This week's key takeaway: Exploring Bold Strategies with Ben Chesterfield

Episode intro: This week we give you one heck of a success story from Ben Chesterfield: the man who took the bold move to diversify and jump into hail repair. Seeing as our theme for Paint & Panel L!ve this year is Bold Strategies and Total Hail Solutions are a sponsor, Sam Street paid him a visit and asked him how he pulled it off. Ben is the GM of Total Hail Solutions in Queensland, who are part of the Car Craft Group. As more and more insurance companies give hail work to specialist hail companies, it's really worth hearing how Ben is making it work and why it benefits the Car Craft network.

In this week's episode you will learn:

• Why Ben branched out into hail
• Where Total Hail get their business from
• How to work on hail with fleets
• The average work rate of a hail technician
• The advantage of being part of a wider group
• How conventional repair work meshes with hail work
• How hail repair can be delivered in multiple locations
• The difficulty for conventional repairers to manage hail
• The most common repairs from hail damage

Show links: ** Get your tickets to Paint & Panel Live: https://paintandpanel.live/ ** Get your tickets to the Paint & Panel Bodyshop Awards: https://www.paintandpanel.com.au/bodyshopawards ** Do you have something unique you want to share with us? Contact Paint & Panel editor Sam Street at: [email protected] ** Go to www.paintandpanel.com.au to sign up for our weekly E-newsletter ** Go to www.paintandpanel.com.au/podcast to catch up on past shows and access show notes from every episode.

This week's key takeaway: The Women in Collision Awards, with George Manos & Keira Dyer Episode intro: It's that time of the year again - the time when we celebrate the contribution of women in our industry with the Women in Collision Awards. We speak to two people from our platinum event sponsors, IAG. George Manos (industry risk and governance manager) and Keira Dyer (manager of motor assessing operations). We get a great insight into what it's like to be part of an organisation that is driving inclusivity, why IAG are sponsoring the awards, and what it has been like for Keira in a male-dominated industry. PS: Nominations for the Women in Collision Awards are now open. If you know any women who deserve recognition for their excellent work, go to the Events & Awards section of the Paint & Panel website and get those nominations in! In this week's episode you will learn:

• How to make change in a male-dominated industry
• The success of the previous awards
• What is was like for a young female to work for the NRMA
• The inner workings of motor assessment
• The value of an MBA for Keira
• What the industry can do to improve inclusion
• Keira's own strategies for getting on in the industry
• Why industry pathways should be promoted better
• How industry culture has modernised to be more inclusive
• Why you should nominate someone for the awards

Show links: ** Find out more about the Women in Collision Awards here: https://www.paintandpanel.com.au/page/women-in-collision ** Find George on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-manos-2b3b39a/?originalSubdomain=au ** Get your tickets to Paint & Panel Live: https://paintandpanel.live/ ** Get your tickets to the Paint & Panel Bodyshop Awards: https://www.paintandpanel.com.au/bodyshopawards ** Do you have something unique you want to share with us? Contact Paint & Panel editor Sam Street at: [email protected] ** Go to www.paintandpanel.com.au to sign up for our weekly E-newsletter ** Go to www.paintandpanel.com.au/podcast to catch up on past shows and access show notes from every episode.

This week's key takeaway: Upskill your team to future proof your business Episode intro: We cannot overstate the importance of training to your business and the industry as a whole. Complaining about a skills shortage is all well and good, but what are you doing about it? This week, we're speaking to I-CAR's Jason Trewin (COO) and Gary Wood (Senior Training Specialist) about their increasingly diverse range of training. We've been trying to get these boys on the podcast since we started, but they've always been too busy training people to find the time to do an interview. But they hadn't bargained on our editor Sam Street going all the way to Melbourne and literally turning up on their doorstep! Sam's cross-country trip certainly paid off. Jason and Gary shared so much great insight about what we can do as an industry to upskill our workers.

In this week's episode you will learn:

• Why the welding program is so important for any technician
• How industry roles are diversifying
• Why more shops are achieving I-CAR Gold Class
• What I-CAR can offer via their industry partners
• The rapid growth of multi-skilling
• The importance of front-of-house training
• Why I-CAR is diversifying its training offering
• How training can be a badge of honour for your business
• Why it's worth the risk of staff leaving after you've trained them up

Show links: ** Find Jason on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-trewin-8b8b9959/ ** Get your tickets to Paint & Panel Live: https://paintandpanel.live/ ** Get your tickets to the Paint & Panel Bodyshop Awards: https://www.paintandpanel.com.au/bodyshopawards ** Do you have something unique you want to share with us? Contact Paint & Panel editor Sam Street at: [email protected] ** Go to www.paintandpanel.com.au to sign up for our weekly E-newsletter ** Go to www.paintandpanel.com.au/podcast to catch up on past shows and access show notes from every episode.

This week's key takeaway: A deep dive into the world of body filler - with James Lawson Episode intro: This week we give you the lowdown on an essential-but-often-misunderstood aspect of our process; body filler. There is much more to body filler than meets the eye. If you don't apply your bog correctly, it can have disastrous consequences for both the shop and the vehicle owner. Editor Sam gets the insight from our favourite Specialist Educator, James Lawson, who you may recognise from a recent Paint & Panel episode about training at 3M. If you want to make your next body-filler application a work of art, listen hard and take notes! In this week's episode you will learn:

• Essential PPE when applying body filler
• How to avoid skin diseases
• How to prepare the panel for filler
• How to avoid films forming on a panel
• The right cleaner to use
• Why you should use a multi-leaf mixing board
• The most common failures
• How to protect your work from damp and humidity
• The chemical makeup of a body filler
• What is the correct amount of hardener?

Show links: ** Find James on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-lawson-123415160/?originalSubdomain=au ** 3M's free training academy: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/collision-repair-us/collision-repair-academy/ ** Get your tickets to Paint & Panel Live: https://paintandpanel.live/ ** Get your tickets to the Paint & Panel Bodyshop Awards: https://www.paintandpanel.com.au/bodyshopawards ** Do you have something unique you want to share with us? Contact Paint & Panel editor Sam Street at: [email protected] ** Go to www.paintandpanel.com.au to sign up for our weekly E-newsletter ** Go to www.paintandpanel.com.au/podcast to catch up on past shows and access show notes from every episode.

This week's key takeaway: Celebrating 25 years of the Bathurst 1000 with Steve Normoyle Episode intro: We've got something a bit different on the show this week: a trip down memory lane about the world-famous Aussie institution, the Bathurst 1000. Our guest Steve Normoyle has covered the Bathurst for three decades. As one of Australia's most eminent motorsport enthusiasts, Steve has just published a new version of a book chronicling the sights and stories of the legendary race since 1963. Even if you don't follow the Bathurst, you'll enjoy hearing the ever-charismatic Steve tell the story behind it, and how it was so fundamental to the success and failure of car manufacturers on the forecourt. In this week's episode you will learn:

• How the Bathurst started
• Steve's journey into motorsport writing
• What's new in Steve's book
• How the Bathurst functioned as a marketing exercise for cars in the showroom
• How the cars have evolved down the years
• The original circuit for the Bathurst
• How the Mount Panorama track has changed

Show links: ** Find Steve on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-normoyle-b8756436/?originalSubdomain=au ** Buy Steve's book: 'Bathurst - 60 Years of the Great Race' here: https://www.simonandschuster.com.au/books/Bathurst-60-Years-of-the-Great-Race/Steve-Normoyle/9780645207019 ** Get your tickets to Paint & Panel Live: https://paintandpanel.live/ ** Get your tickets to the Paint & Panel Bodyshop Awards: https://www.paintandpanel.com.au/bodyshopawards ** Do you have something unique you want to share with us? Contact Paint & Panel editor Sam Street at: [email protected] ** Go to www.paintandpanel.com.au to sign up for our weekly E-newsletter ** Go to www.paintandpanel.com.au/podcast to catch up on past shows and access show notes from every episode.

This week's key takeaway: 3M's global strategy to help collision repairers Episode intro: Editor Sam went out to the 3M training facility in Blacktown to give you the lowdown on the extensive training on offer at 3M. Our guests Justin Myers (3M automotive aftermarket division manager) and James Lawson (collision repair specialist educator) talk us through the groundbreaking initiatives on offer, and how repair shops like yours are using the courses to stay ahead of the game. In this week's episode you will learn:

• How to keep your technicians up-to-date with 3M products
• How 3M are investing globally
• The importance of upskilling your staff
• On-site training options for Australia & New Zealand
• How specialist programs are bringing foreign technicians up to speed
• 3M's partnership with I-CAR
• The new courses 3M will offer
• The flexibility of the current courses

Show links: ** 3M's free training academy: https://www.3m.com.au/3M/en_AU/collision-repair-au/resources/collision-repair-academy/ ** Find Justin on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-myers-56b446b2/?originalSubdomain=au ** Find James on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-lawson-123415160/?originalSubdomain=au ** Get your tickets to Paint & Panel Live: https://paintandpanel.live/ ** Get your tickets to the Paint & Panel Bodyshop Awards: https://www.paintandpanel.com.au/bodyshopawards ** Do you have something unique you want to share with us? Contact Paint & Panel editor Sam Street at: [email protected] ** Go to www.paintandpanel.com.au to sign up for our weekly E-newsletter ** Go to www.paintandpanel.com.au/podcast to catch up on past shows and access show notes from every episode.

This week's key takeaway: A natural extension of the customer journey with NDRA

Episode intro: Editor Sam speaks to David Butcher and John Dawson from Paint & Panel Live-sponsors, NDRA. As you will find out, the National Debt Recovery Authority does more than simply recover debt. It acts as a vital go-between to ensure customers and repairers receive fair and reasonable rates from insurers.

You might not think you need the NDRA, but you probably won't say that once you've heard what David and John have to say. There's no doubt they can help everyone get a better deal.

In this week's episode you will learn:

• Why sponsoring Paint & Panel Live is a good idea for the NDRA
• How bold strategies can work
• How to negotiate with insurers
• Why an independent 3rd party can improve outcomes for both customers and insurance companies
• How independent assessors can help the process
• The importance of customers being able to choose their repairer
• Why the reputation of third-party repairers is improving

Show links: ** Free online masterclass with Ben http://maxmyprofit.com.au/start ** Get your tickets to Paint & Panel Live: https://paintandpanel.live/ ** Get your tickets to the Paint & Panel Bodyshop Awards: https://www.paintandpanel.com.au/bodyshopawards ** NDRA: https://ndra.com.au/ ** Do you have something unique you want to share with us? Contact Paint & Panel editor Sam Street at: [email protected] ** Go to www.paintandpanel.com.au to sign up for our weekly E-newsletter ** Go to www.paintandpanel.com.au/podcast to catch up on past shows and access show notes from every episode.

This week's key takeaway: Customer loyalty is your key to success - with Sudeep Aikar

Episode intro: We've got a great story for you on this week's episode. Sudeep Aikar only came to this country eight months ago, but he's already making waves in Western Australia. The production manager/estimator at Reneew Collision Repair was recruited by our former guests Ash Jardine and Aaron Scagliotta, having worked for the likes of Jaguar Land Rover in the middle east.

Just how did a man who started repairing bicycles in India end up at the top of the industry on the other side of the world? And how does he do customer service so well that he made the finals of the Bodyshop Awards? Listen to find out!

In this week's episode you will learn:

• Sudeep's incredible story
• How Sudeep turned around the fortunes of a body shop
• The differences between the Asian/middle-eastern market and Australia
• The systems you need to make a customer happy
• How to exceed the expectations of a customer
• How to make the customer say 'wow!' when you return their car
• The net promoter score explained

Show links: ** Reneew website: https://www.reneew.com.au/ ** Get your tickets to Paint & Panel Live: https://paintandpanel.live/ ** Get your tickets to the Paint & Panel Bodyshop Awards: https://www.paintandpanel.com.au/bodyshopawards ** Do you have something unique you want to share with us? Contact Paint & Panel editor Sam Street at: [email protected]

** Go to www.paintandpanel.com.au to sign up for our weekly E-newsletter

** Go to www.paintandpanel.com.au/podcast to catch up on past shows and access show notes from every episode.

This week's key takeaway: The Bodyshop Awards Judges Wrap Up

Episode intro: With the Bodyshop Awards coming up, this is your chance to gain an insight into how a judge's mind works.

We'd like to give a big shout out to the judges who give up their time, unpaid. They really do it for the love. In this episode you'll be hearing from:

Steve Lozenkovski (General Manager, Bears Group) https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-lozenkovski-14436b91/?originalSubdomain=au

Greg Preston (Group Executive Manager, Plastfix) https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-preston-38418466/?originalSubdomain=au

Michelle Te Rure (Operations Manager, Action Smart Group) https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-te-rure-9a553760/?originalSubdomain=au

Brenda Iverson (former shop owner)

Corey Wells (Ringleader, Wells Autobody) https://www.linkedin.com/in/cory-wells-208285275/?originalSubdomain=au

And our very own: Ben Fewtrell https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfewtrell/?originalSubdomain=au

Sam Street (Paint & Panel Editor) https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-street-a3462916/?originalSubdomain=au

In this week's episode you will learn:

• This year's industry trends
• Why the industry has a bright future
• What a winning business looks like
• This year's award categories

Show links: ** Get your tickets to Paint & Panel Live: https://paintandpanel.live/ ** Get your tickets to the Paint & Panel Bodyshop Awards: https://www.paintandpanel.com.au/bodyshopawards ** Do you have something unique you want to share with us? Contact Paint & Panel editor Sam Street at: [email protected] ** Go to www.paintandpanel.com.au to sign up for our weekly E-newsletter ** Go to www.paintandpanel.com.au/podcast to catch up on past shows and access show notes from every episode.

This week's key takeaway: Introducing the Australian Collision Industry Alliance - with Rob Bartlett

Episode intro: How do you get young people into the collision repair industry? It's a constant battle, but there are people out there doing a sterling job in making it happen. We speak to Rob Bartlett, founding director of the Australian Collision Industry Alliance.

The ACIA is a new and exciting not-for-profit organisation promoting careers in the collision repair industry. Rob talks us through the work of the organisation and the big ambitions for the future.

In this week's episode you will learn:

• Why the ACIA is needed
• How the ACIA is empowering young people
• The importance of educating careers advisors
• How the ACIA is expanding
• The contribution of the Motor Trades Association
• The networking potential of the ACIA
• How you can get involved with the ACIA
• Do career days really work?

Show links: ** Find out more and join the ACIA here: https://www.paintandpanel.com.au/news/news/australian-collision-industry-alliance-announced ** Find Rob Bartlett on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/rob-bartlett-supplyside_australian-collision-industry-alliance-announced-activity-7069116288580685824-8iI6/?originalSubdomain=lk ** Get your tickets to Paint & Panel Live: https://paintandpanel.live/ ** Get your tickets to the Paint & Panel Bodyshop Awards: https://www.paintandpanel.com.au/bodyshopawards ** Do you have something unique you want to share with us? Contact Paint & Panel editor Sam Street at: [email protected] ** Go to www.paintandpanel.com.au to sign up for our weekly E-newsletter ** Go to www.paintandpanel.com.au/podcast to catch up on past shows and access show notes from every episode. **To join ACIA or volunteer to help email: [email protected]