Succession With a Family Member [THA 188]

THA 188 – Succession with a Family Member

Family succession can be different than selling to a non-family member, yet many components of a transaction are similar. Jessica and Ron were very forthcoming and business coach Dave Justice helped shape the plan.

The panel: Ron Tinner, owner of Sparks Tire and Auto, along with his daughter Jessica Carrino. Jessica will become the owner, and they share their story about making a family transaction work. David Justice from Repair shop of Tomorrow is their business coach.

Succession is one of the hottest trends in our industry. So many want to retire, pass the business on to family or sell to a team member. Selling to another shop owner or group is also in the cars. We can’t talk about this enough.

For the key talking points, audio and video go to remarkableresults.biz/a188.

Electrical Engineers Become Shop Owners Growing to Seven Stores – John and Karen Manelas [RR 569]

Electrical Engineers Become Shop Owners Growing to Seven Stores – John and Karen Manelas [RR 569]

John and Karen Manelas attended the same school, took the same degree and became successful at their careers for 15 years as electrical engineers. They decided to take a huge life change and pay cut to start their own shop. They took on the challenge and the uncertainties. With low capital, they grew their shop from one in 2004 to an amazing 7 shops in 2019.

Growth is an amazing thing when you do it the right way. Prepare yourself mentally to put a lot of work into each location, hiring, training, and preparing the right staff.

Find the key talking points, John and Karen Manelas’ bio and links to their previous episodes at remarkableresults.biz/e569

The Women Stereotype: Creates Friction, Insecurity, and Gender Issues [RR 567]

The Women Stereotype: Creates Friction, Insecurity, and Gender Issues [RR 567]

My guest today is Emily Chung. She owns and operates AutoNiche, a family-friendly auto repair shop in Markham, Ontario, Canada. She is a licensed Automotive Service Technician, and Automotive Writer for various publications. She also teaches in the Automotive Business School of Canada at Georgian College.

We are going to talk about gender stereotyping. I want you to listen to this episode in its entirety and let me know what you took away. I believe it will help you understand some of the reasons we do what we do as it relates to hiring and leading our team.

When it comes to gender biases, Emily makes very strong points. No doubt you can put yourself in many of the situations Emily speaks about. So we get this on the table here in episode 567 and I welcome Emily back to keep the dialogue going. Please recall another episode recently where we had a female shop owner, technician and service adviser discuss the Female Impact in the aftermarket. It is episode RR 549

Find the key talking points, Emily Chung’s bio and links to her previous episodes at remarkableresults.biz/e567

Wife Raised the Kids and After 27 Years and Partnered With Husband to Open a Shop [RR 554]

Wife Raised the Kids and After 27 Years and Partnered With Husband to Open a Shop [RR 554]

In this episode, we will be visiting Russell and Connie Cook’s new world of shop ownership at Finish Line Automotive in Ocala, Florida.

They tell you how they got their money, what they put down, how they built working capital, what went wrong in the last 5 months, and how Connie had to work the shop with zero experience. Buying the shop was their decision after Connie spent 27 years raising the children. Gutsy and bold move. This is what this industry is made of.

An interesting story on how this mid-aged couple jumped into shop ownership with all four feet. They give us a nice and transparent look into how and why they did it while Russell was still turning wrenches at a dealership.

Find the show notes and key talking points at remarkableresults.biz/e554.

A Simple Letter of Intent Transformed an Employee Into a Shop Owner [RR 551]

A Simple Letter of Intent Transformed an Employee Into the Shop Owner [RR 551]

Let’s welcome Terica Buckner. She worked for 21 years at Hawthorne Auto Clinic, Portland, OR. She was offered the chance to purchase the shop and took over ownership 2 years later in January 2020. A really good example of good succession planning. The previous owner wanted to retire and Terica wrote a letter of intent wanting to purchase the shop. She had the experience in many different roles in the business along with established relationships with the employees and customers.

Terica continues working with passion in the automotive industry and is excited to now be in the position to set new standards in an ever-changing field, especially with the current challenges COVID-19 presents.

Find the key talking points for this interview with Terica Buckner at remarkableresults.biz/e551.

Female Impact: Getting Through [RR 549]

Ashley McCabe – McCabe’s Automotive Specialist, University Place, WA.  In 2015, Ashley took over her father’s decades-old automotive business. She might not have known much about cars when she started, but she sure did know about customers. Ashley started at the front counter, and her father said he could tell that she understood customer service and…

Financial struggles. Gain Control of your Finances [FTR 090]

With me is Maryann Croce from SmallBusinessvantge.com. She and her husband Tony also own Croce Transmission in Norwalk, CT. As a business owner, she can chalk up many a mistake that has turned into wisdom. She has been there and done that and shares 5 key principles to help a startup business person get ahead of the…

Our Customers Don’t Know How We Make Our Sausage and it is Time They Learned [RR 516]

Carolyn Coquillette of Luscious Garage, San Francisco, CA chairs the ASCCA Connected Cars Committee, serves on the ASCCA Board of Directors and is active in her local San Francisco chapter. She’s also the Founder and CEO of Shop-Ware. Look for Carolyn’s other episodes HERE. Scott Brown is an ASE Master Certified Automobile Technician with over three…

Shop Owner Open Forum [THA 158]

Panel: Rachael Wacha, City Auto Repair, Gainsville, FL Kate Jonasee, K-Tech, Sebastopol, CA (MSO) Donnie Hudson, Troy Auto Care, Troy, MI (MSO) Jeremy Winters, Service Manager at Weavers Auto Center, Shawnee, KS Talking Points:   Kate’s big thing was the improvement in her company culture and the psychology of herself as a leader was impactful. Rachael, getting…

What Worked – What Didn’t – Success Has Its Ups and Downs [RR 500]

I want to thank the thousands of listeners who make our purpose meaningful. We do it for you. To the sponsors of the podcasts over the years. THANK YOU. Guests for the 500th Episode Amy Mattinat is the owner and manager of Auto Craftsmen in Montpelier, VT. Her shop is an ASE Blue Seal Shop, AAA…

RR 494: Women In Auto Care 2019 Honorees

 The winners of the 2019 Women of the Year Awards are: Auto Care Woman of the Year: Jennifer Maher, Chief Executive Officer, TechForce Foundation and America’s Automotive Trust Auto Care Woman of Excellence: Cindy Frasca, Chief Operating Officer, Kukui Female Shop Owner of the Year: Jamie Carlson, Owner, Ervine’s Auto Repair and Grand Rapids Hybrid…

THA 148: Generating Repeat Business

THA 148 Generating Repeat Business

We are talking marketing, mining and relationships with Kelli Weatherby, Accurate Automotive Mesa, AZ with husband Lee and David Roman from Done With Care – Auto Repair, Merriam, KS

Kelli and David shook the trees as it relates to the all-important follow-up visits, referrals, texting, emails, customer shop tours, mystery shoppers, the importance of using your own organic content for your emails and social posts.

THA 131: Preparing Your Shop For the Next Five and Ten Years

THA 131 The Future – Preparing Your Shop For the Next Five to Ten Years

What is your future? Have you planned it? What are you doing to ensure your success in the next 5, 10 or 15 years? If you do nothing you get what you currently have and that may not sustain you to far into the future.

Your panel: Kelli Weatherby, co-owner, with husband Lee, in Accurate Automotive, Inc. in Mesa, AZ., Bill Nalu, owner of Interstate Auto Care, Madison Heights, MI and AJ Nealey, Nealey Auto Service, Edgewater MD. This diverse group has some similar yet some different strategies for their future. It is so refreshing to hear the dialogue and then compare their tactics to your current or long term plans.
We are in a dynamic industry that is in a heightened change curve. Keeping up at all levels will bring you spoils. And keeping your eye on your business with the future in sight is an important responsibility you have to your employees and your family.

We talk BHAG’s, Debt, Branches, Succession, Training, refinancing, and SWOT among others.

RR 452: Danielle and Brett Bohlmann – Creating Work/Life Harmony

Danielle and Brett Bohlmann Finding the Right Balance Between Work and Life

Brett and Danielle Bohlmann are Shop Owners at Hwy 7 Service Center. They agree that they are everything the other is not and they know it and use it to their advantage instead of it being their demise.

OK, Brett and Danielle Bohlman agree that they are everything the other is not and they know it and use it to their advantage instead of it being their demise. Brett and Danielle own Hwy 7 Service Center in Newell, IA. Danielle wasnt in on the business at start because she is a mother of 4 and for her, family is first! Find out how Danielle changed her comittment and how they make family and business work so they have a life.

RR 449: Maryann Croce – What Advice Would You Give a New Business Owner? Will this advice benefit the established business person?

Maryann Croce – What advice would you give a new business owner? Will this advice benefit the established business person?

Would you like some advice on starting a business. What if you could apply this advice to your established business. With me is Maryann Croce from SmallBusinessvantge.com. She and her husband Tony also own Croce Transmission in Norwalk, CT.

As a business owner, she can chalk up many a mistake that has turned into wisdom. She has been there and done that and shares 5 key principles to help a startup business person get ahead of the game. She is speaking to resilience, commitment, getting help, being curious and giving. Learn why messaging, relationships and financials are vital no matter what stage you are and your business is currently in. Don’t believe you need to go it alone.

Maryann is also a member of Women in Auto Care and owns smallbizvantage.com. Her biggest mistake as a new business owner was thinking she had to do it all. This is one of the reasons why her signature talk “Gain Control by Letting Go” was created.

FTR 048: Amy Mattinat – Our Technicians Are Car Doctors

Our Technicians Are Car Doctors

Amy Mattinat delivers her impassioned perspective on the value and benefits of ASE. It may be time for you to understand why you support ASE and if you don’t, to understand why you must. If there was ever a time to embrace ASE it is now. The high tech world of the automotive creates the need for highly trained technicians and through ASE certification allows us to differentiate ourselves and improve our image.

THA 107: Discover How To Keep Your Women Customers For Life

Discover How To Keep Your Women Customers For Life

We heard the stats that the female makes up over 50% of your customer base. That is based on certain geographies and demographics. Some are higher, some are lower. But no matter your mix you’ve got to have important tactics in place in order to create loyalty in your women customer.

We’re going to serve up a strong discussion building loyalty from your women customers. My panel includes Kim Auernheimer, Co-Owner of CS Automotive, Brentwood TN, Kathleen Jarosik, Xpertech Auto Repair, Englewood, FL, and Jonathan Ortiz, Foreign Affairs Auto, West Palm Beach, FL.

They bring their A game and serve up the important issues, from their perspective, that will help you create the right environment so you can have a long and lasting relationship with all your women customers. We talk about trust, safety, relationship, environment, and amenities among many others.

RR 401: Family Succession Part 1 – Our Future Female Shop Owners

Family Succession Part 1 – Our Future Female Shop Owners

We are talking to three millennial ladies who are geared for the succession of the family business. Many of our aftermarkets family businesses want to retire knowing that the business they have built is in safe hands, is moving forward and continues to succeed. Grooming a family member to become the CEO is a big decision and challenging journey.

Our guests are young and energetic female successors; Carly Paiva from Elite Auto Repair, in Warwick, RI, Jacquie Hower from Zimmerman’s Automotive in Mechanicsburg, PA, and Lauren Anderson from Victory Auto Service and Glass in Minneapolis. They understood very well the stakes and the responsibilities. They are not shying away and have shown maturity above their young age.

Carly Paiva has been actively participating in service advisory classes to better herself, Jacqui Hower recently graduated from Northwood and Lauren Anderson is finding ways and solutions to better equip her staff for success. The energy and passion of these three must make their parents proud.

RR 392: Shop Talk 7 – The Leading Ladies

Shop Talk 7 -Leading Ladies

Judi Haglin, from Haglin Automotive, Boulder CO, Shelle Bennett, from Mike’s Kars in Gettysburg, PA and Kelli Weatherby from Accurate Automotive in Mesa, AZ.

These three ladies are members of an ATI twenty group that is called Leading Ladies. They are proud of their numbers. They are the top twenty group in performance within the ATI program. How is that for ‘strength in numbers’.

We had a really relaxed and wide open chat in the AAPEX18 Studio where we touched on the disciplines they have in their 20 group, what they believe is the secret to a successful business, finding your humility will change your world, and why the fear of sharing hold businesses back. There is plenty more especially the talk on the secret sauce.

RR 386: Shop Talk 6 – Making it Work – Husband and Wife Partners

Making it Work: Husband and Wife Partners

Our married partners are Judi and Dana Haglin of Haglin Automotive Boulder, CO, along with Kim and Rob Auernheimer of CS Automotive in Brentwood, Tennessee. They share their experiences in running a shop, together with their life partners.

They make it sound simple, however as you’ll hear there was and continues to be a learning curve in their path to ‘harmony’. We’ll learn how they brought out the best in each other while improving their business’s and continuously making each other better.

They persisted with the patience, hardships, struggles, fulfillment and the joy of owning and managing a business as a husband and wife tandem.

They are like any couple but have the additional dynamic as business co-owners and partners. Learn from their tribulations as they share how each overcame their challenges to make their partnership amazing and strengthen their relationship over time.

RR 384: Women In Auto Care 2018 Honorees!

Women In Auto Care 2018 Honorees!

In this episode, we are talking with the 2018 Women In Auto Care honorees. Share their achievements, triumph and the road to their success in this long-form audio interview recorded at AAPEX 2018.

Tammy Techlenburg, President of Women In Auto Care and the Vice-President of Global Sales and Marketing Operations for Spectrum Brands, Dawn Zieren, SVP Global & Strategic Initiatives, The NPD Group, Kathleen Jarosik, Owner, Xpertech Auto Repair, and Nicole Huard, Manager, Category Management and Consumer Insights, Robert Bosch LLC, grace the remarkable results radio airwaves discussion this industry milestone.

RR 357: Shop Talk Volume 2- Women Shop Owners

Shop Talk Volume 2- Women Shop Owners

Kim Auernheimer of Cool Springs Automotive Brentwood Tennessee, Mary Ann Croce of Croce’s Transmission Specialists, Norwalk, Connecticut, and Kathleen Jarosik of Xpertech Auto Repair, Englewood, Florida comprised the roundtable of the second edition of Shop Talk the Series.

Kim went to her first WorldPac training expo when she was in a tough financial situation. A light bulb came on. She is naturally competitive so she and her husband Rob decided they were going to be one of the best shops in the United States.
Maryann wanted her business to be sustainable. In the beginning just being able to take a paycheck home was a challenge, but keeping an eye on the goal will help you make important decisions to grow and sustain the business.

Kathleen hired a business coach who gave her the courage to step forward. She did a women’s car care clinic that ultimately led to her first Women In Auto Care meeting. That is when she realized she was not a unicorn and there were other female shop owners that inspired her.

RR 336: Bogi Lateiner “On the Road” with the ’57 Chevy Montage

Bogi Lateiner’s Completed Project: The 1957 Chevy Pick-Up Montage All Female Build.

Bogi and her all-female team completed this unique project with women team members from all over the country. The truck was unveiled at SEMA 2017.

Carm met up with Bogi in Buffalo New York at the Autorama, as Bogi took the truck ‘On the Road’ to present the final build to car and truck enthusiasts.

Get behind the scenes stories and the purpose of project.

RR 326: Sherri Stock from InMotion Auto Care

Five Years A Shop Owner and a Succession Plan in Place.

The secret to success, according to Sherri Stock is doing the right thing for the right reasons. No matter for your team members or your customers she is passionate to always treat people well.

Sherri Stock from InMotion Auto Care in Lincoln, NE has worked at dealerships for over 25 years and had the opportunity of a lifetime to go into business for herself. She shares some early strategies that has set up her succession plan.

We talk with the Sherri Stock, the ASA Midwest Service Facility of the Year 2017, about the power of a strong business culture, technician pay, business coaches, vendor partners and her commitment to technician training.

RR 320: Kathleen Jarosik from Xpertech Auto Repair

Trial By Fire Was the Pathway and Learning Curve for This Shop Owner.

Once Kathleen Jarosik from Xpertech Auto Repair in Englewood, FL bought the business from her former husband she went from the background to the foreground of the business. Trial by fire was the norm.

Her story is one of renaissance as she knew there was a better way. Working with her business coach, industry colleagues and association members, Kathleen started her turn around. She is actually doing what she loves to do most for the business.

Kathleen is not without her challenges, but she sees great light ahead and hopes one day to be an industry coach. She wants to help people and give back to the industry. She’s worked hard to build the reputation of the shop and create a positive culture for her team and an environment that her customers feel comfortable in.