Latest Blog

Debriefing

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | May 17, 2026

Debriefing isn’t a dramatic, optional ritual—it’s a discipline. And disciplines are what separate shops that drift from shops that deliberately move forward. The word may sound like it belongs in an intelligence briefing room, but the principle is exactly what your business needs: extracting value from experience before it fades.…

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Forensic DVI: Bringing Crime-Scene Discipline to Vehicle Care

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 01/08/2026

After watching a few Forensic Files-style shows, I was struck by how investigators solve cases: strict protocols, detailed documentation,…

Do Your Customers Know They Can Call You and Ask You Anything?

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 12/29/2025

When we want answers today, we turn to the Godfather—Google. In seconds, we get an avalanche of opinions, theories,…

Five Ways to Bring Caring Into the Workplace

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 12/22/2025

 Five Ways to Bring Caring into the Workplace.  Would you have read this post if you had seen ‘Love’…

Get Your Appetite for Our APP

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 12/15/2025

This little labor of love has been cooking for about a year—slow and steady, with plenty of life’s raindrops…

Big News and a Big Honor for Tracy!

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 12/08/2025

We’re back from AAPEX 2025, and what an incredible event it was! Tracy and I had the chance to…

Professional Careers In The Making

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 11/25/2025

This is the first time I’ve heard of a simple, measurable standard around apprenticeship in our industry, and Murray…

Sloppy Success

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 11/24/2025

When we look back on our success in the shop, we rarely see one big defining moment. There’s usually…

Be a Sponge!

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 11/17/2025

Be a Sponge! A wild thought. You’re heading to AAPEX, VISION, or ASTA. You’ve got your schedule packed —…

Fix the List That Never Ends

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 11/10/2025

We love getting things done. There’s nothing better than checking off a task and feeling that little hit of…

Your Challenges Change You

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 11/01/2025

If you let them, your challenges will change you. Stop and think about that. Actually, stop is the keyword.…

Fear Makes You Stupid

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 10/27/2025

I’ve realized that many times it wasn’t a lack of skill or opportunity that held me back—it was fear.

 Are We Celebrating Enough

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 10/13/2025

Shop owners who work hard to build and maintain a strong culture of behavior and values also know that…

In Search of Professionalism and Perfection

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 10/05/2025

A quick story about a large retail chain that illustrates the importance of seamless customer service. My friend needed…

Why Do We Get Great Ideas in the Shower?

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 09/29/2025

I get awesome ideas in the shower. I’ve always wondered how I come up with so many ideas while in the shower. Is it because of the relaxed state we are in? Does the warm water help reduce stress and anxiety, allowing our brains to enter a more creative and open mindset?

Have You Peaked?

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 09/22/2025

Are you afraid to take your automotive repair shop to a new level because you’re broke? Has the lack…

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