The Institute’s Leading Edge Podcast

142 - "Ask Me Anything" with Cecil Bullard & Lucas Underwood: Profit, Pricing & People September 3, 2025 - 00:54:39 Show Summary: Lucas Underwood hosts an open AMA with industry veteran Cecil Bullard, digging into how macro “yellow flags” (rising delinquencies) typically boost repair demand, and why cash flow and reserves determine who survives slowdowns. They unpack practical pricing: when to use a parts matrix, target tire margins, and why some items belong outside the matrix. The duo stresses hospitality-driven experiences, disciplined shop-supplies billing, and charging properly for diesel and specialty work. They outline a hiring sequence for growth, the productivity pitfalls that kill profit, and a simple framework for net cash flow after taxes and distributions. Throughout, they challenge discount mindsets and make the case for sustainable, unapologetic profitability.   Host(s): Lucas Underwood, Shop Owner of L&N Performance Auto Repair and Changing the Industry Podcast   Guest(s): Cecil Bullard, Founder of The Institute   Show Highlights: [00:01:00] - Economic “yellow lights” often push savvy consumers to fix, not replace; repair demand typically rises in these cycles. [00:02:41] - Cash is oxygen—without 3–6 months of operating reserves, a short dip can shutter a shop. [00:05:27] - Use separate strategies for items like tires, batteries, wipers, and fluids; some don’t belong in the standard parts matrix. [00:09:28] - Thoughtful hospitality (even small freebies) wins loyalty—fund it by protecting margins elsewhere. [00:14:01] - Compete on experience and trust, not price; most customers aren’t comparison-shopping 15 quotes. [00:17:40] - Target ~35–40% gross margin on tires and price installation to hit labor GP goals; kits (TPMS, weights) lift the job’s GP. [00:23:28] - Shop supplies like brake cleaner, bolts, clamps, and zip ties are parts—track and bill them, don’t give them away. [00:29:40] - Diesel and fleet uptime are high stakes; charge your standard matrix and prioritize speed and correctness. [00:36:32] - Hiring order for growth: add tech → second tech → third tech + service advisor; long-term, 5–6 techs to 2 advisors runs smoothly. [00:49:14] - Aim for ~20% net; expect ~⅓ taxes, ~⅓ reinvestment, ~⅓ distributions—build real cash flow, not vanity revenue.   In every business journey, there are defining moments or challenges that build resilience and milestones that fuel growth. We’d love to hear about yours! What lessons, breakthroughs, or pivotal experiences have shaped your path in the automotive industry? Share your story with us at info@wearetheinstitute.com, and you might be featured in an upcoming episode.   👉 Unlock the full experience - watch the full webinar on YouTube: https://youtu.be/QFB6oUOLIwc   Don’t miss exclusive insights, expert takeaways, and real talk you won’t hear anywhere else. Hit Subscribe, drop a comment, and share it with someone who needs to hear this!   Links & Resources:  Want to learn more? Click Here Want a complimentary business health report? Click Here See The Institute's events list: Click Here Want access to our online classes? Click Here ________________________________________ Episode Transcript Disclaimer This transcript was generated using artificial intelligence and may contain errors. If you notice any inaccuracies, please contact us at marketing@wearetheinstitute.com.   Episode Transcript:   Lucas Underwood: What is up everybody? My name is Lucas Underwood. I'm the owner of l and n Performance Automotive Repair, out here in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, and I'm one of the hosts of the Changing the Industry podcast. And today I have with me the Almighty Cecil Bullard. Cecil, how you doing, buddy? Cecil Bullard: I'm doing great buddy. Cecil Bullard: I don't know about Almighty. Some days it's like almost mighty or something. I don't know. Lucas Underwood: Maybe just almost right? Cecil Bullard: Almost is probably better. I'm great, Lucas. I'm great. Lucas Underwood: Very good. Thank you for being here. I'm gonna jump right into some questions. We have, uh, some great questions over here on the side. Got some folks. Lucas Underwood: I know Craig's in here, lots of folks asking questions already, but one of the things that came up in the changing the industry podcast group, first thing this morning is I posted something about some credit card debt delinquencies and posted some stuff about commercial delinquencies Now. I should, I should admit there's a caveat to this because when you put this out over the max span, that they've collected these numbers and have the data for this, we can see that these numbers aren't too high. Lucas Underwood: Right now they're about 1.5, five to 2%, somewhere in there. Back in 2008, they were in the seven and 8% range, so they're not that high, but we are starting to kind of see those go up. Now what I said in the group was, is typically this is a good thing for auto repair because you're really financially savvy consumers. Lucas Underwood: The ones that our shops typically work for are watching these warning signs. They're not flashing red, they're flashing yellow, and they're saying, Hey. Maybe I better back up a little bit. Maybe I don't buy that brand new Denali. Maybe I fix the one that I have now. Cecil, what does this mean for auto repair? Lucas Underwood: When we start seeing some of these yellow warning signs flash, Cecil Bullard: I think in, in every instance so far, um, auto repair, uh, succeeds, uh, greatly. And I think that's why you see venture capital really taking a serious look after 2020, uh, in every, you know, uh, when the. Gas crisis hit, uh, people kept their cars and spent money on them. Cecil Bullard: When, uh, uh, the housing crisis hit 2008, 2009, same thing, uh, Enron before that, uh, same thing. Uh, during COVID, uh, we were an essential service. And while the restaurants were losing money and closing down and, and all of the other services, the hotels, uh, automotive was, uh, hitting record, uh, record pace. I also would tell you from what I can tell, uh, um, our industry is actually shrinking a little bit, uh, which is the first time that you really kind of see that in a long time, and which means that there are going to be fewer shops out there. Cecil Bullard: So I, I think this is good for us, but we need, we, we need to remember, I don't, I, I need cash. Cash, cash and cash flow are, are important. And so it, it's really important that I understand my business and how to generate that, those profits. If I don't have any cash in the bank and another trauma hits. Uh, where people tighten up for a month or two, I think. Cecil Bullard: I think we're gonna see a lot of businesses, automotive businesses, close. For sure. 'cause they don't have cash and they're, and they're on the edge all the time. And, Lucas Underwood: and, and I've, I've been there, right? Like I have absolutely been there and, and I see a lot of businesses when we talk to 'em about, Hey, you need at least six months of operating expenses in the bank. Lucas Underwood: They say, that's unattainable. That's crazy. How could you ever do that? And, and you're exactly right though. And, and cashflow is king. Right. Because I see so many businesses, they go out and they finance all of this stuff and all of their cash flow is committed before they even get the first dime in the door. Cecil Bullard: And then you have a, a really dangerous spot to be in. Yeah. And then you have a bad week or a bad month because of the, you know, the weather or the whatever, and all of a sudden you're behind a month with all of your vendors and everything. And it, yeah. That's a really tough place to be. So, um, be smart. Um. Cecil Bullard: Profit, understand what you have to mark things up, understand you know what profit you need to make and, and hold the line and you'll be fine. And I would say, you know, let's have at least a minimum of three months worth operating capital in the bank. And the way to start that is start, if you can't put 500 bucks a, a week aside, put uh, 200, whatever. Cecil Bullard: Can put 200. Put a hundred. Yeah. Just get a habit of writing yourself that check first. Right. Yes. And putting that in that account and that account is not, Cecil gets to go buy a new truck account or a boat or that account is that money doesn't get touched unless the world is on fire. Right. Lucas Underwood: Absolutely. Lucas Underwood: And I, I learned something years ago. Um, I, I did shop supplies for a long time. I made an adjustment to that. But when I took those shop supplies, those shop supplies were a percentage of income, and I just took that money and that went into that account no matter what. And so that was. Started building that kind of nest egg, that that protection blanket there started putting some money back. Lucas Underwood: Cecil, the first question I wanna talk about, um, is what parts should not be in a parts matrix and how do we charge for those parts? Now, for me, my tires, they're not in the standard matrix, right? They're in a different matrix, but my batterie. I'm typically doing 35% on those, uh, wiper blades. I'm typically doing like 50% fluids. Lucas Underwood: I've got one for that around the 55%, somewhere in that range. The one that I see a lot of shops get caught up on is things that are multiples, so eight spark plugs or a pin of star where you've got 16 rocker arms and it might drive the, the price to that 70 or 80%. Range because they're inexpensive. Tell us how do we, how do we navigate this? Lucas Underwood: Because there's some things that may not need to be in a matrix, right? Cecil Bullard: Most of the shops, um, don't put tires in a matrix. So we're, while we're looking for a 58% margin on our parts Lucas Underwood: mm-hmm. We're Cecil Bullard: looking for a 35% margin to 40 on our tires. Okay. Overall. Okay. And there are ways to deal with that, that will increase your profits, that will make that a ver

135 - "Ask Me Anything" Session with Cecil Bullard & Lucas Underwood July 23, 2025 - 00:56:34 Show Summary: In this AMA-style episode where Lucas Underwood and Cecil Bullard dive deep into leadership, shop management, and real-world challenges auto repair shop owners face. Cecil shares his personal journey from resenting his father’s shop to running multiple successful businesses and eventually founding The Institute. The duo tackles essential questions on hiring, pay plans, morale during slow periods, extended warranties, and pricing strategies. They emphasize how attitude and simple systems can drastically improve outcomes. The episode wraps up with marketing insights and the critical mindset shifts needed to sustain long-term success in the automotive industry.   Host(s): Lucas Underwood, Shop Owner of L&N Performance Auto Repair and Changing the Industry Podcast   Guest(s): Cecil Bullard, Founder of The Institute   Show Highlights: [00:01:34] - Cecil’s entry into the industry after a career-ending injury [00:03:52] - Transition from shop ownership to coaching [00:07:57] - First lever to pull during slow months: morale [00:13:03] - Structuring hybrid pay plans for technicians [00:19:11] - Gross profit per hour vs. overall gross profit [00:28:22] - Handling extended warranty work in your shop [00:34:00] - Marketing for performance vs. general repair [00:41:56] - Dealing with toxic employees and bad hires [00:44:30] - Buying new equipment vs. increasing car count In every business journey, there are defining moments or challenges that build resilience and milestones that fuel growth. We’d love to hear about yours! What lessons, breakthroughs, or pivotal experiences have shaped your path in the automotive industry? Share your story with us at info@wearetheinstitute.com, and you might be featured in an upcoming episode.   👉 Unlock the full experience - watch the full webinar on YouTube: https://youtu.be/oobZrL7qMc8   Don’t miss exclusive insights, expert takeaways, and real talk you won’t hear anywhere else. Hit Subscribe, drop a comment, and share it with someone who needs to hear this!   Links & Resources:  Want to learn more? Click Here Want a complimentary business health report? Click Here See The Institute's events list: Click Here Want access to our online classes? Click Here ________________________________________ Episode Transcript Disclaimer This transcript was generated using artificial intelligence and may contain errors. If you notice any inaccuracies, please contact us at marketing@wearetheinstitute.com.   Episode Transcript:   Lucas Underwood: Welcome everybody. I'm here with Cecil Bullard. My name's Lucas Underwood. We're here for an AMA Cecil. How you doing, buddy?  Cecil Bullard: I'm great, brother. I'm always great.  Lucas Underwood: Yes sir. Yes sir. So, uh, we've, uh, we've been through a lot together. You're my current business coach and we've had a lot of really cool stuff happening and, and we've been through some struggles. Lucas Underwood: We've been through some wins and been through some losses and I'm, I'm honored to have you on my team and working through this with me. And the folks from the management group and, and helping us work with our managers here in the shop. And so, um, excited to be here for the a MA today and, uh, excited to see what all it is that we're gonna talk about and, and the questions we're gonna have here. Lucas Underwood: Csil. I'm gonna kick it off kind of with you and, and let's talk a little bit about you. I know there's a lot of folks in the room who know who you are, but would you care to share with the ones who don't know who you are? A little bit about your history and, and where the institute came from?  Cecil Bullard: Dad had a shop, uh, grew up in, uh, didn't have a lot to do with it because dad was, you know, he was overprotective. Cecil Bullard: So it wasn't fun for me to be there. Uh, we didn't make a lot of money. Uh, dad was always at work. Uh, I resented the shop as a, as a youth, uh, because it stole my father away from me. Um, and. When I turned 19, I was at college playing basketball. That's what I wanted to do, and, uh, shattered an ankle and, uh, uh, in a basketball game about three weeks before the season started. Cecil Bullard: That kind of ended my basketball career. Uh, I only went to college to chase girls and play basketball, so since I couldn't. Play basketball and I wasn't very good at chasing girls anymore 'cause I didn't have, you know, two legs under me. Um, uh, I went to my dad and said, I, I'd like to come to work for you. Cecil Bullard: And became a tech and then a service advisor. I. Uh, a few years in and then a few years after that I was the manager of the shop. 'cause I can't leave things alone. Right. You know, it's kind of that thing about me. And, and, uh, then I owned three shops. Uh, I left Utah about 28, 29 years ago. Came up to u uh, excuse me, left California, came up to Utah and, uh, ran some other people's shops, did some other things. Cecil Bullard: And, um. Kind of, uh, ran a very successful shop in Northern California. Got recognized for that, uh, joined the SCCA there, and, uh, decided that I would be best. Um, my best use would be to be a coach for other people. Uh, we did 2.6 million with fourex and two service advisors, parts guy. Uh, that was 120%, uh, at the time with an 800 and whatever it was, average 8 62, I think was the average repair order. Cecil Bullard: And, um, at the time our labor rate was $158 an hour. You're talking 2010. And, um, everyone else was under a hundred. And so we had a very successful, very consistent, very productive shop, very happy clients, obviously very profitable, and that's kind of what led me into coaching. Uh, I work for another, another company, and since I am a technician, I, you know, said, wow, they're making all this money and I could do it better. Cecil Bullard: I'll just start my own. You too. You too. I'll make all the money and I'll, I'll, I'll, and then I can take Wednesdays off and, you know, all that. And, uh, the good news is lately I've been taking, uh, you know, uh, Fridays off and, and, uh, you know, only 25 years after starting a coaching company. Uh, right. So that's my background. Cecil Bullard: And I think I have a real passion for. Because of my experience with my father, uh, who you know about passed away about 12 years ago, and on his deathbed, um, had been, think he'd been thinking a lot about his life and talking about how he missed out on his family's stuff. Uh, correct. Yeah. And I didn't want, my main drive is I, I don't want any other kids losing their fathers to their business. Cecil Bullard: Yeah. And so if I can teach someone to run a good business, make good money, that they can have an outside life besides the business, that's kind of my main drive. And, uh,  Lucas Underwood: absolutely. And, and you know, for, for our listeners, if at any point you have a question, drop over into the comments and ask the question, um, we're, we're here to answer any questions you may have, but since you, you bring up a really good point is, is that fixing the business. Lucas Underwood: Is a core component of being the good Father is a core component of being the good husband, is being part of your family, being present. You've heard a lot of my reels recently talking about this because I, I kinda lost sight of that. The business became who I was and, and you know, it's easy. It is, it is. Lucas Underwood: Yeah. It's so easy to lose sight of that and, and kind of get ourselves off into a corner somewhere and we think we're alone. And you know, one of the things I've watched with you is I've watched you work with a lot of clients over the past couple of years, and I watch you walk into their businesses or look at their financials and you say, oh, this is wrong and this is wrong, and this is wrong. Lucas Underwood: It's simple. Just change this and change this and change this. But it's not that simple, right? It takes, well, it is encouragement.  Cecil Bullard: It is, it's, that's the, that's the problem. You guys overcomplicate the shit out of it. Yeah, it's, it's not, it's very simple. In most cases, it just doesn't feel that way because you don't, you either don't know what you don't know or you don't have the experience. Cecil Bullard: To feel good about that. So if you look at, at young children, you know, yeah. 12, 13 years old, they got their first boyfriend, their first girlfriend, and all of a sudden they broke up and their life is over. Yeah. I mean, for them it is completely and absolutely devastating. And then a guy like me, I'm like. Cecil Bullard: Yeah, your heart got broke. Okay. Big deal. You know that's gonna happen a lot of times before you find the right person because you have the experience and the knowledge, um, from that experience to make different decisions or to lead in a different way. Yeah, right. And so absolutely for me, I look at running a shop. Cecil Bullard: I was having a conversation with someone, I can't even tell you who it was, but they had done something amazing. I, I can't remember what it was, uh, it's just a, a week ago. But I was, I was thinking, you know, it's, it's like a technician. They drive their car and they, and they work on people's cars and they don't realize how talented. Cecil Bullard: They really are. Yeah. Right. To them. Absolutely. The curse of knowledge. Yeah. To them it's easy, right? Oh yeah. I pulled the engine apart and uh, you know, I replaced the pistons and you know, did blah, blah, blah. And I, you know, uh, today, if I was to pull like a timing chain off of a modern car today, I'd be like, huh. Cecil Bullard: Right. You know, what do I do? Um, and I used to be able to do that in my sleep, right? Yeah. But it's that, it's that. It is easy. Most of what we're gonna ask you to do is easy. The only reason it's hard is because you don't have the knowledge of the experience. Right? Ab

147 - Ballet Shoes to Bay Floors: How Julia Reynolds Streamlined a Small Shop for Big Results September 16, 2025 - 00:33:39   Show Summary: What happens when a former professional ballerina trades the stage for a service bay? Julia Reynolds, General Manager at RDS Automotive Service (GA), shares how she rose from apprentice to operations lead—building a transparent, commission-free culture and turning processes into profit. In this episode, Julia breaks down the exact systems her 5-person team uses to communicate faster, sell smarter, and deliver dealer-level trust with indie-shop heart. If you’re wrestling with volume, deferred work follow-ups, parts sourcing chaos, or going paperless, you’ll steal playbook-ready ideas you can implement this week.   Host(s): Jimmy Lea, VP of Business Development   Guest(s): Julia Reynolds, General Manager of RDS Automotive Service   Show Highlights: [00:00:34] - From ballet to bays: Julia pivots careers after an ankle injury, earns ASEs, starts at Ford in 2020, and joins RDS in August 2021. [00:03:16] - Ground-up growth: She begins as an apprentice, sweeps floors, learns under master tech Paul O’Brien, then shifts to the front after a wrist injury. [00:05:10] - Small shop, tight crew: A five-person, commission-free team feels like family and collaboration beats push-pull leadership. [00:06:17] - INTJ ops brain: Templates, spreadsheets, and standardized parts lists make complex jobs faster and cleaner. [00:08:59] - DVI is the crown jewel: AutoServe1 + Protractor + AutoOps boost transparency with photos/video/audio and easy online booking. [00:11:30] - Paperless vision: Tablets in-bay and one-platform communication would cut walk-time and raise tech efficiency. [00:15:33] - Parts in one pane: Consolidating with tools like Nexpart/PartsTech would simplify VIN-driven estimates and ordering. [00:17:06] - Volume bottleneck: Local zoning and neighborhood shifts reduce car count, so marketing and deferred-work follow-up are mission-critical. [00:23:04] - New audience, new work: Target late-20s/early-30s enthusiasts who want upgrades (not just maintenance) to grow revenue. [00:26:50] - Leveling up: Prioritize electrical diagnostics training, dealer-level programming, and evaluating all-in-one shop software on the Windows 11 refresh.   In every business journey, there are defining moments or challenges that build resilience and milestones that fuel growth. We’d love to hear about yours! What lessons, breakthroughs, or pivotal experiences have shaped your path in the automotive industry? Share your story with us at info@wearetheinstitute.com, and you might be featured in an upcoming episode.   Don’t miss exclusive insights, expert takeaways, and real talk you won’t hear anywhere else. Hit Subscribe, drop a comment, and share it with someone who needs to hear this!   Links & Resources:  Want to learn more? Click Here Want a complimentary business health report? Click Here See The Institute's events list: Click Here Want access to our online classes? Click Here ________________________________________ Episode Transcript Disclaimer This transcript was generated using artificial intelligence and may contain errors. If you notice any inaccuracies, please contact us at marketing@wearetheinstitute.com.   Episode Transcript: Jimmy Lea: Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, or goodnight, depending on when and where you're joining us from. My name is Jimmy Lea. I am with the Institute and this is the Leading Edge podcast. Joining me today is Julia Reynolds. She is the general manager for RDS Automotive out of Georgia. So excited to have you here with me, Julia, how the heck are you? Julia Reynolds: I'm doing great. It's great to be here. Thank you so much for having me. Jimmy Lea: Well, good. Thank you. Thank you. And I want to jump right into this and ask you about your journey into the automotive aftermarket. What did that look like for you? Julia Reynolds: So it's, it almost sounds like a lie when I say it out loud, I promise you a hand on a Bible. Julia Reynolds: It is real. I was a professional ballet dancer. I ended up breaking an ankle and retiring at about 2021. I taught for a bit after that. I. Essentially, I had a couple of jobs here and there. I worked with Shutterfly for a bit. Worked with Lifetouch, had a, you know, great group of people there. Julia Reynolds: Very supportive still of my career change today. When I was deciding kind of what I wanted to do next with my life, I remembered growing up in. Essentially we had a service station that had a equipment shop underneath, and my happiest memories growing up were being in the shop with my grandfather and my uncles and my dad and my brother, you know, whether I was watching them or because I had little hands, you know, reach in here and twist that because, you know, I'm a girl. Julia Reynolds: Our hands fit in places that a lot of burly guys hands don't. Oh, that's so Jimmy Lea: true. Julia Reynolds: And it just, when I thought back on all those memories, I was like, I. It doesn't feel like work. And I had also restored vintage, like I had a Nissan Dotson two 80 or not a two 80. My brother had a two 80, I had a 300. Julia Reynolds: And then my brother also has a fair lady as well. So we kind of grew up in the restoration game with that just for fun, you know, kind of a bonding project with our dad. And yeah, I took the leap went and got my a SC certifications. I started out at Ford. Went through all of the Ford School Ford training back in 2020, and then I started here at RDS in August of 21. Jimmy Lea: Nice. Congratulations. So you just ashad yourself sha Oh, I'm saying the wrong word. Julia Reynolds: No, you got it. It's Shae Jimmy Lea: Ade. You're away from ballerina into, the front desk. Oh, congratulations. A professional ballet. Thank you. I was not a professional ballroom dancer, but I was a ballroom dancer through high school and college. Julia Reynolds: That's awesome. That's how I met my husband. Jimmy Lea: Oh, really? Ballroom Julia Reynolds: dancer? Yeah. Jimmy Lea: Oh my word. Congratulations. Julia Reynolds: Specifically like West Coast. West coast swing and blues dancing. Jimmy Lea: Oh, I love West Coast. West Coast. It's so much fun. Yep. Yep. So much fun. All right, so, back to your you went from ballerina into the automotive into Ford, ended up at RDS, right? Jimmy Lea: It sounds like outta school, you went right into RDS, is that correct? Julia Reynolds: Correct. Correct. Jimmy Lea: Okay. Jimmy Lea: Did you go straight into management with RDS or did you start on the front counter? What, how did that work out? Julia Reynolds: I started as an apprentice. I mean, I started from the bottom and worked my way up. When I came to RDS, like I said, I was fresh out of Ford School. Julia Reynolds: And I just said if you take a chance on me, I promise I'll work as hard as I need to prove myself. I know I'm a girl in this industry and it is not normal for a. You know, 27-year-old female to walk into a shop looking for a job. So, you know, I paid my dues, I swept the floors, I put the tools away. Julia Reynolds: I got to apprentice under our master technician, Paul O'Brien. He is incredible. One of, in my opinion, one of the best Toyota mechanics in the city of Atlanta. So I got to spend two years with. And then after that I ended up having an injury with my wrist. I tore the cartilage here, so I was in a cast and it's kind of hard to work on cars in a cast. Julia Reynolds: So that's when I started learning more about how the front runs and how we, you know, do bookkeeping and all that good stuff. So my boss kind of. He and I swapped. So he took my position on the floor as soon as my apprenticeship was over, and then I kind of started learning the backend until my brother came on board with us from Subaru, and now he's our service manager. Julia Reynolds: So he handles all of the customer facing interactions and then I handle all the backend. Jimmy Lea: Oh, interesting. So he went from teching with Subaru to service advising here with RDS. Julia Reynolds: Correct. Jimmy Lea: Oh my goodness. And so you're running everything behind the scenes and he's running everything front of counter. Jimmy Lea: Oh my gosh. That's phenomenal. So what's one of the things that you love the most about leading this team you've got at RDS? Julia Reynolds: With RDS? I know it's kind of a taboo thing to say that work feels like a family, but as a very small shop. Yeah. We do feel like a family. I mean, there's only five of us, the owner, his wife, my brother, me and our master tech. Julia Reynolds: That's it. So, you know, it's a very small operation and I love that we all can come together, we can troubleshoot and problem solve and feed off one another. And when it comes to leading it, it doesn't even really. Feel like I'm having to push or pull or, you know, make things happen. It's really a collaborative effort and I'm so thankful to work with such an amazing team. Jimmy Lea: Oh, that, that is so cool. And it's cool that you've got a small team. So it's, I'm not gonna say it's easier because it's also difficult. It has its own challenges. Yes, working with the technicians and the service advisors. So how, what would you describe as your management style in communicating between your technicians and your brother as the advisor? Jimmy Lea: How do you work that? Julia Reynolds: So. Personality wise, I'm a an INTJ, so I'm very logic oriented. I like to problem solve and you know, streamline processes and things like that. So I try to take as much of my experience as a tech because I do still work on the floor and say, okay, if we are doing this job, why don't we come together? Julia Reynolds: We're gonna make a couple of spreadsheets. So if we're gonna sell a. A timing change up, we're gonna make a sheet. So we kind of have a template. We know we need X, Y, Z for parts and things like that. And I think having that, like I said, collabora

146 - Building a Stress-Free Culture with Loren Winfrey September 11, 2025 - 00:38:58   Show Summary: Jimmy Lea sat down with Loren Winfrey (Stress Free Auto Care) to unpack how he scales two San Francisco shops—inside a 23-store network—without losing the customer-first soul of the business. Loren detailed how empowering teams to “work you out of a job” creates consistency across locations, why radical transparency (DVIs, live tech feeds, clear follow-ups) builds trust and approvals, and how smart incentives keep advisors and techs thriving—even when car count wobbles and budgets tighten. From solving urban parking puzzles to living by a data dashboard, this conversation highlighted culture, process, and profitability in real life.   Host(s): Jimmy Lea, VP of Business Development   Guest(s): Loren Winfrey, General Manager/Trainer of Stress-Free Auto Repair   Show Highlights: [00:01:11] - Loren frames leadership as “training the bench,” empowering advisors and techs so the shop isn’t dependent on a single decision-maker. [00:02:38] - He manages two high-density SF shops a mile apart, each moving 12–15 cars daily with AGMs and advisors per location to cover five techs apiece. [00:04:37] - With no parking at the Geary site, a porter rotates cars through smart meters on timed alerts—and earns a monthly bonus for a ticket-free record. [00:08:47] - ARO is softening (~$1,000 → ~$800) as customers prioritize safety-critical work; Loren layers sales by red/yellow/green and explores in-house financing paths. [00:11:29] - As a “fully deployable” operator, Loren travels to other markets (e.g., Texas) to realign processes and culture across the 23-store network. [00:12:27] - Radical transparency: live technician video feeds and DVIs shift the conversation from “trust me” to “see for yourself,” boosting approvals. [00:14:43] - Once skeptical of DVIs, Loren now calls AutoFlow indispensable—photos, video, and clear write-ups eliminate confusion and drive decisive yeses. [00:19:16] - Pay what people are worth: strong base + utilization/GP bonuses keep techs and advisors engaged, consistent, and customer-focused. [00:23:35] - Hiring is the constraint; he sets clear standards, mentors C-techs under stronger Bs, and advocates rebuilding the trades pipeline. [00:29:22] - A custom dashboard (utilization, GP, spend) guides daily action and human check-ins—numbers tell the story, but leadership asks “Are you okay?”   In every business journey, there are defining moments or challenges that build resilience and milestones that fuel growth. We’d love to hear about yours! What lessons, breakthroughs, or pivotal experiences have shaped your path in the automotive industry? Share your story with us at info@wearetheinstitute.com, and you might be featured in an upcoming episode.   Don’t miss exclusive insights, expert takeaways, and real talk you won’t hear anywhere else. Hit Subscribe, drop a comment, and share it with someone who needs to hear this!   Links & Resources:  Want to learn more? Click Here Want a complimentary business health report? Click Here See The Institute's events list: Click Here Want access to our online classes? Click Here ________________________________________ Episode Transcript Disclaimer This transcript was generated using artificial intelligence and may contain errors. If you notice any inaccuracies, please contact us at marketing@wearetheinstitute.com.   Episode Transcript: Jimmy Lea: Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, or good night, depending on when and where you're joining us from. It is a great day outside. My name is Jimmy Lee. I'm with the Institute and this is the Leading Edge podcast. Thank you for joining us today. My guest today is Lauren Winfrey. He is the general manager of two. Jimmy Lea: Stress-free auto care shops in the San Francisco area. He is part of a 23 store network and does get transferred all over the country to help coach and train advisors and technicians all over to be the best that they can possibly be. And Lauren, one of the things that I learned very early in my career, had a great manager. Jimmy Lea: Her name was Michelle, and she said, it is my job to work myself. Out of a job, my processes and procedures should be in place so that I as a manager, don't have anything to do. Bingo. Yes. So you understand it. Yeah. She has people in place, process, procedures, so that the business is not dependent on her to make decisions. Jimmy Lea: She has empowered the team. To make the decisions. Loren Winfrey: Yes. And I think it's I think it's one of the, a lot of us in this industry, you know, we are control freaks. You know, we feel like that we, in order for the ship to be steered in the right direction, we always gotta be, have our hand on the rudder, you know? Loren Winfrey: And so. Relinquishing control and trusting in our employees that we have, and for me anyways is one of the hardest things that I had to develop in my career, you know, is putting my trust in another individual that, you know, I, they can make the shop as successful as I can. You know, make their job successful, you know, and so that, you know, I had a really good mentor growing up and in this business, you know, and he said exactly what Michelle told you. Loren Winfrey: You know, our job is to train the bench and work yourself out of a job so you can move on to better things or bigger things or whatever, Jimmy Lea: you know? Oh my gosh, Lauren, that, that's freaking awesome. Four advisors kind of blows me out of the out. That just blows my mind. What is the makeup of your shop with four advisors? Loren Winfrey: Well, I have two shops. As you know. San Francisco's a really has a really dense population, you know, and oh yeah. The culture here is that if you want anything done, you go to your neighborhood and you get it done. So there's little districts in San Francisco, upper Richmond, Noah. The hay, you know, wherever. Loren Winfrey: And so in those little regions is, you know, a really dense population of people. And so I have one shop on McAllister Street, and then I have one shop over on Geary, which is two different districts. You know, and thir San Francisco is only 13 square miles big, you know? And so I'm a mile and a half away from each shop. Loren Winfrey: It takes me five minutes to drive over there. And but the amount of overlapping customers is very minimal, you know, and so they're doing, you know. 12 to 15 cars over at one shop and then 12 to 15 cars, you know, at the shop where I have my office at. And and I have one assistant general manager at each location, and then one service advisor at each location. Loren Winfrey: And then I manage both locations, staffing, you know, all the fun stuff. Jimmy Lea: Nice. And how many technicians are each of these service advisors booking business for five each shot. Five techs stuff. Yeah. Oh, that's solid, man. That's a lot of kittens to herd. And these five techs, how many bays, how many lifts are you functioning at each of the shops? Jimmy Lea: We have six Loren Winfrey: bays at one location and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5 bays at the other location and two flat bays. And then McAllister has four flat base and six lifts. So we can have the capacity here for San Francisco yeah. Is 25 cars I can have on site at one time. Jimmy Lea: Oh, and that's huge for San Francisco. Jimmy Lea: You guys really don't have much for parking your properties at a premium. Loren Winfrey: Yeah, absolutely. And the rent screens it, you know, believe me. Oh Jimmy Lea: yeah. For you to close up at night. Not only are you bringing the cars in, you put 'em up on the lift and pull another one under it. Loren Winfrey: Yeah. Yeah. Well at, yeah, at the Geary location. Loren Winfrey: Yes. And Geary's. So we don't have any parking at all. There's no parking. In fact, Gary, I have a porter that his job is to get cars for the technicians, go around to the parking meters. Pay the parking meter fees with this, you know, a little company credit card that has a couple hundred bucks on it. And oh my Jimmy Lea: gosh. Loren Winfrey: And then I reward him for no tickets. I give him a $500 bonus every month if he gets no tickets for us. You know, and definitely an exercise and strategy, you know, at both locations, you know. Oh, no Jimmy Lea: doubt. So like what, like every two hours? Is this boy running around with the credit card, paying the meters? Jimmy Lea: Yeah. Loren Winfrey: Well, so in San Francisco they have smart meters, so they're all connected to to satellites. And so we go onto a website, it's S-M-M-T-A website and he has all the meter numbers written down on a piece of paper. And so he goes, he has them on the timer, on a clock. And you know, he is like, okay, meter 1, 2, 3, 6, 3, 4 time to put another quarter in it, you know, or this is two hour parking, you know, it has a little alarm on his phone. Loren Winfrey: Alarm goes off, he goes, grabs that car from the two hour parking and then goes and looks for a parking place around the corner that, you know, isn't metered parking or or two hour parking. So it's. It's fun. Wow. Jimmy Lea: It's Loren Winfrey: fun. Yeah, Jimmy Lea: bro, that's a constant dance that, that boy's performing for on a daily basis, going from paid meter to non metered to holy cow. Jimmy Lea: Yeah. Now I understand The $500 bonus that's quite the dance that boy's performing. Oh, that's great. Yeah. So what are your challenges that you face? You managing two shops, you've got two unique cultures, makeup. Technicians, you got five at each service, advisors at each, there's different challenges. Jimmy Lea: What is the challenging thing for you right now these days? Loren Winfrey: You know, I. Car counts up and down. You know, we have a pretty, you know, this company's I came from a company that I worked at for a long time that sold to a big corporation, you know, and so, the CEO of this company had recruited me, you know, when they were opening up the San Francisc

145 - The Power of Mentorship, DVIs & Accountability with Brandon Hack September 11, 2025 - 00:25:29   Show Summary: Brandon Hack of Lake Sumter Auto Repair joins Jimmy Lea to share how mentorship, accountability, and strong processes fueled explosive growth in his shop. What started with pumping gas at his dad’s two-bay Texaco eventually led Brandon through sales, a Snap-on franchise, and into managing a thriving repair operation that has tripled its performance. He credits coaching from The Institute, Bobby Lambert’s mentorship, and holding the team to higher standards for the success. Brandon and Jimmy dive into 300% DVI best practices, educating non–car customers, and the difference between selling vehicle wants versus vehicle needs. They also cover the critical role of tracking gross profit per hour, building processes that make customer care easy, and the power of peer groups to accelerate solutions and growth.   Host(s): Jimmy Lea, VP of Business Development   Guest(s): Brandon Hack, Manger of Lake Sumter Auto Repair   Show Highlights: [00:00:49] - Brandon’s origin story: growing up pumping gas at a two-bay Texaco and eventually finding his way back to the industry through sales and a Snap-on franchise. [00:01:57] - Mentorship matters: how owner Bobby Lambert and full enrollment in The Institute created a “no option to fail” culture that helped triple shop performance. [00:05:38] - Raising the bar on ROs: after early mistakes, Brandon sets a new internal standard—clearer work orders, continuous iteration, and aiming for company-best paperwork. [00:06:21] - Customer experience first: treat every visit like the highlight of the customer’s day to overcome the “grudge purchase” reality of auto repair. [00:08:04] - Lean team, big output: one service advisor and two techs running five lifts, while the sister shop operates a multi-bay “mecca” with transmission expertise. [00:14:45] - Tools + talent sell the job: invest in proper diagnostic equipment and skilled techs so transparent test results do the convincing. [00:16:09] - 300% DVI in action: inspect 100% of vehicles, estimate 100% of findings, and present 100%—with photos required for every recommendation. [00:17:16] - Make DVIs idiot-proof: circle the exact part, color-code issues, and sanity-check clarity by sending inspections to a non-car person (e.g., your spouse). [00:20:18] - Don’t go it alone: join 20-groups/masterminds and coaching to gain accountability, faster solutions, and peer-reviewed financials. [00:23:46] - Live by the numbers: track GP and dollars-per-hour on every invoice so month-end is a confirmation, not a surprise; then drive net profit with cost control.   In every business journey, there are defining moments or challenges that build resilience and milestones that fuel growth. We’d love to hear about yours! What lessons, breakthroughs, or pivotal experiences have shaped your path in the automotive industry? Share your story with us at info@wearetheinstitute.com, and you might be featured in an upcoming episode.   Don’t miss exclusive insights, expert takeaways, and real talk you won’t hear anywhere else. Hit Subscribe, drop a comment, and share it with someone who needs to hear this!   Links & Resources:  Want to learn more? Click Here Want a complimentary business health report? Click Here See The Institute's events list: Click Here Want access to our online classes? Click Here ________________________________________ Episode Transcript Disclaimer This transcript was generated using artificial intelligence and may contain errors. If you notice any inaccuracies, please contact us at marketing@wearetheinstitute.com.   Episode Transcript: Jimmy Lea: Hey, Jimmy Lea here with the Institute for Automotive Business Excellence. You are listening to the Leading Edge podcast, and joining me today is Brandon Hack of Lake Sumter Auto Repair out of Fruitland Park, Florida. Brandon, thank you so much for being here, brother. How you doing? I'm doing great, man. Jimmy Lea: It's my pleasure. I'm glad. Well, I'm glad you're here 'cause we're gonna talk about automotive repair, automotive shops and get into the nitty gritty of the challenges of a modern shop today. Before we get into the nitty gritty, Brandon, I'd love to find out a little bit more about you and about your shop and how you got into the automotive industry. Jimmy Lea: What bet did you lose, or what passion did you have that you want went after the automotive repair full bore. Brandon Hack: It kind of fell into my lap. I grew up in a shop that my dad owned. Started off in a small two bay TCO gas station, full service. So at 4, 5, 6 years old, I was actually pumping gas and doing what, you know, 40, 50-year-old people know nothing about it anymore because it's been gone for so long. Brandon Hack: So that's how I grew up in it. From there, I. Thought I'd stay in it forever. My dad sold the shop, went and managed the shop for another gentleman. I worked there as well, and then he got all the way out of it and went into doing other stuff. I got into sales and just sold tow trucks, and then I got into a snap-on tool franchise, so I had a snap-on tool franchise that opened the doors that I had. Brandon Hack: In this area with meeting a lot of fine folks, which got me involved with Bobby Lambert, who is the actual owner of Lake Sumter Transmission and Lake Sumter Auto Repair. He and I became decent friends. He has absolutely been the most incredible business mentor. It shouldn't have happened, and it did. Brandon Hack: And he is, he's just blessed me. Number one not to pump anybody, but because the guy understands the value of the institute. Everybody is enrolled into it. Everybody has the coaching, everybody has everything that the institute offers, and that's what puts us into. Where we can't fail, there's no option to fail because we are surrounded by good owners, great employees, and then the institute to have the coaching and everything that just, here we are. Brandon Hack: And it's been an absolute, I can't call it a rollercoaster 'cause it has just been an absolute, we sat on a bomb. We opened this place up and it just exploded. And here we are doing, oh man, triple what the shop was. Jimmy Lea: Oh I wanna get into all that, but I gotta push the pause button first before we go down there. Jimmy Lea: You talk about you being at a Two Bay Texaco. My uncle owned a couple of Chevrons with the two Bay. One was up in Mount Carmel Junction up in Utah, and then he bought two more down in Vegas, had the Chevrons with the two, two little bays, and he would. I mean, he would sell batteries and wiper blades. He's like, which absolutely hi. Jimmy Lea: His favorite question was, which tire gets the nail? The most nails in it. 'cause he had the tow trucks and he would tow the cars in off the interstate or whatever. And which tire gets the most. So I asked you, Brandon, which tire gets the most nails? It seemed like to us it was always left rear. Jimmy Lea: Left rear. Yeah. His was right rear. Right rear passenger, rear because it was always over on that side and it would kick up and his advice was never drive on the shoulder unless you absolutely have to 'cause you're gonna get a nail. I was like, that was great advice. I appreciate that uncle. He also is the guy that taught us as kids as his nephews. Jimmy Lea: I mean, you wanna talk about child labor? Oh, absolutely. I'm sure you were there too, right? Here we are. He, and he's like, I'm gonna hire you to clean the restrooms, but first I'm gonna show you exactly how I want it done. So when you come to do it, you know you can do it. Do we go in this bathroom? It was the nastiest bathroom. Jimmy Lea: Nasty. Oh, it was disgusting. He showed us how to clean it and he showed us how to clean it. Right. He showed us once. Absolutely. And then it was on us. And Brandon, I'm guessing you had the same training. Brandon Hack: I, I did. I really did. I, my, my dad was, my dad is the whole that's why we're here. Jimmy Lea: Oh man. Jimmy Lea: That's so cool. That's so cool. Congratulations. That's wonderful. So talk to me about you getting with Bobby and you start the shop. I love a success story that says, man, we tripled this business. If you got a timeline from going from zero to hero it wasn't zero, and I apologize for that. Jimmy Lea: It was not zero, but you took it from what it was and tripled it. What does that look like for you, Brandon, as the manager? Brandon Hack: It definitely, there's definitely a lot that comes with it as far as like, it's not me. It is the team and it is absolutely the team that we have. It all started from there because we, I thought I knew exactly how this works. I thought I knew everything. I thought it was easy and it is not easy. Um, I came in here and we had our manager at the other shop. Brandon Hack: He was right away, let me go a month and make some mistakes, and came down instantly and started pointing those mistakes out. It was instant when that happened that I decided no more my write-ups, our work orders our ros, everything. We will have the top ones in our company. They will come from this shop, not from the established shop. Brandon Hack: So we've definitely helped set the bar higher and I, I don't, we haven't hit the top of the bar here. I know that we still, we work every day on making a better ro, but just the numbers are the numbers. I just come in and I do. You treat that customer the way they need to be treated. My thing always is the highlight of the customer's day. Brandon Hack: That's, they don't like to come to the repair shop. We make it as enjoyable as possible. So having everybody and hearing success stories and having training in the guidance from the other shop with the no-nos. 'cause they've been in business 45 years, they've seen a lot. So they recognized some of the things that were happening here, which is the way the shop used to be ran. Brandon Hack: We nip that quick and that's what go

144 - From Ferrari Roots to Modern Shop Leadership with Chris Prieto September 9, 2025 - 00:39:20   Show Summary: Miami-based JSB Autoworks’ Chris Prieto shares how a family shop evolved from basic maintenance into a three-division operation handling European/exotics, collision, and full restorations. Starting at age 12 stripping auction cars, Chris grew into leadership, discovering his passion for people, process, and the administrative side. He helped scale a prior “hole in the wall” shop from 1 bay to 8, then returned to modernize JSB with structure, tech, and DVIs. A forced relocation shrank their footprint but improved efficiency and clarity. Today he manages ~10 floor employees across 10 lifts, emphasizing attitude-first hiring, productivity tracking, and clear communication. He credits Shop-Ware and rigorous documentation for transparency and trust. Chris’s “magic wand” wish: more passionate technicians who diagnose root causes, preserving the dying art of true mechanical understanding, especially on classics.   Host(s): Jimmy Lea, VP of Business Development   Guest(s): Chris Prieto, Shop Manager of JSB Autoworks   Show Highlights: [00:00:58] - Family roots: a Ferrari racing/restoration past and a pivot from service-only to high-line European, collision, and full restorations. [00:02:58] - Grew up wrenching. At 12, tearing down crashed Mercedes for parts sparked an engineer’s curiosity about how things work. [00:06:28] - Extreme builds: from a Diablo VT restoration to a C4 Corvette resto-mod pushing ~1,000 wheel horsepower with a modern driveline. [00:07:20] - Discovered the “people and process” side at a Mercedes-Benz dealership and fell in love with service management. [00:09:11] - Helped scale an independent shop from 1 bay/3 lifts to an 8-bay operation, then learned to manage flow with lean tech counts. [00:15:59] - Forced move from 22k sq ft to ~8–9k sq ft became a blessing—purged clutter, restructured, and boosted productivity. [00:18:10] - Current setup: 10 lifts, 6 mechanical techs, 3 collision techs, and one lube/helper: with Chris as the sole service advisor. [00:23:43] - Structure prevents profit leaks, track every part on restoration projects or money vanishes through the cracks. [00:26:14] - Tech-forward transparency: Shop-Ware DVIs with photos (old vs. new) drive trust, approvals, and technician productivity. [00:34:14] - Magic wand: cultivate techs who diagnose “why,” not just swap parts, keeping old-school craftsmanship alive for rare vehicles.   In every business journey, there are defining moments or challenges that build resilience and milestones that fuel growth. We’d love to hear about yours! What lessons, breakthroughs, or pivotal experiences have shaped your path in the automotive industry? Share your story with us at info@wearetheinstitute.com, and you might be featured in an upcoming episode.   Don’t miss exclusive insights, expert takeaways, and real talk you won’t hear anywhere else. Hit Subscribe, drop a comment, and share it with someone who needs to hear this!   Links & Resources:  Want to learn more? Click Here Want a complimentary business health report? Click Here See The Institute's events list: Click Here Want access to our online classes? Click Here ________________________________________ Episode Transcript Disclaimer This transcript was generated using artificial intelligence and may contain errors. If you notice any inaccuracies, please contact us at marketing@wearetheinstitute.com.   Episode Transcript: Jimmy Lea: Good afternoon, good evening, and goodnight. Welcome to the Leading Edge podcast. My name is Jimmy Lee. I'm with the Institute for Automotive Business Excellence. Joining me today is Chris Pedo from JSB Autoworks out of Miami, Florida. Chris, how the heck are you, brother? Chris Prieto: I'm doing fantastic. I'm doing fantastic as always. Jimmy Lea: Oh, always. I love to hear that brother. That's awesome. Hey Miami is getting a little bit of rain right now. Hey. Chris Prieto: Yes, sir. We're getting we got a little storm over us right now. It's been raining the last couple days, but it's been good. It's a normal here. It'll be nice and bright, sunny in the morning, and then a full blown hurricane in the afternoon. Chris Prieto: It just, it's just like that here. Jimmy Lea: Right. Florida. Don't, you don't like the weather. Wait five minutes. We'll give you something new. Chris Prieto: Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Yeah, definitely don't get tired of it, that's for sure. That's for sure. Jimmy Lea: Well, that's awesome. Well, Chris, gimme a little background of you and JSB and, you know, how did you get into the industry? Chris Prieto: So, JSB Autoworks is a family owned business that's owned by my father and my mother. Okay. They started back, my father goes way back, you know, into the sixties and the seventies. He used to work for Ferrari Racing team restoring vintage Ferrari back in the day. My mother was in dentistry, complete different industry but they, you know, crossed paths and, you know, my dad was so passionate about cars. Chris Prieto: He used to have a dealership as well and used to buy and sell cars. And then the crash of oh four happened, and, you know, things got turned upside down, so he had to kind of. Figure out what he wanted to do next. And you know, when my mom and him got together, they got into the service side. So they started with Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and as they grew, you know, the demand grew for other things. Chris Prieto: They got into. From where they started was just service, you know, regular, just maintenance, you know, air filters, brakes, tires, you know, just regular light stuff. Now we have scaled so far that we not only specialize in Mercedes-Benz, BMW, we also specialize in Audi, Volkswagen, Porsche, McLaren, Lamborghini, Ferrari. Chris Prieto: And you know, we do all regular service repair, maintenance. Full transmission jobs, engine rebuilds in that department. And the reason I say that department is because we do that, we also have our collision side, that we do collision work for regular, everyday like insurances for customers that just have, you know, minor fender benders all the way to having to pull a complete car. Chris Prieto: And then we have that department and then we have our restoration department. So we do restore cars here. We do full-blown restorations. Custom rest ides. You know, anything vintage pretty much. So we do, we have a lot of different aspects of our business. Right now. I started when I was 12 years old. Chris Prieto: Right. I remember. Yeah. I remember my dad used to buy a lot of cars from the auction. A lot of Mercedes that were crashed for parts 'cause they were hard to come by at that time. So I remember at 12 years old, for one of my birthdays, he bought me a toolbox, like a 112 piece set or whatever. Yes. Chris Prieto: And on the weekends all I did was take apart all these cars from the auction and I just started taking apart cars and taking apart cars, and that's how I got into it. I was always, at a young age, I was very. I had an engineer's mind. Like, I didn't like the fact of what was working. I liked how it worked. Chris Prieto: I wanted to know how it worked. I remember when I got toys and to this day, my brother would even tell me, I would get all these toys for Christmas, and I would use 'em once, and then I would take 'em all apart, you know, because I didn't love figuring out how things worked. And as you know, time got on. I love cars and I got into cars. Chris Prieto: You know, went to school for it. I'm a C certified. You know, I have all the certificates that you can pretty much think of. And now I manage the place. My parents are semi-retired, so they're doing their own thing. And I basically run the shop with the rest of my family that's with us now. Jimmy Lea: Dude. Jimmy Lea: It was totally in your blood. Yeah. Your, you have taken apart your toys as a little kid, and then at 12 years old it pops and saying, Hey, you know, just take all these parts out. So did you just have a, like a bin of starters? A bin of alternators? Chris Prieto: Everything. I mean, I had starters, steering wheel control modules, dashes I mean I took out whole electrical wire harnesses from cars 'cause they would keep all the connectors and stuff like that. Chris Prieto: Sure. Just in case they burn up or something. So I was, I mean, gutting cars completely, like, completely gutting them. Jimmy Lea: Okay. How quickly could you disassemble a car and have it in the bins? It, Chris Prieto: it, it depends on the car nowadays, you know, 'cause every car is different. Some cars have more electronics than others, so it varies. Chris Prieto: You know, if you give me a Mercedes, an old four Mercedes, that, that's what I was working on back in the day. Yeah. I'm pretty sure I have it all taken apart in pretty much a day. Jimmy Lea: Oh my gosh, that's so fast. Chris Prieto: That's amazing. Jimmy Lea: That is so cool. I put Chris Prieto: it back together. That's a different, that's a different story, but taking it all apart. Chris Prieto: I mean, you know, the interior of a car completely now taking out engine transmission, all this other stuff. I mean, yeah, you're gonna add a couple more days, but I mean if, as far as just gutting everything outta there. Yeah. I could take a data to gut everything outta there. Jimmy Lea: Oh, that's, that is very cool. Jimmy Lea: That is very cool. And so. You, I mean, you started at 12. You weren't pushing a broom, you were wrenching on these cars, pulling them apart, putting 'em back together. Pops was doing. So you've got the maintenance side, the service side, but you've also got autobody and a rest rod, are you doing import restaurant or is this Yeah. Chris Prieto: All. So right now we do a little bit of everything from domestic vehicles to English cars. A couple cars that I could just name off the top of my head. We have a 19 98 Diablo vt that's a full restoration

143 - Unlocking Shop Efficiency and Profitability with Cutting-Edge Technology September 10th, 2025 - 00:53:42   Show Summary: Jimmy Lea leads a conversation on shop profitability and technology with Monique Mondragon-Tafoya from Shop-Ware and Brandon Ballou, service advisor at Trustworthy Auto. They unpack how a modern shop management system, a well-tuned CRM, and tools like Detect Auto streamline estimating, protect margins, and elevate customer trust. Brandon details workflow habits, from DVIs to clear prioritization, that keep the team productive while guiding customers through staged approvals. Monique shares Shop-Were releases like integrated consumer financing, online scheduling, and an in-app CRM that reduce friction and surface KPIs. The group emphasizes using photos/video in DVIs and measuring technician productivity vs. efficiency to find bottlenecks. They also discuss hiring timing, deposit policies for large jobs, and keeping advisors focused on conversations, not data chasing. The session ends with “magic wand” wishes: more grace across the industry and a win-win mindset for shops, employees, and customers.   Host(s): Jimmy Lea, VP of Business Development   Guest(s): Brandon Ballou, Service Manager for Trustworthy Auto   Monique Mondragon-Tafoya, Shop-Ware   Episode Highlights: [00:01:52] - Technology theme set: using tools to raise effective labor rate, proficiency, and customer experience. [00:05:05] - Brandon outlines Trustworthy Auto’s layout and staffing goals, framing the conversation in real shop terms. [00:07:47] - Deposits protect cash flow: 50% down on estimates over $3,000 keeps the work moving without strain. [00:09:29] - Advisor workload reality: owner tasks happen off-hours so the advisor can focus on customers during the day. [00:14:19] - Detect Auto pairs with Shop-Ware to surface maintenance due, saving advisors 4–5 minutes per estimate. [00:23:10] - DVIs should be standard; photos and annotations build trust and help customers make informed decisions. [00:35:00] - Track productivity vs. efficiency in Shop-Ware to diagnose whether issues are scheduling, parts, or process. [00:43:02] - New consumer financing in Shop-Ware reduces awkward money talks and can lift average repair orders. [00:47:10] - Prioritize estimates: red/yellow/green with top-to-bottom ordering so safety beats cosmetics every time. [00:49:34] - Industry wish list: grace between shops and an “everybody wins” approach to pricing and decisions.   In every business journey, there are defining moments or challenges that build resilience and milestones that fuel growth. We’d love to hear about yours! What lessons, breakthroughs, or pivotal experiences have shaped your path in the automotive industry? Share your story with us at info@wearetheinstitute.com, and you might be featured in an upcoming episode.   Don’t miss exclusive insights, expert takeaways, and real talk you won’t hear anywhere else. Hit Subscribe, drop a comment, and share it with someone who needs to hear this!   Links & Resources:  Want to learn more? Click Here Want a complimentary business health report? Click Here See The Institute's events list: Click Here Want access to our online classes? Click Here ________________________________________ Episode Transcript Disclaimer This transcript was generated using artificial intelligence and may contain errors. If you notice any inaccuracies, please contact us at marketing@wearetheinstitute.com.   Episode Transcript: Jimmy Lea: Hello my friends. It's good to see you. It's good to be part of our conversation today as we are going to have a great conversation talking about profit in your shop and technology in your shop. Oh my gosh, this is gonna be so much fun. We are here to help you where you are at. Where are you at? I, we just finished a fabulous marketing for the Automotive Repair Shops conference. Jimmy Lea: No, it wasn't a conference. It was an intensive. It was a workshop. It was awesome. It was a workshop where those that were there had notebooks, 111 pages of notes, note taking homework assignments. It was so cool. It was so cool. And what's great with what we're doing with the institute, building better business, building better lives, building better industry. Jimmy Lea: Is that we do we lock arms with you. We're gonna meet you where you are and go together as we go together to further your shop, your business from those that are looking and evaluating shops to buy. They don't even own a shop yet. Jonathan, I'm talking about you. They don't own a shop yet, but they're going to, and because they're going to, why not have a coach in your corner to help you navigate all of the red tape? Jimmy Lea: Oh man, it's so fabulous. All the way up to shop, multi shop operators. You have 10 locations, 18 locations, 36 locations. We here at the institute are here to lock arms with you and make sure that your shop experience is the best that it can possibly be. For our webinar today, for our discussion today, we are talking about technology that has helped to improve your shop, your business, your effective labor rate, your proficiencies, and co-sponsoring this with us is shop wear. Jimmy Lea: Monique is gonna join us from shop wear. Thank you, Monique. I'm so excited to have you with us. I see you blurred background. It looks like you are being a road warrior today. Monique Mondragon-Tafoya: Yes, I'll be a ro, a road Warrior for several months, but it'll gonna be okay. So please don't mind the hotel background, but I am very excited to be here. Monique Mondragon-Tafoya: So thank you for having me and I'm looking forward to talking with y'all. Jimmy Lea: Yes. Monique has been with shop wear for quite a while and just excited with what is happening there. The conferences the surveys, the listening to the shops and the shops Love shop wear. The shops that are on shop wear. Jimmy Lea: Love shop wear. So thank you for all you're doing in this industry. Yes, sir. Monique Mondragon-Tafoya: Thank you. Jimmy Lea: Joining from a shop point of view, we have Brandon. He is our MMA fighter. He is our local jujitsu black belt. No you do not want to mess with this guy. Brandon, how are you brother? I'm doing great. How are you, Jimmy? Jimmy Lea: I'm good. I'm good. I'm real good. Excited that you're here so we can talk about. Technology and the shop and the business. How is the shop by the way? Brandon Ballou: Shop's been doing great. We had a record month in July. August was pretty good. And then, you know, hoping to just keep the ball rolling. Jimmy Lea: There you go. Jimmy Lea: Yeah. Keep the ball rolling for sure. So, back up. By the way, how's Pops? Brandon Ballou: Oh he's great. Yeah. Is he in the shop every day still? He just, 'cause he wants to be there, Brandon Ballou: Loves being there. Loves being part of the team, helping with the problem cars. Oh, I love it. Jimmy Lea: Oh, so he's wrenching right. Brandon Ballou: Yeah, when he wants to. Brandon Ballou: And then, you know, he only touches if we have, you know, the BMW with the intermittent check engine light that only comes on Tuesday. He calls dibs and that's the one he works on. 'cause he loves figuring out the crazy hard problems. Jimmy Lea: I love it. I love it. That's so cool. I saw one yesterday on TikTok that if you pull up the parking break, if you open the ashtray, if you open the cup holder and then open the. Jimmy Lea: Glove box it actuated the steering wheel, spin mode, and it would just spin and spin and spin. Monique Mondragon-Tafoya: What are you watching? Jimmy Lea: I'm watching TikTok about customer states that if you put on the parking brake, open the ashtray, open the cup, and open the jockey box, the steering wheel will start to thin. Jimmy Lea: And sure enough, it did, I mean. It's amazing. It's amazing what happens when customers come in and when a service advisor is in there and writing down what a customer says. It blows the minds of technicians because of their descriptions, which are hilarious, but it goes into what they're doing. So, Brandon I wanna dig in deep here. Jimmy Lea: I want to go in on your shop, but first, give us a layout so everybody understands what your shop looks like. How can I relate to that? If I'm a single guy, I've got two techs, or I've got 10 bays, or I've got 10 shops what's your makeup so that as we have our conversation, people can relate. Brandon Ballou: Yeah, absolutely. So we're a six bay one and a half advisors. 'cause I'm still kind of advising but not as much with three techs looking to hopefully grow to four and then two full-time advisors before the end of the year. Okay. Jimmy Lea: Nice. Congratulations. And about what kind of a car count are you usually looking at? Jimmy Lea: On a daily or a weekly or a monthly basis? What do you usually see Brandon Ballou: monthly? We do about 120 cars with a 20 car variance either direction, depending on the month. Jimmy Lea: Okay. And are you focused mostly on the euros, on the general repair? All makes, all models. Asians. What are you looking at? Brandon Ballou: General repair is the worst way to describe our shop. 'cause that's not, we do fix everything, but when I say we fix everything. I have a video in my phone from earlier this week where we have, you know, a Porsche nine 11 turbo next to a brand new F two 50, next to a 2008 Ford Focus next to another Porsche nine 11, next to a Maserati, next to a 2002 Ford F two 50. Brandon Ballou: Next to, so we work on everything pretty much newer than 2000, but that day we even had a 91 Toyota MR two in the shop for an engine. So we work on everything, you know, we have the tooling, we have the equipment, we do the training. So if it's we love to work on all of it. Jimmy Lea: Wow. It sounds like you've got from the whole mix and the whole marriage of everything Yeah. Jimmy Lea: All makes, all models. Monique Mondragon-Tafoya: Sounds like he just doesn't like to turn away money. I like that. Brandon Ballou: Yeah.

141 - From Technician to Shop Owner: Joshua Langstaff’s Journey with The Institute August 27, 2025 - 00:47:46   Show Summary: Josh Langstaff’s journey from chef to diesel shop owner is one of resilience, grit, and growth. Starting out with a single used service truck, he built Mach 6 in Edmonton through long days, lean operations, and lessons learned the hard way. In this conversation with Wayne Marshall and Jimmy Lea, Josh shares the realities of launching a business on credit cards, the transition from mobile trucks to a full facility, and the financial wake-up call that led him to coaching with The Institute. Together they reflect on the importance of parts and labor margins, building leadership, and creating systems that protect profitability even during tough months. Josh also talks about investing in apprentices, his future expansion plans, and the mindset shift from working harder to working smarter. His story is a powerful example of persistence, strategic coaching, and how the right support can accelerate success.   Host(s): Jimmy Lea, VP of Business Development Wayne Marshall, Industry Coach Guest(s): Josh Langstaff, Managing Director of Mach 6   Episode Highlights: [00:03:25] - Josh shares his early career as a chef and how it inspired a drastic career change. [00:05:02] - A poor experience with a previous employer gave him the confidence to start his own business. [00:06:49] - Landing Canadian National Railway as a first big client nearly sank him due to 90-day payment terms. [00:08:08] - Starting with one beaten-up truck, Josh scaled to three mobile units before moving into a shop. [00:12:52] - Discovering Cecil Bullard’s training videos led him to The Institute and real profit solutions. [00:14:15] - The biggest shift came from correcting parts margins and labor utilization. [00:19:04] - Josh outlines plans for a second shop in Edmonton and future expansion across Canada. [00:23:26] - Coaching provided strategies that gave the business stability to weather crises like fraud losses. [00:33:31] - Josh emphasizes apprenticeships as key to solving the technician shortage. [00:40:27] - His early struggles with credit cards turned into lessons on financial discipline and perseverance.   In every business journey, there are defining moments or challenges that build resilience and milestones that fuel growth. We’d love to hear about yours! What lessons, breakthroughs, or pivotal experiences have shaped your path in the automotive industry? Share your story with us at info@wearetheinstitute.com, and you might be featured in an upcoming episode.   👉 Unlock the full experience - watch the full webinar on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arbX9C6hnmM Don’t miss exclusive insights, expert takeaways, and real talk you won’t hear anywhere else. Hit Subscribe, drop a comment, and share it with someone who needs to hear this!   Links & Resources:  Want to learn more? Click Here Want a complimentary business health report? Click Here See The Institute's events list: Click Here Want access to our online classes? Click Here ________________________________________   Episode Transcript Disclaimer This transcript was generated using artificial intelligence and may contain errors. If you notice any inaccuracies, please contact us at marketing@wearetheinstitute.com.   Episode Transcript: Jimmy Lea: Hello my friends. It's good to see you. My name is Jimmy Lee. I'm with the Institute. Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, or goodnight, depending on when and where you're joining us from today. So depending on where you are in your journey, we are here to take it to the next level. Joining me today is Wayne Marshall. Jimmy Lea: Wayne is the CEO of the Institute. He is also the coach of our guests. Wayne. Thank you. Good morning. Wayne Marshall: Thank you. This is gonna be fun 'cause Josh has got a really great story. It's a little eclectic when you hear and as he will share a little bit of his background and how he got into this industry, some of the things that he has been doing that's got him to where he is today, along with some of his aspirations and goals and ambitions of where he wants to go. Wayne Marshall: Great things that he's been able to do, great things I know he is gonna be able to share and some of the challenges that he's gone through. We've all gone through, we've all experienced them. So it's gonna be really nice that he can share and know that, hey, you're not alone in this adventure, in this journey. Wayne Marshall: There's people like Josh out there who have also been experiencing it. So why do it alone when you can learn and listen from others And as I always say, it's better to learn from others and try to recreate from scratch. So this is that opportunity we have, and I see that Josh is now joining us, so this is awesome. Wayne Marshall: Oh, good. Josh, how are you brother? Good to see you. Josh Langstaff: Good, Jimmy. Hey, how you doing? Jimmy Lea: Hey, we're good. Welcome. Thank you for navigating those internet challenges. Josh Langstaff: Yeah, there's always technical difficulties, right? Jimmy Lea: Oh yeah. There can be. Technology is great and it's wonderful as long as it works, but when it throws a challenge at us, oh my gosh, it can be challenging. Josh Langstaff: It only goes wrong when I do it myself. Jimmy Lea: Right, right. Yeah Wayne was just talking about examples and it made me think of something Wayne that my father has said quite a few times, which is that everyone is a good example. Oh, really? Dad? I thought there were bad examples. No. Everyone is a good example. Jimmy Lea: Everyone's a good example of what you should do, or everyone's a good example of what you. Shouldn't do words thinking of that. Well, it always rings true. Wayne Marshall: Well, Josh, thank you again for taking this time and your willingness to share not only with what we've been doing here, but what we can share with our other friends and family and clients who are out there listening to us this morning or maybe in the afternoon, depending on what time zone they're in, but to begin with. Wayne Marshall: I know you and I have talked a lot and you've shared a lot of your journey that's gotten you to this place. But I would love for everybody to hear a little bit of how you got started, share a little bit about your background what you were doing before. 'cause I think it's a great story, but what you were doing before you decided to get into being a diesel tech that ultimately drove you to having your own shop up there in Edmonton. Josh Langstaff: For sure. Yeah, so I used to be a chef and it was a good job. I did it for about 10 or 12 years, but the pay wasn't exactly wonderful and the hours and lifestyle left a bit to be desired. So after I was getting to the tail end of that, you know, kind of picked up some bad habits, was running with the wrong people and decided it was time to make a change, figured I would try either mechanic or electrician. Josh Langstaff: And then I just went out and started handing out resumes. I must have dropped off 300 of them too. To get a call back and I ended up getting called to be a shipper receiver, not even a mechanic. So that was sort of the foot in the door as they say. But after I did that for a bit, got the apprenticeship, which over here we do four years of schooling supported by a company. Josh Langstaff: So you'll work 10 months and then they give you two months at your post-secondary institution, and you do that four years in a row. But got set up with that, got my ticket, and then went and worked for a small service outfit doing something similar to what we do right now. And this guy was running what might have been. Josh Langstaff: The worst business on planet Earth. Just customers didn't like 'em. You wouldn't buy products, wouldn't buy filters unless they were on sale. So you'd go to do a service call and you have to tell the customer, we don't have any of this stuff ready. The whole place was a gong show. I kind of inspired me. Josh Langstaff: I said, well, if this guy can run a business, anybody can run a business. So that's what got me going. And man, was I wrong, but I mean, the inspiration was there. Wayne Marshall: Yeah. So you started and I get everything and I think it's awesome story how you went from being a sous chef to a diesel tech to ultimately running your own shop. Wayne Marshall: So tell everybody a little bit more. So what year did you start Mach six. Josh Langstaff: Mach Six. We started in 2017. Yeah. November of 2017. Wayne Marshall: And in that time period from when you started, what were some of the biggest hurdles that you had to get over to get started from being a tech, working for someone to now being the owner, the guy that has to be responsible for everybody else? Josh Langstaff: Well, there is a ton of stuff that happens in the backend that you certainly don't know about as a technician. So I realized all of a sudden I had. Inventory to figure out. I had to source stuff. I had cash flow, I had safety that, you know, wasn't being taken care of by me initially. Planning the jobs, fielding the calls, you know, usually you have a service advisor doing that. Josh Langstaff: But now I was doing that myself. 'cause just a one man show at that point. Figuring out insurance for your trucks, insurance for the business. Man, there was just. You know, one of the first jobs we picked up was for Canadian National Railway. And I thought, wow, I'm so lucky I have this big client, like tons of work. Josh Langstaff: What a great start to this business. And then I go in and I realize that CN doesn't pay for 90 days, but I've got a hundred units to take care of. I'm buying filters, I'm buying oil. I've got all this stuff. I've got the credit cards maxed out. I'm borrowing money from the girlfriend and at some point she says to me like, what are we gonna do? Josh Langstaff: You've used my credit card. Your credit card. There's no cash.

140 - From Two Bays to TrueCare: David Long’s Journey to Building a Thriving Auto Repair Business August 22, 2025 - 00:27:07 Show Summary: David Long shares his journey from fixing family cars in a small rural town to owning and growing multiple successful auto repair shops. He reflects on starting in the industry out of necessity, building his first shop in Palo Alto nearly from scratch, and learning the business side through training and mentorship. After selling his first shop, he opened TrueCare in Shingle Springs, California, where he recently expanded into a larger seven-bay facility. David discusses the challenges of finding good employees, the importance of developing managers and technicians, and the lessons he’s learned about renting versus owning property. He also opens up about stress management, the difficulty of industry training, and what keeps him up at night while moving his business into its new permanent home.   Host(s): Jimmy Lea, VP of Business Development   Guest(s): David Long, Owner of TrueCare Automotive   Episode Highlights: [00:00:47] – David expands his shop from five bays to seven and finds the perfect property by chance. [00:02:39] – Growing up fixing cars with his dad and neighbor sparked his automotive path. [00:05:01] – Remembers sneaking out with a 1978 Dodge truck and push-starting cars on hills. [00:07:37] – Starts career working at his aunt and uncle’s shop, learning diagnostics without internet or modern tools. [00:11:22] – Mentor encourages David to open his own shop and loans him money to start Dave’s Auto Repair. [00:12:26] – Runs a highly efficient two-bay shop that nearly hits $1M in annual sales. [00:14:02] – Opens his second shop, TrueCare, after moving out of the Bay Area. [00:16:34] – Shares vision of stepping out of daily operations and developing strong managers. [00:20:26] – Biggest regret: renting for too long instead of buying property for the shop. [00:22:19] – If given a magic wand, he’d strengthen technician training opportunities industry-wide.   In every business journey, there are defining moments or challenges that build resilience and milestones that fuel growth. We’d love to hear about yours! What lessons, breakthroughs, or pivotal experiences have shaped your path in the automotive industry? Share your story with us at info@wearetheinstitute.com, and you might be featured in an upcoming episode.   Don’t miss exclusive insights, expert takeaways, and real talk you won’t hear anywhere else. Hit Subscribe, drop a comment, and share it with someone who needs to hear this!   Links & Resources:  Want to learn more? Click Here Want a complimentary business health report? Click Here See The Institute's events list: Click Here Want access to our online classes? Click Here ________________________________________ Episode Transcript Disclaimer This transcript was generated using artificial intelligence and may contain errors. If you notice any inaccuracies, please contact us at marketing@wearetheinstitute.com.   Episode Transcript: Jimmy Lea: Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, or goodnight, depending on when and where you're joining us from today. My name is Jimmy Lea. I'm with the Institute for Automotive Business Excellence. And you have joined us for the Leading Edge podcast. My guest today is David Long with TrueCare in And you're in California, right, David? David Long: Yeah. Shingle Springs, California. Jimmy Lea: Shingle Springs, California. How is the weather in California today? It's about 90. It's not too bad. It's gorgeous. I moved, I just recently moved. And you recently moved? I recently moved from St. George, Utah to Northern Utah. We went from the 100 and teens into the nineties. Jimmy Lea: I'm thinking it's gorgeous outside. It's so beautiful. David Long: Oh yeah. Jimmy Lea: And you just recently moved as well from five base to a seven base shop. Tell us about that. David Long: Yeah, well I've been looking for a bigger place for years actually. And sometimes universe just pushes you. Had a problem with my landlord at the old place. David Long: We found out about this place hitting the market. We actually were able to come and look at this building the day that the realtors signed with the seller. And so we were able to get a contract like just a couple days after that, before they ever even advertised it, which is lucky because there's very little inventory out there for automotive. David Long: Commercial properties, so, oh my Jimmy Lea: gosh, yes. Congratulations. And David just gave me a little tour around the place. If ever you're in Shingle Springs, California. You definitely wanna go see this shop. It's absolutely gorgeous. I love his waiting room, the woodwork that was done in there. You own a fabulous shop, seven Bays, two outdoor lifts. Jimmy Lea: Is that correct? David Long: Five indoor, two outdoor. Jimmy Lea: That's awesome. And how many technicians are at the shop? How many service advisors? What does the makeup look like? David Long: Currently there's just five of us here. We've got a service manager, three technicians, and I'm a floater. We're kind of, we're gonna be expanding our employee inventory soon, once we're more settled in here. David Long: 'cause we just moved into this building a month and a half ago. Jimmy Lea: Yep. Congratulations. That's awesome. Get your feet on the ground, make sure you're stable. And then start the expansion. David Long: Yeah, exactly. Jimmy Lea: Gotta love it. Gotta love it. All right, well let's go back in time if you will. Go back with me. How did you get started in the automotive industry? Jimmy Lea: That's slower. David Long: Well, I grew up in a small rural community and our family. We mostly had to fix our own cars except for the many times that they became unfixable. So a lot of cars went through our family over the years growing up. And my next door neighbor down the hill from us was a heavy duty mechanic. David Long: So he would work on tractors and anything. He would work on anything. So I remember going down there with my dad when I was a little kid and they, he'd be. Asking Dick for advice and I was just looking and learning. And you know, then when it was time for me to go to college, I was thinking, well, I don't have money for college. David Long: I don't know what I'm gonna do, but I have a knack for working on stuff. So I went to school for automotive technology and that was, let's see, I took my first. Job as a mechanic in 1996. Jimmy Lea: Nice. Okay. Now you talk about all the cars that went through the family. I think our, we fell out of the same tree. Jimmy Lea: There were a lot of cars that went through the family that, that we would work on as well. What was your first vehicle that you drove that you had to maintain and if the. If the battery died, you had to replace it. If the windshield wipers needed new windshield wipers, you had to replace it. If the starter got a didn't work anymore what was that first vehicle that you worked on? David Long: Well, I mean, before I had my own first vehicle, of course I would do whatever we could do. I mean, jumping the bat that batteries that were dead. Did you ever push Jimmy Lea: start? David Long: Oh yeah. All the cars were stick shifts. Oh yeah. And we did live on a hill. Oh yeah. Matter of fact, when I was, before I had my driver's license, I'd sneak out and steal the truck and I'd just coast it down the hill far enough down that my mom wouldn't be able to hear it start. Jimmy Lea: Yes. No, I understand. Oh man. So what was the truck that you were? It David Long: was a 78 Dodge. Would've been a half ton pickup, whatever that was. Had a slant. Six engine. Jimmy Lea: Yeah. Nice. Mine was a, my great grandmother's 1952 Chevy Deluxe, Bel Air three on the tree. Three on the tree. And I would park it at school on the downhill. Jimmy Lea: So after school I could jump in coast, pop it into second, jumpstart it. David Long: Because it wouldn't start otherwise. Jimmy Lea: No. 'cause the battery was dead. Oh. And I couldn't afford another battery, so I know, right. That was my solution. And you know, you get creative when the mother of invention is creativity or creativity is the mother of invention, one of the two. Jimmy Lea: It works that way. So what's one of those defining moments for you in the beginning of your. Working on automotive you've got the neighbor that's doing everything from lawnmowers to diesel trucks and tractors, but what's that defining moment that you go, Ooh, I think this is me. David Long: Well, honestly, it was more of a decision out of necessity to try to get a job and be able to support myself. David Long: I don't think working in automotive was ever my. First choice. I mean, it was a choice, but like I probably would've gotten into engineering or something if I had lived somewhere else and had, you know, different resources available, Jimmy Lea: different opportunities. Yeah, no, I understand that. David Long: But I mean, looking back on it, I'm really grateful that I made that decision 'cause it's been great. David Long: Way to interact with the community, I think is probably my favorite part about it Now. So it's just nice helping people. Sometimes we get to save the day. Jimmy Lea: Yes. And it is good when you can save the day. For sure. There, I'm sure there's been a lot of opportunities for you to save the day for many family vacations, road trips kids going off to college, coming back from college. Jimmy Lea: Yep. Exactly. Nice. And when you started in the automotive industry you started in 96 you were working for somebody else or did you start your own business right out of the gate? David Long: No, I worked for my aunt and uncle. They had a shop in Palo Alto. And I moved down there. I basically lived in the shop on a couch. David Long: For, I don't know, close to a year before I was able to go and find some roommates. But but yeah I just started out at the bottom and I had gone to college, s

138 - What Winning Shops Know: Direct Mail Works Best with the Right Guidance August 19, 2025 - 00:16:41 Show Summary: Jimmy Lea sits down with Scott Repman of Scott Repman’s Auto and Truck Repair to explore his path from fixing an unreliable high school car to running a multimillion-dollar repair and towing business. Scott’s story highlights the power of persistence, mentorship, and a commitment to honesty and customer service. He shares how paying technicians well, keeping the business family-driven, and focusing on integrity have fueled his success. Along the way, Scott reflects on industry challenges like rising parts costs and outlines his vision of building a lasting legacy for his children. His guiding lesson through it all: “Don’t be afraid.”   Host(s): Jimmy Lea, VP of Business Development   Guest(s): Scott Repman, Owner of Scott Repman’s Auto and Truck Repair   Episode Highlights: [00:00:42] - Scott shares how a bad first car led him to discover his love for automotive work in high school. [00:02:22] - At 20 years old, Scott was given the chance to run an independent shop, taking it from $2,000 a week to $130,000 a month. [00:04:26] - He later managed a 28-bay shop, becoming the largest AAA contractor in the U.S., handling both repair and towing. [00:06:24] - Starting from a single bay in 2017, Scott has grown his shop into a $2M+ three-bay operation. [00:07:06] - Customer service, honesty, and paying technicians well are the cornerstones of his success. [00:08:17] - Scott highlights parts price gouging as one of the industry’s biggest current challenges. [00:09:39] - His five-year vision is to expand into a 10-bay shop and build a legacy business for his sons. [00:10:32] - Keeping the business family-run ensures integrity and a unique customer experience. [00:13:37] - Offering free towing instead of cheap oil changes is one way he adds value for customers. [00:14:07] - Scott’s advice to his younger self: “Don’t be afraid."  Taking risks and leading with integrity brings success.   In every business journey, there are defining moments or challenges that build resilience and milestones that fuel growth. We’d love to hear about yours! What lessons, breakthroughs, or pivotal experiences have shaped your path in the automotive industry? Share your story with us at info@wearetheinstitute.com, and you might be featured in an upcoming episode.   Don’t miss exclusive insights, expert takeaways, and real talk you won’t hear anywhere else. Hit Subscribe, drop a comment, and share it with someone who needs to hear this!   Links & Resources:  Want to learn more? Click Here Want a complimentary business health report? Click Here See The Institute's events list: Click Here Want access to our online classes? Click Here ________________________________________ Episode Transcript Disclaimer This transcript was generated using artificial intelligence and may contain errors. If you notice any inaccuracies, please contact us at marketing@wearetheinstitute.com.   Episode Transcript: Jimmy Lea: Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, or goodnight, depending on when and where you're joining us from today. My name is Jimmy Lee, and you are joining the Institute with the Leading Edge podcast, and our guest today is Scott from Scott Reitman's Auto and Truck Repair. Scott, how the heck are you brother? Jimmy Lea: I'm wonderful. It's good to talk to you this morning and be a part of your show. Yes. Well, thank you very much and in fact, I want to talk about your shop and about your business and what you've done. Specifically like how did you get into the automotive industry because your shop's only been around since 2017. Jimmy Lea: How did you get launched into this? Scott Repman: Well, honestly my parents buying me a very bad car in high school is what made me become a mechanic when you were always having to fix your own vehicle and they still offered high school automotive. That's what led me to working on cars. I was fortunate to have a father that was in the mechanical business, not automotive, but in air conditioning, so he taught me great work ethic, work ethics. Scott Repman: When we finally got a chance to start turning a wrench in high school, I really enjoyed it. I found a love for it, so I stayed very in depth to it. That is awesome. What is your first car? My first car was a 1981 Ford Escort. I'm embarrassed to tell you, but 81 Ford Escort. That's why you had to learn to work on cars if you own that. Jimmy Lea: Oh, yeah. You did. Oh, that's awesome. My first car is a 1952 Chevy Deluxe, Bel Air. It was great Grandma's car and I got to drive it. Scott Repman: Oh, there's nothing wrong with a classic. Oh, that's a good car. That's a lot better than the 81 escort. I did get to learn to drive three on a tree, so that was pretty cool. Scott Repman: That was very cool. Today, I don't think we could get 10 young men to be able to drive three on a tree. Jimmy Lea: Yeah. Yeah. So true. My son could do it. I could tell you that. Scott Repman: That's 'cause you're a good dad and you taught him. I, same with my boys. I've got five boys and they can all drive a stick. They had to learn. Jimmy Lea: Oh, it's so true. It's so true. So going back to when you started your shop, you've got a solid foundation, high school, auto shop, what's one of those defining moments that really set up who you are today as a budding business owner? Scott Repman: When I was 20 years old, I was fortunate to be given a chance by a gentleman named Dan Verdo that owned an independent repair shop in Phoenix, Arizona that butted up next to an kaman transmission. Scott Repman: So I had the, i, I got the. Just an opportunity that was unreal to be able to be in control of a shop that was growing. We ended up taking it to be one of the largest auto repair independents in the nineties over in North Phoenix. And just grew from there. Took a business that was only doing a couple of thousand dollars a week up to doing about $11,000 a week. Scott Repman: So that was a major change for that company. And then by the time that I had spent five years with that company, we had 'em up to about 130,000 a month. I always was someone that was dedicated to growing my customer base, making sure they were satisfied and happy. I started as a mechanic, but as people found out and I found out myself, I was very good with people, I was very good with our industry and explaining what needed to take place with people's cars, and that's a success story starting right there. Jimmy Lea: Oh yeah. It sure is that's awesome. Inspiring that you went from being mechanic to a service advisor. You took a shop from. A few hundred dollars a day to 1.3, 1.4 million a year in a, that is correct time. Oh my gosh. That's amazing. So at 25, did you strike out on your own Scott Repman: or did you. No, I'd love to share. Scott Repman: So I, through the industry and time, like you probably know, anytime you've got somebody that's successful at the front counter, you're gonna have plenty of people come look for you. Yeah. So the next person that found me was a gentleman named Scott drag me that owned a Coman transmission and took me to my next level. Scott Repman: He allowed me to really run his facility with my abilities and my talents. I ended up taking him to the number third rank for kaman transmission between 96 and 99 of for, you know, the whole industry throughout the 50 states. And at that point then the next person that I got to meet was a gentleman named. Scott Repman: Johnson. There's a lot of good and bad that rolls with that. But at the end of the day, I was able to run a 28 bay shop largest AAA contractor in the United States for both towing and repair. And this is before AAA had their own repair shops. And at $256,000 a month in business and service, and over 2000 calls with towing, it really broadened all my horizons on the business. Jimmy Lea: Holy mackerel. Scott Repman: Yes, sir. Jimmy Lea: Two, you are a $3 million a year business. Scott Repman: Probably closer to four when it was all said and done. The, being the largest AAA contractor I evolved the towing industry into an amazing product that we still use today at my shop. So having 10 tow trucks at your disposal, I gotta be honest, one of the things that made me successful was giving a little bit away to get a lot. Scott Repman: We used to average bring in 10 cars a day minimum into that shop. Via a tow truck and anybody in our industry knows a tow truck. Back then they were an average of 900 to $1,100 per car, and today they're closer to two to $3,000 per car because of the cost of auto repair. Wow. So. We wrapped everything I, over time, I took everybody's great ideas and wrapped them into one is what brought me to my own business. Scott Repman: So I did work for a large multi-company that had sold this last year. And my best friend is actually the vice president ex vice president, and that was Gruels Automotive. They really taught me integrity. I gotta be honest, for a 25, 25 shop company, they had integrity, honesty, the things that really make an auto shop successful. Scott Repman: And I took that last little tidbit and I opened my own company in 17, actually was on my own me one bay and me running another man's shop to be able to afford to start my own business. 'cause I'm not rich. I had to start from the ground up. So at that point I put enough money together to get a single bay. Scott Repman: And today I'm proud to say that we're doing a little over $2 million out of a three bay shop. Congratulations. A three bay shop at that three Bays three, so 680,000 a bay. I'll be happy to put my number I, yes sir. And we are hoping that we are fixing to move into a new 10 bay shop that's just a couple of miles down the road and we'll know that answer this week. Scott Repman: So fingers crossed we're growing to the next location. Jimmy Lea: Well, congratulations. We'll be praying for you. I hope it all turns out very well

138 - What Winning Shops Know: Direct Mail Works Best with the Right Guidance August 13, 2025 - 00:59:56 Show Summary: Jimmy Lea hosts a conversation with Cameron Ritter from Upswell Marketing and shop owner Tom Grover of All Right Automotive & Diesel, focusing on the power of postcards as a marketing tool for auto repair shops. They explore how tangible, personalized mailers create strong connections, and how targeting the right customers, like diesel owners, can dramatically improve results. Tom shares his journey from running a busy shop with no formal marketing to achieving a 47-to-1 ROI through strategic campaigns. Cameron explains the difference between saturation and database mailings, the importance of penetration reports, and tracking returns through address matching and call tracking. Both emphasize the value of consistency, combining “push” (postcards) with “pull” (digital ads), and avoiding the stop-start trap with marketing. The discussion closes with Tom’s lessons learned on refining processes first, then using postcards to grow the right customer base.   Host(s): Jimmy Lea, VP of Business Development   Guest(s): Thomas Grover, Owner of All Right Auto Repair Cameron Ritter, UpSwell Marketing   Episode Highlights: [00:00:55] - Postcards remain effective because they’re tangible, personal, and can be highly targeted. [00:05:12] - Tom shares his history in automotive and why he initially avoided marketing. [00:10:40] - Targeting diesel owners boosted ARO and attracted the right type of customers. [00:15:33] - Cameron explains saturation vs. database mailings and when to use each. [00:20:48] - Penetration reports reveal where high-value customers are coming from. [00:28:50] - Response to postcards can be immediate, but they often generate business months later. [00:36:22] - Lost customer campaigns can re-engage clients after 6–12 months of inactivity. [00:44:08] - Keeping postcard messaging simple avoids customer confusion and increases results. [00:53:35] - Combining postcards with digital ads creates a more complete marketing strategy. [00:59:20] - Consistency in marketing prevents the “cruise ship” slowdown effect.   In every business journey, there are defining moments or challenges that build resilience and milestones that fuel growth. We’d love to hear about yours! What lessons, breakthroughs, or pivotal experiences have shaped your path in the automotive industry? Share your story with us at info@wearetheinstitute.com, and you might be featured in an upcoming episode.   👉 Unlock the full experience - watch the full webinar on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNPAwjHFZ7I   Don’t miss exclusive insights, expert takeaways, and real talk you won’t hear anywhere else. Hit Subscribe, drop a comment, and share it with someone who needs to hear this!   Links & Resources:  Want to learn more? Click Here Want a complimentary business health report? Click Here See The Institute's events list: Click Here Want access to our online classes? Click Here ________________________________________ Episode Transcript Disclaimer This transcript was generated using artificial intelligence and may contain errors. If you notice any inaccuracies, please contact us at marketing@wearetheinstitute.com.   Episode Transcript: Jimmy Lea: Thank you everybody for joining. Glad you are here, my friends, as we have this conversation. Joining us today is Cameron from Upswell, formerly known as Lik Mail. You may know them from their postcard days, way back in the day. And Cameron is here with us representing the, uh, ever-present world, world of marketing and postcards. Jimmy Lea: Cameron, thank you for joining us. How you doing, brother? Hey, I appreciate you guys having me. Yeah, absolutely. Hey, you know, the, the postcard industry is an industry that's never seen a downturn. Why is that?  Cameron Ritter: I think in the consumer, when you're, when you're marketing to your consumers, right, you're always looking to give them good incentives to come into your shop, and so that's exactly what that does in a proactive way, and it's something that they can touch and feel. Cameron Ritter: Right. Digital is something that they can just see, but really when you're sending a personalized direct mail piece, it's got their name on it, they it, it feels like them, right? We can really personalize those messages and tailor that to who we're marketing towards. So I think that's why it's never gonna go away 'cause it's so Jimmy Lea: personal. Jimmy Lea: Oh, it's so true, and postcards are awesome. I love postcards. I, I love postcards because they always get to the address that you have put on the postcard, whether or not that person lives there anymore, and I just moved recently. Right? You know that it gets there, it gets to that person, or it gets to that residence. Jimmy Lea: Question for our audience. Have you ever had a client come into your shop with somebody else's postcard? Drop that in into the comments. Let me know if you have ever redeemed a coupon for a, a client or a client at your shop and the coupon was not addressed to 'em because the person had moved or maybe you had an old list. Jimmy Lea: That, that's interesting. Cameron, thank you for being here, brother. I appreciate it. Absolutely. I appreciate the time. Uh, and joining us as well is Tom Grover. Tom from All right Auto Tom. How the heck are you, brother? Tom Grover: Doing great. Great to be able to be with you today. Jimmy Lea: Yeah. How's the weather up there in Boise? Jimmy Lea: Well, you're in Emett outside of Boise. Tom Grover: I think yesterday it was 102. Today's only supposed to be about a hundred, so not too bad. Cameron Ritter: When you say only a hundred, it's hot. Tom Grover: That is hot. That is Jimmy Lea: hot. That is hot. I, I, I just moved from St. George, Utah to Northern Utah, and I'm, I'm delighted with these mornings where I wake up and it's 65 degrees outside, and the high today is 94. Jimmy Lea: I don't know what it is today, but the other day it was a high of 94, and I thought, wow, that's great. I'm, I just, I think I'm gonna go outside and work all day. 94 degrees is, is not that hot when you grow up in Vegas. And 115 is your August. That's true in August. Uh, there's many nights. It does not get below a hundred degrees. Jimmy Lea: I think there's a good three week stretch in August that that happens. Well, gentlemen. What's that, Tom? Tom Grover: It's all stay in the air conditioning. Jimmy Lea: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. We do that too. We do that too. It's climate controlled. 72 degrees and gorgeous. So, Tom, uh, thanks for joining. I wanna get a little bit of a history before we start about, all right, automotive, how'd you get started? Jimmy Lea: What, what brought you into the industry? Uh, and then let's jump into some marketing questions. Tom Grover: You know, I actually started into the industry back when I was. A teenager, I had an uncle that had an auto repair shop. Uh, he always said that he wasn't a mechanic because a mechanic made a living fixing cars and he could never make a living. Tom Grover: So I was introduced into a shop like that, um, back in teenage years. And uh, and I went from there into a dealership setting and some other things. Tried to get out of the automotive world. I actually turned down a full ride scholarship, uh, to Weaver State in the, uh, management program because I did not want to, uh, be in the automotive program. Tom Grover: And, uh, I actually found myself going back to it because it was something that I knew and I knew I could make money. So I opened my own shop in, uh, 1997. Just a small one person shop. Well, I had, I had another employee for a little while. Um, and I had some injuries to my body that, uh, the doctors just said, you just can't keep doing this. Tom Grover: You either gotta grow bigger or get out. Jimmy Lea: And, Tom Grover: and at the time, I, I got out and I went back and I finished my, uh, education, got my bachelor's degrees in business and, uh, HR management. Uh. I went into the financial world in, uh, 2007. Um, wrong time to jump into the financial world as the markets were crashing. Tom Grover: And, and I, yeah, oh man, a couple of years and, uh, said, I'm going back to something I know I can make money in. And, uh, had great opportunity to, um. To open up this shop, uh, in Emmett in 2012. Um, and it's, it's big enough that I can grow and not be doing it myself. I mean, the first little bit, it was me doing everything myself, but I quickly grew it and, uh, have come a long way since that day. Tom Grover: So I've been in the industry quite a while. Jimmy Lea: Yeah, you have, and, and it sounds like a Phoenix story where you started with one that kind of died. You regrew, you rebirthed, and. Uh, after education, you had survived the hardest years in the world, in the financial industry. Oh, seven to 12. Holy cow. That's tough. Jimmy Lea: And then you decide to jump back into automotive and, and the success you're getting from it now. I, I just love it. At what point in that rebirth, when you came back and, and it was you and somebody else, and, and you were getting things started up again in 20 12, 13, 14, at what point did you look at what you were doing and say, okay. Jimmy Lea: We've gotta establish a marketing plan. Tom Grover: You know, I didn't look at marketing plans at all for, not until the last year and a half or so, because oh, I was so busy. Marketing was the farthest from my, from my mind, in all honesty. Um, I was. I was very busy and couldn't keep the work, keep up with the work that I, that I had coming. Tom Grover: Um, wow. And my biggest struggles were other areas, um, just productivity and trying to get the work out and in a timely manner and things like that. So, Jimmy Lea: so you, you had that perfect, you had that perfect problem. It was so much word of mouth marketing. It was so successful. Your shop was so busy. Not until a couple years ago did

137 - The Power of Accountability: You Can’t Grow Alone! July 21, 2025 - 00:37:26 Show Summary: Recorded at the Institute Summit 2025, Tracy Holt and Patrece Holt Vance, a brother-sister duo from a family owned shop, share how their business transitioned into a new era of strategic growth and profitability under their leadership. They credit much of their progress to the accountability and peer support they found through the Institute’s Peer Groups. Tracy and Patrice also open up about the critical role of workplace culture and employee well-being in their success, and Tracy reflects on how a personal tragedy reshaped his "why" and fuels his drive today.   Host(s): Carm Capriotto, Remarkable Results Radio   Guest(s): Tracy Holt and Patrece Holt Vance, Performance Place, South Jordan, UT   Show Highlights: Introduction (00:00:00) Guest Introductions and Family Business Background (00:01:01) Composite Partner Program and Accountability (00:02:00) Vulnerability and Sharing Struggles (00:04:14) Common Struggles Among Shop Owners (00:05:40) Summit Speakers and Dan Clark’s Message (00:06:12) The Evolving 'Why' and Taking Action (00:07:07)  Self-Doubt and Risk in Business (00:08:03) Family Dynamics and Succession (00:08:32) Balancing Work and Family Life (00:09:40) Major Life Pivot and Business Purpose (00:11:18) Lessons from Adversity and Team Building (00:13:08) CRM, Marketing, and Customer Loyalty (00:18:16) Profitability, Expansion, and Growth Mindset (00:19:20) Intuition and Sustainable Growth (00:20:39) Cost Management and Expense Control (00:22:10) Fear of Failure and Shifting Mindsets (00:24:24) Expansion, ROI, and Vision (00:26:38) Customer Relations and Word-of-Mouth (00:26:54) Opportunities, Multi-Shop Growth, and Caution (00:28:41) Conference Takeaways: Culture and Accountability (00:30:30) Continuous Improvement and Community Involvement (00:33:06) Implementing Conference Learnings (00:33:52) In every business journey, there are defining moments or challenges that build resilience and milestones that fuel growth. We’d love to hear about yours! What lessons, breakthroughs, or pivotal experiences have shaped your path in the automotive industry? Share your story with us at info@wearetheinstitute.com, and you might be featured in an upcoming episode.   👉 Unlock the full experience - watch the full webinar on YouTube: https://youtu.be/IU7mX_BosNg   Don’t miss exclusive insights, expert takeaways, and real talk you won’t hear anywhere else. Hit Subscribe, drop a comment, and share it with someone who needs to hear this!   Links & Resources:  Want to learn more? Click Here Want a complimentary business health report? Click Here See The Institute's events list: Click Here Want access to our online classes? Click Here ________________________________________ Episode Transcript Disclaimer This transcript was generated using artificial intelligence and may contain errors. If you notice any inaccuracies, please contact us at marketing@wearetheinstitute.com.   Episode Transcript: Carm Capriotto: This is the Aftermarket Radio Network. Hey everyone. Carm Capto. Remarkable Results Radio. Good to have you here. Look at my guest panel. Okay. Maybe it's redundant, but you all know. I'm at Amelia Island at the Institute's Summit 2025, where the theme is stand out. We are the institute.com. Thank you so much to Kent and Cecil Bullard and the entire team from the Institute. Carm Capriotto: We've had a blast here learning a lot, meeting a lot of our great friends, meeting new friends, and creating content that I know you're gonna continue to appreciate a lot of great stuff coming out of this. Thank you so much to our sponsors. Hey, take your Autocare center to the next level, the gold level with the Napa Autocare Gold certified program. Carm Capriotto: This program is for the best of the best who can provide a consistent consumer experience and earn the trust of returning and new customers. Talk to your NAPA sales representative about how you can become a gold certified shop. For over 30 years, Napa Trax has made Selecting the right shop management system easy. Carm Capriotto: By offering the best, most comprehensive SMS in the industry, we'll prove to you that Trax is the single best shop management system in the business. Find Napa Trax on the web at N APA tacs dot. Hey, I am with two great people that I met in Buffalo, New York. I don't know, maybe it was about maybe seven, eight months ago, right? Carm Capriotto: Yeah, yeah. Tracy Holt from Performance Place in South Jordan, Utah, and Tracy's with his sister, Patrice Vance in the operational side of the business. All the book. You work the counter?  Patrece Holt Vance: I do, yeah.  Carm Capriotto: Whoa, cool. It all. All right. Lemme sell me a diagnostics. No, I'm kidding.  Patrece Holt Vance: I'll check your car in and make sure you feel comfortable leaving it with us, so yeah. Carm Capriotto: Okay. I am fine. A family business since 1974. I met you guys at a group meeting in Buffalo. Yeah. When you did a peer review of my friend Tom Cino. Remember that?  Tracy Holt: Yeah. Yeah. Tom is just a great guy, good friend of ours. Good. He's actually a my partner in the group process right now.  Carm Capriotto: You mean composite partner? Carm Capriotto: Yep. Yeah. Yes, Tom. Whoa, how cool is that? Uh, 'cause I have the word here. I wanted to talk to you and ask you about composite partners.  Tracy Holt: Yeah. Tom's been our partner for the last year and we've grown so much in learning from him. And hopefully he's learned something from us too  Carm Capriotto: along. Trust me, Tom is a sponge. Carm Capriotto: He's a great friend. My wife's name is Anne, his wife's name is Anne. We spent some time over the holiday together. And I'm just so happy to hear that. What's composite partnering like?  Tracy Holt: You know, when you get in, uh, a 20 group from the institute, your coach that you have, but then once you get in there, they assign you a partner that helps hold you accountable for your numbers. Tracy Holt: And then it's also nice to have somebody else that literally at a text, an email, a phone call away saying, Hey, we've got some issues here. What do you think? It's like getting another coach.  Carm Capriotto: Is what it does. You said the word account and the word accountability has been talked about a lot here in any of the keynote speakers that we've had. Carm Capriotto: Do you find accountability one of the hardest things to do?  Tracy Holt: I do. I mean, I think the accountability is really hard to do, but like. In the instance of it's, but you need it. You do. And it's hard to be accountable if you don't know what you're measuring and being accountable for. Right. And if you don't share those goals or benchmarks with somebody else to help hold you accountable, you know, in your mind they're just thoughts and hopes and dreams. Carm Capriotto: So would you say to Tom, I know what your, I know what your goals are for this year. I know you're looking for another whole point of margin. We're getting together. We're looking at each other's numbers. We're seeing what's going on with your business. And oh, by the way, Tom, you have not reached that goal. Carm Capriotto: I'm holding you accountable. I'd like to know, is that how it works? That's exactly  Tracy Holt: how it works.  Carm Capriotto: Yep.  Tracy Holt: Yeah. And then usually he can say, this is my struggles and maybe we have some insights and we come up with a game plan and you know, set some new benchmarks and goals and move forward with it.  Carm Capriotto: Shop owners say, I can't do that. Carm Capriotto: I can't be that vulnerable. I can't expose my weaknesses. But you guys overcame that.  Patrece Holt Vance: Yeah, it was really scary at first, like the composite and showing numbers and making sure things were right. Tom was pretty much like Tracy said, our coach during the beginning of it. You know, coming in new and not really knowing what we're doing and making corrections all the time on what our data was. Patrece Holt Vance: But before we didn't know what any of those numbers were and why we needed to hit these certain goals. And that's what the institute has done for us. Is, okay, well I need to hit this margin, but why? And what does that play a part in? And why are these other margins this? So it's more of just like saying, Hey, you need to hit a number. Patrece Holt Vance: It's, this is the reason why behind it. Tom's really good about, you know, we're having struggles. He is, it's just more of like a friendship where. Yeah, guess what? We're all not gonna have great months in business, but I have a buddy that's gonna help me through it and instead of just like losing hope, it's like, Hey, bad month. Patrece Holt Vance: Let's move on. Let's figure out what we can do the next time.  Carm Capriotto: I say the word struggle a lot on my podcast, and here you are very successful, long-term family business, and you mention the word struggle and Tom mentions the word struggle and you're all doing so well. And when you get that up on the table, life changes. Carm Capriotto: It does  Tracy Holt: be, we were sitting at dinner last night with Tom and some other friends, and it's just interesting to hear other shop's, struggles of, my service advisor did this, a technician did this, you know, whatever you want to call it. And it just all of a sudden in your mind, you're like, oh, you know what? Tracy Holt: His business may be at a different dollar level than mine. But the struggles are the same from one to another personnel issues, you know, whatever it is. We find out that our struggles are the same struggles that everybody's having.  Carm Capriotto: We've got some great speakers here, loved them so far, there's still one coming up. Patrece Holt Vance: Mm-hmm.  Carm Capriotto: Did you like Dan Clark? Oh,  Tracy Holt: I'd love  Carm Capriotto: Dan Clark.  Patrece Holt Vance: That's amazing.  Tracy Holt: He

136 - Hidden Growth Hack Top Shops Use OR Downturn-Proof: The Shop Owner’s Guide to Growing in Any Economy August 6, 2025 - 00:52:27 Show Summary: Jimmy Lea hosts a conversation with AutoBoost’s Adam Kushner and Joe Pfender, joined by Eric Henley of H Tek Tire & Auto Care in East Tennessee, exploring how auto repair shops can remain visible, relevant, and profitable no matter the economic climate. The discussion ranges from the early days of phone book ads to today’s data-driven digital strategies, with insights on Google Ads, Local Service Ads, and brand-based website content. Eric shares how targeted marketing and rebranding have fueled major growth in tire sales, how his team uses DVIs to build trust, and how tools like online scheduling and call tracking boost efficiency. The group also dives into reducing no-shows, leveraging video to tell a shop’s story, and shifting the public perception of the auto repair industry through exceptional customer experiences.   Host(s): Jimmy Lea, VP of Business Development   Guest(s): Eric Henley, Owner of H-TEK Tire & Auto Care Adam Kushner, Owner of AutoBoost Business Actualization Joe Pfender, Director of Growth & Client Success at AutoBoost Business Actualization   Episode Highlights: [00:03:14] - Eric’s journey from a two-person shop to a seven-bay operation in rural East Tennessee. [00:04:51] - How search engine “real estate” has replaced static, phone-book style marketing. [00:08:53] - Rebranding with a tire focus delivers a 75% increase in tire sales. [00:10:47] - Tracking ROI with a goal of at least 300–400% return on ad spend. [00:12:21] - Using “Google Whisper” to signal advisors when calls are from paid ads. [00:13:53] - Tailoring the sales process to match customer expectations for higher close rates. [00:17:17] - Building brand-driven, locally relevant website content. [00:21:07] - Three must-have videos: testimonials, owner story, and shop culture. [00:23:21] - Online scheduling with reminders and warm follow-ups to cut down no-shows. [00:36:24] - Leveraging Local Service Ads and Google Guaranteed to dominate top search placement.   In every business journey, there are defining moments or challenges that build resilience and milestones that fuel growth. We’d love to hear about yours! What lessons, breakthroughs, or pivotal experiences have shaped your path in the automotive industry? Share your story with us at info@wearetheinstitute.com, and you might be featured in an upcoming episode.   👉 Unlock the full experience - watch the full webinar on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O99j8Iyklbg   Don’t miss exclusive insights, expert takeaways, and real talk you won’t hear anywhere else. Hit Subscribe, drop a comment, and share it with someone who needs to hear this!   Links & Resources:  Want to learn more? Click Here Want a complimentary business health report? Click Here See The Institute's events list: Click Here Want access to our online classes? Click Here ________________________________________ Episode Transcript Disclaimer This transcript was generated using artificial intelligence and may contain errors. If you notice any inaccuracies, please contact us at marketing@wearetheinstitute.com.   Episode Transcript: Jimmy Lea: So thank you for joining us. Those of you who are here live and those who are joining and the recording, thank you very much. We have lots of questions to ask and lots of people to talk to about our subject today, which is everything to do with your shop and being found and being relevant in any economy no matter what's happening, whether economy is up or down or sideways or backwards. Jimmy Lea: Whatever that might be, you have to be found. So where are people going? What are they doing? Where are they finding you? Where are they finding your shop? So in order to do this, we've invited Auto Boosto. We've got Adam and Joe joining us from Auto Boosto to talk about what they do as a marketing company with shops and their websites. Jimmy Lea: Thank you for joining us, Joe.  Joe Pfender: Absolutely. Thanks for having us.  Jimmy Lea: Yes, and thank you, Adam. Glad that you are here. Honored to be here. Nice, nice. Now you guys are in the same conference room you're sitting across from each other.  Adam Kushner: Uh, we're in the office. We moved apart a little bit to avoid any echo, but just so that we had, uh, wanted to make sure everybody could see Joe's beautiful face. Jimmy Lea: That's it. You know, it's all about the Joe Show. It really is. Uh, we were at Tools together and we did some video with Joe and, and he was just so much pent up energy. It's hard to get that boy to stand still.  Joe Pfender: I did my best Jimmy  Jimmy Lea: video. It's so good. It's epic. It, it belongs on every bit of YouTube and the internet. Jimmy Lea: Yo, you did a great job. Thanks, Jimmy. Yes. You, you did. It was, it was the most energy of any video we recorded at Tools, so well done, sir. I appreciate that. Nice, nice. So waving at each other across from the conference table. Hello. Hello. Good to see you everyone. Guys. Hey, and, and joining us for our shop owner today is Eric Hensley with, uh, Eric is with High Tech H Tech. Jimmy Lea: Are you changing to H Tech or is it High Tech?  Eric Henley: It's, it's H Tek Tire and Autocare. Yep.  Jimmy Lea: H Tech Tire Auto Care, Eric Hensley up in the, uh,  Eric Henley: east Tennessee.  Jimmy Lea: East Tennessee. I was gonna say you were up in Maine. I, but I knew  Eric Henley: Sunny East Tennessee, right up in the corner near Bristol.  Jimmy Lea: Nice. East Tennessee. Nice. And what's the weather like there in Tennessee right now? Eric Henley: Uh, we're almost 80. It's, we've got a cool spell, so it's pretty nice.  Jimmy Lea: Hey,  Eric Henley: that's feeling good.  Jimmy Lea: I'll tell you, I, I moved to Northern Utah, and, uh, the high yesterday was 94. It felt so good to be at that nice, cool level under a hundred. Wow. We, we live in st. We lived in St. George, Utah, and it was 104 hundred eight on a regular basis. Jimmy Lea: So to go to 94, you can tell. Hmm, that's a 10, 10 degrees swing. Yeah, it was feeling pretty good. Feeling pretty good.  Speaker 5: Nice.  Jimmy Lea: So, Eric, thank you for joining. So glad that you're here with us. We can have this conversation talking about you and your shop and your business. You were recently on with us last December, talking about your shop as well. Jimmy Lea: Mm-hmm. But for those who are joining for the first time, give us a little breakdown of, of who you are, what your shop is, what it looks like. They're in east Tennessee.  Eric Henley: Yeah, so we're in, uh, right in the corner of the state, very rural area. Uh, been in business now 19 years. Uh, started just me and myself, um, me and my father. Eric Henley: And, um, now we're at Seven Bays and a full staff. Uh, and, uh, we've grown tremendously through the years. So, uh. Not sure where else you want.  Jimmy Lea: No, man, I'll tell you, that's, that's fan fascinating. 19 years in business. So I, marketing wise, you have seen a lot of changes that have come through the years. Mm-hmm. Jimmy Lea: Because I think back 19 years ago when I started my business, it was like, okay, you have to have a full page ad in the newspaper. It's $1,500 a month. Mm-hmm. Yep. Holy crap. Yep. And, and my town had three new, uh, three phone books.  Eric Henley: I remember the first time they pitched me, SEO was through, uh, Dex and they were pitching me $2,500 a month. Eric Henley: Yeah. And I couldn't afford $500 a month when we started, so they were like, no, the business will come. And we're like, eh, not sure. So, uh, major difference in what we, the way we market now compared to what we did back then.  Jimmy Lea: Oh yeah. Made, made huge differences. Uh, mine was a, a little eighth inch. I had a one inch, uh, ad in the phone book. Jimmy Lea: Mm-hmm. And I was still a hundred bucks a month. I had to pay for that one inch. And I had three phone books, so it was 300 bucks a anyways. Uh, yeah. You've seen a marketing change a lot where going from phone books to websites, websites just became a picture of that. Mm-hmm. Phone book. Mm-hmm. Yep. Very static. Jimmy Lea: No dynamics to it whatsoever. But there was so much that we could do with that. Uh, Joe, Adam, what did you guys do to take it from a, a static phone book website to something more dynamic?  Adam Kushner: Well, and I just made a comment in the chat, you know, back, I remember those days as well. Um. Uh, you know, 20 years ago when, uh, when we were looking at Yellow page ads and negotiating on space, and that was the search engine result page, right? Adam Kushner: That's where someone opened up and you had to capture their attention by having the most real estate on the page and having, you know, a website that performs well and shows up organically is extremely important because that's one piece of that real estate. Um, and then, yeah, pay to play Google ads. Um, you know, now with Google local service ads, you're paying twice to be on the same page. Adam Kushner: Potentially if they  Jimmy Lea: click on it, right?  Adam Kushner: Yeah, yeah. Or if they call you with local service ads. Um, and then it's everything else. You know, the Yellow Pages didn't really have local listing directories, and that was one other way to get on the search engine result page. Um, and we call that the real estate of the, the serp, the real estate of the search engine result page, where, you know, you can be into a thread on Reddit where people are having a conversation about the best place to take their car, and that's ranking on Google and maybe your website's not even ranking, but they click through to that Reddit conversation and they see everybody talking about how you're the best, hopefully. Adam Kushner: And, uh, that's one more place that you get to show up. So, uh, definitely some evolution since the days of the phone book.  Jimmy Lea: Oh, for sure, for sure. E

134 - Rehearse to Win: The Secret to Service Advisor Confidence June 23, 2025 - 00:39:59   Show Summary: Recorded at the Institute Summit 2025, this episode features brothers Jason and Patrick Brennan in a powerful conversation on leadership, innovation, and growth in the automotive industry. Jason emphasizes redefining training through real-world rehearsal practice for service advisors and technicians, and using “education” language to promote a culture of ongoing development. Patrick brings his marketing expertise to the table, stressing the importance of reputation management and direct response strategies for businesses. Together, they explore how strong leadership, peer networking, and a healthy company culture attract talent and fuel long-term success.   Host(s): Carm Capriotto, Remarkable Results Radio   Guest(s): Patrick and Jason Brennan, Fine Tune Auto Service     Show Highlights: Introduction (00:00:00) Transition from Plumbing to Automotive (00:02:05) Customer Service and Service Advisor Training (00:03:01) Training vs. Education in the Industry (00:05:15) Reputation Management (00:07:58) Daily Training and Rehearsal Practices (00:09:28) Improvements from Training and Peer Critique (00:12:17) Team Building and Individual Improvement (00:14:08) Teaching as Mastery and Knowledge Sharing (00:22:12) Defining Success and Perseverance (00:23:08) Peer Review and Networking Groups (00:25:16) Innovation and Customization in Business (00:29:36) Attracting and Hiring Smart People (00:30:05) Marketing Strategies for Shops (00:31:42) Organic Social Media and Community Building (00:33:32) Work-Life Balance and Turning Points (00:34:10) Joining Peer Groups and Business Turnaround (00:35:36) Leadership Development and Delegation (00:37:07) Closing Reflections and Family Involvement (00:38:05) In every business journey, there are defining moments or challenges that build resilience and milestones that fuel growth. We’d love to hear about yours! What lessons, breakthroughs, or pivotal experiences have shaped your path in the automotive industry? Share your story with us at info@wearetheinstitute.com, and you might be featured in an upcoming episode.   👉 Unlock the full experience - watch the full webinar on YouTube:    Don’t miss exclusive insights, expert takeaways, and real talk you won’t hear anywhere else. Hit Subscribe, drop a comment, and share it with someone who needs to hear this!   Links & Resources:  Want to learn more? Click Here Want a complimentary business health report? Click Here See The Institute's events list: Click Here Want access to our online classes? Click Here ________________________________________ Episode Transcript Disclaimer This transcript was generated using artificial intelligence and may contain errors. If you notice any inaccuracies, please contact us at marketing@wearetheinstitute.com.   Episode Transcript: Carm Capriotto: This is the Aftermarket Radio Network. Hey everybody, it's Carm Caprio Remarkable Results Radio. It's another Town Hall Academy. We are at the Institute Summit in Amelia Island, Florida. Okay, so I left Buffalo with four feet of snow and I came down here and of course it snowed last night. No it didn't. Carm Capriotto: I'm only kidding what beautiful weather going on here. And we're so happy to be here at the Institute Summit. We're here February 6th through ninth recording this, so whenever you hear it, you'll know that it was a while back. Lots of stuff going on here. The theme is being stand out. And a lot of innovation being discussed, so we're really happy to be here. Carm Capriotto: But before we get going, couple of great words from our sponsors. Hey, take your Autocare center to the next level, the gold level with the Napa Autocare Gold certified program. This program is for the best of the best who can provide a consistent consumer experience and earn the trust of returning and new customers. Carm Capriotto: Talk to your NAPA sales representative about how you can become a gold certified shop. Hey, let's face it. Your shop management system is the most critical tool in your shop, and Napa Tracks will move your shop into the SMS Fastlane with onsite training, six days a week. Support and local representation. Carm Capriotto: Find NAPA tracks on the web at N-A-R-A-C s.com. I have a great team here today. I got Jason Brennan from Fine Tune Auto. Hi Jason. How you doing? I am great sir. How's business? Jason Brennan: Going well, thank you.  Carm Capriotto: And you're here to what? Uh, hang out, learn, talk to your peers. Jason Brennan: All the above.  Carm Capriotto: Are you in a special group?  Jason Brennan: I'm in the institute. Jason Brennan: G. P. G Group. Three.  Carm Capriotto: Cool. Group three. Best one. And that's the thing I love about the institute's groups. There's a little bit of a rivalry there, isn't there? You know Your brother's here with you? Patrick Brennan. Hi Patrick. How you doing? Good. You are not in the business, are you? I'm not. And we convinced him to come on because I think he may have some very interesting things to say. Carm Capriotto: I think he will. 'cause I know he helps you a lot in the business. One of the things that I found fascinating about you guys, or especially the story you told me about the family plumbing business. So you were a family plumbing business, and what I wanna know is how did it become automotive?  Jason Brennan: That's a good question. Jason Brennan: I don't know if it was just that I, you know, I did so much plumbing growing up. I was already tired of it by the time I started my career or what it was. I don't know. But automotive, I, you know, that's a good question. We've talked before I started out. Working on lawnmowers and yeah, whatever. I was always just taking things apart and that kind of just naturally progressed into working on cars. Jason Brennan: I was a technician, so got into the automotive business, but I don't think I would've had the fortitude or the courage to do it if I hadn't grown up. You know? It certainly had helped to grow up in a household. Where, you know, family, business and a, a service business was the environment that I grew up around and in  Carm Capriotto: to me today. Carm Capriotto: I mean, there's a lot of discussion out there about excellent customer service. If you forget about the customer, you must well forget about your business.  Jason Brennan: Absolutely.  Carm Capriotto: I don't know if we're getting enough customer service training, and I don't mean. Here's how you do it, but the service advisors at our counter today, I think it's the most considered educational series that I have seen anywhere. Carm Capriotto: Every coaching company is including the institute. They've got a great focus on that front counter and that customer experience.  Jason Brennan: I agree. They need to, they're service professionals. This isn't a job. And probably never should have been a job where, well, since I know how to fix cars, I'll just go up and you know, maybe I'll write service and I'll advise customers. Jason Brennan: Can you explain to them the workings, the details of how the car works, why you should or shouldn't do the repair? Maybe. But it is a separate profession. You have to understand as a service advisor, those people have to understand sales. They have to understand customer service and they have to understand enough about the product that they're selling or recommending, and they have to understand all those things. Jason Brennan: And then if they're gonna be a store manager, they need to understand business too. So it's a lot of stuff.  Carm Capriotto: I'm curious, Jason, do they need to know more about themselves also? Because if you don't understand who you are and how you communicate, I think it's awfully tough to have a, I mean, well, it's my way or the highway kind of thing. Carm Capriotto: There's gotta be flexibility built into building relationships.  Jason Brennan: I would say yes they do, because you know, a lot of people just have a naturally good communication style and ability. But let's face it, some of us don't. And so my natural style might not be the right style. To be communicating to a customer with how'd you survive all these years? Jason Brennan: So I know it's, I don't know,  Carm Capriotto: it just happened. They loved you for some reason and they kept coming back.  Jason Brennan: No, I actually, I did, I took service advisor training when I wrote service, of course. And that helped. So that's great. By the way, I needed it. It is great. And if I hadn't done it, I wouldn't be here.  Carm Capriotto: You know, for you to, to realize this is a weakness, I may have to do something to fix that, or can I get better? Carm Capriotto: And I'm on this soapbox of late, you know, this whole language shift thing that's going on in my world that I'm doing keynotes on. One of the most important things is the word removing the word training Jason, and making it the word education. Hmm. Because we train dogs, but we educate people and we go to places to learn. Carm Capriotto: And there's an educator in, in the room. What are your thoughts on that?  Jason Brennan: I think that's right. Never thought of it that way, but that's true.  Carm Capriotto: So if you sit down with your people, you've got this continuing education program for them, I'm gonna send you off on a great training program so when you come back, you'll be able to fetch the ball really well. Carm Capriotto: I'm really being facetious and I'm really kind of kidding here. Right. But it just hit me so hard. As you know, the Super Bowl is being played in a couple of days from recording this. And I think about athletes, you know, going to training, doing training. And why are we calling what we're doing training. Carm Capriotto: It's one of those lazy words that has crept into our industry, and I think in order to lift even telling our customers, listen, our guys have gone through a c

133 -Building Businesses and Believing in Better Days with Cecil Bullard June 9, 2025 - 00:40:00   Show Summary: Recorded live at the Institute Summit 2025, explore what it truly means to stand out in today’s evolving automotive industry. Cecil Bullard covers major industry shifts, including electric and autonomous vehicles, the growing influence of private equity, and the increasing specialization of shops. Cecil also opens up about leadership, mentorship, and the personal habits that drive success, such as effective time management, the power of “mindless work,” and adapting communication styles using tools like the DISC profile. Packed with real-world advice on business planning, self-belief, and resilience, this episode is essential listening for industry professionals aiming to thrive and lead amidst ongoing change and innovation.   Host(s): Carm Capriotto, Remarkable Results Radio   Guest(s): Cecil Bullard, Founder of The Institute   Show Highlights: Introduction to the Episode (00:00:00) Getting to Know Cecil Bullard (00:01:49) Advice and Mentorship (00:04:49) Industry Trends and Technology (00:05:19) Specialization and Shop Survival (00:06:42) Time Management and Productivity (00:08:05) Stop Stopping: Overcoming Self-Limitation (00:09:56) Personality Types and Communication (00:11:26) Future of ADAS, EVs, and Specialty Shops (00:16:56) Private Equity and Industry Consolidation (00:18:25) Shop Valuation and Selling (00:20:53) Planning for Succession and Exit (00:28:22) Mentorship and Coaching (00:31:07) Lessons to Younger Self (00:33:04) Wealth, Security, and Time (00:34:10) Career Path and Commitment (00:37:42) In every business journey, there are defining moments or challenges that build resilience and milestones that fuel growth. We’d love to hear about yours! What lessons, breakthroughs, or pivotal experiences have shaped your path in the automotive industry? Share your story with us at info@wearetheinstitute.com, and you might be featured in an upcoming episode.   👉 Unlock the full experience - watch the full webinar on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm6Mqmx8_uY   Don’t miss exclusive insights, expert takeaways, and real talk you won’t hear anywhere else. Hit Subscribe, drop a comment, and share it with someone who needs to hear this!   Links & Resources:  Want to learn more? Click Here Want a complimentary business health report? Click Here See The Institute's events list: Click Here Want access to our online classes? Click Here ________________________________________ Episode Transcript Disclaimer This transcript was generated using artificial intelligence and may contain errors. If you notice any inaccuracies, please contact us at marketing@wearetheinstitute.com.   Episode Transcript: Carm Capriotto: This is the Aftermarket Radio Network. Hey everybody. Carm Caprio, remarkable Results Radio in Amelia Island. Near Jacksonville. If you've not been here, this is a huge, huge place. I mean, the beach is right over there, but I have never seen it yet.  Carm Capriotto: When I come to these events, I work my butt off. Probably like you Cecil, right? Carm Capriotto: Go, go, go. We're at the Institute's Summit 2025. We are the institute.com. Thank you to Cecil and Kent for having us here. The theme stand out. And it's actually been the entire, everything that's happened here, all the keynoters, all the breakout sessions, and some of the best shop owner leaders ever. I'm so impressed with 'em. Carm Capriotto: So thank you for this award from our sponsors. Hey, take your Autocare center to the next level, the gold level with the Napa Autocare Gold Certified program. This program is for the best of the best, who can provide a consistent consumer experience and earn the trust of returning and new customers. Talk to your NAPA sales representative about how you can become a gold certified shop. Carm Capriotto: Hey, for over 30 years, NAPA Tracks has made selecting the right shop management system easy by offering the best, most comprehensive SMS in the industry. We'll prove to you that tracks is the single best shot management system in the business. Find Napa tracks on the web at N apa TRA cs.com. I am back with Cecil Bullard, the CEO of the Institute. Carm Capriotto: I saw your speech on the first day. You knocked it out of the park as usual. But I brought Cecil in here maybe to talk a little bit about the industry, but to find out a little bit more about him. What do you do for fun? Cecil work. I knew you were gonna say that. Why did I know that?  Cecil Bullard: I like woodworking. So building furniture. Cecil Bullard: Woods. Interesting. 'cause it's not metal and that's cool. Yeah, I love my family, so spending time with my grandkids. My dad did not build relationships with his grandchildren, and I just thought that was really important. So I try hard to do that, you know, if I do what my wife wants, it's been certain shows, so every once in a while I'm on the couch for Cool. Cecil Bullard: For a day watching. Yeah, whatever. Carm Capriotto: I love it. It seems like there's a decade or every decade something kind of different happens with your life. Your world. Here come the grandkids. Oh, it's a new, fun, absolute thing I wanna do. You know, last year was for me, splitting wood. Oh wow. Honest to God, we have burned more wood this year. Carm Capriotto: Maybe we're going on our third cord. Then ever before, it's been a really cold winter. I have seven and a half acres of woods. We lost 20 ash trees because of the ash Boer. Yeah. Last year we had 10 taken down. I had the arbor take the bottom half and I took the top and I split all of it, and now I have another 10 or 15 that I have to do and I can't wait for the snow to melt in buffalo. Cecil Bullard: So you can do that. Yes. I always love what I call mindless work. I love to mow the lawn. Yeah. Right. Yeah. Because I don't have to think about what I'm doing. I can think about all kinds of other things, but, and when I'm done, I can look and go, wow, that looks really good. Yeah. I mowed the lawn  Carm Capriotto: instead of worrying about my next interview. Carm Capriotto: Yeah. Or the next edit, or the next production, or the next conference. I worry about not hurting my fingers.  Cecil Bullard: Yeah. I think mindless work, what I would call mindless work like that is extremely valuable. Yeah. Now, I don't know if my shoulders would handle splitting wood. Mowing the lawn. Anything I like to read too, by the way, I'm just an avid reader. Cecil Bullard: I read. Between three and four books a week. Just no kidding. Yeah. For fun. So when I can't sleep, I'm reading, if you read  Carm Capriotto: Focus Factor still Focus I,  Cecil Bullard: yeah, actually I think I'm about halfway through that one. Me, me too. I have about four books open right now. Right.  Carm Capriotto: And that's a cool way. Zig Ziglar's son, I interviewed him a bunch of years ago, he's sitting on his couch and Barry Barrett made the introduction for me. Carm Capriotto: Mm-hmm. And he was on with us. He's got a stack of books on his couch and I asked him, and I said. Why all the books he says, to your point, he says, I read so much. I kind of lose interest. I know I want to finish. I go to another one, and then I ask this great question. I says, do you read them all to the very end? Carm Capriotto: And he goes, hell no, Carm. He says, if I think I got out of the book what I wanted three quarters through, it's on my shelf.  Cecil Bullard: I would say I, not only do I read them all to the end, but I might read them three or four times. Over time because it's like attending a class. You know, you get a good instructor and you go in and you're like, you come out and you're just pumped up, but you can't get it all right. Cecil Bullard: Oh no, you're right. And so sometimes you gotta read the book a second or a third time, and then the older I get it's like, oh, I know where was that. I think it's one of the things that are gonna keep me on my toes is just kinda keeping my head in it. Right. I get it. Hey, get any advice over all the years that you still follow today? Cecil Bullard: So many wonderful people in my life. You know, so many mentors that have helped me be where I need to be. I think that the advice that's probably been most valuable, and I, I don't even know that I could tell you who finally got it through my head. It's like, I think believe in yourself and believe that the world is a good place and that whatever problems you're having, you're gonna get through that and tomorrow's gonna be a a better day. Cecil Bullard: You watch the industry, what trends do you watch? I think we got a lot of issues right now. Obviously technology is changing the vehicles, so self-driving cars, they're gonna be here at some point and whoever owns the self-driving cars. So just had some conversations. One of the things about events like this. Cecil Bullard: You get to talk to a lot of different people in the industry, and you have companies that are trying to buy up the Ubers and the et cetera, because like Ford would love to buy Uber, and then they get to sell Fords to all the Uber drivers. And then Ford controls where all the Ubers get fixed. And so I think right now the manufacturers, the issues with manufacturers struggling so hard in their service centers mm-hmm. Cecil Bullard: Is driving them to think of other ways to control market. And one of the ways they're gonna try to control market is to buy market share. So, and then you have millennials and what we got c gens. They don't necessarily wanna own a car. Yep.  Carm Capriotto: Yeah,  Cecil Bullard: so I think that you're gonna see like a lease a car for, you know, a self-driving car for 400 bucks a month and it'll show up when you need it, and there's no driver and they're not gonna own the car, which means that they don't control how the car gets taken care of, who takes care of it, et cetera. Cecil Bullard: I think there's gon

132 - Your Business Playbook: Strategy, Data, and Accountability with Ross Bernstein May 26, 2025 - 00:42:53 Show Summary: Recorded live at the Institute Summit, this insightful conversation explores how business leaders can apply sports principles—like team chemistry, leadership, and preparation—to enhance performance. Keynote speaker Ross Bernstein underscores the impact of storytelling as a powerful communication and trust building tool, sharing lessons from icons like Scotty Bowman and Jay Leno. The discussion reinforces the importance of having a solid business playbook grounded in strategy, data, and accountability, while also addressing the need to adapt to change, foster a culture of loyalty, leverage technology for growth, and prioritize meaningful personal connections and networking. A best-selling author of nearly 50 sports books, Ross Bernstein, is an award-winning peak performance business speaker who’s keynoted conferences on all seven continents for audiences as small as 10 and as large as 10,000. Ross and his books have been featured on thousands of television and radio programs over the years, including CNN, ESPN, Bloomberg, Fox News, and “CBS This Morning,” as well as in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and USA Today. https://www.rossbernsteinspeaking.com/   Host(s): Carm Capriotto, Remarkable Results Radio   Guest(s): Ross Bernstein, Speaker and Author   Show Highlights: Introduction to the Episode (00:00:00) Importance of Storytelling (00:02:51) Jay Leno's Storytelling Practice (00:03:50) Team Chemistry in Sports (00:05:06) Scotty Bowman's Coaching Insights (00:06:29) Building Team Chemistry (00:08:00) Innovative Recruiting Strategies (00:08:47) The Power of the Playbook (00:12:17) Measuring Performance (00:13:06) Continual Improvement in Business (00:14:21) Ketchup Insights (00:15:45) Practicing What We Learn (00:20:02) Generational Workforce Changes (00:22:11) Creating Loyalty in Teams (00:22:55) Time Perception (00:23:10) Focus and Distractions (00:23:49) Engagement in Presentations (00:24:38) Struggle and Growth (00:27:26) Humility in Leadership (00:28:25) Client Experience Officer Concept (00:30:05) Philanthropy and Business Success (00:30:23) Gamification in Customer Engagement (00:32:36) Adapting to Change (00:35:14) Networking and Personal Connections (00:36:21) Legacy Business Lessons (00:37:08) Business Fundamentals (00:39:00) In every business journey, there are defining moments or challenges that build resilience and milestones that fuel growth. We’d love to hear about yours! What lessons, breakthroughs, or pivotal experiences have shaped your path in the automotive industry? Share your story with us at info@wearetheinstitute.com, and you might be featured in an upcoming episode.   👉 Unlock the full experience - watch the full webinar on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6bQaQ109Vw   Don’t miss exclusive insights, expert takeaways, and real talk you won’t hear anywhere else. Hit Subscribe, drop a comment, and share it with someone who needs to hear this!   Links & Resources:  Want to learn more? Click Here Want a complimentary business health report? Click Here See The Institute's events list: Click Here Want access to our online classes? Click Here ________________________________________ Episode Transcript Disclaimer This transcript was generated using artificial intelligence and may contain errors. If you notice any inaccuracies, please contact us at marketing@wearetheinstitute.com.   Episode Transcript: Carm Capriotto: This is the Aftermarket Radio Network. Hey everybody. Carm Capto. Remarkable Results Radio, again, back here in Amelia Island in Florida with the Institute 2025 Summit. Theme is standout. My next guest is absolutely outstanding. We are the institute.com. Thanks to Cecil and Kent for having us out here. I've learned a lot, met a lot of nice, neat new friends, and thank you so much to our sponsors. Carm Capriotto: More than 16% of light duty vehicles on the road are EV and hybrid. Is your shop ready to safely and properly service them? Get your shop trained and equipped to service hybrid and EV vehicles with NAPA Auto Techs. Innovative. Ev Ready, level one high voltage awareness and maintenance training. Hey, for over 30 years, Napa Trax has made selecting the right shop management system easy. Carm Capriotto: By offering the best, most comprehensive SMS in the industry, we'll prove to you that Trax is the single best shop management system in the business. Find Napa tracks on the web at N apa A-T-R-A-C s.com. Hey, welcome back. Let me tell you about my next guest. In fact, there's so much to talk about that I have to actually read it from his mini bio here. Carm Capriotto: The best selling author of nearly 50 sports books. Damn, I've always wanted to write just one. He's a peak performance business speaker and proud member of the Speakers Hall of Fame, which is no easy task, and you proved that to us this morning. His keynoted conferences all over seven continents, been featured on CNN, CBS mornings, MSNBC, SPN, and Fox News, as well as the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and USA today. Carm Capriotto: His mission for us today in the conference, as we heard his keynote, is to get us all thinking differently about how we can raise our game to the next level. Sports was, man, everything you talked about with sports, you opened up with Tom Brady, and so since I'm from Buffalo. I wasn't comfortable with that. Ross Bernstein: I'm from Minnesota. I wasn't comfortable with that.  Carm Capriotto: I just thought, here I am figuring out how the damn man beat us forever. Right. I know we may have been one in 10 years, I just don't quite remember that. But Ross Bernstein, you just, you nailed it. You were telling stories up there and you covered 16 different, if you will, strategies or concepts for us. Carm Capriotto: And I wanna talk about a few of them. But the theme that we've been hearing from all of our speakers, and as I was spending time at the lunches and at the breakfasts, this whole storytelling thing is big. I mean, that's what you did. You got up on stage and all you did and all 16 key strategies was tell us a story. Carm Capriotto: Mm-hmm. And the audience was glued. Why storytelling so  Ross Bernstein: important. Well, thank you, Carm. Thanks for having me. I'm honored to be here. Storytelling is just the best way to communicate, right? We've been doing it forever. When a great storyteller tells a story and they talk about their family, you think about your family. Ross Bernstein: When they talk about their job, you think about your job. We learned that from Walt Disney, right? Books, movies, and our brains are wired for storytelling. So I think it's a muscle. You can get better at it. You can work at it. Yeah. I remember one time I was speaking at a conference with Jay Leno. And I was visiting with him in the green room and I was, you know, in awe, this celebrity. Ross Bernstein: But of course he was the nicest guy in the world, just as you'd imagine. Asked me all about me. And I was fascinated to learn, and this is back in the nineties before cell phones and social media and video that every Saturday night when he was at the peak of the Tonight Show, when he was making a guy, probably made a hundred million dollars that he would every Saturday night at midnight, he would do like an a standup improv set at the Hermosa Beach Comedy Magic Club for the drunks. Ross Bernstein: And it, you know, before anyone could record it, but he would basically practice his story. Yeah. He was honing hon it and, and he said, you know, if I could tighten up a story by. Two or three words just do people laugh differently. And I thought, I was amazed that here's a guy who's had such success yet, was so particular and wanted to practice and make it right. Ross Bernstein: And that really stuck with me about that. That's what makes the great ones great, is that even those little things, they can just, they can work on him.  Carm Capriotto: Jay Leno was a real guy, man. I mean, he was the real deal. I loved Jay Lenon. I continued to like him today. Of course. I'm old enough to remember Johnny Carson. Carm Capriotto: Me too. And those were big shoes to fill, weren't they? In this industry, we're small business people and we're trying to teach them through coaching and what I do on the podcast and the networking groups that exist, how to become a more sophisticated business person. And everything you talked about today helped us become more sophisticated. Carm Capriotto: One of them was team chemistry. I think we struggled with that a lot since most of our CEOs are business owners today. Never went to a leadership class. They came up from the wrench world into being a CEO chemistry. Let me see. I remember going to a class in school and we had something foaming on the counter. Carm Capriotto: That's not it today,  Ross Bernstein: chemistry is the biggest thing in sports and that they're aware of and they work on it constantly, and we don't think about it in business. Teams start out the season and they go to training camp in a small town, middle of nowhere, no spouses, no kids. 'cause they need to figure out chemistry, who gets along,  Carm Capriotto: who they  Ross Bernstein: are. Ross Bernstein: Yeah. Do these guys get along? Do they not get along? Who are the team cancers? Who are the bad apples? I did a book called Raising Stanley, right? I interviewed hundreds of professional hockey players who'd hoisted the Stanley Cup, and I wanted to know why. Looking for the trends and the patterns and the commonalities, and I got to know Scotty Bowman, who wrote the foreword for the book, and it was fascinating getting to know this guy. Ross Bernstein: He's the winningest coach in the history of the National Hockey League. He's got 14 Stanley Cup rings. He even named his freaking kid Stanley, which is pretty cool. Now, Stanley's won three Stanley Cups, so this k

131 - Struggling to Hire? Imagine Recruiting in the Last Frontier with Mike Simard April 28, 2025 - 00:32:39   Show Summary: Recorded at the Institute Summit, Mike Simard dives into the challenges of recruiting and developing talent, especially in a unique setting like Alaska. He shares his innovative strategy of acquiring lube centers as entry points for new team members and highlights the critical role of strong company culture and leadership. Mike also emphasizes the importance of building the right team, balancing the visionary and integrator roles, and the need to continuously adapt in the ever-evolving automotive industry.   Host(s): Carm Capriotto, Remarkable Results Radio   Guest(s): Mike Simard, owner of Simard Automotive   Show Highlights: Mike Simard's Background (00:00:00) Acquisition of Lube Centers (00:02:10) Energy and Problem-Solving (00:02:43) Vision for Training Talent (00:03:41) Geographic Logistics (00:05:12) Talent Development and Apprenticeship (00:05:41) Industry Comparison (00:06:32) Recruitment Challenges (00:09:04) Relocation and Recruitment Process (00:12:31) Motivation for Policy Writing (00:16:03) Understanding Unique Selling Points (00:18:05) Building a Strong Team (00:19:20) Learning from Coaches (00:21:52) Delegating Responsibilities (00:22:30) Building Company Culture (00:25:47) Understanding the 'Why' (00:27:09) Finding the Right People (00:28:34) Balancing Inner Voices (00:30:04) Breaking Barriers in the Industry (00:30:35) In every business journey, there are defining moments or challenges that build resilience and milestones that fuel growth. We’d love to hear about yours! What lessons, breakthroughs, or pivotal experiences have shaped your path in the automotive industry? Share your story with us at info@wearetheinstitute.com, and you might be featured in an upcoming episode.   👉 Unlock the full experience - watch the full webinar on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrZHa2uib2k   Don’t miss exclusive insights, expert takeaways, and real talk you won’t hear anywhere else. Hit Subscribe, drop a comment, and share it with someone who needs to hear this!   Links & Resources:  Want to learn more? Click Here Want a complimentary business health report? Click Here See The Institute's events list: Click Here Want access to our online classes? Click Here ________________________________________ Episode Transcript Disclaimer This transcript was generated using artificial intelligence and may contain errors. If you notice any inaccuracies, please contact us at marketing@wearetheinstitute.com.   Episode Transcript: Carm Capriotto: This is the Aftermarket Radio Network everybody. Carm Capriotto Remarkable Results Radio in Amelia Island. We're here at the Institute Summit. We are the institute.com. Thank you so much to Kent and Cecil and the entire team from the institute to be here just a few hours ago. Michael, were you in the room when I gave my little speech? Mike Simard: I was not.  Carm Capriotto: You weren't? I was not. Okay. Well, they'll do it right now for you. Mike Simard: Let's hear it.  Carm Capriotto: No. It's a little longer than this podcast will warrant. Yeah, and it was great doing that and a lot of great friends, top tier shop owners that are here, and glad you're here with me. So we appreciate everything from the institute and how they're growing and how they have these incredible groups. Carm Capriotto: More than 16% of light duty vehicles on the road are EV and hybrid. Is your shop ready to safely and properly service them? Get your shop trained and equipped to service hybrid and EV vehicles. With Napa Auto Tech's innovative, EV Ready, level one, high Voltage awareness and maintenance training. Hey, for over 30 years, Napa Tracks has made selecting the right shop management system easy by offering the best, most comprehensive SMS in the industry. Carm Capriotto: We'll prove to you that TRACKS is the single best shop management system in the business. Find NAPA tracks on the web at N APA TRA cs.com. Also, thanks to aftermarket management network.com for information that can help you move your business ahead. And for the free and informative labor rate tracker.com. Carm Capriotto: With me is Mike Simard. You were on a couple of years ago at the same event. That's right. Wow. Two, three.  Mike Simard: That you even pronounced my name right? Still. So,  Carm Capriotto: all right, throw the dollar over. I've been practicing it seven locations, but there's a couple of really unique things about Michael that you all need to know while you're driving down the highway on your treadmill. Carm Capriotto: Listening to this, because you're here to listen, to learn. Just one thing from Michael Smart. It's got seven locations, but they're in Fairbanks, Alaska, Fairbanks, and Anchorage. And Anchorage. Now you see I got an incredible update. Last time I knew you, you  Mike Simard: had four I. So I met you in Florida and at that time I had four locations, comprehensive models in Fairbanks, and then we a few months later had bought three lu and tire stores and a tire warehouse and two are in Anchorage. Mike Simard: So we're now in the Anchorage market as  Carm Capriotto: well is the tire warehouses just like they do in Canada where they store the tires for people or you distributor of tires too  Mike Simard: distributor. So, ah, we have more buying power through this point S group that we join a tire buying group co-op, and we need to house the tires. Mike Simard: Got it.  Carm Capriotto: So. Amazing. Where the hell do you find the energy to do this?  Mike Simard: Well, my wife says if I wasn't doing something, I'd break things just to. Just to stay going, so I like to  Carm Capriotto: You're the Energizer bunny.  Mike Simard: Yeah. I like to solve problems. I like to do different things. Oh God. I like to. Oh, I so love that.  Carm Capriotto: Yeah. Mike Simard: You know, I sleep good at night most of the time. Do you invent problems so you can fix 'em? That's what I said. Yeah. She said if you didn't go find something broken to fix I know. Or build something new. I'm so much like that. Yeah. I really,  Carm Capriotto: does it still continue to work? Okay. Which  Mike Simard: parts  Carm Capriotto: I know Think about it and  Mike Simard: can it do it better? Mike Simard: You know? Can we get a better mousetrap? Teresa says, dad, it's fine.  Carm Capriotto: Well, yeah, it's fine, dad, because I've always been this perpetual upgrader, you know, 2.0, 2.1 2 3, 3 0.0. I've always been, you never stay stagnant, right?  Mike Simard: Well, our purpose, our vision is always try to elevate others the highest potential, so you better live that yourself. Carm Capriotto: Michael, it seems crazy for you to go and buy some lube centers  Mike Simard: and did you have a purpose to do that was the deal, right? The biggest thing, you know, I discovered a lot of new things, so I love learning and it's a new challenge and one of the things we need to do is continue to find great talent and grow our own by buying. Mike Simard: I always had this vision many years ago, didn't quite understand what it meant, but the vision was like over on that side of town we'd have this teaching training shop. A place that maybe we can find talent, find people that want to come into this industry and train them up. People need to come in for a convenience oil change. Mike Simard: They need to get some basic services and then get on their way. It's a wonderful place to teach people a better industry and kinda get them started, you know, and make sure they have their basic hygiene, make sure they really want to go down that road, and when we find out that they're a value fit, that there's somebody that wants to learn. Mike Simard: That somebody we can maybe take all the way into our four year apprenticeship program. And so I had that vision and that just happens to be that one of the stores I bought in Fairbanks was in that same side of town and never thought that'd be the place, this one particular location. 'cause I was like, that's something I can't do. Mike Simard: I. Had a limiting mindset there for a while. Yeah, sure. And then all of a sudden we did it and then we grew in the Anchorage market. 'cause they're really thirsty for, we believe what we have. And now we actually have promoted, hopefully next month will be the third apprentice. Out of that same location I. Carm Capriotto: Apprentice out there into,  Mike Simard: so that's into our general service shops. Into your, okay. And then we can grow them to a level master tech.  Carm Capriotto: I just logistically need to understand how far away is Fairbanks and Anchorage?  Mike Simard: Six hours unless,  Carm Capriotto: oh, okay. You're going faster. So this isn't someone that you train 'em in Anchorage and move 'em into Fairbanks  Mike Simard: for the Fairbanks market. Mike Simard: But we actually just last October started our first ever  Carm Capriotto: Anchorage Apprentice two, so I think we've got seven or eight now. Okay. Alright. It's such a great idea. That an independent successful goes into a specialty shop for entry level maintenance. And looks at that as a team building operation.  Mike Simard: Yeah, that was the first vision actually. Mike Simard: It wasn't like, I'm gonna go make a bunch of money or just get more car count. I was like, I wonder if we can find people and attract them and teach them who we are and maybe we can, you know, are you gonna show up in time? Are you gonna comb your hair? Are you gonna wear a uniform? Do you get along as a team? Mike Simard: Can we teach you some life skills, some basic goal setting. Quality control. Do you care? Do you have customer service so you can actually, the lube model's kind of interesting 'cause a lot of people will change the oil and interface with the customer at the same time. So you actually can get advisors out of this. Mike Simard: Technicians. And also when I went into that side o

130 - Look Good, Feel Good, Perform Great – How Branding and Culture Drive Team Excellence July 2nd, 2025 - 00:58:42   Show Summary: What if your shop’s uniform was more than just workwear? In this episode, Jimmy Lea is joined by Leah Grubb, founder of Green Bolt Printing, to discuss how automotive shops can turn everyday apparel into a strategic tool for branding, leadership, and culture. Leah shares the origin of her company, born from firsthand experience in multi-shop growth, and explains how the right look can foster pride, unity, and even performance. From choosing the right fabric to using color with purpose, this conversation unpacks the overlooked power of uniforms...and how to get them right.   Host(s): Jimmy Lea, VP of Business Development   Guest(s): Leah Grubb, Founder & CEO of Green Bolt Printing   Episode Highlights: [00:00:23] - Apparel is often the first impression before a customer ever visits your website or talks to staff. [00:02:35] - Leah shares her journey from rapid shop expansion to founding Green Bolt Printing out of operational necessity. [00:04:47] - Reframing uniforms as a shop's “constant visual identity” enhances culture, pride, and morale. [00:08:16] - Rebranding with color and design transformed the team’s enthusiasm, professionalism, and sense of identity. [00:10:15] - Differentiating technician uniforms still matters, even if they aren’t customer-facing. [00:14:24] - Biggest mistake shops make: not involving their team in apparel choices. [00:19:10] - Fit, function, and thoughtful design choices affect confidence and job satisfaction. [00:24:04] - Unified looks can range from strict uniforms to flexible, branded individuality, find your shop’s identity. [00:37:10] - Merch stores only work for retail-forward brands or customer loyalty rewards, not just selling uniforms. [00:49:43] - Use color intentionally: blacks evoke sleek professionalism, while red, blue, or green can cue emotion and expertise.   In every business journey, there are defining moments or challenges that build resilience and milestones that fuel growth. We’d love to hear about yours! What lessons, breakthroughs, or pivotal experiences have shaped your path in the automotive industry? Share your story with us at info@wearetheinstitute.com, and you might be featured in an upcoming episode.   👉 Unlock the full experience - watch the full webinar on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16XGiHzhxKY   Don’t miss exclusive insights, expert takeaways, and real talk you won’t hear anywhere else. Hit Subscribe, drop a comment, and share it with someone who needs to hear this!   Links & Resources:  Want to learn more? Click Here Want a complimentary business health report? Click Here See The Institute's events list: Click Here Want access to our online classes? Click Here ________________________________________ Episode Transcript Disclaimer This transcript was generated using artificial intelligence and may contain errors. If you notice any inaccuracies, please contact us at marketing@wearetheinstitute.com.   Episode Transcript: Jimmy Lea: Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, or goodnight, depending on when and where you're joining us from today. It is a beautiful day outside. The power is out in Las Vegas, and that's okay. We're okay with that. We have such exciting conversations to happen today. I'm so excited to have you here with me, my friends, as we have this conversation to talk about something that affects every customer interaction. Jimmy Lea: Today we are gonna talk about this and before any word is spoken. There's something that happens, and our discussion today is with the founder of Green Bolt Printing. She helps automotive shops all over the country turn their gear into a leadership tool, from bold branding to team building through apparel. Jimmy Lea: She understands how a look can drive culture, confidence, and performance. She's just not about putting logos on shirts. It's about uniting teams through identity. Give a big round of applause as we help to welcome the incredible Leah Grub. Leah, I'm so excited that you are here with us today to talk about your business and what it is you do to affect the shop's company culture and everything that goes with it. Leah Grubb: Me too. Thank you so much for having me. I'm looking really forward to today.  Jimmy Lea: Yes. This is gonna be a great conversation that we're gonna have to talk. I know you've got a lot put together with a PowerPoint and a presentation. So with that I'm gonna turn it to you as questions come up, just be understanding that we're gonna interrupt and ask some questions. Jimmy Lea: Yeah. Because marketing is so much fun. This interaction happens before a website. I mean, it's not a website. This is our apparel, this is what we're doing that we wear. Has a uniform to be part of the team. Every team has a uniform and we're now part of it. So Leah, we turn it to you.  Leah Grubb: Awesome. Thank you so much, Jimmy. Leah Grubb: Hello. Hello everyone, and thank you again for joining me on this Wednesday afternoon and on a holiday week, nonetheless. I wanna start kind of with the concept and how we frame things before we dive in here, right? Because up until today, what you were to work right, is just kind of that what you wear to work. Leah Grubb: So instead, I'm want to talk about how it can be so much more than just a uniform and instead your shop's visual identity. And I'm gonna be using that word. A lot, and I'm a bit of a fast talker too here. So, because these t-shirts and polos are something that you wear to work every single day, they can be the very vehicle that creates a feel good, ready to perform environment that achieves excellence. Leah Grubb: But before we dive in, I do want to tell a little bit of my story here. Because right before I founded Greenbelt, I was working as a marketing director for two local automotive shops. One of them was C and J Automotive. And there I am, right there on the end. And at the time we had two shops. One was our HQ that was founded in 1988 and the other one was a second shop. Leah Grubb: About 20 minutes down the road that was established. Very recently, I guess 2015, so 10 years ago, comparatively to 1988. Then within about a span of a year and a half, we expanded to not just the third location, not just the fourth location, but five locations in, yeah, about a year and a half in total. Leah Grubb: Within the next closest one being 40 minutes from our hq, one being in a completely different state. New Jersey. Now you could say that we were learning how to build a rocket ship on the way up, or a parachute on the way down, depending on your outlook for that day, because if that wasn't enough, we decided to rebrand and revamp all of these locations. Leah Grubb: And this was all at the time of. That post COVID supply chain issue, remember this the toilet paper shortages of that time. So it was a bit of a headache to say the least. And doing it at this scale and in this timeframe exposed a lot of flaws in the screen printing and embroidery industry that I thought could be approved upon. Leah Grubb: So much so that when my employers decided that, that we decided that we could do something better with this. So Jack, who is right there in the center, and then my other employer at the time who owned a collision shop bootstrapped the idea and Greenbelt was born. And I'm saying all of this because I'm sharing a few other stories from my time in this career because Greenbelt truly was born out of necessity and not just general necessity. Leah Grubb: Right. Actual specific necessities from growing auto repair shops, and that started with the rebranding process. We had to dive deeper into our brand and our visual identity. And where is that? Not if the most prevalent than in the clothing that we're wearing every single day. You don't need to go through a rebrand of your apparel to do all this. Leah Grubb: Actually, the main thing I want you to do is to reframe your idea of what uniforms are as you know them, right? Uniforms are for identification, for functionality. They help people identify who works where, like going up to someone in a red shirt at Target and hoping they work there. 'cause a lot of people are wearing red t-shirts. Leah Grubb: So, or functionally they're just more durable for the wear and tear of the day or the task at hand, or protective, like high visibility gear. But what if we took that one step further and recognized uniforms for their higher purpose that they can serve as a consistent or constant visual identity? And that's gonna be our tongue twister of the day because. Leah Grubb: If you move past uniforms, just being used for purely identification purposes or purely functional needs, a uniform can reinforce a shared identity, build a sense of pride, boost morale, and set expectations, ideally positive ones, both internally and externally with your customers. Because the reality is uniforms are one of the most visible, consistent expressions of your brand and your culture. Leah Grubb: Your team wears them every day. Your customers see them first. I. That's powerful. So when you start thinking of uniforms as a constant visual identity and not just the thing you're wearing to work every single day, you unlock their real value as a tool to shape how people feel about your shop and how they feel inside it. Leah Grubb: So another story time again, right? With c and j, this new concept, this new way of thinking came into play during that rebrand because we especially had to think about where this brand was going to be seen. Would it look good on a mailer, on social media, on a street sign, and of course on people and on our. Leah Grubb: Buildings. So the current logo already had to go through some refinement to look good for social media, right? There's our social media profile photo, and then it had to go through more refinement to be cost effective, and in some cases even pos

129 - The New Backbone of a Successful Shop: Software That Actually Works June 25th, 2025 - 00:58:23 Show Summary: In this episode, Jimmy Lea hosts a dynamic conversation with John Phelps from Tekmetric, shop owner and Institute coach Jennifer Hulbert, and Tonnika Haynes of Brown’s Automotive. They dive into the realities of switching point-of-sale systems, discussing both the challenges and the rewards. John shares how Tekmetric has evolved, focusing on cloud-based innovation and powerful reporting tools that help shops improve performance. Jennifer and Tonnika provide real-world insights into how Tekmetric impacted KPIs like effective labor rate and average repair order. The conversation highlights the importance of accountability, data transparency, and choosing the right tools and partnerships to help shops grow and succeed.   Host(s): Jimmy Lea, VP of Business Development   Guest(s): John Phelps, Director of Channel Partnerships, Tekmetric   Jennifer Hulbert, Owner of Service Plus Auto and Head Coach at The Institute Tonnika Haynes, Owner of Browns Automotive   Episode Highlights: [00:02:21] Tekmetric celebrates surpassing 10,000 shops using the platform, marking a major growth milestone. [00:03:45] Jennifer shares the top rule of POS transitions: don’t do it unless it meets every business need. [00:06:41] Tonnika chose Tekmetric for its ability to support remote work, which was crucial while raising young children. [00:08:47] John explains how Smart Jobs use VIN decoding to build accurate estimates in just a few clicks. [00:13:29] Tonnika and Jennifer describe Smart Jobs as a virtual assistant that improves efficiency and consistency. [00:17:00] Jennifer uses Tekmetric's deep reporting features to coach shop owners on improving financial performance. [00:23:06] The team discusses real-time reporting and how it helps address issues before they become problems. [00:37:40] Jennifer explains how digital vehicle inspections help build trust and transparency with customers. [00:44:16] John reveals that shops using DVIs with 8 or more images see an average repair order increase of $106. [00:54:54] Tonnika shares how “Do It Right” reflects her mission to serve her community and honor her family legacy.   In every business journey, there are defining moments or challenges that build resilience and milestones that fuel growth. We’d love to hear about yours! What lessons, breakthroughs, or pivotal experiences have shaped your path in the automotive industry? Share your story with us at info@wearetheinstitute.com, and you might be featured in an upcoming episode.   👉 Unlock the full experience - watch the full webinar on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZq3oadWJ-o   Don’t miss exclusive insights, expert takeaways, and real talk you won’t hear anywhere else. Hit Subscribe, drop a comment, and share it with someone who needs to hear this!   Links & Resources:  Want to learn more? Click Here Want a complimentary business health report? Click Here See The Institute's events list: Click Here Want access to our online classes? Click Here ________________________________________ Episode Transcript Disclaimer This transcript was generated using artificial intelligence and may contain errors. If you notice any inaccuracies, please contact us at marketing@wearetheinstitute.com.   Episode Transcript: Jimmy Lea: Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, or good night, depending on when and where you're joining us from today. My name is Jimmy Lea. I'm with the Institute. We are going to have a really great conversation coming up here in just a few moments. This is to be an interactive conversation. You've got questions, we've got answers. Jimmy Lea: You've got questions about different point of sale systems, you've got questions about Tekmetric. We've got the extroverts that are gonna be here with us. So not to give everything away, but we do have Tekmetric in the house today, which is gonna be an awesome conversation. Thank you to everybody who's here. Jimmy Lea: We have a phenomenal panel that's gonna join us here today, starting with. John Phelps from Tekmetric. John is joining us as the voice of Tekmetric today. John, how are you sir?  John Phelps: I'm doing very well, Jimmy. Thank you for having us.  Jimmy Lea: This is gonna be awesome. And just so you all know, I did try to canonize John the other day. Jimmy Lea: I called him John Paul.  John Phelps: Yeah. I felt like, I was a pope candidate at the moment, but no,  Jimmy Lea: you were,  John Phelps: you're  Jimmy Lea: in the running. There we go. You just didn't know it.  John Phelps: No, I was a little late to that one, apparently. Yeah. That he was already he was already selected. Even though he is from the us No I did not make that cut. Jimmy Lea: Nice. Nice. Well, glad to have you here with us, John. Thank you very much for joining us. We appreciate Tekmetric that, and the strides that you are taking as a software of value in the industry. Really making it great for our shops to understand where they are, what they're doing, process, procedures, profit effective labor rates. Jimmy Lea: Effectivity is super awesome.  John Phelps: Absolutely no, it's it's really been awesome to see, you know, we've got clients like like we have here today, and I know you said you don't wanna give everything away, so we'll wait to bring them in here in a little bit. But just to be able to see the strides in the growth within Tekmetric, but also within our clients, within our shops over the last few years. John Phelps: I personally have been with Tekmetric a little over four years now, and in that timeframe it's been very cool to see number one. We've more than, let me see here, quintupled. Almost sex coupled in terms of shop count you know, sub 2000 at the time. And now as we, you know, announced a few months ago, cracking over the 10,000 shop mark across the country and growing bigger and bigger every single month. John Phelps: Luckily for us, and even more so, and I know we'll get into this a little bit later, but. The strides that those shops have seen since switching. And by no means will we ever take the credit for a shop doing very positive things with their own business, but we're just happy to be a part of that ride. John Phelps: One of the things I will say, I. Is, you know, the national average based on the most recent metrics that we've seen in terms of a RO which you mentioned, right? The average repair order that parts in labor sales per ticket is between four and four 50. We've heard reports as high as four 80. Whereas Tekmetric customers across our entire user base has cracked over $600 per car that comes across their shop. John Phelps: So 27% higher than the national average. And I know we've we've got a. Can say a little bit more than that in terms of their growth that they've seen in the last few years. And I'll let them do the description on there, but very happy to be here and and be a part of this.  Jimmy Lea: Well, thank you John. Jimmy Lea: Welcome, man. This is awesome. And joining us, Jennifer Holbert. Jennifer is a facilitator coach with the institute. She is a Tekmetric user as well, and she made the leap to go from one point of sale system to another. And Jennifer, we know the rules. We know the rules of jumping and what are those rules? Jennifer Hulbert: Hello, Jimmy. Thank you for the introduction. So as a facilitator my first rule of changing management systems is don't because it is a very large deal and can be disruptive to your whole shop. I. Went against that rule and made the switch from a different management system to Tekmetric about seven years ago and have seen nothing but an upside from that switch since then. Jennifer Hulbert: We'll get into some of the reasons why in a little bit later. Yeah. In the podcast. But this has been a very positive move for me as it has been for many of my coaching clients and group members.  Jimmy Lea: I think the top rule three rules of change your point of sale systems is don't do it. Jimmy Lea: Don't do it. Don't do it. And then 0.4 says, to your point, make sure when you do it, it does fulfill everything that you're looking for.  Jennifer Hulbert: Yes. Thoroughly research it.  Jimmy Lea: Thoroughly research. I'm glad you research it. And you, your client number? 2000 something? Something.  Jennifer Hulbert: 24 88.  Jimmy Lea: 24 88. Wow. Wow. Welcome. Glad to have you here with us, Jennifer. Jimmy Lea: This is awesome. Thank you. And by the way, just so everybody understands, not only is she a coach and facilitator with the institute, she owns a shop. You own a shop and run a shop in nor New York,  Jennifer Hulbert: Northern New York, yep. Service plus automotive in calcium, New York. Nice.  Jimmy Lea: Nice. Awesome. Joining us as well is Tanika Hayes. Jimmy Lea: She's with Browns Automotive. She is phenomenal. Tanika, we are so excited to have you here with us. How are you?  Tonnika Haynes: I'm great. I'm excited to be here.  Jimmy Lea: You're, it's exciting and you sound like you're in a cathedral of sorts.  Tonnika Haynes: I'm sorry, is my mic acting up again?  Jimmy Lea: No, it's all good. It's all good. It just it's awesome. Jimmy Lea: Thank you for joining us. We are all in different locations than we normally are Today. I'm in Manta, Utah on the road, helping to take care of family 'cause that's what we do. We help take care of family. And Tanika, I'm glad you're here so we can have this great conversation talking about your journey and what that looks like and Jennifer, your journey and what that looks like. Jimmy Lea: And to kick it all off, we're gonna give my John a few minutes to talk about Tekmetric. And so any of you who are tuning in, this is the. 32nd commercial, which is a little bit longer than 30 seconds. We're gonna give John some time here to tell us a little bit about Tekmetric and what's happening, what's going on, what the future looks like as well. John Phelps: Let me ac

128 - The Power of Storytelling: Engaging Employees and Clients with Parker Branch March 17th, 2025 - 00:35:47   Show Summary: Parker Branch of Branch Automotive joins the conversation to discuss shop culture, leadership, storytelling, and business growth in the diesel specialty repair industry. Learn about the importance of employee buy-in, boosting productivity, and ways to build customer trust through thoughtful use of technology. Parker shares his journey from technician to business coach, offering personal experiences and proven strategies for success.   Host(s): Carm Capriotto, Remarkable Results Radio   Guest(s): Parker Branch of Branch Automotive   Show Highlights: Introduction to the Summit (00:00:00) Keynote Insights (00:02:07) Importance of Storytelling (00:04:08) Parker's Background (00:04:52) Business Growth (00:05:12) Culture in Business (00:06:02) Self-Assessment in Leadership (00:08:27) Team Accountability (00:09:27) Lean Practices (00:10:26) Building Trust with Customers (00:11:27) AI in Automotive Communication (00:13:33) Motivation and Resources (00:17:26) Attracting and Retaining Talent (00:18:14) Growth vs. Loss (00:18:40) Creating a Positive Culture (00:19:34) Dealing with Toxic Employees (00:20:19) Accountability After Conferences (00:22:22) Cultural Engagement Strategies (00:23:41) Networking and Collaboration (00:24:23) Productivity Challenges (00:28:00) Quarterly Performance Evaluations (00:28:31) Inspiring Change vs. Forcing Change (00:30:20) Seasons of Business (00:31:16) Creating Momentum in Business (00:33:14) Commitment to Success (00:34:21) In every business journey, there are defining moments or challenges that build resilience and milestones that fuel growth. We’d love to hear about yours! What lessons, breakthroughs, or pivotal experiences have shaped your path in the automotive industry? Share your story with us at info@wearetheinstitute.com, and you might be featured in an upcoming episode.   👉 Unlock the full experience - watch the full webinar on YouTube: https://youtu.be/KfU09DMYEg4   Don’t miss exclusive insights, expert takeaways, and real talk you won’t hear anywhere else. Hit Subscribe, drop a comment, and share it with someone who needs to hear this!   Links & Resources:  Want to learn more? Click Here Want a complimentary business health report? Click Here See The Institute's events list: Click Here Want access to our online classes? Click Here ________________________________________ Episode Transcript Disclaimer This transcript was generated using artificial intelligence and may contain errors. If you notice any inaccuracies, please contact us at marketing@wearetheinstitute.com.   Episode Transcript: Carm Capriotto: This is the Aftermarket Radio Network. Hey everybody. Carm Capto. Remarkable Results Radio. We're in Amelia Island, Florida near Jacksonville. What a beautiful resort. We're here at the Institute's Summit. wearetheinstitute.com. I can't even quite come up with the word 'cause. I've had a chance to listen to many of the keynote speakers and be involved with tons of friends, meeting a lot of new people. Carm Capriotto: This is what I do for a living and, and it's just great to be here and, and hanging around. So thank you so much for the institute, for having us here. Hopefully all the great content that we're gonna send out are gonna change people's lives. I wanna thank so much the great sponsors that we have on the show. Carm Capriotto: Hey car here, and I hope to see you at the 22nd annual TST Big Event Saturday, March 29th, 2025. This very comprehensive one day seminar will feature trainers Bill Weaver from NAPA Auto Tech training, Josh Weaver from Dormant training, and Eric Ziegler from WTI. This all day event will be at the Westchester Marriott in Ton New York. Carm Capriotto: Sign up@tstseminars.org. I'll be there and I'm going to present the keynote, the Rise of the Mechanical and Technology Specialist. Great education. Breakfast and lunch and a ton of learning. TST seminars.org. Saturday, March 29th, 2025. NAPA is focused on the now a national ownership workshop for our valued Autocare members centered around business building training from industry leaders. Carm Capriotto: This is a can't miss event as we celebrate the past 100 years while looking ahead to the next 100. For over 30 years, Napa Trax has made Selecting the right shop management system easy. By offering the best, most comprehensive SMS in the industry, we'll prove to you that Trax is the single best shop management system in the business. Carm Capriotto: Find Napa Trax on the web@napatacs.com. Also thanks to aftermarket management network.com for information that can help you move your business ahead. And for the free and informative labor rate tracker.com. I'm here now with Parker Branch. Hi Parker. Hello Carm. Glad to be here. So here's the story. We just came out of a keynote speech from Dr. Carm Capriotto: Jessica Kriegel and we were both extremely motivated by her story. On changing culture and building culture and creating culture. Can you go back to the shop and take all this stuff with you, Parker?  Parker Branch: I can't wait to try some great ideas on, you know, culture's very important to us at our shop and as it is to so many people, but sometimes knowing how we can have a positive impact on that, you know, how to get the message to the people, how to set the expectation and. Parker Branch: What great ideas she brought. It was kind of a blueprint, wasn't it? It was really good. Yeah.  Carm Capriotto: Here's these three things you have to do to make it work. Now. It's a heavy lift.  Parker Branch: Seemingly simple when she delivered it.  Carm Capriotto: Yeah.  Parker Branch: But gonna be some strategy and some help. Oh, boss is coming back from another convention. Parker Branch: Oh boy. What is it gonna be this time?  Carm Capriotto: You know what? I never have a chance to thank Tracy. For all that she does. I mean, every time I open my mic, I, I need to say thank you to Tracy for all the things. Let me see getting you here a little later. 'cause we, we wanted to stay and listen to Dr. Kriegel, all the MIC adjustments and all the great production. Carm Capriotto: And Tracy, thank you. Thank you. I've told this to Tracy how many times, and I've said it on the phone. When I own my business, I come back from the conference. Even when I worked in corporate America, they said carve away to a leadership school or something and we're gonna have to change. What I did wrong, Parker, is I came back and I said, this is what we're gonna do. Carm Capriotto: Mm. I made this huge mistake, but I was young and maybe dumb and I was trying my ass off, but I didn't really have any of the magic. But I think back then, leadership books were just starting to be written in the nineties, right? I forgot to sell. I was out telling and I wasn't selling and I wasn't engaging, you know, by sitting down with some of my leadership group and say, listen, I gotta tell you guys, I just came back. Carm Capriotto: Lemme tell you. I learned the storytelling. Yeah, exactly. And when you teach, you learn and they need to give you feedback. Actually, what you're doing is you're selling for, you know, buy-in and engagement, and I'm sure that's exactly what you'll do when you get back.  Parker Branch: Absolutely. Those thoughts were going through my mind as I was listening to Dr. Parker Branch: Kriegel about. The storytelling and we're all real good at going back and telling the story. I'm gonna figure out some resources to try to get some more buy-in to show them to align their beliefs with what we've learned and take it back. You know, Hey crew, this is what I learned and we're gonna do this. Parker Branch: No, I'm gonna take it back. Exactly. Listen to what I. Saw and witnessed and learned and what do you guys think of this, by the way? Who's Parker Branch?  Carm Capriotto: Just that right. Never even introduced the, here it is. We jumped right into this branch. Automotive Littleton, Colorado. A diesel shop.  Parker Branch: Yes sir. 15 years in business in Highlands Ranch. Parker Branch: Uh, was a GM dealership technician for many, many years. Before that and also a one-on-one coach for the institute in my spare time. Are you on fire, your business on fire? It's going well. We've had a lot of growth. We acquired some additional space for our one location last year and that led to 27% growth last year was great. Carm Capriotto: Are you empowering your people so that you can go out and be a coach and be here?  Parker Branch: I'm really trying to.  Carm Capriotto: But it's working. Obviously, Parker, you probably should pat yourself somewhere on the back and say, Hey. I'm learning so much and you know, part of this whole culture thing that we learned this morning is are they gonna do the things sure. Carm Capriotto: That really matter to the business when you know, obviously they're gonna watch what you're doing and mimic you, but they understand the plan, they believe in the plan, so you don't have to micromanage people if the culture's right to do what needs to be done  Parker Branch: to serve. Yeah. And I believe that we have created some of that culture. Parker Branch: I feel good about it. And if I was gonna reach over somewhere to make a pat on the back, it would be my manager Daniel. High fives, Daniel. Yep. He is learned a lot by, you know, immersion, being with me day to day for years and years, and then just giving him, you know, free reign. We talk about everything. We have weekly meetings together and then he goes and does his thing. Parker Branch: So. Cool. Hey, are you doing more than your competition as far  Carm Capriotto: as anything? I hope so. Okay. I mean, did you ever really study that and say, you know what, we've gotta do this bigger, better. We  Parker Branch: try hard to embrace the difficult repairs and then the diesel business. You know, lately emissi