The First Pencil is an automotive podcast that also discusses music and social media. Why? Because the hosts, Mike theCarGuy Correra and Kathi Kruse, thought other car podcasts were one-dimensional. So, they decided to discuss three shared interests. Correra and Kruse worked in car sales and connected over the 1980s Los Angeles music scene. They're now digital retailing experts who advise dealers on marketing tactics. Unlike vendors and manufacturers, Correra and Kruse have no sales agendas. They share uncontrived opinions.

The podcast's title, The First Pencil, is a phrase that means the first offer a dealer presents to a buyer. It's written in pencil because the buyer always negotiates it. But many dealers now let customers make the first offer since they can compare prices online. The hosts say buyers no longer need to test drive, negotiate, or visit dealerships to buy cars. Correra names two sales strategies that are essential in this changing industry. He also explains the one thing dealers used to avoid that now builds customer loyalty.

Correra is a sales engineer at DealerBuilt, which helps dealers improve online visibility. He managed several dealerships, so he knows what works. Kruse is CEO of Kruse Control, Inc., which provides advisory services to dealerships. She's an author, speaker, consultant, and automotive social media expert. The cohosts divide The First Pencil podcast episodes into three segments.

In automotive segments, listeners learn about the future of electric vehicles. Kruse expresses safety concerns about autopilot features. The hosts debate MSRP markups and their favorite muscle cars. In music segments, they talk about seeing The Go-Go's and Van Halen before they were famous. Social media segments explore topics such as safe TikTok and ChatGPT usage for dealerships.

The hosts love horsepower, but Kruse also loves horses. She's a horse rescuer and animal advocate. She criticizes Elon Musk's company, Neuralink, for reportedly killing monkeys with brain chip testing. As promised, the hosts don't filter their opinions. But that makes them more trustworthy. The varied topics keep it fun for everyone, whether they like hot rods and drag races or not. New episodes of The First Pencil come out on a periodic basis.