BusinessEntrepreneurshipEducation

Boating Industry Insider Podcast

A podcast that visits with top marine dealers, executives, and leaders to learn more about trends and issues affecting the boating industry.

Play

Open in

20 episodes
monthly
Avg 24 min
English

Episodes 20

Newest Oldest Longest

All20 Unplayed20 In progress0 Played0

#61
August 20 · 28 min
The Next Wave for Pontoons with Polaris Marine President Ben Duke
For years, pontoons were one of the recreational boating industry’s brightest success stories - drawing new buyers, expanding well beyond their traditional family-cruising roots and delivering strong growth for manufacturers and dealers alike. But lately, that momentum has slowed. So what happened, and more importantly, what happens next? In this episode of Boating Industry Insider, David Gee sits down with Polaris Marine President Ben Duke in Lake Wawasee, Indiana, in-between the company’s annual Bennington, Godfrey and Hurricane dealer meetings. We'll look beyond the latest model introductions to examine the bigger forces shaping the pontoon market - from affordability and changing consumer expectations to innovation, demographics and the challenge of giving today’s buyer a compelling new reason to get on the water.
#60
July 29 · 33 min
Tales from the Top: Top 100 Dealer of the Year Gage Marine
What does it take to become the best marine retailer in North America? In this episode of Boating Industry Insider, David Gee speaks with FJ Frazier, chief operating officer of Gage Marine, the reigning Boating Industry Top 100 Dealer of the Year. We explore the culture, training, employee benefits and operational discipline behind the company’s success, along with the value of participating in the Top 100 program. FJ also explains how the application process forces dealerships to measure what matters, identify opportunities for improvement and create a meaningful return on the time and effort invested. He calls in their "annual report." Find out why.
#59
June 24 · 23 min
Making Waves with Volvo Penta's Christine Carlson
Let’s discuss opportunities for women in the recreational boating industry, the importance of mentors and champions, and how today’s leaders can help grow and support the next generation of marine industry talent. David Gee’s guest on this edition of Boating Industry Insider is Christine Carlson McKone, Vice President of Marketing for Volvo Penta. She has built a career that has taken her from marketing communications to industrial sales, back into boating as marine marketing director, and ultimately into her current leadership role. In our conversation, we talk about her boating background, what she loves about the recreational marine industry, her career ascension at Volvo Penta, and her perspective as a Boating Industry Women Making Waves honoree.
#58
May 20 · 36 min
Full Throttle: Inside the Playbook of High-Performing Marine Dealerships
In the marine market right now, the top-performing dealers aren't just doing a little better - they're doing a lot better. The gap between the best stores and everyone else is widening, and it's not about budget or market size. It comes down to a handful of operational habits that high performers execute consistently - and how smartly they spend their digital marketing dollars. The dealers winning right now aren't doing anything exotic. They've built a foundation, layered the right tools on top, and run it with discipline. In this edition of Boating Industry Insider, David Gee is joined by Hayley Hollen, Head of Brand & Client Marketing at Dealer Spike, and Bill Koehn, Director of Digital Marketing, to discuss the State of the Dealer Report and to get specific about what winning habits look like. This episode is sponsored by Dealer Spike.
#57
April 24 · 28 min
AI Is Here! So Why Are So Many Boat Dealers Still Hesitating?
Artificial intelligence is already changing the way customers research, compare and buy. So why are so many recreational boating dealers still reluctant to use it? In this episode of Boating Industry Insider, David Gee talks to Anthem Marine founder and CEO Mark Overbye to unpack the boating industry’s hesitation around AI, the mistaken belief that it automatically makes communication feel fake, and the very real risk of falling behind in a soft market. The conversation also covers a brand-new AI-driven sales and marketing app called Leopard Logix Mark is developing exclusively for marine dealers.
#56
March 23 · 21 min
Meet-up in Miami with Freedom Boat Club's Cecil Cohn
Let’s be honest, if you’re a recreational boat dealer, the rise of boat clubs like Freedom can feel less like opportunity and more like competition. In this edition of Boating Industry Insider, host David Gee sits down with Cecil Cohn, President of Freedom Boat Club, to dig into what’s really happening beneath the surface - explosive growth, strong member retention, a surge in female participation, and one stat that should get your attention: 90% of Freedom members say they would never consider buying a boat. So maybe the question isn’t whether Freedom is taking customers off your lot, but rather whether they’re building an entirely new gateway to boating.
#55
February 23 · 25 min
Boating Industry Insider with Mover and Shaker Keith Yunger
Here’s a special episode recorded live at the Boating Industry Elevate Summit. Boating Industry Insider host David Gee sits down with Boating Industry’s Mover and Shaker of the Year and Sea Ray President Keith Yunger for an honest, unscripted conversation about leadership, momentum, dealer relationships, and what it really takes to move a legacy brand forward in a changing market. We talk about navigating uncertainty, building culture, and where the recreational marine business is headed.
#54
January 14 · 15 min
Inside the Numbers with Northpoint Commercial Finance
In this episode of Boating Industry Insider we’re taking a clear-eyed look at the finance side of the recreational boating business, from floor plans and interest rates to dealer cash flow and consumer demand. Joining host David Gee is Russell Baqir, Senior Vice President of Business Development at Northpoint Commercial Finance, someone who helps dealers and OEMs navigate every economic cycle. The conversation took place at IBEX in Tampa, but the information and insights are just as pertinent today.
#53
Dec 11, 2025 · 24 min
Boating Industry Elevate Preview
Sunny Florida. In January. Beautiful conference resort hotel. Disney Springs and theme parks. And the chance to connect, collaborate, cultivate and celebrate in an exclusive, intimate community. Attending the Boating Industry Elevate summit conference January 18-20 in Orlando will not only get your business off to a great start in 2026, but you can help to propel the entire recreational boating industry forward. Need some more reasons to register today? Boating Industry Insider host David Gee and Boating Industry magazine editor Madelyn Hubbard have a few for you.
#52
Nov 18, 2025 · 17 min
The Soundtrack of Boating with Kicker Marine
On this episode of Boating Industry Insider, we sit down with Jeremy Bale, senior brand manager at KICKER Marine Audio – a guy who knows about sound on the water. We dig into what boat buyers expect today, how audio has become a core part of the on-water experience and what KICKER is doing to grow while keeping dealers (and their customers) grinning. If you love boats, audio, tech or just a good behind-the-scenes conversation, you're going to enjoy this one.
#51
Oct 16, 2025 · 23 min
Brunswick’s CTO at IBEX: The Future of Boating
Fresh from IBEX, we’re bringing you an episode of Boating Industry Insider featuring Áine Denari, president of Navico Group, and chief technology officer at Brunswick Corporation. As Simrad unveils an autonomous docking innovation, Áine explains how it advances Brunswick’s ACES strategy—Autonomy, Connectivity, Electrification, and Shared access. We also take a broader look at today’s recreational boating climate: demand, inventory, and the crucial role innovation plays in shaping tomorrow’s market. If you want to understand where boating is headed—and how technology is reshaping the experience—you won’t want to miss this episode.
#50
Sep 16, 2025 · 16 min
IBEX Preview with Show Director Mary Velline
Charting the Future of Marine Innovation with new IBEX Show Director Mary Velline. In this episode of Boating Industry Insider, David Gee focuses on one of the most important events in our industry - IBEX - the International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition & Conference, held October 7-9 in Tampa, Florida. IBEX is the leading marine technology trade show, bringing together boat builders, suppliers, designers, and innovators to share knowledge and showcase what’s next in the business of boating.
#49
Aug 20, 2025 · 17 min
Power, Precision and Progress with Mercury Marine President John Buelow
Let's talk horsepower. Outboard horsepower that is, and Mercury Marine's brand new V10 425hp motor to be more specific. Joining the conversation with Boating Industry Insider host David Gee is John Buelow, the President of Mercury Marine. The two were recently together In Tampa for the press introduction of the new outboard. They not only discuss specifics of this latest product, and where it fits in the lineup, but also the company's commitment to noise, vibration, and harshness engineering and why that matters boaters and dealers alike.
#48
Jul 16, 2025 · 25 min
Mid-Year Temperature Check: Navigating Today's Boating Headwinds
What happens when tariffs bite, consumer confidence wavers, and boat sales stall? In this episode of Boating Industry Insider, David Gee talks with Anthem Marine CEO and serial boat building entrepreneur Mark Overbye to unpack and discuss the choppy waters currently rocking the recreational boating market. From rising inventory to tougher conversations on the sales floor, we tackle the pressing challenges dealers and manufacturers face—and explore what it really takes to stay afloat when the tide turns. If you're looking for straight talk, smart strategies, and a reality check on today’s boating business climate, this one’s a must-listen.
#47
Jun 18, 2025 · 26 min
Boating Industry Insider Insurance
How much do you think about your marine insurance? A little? A lot? For many marine businesses it represents your second largest cost, right behind payroll. In this edition of Boating Industry Insider, you'll hear a discussion about all aspects of insurance for your business from how often you should audit your coverage, to adverse weather, workers' comp and even how tariffs can impact your business. Host David Gee is joined by Jeff Heydlauff, commercial marine specialist, and Matt Anderson, president, Global Marine Insurance Agency, one of North America's leading marine insurance providers.
#46
May 20, 2025 · 25 min
Tracking Technology Pilot Program Provides Real-Time Insights
Radian IoT and Northpoint Commercial Finance have begun a pilot program using Radian’s GPS telematics tracking technology to test the delivery of real-time insights into OEM inventory-level management, production trends and delivery timelines. To hear more, Boating Industry Insider host David Gee is joined by Northpoint Vice President of Marine Operations Gary Childress and Radian IoT President Scott Crutchfield. The pair say the technology, which is being tested among some Northpoint OEM and dealer customers, will enable more efficient production planning and tracking of boats, from the assembly line to delivery to a new customer.
#45
Apr 15, 2025 · 29 min
Boating Industry with NMMA's Ellen Bradley
Inflation. Interest rates. Consumer confidence. Boat shows. Advocacy for the recreational boating industry, in Washington, and at the grassroots level. Growing the next generation of boaters. The outlook for the 2025 selling season. Those topics - and more - are all on the agenda as Boating Industry Insider host David Gee is joined by Ellen Bradley, SVP, marketing and communications and chief brand officer, National Marine Manufacturers Association, for a wide ranging and fast moving conversation.
#44
Mar 18, 2025 · 31 min
Secrets of Success with the Boating Industry Top 100 Dealer of the Year
From kayaks to cruise ships. Roger Moore, aka 007, the dealer principal of Nautical Ventures, the recently-crowned Boating Industry Top 100 Dealer of the Year award winner, says you can buy just about anything that floats from them. And they even sell a few things that can go under the water, instead of on top of it. However, they constantly emphasize to staff that what they really sell is fun. In this interesting, insightful conversation, Moore and Boating Industry Insider host David Gee discuss vertical integration, how he grew the footprint of his business, impediments to growth, including staff, and how you get disparate parts of an organization to work together as they continue to grow and scale.
#43
Feb 19, 2025 · 24 min
Industry Insights from the Miami Boat Show
100,000 attendees, 1,000 boats and a billion dollars in economic impact. That is the Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show and Boating Industry Insider host David Gee interviews some of the biggest names there. Join him along with Brenna Preisser, EVP, President, Brunswick Boat Group, Aine Denari, President, Navico Group and Brunswick Chief Technology Officer, Ryan Martin, Marine Category Lead, Honda Marine, and sales statistics guru Jack Ellis, founder and CEO of Info-Link. They’re sharing new product news, their insights and thoughts on the 2025 boat selling season, as well as the broader future of the recreational boating industry.
#42
Dec 9, 2024 · 19 min
Fort Lauderdale recap and 2025 preview with Adam Quandt
The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show brings in 1,500 boats, several thousand exhibitors, 100,000 attendees and generates over a billion dollars in economic activity. The show can also be a barometer for the greater boating industry, not only with regards to actual sales but also in terms of the talk on the docks. Boating Industry Editor-in-Chief Adam Quandt was there, and tells Boating Industry Insider podcast host David Gee what people were saying about the economy, the presidential election, tariffs, and the prospects for a successful 2025 selling season.

Showing 1–20 of 20 episodes