Latest Blog

Are you exploring?  Imagining?  Being creative and curious?

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | Mar 23, 2026

Or are you simply reacting to what’s happening around you? Change is not optional — in life or in business. Especially in our industry. Technology evolves. Vehicles evolve. Client expectations evolve. There is no hiding from it, dodging it, or refusing it. But there is a choice in how you…

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All Articles and Blog Posts

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 11/23/2020

Flipping through channels, there it was, the beloved ‘Wizard of Oz’. I just can’t help but stop and get…

How Can You Help the Next Generation of Shop Owners

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 09/15/2020

If you had known then what you know now, would you have opened your own shop? Every day new…

Are You Meeting Your Customer Expectations?

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 09/08/2020

Customers want a great experience. They have preconceived expectations on how their experience with you is going to happen.…

Is it Just Me or Do You Feel the Forces of Change?

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 08/31/2020

Are change forces blowing harder and faster than we realize? And are we creating them? A restaurant in my…

How Good Are Your Customer Basics?

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 08/23/2020

Flour, water, salt, and yeast makes bread. Just about every recipe has these ingredients. That’s pretty basic and most…

A Rolling Billboard Got Me Thinking

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 08/23/2020

Traveling on the New York State Thruway I came upon a semi with a massive ad, on its back…

Ingenious. Clean – Part of the New Normal

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 07/27/2020

Visiting a Tim Hortons Coffee shop I experienced what is the new normal as it comes to cleanliness at…

Mastering

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 07/19/2020

Mastering I recently saw a Lexus commercial that was themed ‘Mastering’. If you are like me and look outside…

No One Gets There Alone

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 07/09/2020

I did it my way. Remember the song? If I would ask any successful business person if they flew…

Down Time – What To Do With It!

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 04/20/2020

For many of us, there is some extra time in our schedule. Imagine the times we used to think…

Binge Worthy Listening Part 1

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 03/17/2020

We may have some downtime on our hands as we deal with COVID-19 It is time to schedule training…

Secret Sauce. Really?

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 03/01/2020

Secret Sauce. Really? Keeping secrets thinking that someone will duplicate what and how you do things is furthest from reality

Eleven Tips for Creating ‘Extreme Employee Loyalty’

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 10/19/2019

It is not important that you love to come to work and enjoy what you do? With my ear…

The Power of Your Story is Effective Marketing

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 07/30/2019

I picked up a book recently and could not put it down. I mean it. It grabbed me and…

Do You Know the Enemy of Leadership?

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 06/16/2019

I recall a few leadership lessons I learned in my life that continue to haunt me. I would bet…

Latest Episodic Education

Smart Glasses in the Shop: Inside NAPA Autotech’s XcceleratoR Training [THA 478]

03/27/2026

Is Your Shop the Problem? Hard Truths from the Voice of the Technician Survey Results [RR 1084]

03/24/2026

General Service Technician Academy: Building Educational Foundation For Tomorrow’s Careers [THA 477]

03/20/2026

Own the Technician Shortage: How One Shop Owner is Transforming Industry Recruitment [RR 1083]

03/17/2026

The Affordability Myth in Auto Repair: Rethinking How Service Advisors Present Repairs [THA 476]

03/13/2026

Stop Winging Human Resources in Your Auto Repair Shop [RR 1082]

03/10/2026

The 250K Mile Maintenance Mindset: Mastering the Art of Vehicle Delivery [THA 475]

03/06/2026

Why Employee Reviews Are Broken and What to Do Instead [RR 1081]

03/03/2026

Why Women are the Secret Weapon in Auto Repair Shop Hospitality [THA 474]

02/27/2026

The New Economics of Auto Repair: Rising Rates, Fewer Cars, Higher Profits [RR 1080]

02/24/2026

The Superhighway to Estimating: Canned Jobs and Categories For Shop Efficiency [THA 473]

02/20/2026

Beyond Service Advisors: Embracing the ‘Repairathist’ Mindset [RR 1079]

02/17/2026

Looking Rich VS Living Free: The Hidden Truth About Success and Money [THA 472]

02/13/2026

Executing a 25 Year Plan: Retired at 47 [RR 1078]

02/10/2026

The Digital Front Door For Auto Repair: SEO, Google, and Website Marketing [THA 471]

02/06/2026

Beyond the Repair Order: The Strategy of Customer Loyalty [RR 1077]

02/03/2026

The 250K Mile Mindset: Selling Maintenance Without Selling Fear [THA 470]

01/30/2026

Beyond Babysitters: Developing Strong Managers and Financial Transparency [RR 1076]

01/27/2026

Streamlining the Mundane: How Automation Buys Back Time [THA 469]

01/23/2026

The Capacity Crisis: What If It Didn’t Have To Be So Hard? [RR 1075]

01/20/2026

Mastering Your Shop Finance: The Power of Specialized Automotive Accounting [THA 468]

01/16/2026

Do You Own a Business or a Job? [RR 1074]

01/13/2026

Future-Proofing the Automotive Industry: Consolidation, AI, and Career Evolution [THA 467]

01/09/2026

The Four Defining Roles in Your Business Story: Victim, Villain, Hero, and Guide [RR 1073]

01/06/2026

The Chicken or the Egg Trap: Hiring and Marketing for Auto Repair Shops [THA 466]

01/02/2026