The State of Repairs

Our guest for this episode is Mahad Ahmad, the Product Manager for RepairDesk 2.0. Mahad has been leading a year-long effort by RepairDesk to revamp its software for a new generation of repair shop users.In this episode, we talk about the circumstances that led to the creation of RepairDesk 2.0, the different modules that have seen a change, the challenges encountered, and the growth that Mahad and his team saw along the way. We also discuss what's important to repair shop owners in general and the kind of troubles the industry is facing in these current times.Mahad's time spent with RepairDesk has given him insight into the repair industry from a very different perspective, and being a seasoned professional at it, he shares with us the kind of mindset that outsiders have and how they can get to learn more about the repair market in general.Contact Mahad – mahad@repairdesk.coFind Mahad on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/mahad-ahmad/Sign up for RepairDesk – https://www.repairdesk.co

This episode's guest is Tony Mastronardi, the CEO of the diagnostics company BuyBack Booth. Tony shares with us his vision of the repair industry and serves his professional experience as a case study in reinventing your business. Our discussion starts with an introduction to Tony's former business, TouchTunes Digital Jukebox, where he worked with business owners and record labels to produce a successful venture. We then talk about how he went into the wireless store side of things, and how his BuyBack Booth venture started off as a dare. What follows is a story of lessons learned in determination, business acumen, smart approaches, and the human element, something that he says he sees in RepairDesk. Our insightful conversation goes into lots of detail that only a professional like Tony can provide, and we're sure many can learn from the experiences he's had over the course of almost 3 decades. Find BuyBack Booth online – https://www.buybackbooth.com/Apple App Store  – https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/buyback-booth/id994139895Google Play Store  – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.alcmedia.bbb.bbbapp&hl=en&gl=USLinkedIn  – https://ca.linkedin.com/company/buybackboothLocation  –  i2327 Guenette, Montreal, Quebec  H4R 2E9, Canada Sign up for RepairDesk -- https://www.repairdesk.co

Our guest for this episode is Bryan Holmes, Managing Director of iStation, a UK-based independent Apple support service.Bryan's story chronicles the humble beginnings of iStation as an independent repair shop that serviced Apple products and the progress they have made under Apple's Independent Repair Provider program. We get insight into the requirements and benefits of forming a relationship with Apple, and how a repair business can chart a course for success with them. Bryan also discusses issues pertinent to the right to repair movement, and lists down some of the great features he's found with RepairDesk, his platform of choice.Find iStation online – https://istationonline.co.ukFacebook  – http://facebook.com/istationonline.co.ukTwitter  – https://twitter.com/iStationOnlineLinkedIn  – http://uk.linkedin.com/company/istationonlineInstagram  – https://www.instagram.com/istationonlineLocation  –  iStation Ltd,  27 Wellington Square, Stockton-On-Tees TS18 1RG, United Kingdom Sign up for RepairDesk -- https://www.repairdesk.co

This episode's guest is Sayed Ahmed, co-owner of iTechshark, a prominent cell phone repair store in Ballwin, MO with Apple-certified technicians.Sayed shares with us his work on a new buyback software that he's been developing called Buyback.ai. He details why he chose to work on buybacks and how much scope there is in the field. Along the way, he shares the challenges he's faced, talks about the sort of work ethics he's developed, and regales us with stories of how his journey took place from a fresh immigrant to a respected business owner.Find iTechshark online -- https://itechshark.com/Buyback.ai -- https://www.buyback.ai/Facebook -- https://www.facebook.com/itechshark/Instagram -- https://www.instagram.com/itech_shark/Location -- 14751 Manchester RD, Ballwin , MO Sign up for RepairDesk -- https://www.repairdesk.co

WARNING: Low audio quality podcast. We apologize for the inconvenience.In this episode, we talk to Cory Farrugia, Co-Founder of Repair Lift Marketing for some great insight. Cory discusses a number of secret tactics that repair shop owners can use to gain an advantage with sales and bring in better business. His insights into where to spend your marketing revenue, how emails and text messages are great for business, as well as breaking down the sales and marketing funnel for repair businesses are all here for you to catch.Find Repair Lift Online -- https://www.repairlift.com/Repair Lift on Twitter -- https://twitter.com/repairliftmktRepair Lift on Facebook -- https://www.facebook.com/Repairlift/ Sign up for RepairDesk -- https://www.repairdesk.co

The State of Repairs goes live with Kyle Wiens, Founder and CEO of iFixit in a conversation about the Right to Repair movement. Kyle has been leading the front in securing the consumer's right to repair in the United States and across the world and talks to us in great detail about what the movement stands for, his personal involvement with it, and what can be done by everyone involved.In Episode 6, we look to deconstruct the Right to Repair movement, what it really stands for, the achievements it's gained, and the future that the movement envisions.Find iFixit Online -- https://www.ifixit.com/iFixit on Twitter -- https://twitter.com/iFixitiFixit.com on Facebook -- https://www.facebook.com/iFixitJoin The Repair Association -- https://www.repair.org/Right to Repair Coalition on Twitter -- https://twitter.com/RepairCoalitionRepair.org on Facebook -- https://www.facebook.com/repairdotorg/Kyle Wiens on Twitter -- https://twitter.com/kwiensWebsite -- http://kylewiens.com/ Sign up for RepairDesk -- https://www.repairdesk.co

This episode of The State of Repairs features Timothy Phelps, the COO of Techy by Dr. PhoneFix as our guest.Tim started his business with the family back in the early '00s. What started as a single store soon grew to a franchise with 40 stores and counting, both in the United States and abroad. Tim's hard work and gradual metamorphosis led him to partner up with Walmart starting in 2017, and it's been a tremendous learning experience since. A man who is passionate about his job and his people, Tim devotes every day to his business and his people, taking them to new heights.In Episode 5, we discuss the journey Tim's company made, how they rebranded themselves from Dr. PhoneFix to Techy, the experience of working with Walmart, and how balancing your family life is just as important as your work.Find Techy Online - https://techycompany.com/Techy on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TechyCompany/Techy on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/techycompany Sign up for RepairDesk - https://www.repairdesk.co

The State of Repairs talks to Israel Quintal, Co-Founder and CEO of AdCentral, an automatic video marketing platform geared at repair shops and other businesses.Israel's history with the repair industry is a long one. He started his repair business while still in college in Memphis, Tennessee. After working on a parts business in the Greater Memphis area that operated in the U.S., China, and his native Mexico, Israel joined MobileSentrix as their Chief Administrative Officer, before moving to consulting, and eventually his own video marketing business with AdCentral.In Episode 4, Israel has a hearty chat with us about the importance of processes at repair stores that drive not just day-to-day activity, but also long-term growth. His strong belief in processes overall has helped him see success throughout his career and business involvements in both the U.S. and Mexico. Israel is a big fan of automation and firmly believes that making things streamlined and automated can be a big help to every type of repair store.Catch us as we talk to Israel about how important branding is, what can be done to improve the current business model of the repair industry, and just how much he enjoys having a set routine.Israel on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/israel.quintal.330Israel on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/israelquintal/AdCentral Website - https://www.joinadcentral.comAdCentral Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/joinadcentral/AdCentral on Apple TV - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/adcentral/id1545405715AdCentral on Google TV - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.devit.adcentral.tvSign up for RepairDesk - https://www.repairdesk.co

In this episode of The State of Repairs, we talk to Ahmed Abusharbain, motivational speaker and CEO of Unlimited Prepay Distribution and UPPLuck, a marketing firm for cell phone and wireless stores. Ahmed has had a long history in the mobile repair industry. He's seen the glory days of Nokia back in the early aughts, and has worked on providing quality wireless services to his customers, moving into the repair industry as a natural progression.With his vast knowledge of building businesses and working with all kinds of people, along with a very positive outlook on life, Ahmed has transformed into a business owner who is also a motivational speaker and shares his secrets for success with everyone in the repair industry.We talked to Ahmed Abusharbain on how repair businesses can grow in the current climate, what practices should be implemented to push towards success, how to take care of your customers, and why loyalty in business matters. Using all these tips, repair shop owners can make their store bigger and better than ever.Catch Ahmed Abusharbain here - https://blog.uppluck.com/ahmed-abusharbainVisit his business - https://www.shopupd.comSign up for RepairDesk -- https://www.repairdesk.co

The State of Repairs talks to Nicole Russell, CEO of Cellbotics based in Norcross, Georgia, US. Nicole's company works with repair shop owners and technicians to train them and help them work on repairs, among other things.Nicole's background in education helped her establish a company that empowers repair technicians and owners, teaching them the necessary skills to perfect their trade. Her hard work has helped her carve a niche in the industry and many people have come to recognize her great skill with people.With working with repair shops, Nicole has been able to see what challenges they go through and how to best deal with them. Being a repair shop owner herself, Nicole tells us her experiences with managing her own business, a bit about her past, what sort of environment she maintains, and how working in repair is an important part of her life.Cellbotics Website - https://cellbotics.com/Cellbotics Online Website - https://www.cellboticsonline.com/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/cellbotics/YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtuJzZ86MTla-foLdr1MGgQSign up for RepairDesk -- https://www.repairdesk.co

For the first episode of The State of Repairs, we talked to Denis Gutsu, owner of First Response Phone Repair in Sacramento, CA, about how he achieved over $1 million in sales in 2020.Denis, a user of RepairDesk, talks about the importance of having a strong plan for your business, how pricing yourself affects customer retention, the importance of having a positive work environment, and how to make your competitors your friends. His insights show why First Response Phone Repair has been a great success in the repair industry.Find First Response Phone Repair onlineWebsite -- https://www.frphonerepair.com/Facebook -- https://www.facebook.com/FirstResponsePhoneRepair/Sign up to RepairDesk -- https://www.repairdesk.co