After being in the automotive industry for a while now, one word that comes to mind for me when describing us is COMMUNITY. Though it seems individualism ranks high in the traits of most of us, I’ve experienced that those in our community are incredibly willing to help one another out when called upon. But, how do you ask for help? How do you engage someone you want to connect with, and why is it so important to do that anyway? Our guest, Nate Winston, co-owner of ECP Auto Repair & Service in Ohio, will answer these important questions for us.  Nate has made a splash this year on Facebook by visiting nearly a dozen shops and recording his experiences through Facebook Lives. His recordings not only show his experiences, but they set an incredible example of what being in a community can look like. I enjoyed this interview and getting to know Nate… you will too.

What if you found out all along you that YOU were the problem that was causing your shop, or even your life to not be where you wanted them to be — that you were the source of your own discontentment and frustration. I feel that so many people run from such a thought because honestly, I think when we acknowledge that we have that much power, it would mean we have to take responsibility and change. It was this train of thought that transformed today’s hero, Todd Baldridge owner of Buckeye Complete Auto care in Columbus OH. Todd owned his responsibility in his situation and it changed everything. This revelation propelled him to create a thriving shop where his team loves working there and his customers have to fight over parking spots just to get in. There are so many great nuggets in this great interview. 

Building a business from nothing, growing it into a family empire, and then passing it on to your kids. It’s the full circle. It’s the dream. It’s the goal that so many shop owners have, but how many actually get to see it happen successfully. This episode's guest is Doug Hillmuth, co-founder of Hillmuth Certified Automotive in Maryland. Doug actually accomplished the dream. In this episode, he'll share how he did it. If this is your dream too, then this is THE episode you need to listen to. 

Angry, burnt-out, and stuck. Those are some words that would describe where Joe Stokes found himself years ago. He was an incredible tech, made good money, and by all counts lived a good life, but he was miserable. He was angry. He was burnt out. His state became unbearable. He found himself forced to make a choice to either give in to the despair or somehow find a way to break free. Luckily, Joe found the way out, and in this powerful episode, he'll reveal how he did it and call you to do the same. Joe Stokes has been in the auto industry for 20+ years. He is the District Manager for EuroFix, AutoFix, and Mike's Auto in Nashville TN. Joseph’s Reading ListEmotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis BradberryEmotional Intelligence by Daniel GolemanThe Road Less Stupid by Keith CunninghamCrucial Conversations by Kerry PattersonRadical Candor by Kim ScottThe Dichotomy of Leadership by Jocko Willink, Leif BabinThe Book of Joy by Dalai Lama, Desmond TutuThe Like Switch by Jack SchaferThe Ultimate Jim Rohn Library by Jim RohnThe 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. CoveyLeadership & Self Deception by The Arbinger InstituteHow to win friends & influence people by Dale CarnegieWho not How by Dan SullivanCrucial Confrontation by Kerry PattersonMotive by Patrick LencioniThe 5 dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick LencioniLeadership 2.0 by Travis BradberryHow to do the work by Dr. Nicole LePeraThe Tao of Seneca by Seneca/Tim FerrisExactly What to Say by Phil M Jones

During my years in the industry, I’ve heard many stories of how owners started their shops. Of those, there are a few stories that come to mind of owners that seemed to have almost overnight success with their new shops. While these stories can be inspirational, more commonly those that observe the overnight success may miss the power of the journey that was traveled to actually get there.  In this episode, we’re going to pull back the curtain on one of those stories. Our guest is Ashleigh Civitello of Simply Euro Automotive Repair in Castle Pines CO.  Ashleigh opened her shop during the pandemic, but had cars from day one, and achieved profitability within 90 days — by all counts an overnight success. In this powerful interview, Ashleigh will share the journey she went on and reveal the clues that allowed her to have such success.  And here’s a hint… it was not an overnight journey. 

Are you an owner or manager who feels ineffective, overwhelmed, or stuck in "Mom/Dad Syndrome" at your shop? Or do you struggle to get your team to trust and listen to you? If so, then THIS is the PERFECT episode for you. And frankly, even if you think you’ve got it figured out in this area, this is still a great episode and worth your time. Being an incredible leader was a learned skill for guest, Will Dunford… but it’s one that he now excels in. Will is the regional manager for the  Atlanta market for the Simply True Auto Group. In this powerful interview, you’ll learn how to get your employees to finally trust you and lead them to create a win-win situation for the shop and them personally. 

How would you like to build such a great culture in your company that people come looking to work for you instead of you chasing them down? How would you like to be so confident in your team, that you'll let candidates ask them any question? This week our guest is Jason Smith, owner of M&M Car Care with three locations in Indiana. He didn’t build a culture in his shop like that by accident… it was the result of finding his confidence, doing hard work, cultivating a passionate "why", and having a dedication to serving others. In this episode, Jason will share the clues he learned along the way. 

In the course of building a successful shop (or in our guest's case, 8 of them), there are mental roadblocks that can get in our way, such as fears, feelings of inadequacy, and a sense of overwhelm. The truly sad part is that most DON’T actually overcome these feelings and unhelpful ways of thinking. Instead, they let these roadblocks dictate their actions leading to stagnation and limitations on growth. My guest, Dave Markert of True Automotive will reveal the clues that helped him push through and overcome these challenges which allowed him to build an incredible, thriving auto repair company.

From a young age, we are taught to follow the rules. We were told to follow the rules or there will be consequences --- follow the rules at all costs! Because of this, many people make that their mantra and stick to their rules, no matter what. BUT what happens when the rules don’t make sense? What happens when new information is introduced to a situation that makes you question the rules? In this episode our guest Kevin Roth, owner of Kevin's Auto Repair Service, in Swoyersville Pennsylvania. has made being curious and breaking the rules a cornerstone of his shop's culture. Today he’ll share the wild story that started this journey for him and reveal some killer clues along the way. 

The Ego is defined by the oxford dictionary as "a person's sense of self-esteem or self-importance". Now that doesn’t sound too bad, does it? We all have an ego of some sort. Everyone should have self-esteem and some measure of self-importance… but what happens when this important facet of our minds gets magnified into something unuseful or even widely damaging to ourselves, our shops, and our families. How would you even know if your ego was out of control? More importantly, what would you do about it? In today’s episode, I talk about this with Ryan Hillenbrand, owner of Urbs Garage and Tire in Kentucky. He’ll share about how his own ego got out of control, what this caused, and then his journey to change this and transform into an incredible leader, husband, father, and friend. He shares some incredible lessons and in the end, gives some great clues on how you can master your ego and live a more fulfilling life. 

Knowing the numbers and KPIs in your shop is critical, but I would argue that if you’re not growing yourself and your team through personal development, you’re simply not going to be as successful as you could be. Today we are going to dive into this subject with my guest Juan Barrera, Owner of Auto Solutions in Orland Florida. Juan will share the incredible journey of his personal development and how he went from knowing NOTHING about cars to becoming a successful, profitable, and happy shop owner. 

Our shops are filled with cars, lifts, tools, fluids, desks, and a whole bunch of other stuff… but they are BUILT on the relationships of our team.  I feel many of us don’t TRULY recognize is just HOW important they are, or perhaps we really struggle to foster and maintain relationships with our team without it feeling forced or being fake. In this episode, I’ll discuss this with my guest and 23-year industry veteran, Mike Wandery. Harnessing the power of relationships is his superpower. I love his story because along with each milestone, he recognized and learned the secrets to having HEALTHY, BALANCED, MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL, and STRATEGIC relationships. By the end of this episode, you’ll learn the clues you need to do the same in your shop. These clues will help you whether you’re an owner, an employee, or even a vendor supporting the shop. 

In this episode, our guest Guy Roberts shares with us the time he went from being a Service Advisor to a General Manager, and THEN going from General Manager to a District Manager. He’ll share what he learned about how to be a great manager, and leave some great clues on how owners can support their managers and how managers can support their team. If you’ve got a service advisor who you think could become a manager, then this episode would be great for them too! 

How would you like to be so driven and so confident that you’d achieve your goals that it scared you a little? What if you were so willing and able to do anything to reach those goals that it made you feel virtually unstoppable?  Our guest, Richard Weis has cultivated a life where this is his reality. In this episode, Richard will share his incredible story of growth, and at the end he’ll provide the unexpected clues that allowed him to build a 6 store empire, creating a wonderful life for himself, his family, and his team. 

There is a business analogy about your business is like a bus and the seats are different roles in your business. Making sure your team is on the right seats or roles is of course CRITICAL to the success of both the employee and the business. What happens when an employee needs to move seats? How do you navigate this change? In this episode guest, Anje Clay will share her story about this very situation and how she and her shop handled the transition well.