Latest Blog

It’s Not Personal, It’s Business

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | Aug 31, 2026

Sometimes the hardest business decision is the one we already know we need to make. There are decisions in business that are easy to make. Then there are the decisions that keep you awake at night. Personnel decisions. Policy changes. Changing a supplier. Moving away from a system you have…

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Is your customer bathroom like the Ritz?

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 12/12/2022

In a recent Town Hall on ‘Details’ we discussed the importance of a clean bathroom. Please don’t discount this…

Are Your Employees Your Biggest Advocate and Fan?

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 12/06/2022

There is so much traction inside our industry with shop owners that are building great cultures and top teams.…

Five Ways to Spot a Toxic Employee

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 11/10/2022

Recently in episode 713 with Dr. Dave Weiman, we talked about handling toxic employees. The episode was a refreshing…

Only One Way to Go and That is UP

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 10/20/2022

We’ve got over 1,100 episodes inside the Aftermarket Radio Network. And since our inception 7 ½ years ago, there…

How is Your Power of Curiosity and Intution?

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 10/11/2022

Curiosity is a powerful tool. It helps us to stay open-minded and creative. Intuition is a way of knowing…

Tangible Mechanism

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 10/03/2022

Recently on a podcast with Coach Dave Schedin, (HERE) he mentioned ‘Tangible Mechanism.’ I quickly put those two words…

Repair Order Audit

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 09/12/2022

I listened to Hunt Demarest’s episode on Shady Service Advisor, where he discussed how things could go wrong managing…

Top of Your Listen List

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 08/27/2022

Every shop owner in North America has the privilege of not letting their education get in the way of…

One Choice: Fix the Business or You First!

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 08/09/2022

The strongest recurring theme when I talk to top shop operators is that every business needs a clear goal…

Training as a Required Pillar

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 07/27/2022

So many discussions lately, both on and off the podcast microphone, have prompted me to drive a training strategy…

Paycheck to Paycheck

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 07/24/2022

We are all feeling the pinch of inflation. In the last gas crunch, there were many on the expressways…

Motorist Assurance Program: A Listening Challenge

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 06/27/2022

A Listening Challenge A challenge: After you listen to the entire episode, please let me know why you would…

From Employment to Ownership

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 06/19/2022

Many shop owners would like to find a path to retirement, and they are sitting on the sidelines waiting…

The Undeniable Power of Processes

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 05/31/2022

Call it procedures, operations, methods, actions, approaches or techniques … great processes win wars. Great processes are the true…

Five Must Dos to Make Your Ethics Rule

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 05/16/2022

The word ‘ethics’ is derived from the Greek word ethos, which means ‘custom’ or ‘habit’. It is a system…

Latest Episodic Education

Daily Habits That Build a Stronger Auto Repair Shop Culture [THA 501]

09/04/2026

Rapid-Fire Automotive News: AI, EVs, Autonomous Vehicles, and the $19B Trade School Boom [RR 1107]

09/01/2026

Brakes for Breasts: How Auto Repair Shops Are Fighting Breast Cancer [THA 500]

08/28/2026

Top 5 Qualities of a Genuine Service Advisor [RR 1106]

08/25/2026

Your Shop’s Toughest Competitor Is in the Mirror [THA 499]

08/21/2026

Bring the Classroom to the Shop: Raising the Bar For On-Site Training [RR 1105]

08/18/2026

Engage, Educate, Reward: How Today’s Class Is Changing Auto Repair Training [THA 498]

08/14/2026

Inside the ASTA Expo 2026: Training, Technology, and Tribal Networking [RR 1104]

08/11/2026

Mastering Shop Flow with Online Scheduling and AI Communication [THA 497]

08/07/2026

Why Employees Disengage and How Leaders Reconnect Them [RR 1103]

08/04/2026

The AI-Informed Customer Has Arrived: What It Means For Auto Repair [THA 496]

07/31/2026

Get Out of Your Own Way: Leadership Lessons for Shop Owners [RR 1102]

07/28/2026

The “Kohl’s Cash” of Auto Repair: Turning Customer Rewards Into Repeat Business [THA 495]

07/24/2026

Deferred Work: The Most Overlooked Growth Opportunity in Auto Repair [RR 1101]

07/21/2026

The Truth About ADAS Calibrations Every Shop Needs to Hear [THA 494]

07/17/2026

Curing Organizational Drag: The Courage to Fire a Non-Fit Employee [RR 1100]

07/14/2026

Maximizing Profit Through Effective Labor Rate Strategy [THA 493]

07/10/2026

Selling to the Curb: How AI Turned More Calls into Customers [RR 1099]

07/07/2026

AI Search Visibility: How Customers Find Your Auto Repair Shop [THA 492]

07/03/2026

Building a Winning Scoreboard For Your Auto Repair Shop [RR 1098]

06/30/2026

How to Sell Your Auto Repair Shop for Maximum Value [THA 491]

06/26/2026

How a Purple Heart Veteran Became a 6-Shop Auto Repair Owner [RR 1097]

06/23/2026

Why Auto Repair Specialists Leave Our Industry (And How Shop Owners Can Keep Them) [THA 490]

06/19/2026

2026 Automotive Training Trends Every Professional Shop Owner Needs to Know [RR 1096]

06/16/2026

Motor Oil supply Crisis: Fact, Friction, and What Happens Next [THA 489]

06/12/2026