What's the state of the labor shortage in the collision repair industry, and what are some strategies for recruiting and retention? Crash Champions Founder and CEO Matt Ebert joins the CollisionCast to talk about how more young people are choosing skilled trades careers over traditional college educations, how the company's Skills Training Education Program apprenticeship is designed to get a technician standing on his or her own after a year, and more.

In this Endeavor to Discover special episode of CollisionCast, Endeavor B2B's Chris Messer and Discover Leadership's Mike Jones dive into why your mindset — not your skill set — determines the trajectory of your business. From the power of surrounding yourself with the right people to embracing change in a fast-moving industry, this episode challenges shop owners and leaders to elevate their awareness, rethink their environment, and commit to becoming an even better version of themselves. If you want to shift from fixed to growth mindset — and inspire your team to do the same — this conversation is your starting point.

Do you have a toxic team, or does your shop have a family atmosphere? Today, we’re talking about toxic leadership and team conflict in collision repair. Dr. Paul White, co-author of The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, joins the CollisionCast with speaker and coach Sheryl Driggers of Collision Advice, who's also a former collision repair shop owner, for real talk about tough people, team friction, and how to fix the things that slow your shop down.

I-CAR President and CEO Kyle Thompson joins the CollisionCast to highlight the organization's focus on talent development. Highlights of this year include the rollout of the I-CAR Academy and Registered Apprentice Program, plus the organization's strong partnerships with ASE, CREF, the Collision Career Institute, and WrenchWay.

Boost productivity, reduce turnover, and elevate morale by mastering one overlooked leadership skill: showing appreciation. Dr. Paul White, co-author of The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, joins the CollisionCast with speaker and coach Sheryl Driggers of Collision Advice, who's also a former collision repair shop owner, to talk about how misconceptions could be hurting your retention, morale, and results. 

In business, conflict is inevitable, whether it’s from customers or your staff. As Mike Jones, founder and president of Discover Leadership, points out, conflict often arises because people operate from their own “belief systems.”

In this episode, we’ll be talking with Andrew McInnes, FCSD, Collision & Global Brand Protection Manager, Ford Motor Company, about how the OEM recently updated its position statements for all Ford and Lincoln vehicles from 1996 and later to include a powerful word change to “required,” and the reasons for that change. For more information and the links to those position statements, go to: https://www.fenderbender.com/55321726.

Do you have an “I can” attitude…or an “I will” one? You may recall the protagonist in the children’s book “The Little Engine That Could” overcoming a seemingly impossible task. But according to Mike Jones, president and master trainer at Discover Leadership, “I can” is a statement only of potential. And saying, “I will try” can set oneself up with an excuse for failure. In this special CollisionCast episode, listen to Jones’ conversation with Chris Messer, executive vice president of EndeavorB2B’s Transportation Group, to see how you can change to an “I will” attitude.

Last year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized over 211,000 counterfeit auto parts, a whopping doubling from the number seized the previous year. This issue goes beyond selling an unlicensed copy of an emblem. NHTSA identified five known cases of death or serious injury in 2023 and 2024 in which the vehicle was equipped with a defective counterfeit air bag.

In this episode, Bob Stewart, president of the Automotive Anti-Counterfeiting Council and also aftermarket service support and brand protection manager at General Motors, joins CollisionCast to talk about the problem and how collision repairers can help identify these counterfeit parts.

To learn more or report a suspect part, go to:

Owners of late-model Audis can better find your Audi Authorized shop with the OEM's latest offering. Mark Allen, manager of collision equipment and EV after sales service at Audi of America, joins the CollisionCast to talk about the Audi Roadside Events Platform, a telematics-based roadside assistance and collision notification platform available in all Audi vehicles from 2016 and newer. It's designed to increase brand loyalty and help drive business to Audi Authorized Collision Repair shops.