Hate the game, not the players...Makiney isn't so bad really--at least he wasn't when I worked with him. Perhaps he's a bit misguided, but he appears to be living the ERAC dream--the bullshit that seemed almost cool when you are 23 and clueless. To you and I, living the dream is more than washing cars wreaking of pot and managing a bunch of bloated ex-frat boys at stripmalls and converted restaurants, but this is what Brian has seemingly excelled at. Dealerships and autobody shops didn't trust him seven years ago, but I'll give him credit for playing the game and kissing Deal's ass and apparently everyone else's along the way. Although he can be a bit of a show-off and boaster, that's the nature of this company...the more kool-aid (or golden soda as Brad Deal would say) you can drink, the better. Do I think that he's making $100,000--maybe... the guy basically sold his soul to get where he is at the age of 31 and I would go as far as say that he probably deserves it for being a good soldier to a bullshit company. I do feel sorry for Brian when he tries to move beyond the green picket fences and realizes that his skills aren't marketable beyond the realm of ERAC. I'm not sure where other branch and city managers are these days, but retail or the insurance industry seem the only routes for someone who has wasted seven plus years at a glorified rent-a-center chain. Good luck Brian, there are about 34,000 brainwashed MTs that are gunning for your job---six years, six figures...