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.

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RR 451: Dan Gilley – Attracting the Right Talent with the Right Stuff

Dan Gilley – Attracting the Right Talent with the Right Stuff

Every new and young technician today have a lot more shops to choose from. Let’s face it, there is a lingering issue of the technician shortage. If you are a business owner, what do you need to do to attract and/or retain talented individuals that possess the ‘right stuff’.

If you are a business owner, how would you attract an employee? What are the things you would do to improve your shop and make it as attractive and organized as it could be? Dan Gilley will bring light to decisions addressing the best interests of the would be future candidates/employee of a shop. Dan Gilley is the President and CEO of RLO Training.

In this episode, you will understand the utmost priorities needed by shop owners to address the how to attract the right kind of employees and what are the necessary tactics in order to keep them. As Dan would say, it’s either you attract them or repel them. Is it just for the paycheck or the team?

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THA 127: Overcoming Owner Burnout

Overcoming Owner Burn Out

Endeavor into some really great smart talk on delegating, recharging and prioritizing. Things you must do so you don’t spin deep into a negative vortex.

This team dishes out solutions to staying fresh and relying on your team to help you accomplish all your goals. Find out what it took Gerry and Jon to leave the business in the hands of their team. Is it easy? Is it easy? Will you need to start slow? How do your people fit into this equation? Are they qualified? Have you prepared them? How do you handle distractions? These and many more questions answered for you right now.

Join Jon Bockman from Bockman’s Auto Care, two locations based out of Sycamore, IL, and the NAPA Auto Care Center of the year 2019, also Gerry Frank, Auto Repair Technology, Brook Park, OH and Partner in Repair Shop Coach and Jim Hayes, General Manager, Pacific Motor Service, Monterey, CA

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FTR 052: Build Your Bench – Kyle Holt and Jay Goninen

Build Your Bench – and Be a Proactive Recruiter.

Kyle Holt President of SP/2 and Jay Goninen from ‘Find a Wrench’ speak to their expertise as supporters and recruiters of technician talent. They have the depth of experience and are speaking to you from their heart about your need to recruit talent when you don’t need the help. They will tell you why.

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THA 122: Talent Management – Developing Your Leadership Team

Talent Management: Developing Your Leadership Team

We are talking about Talent Management – Developing Your Leadership Team. This group stretched the bounds of our discussion and you will either confirm your current leadership role or realize you have some areas to work on.

My Academy team includes Judi Haglin, Haglin Automotive, Boulder, CO, Mark Roberts, Schertz Automotive, Schertz, TX and Tom Palermo, Preferred Automotive Specialists, Philadelphia, PA

You will find this episode going places you did not expect. This group brought their A game and shared not only how to develop your people into leaders but their own ongoing treck to be a better leader.

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THA 119: Improving Employee Loyalty

Improving Employee Loyalty

Fuel your engine today with our discussion on Improving Employee Loyalty with my shop owner panel Donnie Hudson from Troy Auto Care in Troy, MI, Roy Foster from Roy Foster’s Automotive in Reno, NV and Steve Finzel from Finzel’s Master Tech in Terre Haute, IN They’ve built a family culture in their shops and you can too.

You’ll hear how they did it and understand why they created the programs that build loyalty and retention from their people. I know you’ve heard this adage before: “Take care of your people and they will take care of your customer.” This episode will give you a great idea on how to do that.

Prepare for many strong ideas coming at you so. Pick a few and start to implement them in your business. The panel admits, it did not happen overnight but was nurtured for years. So you need to start. Keep in mind that it is imperative you seize onto a new idea, own it, implement it and watch it transform your business.

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THA 115: Who Says You Need an Automotive Background to Run a Successful Shop

THA 115 Who Says You Need an Automotive Background to Run a Successful Shop

Now visit with Brian Sump from Avalon Motorsports and Andy Bizub from Midwest Performance Cars as they share their strategy for growing their business. This is an interview like no other you’ve heard here on Remarkable Results or the Town Hall Academy for that matter. This interview should open your eyes because Brian and Andy did not grow up in the business. They were not technicians with a dream of owning their own shop. Brian was a professional football player and Andy was a commodity trader.

They grew their business without the knowledge of the industry. They share their strategies and tactics that have shaped their continuing success. Brian and Andy basically became the CEO of their business. We talk about that a lot on the podcast. They used their people, network and training to learn, lead and grow their business.

So there’s the rub. Why are there so many legacy aftermarket professionals in the industry struggling when these ‘outsiders’ who acquired going shops are at the top of their game? Find out.

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RR 416: Preparing Your Shop For Tomorrows Technicians – How To Attract and Retain Your Team

Preparing Your Shop For Tomorrow’s Technician: How To Attract And Retain Your Team

We know as a united industry that retaining and attracting talent into our bays is our number one concern. Sure keeping pace with technology advancements is up there, but if you don’t have the talent inside your shop to repair our high tech cars, tech becomes less a challenge.

This power panel from Vision KC 2019 and brought to you by the Midwest Auto Care Alliance, tackles this tough subject that we need to face head-on. With me is Tyler Hubbard from I-70 Auto Service, Aaron Stokes – from Eurofix and Shop Fix Academy, Chris Chesney – Sr. Director Customer Training at CARQUEST Technical Institute, Brian Bates – Eagle Automotive Service and Greg Buckley – Buckley Personalized Auto Care.

You’ll hear discussion on why our industry needs to stop eating our young, setting career paths for your technicians, why orientation and not onboarding is the way to integrate new technicians into your business, buying tools for our technicians, and building the right culture and operating principles and so much more. We even had time at the end for Q & A from the audience.

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THA 108: The Value of a Professional HR Support Company

The Value of a Professional HR Support Company

OK Let’s Talk HR and Professional Employer Organizations (PEO). The Academy team includes Kevin & Lisa Eckler, Foreign Car Specialists, Poughkeepsie, and PEO specialists; Jim Belliveau, from Acadia HR and Greg Bauer, from ESC Employer Services

Shop owners Kevin and Lisa Eckler brought me this topic because it has made a huge difference in their business. As Kevin says he wants control and trusts no-one. The sheer fact that he brought on a PEO company to be his HR department is a testament to the fact that he is still in control and has a ton of trust.

As Kevin says, they started on his handbook, it needs to work legally because if there is a problem the policy will be carefully scrutinized. Benefits are another huge option in a PEO. So many in the industry have told me that this is the year they are going to expand their team benefits so they can have a competitive advantage and also to become a retention tool. A PEO can help with your benefits program.

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THA 100: Up Your Game: Become a Level Five Leader and Improve, You, Your Business and the Aftermarket

Up Your Game: Become a Level Five Leader and Improve You and the Aftermarket

Think of this podcast like 9 five minute Ted Talks. Here are the topics covered, Listening, Resilience, Learn to be a CEO, Perseverance, Invest in your Staff, Delegate and Get Out of the Way, Be Your Word, Have High Expectations of your Team and Train Within.

My guests each chose their topic and were given five minutes to present a succinct narrative for you.

Vic Tarasik, Major Accounts Director with RLO Training, Maryann Croce of Croce Transmissions in Norwalk, CT and smallbizvantage.com, Bob Greenwood, AMAM, is President and CEO of Automotive Aftermarket E-Learning Centre, Greg Buckley is the CEO Buckley’s Personalized Auto Care in Wilmington, DE, Shari Pheasant and her husband Jeff own A Master Mechanic, and she is known as the Queen of Horsepower, Chris Cloutier is co-owner of Golden Rule Auto Care and CEO of AutoText ME, Brian Walker is the founder and CEO of 5 Stones Media, a marketing agency and former shop owner, Bill Hill owner of Mighty Auto Pro from Medina, OH and Brett Bohlmann of HWY 7 Service Center, Newel, IA

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RR 389: The Art of Successful Mentoring

The Art of Successful Mentoring

Dr. John Passante is a well-respected mentor who has 35+ years of experience in human resource and organizational development. He is an author, a lecturer, a professor and prides himself in helping companies increase their effectiveness. Aaron Schaffer is well versed in sales, product, and marketing. He holds a BBA in Economics and a lifelong car enthusiast and has been active in motorsports competition.

This is episode brings you a full view of mentoring and the relationship shared as a mentee. The interview offers exclusive access to John and Aaron’s 45+ Years of combined experience in their respective fields. Their take on mentoring will add quality and value when you become a mentor yourself.

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RR 388: Re-Inventing You! A Personal Story Of Prolific Change.

Re-Inventing You! A Personal Story Of Prolific Change.

Carlo Sabucco from Sils Complete Auto Care Centre, a successful 8 bay shop on the east side of Oakville, Ontario.

This is episode offers some in your face and blunt stores about failure, adversity and managing your ego to get to the next level. You cannot be successful in the changing aftermarket if you do not have the CEO mindset. Your thought process should match the level that you want to be at. There is no downshifting gears when you are climbing a mountain.

Carlo offers one of the most transparent interviews I’ve ever done on the podcast. He shares his romance of selling his business and then he said no. That experience rejuvenated him and allowed him to re-invent his mission and vision about his business and the industry.

One of Carlo’s personal disrupters in his business in 2019 is to take his entire staff to Vision KC. He knows that the future will be shaped by what we do today. Too many shop owners ask for help but never implement. He says they’ll be left behind.

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RR 383: AAPEXedu 2018 The Road To Great Technicians – Roundtable

AAPEX EDU 2018 The Road To Great Technicians

A fundamentally valuable discussion as we get ready to deal with the tsunami of seeding our industry with our future technicians that will have the competencies necessary to perform mechanical and diag work and the need to develop career paths for every level of technician.

We need apprentice and mentoring programs that are universal to the industry, along with an industry moving in the same training direction so we can create competent technicians to work on the tech and safety issues of our future vehicles. We do not need our government involved in directing competencies, we need to do it ourselves.

This discussion is one you’ll need to hear time and time again. You will need to be involved and help move this initiative forward. Don’t wait to get involved. A first step is to become a member of NASTF. It is Free. Go to NAFTF.org

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RR 378: John Passante – You Can’t Handle The Truth – The Power of Performance Reviews

Dr. John Passante – You Can’t Handle The Truth – The Power of Performance Reviews.

John Passante is a legacy automotive aftermarket Human Resource professional and the President and CEO of The Organizational Development Group. He’s worked with and for some of the biggest names in our industry including Monroe/Tenneco, Delphi, Moog and Car Quest.

In this episode, he illuminates how performance reviews can become part of the culture of all businesses. He covers high grounds on the importance of leadership, understanding personal goals, culture, strategy, and values in the performance review process.

John also shows us tips within the episode on the right way to write your own review.

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RR 367: Mike Tatich. John Maxwell Leadership Certified.

Mike Tatich. John Maxwell Certified Leadership Coach

Mike Tatich, President of Tatich’s TMT Automotive Inc., Bremen, Indiana made a major decision after reading many of John Maxwell’s Books on Leadership to become a Maxell Certified Leadership Coach.

Mike went through the certification program in Florida and discovered that not one person in the program was from the automotive industry. He says leadership training is one of the most valuable commitments you need to make.

He is very keen on stressing that Leadership makes a huge difference for the owner and service advisor alike. He wants to get rid of the self-limiting and fearful belief of shop owners who think that they can’t move their shop forward.

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THA 086: Stop Being Busy and Improve Your Productivity!

Stop Being Busy and Improve Your Productivity

The panel includes Dennis McCarran, Executive Director of Dealer Strategic Planning, Justin Galsgow, Performance Tire & Wheel, Topeka, KS and Darren McClea from McClea’s Tire and Automotive, Santa Rosa, CA.

We talk your to-do-list, delegating, emails, time wasters, texts, finishing, priorities, and making time to get things done. A suggestion to get into work early and review your day and prioritize the critical task.

Consider batching your projects. Seeing reps; consider Tuesdays are the day for reps. This tightens up your planning efforts.

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THA 085: 21 Tips to Gain an Edge over the Competition – Part 3!

21 Tips To Gain An Edge Over Your Competition – Part 3

With me, in this part three is the same crew from part two and part three. Todd Westerlund, CEO of Kukui , Jeremy O’Neal Freedom Automotive in Hesperia, CA and President and lead sales trainer for Advisorfix and Mark Goldsmith Mark’s Independent Service in Chatsworth, CA

There was a special challenge put forth by Todd Westerlund from Kukui and you’ll discover that at the end of the episode. The combined tips between the three parts are 68 which includes bonus tips.

Too many to list, but you’ll find not only great ideas in this episodes but trends you must be implementing if you plan to stay relevant and in business.

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RR 358: John Gustafson – ATC: Synchronizing the Automotive Trades

ATC: Synchronizing the Automotive Trades

John Gustafson is the president of Gustafson Brothers Automotive Repair, Huntington Beach, CA and the founder of the Auto Talent Co-Op (ATC). ATC is an independent non-profit organization whose vision is to effectively unite resources within the automotive industry, and establish clear career path standards for its users.

ATC’s Mission is to build a synchronized and accessible platform, able to unite the automotive industry. To help refill the talent pool for all automotive job-related positions. To fulfill the technician shortage, and improve technician retention and to streamline career paths, bridge technician skills gap and improve recruitment.

Your support is needed. Find links on the show notes page.

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RR 355: Andrew Emery from Antero Automotive has The Best Job in the World

The Best Job in The World!

Andrew Emery is the owner and operator of Antero Automotive in Greenwood Village, Colorado. He believes if you take care of your employees, they will take care of your customers.

This episode tackles relationships with customers and employees on how it can be your secret sauce to success. Every customer receives a free car wash.

After 22 years in the industry and 10 years as a business owner, Andrew still loves what he does every day. He gets to turn a wrench when needed and he gets to serve others. Andrew started this business to change the way people look at automotive repair shops.

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THA 077: Business Coaches LAB – Standards

Business Coaches LAB on Standards

Standards, in a business is the bar, the rules that set the level of quality, service, experience, caring, and engagement. The problem is so many times the owner is so busy doing whatever he’s doing in his business mistakenly believing his job is to make sure cars are fixed.

Owners forget about the standards that set the tone and pulse of the business when it comes to customers, processes, training, conduct, dress code, ethics, financial, execution and performance among others.

You do not want your ‘standards’ to be set by others so you must create them if not chaos is ensured and as panel member Cecil Bullard says, “In business, there is no floating. You either going up or down.”

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