Car Guy Coffee Podcast Presents #5Liner feat. Kelly Strausser
About this episode
Kelly Strausser, COO of DNM Leasing and owner of Four Stars Auto Group, shares how her “why” shifted from personal achievement to helping others through leadership. They break down what drives customer experience—high service standards, strong hiring and pay, and leaders who believe in the mission. Strausser also highlights dealership and leasing performance, including Cars.com rankings and community involvement, then ties the conversation to mentorship and learning from failure, ending with how to connect via LinkedIn.
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 Kelly Strausser, COO of D&M Leasing in Dallas–Fort Worth and owner of Four Stars Auto Group, who shares his 30-year automotive journey and how his “why” evolved from financial success to serving employees, customers, and communities.
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Toyota Celica
"And so I jumped back in my car all mad and I drove home by a Toyota store and I was in a Toyota Celica. That's what I drove for my college car."
The Toyota Celica is a sporty Toyota model that’s been around for many years. In this story, it’s the car the speaker was driving when they pulled into a Toyota dealership.
The Toyota Celica is a long-running Japanese coupe/fastback model known for sporty styling and, in many generations, a driver-focused feel. Here it’s used as a personal detail: the speaker drove a Celica when they stopped at a Toyota store to get into the business.
Matt Deimos
"And so I made a career of it. I love that. And that's such a familiar sounding story for so many amazing people in this industry... I know my first mentor. I just no doubt Matt Deimos walked in the store. He's the one who"
Matt Deimos is the person the speaker credits as their first mentor. The speaker is saying mentorship helped guide them into and through their career.
Matt Deimos is named as the speaker’s first mentor in the automotive sales context. The mention is mainly biographical, highlighting how mentorship influenced their career path.
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