RR 476: Chris Cloutier and Scott Brown – Productivity Hacks

Chris Cloutier and Scott Brown – What does it take to become more Productive and Efficient?

There are a lot of ways to become productive and efficient. There are a lot of strategies and systems that can be followed by just hearing this episode. Follow the process, improve communication, leverage to software technologies, learn to improve diagnostic methods and a whole lot more!

The experts: Chris Cloutier and Scott Brown. Chris is the co-owner of Golden Rule Auto Care in Dallas Texas and CEO of Auto Tex Me. He spent many years in the software industry developing solutions for companies. And Scott is an ASE Master Certified Automobile Technician with over three and a half decades of professional service industry experience. He and his wife own Connie & Dick’s Service Center Inc. Together they are the productivity and efficiency duo that bring results.

RR 474: Dan Taylor – Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Leads to High Performing Leaders – Part 2

Dan Taylor – Emotional Intelligence leads to High Performing Leaders – Part 2

Leadership has its different styles and strategies. How well you lead depends on how you treat followers and how you treat yourself as a shepherd towards its own flock.

Throughout time, we learned that there are different types of leaders, leaders who have different mindsets, discipline, strategies and even outlook. As you have studied lessons of leadership you may have discovered a formula that works, grows your influence and builds a team. So much of your leadership skills are about your Emotional Intelligence or EQ. We are talking EQ in Part 2 with Dan Taylor, a Senior Business Advisor at Transformers Institute

We will be expanding on our discussion of Emotional Intelligence and its relevant effects on leadership as a whole and how it can impact the aftermarket industry.

RR 468: Mitch Schneider – Misfire: What to Do When Things Aren’t Running on All Cylinders

Mitch Schneider – Legacy Industry Influencer.

You know Mitch Schneider. He is truly a legacy icon of our industry. He has dedicated his life to run a great shop for decades and at the same time write and speak to help our industry grow. There isn’t an issue that he hasn’t tackled where his reader could take his wisdom and improve themselves and their business.

One thing I wanted to know is how did it all start. If you are a Mitch Schneider fan or follower you may not know this story. You’ll hear how Mitch found his stride and passion for helping the industry by writing and speaking on industry challenges and solutions.

Coming up is a very transparent and personal discussion with Mitch in a way that you may have never heard before. He is also sharing with you his biggest challenge of his life and his extreme confidence in his total recovery. It is in nature to win.

RR 466: Mike Davidson – Compliance to Wage and Hour Rules for Aftermarket Professionals

RR 463: Mike Davidson – Wage and Hour Laws and Keeping Compliant

As you go through this episode you’ll understand the intricacies of getting your employee’s pay reflective of the department of labor laws. It is not as easy as you have come to manage.

Mike Davidson from Parkway Automotive in Little Rock, Arkansas, been in the industry for more than 30 years and a business owner for over 18. Mike Davidson is an AMI graduate, an ASE Master Technician, is a part-time Elite Worldwide coach and was recognized as the Arkansas NAPA/ASE tech of the year seven years in a row. Mike helped start the Little Rock chapter of ASA and is currently an officer.

Mike tells the story of why he wrote the book. He’s been a big contributor to his aftermarket peers and this book is another example of Mike’s tenacity to get it right.
There are a lot of things to take note of especially when you need to conform to the letter of the law both Federal and State as it relates to wage and hour.

This is no smoke and mirrors. I recall friends who got burned on paying bonuses and which employees qualified to be salary.

RR 463: Mitch Schneider – His First Speech 35 Years Ago, Still Relevant today!

Mitch Schneider – His First Speech 35 Years ago, Still relevant today!

Mitch Schneider is here for his second time. Mitch is an award-winning journalist, former shop owner and soon to be published novelist. For more than 37 years, Mitch operated Schneider’s Automotive — a successful 6-bay, family-owned and operated service facility in Simi Valley, Calif. Mitch has recent great news on the biggest challenge in his life as he has taken on Primary Myelofibrosis head-on. He is in his recovery mode from a bone marrow transplant. Mitch is a survivor of this rare procedure and I’m so glad to have him back to have another conversation with him.

When Mitch wrote his speech 35 years ago, he was angry. He showed his frustration and he is now reflective at the state of the industry today. It is sad to say that not much has changed. Listen and learn the issues then and now and some discussion on what we need to do remedy. Are you onboard?

RR 461: Dan Taylor – Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Leads to High Performance Shops – Part 1

Dan Taylor – Emotional Intelligence Leads To High Performance

In the business of the aftermarket, we are always in search of leadership qualities to take our business and team to the next level. It is not necessarily how smart you are but how you manage your and your team’s emotions.

Let me set the stage; here is a quote from noted author Daniel Goleman: In a study of skills that distinguish star performers in every field from entry-level jobs to executive positions, the single most important factor was not IQ, advanced degrees, or technical experience, it was EQ: Emotional Intelligence.

This episode has the right ingredients to make you emotionally aware of the properties of your own emotions and how to incorporate them into problem-solving and to the overall emotional health of a shop. My guest today is Dan Taylor. He is the Senior Business Advisor of Transformers institute. Dan will help you understand the importance of Emotional Intelligence in leadership as a huge factor in team and customer retention.

RR 459: Standards And Values Foster a United Purpose for Your Team

Standards And Values Foster a United Purpose For Your Team

My friend Kevin Donahoe from Pacific Motor Service with two shops in Monterey, CA
And Pacific Grove, CA along with his general manager Jim Hayes go deep into their culture. They have a set of standards and values that drive their organization’s behavior.

You’ll learn about the creation of these standards and values, we’ll discuss the origins of a few and how these standards and values are the anchors in their enduring business culture.

You are about to listen in on a conversation that could be the impulsion to get you started. I believe once you’ve listened you’ll want to start your work on building your enduring business culture.

You are going to learn a lot, I believe you’ll have a clearer picture of the power of an enduring business culture and you just may walk away with enough motivation to get started and to find some juice to improve what you currently have.

FTR 059: Greg Buckley on LYFT

Greg Buckley on Lyft

Greg Buckley posted a video he did when he visited a LYFT Service Center in Philadelphia and shared his observations. No doubt this business model from LYFT is a disruptor and what can we learn from it and what should you know.

RR 458: John Passante and Rob Tinson – Is Face To Face Communications Gone?

Fundamental Communicating and Selling. Is Face To Face Communications Gone?

Guests Dr. John Passante is a legacy automotive aftermarket Human Resource Professional and President/CEO of the Organizational Development Group. He is an adjunct professor at the University of the Aftermarket, listed in Who’s Who in Training and Development and in the Automotive Hall of Fame. John is also an Executive Coach to many aftermarket leaders.

Rob Tinson has held key sales and marketing roles in the industry. Rob is Director of Sales for North America at Schrader TPMS Solutions a leading manufacturer of Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems, a part of Sensata Technologies.

Do you understand the basics of communicating and selling? Learn the intricacies of creating a partnership before making a sale. Understand the importance of humanizing a lot of things which were oversimplified by the use of technology.

Life works better when we communicate either using tech or better yet face to face. (Do you remember how to do that?) Communication is very important because it is where we build trust and credibility and how partnerships are built.

RR 447: Jonnie Wright – Customer Service: What Are The Three Things You Want To Get Better At?

Jonnie Wright – Customer Service: What Are The Three Things You Want To Get Better At

Keeping customers satisfied is what most businesses strive for and it is what keeps them coming back.

Listen to the story of customer service from Jonnie Wright. Jonnie owns The Buyosphere. Jonnie and I get into a very deep conversation on customer service, generations, the future of phone skills, secret shopping, and reviews. Later in the episode, you will learn that the most important customer becomes the one you w

RR 446: Privacy, Data Ownership and Cyber-security Threatens the Automotive Aftermarket

Privacy, Data Ownership and Cybersecurity – Threats to the Automotive Aftermarket

Carm Capriotto with Bob Redding ASA’s Legislative representative, Frank Leutz who is the COO of Desert car care in Chandler, Arizona, and Brin Kleine who is the owner of Assured Auto Works in Melbourne, Florida. Today we discussed Privacy, Vehicle Data and Cybersecurity.

ASA has one powerful representative in Washington in Bob Redding and anytime you can get to listen and get guidance from Bob you need to invest your time. Privacy, Vehicle Data and Cybersecurity are huge topics and we covered them a lot recently and for you, knowing as much as you can will help get laws passed that will not only benefit your clients but the aftermarket.

You may be skeptical, hesitant and maybe you just don’t the magnitude of this issue. Privacy laws could potentially derail the current aftermarket shop owner’s business model due to bad legislation and confusion. As you school yourself with this episode step up and get behind the effort for privacy, data and cybersecurity.

RR 445: Cash Management with Chris Cotton

RR 445: Chris Cotton – On Cash Management

My guest Chris Cotton is a business coach and helps shop owners understand the fundamentals of money and the decision-making behind it. He helps us manage our cash and how to set aside money obligations.

Chris’s AutoFix SOS coaching company is. His experience as a former shop owner relates to the struggles of shop owners to maximize their profits.

If you have ever wanted to know where your money goes, ever had a tough time paying your bills, meeting your tax obligations, or ever held cashing your paycheck because you knew it will bounce; this podcast is for you.

RR 444: Technician Round Table – Part 7 – Professionalism and More – Heipp – Landry – Fanslow:

Technician Talk 7 – Professionalism and More

This outspoken trio wonders how professionalism is bred, how it starts and how it can be compartmentalized. Everyone must step up and set the bar high for others to emulate and follow.

My guests for Tech Talk 7 are Bob Heipp, Peter Landry and Matt Fanslow. These guys also wonder why shops that are not equipped to service certain vehicles advertised that they can. Some shops lack professionalism. Let’s face it, some shops advertise what they can do even if they are ill-equipped to do it.

They say that Shops need to get OE level service information to best understand how to repair the most common brands that they see in their bays.

RR 443: Jill Trotta – Survey Results – The Best and Worst Metro Cities for Car Repair

Jill Trotta Best and Worst Metro Cities for Car Repair Survey

My guest is Jill Trotta. She is the Vice President for Industry Advocacy and Sales at RepairPal. We talked about the surveys that pointed out which metro cities are best for car repair. This is based on factors like average repair order, road quality, average labor rate among others.

The survey talked about the statistics and information about car repair. You will learn the best and the worst cities for repairs according to the survey. The survey also pointed out which cities are most affected by the technician shortage.

FTR 051: Jerry Holcom – Where is Your Personal Commitment & Professionalism

FTR 051: Jerry Holcom – Where is Your Personal Commitment & Professionalism

Jerry Holcom from S & S Service Center in Kansas City, MO is a co-founder of Vision and current President of the Midwest Auto Care Alliance wrote in his latest presidents message about his concern for commitment and professionalism

RR 440: Bill Hanvey – Ownership of Vehicle Telematic Data Must Flow to the Vehicle Owner

Amending Legislation for Telematic Data Ownership – RR 440

My guest is Bill Hanvey, President and CEO of the Auto Care Association. Bill is engaging the automotive aftermarket to get involved in letting your legislators know the issue about data. Your help is needed to help in amending the right to repair legislation. Learn everything you can about this fight to amend the right to repair legislation. Ownership of Vehicle Telematic Data Must Flow to the Vehicle Owner.

Do you know that a car collects data as you drive? By 2022, 87% of new vehicles will be transmitting telematic data wirelessly. But who owns the data? The car manufacturer does. Without access to data, the independent service professional will not be able to get specific diagnostic data from the vehicle.

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.

RR 432: Shop Talk 11 – Important Aftermarket Partnership – Shop, Parts Supplier and Manufacturer

Shop Talk 11 – Important Partnership – Shop, Parts Supplier and Manufacturer

Welcome to Shop Talk 11. Our Shop Talk Panel guests are Monte Hamsher, a shop owner, technician and automotive teacher; Bob Pattengale- National Training Manager at Bosch; and John Marcum- Director of Marketing for Federated Auto Parts.

We discuss the challenges involved in running a shop and the shop’s relationship to its part supplier & Manufacturer. Learn about the importance of a well-trained service professional and the need for competent technicians as a whole. Also, we talked about the need for a stronger commitment to training from the industries technicians.

THA 117: Creative Brainstorming: How To Build an Idea Factory

Creative Brainstorming: How To Build an Idea Factory

Some people just bubble with ideas; they are visionaries. You’ve got team members who are great at seeing new and better ways to improve systems and processes, serve customers and create great marketing. What are you doing to create an idea factory in your business? Are you actively listening? Are you creating a culture to create ideas and change? Lately, have you implemented a new idea lately in your business or are you just talking about them?

With me is Shari Pheasant co-owner of A Master Mechanic, in Reno, NV and business coach and consultant known as the Queen of Horsepower, Barry Barrett is here from Business with a Purpose and a Professional EOS Implementer and David Eschbach from the Clutch Performance Group

In this episode, ideas are flying around abundantly for you as we help you grab on to the value of Creative Brainstorming and getting your idea factory churning to help improve your business. Once you listen you’ll be ready to jump into using the power of ideas to improve your business.

RR 427: Vin Waterhouse – You Should Have the Highest Payroll in Town, Not the Lowest

You should have the highest payroll in town, not the lowest.

A generation ago the shop owner didn’t need to know the numbers. How the world has changed and in this episode with Vin Waterhouse, as with all my discussions with business consultants and coaches, will push you to make the important changes that will catapult you from having a hobby or job into a career that rewards you for your hard work

Vincent Waterhouse, President and Founder of The Waterhouse Group, an automotive Accounting, Training, and Coaching company shares his strategy for business climate based on today’s changing business models.

Vin has over thirty years of experience in the automotive aftermarket. His specialty is working with auto repair shop owners to help them earn the profits they deserve.