#RiseAndGrind

Brad Wise is the General Manager at Ferman Chevrolet of Tampa, FL. Brad started in retail automotive in 1988 at a large Chevrolet store in Illinois and has never looked back. Now, thirty years later, he can’t wait to get into the store each morning. A seeker of best practices and a self-described cheerleader, Brad is a strong believer in hiring the right people and giving them whatever they need to succeed, whether it’s on-going training or a family-friendly work schedule.

Michael Cirillo is the host of the wildly popular podcast, The Dealer Playbook. With listeners in over 100 countries, The DPB is in the top 20 Marketing Podcasts on Apple Podcasts. Michael and his guests explore what it takes to create a thriving career within the retail automobile industry. Michael has traveled from Germany to Australia and beyond, consulting and keynote speaking for companies such as eBay, MINI, Peugeot, Gumtree, and Kijiji. With a unique, humorous approach to speaking, Michael has an edge for captivating audiences while educating. Michael’s agency, FlexDealer, helps dealers save thousands in wasted marketing dollars by creating a personalized and tactical marketing strategy that unifies Google’s consumer data with the dealership’s goals.

All topics that touch our daily lives in one way or another, yet most people (due to an extremely sensitive and politically correct society) fail to speak about these topics privately let alone publicly. (Apparently Sean Whalen did not get that memo). Sean has a way with words that will get you talking whether you want to or not, and over 675,000,000 (and counting) people have viewed Sean’s videos and social media posts. Some label him brash, others say he is bold, many simply call him an asshole, but one thing you will always get from Sean is his unfiltered and direct truth on any and all issues, politically correct or not. Sean’s story of being raised in a single-parent home, success at a young age, bankruptcy, depression and divorce has been shared by over 100 podcasts and media interviews from dozens of countries around the globe. Sean is the founder of multiple companies including apparel and technology, but his role as founder and CEO of LIONS NOT SHEEP, the global movement for men, women and children is closest to his heart. He is a best selling author, strategic business coach, social media and marketing genius, and life-changing keynote speaker. When not speaking, coaching or working with his clients, Sean can be found riding horses with his daughter, racing off-road trucks with his sons, shooting guns from his collection or traveling the world in search of the finest whiskey and cigar.

Louie Herron is a Florida native, raised in Hollywood, and born in Miami. He ventured away from home to play college football at Liberty University in Virginia, then found his way to West Georgia College, only to realize he had an innate gift for selling cars. So at twenty years old, he hung up the dream of being a pro football player and dove headfirst into the car business. Little did he know that twelve years later, this leap of faith and determination to work up the ranks would land him the opportunity to purchase a portion of Taylor Toyota in North Augusta, South Carolina, at the age of 32. In 2009, he was able to purchase Louie Herron Toyota & Scion in Milledgeville, Georgia, and then sold the dealership in 2014 for a substantial profit. He remained in the car business as the owner/operator of Louie’s Lake Lot, a used car dealership in Eatonton, Georgia, before purchasing Louie Herron CDJR in Madison, Georgia, in 2014. After numerous business and life events, Louie decided to sell the CDJR store in 2019. He returned to Florida, where he is now the General Manager of Rountree Moore Toyota in Lake City, Florida. Louie is the author of Driven by Fire. A book that addresses critical points on unshakable faith, ridiculous intensity, an awareness to reinvent oneself, and enthusiasm that is contagious. He is also the creator of Sales to CEO, a comprehensive twelve-month course, as well as mentorship that takes managers or salespeople to the next level in the car industry. Louie is known for his positive outlook on life, his ability to motivate others, and his unwavering faith in God. Louie is the man who always sees the glass overflowing. His passion for helping others, as well as the community, can be seen in the charity he created, The Love Bucket. The charity donates a portion of the dealership’s proceeds back to the community. He also speaks regularly at local school assemblies, colleges, chapel services, churches, award banquets, and business meetings. You can find Louie spending quality time with his family on his off days. He is a die-hard Miami Dolphin fan and is no stranger to flying the family to support the team! You could also find him pacing the sidelines at his kids’ football game, or relaxing beachside with his partner.

Mike Cavanaugh grew up working with his father at a dealership in Detroit, MI. He joined the United States Marine Corps, serving two tours in Iraq. When Mike returned to the automotive industry, he worked his way up from selling cars to managing dealerships in Metro Detroit. He spent 8 years working at one of the largest auto finance companies in the United States and served as the Chief Operating Officer of a 28-store dealership group with operations in nine states. Currently, Mike serves as the Executive Vice President at MAX Digital, providing inventory management, merchandising, and digital retail solutions to dealerships on a national scale.

GM of Colonial Chevrolet/ CoFounder of Sales Hustlers/ Author of Build Your Brand & Auto Industry influencer… What Shawn Hays has built in 24 months is nothing short of amazing!!! Shawn has revolutionized what it means to be a salesperson in the auto industry… In a short 2 years Shawn has built a personal brand following of over tens of thousands of and has more than 750,000 views on his Facebook videos and posts. He has maximized social media and the exposure it can give and climbed the ladder from salesman to GM in 2 short years!! You will be inspired into action by his rags to riches story because Shawn believes everyone has the same opportunity & he is a living example of the American dream!!

Chairman and CEO of The Wolfington Companies, is an entrepreneur who owns businesses in the automotive, technology, marketing, real estate, and film industries. At the age of 34, Wolfington was a finalist in Ernst & Young’s “Entrepreneur of the Year Award” and was named the 2012 “Entrepreneur of Year” by Haute Living magazine. By the age of 40, Wolfington built and sold three market-leading digital marketing companies that were responsible for selling billions of dollars’ worth of vehicles over the internet. Beyond automotive, Wolfington’s companies have helped market feature films Chronicles of Narnia, Bella, The Mighty Macs, Son of God, and Little Boy. Wolfington also created digital marketing strategies for global artists, like Shakira, the Grammy award-winning artist who he helped build an online following of over 100 million people on Facebook and Twitter alone. Wolfington has produced five major motion pictures: “Self-Medicated,” the most award-winning film of 2006 (38 awards), “The MightyMacs”, “Hold On”, “Bella” and “Little Boy”. “Bella,” a film that Wolfington financed and produced, won the Audience Choice Award at the largest film festival in the world (Toronto International Film Festival

Judge Graham is a hard-hitting, action-oriented entrepreneur with a successful track record of growing companies and selling them for hundreds of millions of dollars. His companies have won numerous high-profile business accolades, including Inc. 5000 and multiple best places to work awards. He has also been featured in media outlets like AdWeek, Ad Age, Forbes, Bloomberg, CNBC, Money and many more. He currently hosts the top-rated Scale & Exit podcast and is an acclaimed author. Judge is the go-to expert on helping businesses identify and capitalize on opportunities to improve revenue and corner markets through the integration of cutting-edge positioning, culture, technology, marketing, and sales. Judge lives in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with his wife Jordan and their two boys Jake and Jett.

Kerri Wise is VP, Industry Education and Relations at TrueCar. Her auto career spans 20 years, establishing herself as an expert on the auto consumer and the dealer best practices to market and sell to them. Kerri’s team at TrueCar oversees TrueCar University, TrueCar’s online dealer learning center, plus the development of industry facing content, insights and case studies. Kerri is a regular speaker at conferences, dealer training events, and webinars. She also serves on the Board of Women in Automotive. Prior to joining TrueCar, Kerri spent 4 years at Edmunds and 12 years at J.D. Power.

David Villa is the founder and CEO of iPD, a marketing, media and training firm that works with companies of all sizes and industries across the United States. He has over 20 years of national sales and executive management experience that he brings to his company. Since the company was established in 1995, Villa has been responsible for pioneering, growing and scaling iPD into one of the nation’s leading database management, business development, training, and intelligent marketing companies in the automotive industry and beyond. Not only is he committed to his business, he is dedicated to his faith as a Christ-follower, his family, and his employees. He credits his success to those who he’s been privileged enough to call his teammates.

Roddy Chong is a remarkably accomplished Asian American violinist and speaker known for his high-energy performances with many of the music industry’s most recognized acts. He is considered to be one of the world’s premier violinists. For a season, Roddy toured with Shania Twain and Celine Dion at the same time. He has performed for audiences around the world, including the President of the United States, the Queen of England, the Pope, Oprah, and countless other notable figures. However, Roddy’s real resume begins much closer to the heart—in the pursuit of accelerated life performance, purpose, and a mission to help others push the boundaries of potential.

Damian worked for Crown Automotive Group, where he became one of the top sales associates within the company. He was then promoted to finance and insurance manager and became the youngest general manager of Crown Dodge. He was then made partner in 1998 at the age of twenty-five. In 2000, Asbury Automotive, one of the largest automotive groups in the country, acquired Crown Automotive and promoted Mills to the sales director where he was responsible for over twenty-two dealerships in three states. In 2004, Mills became a dealership owner, leaving Asbury and purchasing Classic Ford of Smithfield, in North Carolina. He later established Mills Automotive Group in Smithfield, North Carolina in 2008. The Mills Automotive Group expanded to include: two South Carolina stores; Classic Lincoln of Columbia and Stateline Fiat of Fort Mill; and three North Carolina locations: Classic Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram of Pineville, Classic Ford-Lincoln of Shelby and Classic Hyundai of Wilkesboro. In 2013, he opened his seventh dealership, Classic Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge-Ram in Goldsboro, N.C, and followed with the opening in 2014 of Classic Kia of Ellicott City, Maryland, the eighth member of his auto stores group. Mills was credited for his efforts to establish the Chrysler Minority Dealer Association Future Dealers Alliance, to mentor and nurture future minority dealership managers. In 2010, Mills Automotive Group was ranked 224 on the Black Enterprise African American Business Enterprises list. In 2013, Damian Mills was recognized for his auto industry achievements, in the Automotive News “40 under 40” issue. In 2014, he was elected president of the Chrysler Minority Dealers Association, the national trade association representing ethnic minority owners of Fiat Chrysler Automobile dealerships, and he served in this role through 2016.

Motivational Speaker, Ian Humphrey shares his own perseverance stories and takes his audience on a journey of how anyone can go from not believing in themselves to believing that they can do anything they set their minds to.
Motivational Speaker, Ian Humphrey was one of the lucky ones’ even though it certainly didn’t seem so at first. As a child, he faced his own series of difficult circumstances, from losing his mother at an early age and never truly knowing his own derelict father, to living in foster care and spending his adolescence in the rough parts of South Central LA. At 19, he succumbed to the negative voices that had always said he would be just like his father,’ committing a crime and being sentenced to 15 years in prison. So far it doesn’t sound too lucky, right? But everything changed when one person the first person in his life to do so saw the potential for good in him. While Ian was in solitary confinement for having provoked a fight, a teacher went out of his way to pay him a visit. He sat and talked with Ian, really listened, then said the simple words that would change Ian’s life forever: ‘I believe in you!’ Inspiring hope really can be that simple: one strong, conscientious person sharing a positive message truly changed Ian’s life. He began conducting motivational speeches for schools and businesses making it his life goal to make up for his earlier mistakes and create a positive impact in the world.

Brett David is the 29-year-old CEO of Prestige Imports Motor Group Miami. At 19 years old, he took over the dealership after his father passed away. David’s father instilled in him an honest work ethic and the value of giving back. As a result, he’s become an active supporter of charitable organizations such as Kids vs. Cancer, Make-A-Wish, and the American Heart Association. In 2011, David created the Ride2Revive Foundation which provides children affected by life-threatening diseases with a memorable, adrenaline-filled driving experience to revitalize their senses and distract them from their health-related struggles. Aside from his charitable endeavors, David has excelled in taking his father’s business to the next level. Overseeing one of South Florida’s most prestigious luxury car destinations and the leading Lamborghini dealership in the United States. Since taking over in 2007, Brett has sold over a billion dollars of luxury automobiles and continues to expand the Prestige Imports business with brands such as Pagani, Karma Automotive and luxury boating brands such as Van Dutch and Midnight express. In 2015, David orchestrated the largest Audi Dealership sale in history, in excess of $80 million. David attributes his success to providing the highest level of service to his customers and maintaining a work-life balance that keeps him excited about the work he is doing.

Matt launched his first company, Commercial Fleet Financing, Inc. (CFF), in 1995 with a phone, a folding table and the unyielding confidence of a single client, a trucker. Fast forward 23 years and CFF, has funded over $1 billion in transportation equipment with an annual business of $150,000,000+. CFF has served more than 10,000 clients and has become one of the largest independently owned transportation equipment finance companies in America. CFF is a 3-time winner of The SMU Cox School of Business 100 Fastest Growing Companies. His companies have been recognized in publications such as Inc. Magazine, Dallas Business Journal, Overdrive Magazine, Fleet Owner, Transport Topics, Commercial Carrier Journal, and Dealer Solutions Magazine. Audiences resonate with his tough-minded and business battle-tested philosophies on “company culture”, skilling up and scaling up” and “finding your GRIT”. He is willing and eager to share his positive and negative experiences within both the personal and business world with others. Matt is a sought after speaker within the entrepreneurial and association communities and has a highly popular podcast aptly named, YOU NEED MORE MONEY. Matt’s first book, THE GRIT, was published in 2015. His latest book, YOU NEED MORE MONEY, launched in March of 2018 and was published by Penguin/Random House.

He is a husband to 1, a father to 7, and the host of the wildly popular Facebook Live show #RiseandGrind. He’s been seen at places like Hustle and Grind Con, Grow Your Business For God’s Sake! and many more stages across the country. Glenn has been spotlighted on ABC, NBC, and CBS, and is an expert in dealership culture development, and leadership training. With 20 years experience in the automotive industry, Glenn lead a dealership from 120 cars a month to an 800% increase in sales in five years, becoming the 2nd largest used car franchise in the country. His unique style makes him one of the most coveted GM’s in the business. Glenn has the unique ability to help identify the areas for growth in your store, and teach creative ways to invoke your dealerships spirit. With a background in sales, and finance, he uses his skill sets to create growth, as well as tapping into the mental side of human development.

Arising from the fires of life, the now serial entrepreneur Danelle Delgado began her journey when faced with raising her three small children on her own. Forced to make a change she went from working three jobs, 80-90 hours a week and struggling to survive, to award-winning success in business by persisting her way in to align with some of the world’s most renowned business experts and gained them as her personal mentors. After years of high-level learning with them, she has now built million dollar companies and become a skilled sales professional and elite mentor to numerous high-performance entrepreneurs. She has taken the stage with the likes of Grant Cardone, Les Brown, Darren Hardy, Lewis Howes and more, where her online marketing, branding techniques, and human performance strategies are unlike any other in the industry and the world has taken note. Danelle says “first it’s about building the person, then one can master the skills. Confidence and competence are quite the perfect combination.” Her 4th company, Life Intended, launched to massive success in 2015 and has never slowed down. Training advancing entrepreneurs to create accelerated results, maximum profits and make winning in life an inevitable is her every day focus on an international scale.