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

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…

Processes Win Wars — Or Maybe It’s Protocols

By Carm Capriotto, AAP | 01/25/2026

I’ve been thinking a lot about a phrase I’ve used for years: Processes win wars. Just about everyone I…

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 —…

Latest Episodic Education

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

Profitable vs. Valuable: The Hard Truth About Selling Your Shop [RR 1072]

12/30/2025