When something’s off in your shop—profit’s down, productivity’s lagging, or margins are shrinking—it’s easy to blame the numbers. But what if the real problem isn’t the numbers themselves… but how we interpret them?

Today on Ratchet+Wrench Radio, we’re joined by Hunt Demarest, a partner at Paar Melis & Associates, leading financial expert in the auto repair industry, and host of the Business by the Numbers podcast. Hunt works closely with shop owners to dig into the data behind the decisions. Today, he's here to challenge some assumptions and walk us through the common traps shop owners fall into when reading their financials.

Charlie Zlatkos, owner of Pleasant Care Car, immigrated to the U.S. at 17. He talks about growing his vocabulary from four English words to opening and running a multi-million-dollar a year shop.

Zlatkos also talks about being mentored by Todd Hyes of Auto Shop Answers and how his perspective on entrepreneurship was changed. 

Lastly, he tells the story of a 13-year-old boy on a bicycle who stopped by his shop, and how that encounter changed both of their lives.

In this episode of Ratchet+Wrench Radio, Group Editorial Director Chris Jones discusses a situation that every shop owner needs to understand—how to handle a customer fallout before it goes viral.

Synergy Auto Care in Wilson, North Carolina, made national headlines on June 19 after a Black customer walked out over employees' dismissive comments about Juneteenth.

We're going to break down exactly what happened and give you five concrete lessons that could save your shop from a similar crisis. Because in today's connected world, one bad moment can undo years of reputation building.

In this episode, Lisa Foshee, senior vice president of Government Affairs and General Counsel at Auto Care Association, breaks down the right to repair battle affecting independent auto repair shops. As automakers fight to restrict access to diagnostic data, independent auto repair shops and their customers face an existential threat. Foshee covers Massachusetts' leading legislation, Maine's efforts, federal bill status, and the legislative process. She explains the economic stakes and provides practical advocacy steps for shop owners and their customers.

Join us on Ratchet+Wrench Radio as Mike Jones from Discover Leadership Training shares powerful insights on elevating your leadership game.

In this episode, Mike explores the critical distinctions between leadership and management, reveals how discipline fuels personal and professional growth, explains why traditional motivation falls short and what drives lasting change, and identifies common communication pitfalls that derail leaders, plus proven strategies to overcome them.

This episode originally aired on Aftermarket All-Access.

We're living through uncertain and changing times. In this episode, Josh Parnell of Limitless Leadership talks about how to lead without wavering.

In this episode of Ratchet+Wrench Radio, sponsored by Bosch, Shawn Dupuie, Senior Director of Sales and Operations, joins Ivan Rioja-Scott, editor-in-chief, to dig into what modern shop success really looks like. The pair discusses culture, KPIs, technician retention, pay plans, emerging tech and more. You’ll hear why continued education matters, how to spot red flags early and where to find reliable info to stay ahead. Whether you’re solving current problems or trying to prevent future ones, this conversation offers real, firsthand insights to help your shop level up and stay there. 

In this episode, Steve Dawson, Washington D.C. regional manager for Hunter Engineering, talks about what auto repair shop owners and technicians need to do to be ADAS-ready. He discusses preparation and infrastructure, necessary training and skills, liability and legal implications of calibration, and how to educate customers on the necessity and importance of calibration. 

In this episode of Ratchet+Wrench Radio, Margaret Light, licensed marriage and family therapist of Equilibrium Therapy Services P.L.L.C. talks about the impact of mental health on decision-making in business. She also has tips for owners and managers who are too optimistic or too pessimistic, and discusses how to bounce back mentally from a bad decision.

In this episode of Rachet+Wrench Radio, sponsored by SHOP-WARE, Editor-in-Chief Ivan Rioja-Scott sits down with Cavan Robinson, VP of Vehlo, to talk about how SHOP-WARE can help improve your shop’s efficiency and bottom-line results. By using a streamlined cloud-based platform, you can significantly improve customer service while ensuring your shop runs seamlessly, boosting car counts, average repair orders and technician efficiency.