Ep. 664 - How to Create a High-Performance Dealership Culture, with Jill Schulman

The Dealer Playbook

In this episode, my guest is Jill Schulman, USMC veteran, leadership coach, and author of The Bravery Effect.

We dig into the surprising role that bravery plays in building high-performing cultures—not just in the military, but in dealerships, teams, and even our personal lives.

Jill shares the science behind why playing it safe actually leads to burnout, anxiety, and unhappiness, and how the most fulfilled, successful people have something in common: they’ve learned how to build bravery like a muscle.

We talk about:

• What holds people back from going after what they really want
• Why “positive vibes only” doesn’t actually lead to happiness
• How to teach your team to want accountability, not run from it
• What it takes to lead yourself before you try to lead others
• And how leaders can create an environment where performance and wellbeing grow together

You’ll also hear practical tools—backed by real research—that Jill uses with Fortune 500 companies to help people take bold action, stay mentally strong, and avoid what she calls the “comfort trap.”

If you’ve ever felt like you were capable of more but couldn’t get past the fear, or if you're in leadership and want to help your team do hard things without burning out, this episode’s going to give you some serious perspective.

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This Episode's Sponsor
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Chapters

1. Introduction to The Bravery Effect (00:00:00)

2. The Science of Happiness and Well-being (00:02:44)

3. Why Comfort Is Making Us Soft (00:09:19)

4. Building Your Bravery Muscle (00:16:44)

5. Mindset, Actions, and Relationships (00:22:52)

6. Leadership Starts With Leading Yourself (00:29:19)

7. Creating High-Performance Culture (00:33:01)