Shows
The Brake RoomDriving Change: Sustainability Practices in the Automotive Repair Industry with Mark YamauchiOn the season finale of The Brake Room, host Lucinda is joined by Mark Yamauchi, Sustainability Strategy Manager at Toyota Motor North America. The two discuss the importance of sustainability across all industries but in particular the automotive repair industry. Mark discusses what measures that can be implemented to improve energy efficiency, tips on cost effectiveness,, and the increasingly vital role that water use plays in sustainability. Tune in now! Show notes: 00:00 - Introduction to Mark Yamauchi 1:10 - Why is sustainability important in the automotive repair industry? 4:10 - What...
2025-01-0622 min
The Brake RoomTuning Up for Success: Taking your Shop from Good to Great with Brian Griffin and Rob BrouwerOn this week’s episode of The Brake Room, host Lucinda Underwood is joined by Brian Griffin of Absolute Air and Auto Repair and Rob Brouwer of Precision Automotive. The three discuss their experience in the auto repair shop industry and what it takes to bring your shop from good to great! Topics include how to identify and diagnose issues within the shop, leveraging customer feedback to identify opportunities of growth as well as effective cost strategies and lessons learned along the way for Brian and Rob. Tune in now! Show notes: 00:00 - In...
2024-12-3028 min
The Brake RoomPriced to Perform: Effective Pricing Strategies for Shop Owners with Bogi LateinerOn today’s episode of The Brake Room, host Lucinda is joined for a second time by Bogi Lateiner, Auto Technician and Owner of Girl Gang Garage. The two chat about how shop owners can maintain effective pricing strategies, the best ways to track and improve profitability, as well as Bogi’s thoughts on how to properly communicate and justify pricing to customers. Tune in now! Show notes: 00:00 - Introduction to Bogi Lateiner 00:55 - How to analyze profitability of different areas of the shop and how to improve that profitability 6...
2024-12-2335 min
The Brake RoomFinancial Tune-up: Budgeting Tips and Financial Advice for Shop Owners with Hunt DemarestOn today’s episode of The Brake Room, host Lucinda is joined by Hunt Demarest, Senior Accountant at Paar, Melis, & Associates who specializes in automotive repair shops. Lucinda and Hunt discuss how to properly budget, systems and tools that Hunt recommends for managing and tracking financials and how to maintain accuracy, as well as how a shop owner can analyze and improve their profitability and the financial risks often associated with the auto repair shop industry. Tune in now! Show notes: 00:00 - Introduction to Hunt Demarest 00:35 - Budgeting advice for shop ow...
2024-12-1634 min
The Brake RoomRoad to Prosperity: Auto Repair Shop Success Stories with David Anderson and Edgar LeonOn today’s episode of The Brake Room, host Lucinda is joined by David Anderson, Owner of Anderson Automotive and Edgar Leon, Founder of Aurora AutoPros. David and Edgar chat about the success of their auto shop, how ShopPros has played a role in that success, as well as the other key decisions they made that has led to the continued success of Anderson Automotive and Auroro AutoPros. Tune in now! Show notes: 00:00 - Introduction to David and Edgar 5:30 - Common signs that a shop is not meeting his full potential an...
2024-12-0930 min
The Brake RoomDigital Drive-Thru: Software Solutions to Keep Your Auto Repair Shop in the Fast Lane with Amber WrightOn today’s episode of The Brake Room, host Lucinda is joined by Amber Wright, Director of Partnerships at AutoLeap. AutoLeap is a cloud-based auto repair software that helps you turbocharge your auto shop. The two chat about the history of AutoLeap, what factors shop owners should consider when choosing software for their shop, as well as the main benefits of what AutoLeap can provide for shop owners and what the software looks like in action. Tune in now! Show notes: 00:00 - Introduction to Amber Wright 1:25 - A brief history of Au...
2024-12-0228 min
The Brake RoomDriving Loyalty: How Auto Repair Shops Can Excel at Customer Experience with Alex VaillancourtOn today’s episode, host Lucinda is joined by Alex Vaillancourt, third generation Owner of True Centre Auto Service in North Bay, Ontario. Lucinda and Alex chat about Alex’s transition to ownership of True Centre as well as the importance of customer reviews, the types of best practices to encourage said reviews, as well as what Alex and his staff does at True Centre to increase customer loyalty and satisfaction. Tune in now! Show notes: 00:00 - Introduction to Alex Vaillancourt 3:00 - The importance of customer reviews in the auto repair indu...
2024-11-2521 min
The Brake RoomAccelerate Efficiency: Optimizing Your Shop’s Workflow with Bill HaasOn today’s episode, host Lucinda sits down with Bill Haas, President and Owner of Haas Performance Consulting. Using his over 40 years experience in the automotive service and repair industry, Bill specializes in identifying a shop’s areas of inefficiency and helping shop owners make the necessary adjustments. The two chat about what Haas Performance Consulting does for their clients, the primary factors that drive efficiency, as well as what he thinks is the leading cause of a shop’s inefficiency. Tune in now! Show notes: 00:00 - Introduction to Bill Haas and how he sta...
2024-11-1832 min
The Brake RoomCybersecurity Roadmap: Keeping Your Auto Repair Shop Safe From Hackers with Donny SeyferOn today’s episode, host Lucinda is joined by Donny Seyfer, Executive Officer at the National Automotive Security Task Force. Donny is an expert in cybersecurity for auto repair shop owners and the two of them discuss some of the current cybersecurity issues that shops face, how Donny got involved in the cybersecurity world, what shop owners need to be aware of and how they can protect themselves, as well as tips for shop owners who feel like their cybersecurity measures may be lacking. Tune in now! Show notes: 00:00 - Introduction to Donny Seyfer and ...
2024-11-1130 min
The Brake RoomSmart Shops: Changing Trends and Leveraging Technology with Scott & Bruce EcclesOn today’s episode, father and son duo Bruce and Scott Eccles join host Lucinda to discuss the changing trends and new technology in the auto repair shop industry. They chat about the emergence of EVs and whether or not every car on the road will eventually be an EV, as well as how new technology has changed the customer experience, and the importance of educating customers on products and cars that are new to the market. Tune in now! Show notes: 00:00 - Introduction to Scott and Bruce Eccles 00:55 - What are the ke...
2024-11-0430 min
The Brake RoomRevving Up Success: The Keys to Building a High Performance Team with Bogi Lateiner and Shaun PeetOn today’s episode, host Lucinda is joined by Bogi Lateiner and Shaun Peet. The three chat about what it takes to build a high performance winning team including how to recruit and keep the best talent, how to build trust with your employees, as well as the key factors that every business owner in the auto repair industry should know. Tune in now! Show notes: 00:00 - Introduction to Bogi and Shaun 00:30 - Strategies to use to recruit the best talent 5:10 - What are the key elements to retaining top talent...
2024-10-2832 min
The Brake RoomUnder the Hood: Building a Thriving Culture with Greg MarchandIn the first ever episode of The Brake Room, host Lucinda is joined by Greg Marchand, COO of ShopPros. The two sit down to discuss all things culture including how to identify when your business has issues with culture, how to properly influence great company culture, creating the best environment for your employees, as well as the foundations of great culture. Tune in now! Show notes: 00:00 - Introduction to Greg Marchand 1:00 - How to identify issues within your company culture 6:15 - How to properly influence good culture once those...
2024-10-2129 min
The Brake RoomWelcome to The Brake RoomWelcome to The Brake Room, driven by ShopPros - the podcast that accelerates your automotive shop's success! If you’re an automotive shop owner looking to stay ahead of the curve, you’re in the right place. Each week, we dive into the heart of the automotive industry with insightful interviews from top industry experts and successful shop owners. From the latest trends to best practices, we’re here to give you the tools and knowledge to drive your business forward. Hit the brakes on uncertainty and shift into high gear wi...
2024-10-1101 min