The Evening Drive Podcast
Hosted by Sam Cox
Two automotive veterans turned coaches host this weekly podcast for dealership leaders on process, culture, and winning at work without losing at home.
This is a trade publication in podcast form for the modern automotive manager. It's a mix of solo episodes where the two hosts discuss market trends and leadership philosophy, and long-form interviews with other dealership GMs and department heads. Conversations toggle between granular operational tactics (used car sourcing, BDC pay plans, AI implementation) and broader themes of personal development, mindset, and work-life balance.
“Unlike many sales podcasts, The Evening Drive stands out by pairing tactical dealership advice with a consistent focus on the leader's personal life and mental state. The co-host dynamic between Sam Cox and Evan Walters creates a conversational, peer-to-peer feel, rather than a slickly produced lecture.”
Who hosts this show
The Evening Drive is a podcast for automotive leaders, hosted by Sam Cox and Evan Walters. Described as "two automotive veterans turned coaches," the hosts deliver conversations on dealership leadership, sales process, F&I, and company culture for GMs, GSMs, and other operators. The show blends practical, in-the-trenches advice with a focus on personal growth and mindset, framed by the hosts' signature "800%" philosophy.
Credentials & credits
- Automotive Sales & Leadership Coach
- Co-host, The Evening Drive Podcast
- NADA Workshop Speaker
Other ventures
- 800percent.life (Coaching/Consulting)
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United States
- Region
- usa
When new episodes drop
- 01The Power of Intentional Leadership | The Evening DriveJun 24, 2026 · 29 min
- 02Building Success Differently with Chris Matlock | The Evening DriveJun 17, 2026 · 27 min
- 03
- 04
- 05Mindset Mastery: The Leadership Shift That Changes Everything | The Evening DriveMay 27, 2026 · 33 min
- 06Unlocking AI Potential in Automotive Leadership | The Evening Drive PodcastMay 20, 2026 · 30 min
- 07From 2 Cars to GMC Dealer of the Year with Mark Foster | The Evening DriveMay 13, 2026 · 27 min
- 08Balancing Leadership and Family with Brad Overly | The Evening DriveMay 6, 2026 · 29 min
Notable episodes
- 01Building Success Differently with Chris Matlock
A deep dive into independent dealership operations, including a creative pay plan for sourcing used cars and the guest's memorable 'two bags' analogy for work-life balance.
- 02The Mindset Behind Disrupting Automotive with guest Josh Mitchell
Explores the real-world application and failures of AI in dealerships, and the evolution of the modern Business Development Center (BDC).
- 03The Power of Intentional Leadership
A representative non-interview episode where the hosts discuss their philosophy on leadership, drawing lessons from Disney World's processes and the importance of taking breaks.
What you'll be asked on this show
Sam Cox and Evan Walters share interviewing duties in a conversational, tag-team style. They often open with a broad prompt for the guest to share their origin story in the car business. They build rapport by referencing shared industry experiences and demonstrating pre-existing knowledge of the guest's career. Probing questions are specific and operational, asking for details on pay plans, sourcing strategies, or technology use. A signature move is to pivot from business tactics to personal habits, often asking how a guest maintains their energy or balances work and home life, tying into the show's "800%" philosophy.
The show is co-hosted by Sam Cox and Evan Walters and alternates between two-host discussions and guest interviews. Episodes consistently open and close with the signature phrase "Lock the gates. Start the drive. Win the day!" The tone is relaxed, professional, and feels like an insider's conversation.
Questions Sam Cox keeps coming back to
12 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when Sam Cox reaches for it.
origin
1- Q.01
“Why don't you give us the 30-second view of your past and who you are today?”
This is the standard opening question to establish the guest's background and credibility in the automotive industry.
personal
2- Q.01
“What are you doing outside of work that keeps you 800% at work?”
A signature question that connects the guest's personal habits and work-life balance to their professional performance.
- Q.02
“What were the one or two things that led to [a specific personal achievement, like weight loss]?”
This probes into a guest's personal transformation, reinforcing the show's theme of holistic success.
advice
1- Q.01
“What advice would you give your 10-year-younger self?”
A classic closing question used to distill the guest's career and life lessons into a single piece of advice.
process
4- Q.01
“What makes a healthy BDC (Business Development Center)?”
This question seeks specific, actionable advice on a critical dealership department.
- Q.02
“Where are you sourcing your used cars from right now?”
A tactical question that gets into the nitty-gritty of current dealership operations and inventory strategy.
- Q.03
“How do you attract and keep good people?”
This question addresses the common industry challenge of hiring and retention, seeking the guest's cultural and process solutions.
- Q.04
“How do we get our people to participate in social media?”
This seeks leadership advice on motivating a team to adopt modern marketing and branding practices.
future
1- Q.01
“What are your thoughts on AI in the dealership?”
The hosts use this to gauge a guest's perspective on emerging and potentially disruptive technology.
backstory
1- Q.01
“Tell us about the story behind [a specific achievement, like an award or brand name]?”
Used to highlight a unique part of a guest's career and unpack the story behind it.
technique
1- Q.01
“Can you give an example of the [specific strategy, like a pay plan] you mentioned?”
A follow-up question designed to get beyond theory and into concrete, practical examples.
controversy
1- Q.01
“What are some of the negatives you're seeing with [a new trend, like AI]?”
After a guest praises a trend, this question pushes for a more balanced view by exploring the downsides.
Signature segments
- · Lock the gates. Start the drive. Win the day.
- · The 800% way of living
- · Co-host discussions on market news
- · Interviews with dealership GMs
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
Guests are exclusively active, in-the-trenches automotive professionals, typically General Managers or department heads from successful dealerships. They are booked to share specific success stories, whether in process innovation, culture building, or personal transformation (e.g., significant weight loss, achieving work-life balance).
- Chris Matlockon Building Success Differently with Chris Matlock | The Evening Drive
- Josh Mitchellon The Mindset Behind Disrupting Automotive with guest Josh Mitchell | The Evening Drive
- Tyler Abshearon The Unspoken Truth About Pushing Limits in Automotive Sales with Tyler Abshear | The Evening Drive
- Phil Gillon Mindset Mastery: The Leadership Shift That Changes Everything | The Evening Drive
- Mark Fosteron From 2 Cars to GMC Dealer of the Year with Mark Foster | The Evening Drive
- Brad Overlyon Balancing Leadership and Family with Brad Overly | The Evening Drive
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The primary sponsor mentioned is 800percent.life, which appears to be the hosts' own coaching and consulting brand. The podcast likely serves as a primary marketing and lead-generation channel for this business.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
Pitch Sam Cox
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People also ask
- Who are the hosts of The Evening Drive?
- The hosts are Sam Cox and Evan Walters, who are described as automotive veterans turned sales and leadership coaches.
- What is the podcast's format?
- The show alternates between episodes where the two hosts discuss market trends and leadership concepts, and long-form interviews with guests from the automotive industry.
- Is this podcast still active?
- Yes, based on the provided data, the podcast releases new episodes on a weekly basis.
- Who is this podcast for?
- It's aimed at leaders in the automotive retail industry, such as General Managers, General Sales Managers, and department heads at car dealerships.
- What is the '800%' concept they mention?
- It appears to be the hosts' core philosophy, related to their coaching business, focusing on achieving a high level of performance and engagement in both work and personal life.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
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