Built from the lot up
Thirty-plus years operating inside the industry — retail, wholesale, finance, digital, and the software that runs it all. This page is the home base for the automotive and auctions work.
Auctions & Wholesale
Co-founded Dealer Simplified in 2012, rebranded to Auction Simplified in 2014, sold to Traxero in 2021. Today I lead sales for Autura — the largest impound auction marketplace in the country.
Retail & Sales Leadership
From lot boy to finance director to digital marketing & business development director at West Herr Automotive Group — helping grow the operation from 13,000 to 40,000+ retail units per year across 1,500 employees.
Marketplace Software
Built four products at Dealer/Auction Simplified: a dealer CRM, auction platform, business review tool, and menu selling system. Now building marketplace software at Autura for towing, impound, and salvage.
Operator-level writing
The Golden Mile of Golden Rules
By the time I opened my own lot, I had learned enough from my father to know my edge.
Prep That Pays
Prep is not about doing more. It is about doing the right things in the right order for the vehicle you have and the time you have to work with. The sellers who make the most …
The B.A.C.O.N.
Knowing where to find a good car is one skill. Knowing how to walk in the door and buy it for less than it is worth is another. I have watched buyers with cash in their pocket…
Pricing It Right
The Eldorado took three days of calling and one Sunday morning to buy. The acquisition was a win. What happened next was a $14,500 education.
Titles, Branding and Paperwork
The car is not the product. The title is the product. A vehicle without a clean, transferable title is a pile of metal you cannot legally sell. Buyers know this. Platforms kno…
Marketing Your Listings
The first auction software I built had a problem I did not expect.
Compliance and Business Self-Defense
I started my first automotive business without a plan or a license. I was buying cars off the street, scrubbing them down, and parking them in front of my house. I put "For Sa…
Choosing Your Platform
We needed four cars for the lot in Buffalo and we needed them fast. I had heard Dansville Auto Auction was running strong inventory that week, so I called in a favor from a pi…
Physical Auctions
The first car my family ever sold at auction crossed the block at the Buffalo Auto Auction, down by the railway tracks on Broadway. My father had spent three 12-hour days on t…
Online Platforms
The Dansville trip was about reach. We needed cars and the inventory we wanted was not sitting in Buffalo that week. We went where the cars were because we had no choice.
Autura
Thirteen years ago I helped co-found Auction Simplified. We built it around what we knew; car dealers. Dealers needed a better way to run auctions. We built the tools they nee…
Dealer-Only Auctions
I had a dealer license on Bailey Avenue. What I didn’t have was any business buying in a Dealer-Only Auction.
Fees and Profit Protection
I once bought a clean Toyota Camry for $4,000. I knew the market well and I had comps showing it would sell for $5,500. In my head, I had already spent the $1,500 profit. I di…
After the Sale
I learned early that a sold car is not the end of the deal. The negotiation often continues after the hammer falls. This lesson hit home when I built Auction Simplified.
The Most Expensive Mistakes
I have watched sellers leave $4,000 on a single deal because they refused to spend $100 on a detail. I have watched a dealer lose his entire gross margin on a tow-yard pickup …
The Checklists
Every chapter in this book comes down to a process. The checklists below are that process in its shortest form. Print the ones that match your operation and work through them …
Closing In On The Gap
The Maverick sold on a Thursday afternoon.
The Future of Auto Auctions for Impound Yards: Why Digital Transformation Matters
As someone who’s spent four decades in automotive remarketing and developed enterprise-level auction software, I’ve witnessed firsthand the critical evolution of our industry. Today, we stand at a pivotal moment where digital transformation isn’t just an option – it’s an imperative for impound yard success. The Current Landscape of Impound Yard Operations The traditional impound […]
New Manager Rule #13: Never Lie to Your Team
Honesty is the foundation of effective leadership. The day your team stops bringing you their problems is the day you stopped leading them.
New Manager Rule #12: Mirroring Others
“People who are like each other tend to like each other. So if you want someone to like and trust you, you have to demonstrate that you’re like them. Matching and mirroring is the way you demonstrate commonality with another person.” This quote comes straight from the horse’s mouth—or in this case, the motivational giant’s […]
New Manager Rule #11: Encouraging Body Language
“The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention.” Dr. Remen isn’t just throwing words around here, Alex. As a physician and professor at the UCSF School of Medicine, she’s spent decades exploring the human […]
New Manager Rule #10: Walk the Walk, Smile the Smile
“Smile, it is the key that fits the lock of everybody’s heart.” Now, you might be wondering, “Dad, who’s this D’Angelo guy, and why should I care what he says about smiling?” Well, let me enlighten you. D’Angelo isn’t just some random quote machine – he’s a thought leader in education and personal development who’s […]
New Manager Rule 9: Look Your Best
“Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.” Now, I know what you’re thinking. “Kevin, are you seriously quoting a fashion stylist in a leadership book?” Yes, yes I am. And not just any stylist, but Rachel Zoe – the woman who turned celebrity styling into an empire and herself […]
New Manager Rule #8: The Perfect Handshake
“A handshake is like a corporate Rorschach test – what they feel says more about you than what they see.” Yes, I just quoted myself. When you write a blog, you get to do that. It’s one of the perks of authorship, along with carpal tunnel and an unhealthy attachment to your coffee pot. But […]
Work with me
Keynotes, training, and advisory for dealer groups, auction operators, and marketplace platforms. If your organization needs an operator's perspective on auctions, sales, or marketplace software — let's talk.