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.

 

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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 thin