Neal Maier and David Christopher are Co-founders of Tread Partners, a digital marketing agency focused on using SEO, marketing, and branding to help tire companies and auto-repair shops grow and thrive.

Neal was previously a Partner at 3VE and COO of TexTivia, which rebranded into 3VE. He has worked for multiple automotive companies such as Autoshop Solutions and Auto Pro To Call.

David was previously a Partner at 3VE and the Founder of TexTivia, which rebranded into 3VE. He has over 20 years of experience owning and operating businesses, including his own family’s auto repair shop.

Mike Edge is in business development at Tread Partners. He has had a lengthy career in his field, having previously been the Owner and Business Development expert for Resource Connection, Inc., Director of Business Development at Upright Communications, and Owner of T.M. Edge, Inc.

In this episode…

When Neal Maier, David Christopher, and Mike Edge from Tread Partners first decided to do a podcast featuring guests from the tire and auto repair industry, Neal says they never imagined they’d make it to their 100th episode — especially since it took what seemed like forever to land their first guest. But after a little trial and error, dozens of Zoom calls, and all kinds of interesting and informative conversations, they are now in a position to look back on 100 episodes of Gain Traction!

On this 100th episode of Gain Traction, Neal, David and Mike join Rise25’s Chad Franzen to reminisce about some of their most memorable podcast interviews. They discuss what they enjoy most about hosting the show and the relationships they’ve built. They also look back on valuable information and insights they’ve received from guests on topics such as sales, culture, training, tire and repair legislation, and having fun at work.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: 

• Mike Edge, David Christopher and Neal Maier each share what they most enjoy about hosting Gain Traction
• Mike looks back on a particularly funny story heard during one of his interviews
• The longest amount of time Neal and a guest have spent talking before hitting the record button
• David highlights the importance of Right to Repair and tire registration for anyone in the industry
• The most important criteria for being an effective salesman 
• Why culture eats strategy for lunch
• How often Neal learns something new from a guest, despite having worked for decades in the industry 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Neal Maier on LinkedIn
• David Christopher on LinkedIn
• Mike Edge on LinkedIn
• Tread Partners
• Robert “Sonny” McDonald on LinkedIn
• Randy O’Connor on LinkedIn
• Roy Littlefield on LinkedIn
• Marc Pons on LinkedIn
• Ron Dolan on LinkedIn
• Kim McMahon on LinkedIn
• Joe McDonald on LinkedIn
• Jared Kugel on LinkedIn
• Jason Rook on LinkedIn
• Lance Bullock on LinkedIn
• Angie Oleson on LinkedIn
• Kent Coleman on LinkedIn
• Larry Sutton on LinkedIn
• Judd Shader on LinkedIn
• Michael Mathis on LinkedIn
• Tim Winkeler on LinkedIn
• Jarid Lundeen on LinkedIn 
• Chad Franzen on LinkedIn
• Rise25

Sponsor for this episode...

This episode is brought to you by Tread Partners. 

At Tread Partners, we provide digital marketing for multi-location tire dealers and auto repair shops. 

By using our strategy, branding, and marketing services, we help shops sell more tires and put more cars in bays.

We’ve helped companies like Action Gator Tire, Colony Tire and Service, and Ulmer’s Auto Care Center bring extreme growth in paid leads, ROI, and searches. 

So, what are you waiting for?

Visit www.treadpartners.com or email [email protected] to learn more.