When your spare bedroom turns into a surprise indoor pool, most people would understandably cancel their meetings. Not Kim Grubb. Despite a sudden home flood, the Fixed Operations BDC Director at Cooper Auto Group still showed up—ready to share her insights on the Volie Rally podcast.
Why? Because the topic meant that much to her.
Kim is an original member of Volie’s first-ever 20 Group for service BDC professionals. And if you ask her, joining it wasn’t just a good idea—it was a game-changer.
Why Join a 20 Group?
For Kim, the appeal was simple: connection.
As she puts it, “Fixed Ops BDC is still a relatively new function. It’s been gaining steam over the last five years, but for a long time, I felt like I was figuring it all out on an island.”
When Volie introduced the 20 Group concept—bringing together BDC leaders from around the country for structured, peer-driven learning—Kim didn’t hesitate. In fact, she was already asking every other week if it was happening yet.
“Every other leader in the dealership has a 20 Group—owners, GMs, sales managers. Why not BDC?”
What Happens in the Group?
Volie’s 20 Groups include three virtual sessions per year, plus one in-person meeting. The format is simple but powerful: bring together people facing the same daily challenges, and let them compare notes.
Even the virtual sessions pack a punch. “We’ll be discussing an issue, and someone will chime in with a solution I never considered,” Kim says. “The knowledge-sharing is nonstop. Even outside the meetings, our group chat is active—sharing best practices, OEM changes, workarounds. It’s constant support.”
The in-person sessions, though, take it to the next level. After the first one, Kim returned home and immediately revamped her agent pay plans based on conversations with her peers. The result?
A 30% increase in productivity—in outbound calls made and inbound calls converted to appointments.
“I thought I had a great plan,” she admits. “Turns out I didn’t. That one change paid for the group tenfold.”
From Training to Transformation
Kim describes the 20 Group as “more like training than anything else,” because of how much she learns and applies directly to her BDC operation.
“I didn’t even know I wasn’t doing something the best way until I talked to the group. If I hadn’t had those conversations, I never would’ve made the changes that led to that 30% boost.”
And it’s not just about business. The camaraderie is real. After meeting in person, Kim says the group dynamic changed completely. “It went from professional to personal. I can now text any of them for help with Ford programs, productivity strategies, or anything else. I’m not on an island anymore. I’m in a neighborhood.”
Advice for Other BDC Leaders
For anyone considering Volie or joining a 20 Group, Kim is clear: “Reach out to me. I’ll tell you how Volie changed my BDC.”
She also emphasizes the value of the group: “It’s a nominal cost—basically just to cover dinners and the moderator—but the value you get back is massive. It pays for itself in months.”
Final Thoughts
At Volie, we don’t host 20 Groups to make money. We host them because we believe BDC leaders deserve the same support, resources, and community as every other department. And hearing success stories like Kim’s? That’s what it’s all about.
If you’re ready to stop going it alone and start transforming your BDC, reach out. Let’s rally together.
