Posts by Carm Capriotto, AAP

I know that our podcast ‘Ministry’ of the last eight years has helped many people hear great stories of success. Every one of those stories had a start in a tough place; no business knowledge, not enough money, very little profits, but a dream.

Turning a small business struggle into success requires determination, perseverance, and a willingness to adapt to changing circumstances. A few thoughts for you on turning struggle into prosperity:

• Hire a business coach.
  I can’t preach this enough. 95% of success in our industry started when an owner realized that an accountability partner was the only way to make their sweat equity into real wealth. You can listen to many shop coaches’ interviews HERE.

• Network.
  Build relationships with other small business owners and industry leaders. Attend networking events and conferences to learn from others and gain new insights. Join an association. Never be the smartest person in the room.

• Keep learning.
  Never stop learning. Use the podcast library to your full advantage. You may have listened to an episode a year ago and never got around to implementing an idea. Go to the website, search for your topic, issue, or idea, and re-listen intently. Write down your key takeaways so you can implement what your intentions are. The back catalog has over 1,100 episodes that cover every aspect of your needs. Discover the ‘Classroom’ page, HERE, that bundles topics for special learning.
  
  Take courses, attend seminars, and read books to keep up with the latest trends and best practices.

• Evaluate your business.
  Start by identifying the areas where your business is struggling. Look at your financials, client base, marketing, talent, equipment, systems, and processes to see where to improve. There is no quick silver bullet. It may take you a few years to reach a sustainable level of success. Keep in mind you may not know that you don’t know.

• What are you good at?
  Are you a visionary or an implementer? I recommend listening to the EOS series of podcasts to understand best how to look at the many challenges and roles that exist in your business. Listen to that series HERE.

• Focus on your strengths.
  Identify your strengths and capitalize on them. Determine what makes your business unique and use that to your advantage. Take the Gallop Strengths Finders assessment.

• Listen to your employees and clients.
  What are their needs? Is trust a foundation of your culture?  Do your people feel secure and have a career path? Do they need equipment and training? Your customers are the lifeline of your business. Listen to their feedback and use it to improve your services. It is their problem you are solving; embrace them.

• Be flexible because the business world is constantly changing, and it’s essential to be adaptable. Be open to new ideas and ways of doing things.

• Embrace technology, and use it to streamline your operations and to keep and reach new customers.
  

We could talk about many more key points but start with these. Remember, success doesn’t happen overnight. It takes hard work, dedication, and a willingness to learn from mistakes. Keep pushing forward, learn from failures, and your business will thrive.

Have you ever wondered how you get feelings about people and situations? It happens to me all the time. I’ve spoken, on the podcast, about how my gut helps guide me. I believe the more accurate definition is intuition. 

Intuition is your gut feeling or your ability to know something without conscious reasoning. It can be a powerful tool for leaders, as it can help you make better decisions, build stronger relationships, and create a more positive work environment.

I never ignore my gut feeling. It has been there most of my life. You can develop your intuition by paying attention to your gut feelings. When you have a strong feeling about something, take a moment to pause and ask yourself why you feel that way. What is it about the situation that is making you feel this way? Once you understand your gut feeling, you can start to trust it more. Learn from it.

Sometimes as the fast pace keeps you going, you must find some time to reflect on your gut or intuition and file those thoughts and feelings. If you can’t be present with your intuition, you’ll never be able to develop it.

Over time you will trust your gut. When you have a strong feeling about something, go with it. Your intuition is often right, even if you can’t explain why. I have a saying when I don’t go with my gut: Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda!

You may open yourself up to new ideas even if they seem outside the box (sometimes good). You may find a new direction.

Don’t rush it. Developing your intuition takes time. In years past, I did not know my gut was working for me. It took me some time to realize that my decisions or feelings came from a place I could not define. It takes practice to test and grow your intuition. But don’t discount it when you don’t make perfect decisions.

A caveat is to be careful of your own biases. Open up to others’ feedback, and don’t ignore the facts that surround the decision you need to make. Weigh all the evidence before you decide.

Now go and read between the lines!

Last week I attended a breakfast for all Technology Advisory Councils at our local community college. I sit on the advisory board for the Automotive Technology program. We heard from a speaker who mentioned her educational pathway. She said the word “tuition.” I immediately realized my college cost and my children’s college tuition. I couldn’t help to realize that the word ‘Tuition’ could replace the words “Training Investment.” My neurons synapsed!

That word, ‘tuition’, really moved me to stop and consider that we re-think our investment in training for our people. We are investing in tuition for our team to best serve our clients. We train to invest in our people’s ongoing education. Not the cost of training but the investment in “Tuition.” Many believe that education is a forever thing. I do, and our industry is one where technology and repair methodology travels faster than we can assimilate them.

If we changed the simple thought of paying for training to investing in tuition for our team, we might commit more to finding the best training and require a certain number of hours each year from our people. This is an investment in retention and career pathing.

A simple definition of tuition is: “A sum of money charged for teaching or instruction by a school or college, especially for individual pupils or small groups.” If you think of our industry’s top trainers, training companies, and top suppliers with training departments, we have a huge inventory of training courses. Be it live leader-led or virtual, we have the training. And I bet a regional training conference within 300 miles of your market offers top training courses. I guarantee it!

In many of our episodes, trainers will repeat the fact that attendance is good, not great. I will take the liberty, with no scientific facts to support me, but we need to train 700,000+ technicians who work in our industry. That number is likely low, but when you add up the 12 top training events held each year and look at their attendance, we are in no way reaching 5 to 10% of our need to educate.

I always wonder why that number is so low. But I always find the answers from the top-tier shop owners and technicians from our industry. They know that training must be an essential pillar to their business and career.

You can hear from a group of trainers I’ve interviewed HERE and the continual theme of the importance of career-building training from Matt Fanslows Podcast HERE.

If you don’t invest in training tuition, keep a training resume on your team, require 40 hours a year, and encourage daytime training, it is time you start.

Have you ever felt like you’re stuck in a rut, unable to make progress? Where are your creative juices? Maybe you lost your mojo. Mojo is the combination of passion, purpose, and energy that drives us to take action and get things done. If you are stuck, you can unlock your mojo and achieve great things.

Sometimes vacations re-prioritize your mojo, and you must resync it when you return to work. We all have it within us, but sometimes it gets lost in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It happens to almost all. Stressful situations can shut down your mojo, and getting it back may require a diversion like a car ride listening to your favorite tunes or just an escape to a coffee shop for some deep think and observation. 

If you’re looking to find your mojo to stay motivated and productive, it is essential to understand that engaging your mojo is a journey. There are many different ways to engage your mojo, and each person’s approach will be unique to them.

With a little effort, you can regain control of your life and start progressing on the things that make you feel fulfilled. Ever consider journaling, cleaning up your to-do list, cleaning off your desk, reviewing your three-year plan, evaluating your team, and the list goes on?

So not only the car ride and music but taking a walk can rekindle your passion and energy. Running a business today is tuff, especially a profitable and successful automotive service business. Be sure to take some time and keep an eye on your mojo meter.