Talking Shop with ShopOwner

Perceptions of the industry have changed over the past 35 years. The grease monkey has given way to the technician and thanks to the effort of a lot of people in this industry, being in the automotive repair business is seen in a better light by many people. Of course, we still face resistance from some influential players.
Luckily, there are dedicated trainers out there to remind us that education has ALWAYS been important in this industry and much of what we think is cutting edge technology has been around a lot longer than we might remember. What has changed is the speed and the increased need for up to date training, not only for technicians but also for service advisors and shop owners.
In this episode of Talking Shop with ShopOwner, Doug Kaufman speaks with Duane "Doc" Watson, technical trainer at Bosch, about his history as an educator, the challenges he has faced and the opportunities he sees.
To contact Doc, email [email protected]. To email Doug, it's [email protected].
This episode of Talking Shop with Shop Owner is brought to you by AAPEX, the premier business educational and networking event in the automotive industry. For information about this year’s show, to be held November 1st through 3rd in Las Vegas, visit AAPEX Show.com.

If you’ve tried to travel this summer, you may have come to one conclusion: the friendly skies seem decidedly angry.
Luckily, the open road beckons, and though driving brings about its own challenges these days, there’s nothing like a little bit of windshield time to put your mind at ease. If, that is,
you and your car are prepared for your journey. Before a long road trip, your customers count on you to do what’s necessary to get their cars ready to handle whatever the Eisenhower Interstate System, the Lincoln Highway (Route 30 and others) or the iconicMother Road (Route 66) can dish out. If they don't a lot of prayer may be involved.
Joe Keene, Automotive Content Video Producer, and potentially certifiable lunatic at Babcox Media, is doing a little praying and a lot of preparation by calling on automotive aftermarket partners to help him turn his 1989 Cadillac Brougham from a dead pile of rusty fenders into a safe, reliable land yacht capable to hauling him 2500 down Route 66 on his way to the 2022 AAPEX Show. Joe sits down with ShopOwner Editorial Director Doug Kaufman to talk about his plans, preparations and partnerships.
This episode of Talking Shop with Shop Owner is brought to you by AAPEX, the premier business educational and networking event in the automotive industry. For information about this year’s show, to be held November 1st through 3rd in Las Vegas, visit AAPEX Show.com.



A man with dreams, it’s said, needs a woman with vision. Her perspective, faith and support will change his reality.
In this episode, of Talking Shop with ShopOwner, Doug Kaufman speaks with Holly Weller, part of the husband-and-wife team that owns and operates Auto Fix, an Auto Value Confidence Plus Certified Service Center in Henning, MN. This shop is featured on the cover of the June issue of Shop Owner magazine and you can read all about Jeff and Holly’s spectacular growth in a very rural area of Central Minnesota by visiting ShopOwnerMag.com.
During a preliminary interview, Jeff made one thing abundantly clear – he couldn’t have gotten where he is today without the help, support and guidance of his wife. He told me that Holly is the one who gets everything done right.

Of course, it's not a unique story - thanks and congratulations to ALL of the unsung heroes of today's automotive repair facilities!

This episode of Talking Shop with Shop Owner is brought to you by AAPEX, the premier business educational and networking event in the automotive industry. For information about this year’s show, to be held November 1st through 3rd in Las Vegas, visit AAPEX Show.com.

The technician shortage is nothing new - it's been a trending topic in the automotive industry for decades. According to experts, demand for technicians has nearly doubled in the past year and is expected to continue to skyrocket over the next few years. With a potential shortage of nearly 650,000 technicians by 2024, the question continues: where will we get the next generation of automotive professionals?
In this episode of Talking Shop with ShopOwner, ShopOwner editor Doug Kaufman speaks with Jack Stow, instructor at CTEC Automotive of North Kansas City Schools, Kansas City, MO about the expectations he has for his students, expectations his students have of the industry for which they're studying and expectations the industry have for the future. NKC's CTEC program was named the 2020-2021 Tomorrow's Tech's School of the Year, and Stow explains how important a passion for knowledge remains for his proteges.
This episode is presented by AAPEX, the premier business educational, and networking event in the automotive industry.

They may seem like a foreign language to much of the population but terms like ADAS, VVT and R1234YF are more than just a secret code - they are terms that today's shop owners must know to be relevant to their customers.

Vehicle technology continues to change and keeping up means continued adaptation. How can you know it all?

In this episode of Talking Shop with ShopOwner, ShopOwner editor Doug Kaufman speaks with Vic Tarasik from Shop Owner Coach, and AJ Nealey from Nealey Auto Service in Edgewater, MD, about what new technology is on the horizon, how shops like his will adapt to repair vehicles featuring that technology and why, through it all, the challenges are worth it.

This episode of Talking Shop with Shop Owner is brought to you by AAPEX, the premier business, educational and networking event in the industry. For more information about this year’s show, being held in Las Vegas November 1-3, visit AAPEXShow.com

The automotive industry is flying high right now, but we all recognize that we could hit turbulence from time to time. If there are storm clouds over the horizon, are you prepared, not panicked?
In this episode of Talking Shop with ShopOwner, ShopOwner editor Doug Kaufman and Vic Tarasik, from Shop Owner Coach provide a safety briefing designed to help businesses recognize the areas in which they're strong - and areas that could use a little more preparation.
This episode of Talking Shop with Shop Owner is brought to you by AAPEX, the premier business, educational and networking event in the industry. For more information about this year’s show, being held in Las Vegas November 1-3, visit AAPEXShow.com.

Canadian author, Margaret Trudeau said, "We can choose to wake up and grumble all day and be bitter and angry and judge others and find satisfaction in others doing bad instead of good. Or we can wake up with optimism and love and say, just what is this beautiful day going to bring me?" Is that something you can strive for and still be successful?
Satisfaction is kind of a difficult thing to put your finger on. Can you be satisfied and successful? We've been told that being satisfied is just one more step or we've been told that you should never be satisfied, always strive for the next step.
This episode of Talking Shop with Shop Owner features a conversation between Doug Kaufman and Eddie Lawrence, owner of MTR, Mobile Transport Repair in Colorado Springs, CO, who literally got a second chance at making his life mean something to himself.
This episode is sponsored by AAPEX, the premier business educational and networking event in the automotive industry. Visit AAPEXShow.com for more information.

What could a jazz musician and former navy signalman possibly say to motivate the automotive industry? As it turns out, plenty. According to Frank Leutz, owner of Desert Car Car in Chandler, AZ and host of the popular WrenchNation podcast, the ability to face each day's challenges starts by accepting the opportunities each day presents.
In this episode of Talking Shop with ShopOwner, Frank retraces his path from Washington Hts., NY to the Valley of the Sun. "At the end of the day, we're going to have ups and downs, but if we can step back and show up and treat every day like a new day, which requires courage, that's what counts," he says.
This episode of Talking Shop with ShopOwner is brought to you by AAPEX, the premier business, educational and networking event in the industry. For more information about this year’s show, being held in Las Vegas November 1-3, visit AAPEX Show.com

Profits are up and business is booming - it's all great news, right? Well, on the one hand yes, it's likely you're busier than ever - on the other, are you able to keep up?
The pandemic has changed many aspects of the automotive aftermarket, from vehicle availability to parts sourcing. One thing that hasn't changed is the importance of customer service.
In this episode of Talking Shop with ShopOwner, Doug Kaufman talks with Laura Tierney from ARS Loaner.com and ShopLoaner.com about the "Perfect Storm" facing our industry today.
This episode is sponsored by ARS Loaner.com and ShopLoaner.com.

The drought has ended and the return to trade shows has happened. AAPEX 2021 is in the books. And whether business as usual has now become business as possible, it was great to reconnect with the industry in Las Vegas.
By all accounts, AAPEX 2021 exceeded the expectations of exhibitors and attendees. Business was booming, training was exception and, of course, the food was outstanding. Vic Tarasik, one of the architects of Joe's Garage, talks with ShopOwner editor Doug Kaufman about the bright spots we saw this year and the even brighter expectations for 2022.