Transcript for Hustle & Heat Episode 22
00:00:04
What’s up guys, and welcome back to another episode of Hustle & Heat Podcast. My name is George, your host, and welcome to Episode 22.
For this episode, I’d like to welcome two guests. These guys are the owners of Mazda of Port Charlotte dealership. Without further ado, I’d like to welcome Andy Bernard and Phil Evans.
Guys, welcome to the podcast. I appreciate you coming on.
“Morning. Thanks, man.”
“Good morning.”
“Good morning. Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do.”
“Sure. You go ahead.”
“So Mazda of Port Charlotte — new to the area. We’ve been open two years now. It was actually two years to the day, two weeks ago.”
“Yep. On the third year.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah, two years already. So we’re excited to be here, excited to be on your show, and excited to get our name out there.”
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00:00:52
“So what made you guys pick Port Charlotte?”
“Kind of a long story. As you’ll probably hear in our accents that we try to hide, we’re both from Ottawa, Canada, where we have a Mazda store up there.
I was down here like every Canadian — on vacation with the kids and the wife — and I kept looking around thinking, ‘Where’s the Mazda store?’ And I couldn’t find one.
So I said, ‘Well hey, maybe that should be us.’”
They explained how they went through a competitive bidding process with Mazda USA, eventually winning the opportunity to open the dealership in Port Charlotte.
“I came back to Phil on a snowy winter day in Canada while he was outside shoveling and said, ‘Do you want to go to Florida and open a Mazda store with me?’”
From there, the process began.
“Three years of planning.”
“Plus two years operating.”
“So five years total.”
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00:02:04
George asked what the process was like opening a dealership from scratch.
“It was a huge process,” they explained.
Between being in different countries, hiring staff remotely, managing construction, and learning how business operates differently in Florida, there were constant challenges.
“Everything is a little bit different here.”
That led into a conversation about the biggest differences between Canada and America when it comes to the car business.
“The biggest thing we noticed is the U.S. consumer makes decisions much faster.”
In Canada, buying a car is usually a 48-hour process.
“People set up financing, insurance, prepare for pickup. Down here, customers expect to drive away immediately.”
George laughed at the idea.
“You want me to wait 48 hours?”
“Thank God we’re in America.”
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00:04:02
The conversation shifted into rust protection, winter weather, and how different the automotive industry is up north.
“In Canada, rust protection is huge. Cars are fully rust-proofed before delivery.”
They described salespeople shoveling snow for hours at dealerships and how snow gear is still part of their everyday work life back home.
“When we interview salespeople, we joke and ask them to show us their shoveling technique.”
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00:05:33
George asked the obvious question:
“Why Mazda?”
“My family started with Mazda in 1969 in Ottawa,” Andy explained.
They both openly admitted they’re die-hard Mazda fans.
“We genuinely think Mazda makes the best production vehicles on the planet.”
They discussed how Mazda remains underrated in Southwest Florida despite strong market share in Canada.
“Mazda deserves six, seven, eight, nine percent market share here.”
The conversation highlighted Mazda’s focus on reliability, fit and finish, crash safety, and interior quality.
“If you sit inside a modern Mazda, I’d put it against any luxury vehicle costing two or three times more.”
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00:08:09
One of the more surprising parts of the conversation came when they discussed Mazda’s partnership with Toyota.
“All of our hybrid technology is Toyota technology wrapped around a more modern vehicle.”
The CX-50 is currently built alongside the Toyota RAV4 in Alabama.
Toyota uses Mazda interior technology while Mazda benefits from Toyota hybrid systems.
“We also use Lexus infotainment and camera technology in our newer vehicles.”
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00:09:50
George asked how involved they are in the dealership day-to-day.
“We’re there open to close.”
Phil acts as the GM, while Andy splits time between Florida and their Canadian operations.
“As an entrepreneur, opening a new business is a grind. We’re finally starting to feel momentum.”
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00:11:21
The discussion turned into car enthusiasm and JDM culture.
George revealed he owns two Nissan 240s and dreams of owning an FD RX-7.
“That was the poster on my wall in high school.”
The group joked about buying an RX-7 together, splitting ownership six months at a time, and who would handle maintenance.
“Service is on me.”
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00:14:01
George asked what kind of customer they’re looking for.
“Mazda customers tend to be technology-focused. They often know the vehicles better than we do.”
But their real mission is convincing loyal Honda, Toyota, and Kia drivers to simply consider Mazda.
“Just come drive one before you commit elsewhere.”
They proudly shared their dealership currently holds a 4.9-star Google rating with over 1,000 reviews.
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00:15:22
The conversation became more serious as George brought up the negative perception many consumers have about dealerships.
“People hate buying cars.”
They discussed how women especially often feel taken advantage of in dealerships.
“The industry created that reputation ourselves.”
Their goal is transparency and relationship-building instead of pressure sales tactics.
“Fair, easy to deal with, and transparent.”
Those are the phrases they say appear most often in their reviews.
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00:18:14
George asked about new consumer protection laws involving online pricing and dealership transparency.
They explained the shift toward all-in pricing and upfront fees.
“If you ask for a price, we give you the actual number.”
No hidden dealer add-ons, surprise fees, or inflated pricing after the fact.
They also criticized the “market adjustment” trend many dealerships used during COVID.
“Adding thousands of dollars over MSRP hurt consumers long-term.”
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00:22:27
The conversation moved into financing, negative equity, GAP protection, warranties, and leasing.
“If GAP benefits the customer, we recommend it. If it doesn’t, we won’t push it.”
They emphasized tailoring every deal to the customer’s real needs instead of maximizing profit.
George asked when leasing makes more sense than buying.
“If you switch cars every few years, leasing can absolutely be the better option.”
They discussed how quickly vehicle technology evolves and why many customers benefit from upgrading more frequently.
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00:26:53
George praised them for operating honestly and asked where they see themselves in five years.
Their answer was simple:
“We want to own our backyard first.”
Their goal is reaching a 9% Mazda market share in Southwest Florida and eventually expanding into additional dealerships.
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00:28:04
The final conversation centered around the future of automotive technology.
Rather than going fully electric, they praised Mazda for investing heavily into hybrid systems and fuel-efficient combustion engines.
“I think we’re going to see a lot more hybrids.”
They believe Mazda’s future in Southwest Florida is only heading upward.
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00:29:17
Before wrapping up, they encouraged listeners to visit the dealership.
“Come sit in a Mazda.”
“Come ask us questions.”
“Even if you just need car advice, we’ll help point you in the right direction.”
Mazda of Port Charlotte
798 Tamiami Trail
Sales opens at 9:00 AM
Service opens at 7:30 AM
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00:30:04
The episode closed with Andy and Phil gifting George a Mazda hat and t-shirt.
“I appreciate you guys for coming on.”
“And thank you guys for watching. If you like this video, please like, comment, and subscribe. Thank you.”
