Latest Blog

Innovate or Stagnate

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | Sep 8, 2026

Look around. Listen up. There are new developments happening across our industry every day. New technology. New tools. New ideas. New ways of solving problems. But innovation isn’t just about buying the latest technology. It is about asking a better question: How can we do what we do better? Innovations…

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Brining Attention To Sometimes Invisible Thoughts or Issues

Debriefing

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 05/17/2026

Debriefing isn’t a dramatic, optional ritual—it’s a discipline. And disciplines are what separate shops that drift from shops that…

People Support What They Help Create

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 05/11/2026

There’s a lot of talk about culture. It’s often treated like an enigma, something you can’t touch, hard to…

Really… a Certified Financial Planner?

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 05/04/2026

You’ve probably been bombarded lately with ads reminding you to trust only a Certified Financial Planner with your investments…

Digital Detox

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 04/27/2026

On the way home from a conference, I sat in the airport thinking about all the conversations I’d just…

Attention Client Advocates: Stop Sounding Like a Technician: Translate, Don’t Transfer

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 04/20/2026

There’s a difference between sharing information and creating understanding—and too often, we confuse the two. Service advisors hear the…

Every Repair Order Has 3 Stories—Which One Are You Telling?

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 04/13/2026

As an industry, we are working hard to improve what appears on the repair order. I’ve sat through repair…

Continuing the Language Shift – BTW Don’t Skip This!

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 04/06/2026

The language shift in business isn’t coming—it’s already here. More and more, I find validation in the evolving job…

A Brainiac Celebration

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 03/30/2026

Working in the professional automotive repair industry requires intelligence, creativity, and problem-solving. Every day in our shops there are…

Are you exploring?  Imagining?  Being creative and curious?

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 03/23/2026

Or are you simply reacting to what’s happening around you? Change is not optional — in life or in…

Who is Looking for Your Top Talent?

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 03/09/2026

Top shop operators realize their greatest competitor is not the shop across town—it’s themselves. They build a reputation. They…

When Is Later?

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 03/01/2026

I know you’ll read this later. No, you won’t. “Later” is where good intentions go to die. Not just…

Wasted Bandwidth

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 02/22/2026

“I never have enough time.” “I can’t believe I didn’t finish that project.” “When will I ever get to…

Assemble the Team – Meetings That Matter

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 02/16/2026

If you’re holding regular team meetings—whether daily huddles or weekly sit-downs—that’s a great start. I don’t know a single…

You Just Fix Cars? Right!

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 02/09/2026

Below, find an important and smart overview of what I call ‘Confident Professionalism.’ Understanding and knowing how important it…

What If I’m Personally Not Busy – Maybe That is a Good Thing

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 02/01/2026

In our hyper-connected world, there’s an unspoken expectation that we should always be busy. Our worth seems measured by…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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]

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

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

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

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

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