In this episode of Service Drive Revolution #365, Chris, Hogi, and Adam take the show on the road to beautiful Indiana! Broadcasting completely LIVE, Chris shares a deeply personal origin story, from the childhood humiliation that fueled his entrepreneurial drive to the grueling process of pitching over 100 banks just to buy his first store.

The team breaks down how transitioning from a Fixed Ops operator to a full Dealership Owner permanently altered Chris's approach to the service drive. We dive into the "Circle of Life" in a dealership, why standard industry departmental silos are destroying the customer experience, and how to weaponize vehicle personalization and accessories to drive massive profitability.

Plus: The crew discusses why poor dealership processes chew up good employees, and why a bad user interface in a rental Ford Expedition got them thinking about subconscious customer trust.

🔥 KEY TAKEAWAYS

- The Dealership Circle of Life: How understanding the 10,000-foot view reveals that customer retention in Fixed Ops directly dictates sales floor volume.

- The Sunday Evening Turn: The defining childhood moment of humiliation that set Chris on a path to completely reject poverty and trust his own entrepreneurial vision.

- Pitching 100+ Banks: The brutal reality of educating traditional lenders on automotive margins and raising capital as a self-made operator with no mentor. -

Breaking the Silos: Why separating parts, service, sales, and finance into isolated businesses ruins the customer experience, and how "Client Advisors" will replace traditional roles.

- The Lifestyle Goldmine: Why the most enthusiastic customers want to accessorize their vehicles, and how Fixed Ops leaders can break down barriers to capture that revenue in-house.

- Managing Personality Types: The massive difference between motivating extroverted front-end sales teams versus introverted, analytical Fixed Ops teams.

🛑 SDR Live Academy Online Training For Huge Results: https://chriscollinsinc.com/op/sdr-live-weekly/

🛑 Book your Profit Gap Analysis Now: https://calendly.com/byron-webster/30min

🛑 Best Selling books on making Fixed Ops a money printer: https://chriscollinsinc.com/shop/

🛑 Got a question? Call us at 1-833-3-ASK-SDR

🛑 Want to work with the best? https://chriscollinsinc.com/careers/

🛑 Grab Chris' New Leadership Book I AM LEADER: https://iamleader.com

In this episode of Service Drive Revolution #364, Chris, Hogi, and Adam dive deep into the mindset shift, the career trajectory, and the harsh realities behind stepping out of fixed operations to take over the entire dealership as a General Manager.

Chris shares his raw, unfiltered journey from being a lot attendant to running the front office, and why fixed ops operators actually hold a massive, unfair advantage when running a store.

The team breaks down the fear holding elite service managers back from making the jump, the massive shock of navigating variable sales and marketing, and the exact leadership dynamics required to stop running a loose department and start leading an asset.

Plus: The crew discusses the absolute necessity of non-stop personal growth, how books drastically change lives, and why a direct connection beats expensive advertising agencies every day of the week. (Note: This episode was pre-recorded while Chris interviews legendary broadcaster Joan Lunden for "Books That Changed My Life," so the team will catch you in the comments next week!)

KEY TAKEAWAYS

- The Unfair Fixed Ops Advantage: Why general managers who understand the service drive carry a lethal superpower for driving dealership profitability.

- Hiding vs. Leading: Breaking down the heavy self-handicap of a manager simply wanting to be liked versus executing visionary leadership.

- The "Plumber" Test: Why people naturally want to force your career into a singular, lazy category—and how to completely reject it.

- The Reality of Dealership Marketing: Moving away from traditional ad agencies throwing millions at right-wing radio and the Golf Channel, and bringing hyper-local community connection in-house.

- The 90% Retention Blueprint: A radical look at how rebuilding the sales floor to act like the service drive permanently eliminates client decision fatigue.

- SDR Live Academy Check-in: The details on how you can join the On-Demand membership community at chriscollinsinc.com to start mastering your numbers.

#ServiceDriveRevolution #FixedOps #AutomotiveLeadership #GeneralManager #ServiceManager #DealershipLife #CarBusiness #ChrisCollins #AutoIndustry #DealershipTraining #ServiceDirector #FixedOperations #BusinessStrategy #CareerGrowth #BookClub #personaldevelopment

🛑 SDR Live Academy Online Training For Huge Results: https://chriscollinsinc.com/op/sdr-live-weekly/

🛑 Book your Profit Gap Analysis Now: https://calendly.com/byron-webster/30min

🛑 Best Selling books on making Fixed Ops a money printer: https://chriscollinsinc.com/shop/

🛑 Got a question? Call us at 1-833-3-ASK-SDR

🛑 Want to work with the best? https://chriscollinsinc.com/careers/

🛑 Grab Chris' New Leadership Book I AM LEADER: https://iamleader.com

In this episode of Service Drive Revolution #363, Chris, Hogi, and Adam make history by officially broadcasting the show completely LIVE on YouTube for the very first time! This unannounced launch marks the beginning of a brand-new chapter for Fixed Ops training, complete with real-time community interaction, unfiltered insights, and zero room for second-guessing.

The team breaks down how this new live format leads directly into the newly launched SDR Academy, a dedicated space designed to give managers, advisors, and dealers the exact tools they need to run high-profit departments. From personal development to hands-on shop strategies, Chris outlines why you need a week to apply what you learn and why waiting around for the "perfect moment" is costing you real money.

🔥 KEY TAKEAWAYS - The Big Shift: Why the team decided to pull the trigger on going completely live on YouTube without giving anyone a heads-up. - The 10-Minute Break Blueprint: Behind the scenes of how the new Wednesday schedule works, transitioning from the public show straight into the private Zoom academy. - The Value of Application: Why spacing out deep core business training every other week gives your team the critical "saddle time" to execute what they learn. - Bonus Leadership Training: Chris reveals plans for the off-weeks, focusing heavily on personal growth, mindset shifts, and leadership psychology. - Building For Effect: Why high-performing service departments don't happen by accident, but through a committed, real-time community that holds you accountable. - How to Gain Entry: Step-by-step info on how to join the On-Demand membership at chriscollinsinc.com and get access to the live Zoom calls.

#ServiceDriveRevolution #FixedOps #AutomotiveLeadership #ServiceManager #ServiceAdvisor #DealershipLife #CarBusiness #ChrisCollins #AutoIndustry #DealershipTraining #ServiceDirector #FixedOperations #BusinessStrategy #GoingLive #SDRAcademy #PersonalDevelopment

🛑 SDR Live Academy Online Training For Huge Results: https://sdr.chriscollinsinc.com/

🛑 Book your Profit Gap Analysis Now: https://calendly.com/byron-webster/30min

🛑 Best Selling books on making Fixed Ops a money printer: https://chriscollinsinc.com/shop/

🛑 Got a question? Call us at 1-833-3-ASK-SDR

In this episode of Service Drive Revolution #362, Chris, Hogi, and Adam dig deep into the reality of what it actually takes to walk into a failing service department and completely flip it upside down.

Chris shares what he learned as a 24-year-old consultant, affectionately nicknamed "The Bulldog", by dealing with old-school managers who would rather lose money than change their systems. We break down the three distinct buckets every dealership falls into, the exact 4-week research and execution blueprint Chris used to double labor sales in 90 days, and why fixing a business is often less about the numbers and more about fixing human self-esteem.

Plus: Why the cashiers and porters always know more about your department's problems than the manager does.

🔥 KEY TAKEAWAYS - The Three Dealership Buckets: Why moving a store from losing money to breaking even is harder than giving birth, and why making good money makes you crave the "law of the slight edge." - The 4-Week Turnaround Blueprint: The exact step-by-step process of interviewing staff, auditing ROs, identifying warranty fraud, and launching massive, fast-paced changes. - Tricking Them Into Success: Why you can't always change someone's mind, and why letting the team take credit for your ideas is the ultimate leadership secret. - The Cashier & Porter Secret: Why the lowest-paid people in the building possess the exact blueprint of where your service advisors are failing. - Strategy vs. Criticism: How a powerful quote from the episode changes how you view your monthly performance report card. - Service Drive Revolution Academy: Don't miss out on the Live Academy launching the second week of June! Head over to chriscollinsinc.com to sign up.

📞 GOT A QUESTION OF YOUR OWN? Call 833-3-ASK-SDR — we answer on the show!

🛑 OnDemand Training For Huge Results: https://shorturl.at/j7J8u

🛑 Book a free 30-min. discovery call for coaching that grows your profits: https://chriscollinsinc.com/chris-collins-method/

🛑 Best Selling books on making Fixed Ops a money printer: https://chriscollinsinc.com/shop/

🛑 Got a question? Call us at 1-833-3-ASK-SDR

🛑 Want to work with the best? https://chriscollinsinc.com/careers/

🛑 Grab Chris' New Leadership Book I AM LEADER: https://iamleader.com

In this episode of Service Drive Revolution #361, Chris, Hogi, and Adam continue our origin series by jumping back in time to the moment Chris realized that financial statements are the secret key to everything in a dealership. ]

Chris shares a wild story about trading his own consulting services just to get a back-door education on how dealership financials actually work—and how a chance meeting with a former Kansas City Chiefs player changed his perspective.

Plus: A deep dive into the trap of fatalism in America today, and why understanding the numbers is your ultimate industry superpower.

🔥 KEY TAKEAWAYS - Trading For Secrets: How Chris bartered his skills to learn the financial blueprint that most GMs keep behind closed doors. - The Financial Trap: Why trying to fix a service department without understanding the statement means you're just doing a lot of work for nothing. - The Broken Industry Average: Why the average service department barely breaks even, and how numbers tell you exactly where the leaks are. - The Kansas City Chiefs Connection: A chance encounter that completely shifted the room's perspective on success and leadership. - Defeating Fatalism: Why giving up on systems or assuming "that's just how the business is" will kill your growth. - SDR Live Is Coming: A sneak peek at the upcoming Service Drive Revolution Academy launching in June to help you master these exact numbers.

#ServiceDriveRevolution #FixedOps #AutomotiveLeadership #ServiceManager #ServiceAdvisor #DealershipLife #CarBusiness #ChrisCollins #AutoIndustry #DealershipTraining #ServiceDirector #FixedOperations #OriginStory #FinancialStatements #DealershipMath #BusinessSuperpower

🛑 OnDemand Training For Huge Results: https://shorturl.at/j7J8u

🛑 Book a free 30-min discovery call for coaching that grows your profits: https://chriscollinsinc.com/chris-collins-method/

🛑 Best-selling books on making Fixed Ops a money printer: https://chriscollinsinc.com/shop/

🛑 Got a question? Call us at 1-833-3-ASK-SDR

🛑 Want to work with the best? https://chriscollinsinc.com/careers/

🛑 Grab Chris' New Leadership Book I AM LEADER: https://iamleader.com

In this episode of Service Drive Revolution #360, Chris, Hogi, and Adam share the incredible origin story of how the best Service Advisor training in the industry was actually born. Chris takes us back to the early 90s Seattle grunge scene, where he worked as a cold, wet part-time lot attendant while chasing a rock-and-roll drumming dream—and how an incredibly lazy coworker named Thomas became his ultimate inspiration for sales mastery.

Plus: A look ahead to our brand new Service Drive Revolution Live virtual certification series kicking off in June!

🔥 KEY TAKEAWAYS - The Birth of Elite Training: How analyzing a terrible coworker's bad habits led to a 12-point blueprint for service drive success. - The "Thomas Kemper" Effect: Why asking a customer "Do you have an appointment?" is the absolute worst way to greet them. - Never Prejudge Your Customers: Why you must always present the inspection results, even to broke college kids. - The Kinko's Masterpiece: How Chris rented a word processor by the 15-minute block to print his very first advisor workbook. - The Seattle Grunge Era: Balancing late-night band practices next door to Soundgarden with early morning service drive hustle. - Outwork Everyone: Why a relentless work ethic on the front lines is the only real foundation for a legendary automotive career.

📞 GOT A QUESTION OF YOUR OWN? Call 833-3-ASK-SDR — we answer on the show!

#ServiceDriveRevolution #FixedOps #AutomotiveLeadership #ServiceManager #ServiceAdvisor #DealershipLife #CarBusiness #ChrisCollins #AutoIndustry #DealershipTraining #ServiceDirector #FixedOperations #OriginStory #SalesTraining #SeattleGrunge #CustomerExperience

🛑 Get your On-Demand Training & See Huge Results: https://shorturl.at/j7J8u

🛑 Book a free 30-min discovery call for coaching that grows your profits: https://chriscollinsinc.com/chris-collins-method/

🛑 Best-selling books on making Fixed Ops a money printer: https://chriscollinsinc.com/shop/

🛑 Got a question? Call us at 1-833-3-ASK-SDR

🛑 Want to work with the best? https://chriscollinsinc.com/careers/

🛑 Grab Chris' New Leadership Book I AM LEADER: https://iamleader.com

In this episode of Service Drive Revolution #359, Chris, Hogi, and Adam kick off a brand new series diving into the origin story of the Bulldog. Chris reminisces about the pivotal moments that shaped his career, starting with a life-altering piece of advice from a soccer coach that led him away from the field and into the car business.

Plus: A look ahead to our upcoming Service Manager University Live certification starting in June!

🔥KEY TAKEAWAYS

- The Soccer Coach's Ultimatum: Why a single conversation about commitment changed Chris's entire career trajectory.

- The Decision to Pivot: Choosing between professional soccer, a music career, and the world of business.

- Service Manager University Live: A sneak peek at our new virtual community for certifying elite service managers.

- The Value of Focus: Why going "100% in" is the only way to make something of yourself.

- Reminiscing on the Journey: Part 1 of a new series exploring how the industry's best training content was created.

- The Tacoma Stars: How close Chris came to a completely different life in professional sports.

📞 GOT A QUESTION OF YOUR OWN? Call 833-3-ASK-SDR — we answer on the show!

Get your On-Demand Training & See Huge Results: https://shorturl.at/j7J8u

🛑 Book a free 30-min. discovery call for coaching that grows your profits: https://chriscollinsinc.com/chris-collins-method/

🛑 Best Selling books on making Fixed Ops a money printer: https://chriscollinsinc.com/shop/

🛑 Got a question? Call us at 1-833-3-ASK-SDR

🛑 Want to work with the best? https://chriscollinsinc.com/careers/

🛑 Grab Chris' New Leadership Book I AM LEADER: https://iamleader.com

#ServiceDriveRevolution #FixedOps #AutomotiveLeadership #ServiceManager #ServiceAdvisor #DealershipLife #CarBusiness #ChrisCollins #AutoIndustry #DealershipTraining #ServiceDirector #OriginStory #CareerAdvice #SuccessMindset #AutomotiveHistory

In this episode of Service Drive Revolution #358, Chris, Hogi, and Adam dive into a controversial trend: dealerships using social media to make fun of their own customers. We also follow up on a massive career question (promotions) from our @YouTube community regarding the value of a degree versus actual "saddle time" on the service drive.

Plus: Chris shares an incredible story about a million-dollar job offer that proves why you can never keep results a secret. 🔥

KEY TAKEAWAYS - The Social Media Trap: Why "making fun of customers" is a dangerous marketing strategy that kills long-term trust. - The Promotion Gap: Why a degree in Automotive Management won't save you if you don't have a track record of performance. - Saddle Time Matters: Why you need to be an advisor or technician before you try to lead them. - The "Million Dollar" Check: Chris's real-life lesson on how a track record of selling cars is the ultimate job security. - Stop Hiding Behind Education: Why results are the only currency that truly matters in the car business. - Results Can't Be Secret: How to build a reputation that makes GMs and Owners come looking for you. 📞 GOT A QUESTION OF YOUR OWN? Call 833-3-ASK-SDR — we answer on the show!

#ServiceDriveRevolution #FixedOps #AutomotiveLeadership #ServiceManager #ServiceAdvisor #DealershipLife #CarBusiness #ChrisCollins #AutoIndustry #DealershipTraining #ServiceDirector #FixedOperations #CareerGrowth #AutomotiveManagement #PromotionTips #JobPerformance

🛑 OnDemand Training For Huge Results: https://shorturl.at/j7J8u

🛑 Book a free 30-min. discovery call for coaching that grows your profits: https://chriscollinsinc.com/chris-collins-method/

🛑 Best Selling books on making Fixed Ops a money printer: https://chriscollinsinc.com/shop/

🛑 Got a question? Call us at 1-833-3-ASK-SDR

🛑 Want to work with the best? https://chriscollinsinc.com/careers/

🛑 Grab Chris' New Leadership Book I AM LEADER: https://iamleader.com

In this episode of Service Drive Revolution, Chris, Hogi, and Adam dive deep into the YouTube comment section to answer your most pressing questions about shop flow, advisor success, and the future of car ownership.

Plus: A heated discussion on the 2021 law mandating "kill switches" and driver monitoring in every car sold after 2027.

🔥 KEY TAKEAWAYS - The 2027 Mandate: Everything you need to know about the law requiring cabin sensors and remote shut-off capabilities. - Kill the Dispatcher: Why traditional dispatching is a constraint that slows down your shop's throughput. - Lateral Support: How breaking your shop into smaller teams allows advisors to control their own destiny. - Connection: Technical Knowledge: Why the best advisors aren't former techs, but people who know how to build trust. - Matrix Pricing: Using a scientific approach to labor rates instead of just "straight hours". - The Stafford Beer Rule: Remembering that the "purpose of a system is what it does"—not what it claims to do. 📞 GOT A QUESTION OF YOUR OWN? Call 833-3-ASK-SDR — we answer on the show! #ServiceDriveRevolution #FixedOps #AutomotiveLeadership #ServiceManager #ServiceAdvisor #DealershipLife #CarBusiness #ChrisCollins #AutoIndustry #DealershipTraining #ServiceDirector #FixedOperations #PrivacyRights #AutoTech #KillSwitch #ShopEfficiency 🛑 OnDemand Training For Huge Results: https://shorturl.at/j7J8u 🛑 Book a free 30-min discovery call for coaching that grows your profits: https://chriscollinsinc.com/chris-collins-method/ 🛑 Best-selling books on making Fixed Ops a money printer: https://chriscollinsinc.com/shop/ 🛑 Got a question? Call us at 1-833-3-ASK-SDR 🛑 Want to work with the best? https://chriscollinsinc.com/careers/ 🛑 Grab Chris' New Leadership Book I AM LEADER: https://iamleader.com

In this new episode of Service Drive Revolution, the entire CCI coaching staff is in the room — Chris, Jean, Hogi, Hunter, Blake, Adam, Jared, Avery, and Cliff — answering YOUR questions and getting brutally honest about the habits that made (and almost broke) their careers in fixed ops.

Plus: a goosebumps moment as Cliff shares his son's role in the Venezuela boat operation. 🇺🇸

🔥 KEY TAKEAWAYS

- Address the original concern + additional needs in ONE call — never two - Use the Table of Contents technique to present the full picture - A degree without saddle time = no callback. Get on the front lines first - Leadership ≠ gender. It's about being effective and reading the room - Top performers ask questions. Low performers give the loudest advice - If you keep hitting the same wall, the wall isn't the problem

📞 GOT A QUESTION OF YOUR OWN? Call 833-3-ASK-SDR — we answer on the show!

#ServiceDriveRevolution #FixedOps #AutomotiveLeadership #ServiceManager #ServiceAdvisor #DealershipLife #CarBusiness #ChrisCollins #AutoIndustry #DealershipTraining #ServiceDirector #FixedOperations #AutomotiveCareers #DealerLife #AutoSales #ServiceDept

🛑 OnDemand Training For Huge Results : https://shorturl.at/j7J8u

🛑 Book a free 30-min. discovery call for coaching that grows your profits: https://chriscollinsinc.com/chris-collins-method/

🛑 Best Selling books on making Fixed Ops a money printer: https://chriscollinsinc.com/shop/

🛑 Got a question? Call us at 1-833-3-ASK-SDR

🛑 Want to work with the best? https://chriscollinsinc.com/careers/

🛑 Grab Chris' New Leadership Book I AM LEADER: https://iamleader.com