Car Guy Coffee Podcast Presents #5Liner feat. April Raines
About this episode
April Raines joins Car Guy Coffee for a “five-liner” conversation about her path into automotive, from early car retail and digital listings to building dealership-focused work. She shares what she learned at the NCM fixed op summit, why she values execution over ideation, and how mentorship and networking can be practical—especially through follow-up and checking in on people. The episode also covers her award recognition, her ATI Autotech Investments conference, and her upcoming speaking appearances.
Welcome to The #5Liner, the show dedicated to the individual journeys that power the automotive industry. It's not about the company; it's about the individual, their career, mindset, and personal story. In each episode, we sit down with a high-quality selection of Car Guys and Car Gals to get beyond the title and into the hard earned wisdom they've gained. Join us as we uncover the wins, challenges, and #5Liner takeaways that have shaped today’s top talent.
In this episode of The Car Guy Coffee Podcast, hosts Lou Ramirez and Fred Lennartz welcome April Raines of Digital Rain for a conversation at the midyear mark, focusing on making adjustments to finish the year strong. April shares her why—turning ideas into real-world results—plus how she entered automotive through early powersports and car sales before moving into digital retail, agency work, and problem-solving for dealers. She highlights the educational value of the NCM Fix Op Summit, previews her Women in Automotive “Power Moves” session on networking and follow-up, and credits key mentors who challenged her to become a true partner to dealerships.
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retention rate
"I sold motorcycles for a car dealership because I had somebody for a Honda dealership that said basically you could have a decent retention rate. You can remember the horsepower of something."
A retention rate is how many customers keep coming back or staying with a business. She’s describing what her Honda dealership thought would make a good salesperson.
In a sales context, a retention rate is the percentage of customers who keep buying or stay with a brand over time. April connects it to her motorcycle sales job, saying the Honda dealership wanted someone who could maintain customer loyalty.
Power Sports
"So I sold motorcycles in Arizona early on when I was going to college and that was a super fun job and they were right. Power Sports is one of those things where everybody's coming in because they want it."
Power Sports is a category of fun vehicles like motorcycles and ATVs. April says people usually buy them for enjoyment, not because their regular transportation failed.
Power Sports refers to vehicles like motorcycles, ATVs, and personal watercraft sold for recreation rather than everyday commuting. April contrasts it with car ownership by saying it’s more of a “leisure buy” because it’s not typically purchased because a vehicle broke down.
Honda Element
"so I was buying a car in Minneapolis because I'd gotten from Arizona to Minneapolis. So I thought I needed like a really waterproof car and so I was buying the Honda Element from a Honda dealership because I thought that's a waterproof car."
The Honda Element is a Honda vehicle with a very boxy, practical design. April says she chose it because she thought it would handle snow and wet weather well after moving to Minneapolis.
The Honda Element is a boxy, utilitarian compact SUV/crossover known for its practical interior and easy-to-live-with packaging. In this segment, April Raines mentions buying a Honda Element from a Honda dealership because she believed it would be “waterproof” for living in snowy conditions.
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