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Don't get to the end of this year wishing you had taken action to change your business and your life.
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Shop-Ware gives you the tools to provide your shop with everything needed to become optimally profitable.
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If you're ready to make a real change in your shop's success, join Shop Marketing Pros' Plan With the Pros workshop this October to connect with them and other shop owners. You'll leave with your entire year for 2026 planned out.

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In this episode, David and Lucas sit down with Ethan Ross, the service manager for Choate Engineering Performance in Bolivar, TN. Ethan took an unconventional path to his position, spending time in the armed services before getting his degree in history. 

Having found himself in a new position and a new industry, Ethan struggled to make things work. He was on the cusp of quitting until a fateful phone call helped enact the change he needed. 

Ethan’s introduction. 0:01

Leadership changes when you have a gun in your hands. 7:21

The story of blue-collar America is the same across the country. 11:58

What do you expect from a technician? 16:35

How to get more listeners to your podcast. 17:40

How to use social media to get your message out. 21:09

The problem with the “five percenter” mentality. 22:51

The next step in the journey. 27:40

He looked at the business and said, “We’ve got to do something about this.” 32:05

The disconnect between numbers and the practical behaviors that lead to better numbers. 37:20

How do you explain your profit to your employees? 41:35

How do you make sure the right parts are on the parts list? 45:36

What’s easier to do when you’re working on a single truck or a single brand? 51:44

If you don’t understand the numbers, you’re not going to understand the business. 55:06

When your part numbers are off, your matrix is wrong. 59:38

How many shop owners have complained that they don’t like the Optimizer because they can adjust their prices? 1:05:07

What’s up with these trucks that have 1000 horsepower? 1:09:36