Steve Gordon: Inside the California DMV's Transformation
Guy Kawasaki's Remarkable People
Guy Kawasaki
4.6 • 667 Ratings
🗓️ 26 February 2025
⏱️ 62 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Guy Kawasaki sits down with Steve Gordon, Director of the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Gordon, a former Cisco Systems executive, shares how he transformed one of the state's most crucial yet historically frustrating agencies into a customer-focused operation. From implementing digital signatures to managing a network of 220+ offices, Gordon reveals the innovative approaches that revolutionized the DMV experience. His leadership philosophy of "management by driving around" and commitment to operational excellence offers valuable lessons for any organization seeking to improve public service.
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Guy Kawasaki is on a mission to make you remarkable. His Remarkable People podcast features interviews with remarkable people such as Jane Goodall, Marc Benioff, Woz, Kristi Yamaguchi, and Bob Cialdini. Every episode will make you more remarkable.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | In my years of entrepreneurship, I've seen countless startups. And here's the truth. |
| 0:07.3 | Smart spending drives growth, which is something Brex has championed. Brex isn't just a corporate credit |
| 0:14.0 | card. It's a strategic tool to help your company achieve peak performance. Corporate cards, banking, expense management, all integrated |
| 0:24.1 | on an AI-powered platform that turns every dollar into opportunity. In fact, 30,000 companies are |
| 0:33.1 | trusting Brex to help them win. Go to brex.com slash grow to learn more. |
| 0:40.0 | We didn't make it easy, and we should just realize that the comparator in the marketplace is Amazon. |
| 0:44.7 | So I talked to my staff, and I asked them, anybody order anything for Amazon over the holidays? |
| 0:48.8 | And every hand goes up and says, so when you're thinking that the DMV or government should be different, |
| 0:54.0 | I said, no, we should be good as what we're trying to do as they are. |
| 0:56.5 | We should make the products are on the shelf. |
| 0:58.0 | We should know what they want to buy. |
| 0:59.6 | We should make it easy to put it in the car. |
| 1:01.0 | We should make it easy to pay. |
| 1:02.6 | And again, we have some room to go there, but that's the direction we're heading. |
| 1:13.2 | Hello, everybody. It's Guy Kawasaki. |
| 1:15.5 | This is the Remarkable People podcast. |
| 1:21.7 | And today I have a guest that if you had told me when I first started getting driver's license in California that someday I would have a podcast about remarkable people |
| 1:27.4 | and I would bring on the show the person |
| 1:30.1 | who ran the California State Department of Motor Vehicles. I would tell you, you are crazy |
| 1:36.2 | because I spent half my life waiting at that freaking office in Redwood City. So I am very proud |
| 1:43.3 | that this is the Remarkable People podcast. We're trying to make you |
| 1:46.8 | remarkable. And I have the remarkable Steve Gordon, who runs the California DMV. And I can tell you |
... |
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