Shows
Confessions of a Shop OwnerEp 91 - Greg Buckley & Dan Thieken | Repair Shops That Sell Tires and Use A.I. Are WinningIf you're like me and aren't good at marketing, don't do it on your own. Let the experts handle it. Touch HERE for more on Turnkey Marketing.Tekmetric transformed my shop. Plain and simple. Want that for yours? Touch HERE When I used the maintenance tool for the fist time with Detect Auto, my mind was blown. My advisors had the same reaction - and then SO MUCH MORE TIME. Learn more about Detect Auto and book a free demo now!For years I thought I could handle the hiring process on my...
2026-05-1556 min
Garage Grit Podcast"It's a service that we offer and it's a service that we provide." — Joe Arnold | GGP #074Trust doesn’t start when the car breaks down. It starts with how customers feel the moment they walk through your door. In Episode 074 of the Garage Grit Podcast, Joe Arnold shares how customer education and transparency shape perception long before a repair order is closed.Joe grew up inside Mike’s KARS, a third-generation shop in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. When he stepped into ownership, he inherited more than bays and equipment—he inherited decades of customer expectations. Early on, visibility wasn’t the challenge. Perception was. How customers understood value, urgency, and trust required a shift.The inflection point came thr...
2026-02-1249 minConfessions of a Shop OwnerEp 69 - Coaching Call #13 | What I Learned From 2025, and Why 2026 WILL Be DifferentIn this episode, Mike Allen and Matt Lofton break down 2025's financial results from the shop, and talk about what went wrong and what went right. Matt encourages Mike to work towards pre-booking appointments to drive repeat business, and Mike states his goals for boosting net profit in 2026.Timestamps: 00:00 Matt thinks Mike should only focus on the shop?01:15 Confessions intro03:02 Recapping the year: top-line numbers, gross profit, and performance metrics05:07 Gross profit calculation, labor rates, and tech efficiency09:35 Ad spend breakdown—what’s working, what’s wasted11:15 Setting ambitious but achievable 2026 profit...
2026-01-2755 min
The Institute’s Leading Edge Podcast177 - How Chris Pietrzak Went from 2 Bays to 11 Lifts and Is Redefining Mike’s Garage177 - How Chris Pietrzak Went from 2 Bays to 11 Lifts and Is Redefining Mike’s Garage
November 25, 2025 - 00:50:46
Show Summary:
One year after buying a tired 2nd-generation shop, Coast Guard veteran Chris “Pizza” Pietrzak has turned Mike’s Garage in Pennsauken, NJ into an 11-bay, tech-forward operation with rising profits and a loyal team.
In this episode of The Leading Edge Podcast, host Jimmy Lea sits down with Chris to unpack his 22-year journey from “this place will be yours one day” at a tiny two-bay shop… to being told “take it or leave it”… to finally owning the bu...
2025-12-1050 minGarage Grit Podcast“DVI is the best thing since front pockets” — Mike Scaglione | GGP #035From service stations with gas pumps to today’s DVIs, Mike Scaglione of Kempsville Auto Care Center shares 45 years of lessons on running a shop, leading in Virginia, and why he believes inspections and charging what you’re worth matter more than ever.Guests:Mike Scaglione — Kempsville Auto Care Center — Virginia Beach, VAWhat you’ll learn (shop-owner takeaways):How service stations evolved into modern shopsWhy DVIs boost sales and protect your shopState...
2025-09-091h 25
Gain TractionWhy This COO Believes Scaling Starts With People, Not Profit with Tyler Paparello of AMGTyler Paparello is the Chief Operating Officer at AMG, overseeing 28 Midas locations across New England. With a background rooted in sales, Tyler learned early on that while selling can solve short-term problems, it takes leadership, people, and process to scale a business sustainably. Today, he focuses on building systems that empower employees, earn customer trust, and create long-term growth opportunities across the organization.In this episode…What happens when a company grows faster than one person can manage? For Tyler Paparello, it meant learning a lesson every leader eventually faces: you can’t sell...
2025-09-0329 min
The Institute’s Leading Edge Podcast121 - An Educated Customer Makes Better Decisions121 - An Educated Customer Makes Better Decisions
May 14th, 2025 - 00:57:32
Show Summary:
In this episode, Jimmy Lea hosts Craig O'Neill from Auto Flow and Mike Simard from Simard Automotive in Fairbanks, Alaska. They discuss the journey of building successful auto repair shops, the importance of transparency with customers, and the transformative impact of Digital Vehicle Inspections (DVIs). Mike shares his story of growing from a single 24x32-foot shop to seven locations by focusing on customer education, transparent inspections, and integrity in service. Craig emphasizes the role of proper communication and the need f...
2025-05-1557 min
Gain TractionUsing Technology To Establish Customer Trust With Keegan Wentz, President of McMahon Tech CenterKeegan Wentz is the President of McMahon's Automotive Technology Center, a family-owned service and repair shop based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. His vision and dedication have transformed the company into a pioneering institution for automotive technician training and career development. Under his leadership, McMahon’s has implemented a comprehensive training program that not only imparts technical skills but also focuses on professionalism and ethics. An ASE Master Tech with a rich background in training others in Original Equipment technology, Keegan has significantly enhanced the service quality and customer experience at McMahon's. His commitment to staying abreast of emerging vehicle te...
2023-11-2224 min