SAT# 52 -💪🗺❌ Leading the Way!

First Saturday of the year, Troublemakers!

We’re excited about a lot for this coming year over here, but Saturday is a great time to forgive the past and trust the future to itself for a moment to say, “Things right now are pretty good.”

We’re grateful to be in a community with you all and are excited to see, hear, and collaborate with more of you this year than ever.

Friends, more so than ever before,…

Keep. Pushing. Back.
-Paul, Kyle, Chris & Kristi

INDUSTRY HIGHLIGHT

Auto Collabs w/ Alan Brown

Recently, we talked with Alan Brown, General Manager at Sam Pack's Five Star Chevrolet, about leadership in an episode of Auto Collabs entitled, "Would You Work For You?" 

DO try this at home: Alan left us with a lot to think about and a list of things to try. We grabbed some notes for a quick read, but you can enjoy the whole episode in under 30 minutes on YouTube or the podcast tool of your choice - here.

🎉⛹️‍♀️🗓 Celebrate Your Team Regularly

• Monthly Celebrations: Brown doesn't let a month pass without celebrating his team. These gatherings are more than meetings; they're community-building events where everyone feels recognized and valued, from the newest hire to top performers.

• Recognition for All: From birthdays to performance achievements, acknowledging individual contributions boosts morale and fosters a supportive environment.

🌱👨‍🏫☀️ Embrace Mentorship and Growth

• Value of Mentorship: Brown's journey underscores the transformative impact of good mentors. He shares how early guidance shaped his career, reminding us of the power of mentorship in our personal and professional growth.

• Continuous Learning: Staying open to learning and growth opportunities enhances your skills and sets a positive example for your team.

💪🧠🛡Cultivate Mental Toughness

• Resilience is Key: The auto industry is fast-paced and ever-changing. Brown emphasizes the importance of mental toughness and adaptability in navigating these challenges.

• Reflective Leadership: Asking yourself, "Would you work for yourself?" encourages a deep and personal reflection on your leadership style and its impact on your team.

📈💰🧮 Balance Financials with Humanity

• Interconnected Success: Brown practices a holistic approach where understanding the numbers is as crucial as engaging positively with the team.

• Daily Engagement: Keeping a finger on the pulse of financial performance and team morale helps leaders make informed and compassionate decisions.

Huge shout out to Alan and the leaders across retail auto who make it a place worth working. Thanks for trusting us to share part of your story and passion for your people.

Hit reply and let us know what you have for the retail auto community to hear! 

CONTENT RECAP

Concluding the Week

Email:

• Automaker Fisker partners with more dealers to get their vehicles to consumers.

• Rivian avoided a recall by pushing an OTA update to customer vehicles.

• Kentucky added an additional tax to EV owners.

• VW took another step toward sodium-ion batteries.

   

• Drones are on the rise.

• Mickey Mouse is in the public domain and is already the star of a horror movie.

LinkedIn Newsletter:

• How well do you understand the FTC’s new CARS Rule? We did a deep dive into the changes in an easy-to-read 5-minute article.

• The poll results are in! We ran polls in our daily pushback email the week of Christmas and New Year’s Eve, gathering your opinions on direct-to-consumer sales, self-driving tech, a possible 52M vehicle recall, and more. Check out the community’s responses here!

SOMETHING FUN

Google's Robot Constitution 🤖

Google isn’t only building robots; they're crafting a safe, coexisting future with their new "Robot Constitution." Here's the lowdown:

The Goal: Prevent a robot uprising with a digital "Do No Harm" oath.
Inspiration: Isaac Asimov's "Three Laws of Robotics" - Rule #1: No hurting humans!

Google's Robotic Dreams"?

Future Vision: Robots as every day as smartphones, tidying homes and cooking meals.
Tech Behind: Large language models & neural networks - think ChatGPT but for robots.

Safety First

Layered Protocols: Robots programmed to avoid danger to humans, sharp objects, and appliances.
Human Oversight: Supervisors armed with a physical kill switch, just in case.

Advancements in Robotics

Systems like AutoRT, SARA-RT, and RT-Trajectory: Making robots smarter and faster.
The Mission: Build robots that are helpful, respectful, and safe.

As we embrace a future with robotic helpers, Google ensures they're friendly, efficient, and, most importantly, safe. Here's to coexistence with our future mechanical pals! 🍻🤖

Quick Hits

• The US economy added 216K jobs in December and 2.7M over 2023. 📈

• As the ocean encroaches, the East Coast is losing some critical infrastructure. 🌊

• You can get a little snap-on keyboard for your iPhone. ⌨️

• We’ve not seen it, but one reviewer says Netflix’s “Rebel Moon” is “the worst movie ever made.” Wow! 👎

• A test shows a solid-state EV battery has no signs of degradation after 300K miles of use.