On the Kortex Media podcast, host Korson Schmidt sits down with Cory “3K” Collins and Brandon Vargas from ARC to unpack how dealerships can double down on F&I performance through mindset, hands-on leadership, and customer experience. Cory explains why many stores hit a self-imposed ceiling (“that’s how we’ve always done it”) and how ARC’s team breaks through by running live deals, modeling best practices, and installing repeatable processes. From compliance and retention to using AI the right way, this conversation is a field guide for dealers who want sustainable growth not just bigger talk tracks.
Below are a few bullet points you'll find from watching this video.
With three straight years of 200% growth and a coast-to-coast training footprint, ARC isn’t just selling warranties and reinsurance, they’re embedding operators who run real deals, in your store, with your customers, and then teach your team how to replicate those wins the day they leave.
“We’re not thermometers—we’re thermostats. We don’t report the temperature. We raise it.” — Cory Collins
From Blue-Collar Hustle to F&I Mastery
Brandon Vargas didn’t enter automotive through a corporate fast track. He started as a hydro blaster in a refinery making $11/hour. One chance DM led to a dealership role, a $10,000 first check, and a decade-long climb through sales, Internet director, F&I manager, sales manager, and now national F&I trainer and warranty rep. His lesson? See it to believe it: shadow excellence, adopt the tonality and process, and your numbers will follow.
Cory Collins grew up in dealerships, sales at 14, F&I manager at 16, earning his MBA at Northwood and mentoring peers like current ARC CEO Justin Osborne long before ARC existed. The throughline? Relentless positivity, teach-by-doing leadership, and a conviction that your “ceiling” is just a belief waiting to be broken.
What Makes ARC Different
1) Embedded, Hands-On Execution
Most providers “promise” results. ARC delivers them in your store:
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- Run the desk with your managers
- Take turns with live customers
- Deliver cars and show the full F&I experience
- Document repeatable processes your team can use tomorrow
“Slide over...we’ll run the deals, show you how we do it, then train you to repeat it.”
2) 20 Groups That Actually Grow Stores
ARC’s 20 Groups aren’t endless composite read-outs—they’re strategy accelerators. Members workshop how to move from 150 → 250, 500 → 700, or 1,000 → 2,000 units monthly, weaving the numbers into what actually changed day-to-day.
3) Culture-First Partnerships
ARC hires and fires by culture. The standard isn’t comfort—it’s growth. The team shows up to raise tempo, lower unproductive tension, and increase temperature—so records fall from the front line to F&I.
The Mindset Shift That Moves PVR
Most F&I teams think they’re at max potential. Then ARC runs a day of deals and produces clean $3,000–$3,500 PVR with happy customers and tidy paperwork. The ceiling? It wasn’t the market—it was the belief system.
ARC’s Method:
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- Set written goals (90-day → 1-year → 3-year → 10-year)
- Define daily “actionables” (the behaviors that cause the goals)
- Shadow, model, and practice until it sticks
- Brand the dealership inside the F&I delivery so customers return
“Wins lead to more wins. Crush the day before the day crushes you.” — Brandon Vargas
Build Value Where It Matters: The F&I Experience
Customers arrive more informed than ever. Competing on price alone is a race to the bottom. ARC reframes value on three fronts:
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- Presentation – A clean, professional environment that signals trust.
- People – Customers buy from people they like. Train tonality, timing, and empathy.
- Process – A branded, efficient F&I experience that respects time value and makes protection plans feel like smart time-saving tools, not fear-based add-ons.
Outcome: You don’t chase reviews, you earn them. And you transform first-time buyers into long-term customers.
Compliance & Risk: Be Proactive, Not Sorry
Regulatory changes are here. ARC audits for exposure (think: customer info lying around, patchwork processes) and helps you tighten compliance before it’s a problem. Waiting until “after” is expensive. Being proactive is profitable.
AI & Digital Tools: Leverage, Don’t Replace the Human
ARC champions AI where it extends your team like lead response speed, outreach consistency, simple task automation, all while protecting the human core of customer communication (e.g., personalized thank-you notes, tailored follow-ups). Used well, AI is free leverage. Used lazily, it erodes trust.
Retention: The Real Growth Engine
Retention isn’t magic, it’s design. ARC aligns sales → F&I → service so customers circle back:
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- Sales-to-service conversion targets of 70% can drive 20%+ annual growth
- Menus and products that support retention (e.g., LoJack app notifications, appearance packages, maintenance programs)
- F&I delivery that brands the store and sets the first service visit in motion
The Team Behind the Wins
ARC’s field operators (Collins, Vargas, and more) are backed by a deep HQ with ops, accounting, fixed ops expertise, and marketing, so training translates into operational permanence. It’s not two consultants on an island; it’s an ecosystem with one mission: serve the dealer and elevate the individual.
Where ARC Is Headed
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- 25 stores in every state, not “if,” but “how fast”
- Selective hiring of thermostats, not thermometers, builders who can travel, execute, and coach
- Continued re-investment in training, 20 Groups, and enablement so every new store sticks the landing
“We don’t stop by with donuts. We show up to break records.”
Advice to Rising Automotive Pros
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- Fail forward. Don’t fear looking foolish; it’s the toll you pay to become elite.
- Curate your circle. Your network is your net worth, surround yourself with doers.
- Write it down. Goals are 25%, actionables are the other 75%.
- Find a model. Shadow excellence, adopt the cadence, and repeat it until it’s yours.
Key Takeaways
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- Mindset + Actionables beat “best intentions” every time.
- The fastest path to higher PVR is hands-on execution in your store.
- Brand your dealership inside the F&I delivery to fuel reviews and retention.
- Proactive compliance is a profit protection strategy.
- Use AI as leverage, not a substitute for human connection.
Call to Action
Ready to raise your store’s temperature? Connect with ARC for on-site F&I consulting and training, culture-driven 20 Groups, and a retention-centric delivery process your customers will talk about.
