From Navy Veteran to Coaching Service Teams | Alec Ruffini & Clemente Dominguez | Wrench Turners Podcast

Today’s guests didn’t stumble into leadership; they forged their way there. Alec Ruffini, a Navy veteran turned automotive coach, and Clemente Dominguez, a rising shop foreman, join host Joshua Taylor to talk about what it really takes to run a high-performing dealership service department.

From ethical sales and technician development to team dynamics and trust-building, this episode is packed with hard-earned wisdom. Alec shares lessons from decades of turning around underperforming shops, while Clemente offers a fresh perspective from someone who went from independent repair to managing a 25-person dealership team.

💥 Topics we cover:

👉 Alec’s unexpected career path

👉 Why integrity matters

👉 What Clemente learned

👉 How to build technician trust

👉 What it actually means to be a steward

👉 Communication shapes team performance

👉 The one mindset every technician needs

👉 Managing stress

If you're in Fixed Ops, an aspiring leader, or a technician wondering how to level up, this is your playbook. This is how leaders get built.

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Chapters:

00:00 Leadership that changes Fixed Ops

01:55 Navy to service director

03:45 Clemente’s path

07:26 The big transition: smol vs large

10:10 Coaching culture: “More or better”

12:04 Alec’s leadership test

17:03 Mentorship wins

21:29 How great leaders build trust

27:13 Clemente’s “shop equality”

32:30 Advice for techs

35:46 How Alec and Clemente manage anxiety