Mostly Middle Tennessee Business Podcast

Jim McCarthy sits down with Babcox Media’s Brian Ankney to talk about how a 106-year-old automotive media company keeps reinventing itself with video, AI search, and niche-focused content. They dive into the real future of car dealerships, F&I, EVs, and what “good” selling actually looks like in 2026.

If you’re in automotive, real estate, or any small business that lives on leads and relationships, this episode is loaded with practical perspective and stories from the trenches.


Highlights
00:00 Sales vs “being pushy”: reframing what selling really is
03:30 E-bikes, safety, and 50-year-old-guy workouts
04:27 Who is Brian Ankney and what is Babcox Media?
05:38 How a 106-year-old print company reinvented into video and podcasts
06:25 Building a garage studio right before COVID (and what it did for the business)
08:05 Letting the market tell you where to go (niche media and product pivots)
13:21 How Babcox uses AI instead of editorial calendars
15:11 AI search, car shoppers, and why “traditional” search is quietly shrinking
18:16 Why not paying attention to AI search could cost 30–40% of your market
20:53 What the next generation dislikes about AI (and why)
21:14 Tech shortages in dealerships, body shops, and repair facilities
24:42 Subscription car services and the future of vehicle ownership
28:21 Cars as rolling storage units and the “junk trailer” idea
30:38 New battery tech and the truth about “clean” energy
32:21 EVs, coal plants, and how emissions are really measured
33:54 Leasing vs buying EVs and the resale value problem
37:17 Full-serve gas in New Jersey and post-COVID fuel lines
38:21 Third-generation leadership at Babcox and staying “100 years young”
41:03 Inside culture at Babcox: open doors, mandatory AI, and cross-brand collaboration
42:05 Why Brian now hosts multiple industry podcasts
43:19 How much engineering goes into tire tread
43:58 Early career: selling cars, consulting, and flying every day pre-9/11
47:34 High-pressure window sales, 65% first-night close, and getting thrown out of houses
52:33 Lessons from the Honda and Mercedes showroom floors
55:10 Why most people are still going to need a human in the car-buying process


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What is Mostly Middle Tennessee Business Podcast?

Real conversations about the stories, challenges, struggles and triumphs of Middle Tennessee's entrepreneurs, business owners and professionals. Broadcasting from the J2HQ in Thompson's Station. www.mmtbp.com