From the lot to the founder's chair
Ethan Reynolds walked into Pinkerton Chevrolet in Lynchburg, Virginia with zero dealership experience, asked for a job, and sold twelve and a half cars his first full month, second in the store. He did it again the next two months, became the store's top salesperson, and won Salesman of the Year in his first year in the business.
He moved into management at Pinkerton Salem as a finance manager and sales manager, which put him in every chair a deal passes through: the lot, the write-up, the desk and the F&I office.
While he was still selling, Ethan got tired of the hours he lost posting cars to Facebook Marketplace by hand, so he built a tool to do it. That became AutoLister Pro, now used by 618+ dealers. In 2026 he co-founded Dealer Forge, which builds dealership websites, CRM and AI tools, and left the dealership to run it full time.
Timeline
- 2023Starts selling at Pinkerton Chevrolet in Lynchburg with no experience. Sells 12.5 cars his first full month and wins Salesman of the Year his first year.
- April 2024Founds AutoLister Pro while still working the floor.
- 2025Moves into management at Pinkerton Salem as a finance manager and sales manager.
- 2026Co-founds Dealer Forge and leaves the dealership to build it full time.
- October 2026Publishes The Green Pea Playbook.
Why he wrote The Green Pea Playbook
Nobody hands a new salesperson a manual on day one. Most people learn the pay plan, the process and the politics by trial and error, and many quit before they figure it out. The Green Pea Playbook is the book Ethan wishes someone had handed him: how a dealership actually works, the Road to the Sale step by step, objections, the F&I turnover, where customers really come from, and what your first 30, 90, 180 and 365 days should look like.