In this episode of the Lift Your Shop Podcast, Kelsey sits down with Matt Curry, founder of Craftsman Auto Care, to break down what it really takes to scale an auto repair business the right way.
After building Curry’s Auto Service to 10 locations and $18M in revenue, retiring at 47, and then coming back to do it again — Matt now runs 8 shops (with more on the way) and is on track for $36M in sales.
So what’s the secret?
It’s not flashy marketing.
It’s not complicated systems.
It’s operational discipline.
In this episode, Matt shares:
The 3 core things every shop must do to grow fast
Why full digital inspections (with photos + video) are non-negotiable
How presenting estimates in order of priority builds trust
Why test driving every vehicle before AND after service matters
How he gamified Google reviews to approach 10,000 five-star reviews
What it takes to attract and retain top technicians (including $300K+ earners)
Why most shops struggle with hiring — and how to fix it
Matt simplifies growth down to this:
Be honest.
Be nice.
Do what you say you’re going to do.
Inspect every car.
Present everything transparently.
That’s how you build trust.
That’s how you scale.
That’s how you create real freedom.
If you’re a shop owner trying to grow from $30K months to $200K months — this conversation is packed with actionable insight.
