Shop Fix Academy Podcast

Today is Friday, July 29th, and NEXT WEEK I’m grateful to be a part of the annual Shop Hackers conference in Nashville TN. If you’re attending that conference, please come and say 'hi'! Because of the conference this week I’m reposting one of our top episodes for anyone who’s not heard it. 

FYI, there won’t be a new episode next week, but on Friday 8/11, and going forward, I’ve got some incredible interviews in the pipeline that I can’t wait for you to hear.

This week we revisit my conversation with none other than 26-year industry veteran and Ratchet and Wrench cover star Michael Rosenberger aka "The Berg".

Michael started in the industry literally sweeping the floors in his dad's shop. Through a series of big moves, painful blows, and incredible lessons, he now owns 2 great shops in Texas. 

In the episode, he shares how we broke free from old mindsets and became the owner he needed to be. 

This was an incredible interview.

After being in the automotive industry for a while now, one word that comes to mind for me when describing us is COMMUNITY. Though it seems individualism ranks high in the traits of most of us, I’ve experienced that those in our community are incredibly willing to help one another out when called upon. But, how do you ask for help? How do you engage someone you want to connect with, and why is it so important to do that anyway? Our guest, Nate Winston, co-owner of ECP Auto Repair & Service in Ohio, will answer these important questions for us.  Nate has made a splash this year on Facebook by visiting nearly a dozen shops and recording his experiences through Facebook Lives. His recordings not only show his experiences, but they set an incredible example of what being in a community can look like. I enjoyed this interview and getting to know Nate… you will too.

What if you found out all along you that YOU were the problem that was causing your shop, or even your life to not be where you wanted them to be — that you were the source of your own discontentment and frustration. I feel that so many people run from such a thought because honestly, I think when we acknowledge that we have that much power, it would mean we have to take responsibility and change. It was this train of thought that transformed today’s hero, Todd Baldridge owner of Buckeye Complete Auto care in Columbus OH. Todd owned his responsibility in his situation and it changed everything. This revelation propelled him to create a thriving shop where his team loves working there and his customers have to fight over parking spots just to get in. There are so many great nuggets in this great interview. 

Building a business from nothing, growing it into a family empire, and then passing it on to your kids. It’s the full circle. It’s the dream. It’s the goal that so many shop owners have, but how many actually get to see it happen successfully. This episode's guest is Doug Hillmuth, co-founder of Hillmuth Certified Automotive in Maryland. Doug actually accomplished the dream. In this episode, he'll share how he did it. If this is your dream too, then this is THE episode you need to listen to. 

Angry, burnt-out, and stuck. Those are some words that would describe where Joe Stokes found himself years ago. He was an incredible tech, made good money, and by all counts lived a good life, but he was miserable. He was angry. He was burnt out. His state became unbearable. He found himself forced to make a choice to either give in to the despair or somehow find a way to break free. Luckily, Joe found the way out, and in this powerful episode, he'll reveal how he did it and call you to do the same.

Joe Stokes has been in the auto industry for 20+ years. He is the District Manager for EuroFix, AutoFix, and Mike's Auto in Nashville TN.

Joseph’s Reading List

• Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry
• Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman
• The Road Less Stupid by Keith Cunningham
• Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson
• Radical Candor by Kim Scott
• The Dichotomy of Leadership by Jocko Willink, Leif Babin
• The Book of Joy by Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu
• The Like Switch by Jack Schafer
• The Ultimate Jim Rohn Library by Jim Rohn
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
• Leadership & Self Deception by The Arbinger Institute
• How to win friends & influence people by Dale Carnegie
• Who not How by Dan Sullivan
• Crucial Confrontation by Kerry Patterson
• Motive by Patrick Lencioni
• The 5 dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
• Leadership 2.0 by Travis Bradberry
• How to do the work by Dr. Nicole LePera
• The Tao of Seneca by Seneca/Tim Ferris
• Exactly What to Say by Phil M Jones

During my years in the industry, I’ve heard many stories of how owners started their shops. Of those, there are a few stories that come to mind of owners that seemed to have almost overnight success with their new shops. 

While these stories can be inspirational, more commonly those that observe the overnight success may miss the power of the journey that was traveled to actually get there.  In this episode, we’re going to pull back the curtain on one of those stories. 

Our guest is Ashleigh Civitello of Simply Euro Automotive Repair in Castle Pines CO.  Ashleigh opened her shop during the pandemic, but had cars from day one, and achieved profitability within 90 days — by all counts an overnight success. In this powerful interview, Ashleigh will share the journey she went on and reveal the clues that allowed her to have such success.  And here’s a hint… it was not an overnight journey. 

Are you an owner or manager who feels ineffective, overwhelmed, or stuck in "Mom/Dad Syndrome" at your shop? Or do you struggle to get your team to trust and listen to you? 

If so, then THIS is the PERFECT episode for you. And frankly, even if you think you’ve got it figured out in this area, this is still a great episode and worth your time. Being an incredible leader was a learned skill for guest, Will Dunford… but it’s one that he now excels in. Will is the regional manager for the  Atlanta market for the Simply True Auto Group. In this powerful interview, you’ll learn how to get your employees to finally trust you and lead them to create a win-win situation for the shop and them personally. 

How would you like to build such a great culture in your company that people come looking to work for you instead of you chasing them down? How would you like to be so confident in your team, that you'll let candidates ask them any question? This week our guest is Jason Smith, owner of M&M Car Care with three locations in Indiana. He didn’t build a culture in his shop like that by accident… it was the result of finding his confidence, doing hard work, cultivating a passionate "why", and having a dedication to serving others. In this episode, Jason will share the clues he learned along the way. 

In the course of building a successful shop (or in our guest's case, 8 of them), there are mental roadblocks that can get in our way, such as fears, feelings of inadequacy, and a sense of overwhelm. The truly sad part is that most DON’T actually overcome these feelings and unhelpful ways of thinking. Instead, they let these roadblocks dictate their actions leading to stagnation and limitations on growth. My guest, Dave Markert of True Automotive will reveal the clues that helped him push through and overcome these challenges which allowed him to build an incredible, thriving auto repair company.

From a young age, we are taught to follow the rules. We were told to follow the rules or there will be consequences --- follow the rules at all costs! Because of this, many people make that their mantra and stick to their rules, no matter what. BUT what happens when the rules don’t make sense? What happens when new information is introduced to a situation that makes you question the rules? In this episode our guest Kevin Roth, owner of Kevin's Auto Repair Service, in Swoyersville Pennsylvania. has made being curious and breaking the rules a cornerstone of his shop's culture. Today he’ll share the wild story that started this journey for him and reveal some killer clues along the way.