The Man Behind the Tagline: Clay Cooley on Cars, Culture & Competition

In this episode, we sit down with Clay Cooley—a Dallas-born entrepreneur and automotive powerhouse who went from sacking groceries to owning 22 car dealerships and employing thousands. Known for his “Shop Me First, Shop Me Last, Either Way Come See Clay” slogan, Clay unpacks his journey of hustle, hard knocks, reinvention, and relentless growth. We talk entrepreneurship, failure, family business, the effects of COVID on the used car marker, the impact of EVs, and how the car business has evolved (and stayed the same). If you’ve ever seen a Clay Cooley ad, this episode will give you insight into the brain—and heart—behind the brand.

In This Episode:

[01:05] The Clay Cooley Tagline – The origin of the iconic “Come See Clay” slogan

[02:00] From Groceries to GMC – How Clay got his start in the car business

[04:50] Lubbock Lessons – Growing up, working young, and the value of early hardship

[07:07] Starting His First Lot – The leap into entrepreneurship, repos, and maxed-out credit cards

[13:00] Scaling Up – Moving from hustling solo to acquiring multiple franchises

[17:00] Learning From Failure – Why missteps are key to long-term success[19:00] Leadership & Culture – Dress codes, internal training, and hiring from within

[23:00] The Family Guarantee – Clay’s return-any-car policy and its impact on business

[27:00] Why Texas Wins – Why dealerships thrive more in the Sunbelt vs. other states

[28:00] Revenue Breakdown – Where the real money is in a dealership

[31:00] New vs. Used – Why COVID upended the used car market and what comes next

[36:00] Ad Strategy – From newspaper liners to family-made TV commercials

[39:40] Passing the Torch – How his kids are modernizing operations and leading with tech

[40:00] AI in Auto Sales – Where automation is improving the dealership experience

[44:00] Planning for Perpetuity – Slimming corporate, scaling smart, and future-proofing

[46:00] Private Equity & Price Inflation – Why rollups are changing dealership dynamics

[48:00] The Local Advantage – Why being community-rooted still matters

[50:00] Will Dealerships Die? – Clay’s take on EVs, Tesla, and the franchise future

GUEST RESOURCES

https://www.claycooley.com/

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Editing and Support by ⁠⁠The Good Podcast Co.⁠