Talking Roots, Adaptability and Culture With Alex Vetter, CEO of CARS.com and CARS Inc.

I’m fired up to kick off the next 100 episodes of the show with another CEO of a publicly traded company. Alex Vetter, the CEO of CARS Inc. (parent of Cars.com), sat with me to talk about cultivating a culture to be adaptable and also to share some little known stories about the early days of this household-name brand.

I find Alex to be a genuine person. There is a deep care and loyalty to his team, a commitment to the industry he serves, and a whole lot of empathy for the modern car buyer. I’m always interested in learning from people who have been through the refining fire of change. One of the main reasons is that those who make it through can teach a thing or two about what it means to innovate.

As I say, “Innovation is a choice.” It’s a decision that must be made to try something different over and over again. I hope you find some value from this conversation with a seasoned veteran who is still walking through the fire of change and is more committed to innovation than ever.