Shop Fix Academy Podcast

“Don’t work with family” is Willie Robertson’s humorous warning, but Duck Commander grew because the Robertsons learned when to lead, when to let go, and where each person fit. In this episode, Guy Roberts and Michael “The Berg” Rosenberger sit down with the Duck Commander CEO and Duck Dynasty star to break down the family business decisions that helped turn Phil Robertson’s vision into a multigenerational company. Willie explains why a son or daughter should never be treated as the automatic successor, how matching people to roles they actually want protects the business, and why real empowerment requires the current owner to step aside. He also reflects on the $1 million offer Phil received, why money is not every employee’s strongest motivator, and why growth cannot come at the expense of the families behind the business. Learn how clear roles, honest communication, and real authority give a family business its best chance to grow and give the next generation something worth carrying forward.Your shop can only grow as far as your leadership does, so explore Shop Fix Academy and become the leader your business needs next.https://shopfixacademy.com/shop-fix-lite?utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=join-lite&utm_content=ctaYour service advisors play a major role in your shop’s growth, so invest in their development with Sales Fix.https://shopfixacademy.com/sales-fix?utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=join-sales-fix&utm_content=ctaGive your technicians room to keep growing by building their skills and investing in their development through Tech Fix.https://shopfixacademy.com/tech-fix?utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=join-tech-fix&utm_content=cta

Every failing business has a failing owner. In this episode featuring Bar Rescue's Jon Taffer, Guy Roberts and Michael "The Berg" Rosenberger challenge shop owners to stop blaming their employees, competitors, location, or circumstances. Learn why excuses are the common denominator of failure and how real progress begins when an owner accepts personal responsibility. Jon Taffer breaks down what he notices first inside a business, including cleanliness, organization, systems, and the pride demonstrated by the team. But rescuing an auto shop takes more than fixing its operations: owners must build trust and create a strong emotional connection with both customers and employees. From the first phone call to the final vehicle pickup, every customer interaction is an opportunity to strengthen or damage the relationship.Build stronger systems and raise the standards inside your shop with Free Training from Shop Fix Academyhttps://shopfixacademy.com/free-training?utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=freetrainingaccount&utm_content=ctaReady to replace excuses with action? Join Shop Fix LITE for the coaching and accountability to keep moving forward.https://shopfixacademy.com/shop-fix-lite?utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=join-lite&utm_content=ctaIf your business needs more than another quick fix, book a Membership Call to find the right level of support for your shop.https://calendly.com/d/cnn9-zv8-hdm/shop-fix-membership-interview?month=2026-09&utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=join-pro&utm_content=cta

People don’t quit companies, they quit bosses. And in this episode of the Shop Fix Academy Podcast, Guy and Berg break down just how much your manager can make, or break, your auto repair shop. After more than 30 years in the automotive industry, one pattern has become impossible to ignore: when car count is steady, ARO is steady, and a shop still can’t move the needle, the problem is often sitting in the manager’s seat. The good news? Management can be fixed. Today, we are digging into 25+ battle-tested lessons for shop owners on how to build, support, and hold a great manager accountable. From where your manager should physically sit in the shop, to daily meeting cadence, how to correct employees, how to find meaningful coaching moments throughout the day, and why your manager needs to understand the P&L, we cover the entire owner-manager relationship. This is THE operating playbook for building a manager who can actually run your shop.

Build stronger leaders, create greater accountability, and take back control of your shop with free webinar replays and guides from Shop Fix Academy.

https://shopfixacademy.com/replays-and-guides?utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=replays-and-guides&utm_content=cta

The right room can change what you believe is possible for your shop. Check out Shop Fix Academy’s upcoming events and get in the room with owners and teams committed to getting better.

https://shopfixacademy.com/upcoming-events?utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=sfa-events-2026&utm_content=cta

Knowing what needs to change is one thing. Having the coaching, systems, and accountability to change it is another. Join Shop Fix LITE and start taking back control of your shop.

https://shopfixacademy.com/shop-fix-lite?utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=join-lite&utm_content=cta

90 hours a week, elite technician credentials, and a growing shop... but Eric Walker was still failing as an owner. Why? He couldn't grow long term while carrying the whole auto shop on his back. The cars were being fixed, but nobody’s work was ever good enough. So the “super tech” kept stepping in, taking over, and teaching his team to depend on him. In this episode, Guy Roberts and Michael "The Berg" Rosenberger dig into the shift from technician identity to actual ownership. Learn the moment Eric realized his standards were holding his people back, why letting a technician struggle can actually reduce the owner’s struggle, and why the guy with the quickest answer can become the biggest bottleneck in the building. Your job is no longer to be the hero who fixes every car themselves. Your job is to build people who can solve problems without you. Eric spent more than a decade carrying the load. Today, his auto shop has a 13 person team rowing in the same direction even when he isn’t there.Stop searching for better technicians and start developing the ones you have with Tech Fix.https://shopfixacademy.com/tech-fix?utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=join-tech-fix&utm_content=ctaGet the structure and support to stop carrying your entire shop yourself with Shop Fix LITE.https://shopfixacademy.com/shop-fix-lite?utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=join-lite&utm_content=ctaLearn how top shop owners build teams that perform without everything falling back on you with our free Replays & Guides.https://shopfixacademy.com/replays-and-guides?utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=shopfix-resources&utm_content=cta

For ten years, Wayne Watson's shop hit the same wall — $1.5M to $1.7M in revenue, eight bays, no way through. He'd been in business since 1993, tried everything, and still couldn't crack $2 million. Then something shifted. Today he runs 18 bays, did $4M last year, and his team is already gunning for $6M. He explains how he spent years managing the wrong numbers: parts percentage, GP benchmarks, shop supplies, before discovering where the real breakthrough was hiding and the reframe that reordered how he sees his entire business: that the difference between broke and profitable usually comes down to three or four cars a day.Get the structure, coaching, and accountability to take control of your numbers and build a more profitable shop with Shop Fix LITE. https://shopfixacademy.com/shop-fix-lite?utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=join-lite&utm_content=ctaLearn alongside operators who have overcome the same financial, leadership, and operational challenges you’re facing at a Shop Fix Academy Event.https://shopfixacademy.com/upcoming-events?utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=sfa-events-2026&utm_content=cta Stop tracking numbers without knowing what to do next, watch From Guesswork to Growth and learn the metrics that actually drive profit.https://shopfixacademy.com/guessworktogrowth?utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=fromguessworktogrowth&utm_content=cta

Hard conversations don’t hold you back, they expose what has to change if you want to grow.In this episode, multi-shop owner Adam Preusser sits down with Guy Roberts and Michael "The Berg" Rosenberger to talk about the kind of mentorship that doesn’t just tell you what you want to hear. This conversation gets into why real growth often starts with accountability, covering the relationships that challenged Adam's thinking and expanded what he believed was possible. He shares what he learned from the mentors who pushed back, why surrounding yourself with people who simply agree with you can keep you stuck, and how those hard-earned lessons helped shape the owner he became while building an operation now profiting roughly $14M annually. Learn why the right mentor should challenge you, accountability has to come before growth, and you need to hear the harsh truths you've been avoiding.Join Shop Fix LITE and learn alongside experienced coaches and a community of shop owners committed to building stronger, more profitable businesses.https://shopfixacademy.com/shop-fix-lite?utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=join-lite&utm_content=ctaAccess free guides, training, and on-demand replays from Shop Fix Academy to keep growing long after this episode ends.https://shopfixacademy.com/replays-and-guides?utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=shopfix-resources&utm_content=ctaThere's something different about learning in a room full of shop owners who are solving the same challenges you are.https://shopfixacademy.com/upcoming-events?utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=sfa-events-2026&utm_content=cta

The average U.S. auto repair shop profits under $600K, however the average Shop Fix Academy grown shop profits $2.4M. Guy Roberts and Michael “The Berg” Rosenberger cover 5 proven strategies that explain why so many owners still can’t break the $1M ceiling. This is not a car count problem. It is a leadership, people, systems, and capacity problem. Learn whether or not a $1M manager can actually lead a $2M store, why the employees who helped you reach your first million may not be the ones who can help you double profits, and how hiring more bodies can double overhead without moving production. They unpack the “Front of The Step, Back of The Step” model every growing shop owner needs to understand. Stay tuned to get the right people producing at the right level, and scale a $1M shop into a $2M operation without crushing cash flow along the way.

Ready to break through your next growth ceiling? Shop Fix PRO gives you 1:1 coaching, proven systems, and a community of experienced shop owners to help you build a stronger, more profitable business.https://shopfixacademy.com/shop-fix-pro?utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=join-pro&utm_content=ctaExplore free replays, practical guides, and proven resources designed to help you improve profitability, strengthen your team, and grow your shop with confidence.https://shopfixacademy.com/replays-and-guides?utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=shopfix-resources&utm_content=ctaThe best shop owners never stop learning. Explore upcoming Shop Fix Academy events and find the training that's right for you and your team.https://shopfixacademy.com/upcoming-events?utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=sfa-events-2026&utm_content=cta

$1 million in debt, a full parking lot, and no idea where the money was going.

In this episode, Ryan Hillenbrand sits down with Guy Roberts and Michael Rosenberger to break down how he clawed out of 7-figures of debt without shutting the doors.

Ryan shares the hard lessons that forced him to stop running on gut instinct and start facing his numbers every single day. They get into why cash in the bank doesn't mean you're profitable, how growth can make a shop in debt even more dangerous, and why copying every other shop in town keeps you stuck and broke.

Learn the secrets of productivity, labor, parts, inspections, payroll, and the daily habits that move a shop from drowning in debt to producing real profit.

Get the structure, coaching, and accountability to take control of your numbers with Shop Fix LITE

https://shopfixacademy.com/shop-fix-lite?utm_source=sfapodcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=join-lite&utm_content=cta-textlink

Explore free guides, training replays, and practical resources to help you build a more profitable shop.

https://shopfixacademy.com/replays-and-guides?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=sfa-podcast&utm_content=cta

Explore Shop Fix Academy Events led by operators who have overcome the same financial, leadership, and operational challenges you're facing now.

https://shopfixacademy.com/upcoming-events?utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=sfa-events-2026&utm_content=cta-textlink

Get Tickets Now! Learn the systems top shop owners use to consistently increase profit and build stronger teams at Shop Hackers Conference. https://shophackersconference.com/?utm_source=sfapodcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=shophackers2026&utm_content=cta-textlink

Ted Becker went from being a solo operator in his shop with zero confidence to becoming a hiring and interviewing expert with a team of A-level staff members consistently bringing in $235k a month with three bays. In this episode Ted breaks down the hiring tips and tricks that he used to attract top tier talent to his shop and the mentality pitfalls that almost kept him at $30k a month. After losing his manager right before going on a life changing trip to a Shop Fix conference, Ted gave a shot to a brand new employee on his second day and learned what an A-tier staff member actually looks like and how hiring the best technicians and service advisors makes freedom in your shop a real option.

Hiring great technicians is only the beginning. Build their skills with Tech Fix Live.https://shopfixacademy.com/techfixlive?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=sfa-podcast&utm_content=cta

Growing your team starts with growing your leadership through Shop Fix LITE.https://shopfixacademy.com/shop-fix-lite?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=sfa-podcast&utm_content=cta

Get Tickets Now!

Learn the systems top shop owners use to consistently increase profit and build stronger teams at Shop Hackers Conference. https://shophackersconference.com/?utm_source=sfapodcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=shophackers2026&utm_content=cta-textlink

Tech Fix Trainer Kevin Roth went from working 120 hours a week to helping lead the #1 training program for technicians in the world, and in this episode of The Shop Fix Academy Podcast he explains how. Join Guy and Berg as they uncover how Kevin went from having no accountability and only making $18k a month with his shop to submitting to a coach and implementing the systems and training that brought him to over $340k monthly revenue. With his in depth knowledge of technicians Kevin is able to break down the specific tools and frameworks he uses to get his technicians to be all in on building a better future for themselves and the shop and how his sudden success freed him up to do what he really cares about: helping shop owners and technicians change their lives.

Invest in the technicians you worked hard to hire with Tech Fix.

https://shopfixacademy.com/tech-fix?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=sfa-podcast&utm_content=cta

Invest in the service advisors who drive customer trust and consistent profit with Sales Fix.

https://shopfixacademy.com/sales-fix?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=sfa-podcast&utm_content=cta

Get the structure and clarity your shop has been missing with Shop Fix LITE.

https://shopfixacademy.com/shop-fix-lite?utm_source=sfapodcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=join-lite&utm_content=cta-textlink