May 03, 2024

Stay Out of the Rabbit Hole [RR 951]

47 minutes

Thanks to our Partners, AAPEX, NAPA TRACS, and Automotive Management Network

Recorded at the 21st annual TST Big Event, Sherwood Cooke shares his journey of running his business for 28 years, his success with social media, especially TikTok, under the moniker 'The Professor,' and the impact of digital content on attracting a wide customer base even from hours away. Discover the evolution of Cooke's business practices, the significance of ethical service, community engagement and how to build a team culture through understanding and investment in people's lives.

Sherwood Cooke, Royalty Auto Service, St Marys, GA.

Show Notes

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Living in Saint Mary's (00:00:35) Discussion about the location of Saint Mary's, Georgia.

Sherwood's experience with social media (00:00:57) Sherwood's success on TikTok and YouTube.

Deathtrap of the month (00:03:43) Discussion about a series featuring problematic cars.

Client vs. customer (00:04:44) Sherwood's business philosophy on treating customers as clients.

Challenges and benefits of social media (00:08:21) The time-consuming nature of social media and its impact on business.

Starting a business with limited resources (00:10:23) Sherwood's humble beginnings and journey to success.

Evolution of business model (00:13:25) Transitioning to a more sophisticated and higher-priced service model.

Business principles and pricing strategy (00:14:08) The impact of pricing and service offerings on client base.

Business Acquisition (00:17:23) Sherwood's experience of seizing a business opportunity and the importance of proactivity in business growth.

Future Store Plans (00:19:13) Discussion about the potential opening of a third store in Florida and the patience required in business expansion.

Family Involvement (00:22:14) Sherwood's family involvement in his business.

Junior Technician Program (00:24:22) Sherwood's initiative to involve children in learning about automotive repair through hands-on experience.

Ice Hockey Coaching (00:26:07) Sherwood's experience coaching ice hockey and the impact on his life and his son's involvement in the sport.

Participation Trophies (00:28:16) Discussion on participation trophies and the impact on children's motivation and memories.

Stay Out of the Rabbit Hole (00:29:44) Sherwood's class on avoiding pitfalls in automotive diagnostics and the importance of self-awareness and common sense.

Making People's Lives Easier (00:32:38) Sherwood discusses the importance of making people's lives easier, including clients, team members, and vendors.

Creating a Positive Culture (00:34:17) Sherwood emphasizes the significance of building a positive culture within the team and the time it takes to create it.

Hiring Process (00:35:50) Sherwood explains his unique five-interview hiring process, including interviews with him, his son, and a team member, as well as meeting with the candidate's family.

Weeding Out Unethical Behavior (00:37:05) Sherwood shares a story about weeding out unethical behavior during the hiring process and the importance of integrity in candidates.

Learning from Hiring Mistakes (00:41:50) Sherwood and Carm discuss the importance of learning from hiring mistakes and the need to evolve in the hiring process.

Thanks to our Partners, AAPEX, NAPA TRACS, and Automotive Management Network

Set your sights on Las Vegas in 2024. Mark your calendar now … November 5th-7th, 2024. AAPEX - Now more than ever. And don’t miss the next free AAPEX webinar. Register now at http://AAPEXSHOW.COM/WEBINAR

NAPA TRACS will move your shop into the SMS fast lane with onsite training and six days a week of support and local representation. Find NAPA TRACS on the Web at http://napatracs.com/

Get ready to grow your business with the Automotive Management Network: Find on the Web at http://AftermarketManagementNetwork.com for information that can help you move your business ahead and for the free and informative http://LaborRateTracker.com

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By Carm Capriotto, AAP

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