, and my brother-in-law, who runs Miracle Ford are good, straight up people honest, hardworking people that are running a good, solid, honest business. And it’s a pleasure, it’s a privilege to be able to work for that kind of, this type of company. And I can say that I’ve never had any second thoughts about being in this business. Other than maybe those nights where you kind of get home at 9:30 at night and you’re worn. John Haggard 24:23 Yeah, sure! Jim Odell 24:25 But no, it’s just a great, it’s a great good local business, run by people who care, who are honest, and are hardworking folks, and just trying to make a living like everybody else. And I think that kind of sums up reason why I’ve been here for so long, and why we have so many employees that have, you know, good tenure at the dealership because they realize that it’s a it’s a good, solid, honest place to work. And we take care of our employees. And you know, you take care of your employees, they take care of the customer, you probably heard that before. John Haggard 25:03 Very true. Very true. Jim Odell 25:04 Most people have, but it’s it honestly, is the truth. And I think, again, going back to what we talked about a little bit ago, of why our store versus a corporate store. It’s because we take care of our employees, and they take care of our customers. So that’s the advantage right there. John Haggard 25:22 All right, Jim. So what’s the best way for someone to get in touch with you? Jim Odell 25:27 Oh, you know, I’m on all the digital platforms these days. But the easiest way to get a hold of me is either an email address by my email address is just the kind of the generic it’s miracleford@gmail. You can call me on my cell phone, you can call the dealership and just ask for me and they’ll turn you over to me. So I’m accessible all the time. And even through our Facebook page, you can ask a question of me. And I’ll be happy to answer it personally for you. So yeah, I’m digital in every way. So all those ways you can get a hold of me. But if you want to just pick up the phone and call me, I can be assessed that way as well. John Haggard 26:09 And what’s the best number or numbers to get you? Jim Odell 26:12 Well, just the dealership number, the (615) 452 5267, my personal extension is 148. If I’m not at my desk, because oftentimes I’m not, you can just leave me a message but I do respond to those messages, usually within a pretty short amount of time. So that probably be the easiest way just to reach me. John Haggard 26:32 Alrighty, Thanks, Jim. Jim Odell everybody, the used car sales manager at Miracle Ford in Gallatin. Join us throughout the month right here and you’ll be able to learn the best ways to purchase, lease, service and maintain, also accessorize and, as you learn today, how to sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible. When you’re ready to do it. Don’t forget the transcript. It’s right here so you can refer to anything for more information at your fingertips. I’m your host John Haggard, and we will see you next time.

Welcome to the 10th episode of the Miracle Ford Podcast! This week we speak with Wayne Hill, the Parts Manager at Miracle Ford! In this episode, Wayne shares some great information about: His Background and HobbiesWhat Get’s Him Up Each MorningWhat Makes Miracle DifferentHis Role at MiracleThe Parts DepartmentAccessorizing Your vehicleWarranties Transcript Intro John Haggard: 00:02 Welcome to the Miracle Ford Podcast where, throughout the month, you will be able to learn the best ways to purchase, lease, service and maintain and also accessorize and sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible when you’re ready to do it. And you’ll also find out about new technology on new vehicles. I’m your host John Haggard, and throughout each month right here we’ll have different team members join us from Miracle Ford to bring you tips you can use. You’ll also see a transcript of each podcast so that you can easily refer to it for information to have right there at your fingertips. Today’s topic is accessorizing your Ford Vehicle and on the podcast we have with us Wayne Hill. He’s the Parts Manager at Miracle Ford. Hey Wayne, welcome to the podcast. Wayne Hill: 00:45 Well, thank you! Tell Us About Your Background John Haggard: 00:46 You know, there are a lot of cool things you can do these days to accessorize a Ford vehicle. But before we dive in to the accessories available for people who are either new to the area or may not have met you before, tell us a little bit about your background. Did you grow up in Gallatin? Wayne Hill: 01:03 My background is I grew up in east Nashville. I’ve lived here pretty much my whole life. I’ve been in the car industry since 1980. Arts department the whole time, a little bit in service. A lot of car experience and pretty much this is what I’ve always done. John Haggard: 01:18 So since 1980. So you grew up in east Nashville. Where did you go to high school? Wayne Hill: 01:23 I went to East High and Stratford. John Haggard: 01:26 Wow. East High. That was the biggest one, wasn’t it? I mean it’s always been such a big school. Wayne Hill: 01:31 Yes, it is. It was a big school. A lot of people there. John Haggard: 01:35 Do you remember how big was your graduating class? Wayne Hill: 01:38 I graduated from Stratford. I transferred in my senior year over to Stratford. There was about 800 in our graduating class. John Haggard: 01:47 Wow. What was the most fun thing you did while in high school? Was there a particular hobby or a trade or anything that you were doing? Wayne Hill: 01:55 I played baseball from my freshman year on up to high school. John Haggard: 02:01 Did you ever have aspirations, Wayne, of thinking you’ll maybe go pro on this? Wayne Hill: 02:06 Well, I’d love to. But in reality I was not the superstars. John Haggard: 02:11 All right. I understand it. I didn’t have much sports in my background either. I know how you feel. Would you say that was the most fun thing you did while in high school? Wayne Hill: 02:20 Oh yes. That and friends. You know, hanging out with friends. John Haggard: 02:23 So since you’ve lived in this area all your life, you must have family near where you are? Wayne Hill: 02:28 Yes. My parents live next door to me. My sister lives about a mile away. I’ve got two fantastic children and five grandchildren. How Did You Get Into The Car Business? John Haggard: 02:38 Wow. So anybody else in the car business in your family? Wayne Hill: 02:41 No, it’s just me. John Haggard: 02:43 Just you, just you. So what when you got out of high school, did you elect to go to college or trade school or just direct to work? What did you do? Wayne Hill: 02:53 I’ve done a little bit of both. I went straight to work and then I done a little bit of trade school and some computer work. Really enjoyed the car business saying that it was a good future for myself. So I come out of the college and just focus my attention in the car business. What Do You Like To Do On Your Time Off? John Haggard: 03:12 Got It. So what do you like to do on your time off when you’re not working? Wayne Hill: 03:16 Play with my grandchildren and I do ride a Harley. John Haggard: 03:19 So tell me about that Harley. Wayne Hill: 03:21 I’ve got a 2006 Harley Davidson Softail Heritage Classic. My wife and I take little trips on it quite often. I bought it in 2006 and I’m the original owner, of course. Nobody else rides it but me. John Haggard: 03:39 Okay. And do you do you tune it up and work on it or do you have to take it in for service? Wayne Hill: 03:44 No, I tune it up and work on it myself. John Haggard: 03:46 Okay. All right. I got you. All right, so before you got into the car business, what, what line of work were you in? Wayne Hill: 03:54 No, this is from out of high school to the car business What Brought You To Miracle Ford? John Haggard: 03:57 Direct. All right, so what brought you to Miracle Ford? Wayne Hill: 04:01 Well, I was working at another dealership when I moved to Dallas State. And then the opportunity came here at Miracle Ford. So I got to move back home. John Haggard: 04:11 Okay. And you’ve been at miracle. How long now? Wayne Hill: 04:14 Five years. John Haggard: 04:15 Five years. Okay. Well we understand that miracle Ford is locally owned as opposed to a big corporate conglomerate ownership. Tell us what it’s like working for a family, as opposed to a big corporation. Wayne Hill: 04:29 I have never worked for the corporation because I feel like I want to be a person, not a number. Working for a family owned dealership, it’s personal. I can go in Mr Galvin’s office and sat down with him and we can talk baseball or we can talk business. You know, so to me, the only way to do the car business is to work for a family owned store. What Gets You Up Each Morning? John Haggard: 04:53 So what would you say that gets you up each morning, Wayne, about the car business and accessories? I guess the thing that makes you just, you know, just want to get into work? Wayne Hill: 05:04 Well, work is my second family. You spend more time with the people at your office than you do at your real family. You know and, like I said, I’ve done this my whole life. Numbers is what I do and it’s just fine, you know. And every day is different, you know, it’s not like an assembly line. You’re doing the same thing over and over and over every day brings you something different. New Challenges. Is There Anything Cool at Miracle Ford That People May Not Know About? John Haggard: 05:29 You know, before we go into accessories and what’s available, is there anything cool at Miracle Ford that people may not know about or something like “Hey, you know, this is something that goes on behind the scenes that most people don’t know about.” Wayne Hill: 05:42 Yes. And back to one statement: We’re all family. I mean the technicians, the parts employees, they hang out together after hours. Once a month we do a dealership launching. We give out prizes. We pick employees of the month, we shut down the service drive, we pull out the tables, we pull out the grills, we cook hamburgers, hot dogs, just whatever we decide to eat. And we all sit together as a group. John Haggard: 06:13 Do you do any of that cooking yourself? Wayne Hill: 06:15 Of course! John Haggard: 06:16 Okay. What’s the, so what’s your favorite to cook? Wayne Hill: 06:20 I’m the hamburger and hot dog person. Talk To Us About Accessories John Haggard: 06:23 You are the hot dog at Miracle Ford. Okay, all right. I got it. What would you say today as we talk about accessories and what’s available, what Ford vehicles are the ones that people most accessorize on? Wayne Hill: 06:39 The F-150 is the most popular vehicle that we dress up. A lot of people will go after market and purchase the stuff. It’s not necessarily cheaper to go after market Ford products. When Ford makes her own accessories for the pickup trucks, they mount and fit perfect. And, that’s the key thing there. If it takes a hole, the hole was already in the truck. There’s no drilling, there’s no nothing to put a Ford accessory on. It mounts exactly the way it’s supposed to fit. John Haggard: 07:11 I got you. So haven’t thought about that with after market parts you, if someone says, “Well I want this part,” and it’s not a Ford part put on here, you may have to drill into the truck, make some modifications. Wayne Hill: 07:22 Yes. John Haggard: 07:23 Wow. So when you have to drill in, in a situation like that with the way the pain is in the body’s put together and all that, are there any dangers like rusting that could happen or any of that type of thing? Wayne Hill: 07:34 Anytime you break the factory seal, there’s always an opportunity that some issues could come up. OEM Ford Parts Vs After Marke Parts John Haggard: 07:41 Got You. Okay. So that’s why you would recommend OEM Ford parts as opposed to after market made by third parties. Wayne Hill: 07:49 Right. In the warranty that comes along with the Ford part is as fantastic if there’s an issue with it. Boards steps up, takes care of it, replaces it and get you on your way. Accessorizing Other Vehicles John Haggard: 08:01 Now you talked about the F-150 being the most accessorized. How about the Mustang? Do people do much with that? Wayne Hill: 08:09 They do it a little, but it’s not a whole lot to the Mustang. You’ll get some people that will put performance parts on. We don’t do a lot of that here, but it does happen. I mean, I’ve done a few spoilers for Mustangs. We’ve done it, the exhaust system for the Mustangs. But mostly it’s the F-150 and, and people accessorize the Explorers also. John Haggard: 08:33 Okay. So the F-150s and the explorers. Now what are the most popular accessories, say, for the F-150 that people want most? Wayne Hill: 08:41 People want the vent shades. Customers like the bug shields. Customers like bed liners, bed mats, and bed covers. Bed cover is probably one of my number one selling that we have here. And it’s back to when you buy the factory it fits perfect. John Haggard: 09:01 Gotcha. And then what about for the Explorer? What’s most popular there? Wayne Hill: 09:05 Explorer, the customers will buy the bug shield and also the vent shades. They purchase the rubber mats for the interior and then the rubber cargo mats. John Haggard: 09:15 And do you actually your team install the accessories at Miracle Ford or do you send the vehicle to a custom shop to have the work done? Wayne Hill: 09:23 No, we install every item that we sell. Tell Me About Warranties John Haggard: 09:26 All right. And then the people would always want to know warranties. Tell me about warranties. Wayne Hill: 09:31 Okay. The warranty if you purchase it – when you purchase your vehicle, the part will carry a 336 warranty. If you purchase it after the fact, it cares a 12-month, 12,000-mile warranty. John Haggard: 09:43 All right? Even though it’s an OEM part, it’s less of a warranty than if you have it… Wayne Hill: 09:49 Yes. It’s always a benefit to purchase it when you buy your vehicle, What’s the Best Way To Get In Touch With You? John Haggard: 09:55 What’s the best way, Wayne, for people to get in touch with you? Wayne Hill: 09:58 You Can dial us at the parts department. When you dial into the operator, you can reach us at our number and we also have a direct line. And the direct line is (615) 452-5269. Closing John Haggard: 10:14 Alrighty. That’s Wayne Hill, everybody, the Parts Manager and the accessories pro at Miracle Ford. With all of the accessories you could ever want for your Ford vehicle, join us throughout the month right here where you’ll be able to learn the best ways to purchase, lease, service and maintain, accessorize, and sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible when you’re ready to do it. And don’t forget the transcript! Each podcast right here on the website, you’ll see it there where you can refer easily for more information. I’m your host John Haggard and we will see you next time.

This week we have a special guest on our podcast, Kim Baker, CEO of the Gallatin Chamber of Commerce! Kim, who is from Florida, has lived in Sumner County since high school. In this episode, Kim shares: Details about how she ended up in GallatinInteresting facts about her life story (including the fact that she was dead once!)How she came to be the CEO of the Gallatin Chamber of CommerceWhat the Chamber of Commerce does in and around GallatinUpcoming events in GallatinAnd much more! This is an episode that you DO NOT want to miss! Enjoy, and be sure to share this episode wherever you can! Transcription John Haggard: [00:02] Welcome to the Miracle Ford Special Edition podcast where we also interview community leaders on topics that are of interest to the Gallatin area as a whole. And today we’re excited to have Kim Baker on the podcast. Kim is the Chief Executive Officer of the Gallatin Chamber of Commerce. Hey Kim, welcome to the podcast. Kim Baker: [00:20] Hey, good morning. It’s great to be here. Thanks for having me. John Haggard: [00:23] Well thanks for taking the time out. I know you’ve got a lot of things to do there. As CEO we thought it would be fun before we dive in onto what’s going on in Gallatin these days, from the Chamber’s perspective, for people who are new to the area or maybe people just don’t know you, tell us a little bit about your background. Did you grow up in Gallatin? Kim Baker: [00:42] I did not grow up here. I’ve been here all of my adult life. I finished high school here. I’m a graduate of Gallatin High School. I also spent some time at JP2, and College Heights. But I’m a Green Wave at heart for sure. I moved here in 2000 from south Florida. My Dad’s job brought us here. He was a civil engineer always followed the projects and the dollars. So we landed in Gallatin, Tennessee. John Haggard: [01:06] Wow. In south Florida. You know, most people, if they’re going to go somewhere, they may go from here to there, but rarely from Florida to here. People say I love Florida. So anyway, the job that your dad had got you here. Kim Baker: [01:17] Yes. And you know, it was a culture shock coming from south Florida to Gallatin, Tennessee 15 years ago. I say 15. It’s actually been 19 now. But it was quite a shock, especially being a teenager moving here. But you know, we love it here. John Haggard: [01:33] Yeah. So when you were in high school, Gallatin High School, was there anything you did there that was especially fun? Some people are cheerleaders, other people are, you know, all these various projects, Future Farmers of America, all kinds of things. Did you do anything like that in high school? Kim Baker: [01:48] Well, I did do different things in high school. I think some of my favorite things I did, I was on the bowling team, not at Gallatin, but at JP2. I was on the bowling team. I went to States twice. So actually lettered in bowling. John Haggard: [02:00] Wow. Kim Baker: [02:00] That tells you a lot about my athletic abilities, I think. But hey, I did, I did. I got the, I got the letter, I got the pins and that was quite an accomplishment to do that two years in a row. I also participated in model UN model, United Nations and one of my advisors for that. He actually had roots in Arkansas. So most folks that participate in the model UN they stay within their state or within their region. We actually traveled outside the state, so I got to go compete in Arkansas. So that was neat. So I built a network there outside of Tennessee. So that was a lot of fun. I was really involved in arts, visual arts. Took a lot of AP art classes, painting, drawing, things like that. John Haggard: [02:40] Yeah. Yeah. And so when you were bowling, you were one of those three hundreds, I guess right. The perfect, perfect… what do you call it, not the spare, but the strike. Kim Baker: [02:47] The strike. I hit a lot of strikes. I still can, I actually still have my ball. I still keep shoes. And it’s funny when I met my husband about 10 years ago, one night we were talking about going bowling, said, yeah, we’ll meet at the bowling alley. We were dating. And I said yeah, we’ll meet there. And we got there and I had my own ball and my own shoes and he showed up with his own shoes and I was like, we’re meant to be. John Haggard: [03:10] Yeah. Ha! Was he a pretty serious bowler as well? Kim Baker: [03:14] He didn’t bowl on any teams in high school, but in college, him and a few buddies, they thought it was a fun sport to get involved in. And so they actually joined a league while they were in college and just would go bowl a couple of nights a week. And so he wound up buying his own shoes and he’s actually really good. He’s left handed and he has a mean curve so he can throw a really awesome curve ball. John Haggard: [03:39] So Kim who can beat who on the lanes? Kim Baker: [03:43] Oh, that’s tough. It depends. It depends on a lot of different factors and just what’s going on. And you know, if there’s a lot of people around and, but he typically beats me. I’m not gonna lie. John Haggard: [03:57] It’s good to have a fun partner to be able to do that. Kim Baker: [04:00] It is fun. It’s all fun too. John Haggard: [04:02] Yeah. So any other favorite hobbies that you have? Kim Baker: [04:05] Currently? You know, this sounds cheesy… I like to shop, I think most women like to shop. I like to shop. I really like bargain hunting. Like I like to go find good deals. So I don’t just like to go shop and spend a ton of money. I like to go shop and find a good deal. So that really exciting for me. I like to get outdoors. I love camping. I like to tent camp. I really do. I like to sleep in a tent. As I get older. I like to sleep in an RV a little more. So I like to sleep in tents less, but I do like to be outside and camping and things like that. And I spend a lot of my time just serving in the community. I like to get out. And people say, Kim, you’re always working. I said, no, I’m not. I mean, you could look at it like that, but I actually enjoy doing these things. So on the weekends it’s not uncommon to find me at a nonprofit event or just visiting things that are going on in Gallatin. Cause I like being out in the community and just seeing what’s happening. John Haggard: [05:08] What’s the one thing about you, Kim, that most people would not know and if someone would really be surprised to know about you? Kim Baker: [05:18] Oh, that’s a good one. Well I’ve been dead before. John Haggard: [05:22] You have?! Kim Baker: [05:22] I have. John Haggard: [05:23] Really?! Kim Baker: [05:23] Seriously. so when I was 13, I’ll give you a short version of the story. When I was 13, my heart rate accelerated to 268 beats per minute. I was just walking out of school. And they took me to the hospital. Got there and they said, oh, we need to stop your heart. And so they stopped my heart. They dropped it down to zero and they had to manually restart my heart from zero. So I have been dead. Turns out that I had an accessory pathway in my heart that I was most likely born with. And what it did was it would cause blood to take a shortcut. And when it did that and flow through my heart, on that short path, it would cause my heart to accelerate. So later that year, a couple months later, I had a surgery. I did not have open heart surgery, but I did have a heart surgery that was a catheterization ablation, and they removed accessory pathways from my heart. And so my heart is as good as new. So actually, I’ve been dead and I was born with a heart that was actually too big. Different than the Grinch. John Haggard: [06:28] Wow. Wow. Wow. Aren’t you blessed to be here? Kim Baker: [06:31] I really am. I really, I really reflect on that. I mean, that was such an interesting age to experience something like that because when you’re going through those middle school and teenage years, there’s just a lot going on already. And then I was very self aware of what was going on with myself and my body at that time. And so, you know, I fully remember everything through that summer. It was in the summer when that happened. And so I have been able to reflect back on that and just, it really kind of changed my perspective on life for a long time. John Haggard: [07:04] Sure, sure. Well, let’s transition over to where you are now. So how did you get into the Chamber of Commerce business and as a CEO, cause you’re running the place. Kim Baker: [07:15] That’s what they say anyway. Well it’s kind of an interesting story. So when I stumbled upon my job here at the Chamber, it was in 2013. I graduated from college about a year ahead of time. I took a long time to graduate college. I really took some time to figure out what I wanted to do. And by the time I got here, when I graduated in 2012, that was not the best time for you, remember what the economy looked like then. Not the best time to come out as a new degreed person into the workforce. And so I looked and looked and applied and applied and I just couldn’t find anything. And so at the time I was working as a nanny. I was working for a private nanny for a family here in Sumner County. And I loved doing that, but I knew it wasn’t something I wanted to do forever. Kim Baker: [08:01] I had a good friend. He’s pretty popular in the community. His name’s Brad Singleton. He runs Briarscratch Brewing, Sumner County’s first brewery. He’s opened several other restaurants in the area and he was working closely with Paige Brown who is now the mayor of the City of Gallatin at the time she was a county commissioner and he was working with her to change some local legislation to allow breweries in Sumner County. Him and I were together for a group outing with a bunch of our buds from high school and college and he said, Kim, are you going to be a nanny forever? And I said, well, I’m trying really hard not to be, but I don’t know. He said, well I don’t know exactly what a Chamber does, but I know that the Chamber here in Gallatin is hiring and I think you’d be a good fit for it. And I said, okay, well what do I do? He said, well here’s Paige’s number, give her a call. So I gave her a call, I called her on a Sunday cause I was with Brad on a Saturday. I said, I’m going to call her on a Sunday. And so she said, can you come in for an interview? So I went in and on that Monday for an interview and I got hired. John Haggard: [08:58] On the spot. Kim Baker: [09:00] On the spot. I applied for just a part time admin position answering the phones. I thought that’s what I was just going to be doing. But if you’ve ever spent any time with the Chamber, you know that we do far more than just take calls, and we do so many things. I can’t even, it would take me hours and days to tell you all the things we do here. But I I took that job and when I asked in the interview, one of the questions I asked in the interview was, do you think there’s room for growth? Because she told me at the time, she said, I just want you to know that in the next couple of years, I am gonna run for mayor. And she said, and when I do that, I don’t know what would happen here at the Chamber if I won, if I lost. I don’t know. Kim Baker: [09:41] You know, the board might want to completely restaff. She said the board might want to hire somebody in. So I don’t know what will happen. An existing employee might move up. I have no idea. And I said, well, would I be eligible for your job? She said, well, by then you would have at least a year of experience and you have a college degree. So I’d say you might be eligible. And I said, great, I’ll take the job. So I took the job and I didn’t take it with the intention of becoming CEO, by no means. I took it because I was really intrigued by what the Chamber did. It was here in my hometown. I could walk to work if I wanted to. Less than five minutes away from my house. And, I knew this is where we were putting down roots. Kim Baker: [10:23] So I thought, well, I’ll take the job. And so I took the job. If you’re around Gallatin, you know how this story ends. The mayor did, Paige did get elected. She became our mayor. And at that time, the board chose to conduct a nationwide search and about 70 people applied from all over. John Haggard: [10:43] Seventy, wow. Kim Baker: [10:43] 70 applied. I was the only internal candidate. Zena Parks that’s been here for, I think she’s nearing 15 years. She didn’t want to apply. She said, I like doing what I do. I said, okay, well I’m going to apply and let’s see what happens. And so I applied, I made it to the last round. And you know, part of me thought, well, they might just be dragging me through all of these rounds just because I’m the internal candidate and they have to. Well, I got the job and, the rest is kind of history. Kim Baker: [11:11] So I’ve been here at the Chamber since 2013. I’ve been in my role since 2015 and I always keep up with that because the mayor’s in her fifth year as mayor. And that means I’m in my fifth year as CEO at the Chamber. And, it has been a wild adventure, but a very, very fun and rewarding one every piece of the way. John Haggard: [11:30] We’re talking with Kim Baker, the CEO of the Gallatin Chamber of Commerce. And one of the things I noticed when I went on the website, Kim, is I saw this designation not only CEO but I see, IOM, TCEcD, all of these… Are these certifications? I mean this sounds like a big deal to me. Kim Baker: [11:51] It’s something like that. No, it is a certification. And so one of the things, my degree is in organizational communication, which really set me up well for managing organizations, nonprofit management, event management. Kim Baker: [12:03] But the Chamber industry is so different than a lot of other nonprofit industries, and just a lot of industries all together. And we do a lot of community development. We do economic development. And so I wanted to put more tools in my box. I knew I didn’t want to go back to school and get a Master’s, because there’s not a Master’s in Chamber Management or anything like that. So I went for a four year program, it’s called Institute for Organizational Management. It is geared for Association and Chamber professionals. And so over the course of four years I went away for about a week in the summer. I went to Tucson, Arizona for one year and then I spent three years in Athens, Georgia and I obtained my IOM. So that is what that is. It’s one of the higher rankings in the Chamber industry. There’s a few more after that that I’m kind of working on. And then the other one is the Tennessee Certified Economic Developer Designation. And so both of these are about 96 hours of coursework. And so I’ve spent the past four years. I wrapped both of those up last year in 2018 John Haggard: [13:06] Sounds like in other professions like legal and accounting, Continuing Education. I mean it’s, it’s a… Kim Baker: [13:13] Yeah, it’s so important. I mean in any field, continuing education is very important and I’m a firm believer that education is one of the best things you can do for yourself personally and professionally. And it’s one of the only things that people can never take away from you. John Haggard: [13:27] You know, that’s true. When you think about that, they may call you names, but they can’t take that away. Kim Baker: [13:31] They cannot take that away from you. John Haggard: [13:33] Well, you know, now is, we look Middle Tennessee is a really hot market for industry, for people moving here. People who feel like, gosh, there’s a lot of potential. And some people can remember back to the boom of Rutherford county, Murfreesboro and Smyrna when the Nissan plant came in and came online years back. And some are saying, you know, there’s a lot going on if you drive into Gallatin and you just kind of get off at any exit or you know, up the main drag, whatever. You see a lot of apartments going up, you see a lot of building going up. So in Sumner County at this point in time, what are the most exciting building and employment prospects that you see? Things that are underway now? Kim Baker: [14:14] You know, I think what’s popular to most, and it’s unpopular to many, but popular to a lot, are the things that we all notice. You know, we see the retail and restaurants developing and that is exciting. If you’ve lived in Gallatin for a long time around the outlying areas of Gallatin, then you’re excited to see some of those folks come to our area because you no longer have to drive 20 to 30 minutes to have access to major retailers and major restaurants. You know, the flip side of that is when we try to attract those, and some of those aren’t really here yet. We know that some of them are coming and you see some of the empty buildings that have been developed and built and it’s kind of the mindset if you build it, they will come in. That is true. You have to have some of those properties available. Kim Baker: [14:57] But then you also have to have sites ready and kind of wired for those folks to move into them. With that, you know, you mentioned the apartments and those are, you know, people have mixed feelings about those. I even have mixed feelings about those because they do change the look of our area and the feel of our area. But when we have those rooftops, whether they be apartments or they be physical houses, condos, whatever it looks like, those are the things that help us recruit the restaurants and retail to the area. We have to have those rooftops, we have to have the population growth, we have to have a certain makeup of income and culture and things here for those folks to even look at us. Some of the recent announcements that you’ve seen, one that was made just a few months ago back in April of 2019 was Archer Data Centers and they are planned for Gallatin. It’s a New York based technology startup and they’re building a multimillion dollar data center powered by renewable energy right here in Gallatin. And you know, we’re seeing a lot of growth in the tech area all over Middle Tennessee, all over the nation really. And so I think we could plan and hope to see more of that in our area in the future. John Haggard: [16:08] All right. And so if you were approached by a CEO who’s saying, you know, Middle Tennessee is pretty good for us. We want to locate somewhere here in the Nashville Metro, one of these eight counties. And if you were going to say, because you’re the CEO there and you’d want to give a pitch for Gallatin, if you look at Gallatin as a location or relocation spot for a new business versus other areas of the Nashville Metro and you were to say, here like the two or three reasons why you really ought to consider Gallatin, why we feel like here we are a better fit than where you’re looking elsewhere. What would you say? Kim Baker: [16:44] Well, we can all say proximity. That’s an easy one that people want to say, and access. But I really do think when we say that here in Gallatin, we mean it. Gallatin has spent a lot of time, the city leadership and then the different community leaders in the area, have spent a lot of time developing Gallatin in a very strategic manner. We have strategic growth and we have planned growth, which is not the same in other areas. You can have growth and it can be just very unorganized and almost chaotic, or you can have growth the way Gallatin is doing it. Strategic and planned. So that’s one of the things and that allows us to capitalize on that proximity to Nashville, because we do have that proximity to Nashville. About 23 minutes north of Nashville, but we also have access and it’s planned and strategic. Kim Baker: [17:27] And so it is how you see it. The other part is for your workforce. When you’re bringing a company or you’re bringing folks to our area, you have to be equally as concerned about the folks that you’re hiring and employing. We have a great workforce. We have a great talent pipeline here in our community and we have amenities for them here. You know, in Gallatin we’re not catering to those high level folks, which we definitely have space for them here. But we also have things for, in terms of education opportunities, we have nightlife opportunities. We have quality of life and living accommodations here in Gallatin for everybody that a company would want to hire. John Haggard: [18:10] So let’s talk about some of the fun things to do at night or weekends, places to go in the Gallatin area. What’s hot now? Kim Baker: [18:18] You know, my favorite place, and this is the third thing I would mention to somebody that’s interested in relocating to the area is our historic downtown. We have a charm like none other. We are the county seat, which is awesome. But we also have a historic downtown that is fully revitalized. I think it is the most beautiful historic downtown in Sumner County. It has a lot of different things going on. We have a dynamic dining scene. We have shopping, we have retail, we have places to catch live music, to grab a drink. We have events that happen on the streets of our downtown. So that’s one of my favorite things. Also, the lake, I mean, we can’t forget about that. You can get on the lake or you can view the lake, you can live on the lake, you can just drive by the lake. Kim Baker: [19:00] However you want to experience the lake. You can do it in here in Gallatin. John Haggard: [19:04] Yeah. So what are some of the biggest annual events that go on every year in Gallatin? Kim Baker: [19:09] Well, there’s several different ones. The Chamber’s in charge of about eight of them that happen annually. One that happens in the Spring and the Fall that the Chamber is not in charge of, it’s actually a greater Gallatin, our Downtown Gallatin Main Street Program host is the Main Street Festivals that happen in the Spring and the Fall. But there’s one that happens every April, that last weekend in April. And then every October in the first weekend in October. And they say about 10,000 people come to these events. And so we have vendors up and down all of the streets of our historic downtown. We have live music, things for kids to do, food trucks from in the area, outside of the area. Kim Baker: [19:47] And then of course, all of our retailers along the square are open. Those are some of my favorites. We also have a Christmas parade that is one of the largest in the region. We have over a hundred entries. It’s really a magical day in Gallatin, Tennessee. Some other special holiday events that happen throughout the year. Tinsel and Treasures. It’s a holiday retail open house. It’s been going on for about 50 years. Ws, we have about 20 retailers that participate, and it’s really the kickoff to the holiday season. So local retailers open up their doors, they deck their halls. It’s a Saturday and Sunday, the second weekend in November every year. And they have live music, Christmas music playing, they have Christmas treats, some of them are in specials and deals and so it kicks off the shopping season in Gallatin, TN. John Haggard: [20:34] Alright. And you know, for folks who don’t really understand how a Chamber of Commerce is funded, say like there in Gallatin. Tell folks a little bit about how it’s funded, how it’s put together, who’s there, how many people you have working with you. Kim Baker: [20:47] So the Chamber is unique. A lot of folks think that we were a part of the city or, or a part of the government and we are not. We are a partner to the city. The City of Gallatin is one of our great, great partners, but we are a stand alone entity. We are actually a nonprofit. We’re a 501c6 which is just a tax designation. We are not a charitable nonprofit like the United Way or Habitat for Humanity, but we are a nonprofit and so basically we serve the business community. We have about 500 members that are all in the Gallatin area. We do have members that are outside of Gallatin and even outside the county, and we do have a couple members that are even outside of the state, but they do business in Gallatin, so they’re a part of our organization. Those folks, depending on what level they want, they pay membership dues to us and so they pay an annual investment fee. And with that money we’re able to produce some of the events we host annually. We’re able to market and support their businesses and some of their activities and really just pour back into the community. I like to say that while we are a business organization, we’re very much in just as equally a community development organization because we know that when you have a strong community then your businesses thrive. John Haggard: [22:02] All right. Now let me ask you this Kim, I don’t know if you’ve been asked this before, but I have a feeling maybe you have been asked this before. Would you consider one day running for mayor? Kim Baker: [22:14] Would I consider one day running for mayor? You know, it’s funny. That’s a funny question. The first few months here at the Chamber when I was in my new role, that was one of the most common questions I got. They said, are you going to do that next, because I think people thought maybe that’s a stepping stone. Would I consider it?absolutely. Would I consider it right now? Absolutely not. I’m young. I have a lot to learn still. Not saying that a young person can’t be mayor. And I’m not saying that our current mayor is not young, but I still have a lot to learn. I think I have a lot of wisdom to pick up along the way still. And I have young children, I have a 13 year old stepson and I have a two year old daughter and I really, I know the demand that my job has for me already and my time at home and with my family is already limited. So I’d like to wait until they get a little older and out from under our wings a little more before I do something that consumes more of my time. But when the time is right and, should there be a need for me to put my name in the hat, I would consider it. John Haggard: [23:16] All right folks, you may have heard it first, right here, Kim Baker for mayor of Gallatin, the Gallatin area. So we’ll see about that… Kim Baker: [23:22] In like 30, 30 years. John Haggard: [23:23] 30 years. John Haggard: [23:25] All right. Kim, what’s the best way for people to get in touch with you? Kim Baker: [23:30] Hey, the best way to get in touch with me is calling our office. Our office is open 9 to 4, Monday through Friday. The number is easy, (615) 452-4000. You can always shoot me an email. I’m happy to take your email and I do my best to respond to emails in a timely manner. My email is also easy… kim@gallatintn.org, or you can always drop by and see us. We love when visitors come in our office. We have a ton of information about the Gallatin area and the businesses within it. We’re located at 118 West Main Street, right next to City Hall. We share a parking lot with them. John Haggard: [24:04] Kim Baker everybody, right there. She is the CEO of the Gallatin Chamber of Commerce, our special edition guest today on the Miracle Ford podcast. Join us again right here for another special edition of the podcast in addition to our regular topics that we discuss each month, the best ways to purchase lease service and maintain, also accessorize and sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible, when you’re ready to do it. And don’t forget the transcript of each podcast right here on the website. You can easily refer to it for information right there at your fingertips. I’m your host John Haggard, and we’ll see you next time.

Welcome to the 8th episode of the Miracle Ford Podcast! This week we speak with Jim Morgan, the Finance Manager at Miracle Ford. Jim is from Nashville and has been with Miracle since 2002. This is a great episode, so be sure to sit back, relax, and enjoy! Topics Discussed: Jim’s backgroundWhat is the job of a Finance ManagerHow getting great loan rates are still possible with low or challenged creditA deep dive into the 2020 Ford ExpeditionWhat makes Miracle different Transcript John Haggard: 00:03 Welcome to the Miracle Ford podcast where each week you will be able to learn the best ways to purchase lease service and maintain, accessorize and sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible when you’re ready to do it. And you’ll also find out about new technology on new vehicles. I’m your host John Haggard and throughout each month, right here we’ll have different team members join us from Miracle Ford to bring you tips you can use. You will also see a transcript of each podcast so that you can easily refer to it for information to have at your fingertips. John Haggard: 00:35 Today’s topic is the new 2020 Ford Explorer and what’s changed since the original Explorer was released and also some financing information for those who are looking on best ways, quickest ways, fastest ways to get financed. On the podcast we have with us, Jim Morgan, he’s the Finance Manager at Miracle Ford. Hey Jim, welcome to the podcast. Jim Morgan: 00:56 Hey John, thank you for having me. John Haggard: 00:58 Glad to, glad to have you along. You know, people always want to know who’s behind the curtain, who’s behind the voice, who is this guy? So tell us a little bit about you, your background. Where did you grow up, Jim? Jim Morgan: 01:09 Well, I grew up here in Nashville. I’ve been here all my life. Started in the car business in 1993 after several years working in the hospitality industry. John Haggard: 01:19 Okay. So what were you doing in hospitality? Jim Morgan: 01:21 I managed hotels and restaurants. John Haggard: 01:24 Okay. Well such a big switch from that to automotive. How did you get into automotive? How did you bridge that gap? Jim Morgan: 01:31 It’s about the same. It’s the same kind of the business. You’re still dealing with people. So that’s, that’s basically how I was able to move into it. John Haggard: 01:40 And then how did you wind up at Miracle Ford Jim Morgan: 01:43 In 2002 I went to work for Tim Galvin, at Miracle Chrysler as Finance Manager. Been with them ever since. John Haggard: 01:52 All right. So and then since 2002 so that would make it about, what, 17 going on 18 years. Jim Morgan: 01:57 That’s correct. John Haggard: 02:00 Gotcha. All right. So as Finance Manager, people understand, okay, well he manages finance, but what exactly is your role at Miracle Ford in terms of Finance Manager? What can you do for someone who’s coming in to try to get financed? Jim Morgan: 02:14 Well, we are going to offer the best programs that we have available for our customers, especially the customers that may feel like that they have the credit issues that maybe keep them from buying a car. Credit scores aren’t what they used to be. I mean there are many cases where you see some lower scores. It’s still git, very good rates. I had one over the weekend, I get as low as 1.9% so you have to be able to look at it in the big picture in order to structure a deal to make it work for both the customer and the bank. John Haggard: 02:47 Well you know the old perception is, well if you have a low credit score, the only thing you’re going to be able to buy, if you can buy, is a junker clunker or something that it might be eight or 10 years old. So your saying even with challenged credit, it’s possible to get a a new vehicle, a lease or purchase at at 1.9% in that particular case Jim Morgan: 03:05 The 1.9% was a on a purchase of a new Expedition. So yeah, I mean you can buy pretty much whenever you can, you know, whatever you care to buy. John Haggard: 03:16 So what’s changed? I mean why now Jim is it that with a, we’ll just call it challenged credit or less than you know, high credit that someone would be able to not only get into a new vehicle but at a good rate. Why, why now versus a few years ago? Jim Morgan: 03:31 One thing I’ve seen is that there are more opportunities depending on the cars and also the customer. I mean the credit score is not their whole story either. I mean most of the time they’ve got great history and employment history, residence history, things like that all add up. So you have to take the whole picture when you’re getting a customer taken care of with a bank. John Haggard: 03:57 Okay. So you think they take a more of a 360 degree view today versus a few years ago when they just would only look at the score and say yes or no? Jim Morgan: 04:06 That’s exactly right. John Haggard: 04:07 We’re also talking today about the new and exciting 2020 Ford Explorer SUV. Kind of hard to believe that 2020 models are here and when you hear about the Ford Explorer SUV, you also hear things like, well there’s the XLT, there’s the limited, there’s the s t and the platinum, and sometimes the model names can be confusing, but just basically tell us a little bit about the Ford Explorer and the different models in terms of what the differences are. But really I think what people want to know about most is what’s cool about the Ford Explorer, what’s going on? Jim Morgan: 04:37 Well, everything’s cool about the new Explorer because it’s a whole new body style. We’ve revamped it top to bottom. One of the things that I really like about the new Explorer is now rear wheel drive meaning instead of the front pulling it when it was with the front wheel drive. Now it’s going to be pushing. The overall length has changed. The rear of the truck is now a little bit longer, which is going to increase the towing experience. The towing on a new Explorer can be up to 5,600 pounds, which is a lot larger than it’s ever been before. And also with that design, it’s going to give a better ride and handling to a better weight distribution on the truck. John Haggard: 05:20 All right. You know, and I think I was doing a little bit of research before calling you that the Explorer was the first four door SUV that was produced by Ford, I think back in 1991 to replace the two-door Bronco. I remember the Broncos. Is that about right? Jim Morgan: 05:35 That sounds about right. I know it’s a year or two before I got into the business, but I think that’s exactly right. John Haggard: 05:41 Right. And, and the site also say this is now the sixth generation, if I read that properly, six. Jim Morgan: 05:46 That is correct. John Haggard: 05:46 Wow. I mean that’s, that’s something, what do you see in terms of new and exciting technology? You know, we’ve got so much technology with Wifi and everything fi all over the place, everybody’s connected all here and there. What’s going on in the Explorer that’s cool about technology? Jim Morgan: 06:03 Well, it starts everywhere. We’ve now have a tenant screen that’s in the middle of the, of the stack for your navigation and all your controls. It’s also handy. Everything’s just right there for you to see. And then you go into like the st truck and the st Explorer is straight out of the racing division of Ford. So you really got a performance vehicle in the new Explorer. And also John, we now have a hybrid Explorer, which is really exciting, but the hybrid can get up to 500 miles of a tank of fuel, but also it can still tow 5,000 pounds, which is really unheard of when you talk about a hybrid vehicle. John Haggard: 06:49 So Jim, what would you tell people about Miracle Ford in terms of why they should buy at Miracle as opposed to other Ford dealers? Because every dealer out there as you know, is going to say, hey, you know, we’re going to give you the best deal. We’re the best. We got the best customer service and all this kind of thing. What is it that makes Miracle Ford different now that you’ve been there? What do we say, 18 years? Jim Morgan: 07:10 Well, soon to be 17. The thing I see is the people, I mean, you can go and look at the numbers of a car and they’re within $100 of each other. And I mean they’re, everybody’s got them. Everybody pays the same. However, it’s the people from the Galvin family who’s been here since they opened this in 1980. I mean, they’ve been, they’ve been strong community people. And I mean, we all work towards the same goal. We’re here to take care of our customers first. And you know, I have a lot of special customers that just call me and you know, and so it’s, it’s the family approach that we use here to take care of our customers. John Haggard: 07:59 That’s Jim Morgan, everybody, the Finance Manager and Miracle Ford. Join us again for other topics on the podcast throughout each month because our goal here is to help you learn the best ways to purchase service, maintain, accessorize, and sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible when you’re ready. And also to find out about latest technology on new vehicles like we did here just a few minutes ago. And don’t forget, we also post a transcript of each podcast right here on the website for quick reference. I’m your host John Haggard, and we’ll see you next time.

Welcome to the 7th episode of our weekly podcast here at Miracle Ford! In this episode, we talk with Robert Fleites, the Parts and Service Director at Miracle Auto Group. Topics Discussed: Robert’s BackstoryTechnology in the Service DepartmentSolutions in accessorizing your vehicleWarrantiesThe Miracle VIP Advantage ProgramWhat makes Miracle DifferentTop questions that people ask in the Service and Parts department Transcript John Haggard: 00:02 Welcome to the Miracle Ford podcast where each week you will be able to learn the best ways to purchase lease service and maintain, accessorize and sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible, when you’re ready to do it. I’m your host John Haggard and throughout each month right here we’ll have different team members join us from Miracle to bring you tips you can use. And by the way, we will also post a transcript of each podcast so you can easily refer to it for information that you would like to have right there at your fingertips without having to go back and forth and spend a lot of time researching what it was you just heard on this podcast. John Haggard: 00:35 We’re talking with Robert Fleites. He’s the Parts and Service Director at Miracle Ford. Hey Robert, welcome to the podcast. Robert Fleites: 00:42 How are you doing John? John Haggard: 00:43 I am doing well. Appreciate your being with us today. You know, a lot of people always want to know, well, who’s the guy behind the curtain or who’s the woman behind the curtain, the person that they say they’re the Parts and Service Director. Tell us a little bit about you, where you grew up. Robert Fleites: 00:57 I grew up in south Florida, Miami, Fort Lauderdale area, and then my last 13 years that I was in Florida, I was in the Melbourne area. John Haggard: 01:05 All right. And you know, Florida is known for alligators. Do you ever see any, any ever come to the dealership? Robert Fleites: 01:12 If there’s a body of water. There’s a chance there’s a gator. John Haggard: 01:15 That’s what they say. That’s exactly what they say. Don’t ever walk by a body of water without looking out, right. Oh yeah, there you go. So tell us, how did you get started, Robert, in the automotive service and repair business? Robert Fleites: 01:26 Well, when I finished high school, I was in the farming business. My Dad was in the cattle business, and that was going away, the way Florida is growing so fast. And I said, well, I either got to go to college or I got to learn a trade. And I went to the Fort Asset Program and I did two and a half years there. I got an associates in Automotive and started off as Technician became Service Advisor, Service Manager and now I’m a Parts and Service Director. John Haggard: 01:50 Alright. And you said your dad was in the cattle business in Florida, is that right? Wow. So you did, you grew up on a farm or at least doing that type of thing? Robert Fleites: 01:58 Yeah, had the best of both worlds. A country and city. John Haggard: 02:02 When people say Parts and Service Director, we can kind of figure that out. But if there’s something different you do or what’s really behind, what does that mean? Parts and Service Director? Robert Fleites: 02:12 Well, I oversee the finances on parts and service departments. And then I set the goals and, and monitor, you know, everything that’s going in and out or out of the department. John Haggard: 02:23 We hear a lot about new technology today. One of the reasons they trade for new vehicle or whatever it is because the technology changing very quickly. What about in the service department? Is there much changed there? Is it really just in the vehicles themselves? Robert Fleites: 02:36 The way technology is nowadays with the vehicles, there’s changes with the vehicles quarterly or yearly and with the servers department who, you know, we have to change with the times and just keep up with the times. So there’s a lot of tech training, a lot of advisor training just to keep up with technology. You can’t stay the same. You’ve got to move forward and keep up with the time so you can be successful. John Haggard: 02:58 Yeah. Would you, is there anything that’s Really super exciting today in the technology side of it? Maybe that wasn’t here say four or five years ago? Robert Fleites: 03:06 Oh yes. I mean especially the way the, the vehicles now, depending on the model, the way the vehicle communicates with the customer pretty much updates the customer daily on how the vehicle’s operating, when it’s due for service or anything. And the vehicle is not working the right way at that time. John Haggard: 03:23 Tell me about the inventory of accessories for those who want to accessorize their vehicle. What can they buy and what can, what can you install? Robert Fleites: 03:31 Everything. Everything on the Ford side. Some of the accessories are from factory, you know, bedliners running boards, bug shields stuff like that. Ford does not offer a lift kit and a lot of people do like to lift their vehicles. So we do offer an aftermarket lift kits if the customer does wish to, you know, lift the vehicle. John Haggard: 03:53 Gotcha. And if you talk about warranty for installed accessories versus factory installed, that type of thing, what’s the difference there? Robert Fleites: 04:01 Well, the difference is if the vehicle comes with the factory accessories on a Ford normally like I said, it’s the running boards or the bed liners. If there are pre-installed before the vehicle is sold, those come with a three year 36,000 mile warranty. If those factory accessories are installed after the point of sale, which is what most people do, you get a two year unlimited miles on warranty. On the lift kits Ford does not offer a factory kit like our Chrysler store does with a Mopar. So we do install the aftermarkets and depending on which one you get, I mean there’s different prices and then different levels that you can get. But most of them come with a one year, 12,000 mile warranty on the parts only not the labor. John Haggard: 04:44 Alright. And can you install any accessory that somebody wants or do you have to send the vehicle to, you know, a special custom shop in the area? Robert Fleites: 04:51 Oh no, we do it in house. We’ve got factory trained technicians that just do that. John Haggard: 04:54 What about the VIP program? We understand that’s been upgraded, enhanced new and improved as they say. Just wondered what you know, people don’t want to save their way to get a discount on maintenance. How can I save some money? What is it about the VIP program that would be good today? Robert Fleites: 05:09 Well, that VIP, that’s a rewards program that we started as of August 1st if you buy a vehicle from us, that vehicle will come with a lifetime power train warranty as long as you own the vehicle. And at the same time, at the time of sale, the salesperson will install an app on the customer’s phone and the customer as they come in for service will start accumulating points towards the rewards program for the customer. So they can start accumulating points and then as they accumulate points, they can use those points towards their maintenance on the vehicle. John Haggard: 05:44 Now, Robert, what if someone did not purchase a vehicle from Miracle Ford or the Miracle Auto Group? And in terms of the rewards program that you were talking about there with VIP and the points, how does that work? Robert Fleites: 05:55 Well, when they come in for service, they can the advisor is going to ask them that we’re going to make them part of our rewards rewards program. We will install the app in their phone and they can start accumulating points for future services. John Haggard: 06:12 All right. You know, and a lot of people are thinking today, like everything, things are expensive. How can I save on vehicle repair? And at Miracle Ford for example, if the repair estimate were going to be whatever the number is and someone says to you, was there a cheaper way that I can get this done rather than say a factory part, can I get an aftermarket part or can you source one and do that? Can that be done or how does that work in terms of warranties and the parts that are used? Robert Fleites: 06:41 Well we like to use the factory parts, little bit of a better quality and you get a a longer warranty. But we do offer our customers depending, you know, on the year of the vehicle and some of the high mileage vehicles, we will offer the customer if they want to use aftermarket parts, just to save them a couple dollars. We do offer that as well. So, you know, whatever it takes to get the, so the customer’s happy and get the vehicle done the fastest way possible too. John Haggard: 07:06 Okay. Is there a general number, like for example, I know it depends upon the part, but if we look at the factory price part versus aftermarket price part, is it like 20% generally? Or can it just be all over the board? How does that work? Robert Fleites: 07:22 It’s all over the board and depending on the part, John, you know, sometimes you can get, you know, let’s say just a starter aftermarket is just as much as the factory one. So, you know, it all depends. Yeah, it depends on what and what it is. John Haggard: 07:34 Is there any other question that people ask a lot? Would you say Robert, when it comes to service or accessorizing a vehicle or maybe the two or three questions that people always ask about those areas? Robert Fleites: 07:45 Well, they want to know what the warranty is on the, on the parts that are replaced and and the warranty on their vehicle. And one of the questions that people mostly ask is, why did this happen? You know, so so that’s what they don’t want it to happen again. So they definitely want to know what the warranty is on the part that we’re replacing. John Haggard: 08:03 And what would you tell people about Miracle Ford in terms of why they should service and accessorize with the Miracle Auto Group? Because there are a lot of choices out there. Most dealers, probably all, would say, come here, we’re the best we can do it. What is it about Miracle, why someone should come there in Gallatin as opposed to another Ford dealer? Robert Fleites: 08:23 We have a great reputation and we’ve been here since 1980, servicing Middle Tennessee and especially Sumner County here in Gallatin and, we’re family oriented and we’re gonna back up any repairs that we do and we’re going to take care of our customers and make you feel like you’re at home when you come here and that’s what we take pride on. John Haggard: 08:43 All right. And anything I didn’t ask you that you would want folks to know now? Robert Fleites: 08:47 I think you’ve pretty much covered everything. John Haggard: 08:48 All right. That’s Robert Fleites everybody. He is the Parts and Service Director at Miracle Ford in Gallatin. Join us again right here for other topics on the podcast throughout each month because our goal is to show you the best ways to purchase, maintain and accessorize your new or preowned vehicle, and how to sell your vehicle for the highest resale value, when you’re ready. And don’t forget, we also post a transcript of each podcast right here on the website so that you can easily refer to it, get the information you need right there at your fingertips. I’m your host John Haggard, and we’ll see you next time.

Welcome to Episode #5 of our weekly podcast here at Miracle Ford! In this episode, we talk with Amy Bryant, the Business Development Manager at Miracle Ford. Topics Discussed: How Amy got into the businessWhat is the BDC (Business Development Center) and what is their roleWhat are the most Frequently Asked Questions that customers haveWorking with customers who have challenged creditHow the Internet has changed the marketplace, and why it is a good thingWhat makes Miracle differentWhat Amy does outside of work Transcript Opening John Haggard: 00:02 Welcome to the Miracle Ford podcast where each week you will be able to learn the best ways to purchase or lease, maintain and accessorize and how to sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible, when you’re ready to do it. I’m your host John Haggard and throughout each month right here, as you probably already know, if you’ve been listening, we’ll have different team members join us from Miracle to bring you tips that you can actually use, and answer questions that you probably have in your mind already. And by the way, we will also post a transcript of each podcast so you can easily refer to it. The idea there is if you hear something you want to get the information, not have to listen to everything all over again, just go right to the script and your information is right there. On this podcast we’re talking to Amy Bryant and she’s the Business Development Manager at Miracle Ford in Gallatin. Hey Amy, welcome to the podcast. Amy Bryant: 00:49 Hi John. How are you doing? How Did You Get Into The Car Business John Haggard: 00:51 I’m doing good. Doing good. You know, people always want to know, well, who is the person behind the voice? Who is the person behind the face? So it’s always interesting to know. Amy, how did you get started in the car business? Amy Bryant: 01:04 Well, John, I have to say back in 2013 I was actually a recruiter and one of my clients suggested that I try the car business… that I would possibly be good at it. I have loved it every day since then. John Haggard: 01:18 You say a recruiter, what did, who did you use to recruit for? What type of folks were you looking for? Amy Bryant: 01:23 I was actually a recruiter in the accounting arena, so I worked for Robert Half for many years and that is actually how I even got in the car business. It just kind of fell in my lap and I’ve loved it. John Haggard: 01:33 Wow, okay. So people who needed anything at all to do with accounting, you would call on companies and say, “Hey, if you’ve got a need for bookkeeping or a chief financial officer, we’ve got folks”, that type of thing. Amy Bryant: 01:44 That’s correct. Everything from a CFO all the way down to just a data entry. John Haggard: 01:49 Okay. Okay. So how long have you been doing cars and vehicles? Amy Bryant: 01:52 Since April of 2013 John Haggard: 01:54 April of 2013. All right. And so now how about Miracle Ford? How did you wind up at Miracle Ford? Amy Bryant: 02:01 It’s kind of funny. I actually came to have lunch with one of my coworkers that I have worked with for probably six out of my eight years here in the business and I met him at Miracle Ford. He told me what a great dealership this was. I came to have lunch and the rest is history. I just celebrated my one year anniversary here and look forward to many more years here. John Haggard: 02:24 That sounds fun. That’s how it works. Sometimes it’s all about relationships and who you know and who you get to know. When you hear that title, Business Development Manager, it sounds like a big deal and I’m sure it is, but what does that really mean? What do you really do there at Miracle Ford? What Is The BDC (Business Development Center), and What Do You Do? Amy Bryant: 02:41 My team and I develop the business for Miracle Auto Group. We have a whole center that’s designated to this business and we handle all the internet inquiries promptly. We handle all the incoming calls and make outgoing calls to all of our existing customers as well as any potential new customers. But our main goal is to set appointments for all potential customers with our certified professional staff. You know, one of the things is our time is very valuable and when we schedule these appointments, we are doing this for our customer just to expedite their time that they spend in the dealership. John Haggard: 03:16 Okay. Yeah. Because one of the big complaints of people who come in to try to purchase a vehicle or lease a vehicle, you hear these stories… “it took me all day long to try to try to get something done”. So are you saying that your idea and the way that you do business there is to try to make this a process that doesn’t take very long? Amy Bryant: 03:36 Absolutely. We want our customer to be able to get as much knowledge and gather as much information as they can over the phone so that when they come into the dealership, we’re going to have their vehicle ready. We’re going to have the used car manager waiting to appraise their trade and we’re going to have our finance managers on deck so that they can go right in there promptly. John Haggard: 03:56 Alright, so that makes sense. Because, in other words, like if I respond on the Internet and I see a vehicle that I want, really your team or you are going to be the ones who are behind the scene to be sure that I get everything I need so they don’t have to waste a lot of time coming in there asking questions again. Amy Bryant: 04:12 Absolutely. We want to make sure that that is answered promptly, quickly and give you just as much information as we possibly can. We don’t want to have to wait for a sales person to come off of the floor. We want to make sure that you can reach us each and every time you try to. What Are The Most Frequently Asked Questions That Customers Ask John Haggard: 04:29 All right. That makes sense. Cause people really are, I guess there’s a phrase “time starved” today. What are the typical maybe top two, three, four questions you always get? Questions people want to know first? Amy Bryant: 04:41 Well I think mostly they want to know if the vehicle is still available. Do we still have the vehicle, what is the condition of the vehicle, is it a one car owner, they want to know the history of the vehicle and they always want to make sure that the specs that are featured online are correct. So we always are going to be asked to, is that the best price that’s on the Internet? So those are really the top questions that we get asked. And I would say probably 90% of the time, those are the four questions that are always asked. John Haggard: 05:10 All right. So the idea is give the customer all of the information you possibly can on the phone, again to cut down all the time that they would otherwise have to spend. Amy Bryant: 05:20 Absolutely. Can You Help Someone With Challenged Credit? John Haggard: 05:21 And what if somebody, Amy, has challenged credit. What about that? Amy Bryant: 05:26 We have a department here inside of Miracle Auto Group, and they work with so many different lenders that there really is a great chance that we will be able to get you into a vehicle. All of our highly skilled finance managers, they’re going to work very hard. They will work every avenue they can for our customers to leave with a vehicle. John Haggard: 05:45 Pretty good, strong possibility. You’re saying that they can get financial aid dollars and can that be on a new vehicle or new lease as well? Or is that only on used that you can do that? Amy Bryant: 05:54 No, that’s definitely up to lender and up to the finance manager to decide what’s the best option for the customer. I have found that we all have highs and lows in life and that includes our financial struggles are no different. And we have lenders that realize that and they will assist in giving people a second chance. Even after bankruptcy. Our finance managers are relentless. John, they’re gonna work hard and do all they can for our customers. John Haggard: 06:20 Kinda sound like you. You sound relentless, Amy. Amy Bryant: 06:23 Well… you know, I try. Ha. What Changes Do You See in the Marketplaces Today Compared To Just a Few Years Ago? John Haggard: 06:25 There you go. So, what do you think in the market place today, you hear about these companies like Carvana and all sorts of things that are going on. What changes do you see in the marketplace as people go about making a decision to buy or lease a vehicle compared to maybe just a few years ago. Amy Bryant: 06:42 The Internet, hands down the Internet. Most of the customers that we speak with already know what vehicle they want, what they want to pay for it, and do everything before they even step into the dealership or even speak with someone at the dealership. They do their research. And I think the internet is a fantastic tool for our buyer to have. And I look at the Internet as our friend. I believe that we should be able to have all of our information together, as we all work so very hard for our money, I really think the Internet is the buyer’s friend. John Haggard: 07:16 Well that makes sense. And certainly people on anything, no matter what they buy today, it seems like, we’ll all go up there and get a customer opinion, reviews or just to see, hey, you know, what kind of information can I get? It’s almost like, do you ever feel like this Amy? Sometimes people, they don’t really want to talk to anybody. They want to get all the information first, then call and say, can you do it? Yes or no? Amy Bryant: 07:40 Absolutely. And they have every right to do that. You know, I love it when a customer calls me and challenges me to ask that question and to really put together everything we can for that individual. I don’t ever want to say no and I definitely would work every avenue to make sure that I can do what the customer asks. What Makes Miracle Ford and the Miracle Auto Group Different? John Haggard: 07:59 Every dealer is going to say we’re the best. We can finance everybody or most people, you need to come here. You won’t get a better deal, a better price, a better vehicle, better options anywhere else. So what would you say, what would you tell people if they said, “you know what Amy, I keep hearing that same thing. Everybody says they’re the best”. What about Miracle Ford in terms of why really they should deal with the Miracle Auto Group? Amy Bryant: 08:22 John, I have to tell you, in my eight years in this business, I love the principles that Miracle Auto Group stands for. I have worked in the car business for some of the biggest corporations for six years, which is very long time being in a corporation, in the car business. This company is different. I can’t express enough the gratitude that I have. Like Mr Galvin saying on the podcast, episode 1, he actually spoke about the fact of we’re not trying to get people, on the front end part of things. That is huge. He literally has created an atmosphere that the customers are welcomed here and I think I just have the best team and coworkers in the world. So yeah. What Questions Did I Not Ask That You Would Like For People To Know John Haggard: 09:05 All right. Talking to Amy Bryant, she’s the Business Development Manager at Miracle Ford in Gallatin. You know, we covered a lot of topics. Is there any one question I did not ask you Amy, when it comes to purchasing or leasing a vehicle, that people either ask or that you would want them to know? Amy Bryant: 09:23 I have to tell you, a lot of times working in this, one thing is… A dealership will do anything just to get you in the door. And that’s not how we are here. My team, myself, we refuse to do that. If a customer calls about a vehicle and it is no longer available, we are immediately going to call that customer, let them know that that vehicle is no longer available and give them an option. I just think that it’s very important to always be up front. John Haggard: 09:51 But you can also get vehicles from other places where someone could still come deal with Miracle. Right? Amy Bryant: 09:58 We sure can. We have many outlets that we use as a resource to ensure that our customer gets the vehicle that they want each and every time, whether it is a new vehicle or a pre-owned. And I think that’s very important for them to know. What Do You Like To Do Outside Of Work John Haggard: 10:12 All right. So tell us what you do, Amy. What your hobbies are, the most fun things you like to do when you’re not working? Amy Bryant: 10:19 You mean I don’t work? Actually, I’m in my second year of college, so I’m a full time student. So my quiet time has now become my study time. John Haggard: 10:31 Well what are you studying? Amy Bryant: 10:32 Probably Business Management is where I’m going to continue to go. But I love to get on my adult children’s nerves all the time. And my oldest son is actually a high school teacher back home in Baltimore, Maryland. John Haggard: 10:44 Oh Wow. Amy Bryant: 10:45 And I have found that he is now my tutor. My daughter’s here yet. My daughter’s here in Tennessee with me. And every Sunday that is my husband and I’s day where it doesn’t matter what’s going on in the crazy world. We every Sunday reserve that time for us just for church and lunch. So it’s mostly just with my family, John Haggard: 11:04 That’s good. And they say what goes around comes around. So, like mother, like son. Now son’s tutoring mom. That’s pretty cool! That’s pretty cool. Amy Bryant: 11:12 Absolutely. Yes. I know… sometimes it’s quite humbling, but I have to say I’m very proud of them. Closing John Haggard: 11:18 That’s great. Well, thanks Amy. Amy Bryant, folks. That’s the Business Development Manager for Miracle Ford. You can join us again right here for other topics on the podcast throughout each month. Our goal is to show you the best ways to purchase, maintain and accessorize your new or preowned vehicle. Then how to sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible, when you’re ready to do it. And don’t forget, we’ve also posted a transcript of each podcast right here on the website so that you can easily refer to it, pull out the information that you would like to have at your fingertips. I’m your host John Haggard, and we will see you next time.

Welcome to Episode #4 of our weekly podcast here at Miracle Ford! In this episode, we talk with Marty Denson, the Body Shop Manager at Miracle Ford. Topics Discussed: How Marty got into the Body Shop businessThe types of vehicles the Body Shop ServicesDealing with warrantiesDealing with insurance, and Tennessee’s “Right to Choose”Technology in the body shopHow to care for your vehicle’s paint jobMarty’s passions outside of work Transcript Opening John Haggard: 00:03 Welcome to the Miracle Ford podcast where each week you’ll be able to learn the best ways to purchase or lease, maintain, accessorize and how to sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible, when you’re ready. I’m your host John Haggard and throughout each month right here, different team members join us from Miracle to bring you tips you can use. And by the way, we will also post a transcript of each podcast so you can easily refer to it. There may be some information you heard and you said you want to go back and review that and we’ll have it right here at your fingertips. On the podcast today we’re talking about body shop repair and when there’s been an accident or other damage to a vehicle and what some of the misunderstandings are out there, what your rights are and really what separates Miracle Ford from other body shops. Today on the podcast we have Marty Denson, the body shop manager for Miracle Ford. Hey Marty, welcome to the podcast. How Did You Get Into the Body Shop Business? Marty Denson: 00:51 Well thank you John. I appreciate it. Good to be here. John Haggard: 00:53 Well, glad to have you. You know, people always say, “well how did you get in the body shop business”? There are a whole lot of careers you could have gotten involved in. How did you get started? Marty Denson: 01:03 Well, actually I used to work in the car rental business and I just got to know a lot of people that were in the body shop side of it, cause that was a lot of the people that we rented cars to. So, got to make friends with a lot of other managers and next thing you know, one of them offered me a job and I got over on this side and have enjoyed it ever since. John Haggard: 01:23 So how many years ago was that? Marty Denson: 01:25 That was about 25 years ago. John Haggard: 01:28 25 years ago. So you do have some gray hair, don’t you? Marty Denson: 01:31 Oh Yeah, ha. Quite a bit. What Types of Vehicles Do you Service, and What Dealerships Do You Work With? John Haggard: 01:34 Ha. We know the body shop is actually located at Miracle Ford, so people would think, well, they work on Fords. Nothing else. Is that the case or do you work on other models? Marty Denson: 01:44 No, actually we work on a little bit of every saying, we also own a Chrysler, Dodge Jeep store. We work on a lot of those and we do all the work for the Toyota store here in town. And we work on GM’s, even the foreign cars. So yeah, we work on just about everything. John Haggard: 02:02 Right. And the Ram too as well, right? Marty Denson: 02:04 Oh yeah. Oh yeah, we do lots of Rams. The Body Shop’s Limited Lifetime Warranty John Haggard: 02:06 All right. And then how about, people always say, “well, if you work on all those many different models, how does the warranty work these days”? Marty Denson: 02:13 We give a limited lifetime warranty on everything that we do. We always feel like that’s the best way to make sure your customers feel good about letting you do the repair. So, we do offer a lifetime limited warranty. John Haggard: 02:26 All right. And so like when you say limited warranty, so they’ve got to at least maintain the vehicle or would there be some things that you wouldn’t cover after you’ve done the work? Marty Denson: 02:34 Right. My thing is that you’ve gotta be able to keep your car up, keep it maintained with regular service, and as far as the paint work, keep your car waxed and keep it in good shape so that the sun can’t really beat down on the paint and fade it. So, you know, it’d be hard to cover fade after so many years. And then of course you’ve got your regular parts warranty on parts the manufacturer gives on parts. We honor that same warranty. Technology in Vehicles and in the Body Shop John Haggard: 03:00 Gotcha. All right. And then, a lot of people, especially with vehicles today, one of the big things they want to know about is technology. Cause they’ve got it at home, they’ve got it on their smart phone. Everywhere you go, there’s this high technology stuff going on. Has anything in the body shop business from a technology standpoint changed or is it the same as it’s always been? Marty Denson: 03:22 No, it’s actually changed for us, especially with the equipment. You’ve got to keep modernized equipment to work on these newer vehicles. So we have two state of the art downdraft paint booths, which really produce a very, very nice paint job and we keep the top of the line welders to do the work, and all the tools that’s required. We stay up with what’s required. Even our frame rack, we keep it updated that way. We are able to work on all the new vehicles and still work on the older vehicles. So that keeps us up to date so that it doesn’t affect anybody’s warranty on a new vehicle. John Haggard: 03:58 Gotcha. Now you said that word downdraft paint booth. Is that something relatively new in the business? Marty Denson: 04:05 It’s been around for quite a while. It’s just a lot of shops, in the early days the cheaper paint booths are the ones that the exhaust came out to the sides and you still could get a lot of over-spray on the vehicle. On a down draft, you have a concrete pit in the bottom of the booth and it sucks out the all the excess fumes and paint that way, and it produces a lot better paint job. So they’re a little bit more costly, but you do produce a whole lot cleaner and nicer paint job on the vehicle. Experience in the Body Shop John Haggard: 04:33 All right. And if you look at, of all the personnel that you have working there, I guess if you were going to add up the number of years combined years of experience there are at your body shop there, how many years would we be talking about? Marty Denson: 04:47 Yeah, with my staff that I have out in the shop between body men and painters, we have over 200 years of experience with my staff in the shop. And then in the office we have around about 45 years experience working in the office. John Haggard: 05:01 Wow. I mean people have been around for a long time. You should know something by now. Right? Marty Denson: 05:05 Exactly. That helps a lot. Insurance and Tennessee’s Right to Choose John Haggard: 05:08 You know, one of the things that people are confused about, you read about on the Internet, and this is this sort of right to choose any body shop that you want. “If you don’t go to one of our approved body shops, we’re not going to warranty or stand behind the work or if you have a claim”, or what is it. What’s the real story about this right to choose situation. Marty Denson: 05:29 Yeah. In the state of Tennessee, you have the right to choose whatever shop you want to fix your car. And the insurance company can’t tell you where you have to take it to be fixed or things like that. So you do have the right to choose anywhere you want to go. And the insurance companies are very bad about misleading people into thinking they’ve got to go to a certain shop and they’ve worked out deals with that certain shop to give them discounts, so they’re going to push all they can there. So, it’s kind of bad that they don’t really tell the customer the truth when they’re talking with them up front. Because, like we talked about, we give a lifetime warranty also. So we know we’re giving the same warranty as the shop they’re trying to push it off to. How To Care For Your Vehicle’s Paint Job? John Haggard: 06:08 Oh I gotcha. I gotcha. If you were just going to talk about tips on preserving your paint job on your car, one of the things that we’d like to do on the podcast is to say, “hey, you know, as your car ages, here are some resale tips”. How to get the maximum value for your vehicle when you’re ready to trade, or you wanted to sell it to somebody or sell it to the dealership. So if you were just going to say, “look, if you really want to preserve your body and the paint job here are two or three things you ought to do”. Marty Denson: 06:37 A couple of the other really important things are to try to keep a good wax job on your paint. At least every one to two months, give your car a good wax job, and that really protects the paint and keeps the luster to where it doesn’t look faded. And it’s always important to keep the inside of your car clean. We have so many cars that come through that aren’t even six months old and you would think they were 10 years old on the inside. I mean, if you could keep the inside of your car really clean and keep the outside waxed. You’re going to get a whole lot more for your trade when you do go to trade it in because people look at and say, “wow, I can’t believe this car is this many years old”. What Do You Do Outside Of Work? John Haggard: 07:11 Yeah, yeah. Absolutely. Well, when you’re not working seven and a half days a week there, Marty, what do you do for fun? Marty Denson: 07:17 I like to be outdoors. I really enjoy playing golf. That’s kind of my stress reliever. I like to get out on the golf course, although that makes me just as mad. But it’s fun to get out there and play a little golf. John Haggard: 07:26 What do you shoot? Marty Denson: 07:28 Not real good. I can usually stay in the low to mid eighties, so I’m pretty happy with it. John Haggard: 07:34 That’s not bad. There’s some people like me that shoot over a hundred. So you’re doing pretty good. You’re doing a pretty good. Estimates John Haggard: 07:40 Well listen, let me ask you this one final question. Is there any other question that people ask a lot that comes to the body shop? Something I didn’t ask you that you would say, “here’s a big question we get all the time and here’s the answer”. Marty Denson: 07:54 A lot of people feel like, since in the old days since you had to rush out and go get three estimates from three different shops, that you have to now. And it’s really not that way anymore. Most of the insurance companies, they like to look at the vehicle theirselves and do their own estimate. Or they might have you come out and get one estimate, but you don’t really have to get out and run all over town wasting a lot of your own time trying to track down three estimates when the insurance companies are really not even going to look at them. John Haggard: 08:21 Oh, okay. So basically the insurance company’s going to come, look, and then you can choose where you want to go. But here is what the insurance company says they are going to pay. So you don’t have to run around. Like you said, that’s the idea. Marty Denson: 08:33 Right. And even if the insurance company writes an estimate and they may have missed some damage, and it’s not a complete estimate, just bring us the estimate. We’ll go over anything they missed, we call the insurance company back and do a supplement and make sure everything’s back to where it should be. Closing John Haggard: 08:49 Gotcha. All right, well folks, that’s Marty Denson, the body shop manager for Miracle Ford in Gallatin. Join us again right here for other topics on the podcast throughout each month, because our goal is to show you the best ways to purchase, maintain and accessorize your new or preowned vehicle, and how to sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible, when you’re ready to do it. And don’t forget, we’ve also posted a transcript of each podcast right here on the website so you can easily refer to it, get more information, go back and say, now, what did Marty say again? What was that exactly? And you’ll have it right there word for word at your fingertips. I’m your host, John Haggard, and we’ll see you next time.

Welcome to Episode #3 of our weekly podcast here at Miracle Ford! In this episode, we talk with Sales and Leasing Consultant, Charlie Piper of Miracle Ford. Charlie is a native of Gallatin and has been with Miracle for close to 6 years. Charlie shares a bit about himself, and he discusses why buying online is most likely not the best option for most customers. Charlie also discusses buying a vehicle with poor credit. This is a great episode, so sit back and enjoy! Transcript John Haggard: 00:02 Welcome to the Miracle Ford podcast, where each week you’ll be able to learn the best ways to purchase or lease, maintain, accessorize, and how to sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible, when you’re ready to do so. I’m your host, John Haggard and throughout each month, right here, different team members join us from Miracle to bring you tips that you can use. And by the way, we will also post a transcript of each podcast. That way you can easily refer to it for information. Maybe something you heard in the podcast, and you wanted to understand it a little bit better. So you’ll have it right there at your fingertips. On this podcast today we’re talking about different ways to own or lease a vehicle, what’s new about the process these days compared to the past, and really what separates Miracle Ford from the others. And we’re proud to have on the podcast, Charlie Piper. He’s the Sales and Leasing consultant at Miracle Ford. Hey Charlie, welcome to the podcast. Charlie Piper: 00:57 Hey John. John Haggard: 00:58 What have you been up to this past week? Charlie Piper: 01:00 Well, we’ve been selling cars and keeping busy. That’s what we like to do here at Miracle Ford. Ha. John Haggard: 01:07 Well that sounds like a good plan to me. And you know, before we actually get into what you can teach us today, a lot of people always want to know, “well, I’m listening to this person”, who are they? Where did they grow up and how did they wind up in the car business? Tell us a little bit about yourself Charlie. Charlie Piper: 01:24 Well, John, I was born and raised right here in Gallatin, graduated from Gallatin High School in 2005. I love a lot of outdoor activities and relaxing and binge watching TV shows. But you know, I really love selling cars. John Haggard: 01:40 Well, and when you’re outside, you said, you mentioned that as well. Besides binge TV viewing, which a lot of people do these days, what do you like to do outside? Charlie Piper: 01:47 Fishing, hiking, going to see the sights, you know, just really being outside and enjoying the outdoors. John Haggard: 01:54 And so you said Binge TV watching people always like to know, well, what are you watching? Charlie Piper: 02:01 I have been watching Texas Flip and Move, like it’s no other, I’ve been watching that constantly and it gives me new ideas for home renovations and stuff like that. John Haggard: 02:13 Well, I do understand Charlie, by your title, that you are a sales and leasing consultant at Miracle Ford. What does that title actually mean other than selling and leasing vehicles? Charlie Piper: 02:26 Well, this pretty much goes into taking care of the customer and their needs. Listening to who, where the customer wants to be at and where their goals are and where they’re trying to do into getting them into their next investment, their next vehicle. It’s a detailed process that we like to go through with our customers to make sure they are going to be taken care of now, but also in the future as well. John Haggard: 02:50 Well, have you seen, you said you’ve been in the car business since, what was that year, 2005? Charlie Piper: 02:55 I’ve, no, I’ve actually been in it since 2014. I’ve been with Miracle Ford for five years, going on six years now. John Haggard: 03:03 Gotcha. All right. So what have you seen over the last five or six years? If you look at the shopper’s market place today for buyers? You know, they’re thinking about, “well, you know, there are many more ways to buy or lease today compared to a few years ago”. What are you seeing out there? What’s the difference? What should people know about? Charlie Piper: 03:20 Well, the biggest thing is I’ve seen a lot of changes, and the biggest thing is internet. There’s so much information on the Internet now and it’s right at the tip of everybody’s fingers. You can go online, search what you want, find what you need and go pick it out. Nine Times out of 10, the customers that are coming into the dealership know what they want to buy when they get here. John Haggard: 03:43 So they pretty much have it laid out for you. Absolutely. Nine out of 10. Yeah, that’s, that is a high number. That is the internet and boy, I won’t tell you lots of information. One of the things that a lot of dealers experience is high turnover of personnel. Do you think today taking into account the Internet and other ways, buying and leasing, does it really make any real difference today? How long someone actually works at a dealership? What’s the benefit of longevity or is there any, Charlie Piper: 04:15 Well, it absolutely does matter how long sales associates stay with Miracle Ford or with any dealership for that matter. Because when you have repeat referral business that want to come back and see you, they know they’re going to get treated the same no matter what. They’re going to get that same level of respect that they got in the past. I mean, it also gives the customer a good feeling about the dealership obviously showing that it’s a quality place to work at too. John Haggard: 04:42 That makes sense. And if someone said, “you know what, I’m going to tell you about this Charlie Piper guy and my, my experience in buying or leasing a vehicle from him”, what would you say sets you apart? And maybe what sets Miracle Ford apart from all of the other sales and leasing consultants out there at other dealerships who say, “come see me, I’m the best”. Charlie Piper: 05:05 Well, I will say that we’re going to give you the experience that you’re wanting to get at a dealership. We’re going to handle your purchase and experience from beginning to end. We’re gonna make sure we’re going to go over the vehicle with you in full detail, make sure you understand our product completely. And the biggest thing is following up after the sale to make sure that everything is still going well with the vehicle purchase that you made with us. John Haggard: 05:31 And how would you advise someone like this, Charlie? Let’s say they’re looking for a pre-owned vehicle and they say, you know, I just think I will buy a car off the internet and try to get a better deal. I’ve seen these ads from Carvana and Cars Direct and CarGurus and Vroom, you know, all these other people. What would you say to that? Charlie Piper: 05:49 Well, a lot of people have a lot of reasons for not wanting to deal directly with a dealer. The best deal that anyone can get is actually coming into the store and talking with us. But I always like to tell everybody, be careful what you’re buying online. Our philosophy is come in and drive the vehicle. Sit down with us. Let’s see what’s going to make you happy and let’s see if the vehicle is really going to take care of your needs and your wants. I mean, you can buy anything online, but when you have the touch and the feel driving the car down the road and making sure this is yours, this is a good investment, just not for you, but with your family as well. John Haggard: 06:27 Have you heard some real horror stories, Charlie, from people buying online? Charlie Piper: 06:31 You know, I haven’t heard any horror stories. I guess I’m just old school when it comes down to, hey, if I’m making a big ticket purchase, I want to make sure I’m going to put my hands on something before going online and getting it. It’s not like buying clothes or jewelry or some little things online. This is a big ticket purchase and I think you really should take time out to come in and sit down and talk with us and make sure this is going to be the right choice for you, you know? John Haggard: 07:01 Gotcha. And you know, you hear people say, “we’ll cut out the middleman or cut out the middle woman and save money by buying online”. Is that true? Can you get a better deal buying online versus going to a dealer? Charlie Piper: 07:12 A lot of people have many reasons for not wanting to deal with a dealer directly. The best deal that you can get is when you come into the store. I mean, I’m sure they’re going to give you great deals online, but there’s just something that’s missing from that. And when you sit here and you’re in here with us, we’re going to make sure that we’re going to take care of you, no matter what, and you know what you’re getting. You’re getting a quality excellent service. You’re getting professionalism and respect when you walk in the door. And I just don’t feel like you’re gonna get that online. I think you’re going to get a better deal when you come in and see somebody than what you would online, and you’re just getting it thrown out there to you, you know? John Haggard: 07:59 All right. What if somebody has a real credit issue? Maybe they’ve got a low credit score due to a bankruptcy, maybe a charge off, maybe a big healthcare situation that happened. It’s on their credit report. Can they still buy a new vehicle at Miracle Ford or does it have to be a pre owned vehicle? Charlie Piper: 08:16 Oh No, absolutely. We, we deal with all types of credit issues. We deal with great credit, low credit in between credit. Come in and see us. I mean we’re going to take good care of you no matter what your credit is. I mean, we can get you in a brand new car. You have more of a likelihood to buy a brand new vehicle than you would have a pre-owned one having credit issues. John Haggard: 08:39 Is that right? Charlie Piper: 08:39 Yeah, absolutely. I mean a brand new one is going to be right there for you, because it’s going to have equity for the customer. And you can get special interest rates or financing or rebates that are going to be on top of that. So yeah, I mean if you have bankruptcies, you’re coming out of something, and you’re trying to get reestablished again, you’ve been doing good. Yeah. A new car is definitely the way to go. John Haggard: 09:04 And so you can do that with a bankruptcy on your record. You can buy a new car. Charlie Piper: 09:09 You can get a new car. John Haggard: 09:11 Wow. Because I think a lot of people think, “I’ll get a junker clunker. Nobody’s going to really want to talk to me. I’ll get a 150, 200,000 mile vehicle because I’ve got bankruptcy”. But that’s, that’s not true. Charlie Piper: 09:23 When you’re coming out of your bankruptcy. Absolutely. When you’re coming right out of it. John Haggard: 09:28 Gotcha. What’s your favorite vehicle, by the way? Charlie Piper: 09:30 My favorite vehicle is a Ford Mustang. John Haggard: 09:33 A Ford Mustang. Are you a fast mover and shaker? Is that it or what? Charlie Piper: 09:38 I guess you could say that, ha. It’s one of the most iconic cars Ford has ever come out with and very customizable with that. It’s a stylish and sporty. I this think it’s a head turner, you know? John Haggard: 09:48 Oh, there you go. Hey, is there any other question, Charlie, that people ask a lot when they come to purchase or lease a vehicle when they walk in? What do you hear people, what do they ask most? Charlie Piper: 09:59 What’s the technology in the vehicle? I get asked that a whole lot more now. With today’s society, you would think like, hey, this technology is the most important thing. I mean these vehicles are now like computers on wheels and people really want something chalk full of technology that’s going to be right there at the tip of their fingers. I mean, we have our smart phones that we’re on constantly all the time. So people like to have that in their vehicles too. So I think that would be the biggest thing, the technology. John Haggard: 10:32 And is there anything I did not ask you that you’d want people to know or another question that they ask that you could clear up for people who might have the same question? Charlie Piper: 10:42 No, I think that’s about it. John Haggard: 10:45 All right, well thanks Charlie. It’s Charlie Piper, the sales and leasing consultant for Miracle Ford. Join us again right here for other topics on the podcast throughout each month. Our goal is to show you the best ways to purchase, maintain and accessorize your new or preowned vehicle and how to purchase or lease, maintain and accessorize that vehicle. Really how to sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible, when you’re ready. And don’t forget, we have also posted a transcript of each podcast right here on the website so that you can easily refer to it for information that you would like to have at your fingertips. I’m your host John Haggard, and we’ll see you next time.

Welcome to Episode #2 of our weekly podcast here at Miracle Ford! In this episode, we talk with General Sales Manager of Miracle Ford and Miracle CDJR (Miracle Auto Group). In this episode, we get to learn a little be more about Mark, his beginnings in the business, and he also shares about the benefits and details of Leasing vs Buying a new vehicle. Enjoy! Transcript John Haggard: 00:01 Welcome to the Miracle Ford podcast, where each week we hope you will be able to learn the best ways to purchase, maintain and accessorize your new or preowned vehicle and how to sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible, when you’re ready. I’m your host John Haggard, and throughout each month, right here we’ll have different team members join us from Miracle to bring you tips that you can actually use. And by the way, we will also post a transcript of each podcast so that you can easily refer to it for information that you’d like to pull out right there at your fingertips. Today on the podcast, we’ve got Mark Ledford, he’s the general sales manager for the Miracle Auto Group, and that includes Miracle Ford in Gallatin. And Hey Mark, welcome to the podcast. Mark Ledford: 00:41 Hey John, how you doing today? John Haggard: 00:43 I’m doing great, man. Good to be here. You know, before we start, a lot of people want to know, well, who is it that I’m dealing with if I came down to Miracle today? Who are these people? So I thought it’d be kind of fun to learn a little bit about you, how you got in the car business, how long you’ve been, say at Miracle and just how did you get started? Mark Ledford: 01:00 Fantastic. I love the business. I’ve been with the Miracle Group coming up on six years now. My father was extremely inspirational in bringing me into the business many, many, many moons ago. Been around the business for about 35 years now. Been in the business, so to speak, for, I’m coming up on but 25 years now. So, it’s a fun business to be a part of. And, again, my father was extremely inspirational in bringing me into the business. John Haggard: 01:27 And how did you get started? Were you sweeping the lot, were you sweeping, you know, cleaning out bathrooms, what were you doing? Mark Ledford: 01:33 Yeah, tell everybody all the time. You know, it’s Kinda funny because I’ve kind of worked in a lot of different areas. You know, from the time that I was a kid and really where I guess I could say I cut my teeth and started was just working in detail. You know, in the summer months growing up as a high school kid and in between summers and football practice and all that stuff, you know, just coming into work, and being around the business a little bit. It was fun. It was just meant to be for me, I guess. John Haggard: 02:00 We know they always say, if you’re going to learn the business, learn it from the inside out and really start at the bottom rung and, and work, you know, work your way all the way up. John Haggard: 02:09 So today’s topic is leasing versus buying a vehicle. A lot of people were asking questions about that. And of course that’s a real wide topic. You could probably spend maybe a couple of hours on that, but, we’ve asked Mark to help us understand some of the differences between leasing versus buying. And just to know how to make the right decision, how to save the most amount of money so you can keep that money in your pocket as much as you can. So I guess Mark, just from a summary standpoint, the difference between leasing and owning, what should somebody do? What are the factors that say, this is where you go, this is what you do? Mark Ledford: 02:45 I think honestly, John, what we try to do is just sit down with the customer, have that discussion about what are their goals, what are their habits. How many miles a year are they driving? What do they want to accomplish? Do they like to trade every two to three years? So really it depends on the customer. And I think that that’s the discussion that a lot of dealerships just don’t have with their customers is what is it that you hope to accomplish? What are your habits? And that’s going to dictate to us how to help you decide, is leasing or owning better, which one’s going to be more beneficial for you. You know, in today’s world, obviously, vehicles have gone up in price, and what we have found is a great way to go now, and still get the things that you want and the payments just not way, way crazy for you, is to look at a lease option. You can save a lot of money a lot of times on the lease option. John Haggard: 03:39 Well you know, leasing has been around a long time. As you, as you think about it, is there a trend? Are more people leasing now than they were or is it about the same? What’s the difference about it now? Mark Ledford: 03:53 Well, we are definitely getting more and more people I think that are walking in the door asking us about leasing than what we’ve seen over the years past. It’s still been around for a long time. I think it just got pushed aside for whatever reason. Maybe bad habits back 40 years ago. But leasing is becoming more and more popular, as it’s discussed more. I think our younger generation understands that, there is a different way to go than what my parents did. You know, back in those days. And so it’s become more and more prevalent. We see probably more of the younger generation and we still actually see a lot of business owners and high level management folks that come in and inquire and do a lot of leasing. So just to also let people know that our management staff within our dealerships, a majority of us lease cars. So it’s just a great benefit for a lot of people. John Haggard: 04:48 Yeah. Well if you look at payments and you look at amounts and that type of thing, the down payment if you will. If you’re going to lease versus if you’re going to purchase, is it the same or do you find that part of the transaction, the sign before you drive, is it less money down on a lease compared to a purchase? Mark Ledford: 05:06 Yes, in a lot of cases, the money down on a lease can be much less. Just because a lot of times when you’re leasing a car, you’re not having to deal with negative equity when you’re doing leasing on a consistent basis. But typically when you see that we’re asking for a down payment or other manufacturers asking for down payments up front, a lot of times That can just be, that’s your first payment plus any fees up front. But however, just like a purchase, we can do zero down if that’s what the customer wants to do. John Haggard: 05:37 All right. So it’s very flexible. There is what I’m hearing you say, and if you were going to look at just the monthly payments, for the lease versus monthly payments on a purchase, is there much difference there? Mark Ledford: 05:49 In some vehicles I have seen up to $200 a month difference in payment between a lease option and a purchase option. And that is just fan. I mean that is just amazing to me. And when you look at those types of numbers and people can save that kind of money on a monthly term, I just think that, you know, a customer and a consumer has to look at that and consider that as something that, hey, I’ve got to really consider this option. It is a fantastic way to go on many of our models in today’s world. John Haggard: 06:20 Well, if you can get $200 a month, if you think about that and keep that in your pocket times 12, you’re at what, 2,400 a year times the number of years that you are on the lease. So that, that’s pretty substantial cash, I would say. Mark Ledford: 06:33 Yeah. You know what, anywhere from seven to $10,000 probably. John Haggard: 06:37 Gotcha. How long of a lease term can you get today? Do you get no, how does that work? Or does it mirror a purchase? Mark Ledford: 06:43 Well on the lease term. That’s what’s another beautiful thing about a lease term is typically you can pay less money and cut your term in half from what you’re going to pay on a purchase payment. Traditionally, the lease terms that we do are 36 to 42 months. And that’s where kind of what we call the honey hole. That’s where the manufacturer is gonna put the best incentives on the best residuals on for you. However, we have in the past, over my 25 years of doing this, I have seen customers do a 60 month lease before. So, you can go up to 60 months on the lease, but traditionally the purpose of leasing is to stay within that 36 to 42 month term because we understand that a consumer that’s leasing is traditionally probably trading in about every three to three and a half years anyway. John Haggard: 07:31 Gotcha. And if you take a look at what’s included and the monthly lease payment, is maintenance included? Are there other things, can somebody get insurance included? How does that work? Mark Ledford: 07:40 You’re going to be, the fantastic thing about leasing also is one of the things that has become ever more popular in our world today with a negative equity on vehicles is gap insurance. With a lease, gap Insurance is something that’s going to be automatically included in that lease for you. Because again, the manufacturer owns a vehicle, they’re protecting themselves. So you get the benefit of that. The other beautiful thing about leasing is traditionally you’re constantly under the manufacturer’s warranty all the time. So now we’re talking about not only a less expensive payment gap, insurance included that we’re also talking about cost of ownership here being down as well. John Haggard: 08:18 All right. And when you’re saying gap insurance for folks who don’t know exactly what that is, what does that mean? Mark Ledford: 08:25 Yep. Gap Insurance is simply going to be, if you purchase a vehicle and let’s say it’s totaled out in two years, and you owe $20,000 on it and the insurance company says we’re going to give you $15,000 for it, you’re responsible to pay that difference. John Haggard: 08:40 Gotcha. Mark Ledford: 08:40 What gap insurance does is it comes in and it takes up that gap for you. John Haggard: 08:46 And to clarify again, that is included in the monthly lease payment. Mark Ledford: 08:50 That is correct. John Haggard: 08:51 Gotcha. Yeah, that’s good. That’s good protection right there. Well, let’s say you have someone went on a 36 month lease and they think, well it’s the end of two years. They get married and the wife says, I kind of sort of wish you’d drove this car or this instead of something else than what I’ve got right now. Can you get out of the lease or is it like non cancelable I mean you’re sort of stuck until the lease is over. Mark Ledford: 09:16 Yeah. And I think that’s the misconception a lot of times about leasing John is that, I think a lot of folks feel like that’s just what they have to do. However, it’s no different than a purchase in a lot of cases. We can have the same discussion with them in regards to when they come in to trade that vehicle in two years, it’s no different than what a purchase would be. We can sit down and show them the options about treating that vehicle in and have that discussion. John Haggard: 09:39 You know, one thing we hear a lot about in a lease is watch out about the mileage because if you go over that mileage man, they’re going to kill you with fees. What’s the reality of that? Mark Ledford: 09:51 Okay, so standard mileage per year is 15,000 miles per year. However, if you do go over that mileage, all it is, is just anywhere from about 15 to 25 cents, what they call mileage penalty from the manufacturer. But, at that time, when you come in to turn that lease in, there are a lot of cases, and a lot of instances where manufacturers, if you stay with them, are going to forgive that and give you money to help upgrade to a nicer, newer vehicle. John Haggard: 10:17 Just that simple really. All right. If you were just going to quickly recap, okay, should I lease or should I buy? What would you say? What would be my decision to make? Mark Ledford: 10:28 I think that goes right back to the discussion that we try to have up front that I mentioned with the consumer is what are their goals? What are their habits, and try to sit down and have that discussion with them while they’re here. So that we can show them the benefits to leasing or purchasing and whatever’s best for them. Yeah. John Haggard: 10:45 Alright. Well, you know, you said 35 years, I think, if I remember properly, that you’ve been in this business. So, you’re probably, I would think by now not working seven days a week, maybe only six. I don’t know. But what do you do for fun? Mark Ledford: 10:58 The good news is, we’re off on Sunday, so only six days a week. John Haggard: 11:03 And so when you’re on that seventh day, what do you like to do? Mark Ledford: 11:07 You know, I’m a big outdoors person. Love being around the lake, hiking, sports, football and hockey, and then obviously, you know, family’s extremely important. John Haggard: 11:16 Gotcha. So, you know, as a bottom line, because this is what it really gets down to when people begin to look, should I lease? Should I purchase? There are a lot of choices out there. And most of the dealers, probably all of them say, come see us. We’ve got the best deals, we’re the only one. Shop all the rest and then come here last. Those types of things. If you were going to tell people, look, there are a lot of Ford dealers out there, but there’s only one Miracle Ford if you will. And of course that’s true. Only one Miracle Ford, but what it really, why should someone deal with the Miracle Auto Group versus going somewhere else? Mark Ledford: 11:51 Well, I think anywhere from our management down to our sales staff, John. And that is a great question, just because a lot of you do hear that on the TV, the radio a lot when people walk into a dealership. But we invest a lot of our time just learning our craft and talking about different options for customers. We want to be able to sit down and talk to you about what is the best way for you to purchase a vehicle today. Is it lease, is it purchase? Is it down payment, is it no down payment? So we want to have that discussion. So we really work hard on our craft to be able to separate ourselves from the competition. And in all reality, we just feel like we outwork the competition. And John, we just don’t really try to sell you a car. We just want to assist and help you buy a vehicle. John Haggard: 12:33 All right? And local ownership too, right? Miracle Auto Group. I mean these are local owners who are here. They live here. You might see them in the grocery store at church, wherever it may be, as opposed to some big corporate, you know, conglomerate that might be out of Dallas, Texas or wherever. Mark Ledford: 12:49 Absolutely. You know, again, we live in the community, we work in the community. We have folks that we have known for 30, 35 years around this community. So obviously it’s in our best interest to make sure that, you know, we are doing the right things day in and day out. John Haggard: 13:03 All right, Mark Ledford, everybody, the general sales manager for the Miracle Auto Group, including Miracle Ford. And join us again right here for other topics on the podcast throughout each month, because our goal is to show you the best ways to purchase, maintain and accessorize your new or preowned vehicle. And here’s the big key, how to sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible. When you’re ready to do so, and don’t forget, we’ve also posted the transcript of each podcast right here on the website so you can easily refer to at a particular topic, something you want to go over, and you’d just get the text right there and see it right at your fingertips. I’m your host John Haggard, and we’ll see you next time.

Welcome to the first episode of a weekly podcast that we will be doing here at Miracle Ford! In this episode, we talk with General Manager and part owner of Miracle, Jim Galvin. Jim talks about his beginnings in the business, the history of Miracle Ford, and the values that have held strong in the company from day 1. Enjoy! Transcript John Haggard: Welcome to the Miracle Ford of Gallatin podcast, where each week we hope you will be able to learn the best ways to purchase, maintain and accessorize your new or preowned vehicle and how to sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible, when you’re ready. I’m your host John Haggard, and throughout each month, right here we’ll have different team members join us from Miracle Ford to bring you tips that you can use. And by the way, we will also post a transcript of each podcast so that you can easily refer to it, pull out that information that you need right there at your fingertips. Today on the podcast we have Jim Galvin, the general manager of Miracle Ford. Hey Jim. Jim Galvin: John, how are you doing? John Haggard: I’m doing well. I’m doing well. You know, a lot of people may not know this Jim, but you are actually more than just the general manager of Miracle Ford. In fact, you’re part of the local family that owns Miracle. So I thought it would be fun for folks to know a little bit more about you since you are home town and you are at the store as opposed to a corporate owner who lives in another city. So first question. People always want to know how someone got started in a business. So tell us a little bit about how you got started in the car business. Jim Galvin: John. Thank you. It’s quite interesting. I started back in 1984 washing cars for my father while working my way up through college at MTSU. There, I really got the idea, and said, you know what, this might be something I might want to look forward to. So I worked my way up through college and got to work also in each department as a service advisor, as a parts counter person, and then I went to the used car department and got to learn the appraising and how to do that. Then from there, I worked my way up to a sales manager and then from there as the GSM to a general manager and now part owner. But the neat part about the whole transition is that I got to, after I finished at MTSU, I enrolled at in NADA Academy Dealers school for two and a half years. I really got to learn the in’s and out’s of how to run a dealership, learn the financial statement, and really make my dreams come true. And I’ve been doing this now for close to 33 years now. John Haggard: 33 years. And so back in the day you started washing cars you said, so you got a good paycheck on that. Did that help you get through college as well? Jim Galvin: Well, it got me going back and forth to school with gas money and working my way through college, which was great. That was a great start. And just the fact that working hard back there and just knowing what to do really made the difference. Then I just knew from then that this might be the opportunity for me and it’s worked out since. John Haggard: So tell us how Miracle Ford itself got started. There are a lot of Ford dealers across the country of course, but there’s Miracle. How did you choose the name? Just a little bit about the history of how Miracle Ford itself came to be. Jim Galvin: Yes, I get that question all the time. A lot of people don’t know, but my father worked for Ford Motor Company. He worked there for 25 years and when he worked there, he called on this area here in Gallatin, which was Wade Motors. And when he called on here, he really said, you know, one day I would like to get out of the wholesale business and go into the retail business. Well he got that opportunity back in 1980 and bought Wade Motors out. When that happened, he decided, you know, I need a name. He didn’t want to use, his name, make it Galvin Ford. He wanted something different. So he sat down with mom one night and they came up with an idea. You know, he said, you know what, what would work in this area… a unique name? With our religious background and us going to church all the time in this community, what would fit the best? And they came up with the name of Miracle. They just felt like the Miracle name would not only be unique, but represent our family and also the community. So from there we decided on Miracle Ford and now we’ve been here close to 40 years. John Haggard: And that was 1980. Jim Galvin: 1980. John Haggard: Got It. You know, to a lot of people, Jim, a vehicle is really the second largest investment they’ll ever make besides a home mortgage. You hear a lot of dealers say, well, we’re different. Come see us, we’ll treat you right. A lot of people say that, well everybody says that. So what would you say really makes Miracle Ford different from the other Ford dealers out there? And really, why should somebody come to Miracle? Jim Galvin: Well John, I’m with you. Everybody seems to say the same old thing just to get people in the door. You know, our motto is very simple. We do the same thing all the time, day in, day out and that’s why we’ve been here for over 39 years. Our customers, our community believe in our processes. That’s why we’re here. That’s why we’re growing. That’s why we’ve established a foundation in Gallatin for this amount of years. You know, all we do John, is simply we give the customer a fair deal. Yes, we want to make a profit like any other business, but we want to do it the right way. We want to make sure when we get a profit, that they can come back in three or four years and they won’t be upside down. We believe that just making a good profit with a good living will make us successful, with our processes in order. That’s what we did. The other thing that really excites me the most is our employees have been here a long time. We don’t have a lot of high turnover and I attribute that to family values. They believe in our process. They believe in a family business and it seems to work. I’d go back to my father. You know, without his reputation in this town, we would not be here talking right now. I think reputation, and the sincerity of what we do makes us unique with Miracle Ford. John Haggard: You know, you hear that word. You used it a little bit earlier, “upside down” and you said, you know, of course every business has got to make a profit, a reasonable profit to exist. And you said, well, I don’t want people to come back in say three years when it’s time to trade or they want to trade and be upside down. For folks that might not understand that term, what does that mean? Jim Galvin: What it means is that you’ll make a profit, a huge profit in the front end and just absolutely just try to make as much as you can, which I do not believe in that. Then when it’s time to come in, they find out that their vehicle is not worth what it should be. You know, because you put so much investment from the very beginning. And to me that just kills the customer because you know what? They trust us three years ago, when they bought the vehicle. Now when they come back and they can’t get out of the vehicle, what does that say? It says that maybe we didn’t do a good job from day one. So we like to just make an honest profit. That way when they do come in and we look at their trade, we can get them out of their trade into a new vehicle or a good pre-owned and they won’t be that far out of whack and it’s worked for all these years. John Haggard: All right, we’re talking to Jim Galvin, the general manager of Miracle Ford in Gallatin. Is there any one thing I didn’t ask you, Jim? You know, something that you want people to know about Miracle Ford? Jim Galvin: Well if you could think of one word that describes us, I’m going to say it’s stability, John, and stability goes a long ways. It’s just doing things the right way. Cause we’ve been here close to 40 years. You just don’t see dealerships, in this time, that will last 40 years. Cause you’ve got all these corporate buyers and want to come in and buying all these mom and pops stores right now. But you know what? We’re here and we’re still family owned and that family owned goes a long ways, especially with our community and the surrounding areas of Nashville. John Haggard: Got It. Well thanks Jim. Join us again right here where we will have associates from Miracle Ford. Join us on the podcast throughout each month. Our goal is to show you the best ways to purchase, maintain and accessorize your new or preowned vehicle and how to sell it for the highest resale value possible, when you’re ready to. And don’t forget, we have also posted a transcript of each podcast so you can easily refer to it for information that you would like to have at your fingertips. I’m your host John Haggard and we’ll see you next time.