A lot of folks think towing only makes the news when something goes wrong. We set out to change that story. In this conversation with Jeff Bauer, president of Cardinal Legacy, we dig into how leadership, culture, and smart growth can rebuild trust and turn good teams into great ones. From learning alongside respected operators to honoring their legacies through acquisitions, Jeff maps out how a people‑first strategy scales better than any fleet list.

We get specific. Jeff shares the simple survey he uses to align roles with strengths, including the tale of a “bad fit” service writer who became a star in accounting once the work matched his wiring. We unpack temperaments, conflict resolution, and the difference between managing tasks and leading people. You’ll hear how principles from mentors like John Maxwell and Zig Ziglar translate into shop reality—clear expectations, practical language, and a structure that turns blind spots into leverage. The result isn’t theory: the team went from a $10M operation to north of $60M by pairing professionalism with consistent training.

We also preview our two‑day leadership retreat in Cape Coral, Florida, built for towing pros and any leader who wants to grow. Expect sessions on blind spots, communication, hiring for strengths, and real‑world conflict tools led by voices from towing, law enforcement, and nonprofit leadership. If you’ve felt stuck on hiring, onboarding, or culture, this is your playbook to reset the year with clarity and momentum.

Want in on the training wave? Check dates and details at CardinalLegacyTowing.com/events, and catch our free deep‑dives on the American Tow and Recovery Institute YouTube channel. If this conversation sparked a new idea, subscribe, share it with a teammate, and leave a review to tell us the next leadership challenge you want us to tackle.