Talking Shop with Shop Owner magazine

There is justified concern about the future of this industry, and specifically, who's going to be around to fix vehicles when that trusted local mechanic retires his wrenches. Some fear that no one is interested or able to step into the gap. In this episode of Talking Shop with ShopOwner, Doug Kaufman talks with Mike Wiant from the Ohio Tech Group. Mike has an innovative way of creating excitement about this industry and is on a mission to inspire the next generation of technician.This episode of Talking Shop with ShopOwner is sponsored by AAPEX, the premier automotive industry networking and educational event. To get more information about the 2023 AAPEX Show, to be held this year in Las Vegas, October 31st through November 2nd, visit aapexshow.com.

Think your job is challenging enough just working with your friends and employees? Try working with your family. Multi-generational shops are looked at in awe because a lot of times we just can't picture ourselves working with our parents or siblings or children. Family businesses can offer significant opportunities and even greater challenges.You know, far too often family businesses are looked at as nothing more than a dysfunctional dictatorship – we all do what dad says – but family businesses can be much more dynamic.Working together with your family every day can be challenging. Consider the possibility of potentially buying a shop from mom and dad or even selling it to your kids. Think about those transitional challenges on top of the challenges of running an automotive shop in general. And you have the family dynamic on top of the day-to-day challenges. Is this an easy or difficult transition? This episode of Talking Shop With ShopOwner features a conversation between third-generation shop owners Kevi

Do you ever have that 3 am feeling, when you suddenly wake up out of a deep sleep just knowing something is wrong? Most of the time of course, it’s the little things that cause the most stress and anxiety.Oh, but don’t forget the big things. We’ve all heard the gallows humor “What’s the worst that can happen? Wait - don't respond...we all know the answer to that seemingly simple question.In this episode of Talking Shop with ShopOwner, Vic Tarasik from Shop Owner Coach and Matt Allen from Virginia Automotive in Phoenix, AZ, tell horror stories around the campfire – they say they’ve learned that Murphy’s Law is real and they have real world experience in recognizing what can go wrong will go wrong – but they’ve also dealt with the nightmares and have learned how to sleep soundly at night. This interview should give you some solid business recommendations to be sure you’re ready to deal with whatever horror story you face.Talking Shop with Shop Owner is sponsored by AAPEX, the premier automotive industry network

Have you ever had a feeling that there is a huge party going on somewhere and you haven't been invited? You're happy for everyone who got to go and you know that you'll hear all about what happened, but boy, what did you miss!?To many thousands of people, AAPEX was the biggest party of the year - call it a festival, a homecoming, a reunion - if you weren't there, you're a little bummed because of, well, FOMO.Shop Owner Editor Doug Kaufman (who wasn't there) talks with Shop Owner Coach president Vic Tarasik (who was) about the 2022 AAPEX Show. From hosting teachers on the show floor to learning about the latest software enhancements to installing lifts in Joe's Garage to eating tapas at Firefly, Vic reminds Doug that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, unless you learn something and take it back to the shop to help your business.This episode of Talking Shop with ShopOwner is presented by AAPEX 2022, the premier educational and networking event in the industry, held November 1st through the 3rd in Las Vegas.

Here’s an all-too realistic scenario – A technician is elbow deep into a repair when he suddenly needs to access an online repair manual. Because the shop’s computer is in the main office, he stops work, sets down his tools, washes his hands, walks to the office, starts to look for the TSB he needs but realizes he doesn’t remember the trim level on the vehicle. He finally inputs all the right information, hits PRINT – and is met with a flashing NO PAPER message.Sound like a story you’ve heard before? In this episode of Talking Shop with ShopOwner, we’re talking with Bryan Levenson, co founder and CEO of CTYK. He's passionate about harnessing the power of the internet – and the human voice – to make repairs faster, easier and more accurate. CYTK, the first mobile app for automotive repair, is the next leap forward in AI-powered mobile applications, CYTK’s touch and voice search technology provides quick access to vehicle service and repair information to help automotive technicians do their work faster and wi

When you start a new job as an employee, you’re usually given time to acclimate to your new situation. You’re given time to learn how to do a job the right way, how to build your skills, how to master your craft. Expectations are tempered somewhat, at least until you know your way around the shop.Counter that with being the boss. You don’t have time to LEARN the job – you have to DO the job, handling every pressure imaginable at 7 am on Day One. How can you prepare for success when you’re simply trying to survive as a business owner? Luckily, resources are out there to help you maintain your focus and maximize your efforts.In this episode of Talking Shop With ShopOwner, Vic Tarasik and Murray Voth , president of RPM Training, explain what a 20 Group is, why you should care and how you can "test drive" a group with no commitment during AAPEX.To learn more about or to register for the seminar, visit AAPEXShow.com.Contact Vic Tarasik at Vic@ShopOwnerCoach.com or shopownercoach.com.Contact Murray Voth at MurrayVo

No one should be surprised by the news that there's a shortage of technicians coming into or staying in this industry, but the revelation for many people is that this isn't just a dead-end career.In this episode of Talking Shop with ShopOwner, Mike Pressendo explains that TechForce Foundation's mission is to help the public and future technicians understand this is a high tech career path now. "It's not just wrenching. It's aviation, it's automotive, it's motorcycle, it's marine, it's heavy equipment. If it moves, we're looking to support them. And it's a lucrative career path," he says.This episode of Talking Shop with Shop Owner is sponsored by AAPEX 2022. AAPEX is the premier automotive industry networking and educational event. It will be held this year in Las Vegas, November 1st through the 3rd. Get more information by visiting AAPEXshow.com.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over hoping for a different result. In today's economy, that's also a recipe for disaster.In this episode of Talking Shop with ShopOwner, David Rogers tells Doug Kaufman that every instinct he had when he was a new shop operator would have led him down that path to insanity by relying on his habits and the patterns he was comfortable with. Realizing that wasn’t going to cut the mustard for his family or his shop’s owner, he knew that change was necessary.David Rogers, COO of Keller Brothers in Littleton, Colorado, has consistently set sales and profit records for 25 years since he took over management of the shop. And for over 20 years, as founder and president of Auto Profit Masters and Shop4D, he’s been helping thousands of other shop owners to do the same."Sitting still in today's business, economic and cultural environment will only benefit competitors who want to take you market," Rogers explains. "Change is the new normal."Rogers talks about ho

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 Duane.Watson@us.bosch.com. To email Doug, it's dkaufman@babcox.com.This episode of Talking

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

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

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 auto

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.

Everyone talks about the technician shortage but does anyone do anything about it? Well, yes. From educators to manufacturers to shop owners to industry advocates, people have been working for decades to promote the automotive industry as an attractive and profitable career option. Unfortunately, the shortage tsunami is real and has real implications for the independent repair market.Jennifer Maher, CEO and Executive Director of TechForce Foundation, explains the resources that are available to help potential repair technicians transition into this industry and how we can work together to solve the shortage one tech at a time.

If you're a shop owner you've heard from your coaches and your industry suppliers that your labor rate is probably too low. Of course, you've heard from your customers that it's far too high! Who do you believe? As long as you're competitive to the shop down the street, there's not much more you need to know, right?Knowing your numbers will make your shop more profitable, more competitive and more attractive - and doesn't have to be any additional burden to your customer base. You've worked too hard to build your shop – don't give it away because of outdated perceptions of how important an accurate labor rate is or because of uncertainty of how to set yours.Doug Kaufman from ShopOwner magazine interviews Vic Tarasik from Shop Owner Coach. Talking Shop with ShopOwner is presented by AAPEX 2021, the premiere automotive business, networking and educational event in the industry. AAPEX will be held in person Nov 2-4 in Las Vegas. For more information about the show or to register for the event visit AAPEXSHOW.com