Meet The Good GM: JC Prats on CBT News

September 29th, 2026 by

On September 28, 2026, our Executive General Manager JC Prats joined Jim and Bridget Fitzpatrick on CBT Live, the daily show from CBT News, one of the auto industry’s best-known trade outlets. If you follow him on social media, you already know him as The Good GM. The conversation covered how he uses video to talk openly with car shoppers and with people inside the business, and why transparency is how we run this Buick GMC dealership in Stuart.

Here are the highlights, in JC’s own words.

Who is JC Prats?

JC has spent 42 years in the car business. He cut his teeth in Chicago, doing network TV advertising in English and Spanish, and earned the nickname “the infomercial king” along the way. He has worked for the Starling family for eight years, and Starling Buick GMC Stuart is the second store he has run for them. The day of the interview marked his four-year anniversary here.

In that time, the store has been named GM Dealer of the Year in 2023, 2024 and 2025 and received the GMC Mark of Excellence award. You can see the full list on our About Us page. On the show, JC described the store’s turnaround from the lowest performer in its district to the top Buick GMC store in that district, and he is quick to point out that awards like these are not handed out for birthdays. They come from hard work and taking care of customers.

Why The Good GM talks to shoppers and to the industry

Most dealership videos are built to generate leads. JC’s pull back the curtain on how a dealership actually runs, from the questions he asks in a job interview to how the team handles a tough situation. CBT host Jim Fitzpatrick pointed out that the videos speak to car shoppers and industry professionals alike, and JC says that is deliberate:

“I don’t want to do videos just to do videos. It’s about really talking about the things that are pertinent to both consumers and people in the industry.”

The goal behind it is bigger than views:

“My mission, the Starlings’ mission, is to really change the perception of the car business for the general public. All I can do is what I can control in my store.”

Customers notice. JC says shoppers regularly pull him aside in the showroom to tell him they came in because of his videos, because they like the way he talks, the way he takes care of customers, and the transparency they see online. You can read what they say in our customer reviews.

Transparency in practice: the deal he unwound

One story from the interview shows what that looks like on a normal business day. A week after buying a new vehicle, a customer called because the monthly payment turned out to be more than he was comfortable with. JC unwound the deal, returned his down payment and took the vehicle back.

“I don’t want you to have something that you don’t feel like you can afford.”

As he put it on the show: “Who unwinds a deal after a week? I want to do business the right way.”

The better outcome, of course, is finding the right payment before you sign. Our payment calculator and current lease and finance specials are a good place to start, and you can get a value for your trade-in online before you visit.

Every month stands on its own

Asked about the old industry habit of holding sales over to the next month to hit a target, JC was direct:

“We don’t do that at our store. Everything that we sell, we put it in, and every month has got to stand on its own.”

It is a small detail from the outside, but it says a lot about how a store is run.

From “the snowbirds are gone” to shoppers from all over

Stuart is a seasonal town, and when JC took over the store, the warning he kept hearing was that business would dry up every spring.

“All I kept hearing is the snowbirds are gone, the snowbirds are gone. Well, I haven’t heard that in years. We are bringing people from all over the place now, with social media.”

Today we regularly welcome drivers from Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce and as far south as Delray Beach, along with shoppers who find JC online and make the trip from out of town. If you are planning a visit, browse our new GMC and Buick inventory or pre-owned vehicles first so the right vehicle is ready when you arrive.

A dealership people want to work for

The videos reach salespeople and managers too. JC gets calls, DMs and Zoom requests from people across the industry, and dealers have traveled to Stuart to see how the store runs. One owner from New Jersey spent an entire day with him. On a recent factory trip, people he had never met kept coming up to say they follow his content.

JC gives the credit to the people he works for. What started three years ago as his idea to turn Stuart into the social media store in its district now runs across Starling stores with a dedicated marketing team.

“I’ve been doing this for 42 years. I’ve worked for some good people, but I’ve never worked for such great people like this. My only regret in life is that I didn’t meet him earlier on in my career.”

If you are in the business and that sounds like the kind of place you want to build a career, see our open positions.

His advice for anyone thinking about getting on camera

For salespeople and managers watching the show, JC kept it simple:

“Jump in. Get your feet wet. Don’t be camera shy. Once you do it three or four or five times, you’re going to start getting a flow with it.”

Where to follow The Good GM

JC says TikTok gets him the best results, while Instagram is where he has the most followers:

Between The Good GM and the store channel, the team puts out four to five videos a week, including new incentive videos at the start of every month.

Frequently asked questions

Who is The Good GM?

The Good GM is JC Prats, Executive General Manager of Starling Buick GMC Stuart. He has 42 years in the car business and posts videos on TikTok and other platforms about how a dealership should treat customers and employees.

Where can I watch the CBT News interview with JC Prats?

The full CBT Live interview from September 28, 2026 is embedded above. CBT News also published a written feature, How The Good GM built a social media strategy around authenticity.

What awards has Starling Buick GMC Stuart received?

Starling Buick GMC Stuart was named GM Dealer of the Year in 2023, 2024 and 2025 and has received the GMC Mark of Excellence award.

Where is Starling Buick GMC Stuart located?

Starling Buick GMC Stuart is at 2445 SE Federal Hwy, Stuart, FL 34994. You can reach sales at (772) 919-4768.

Come meet the team

The best way to see how we do business is in person. Stop by 2445 SE Federal Hwy in Stuart, say hello to JC, and take your time looking around. When you are ready, our sales team is at (772) 919-4768, and our service department is here for everything after the sale.

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