From The Stock Market To The Car Market: Lessons on Scaling a 13-Rooftop Auto Group | Taseer Badar, CEO of ZT Corporate

Welcome to the Car Dealership Guy Podcast. In this episode, I speak with Taseer Badar, CEO of ZT Automotive. We dive into his entrepreneurial journey, including how President Obama "pushed him" into the car business, explore his M&A strategy, uncover which brands are on his wishlist, and reveal the tough realities behind employee layoffs. This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by: 1. Corpay - Corpay is transforming how dealerships handle payments. We help you save time, score big rebates, and ditch manual headaches — all while syncing directly with your DMS. Trusted by dealerships coast to coast, Corpay is here to rev up your efficiency and profitability. Don’t settle for “good enough” in your AP. Visit booth #658 at NADA or learn more @ https://www.corpay.com and see what Corpay can do for your bottom line. 2. Mia - Your 24/7 AI receptionist who speaks like a human, not a robot. No more "press 1" - just natural conversations for sales, service, and support. She handles everything from car shopping to appointment scheduling in multiple languages, while integrating with your systems. Never miss another lead. Learn more @ https://www.mia.inc/ 3. Car Dealership Guy News - The #1 source for concise and unbiased car industry news. Stay informed with the most relevant and interesting stories by learning more @ https://news.dealershipguy.com Need help finding top automotive talent? Get started here: https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/ Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here: https://cdgpartner.com Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here: https://bit.ly/3Suismu Topics: 00:00: Intro 01:44: How did Taseer enter the automotive industry? 06:24: What led to diversifying into auto retailing? 18:34: How does Taseer approach innovative customer service? 21:42: What acquisition strategies and preferences does Taseer have? 21:48: How does Taseer focus on community and market needs? 22:06: How does Taseer evaluate and enhance dealerships? 23:49: What personal touch does Taseer bring to leadership? 28:51: What is the future of the auto industry and EVs? 37:39: What are Taseer's closing thoughts? Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff: CDG News ➤ https://news.dealershipguy.com/ CDG Jobs ➤ https://jobs.dealershipguy.com/ CDG Recruiting ➤ https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/ My Socials: X ➤ / guydealership Instagram ➤ / cardealershipguy TikTok ➤ / guydealership LinkedIn ➤ / cardealershipguy Threads ➤ https://www.threads.net/@cardealershi... Facebook ➤ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?... Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions. #AutomotiveIndustry #Entrepreneurship #BusinessDiversification