Hitting Rock Bottom and Climbing out [RR 650]
Hitting Rock Bottom and Climbing out [RR 650]
The hardest part about moving forward is sometimes going backward. Moving out of your comfort zone and embracing change can be a struggle for all of us to do. In this episode, Jeff and Donna Hazeltine share an emotional story that happened just 8 months ago. They had hit rock bottom with their business after losing long-term employees and felt like things couldn’t get any worse.
They had help from their fellow shop owner Troy Vaninetti. Discover how they climbed out and now have a completely different business culture.
Listen and view episode notesPartnership Agreements with Charlene Parlett [RR 642]
Partnership Agreements with Charlene Parlett [RR 642]
Do you remember when you started your business with your wife or friend as your partner? The upside was blue skies and the horizon was never-ending.
No one plans for partnerships to crumble or marriages ending or an unforeseen death to occur. But what happens when it does? Do you have legal documents in place? No matter what stage you are in owning a business, it is a necessity to plan for the unexpected now, rather than later when emotions and tensions are high. In this episode, Charlene Parlett shares her personal experience with business and marriage so others can avoid the same path.
Find the key talking points for this episode at remarkableresults.biz/e642
Women Shop Owners Round Table [CC 087]
In honor of March’s Women History Month, I assembled a panel of lady shop owners to discuss the women’s role in the aftermarket. The ladies brought some wide-ranging perspectives and I loved the trajectory of this discussion. No matter your position or gender in our beloved aftermarket give this episode your due. The ladies were on fire.
Listen and view episode notesBuying & Selling: A Tale of Two Deals [THA 199]
Buying and Selling – A Tale of Two Deals [THA 199]
An episode that showcases a sale and an acquisition and the story behind these aftermarket transactions from two couples who each had a great opportunity.
Kevin and Sarah Bickford bought the Fox River Tire & Auto, Richie and Leslie Zimmerman owned and sold 3 Shops to a big box brand. The reasons and method of these two transactions will help you realize how these opportunities take an immense amount of work and maybe some luck.
The key talking points from this episode, they are already done for you. Go to the show page at remarkableresults.biz/a199.
Listen and view episode notesRR 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.
Listen and view episode notesRR 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.
Listen and view episode notesRR 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.
Listen and view episode notesRR 291: Bambi Crozier from Car Clinic and ASOG
Changing the Image of the Industry; One Customer at a Time.
Bambi Crozier and her husband Neil own Car Clinic in Lowell, AR. They are dedicated to lifelong customer relationships and are working to change their customer’s image of the industry to that of a profession and not just a trade.
With her background in customer service, she and Neil set out on a mission of change. She started by asking her customer’s a lot of questions about their vehicle. She discovered that her customers wanted the down and dirty truth about their vehicle needs.
Listen to her story of startup and transformation. She knows that the rapid change in technology and the way tech is affecting how business is done today will require a smarter, wiser business owner. She believes in the power of the statement: ‘You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know.’
Listen and view episode notesRR 252: Eric Carlson from Ervine’s Auto Repair & Grand Rapids Hybrid
Michigan Shop Owner Makes Hybrids His Specialty Niche
Eric Carlson from Ervine’s Auto Repair and Grand Rapids Hybrids has found that his specialty in Hybrids has been a welcome addition to his business and his market is responding. With hybrids as loaners, his hybrid business is growing at an unexpected rate.
Eric shares his story that includes the purchase, 24 years ago, of a business that was on its last leg. His supplier gave him a heads up on the opportunity. Eric has been recognized multiple times as the NAPA Technician of the Year, in the Grand Rapids region. He also tells about his commitment to ASE and the time he was as a subject matter expert. He helped work on the Hybrid tests.
Listen and view episode notesRR 249: Brenda & Brent O’Neal from Repair One Automotive
Is Your Customer Retention All About Your Integrity and Building a Trusting Relationship?
Dynamic husband and wife team, Brenda and Brent O’Neal, lead their team to ensure “The customer experience is the best it can be.” All roles must do their job to perfection. The team knows that they are not fixing cars and that their customer is the most important part of the business.
They believe that living in the same community as their business brings great value and recognition.
Brenda and Brent, who do not have a background in the automotive field, share where they get their new ideas, how to grow your own techs, their marketing strategy, and the extreme value they’ve received from hiring a business coach.
Listen and view episode notesRR 235: Tom Piippo from Tri-County Motors
Where does a three time ASE Technician of the Year and shop owner find a new technician?
Tom Piippo a three-time recognized ASE Technician of the Year needed to find a new technician. He decided to grow his own and found a candidate in a most interesting place. Also listen to Tom share his story of remarkable results over the last 39 years operating in a small town of 491 households in northern Michigan.
Tom was recently honored by ASA as their 2017 Alpha award winner for his generous and far-reaching contributions to the automotive service industry.
Listen and view episode notesRR 211: Judi and Dana Haglin from Haglin Automotive
Husband and Wife Team Keeps Careful Watch on all Details of their Business.
Judi and Dana Haglin work together so well because they say ‘They are opposites’. Each of their own passions help drive their successful business. Haglin Automotive, a twelve bay shop in Boulder, CO, was recognized in 2015 as Motor Age Top Shop of the Year. They continue to look for ways to improve their systems and marketing that will give them a competitive advantage.
The Haglin’s are all about team and culture and share many great ideas and insights on marketing, training, and stress relief. They share their rules for finding harmony in their personal and business relationship, their core values and their top strategy to corral new customers.
Listen and view episode notesRR 161: John Miller from Freedom Automotive
John Miller says, “It is an ongoing educational experience to work on cars”.
John Miller owner of Freedom Automotive in Stafford, TX is a successful baby boomer shop owner who shows no signs of quitting. Besides the shop he is a weekly radio show and writer and editor for Shop Talk, the Houston ASA monthly.
Listen and view episode notesRR 139: Jeff Buckley from My Fathers Shop
Jeff and Candace Buckley, a husband and wife team, have been providing services to their customers in Midlothian, TX for over 20 years at their service business called ‘My Fathers Shop’. This episode is all about the ‘Little Shop that Could’. Why, because the entire team at My Fathers Shop is Jeff and Candace. How…
Listen and view episode notesRR 121: Nikki Ayers from Ayers Automotive
Nikki Ayers and her husband Robert have been shop owners for 38 years. They own Ayers Automotive in Santa Barbara, CA with locations in Chipala and Anacapa. Robert was a Jaguar tech when they decided to go into business for themselves. Nikki shares the big risk they took with their first building and how after…
Listen and view episode notesRR 116: Craig & Deb Van Batenburg from ACDC
Craig Van Batenburg is the CEO of ACDC and a former repair shop owner. His wife Deb is his partner and vice-president. Craig is engaged full time in the understanding of the technology used in hybrid and electric cars. His 45 years of automotive experience serves him well.
Craig Van Batenburg gives some great insight into why his career took the path to Hybrid repair and training. He says back in the early seventies he worked at a Honda dealership. With a huge passion for Honda’s, at 26 years old he opened a shop to work on Honda’s only. He bought the first model Honda Insight which was the 23rd hybrid sold in Massachusetts. His wife Deb went to Kent State and was always into recycling and politics. NOTE: This is the first husband and wife interview on Remarkable Results Radio Podcast.
Listen and view episode notesRR 113: Kim Auernheimer from CS Automotive
After many years in real-estate and property management Kim Aurenheimer joined the business with her husband Rob. Hear Kim talk about the big decision, they both made, to work together and forge a strong working relationship. From Kim’s perspective listen as she talks about her transition into the industry and in finding her wings at the shop. She discusses trust, roles, the industry, margins, labor rates, work life balance and much more. An enlightening view of our industries most prevalent business partnerships; husbands and wives.
Listen and view episode notes