RR 349: Tracy Martin – Our Vehicles are Becoming Smartphones on Wheels

Smartphone on Wheels.

Tracy Martin has authored six Motorbooks Workshop Series and writes articles for industry and trade magazines. His articles of late are focused on the connected car.

Our cars today are becoming if not already became smartphone on wheels. If this is the case, then all threats that are threatening our computers at home and our mobile device could potentially harm our cars as well. There are instances of factory system hacking and car software hacking that heightens our concern.

We talk cybersecurity concerns, the evolution of techs needed to fix the vehicles of the not too distant future and a better encryption protocol. Tracy says that you must be aware of the risks that can and will be present as the future unfolds.

RR 329: Tom Ham Part 2 – Automotive Management Network

Fundamentals, Systems, People Development and How to Work From Home

Tom Ham has been a great contributor to the podcast and with his years of experience as a shop owner and chief conductor at Automotive Management Network, he has a perspective and/or opinion on all aspects of running a successful and professional automotive service business.

We’re going to talk about basic block and tackling, the power of good systems and procedures, because if your not your dying. Also, hear about a clever idea to extract business improving ideas from your team and three questions to ask yourself to discover if you can start to walk away and work away from your business.

RR 327: Prepare to Change – O’Neal – Barrett – Cloutier

Are You Prepared To Change?

Jeremy O’Neal from Freedom Automotive and AdvisorFix, Barry Barrett from RLO Training and Chris Cloutier from Golden Care Auto Care and Autotext.me bring a lively discussion and debate on the need and necessity of change.

President John Kennedy said: “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future.” We all realize that our industry is in constant change, however many do not embrace the vision necessary to keep pace and improve.

Listen to how these aftermarket professionals look at and embrace change. It is part of the vision. We cover two ways leaders lead. First is the fear of change, and second is that we are willing to change as long as there isn’t any pain.

We get into communications, connecting, and that winners and losers have one thing in common. Listen to find out what it is.

THA 066: Periodic Motor Vehicle Inspections

A discussion on the state of mandated periodic motor vehicle inspections.

There are only 14 states in the US that have some sort of mandated vehicle inspection. There had been almost twice that amount. There is momentum to eliminate these safety inspection programs.

The panel discusses the reason we are at such a low level and what needs to be done to help arrest additional states from phasing out any more inspection programs.

With Carm, recorded live with a studio audience is Robert L. Redding Jr., ASA Legislative representative, Joe Battista, the Vice President of Sales and Business Development for Parsons Corporation, and shop owner Sybren van der Pol, an ASE Master L1 Technician and owner of Adolf Hoepfl & Son Garage, in Houston, TX and serves on the local ASA Houston chapter Board of Directors.

Listen to find out what you can do to help bring awareness to safety inspections as all aftermarket professionals see first hand the number of unsafe vehicles traveling our roadways today.

RR 325: Cecil Bullard on Succession Planning

Looking To Get Out? Candid Talk on Succession Planning.

Cecil Bullard joins Carm Capriotto for this interview at ATE in Seattle. A very special interview with a deep conversation on succeeding your business. Statistics reveal that the average shop owner is in their late fifties. A quality succession plan can take 5 to 8 years.

There are many great pieces of advice and wisdom discussed including family issues, what happens after I sell, what place does your ego have in the transaction, and when do you become a coach and not dad.

For non-family transactions, there is some wise advice on structuring a deal. Cecil gives a blueprint on the steps to building a succession plan.

RR 322: The Future Shop – A Business Coach Perspective – Haas & Greenwood

Shop Of The Future. A Business Coaches Perspective.

Bill Haas from Haas Performance Consulting and Bob Greenwood President and CEO of Automotive Aftermarket E-Learning Centre bring their viewpoints on the future of the service professional.

Bill and Bob talk about training, culture, the dealership factor, pricing transparency, and the importance of daytime training. They also share their viewpoint on competing, hiring and retaining top talent, both technicians and service advisors.

RR 319: ASA Northwest – Jobst, Smith, Kelley

Ask for help. Offer help. Reaching out to help your peers.

Become the fly on the wall at ASA Northwest’s training event, ATE, and listen to an enlightening panel discussion with Butch Jobst, the ASA Northwest Chairman of the Board from B & B Automotive in Aberdeen, WA, Brian Smith the ASA Northwest Immediate Past Chairman of the Board form Gig Harbor Automotive Service in Gig Harbor, WA and Bryan Kelley the ASA Northwest Chairman-Elect from Valley Automotive Electric in Covington, WA.

The panel was very transparent on their own business career’s and they offered up their wisdom on coaching, the E-Myth, the power of networking and the invisible hand of ASA Northwest, the opportunities for growth with the aging vehicle car parc and embracing advanced technology.

There is a strong message to young shop owners that cannot be missed.

RR 315: Chris Gardner from AASA

Technology Talk, AAPEX, ADAS, CES and More.

Chris Gardner, MAAP, is the Vice President or Programs and Member Services for AASA, the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association. AASA is the voice for the Aftermarket Supplier Industry. Chris also manages all things technology for the association and that is where we spend most of our time in this interview.

An interview highlight is Chris’s view of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) that he has attended for the last three years. He’ll give you a perspective on what he saw and the impact on the aftermarket as our future rolls out, as he sees it.

Among other discussion topics ADAS and the tech he saw at CES. Chris sees a convergence of telematics with the consumer, the service professional and the supplier. We even talked a bit about smart parts.

RR 307: Chris Cloutier – Entrepreneurial Lessons from a Serial Entrepreneur

Accept the Struggle and Find a Way to Continually Improve your Entrepreneurial Journey.

Chris Cloutier and I had a great conversation, passionate at times, on entrepreneurialism. Chris is a serial entrepreneur and has some wise words and experience at it. We talk bootstrapping, cash is king, the struggle, trusting your gut, leadership and even salesmanship. Don’t shy away from these topics – the discussion just may set you off on a better course. Chris has the scars, like all of us, which are the lessons we all learn as we march toward an improving and brighter future.

This interview is going to cement much of what you know about growing a business, and some of our talk will hit you, I hope, smack in your entrepreneurial soul and get you to understand the journey you are on a little better.

RR 300: 300th Retrospective: Interview with Host Carm Capriotto

The 300th Episode Retrospective

For the first-time podcast host, Carm Capriotto is in the interviewee seat. Seven aftermarket professionals ask Carm questions that discover the attributes and purpose of the aftermarket’s premier podcast. He shares some very personal stories and chronicles some behind the scene moments.

You’ll learn about what makes Carm tick, how it all started and what his thoughts are for the future. He is so proud of the audio library made up of the voices of the aftermarket. The guests who trusted Carm to get their story told so that all ships rise, is the pure foundation of the value of the podcast to the industry.

RR 296: The Digital Shop – A Discussion | Sevart | Connor | Kleinschmidt

The Digital Shop: A Discussion.

If you are contemplating the future and know you’ll need to get there maybe sooner rather than later this roundtable discussion has a lot of information for you. Panelists are Joe Sevart from I70 Auto Service from Kansas City, MO, Bill Connor the General Manager form Craig’s’ Car Care in Allen, TX and AutoVitals CEO Uwe Kleinschmidt.

There are many important info points here to help you and guide you in this inevitable change to your business that will be as important as having lifts in the bays. You may not be ready to implement a totally digital inspection, CRM, and workflow system, however, you’ll want to invest the time in this episode, to you keep your learning curve high and hear from shop owners who have done it and are so happy they did.

The digital strategy is to have the service advisor to do more advising and less busy work. Digital also allows the customer to be anywhere and still see the problems via still pictures and videos.

RR 288: Jorge Antico from eAutoClub.com

Customer Transaction Data is a Powerful Resource for Organic Growth

With a business and computer science education, Jorge Antico identified the aftermarkets need for transactional service-data aggregation. In essence, a family-owned vehicle fleet service management system.

The data that sits on your server contains a treasure of information that can be served up in just the right way. With the right AI software for natural language predictive CRM, you can do a lot with your information. Antico shares the power of growing your business using the data you already own.

This episode will provide much insight, from a tech perspective. There are many strong thinking moments here that will energize your systems and marketing talents and inspire you to grow your business.

THA 047: Twenty-One TIPS to Get an Edge on the Competition – Part 2

Do you need a quick new idea to implement that will give you an edge?

In this Academy lesson get 21 TIPS (Part 2) to help give you an edge over the competition. These are some very simple ideas that have been collected from successful service professionals in the industry.

Implementation will be the big payoff. If you listen to learn just one thing and do not implement you will not benefit from this listen.

RR 287: Bill Haas – Millennials – How to Lead and Engage This Generation

Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Hiring and Leading Millennials

Every twenty years or so a new generation of workers arrives. For many of us, we raised today’s Millennials or Generation Y. They are made up of the 22-40-year-old’s who number 79 million in the workforce; the largest segment.

If we are to seed our industry with youth and grow our own, we must look at the Millennial Generation. We must understand how to integrate them and nurture them into our workforce.

Each generation has its quirks. Gen Y is no different. Once you learn what moves and motivates them you’ll find it so much easier to accept and keep millennials motivated in your business culture. The lessons here works for all team members, but you’ll learn what really makes the Millennial tick and why they behave like they do.

RR 284: Women In Auto Care Honorees

Women In Auto Care Honor Their Own.

The 2017 Honors for Auto Care Woman of the Year Laura Soave, Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Federal-Mogul Motorparts, Female Shop Owner of the Year, Carolyn Coquillette, owner of Luscious Garage in downtown San Francisco and Auto Care Woman of Excellence, Jill Trotta, the Director of Automotive Group at Repair Pal.

The WIAC connect, empower and mentor women in our auto care industry. In 2017 they provided educational scholarships worth $65,000. More on that inside this fun and inspiring episode.

RR 281: Auto Care Impact Award- Four For The Future 2017

Impact Award Honoree’s In 2017 Share Their Aftermarket Story.

The Auto Care Association annually honors four aftermarket professionals, age 40 or younger, who have made remarkable contributions to the auto care industry. The Impact Award: Four for the Future, was created in 2010 and is administered by the Auto Care Association Marketing and Communications Committee.

The 2017 award winners are Sarah Shelstrom from Integrated Supply Network, Katina Wall from STP at Spectrum Brands, Kyle Byrne from the Merrill Company and Chris Pacey from National Performance Warehouse.

We talk about the impact of technology, the elephant in the room, insights, recruiting talent into the industry and the trends they see affecting the aftermarket.

THA 043: Book Club – Favorite Books That Have Made Me A Better Leader/CEO

Books That Have Made Me a Better Leader and CEO

Harry Truman said, “Not all readers are leaders but all leaders are readers.” Our Academy panel will share with you the books that have impacted them. They’ll explain their big take-a-ways that have impacted their lives both personal and business.

Many service professionals, that have shared their story on the podcast, credit books as an important resource for building their knowledge on leadership, business culture and personal growth.

RR 275: Chris Chesney – Sr. Director Customer Training – Carquest Technical Institute

Are You Committed to Be A Lifetime Learner In The Automotive Aftermarket? Learn Why It Must Be Your Most Important Goal.

Chris Chesney is the Senior Director, Customer Training at the CARQUEST Technical Institute and explains that our great aftermarket has its best days ahead, however, the challenge is going to take many people, teams and organizations working together to formulate solutions as we prepare for the largest wave of technology and consolidation we’ve ever seen.

Chris explains that all successful technicians and shop owners know …. that you must be committed to being a lifelong learner. If not … you’re in the wrong profession.

RR 274: Bill Hanvey and Bill Long / Co-Chair of AAPEX 2017

AAPEX Co-Chairs Share the Educational Value and Networking Power of this Premier Global Event

AAPEX is co-owned by The Auto Care Association and Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA). Bill Hanvey is president and CEO of Auto Care and Bill Long, AAP is president and COO of AASA.

You’ll hear about the evolution in education for the service professional and the highlights for diagnostics training and technology for 2017. Bill and Bill share many of the reasons to attend AAPEX and their strategies to keep pushing the technology envelope since we are now a technology industry.

Mobility park and ServiceEDU are discussed along with a few behind the scenes stories that will give you a high appreciation for the enormity of this project. This is the Expo and Conference not to be missed each year.

RR 264: Steve Ciabattoni – Credit Card Compliance

Are You In Compliance with Credit Card Regulations As It Relates to Chip Cards?

Steve Ciabattoni from 360 Payments explains the regulations for EMV, the chip cards. We also discuss contracts, processing fees and who makes the real money in credit card processing.

An important episode to help evaluate your relationship and what to look for in a processor. Steve gives a tip on the best fee structure, equipment leasing and the future of credit card processing. He also is outspoken on the link between the chip reader and your SMS.

RR 262: Skip Potter – Retired Executive Director NASTF

Retiring Executive Director Shares His Legacy and the Importance NASTF is to the Automotive Service Industry

Skip Potter has had a storied career working in parts distribution, motorsports, tools, service, collision, and heavy duty. He also had important roles with leading industry associations and a radio career with a syndicated radio broadcast called ‘Virginia Race Line.’

Skip is one of our unsung legacy leaders in our beloved aftermarket. He just retired as the Executive Director of NASTF (The National Automotive Service Task Force). Skip gives us a firsthand account of the value NASTF brings to the industry. You will be surprised.

Skip is one of those very versatile industry leaders and a great example of a legacy aftermarket leader. It is important we hear his story. So prepare for an important understanding of the role NASTF plays for all of us and the storied career of a legacy aftermarket leader.

RR 260: Vic Tarasik – Part 2 – Life’s Lessons

Life’s Lessons that Establish Your Strengths as a Leader.

After nearly 30 years of successfully operating Vic’s Precision Automotive, a fourteen-bay automotive repair facility located in The Woodlands, TX, Vic Tarasik sold his beloved shop, however, he remains active in the industry he loves.

In the episode, Vic’s shares the remaining 5 life’s lessons. He covered the first five in episode 234. He’s very transparent as he speaks to how these lessons changed him as a leader.

RR 257: Tom Marx, MAAP – Marx Group & Hart Marx Advisors

Shops That Have Created a Brand Where People Trust You Find Their Business Booming.

Tom Marx, MAAP, Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer from The Marx Group, a full-service marketing communications agency, says the service segment of our industry is in the Golden Age. He is also very outspoken on industry consolidation as a partner in Hart Marx Advisors a mergers and acquisition consultancy.

Tom knows the aftermarket and the service professional. He’ll be speaking at AAPEX 2017 on ‘Amplifying Your Brand’. In the interview, Tom talks about industry consolidation from both the service and distribution side. He also shares his perspectives on training, marketing and the need for quality financial statements, if you are interested in selling your business.

RR 255: David Milne from ATMC and ASE

Important Study Shows the Graying of Our Technicians Poses a Big Challenge in the Very Near Future.

Dave Milne serves as the President of the Automotive Training Managers Council (ATMC), a division of the ASE Industry Education Alliance. Dave is also the Executive Director of Special Test Programs for ASE.

Dave shares the mission and value of ATMC, their most recent survey data that he says will have a big impact on the industry. We talk about education and recruiting our future technicians. You’ll also hear Dave speak to our industry training needs and trends, pay structure and how ATMC and ASE is working with the industry to bring awareness to our trade.