Ratchet+Wrench Radio

In this week's round-up, we touch on the Nashville tornado, the coronavirus and Amazon's implications on the auto industry. 

Victor Darolfi, founder and CEO of RoboTire, discusses the inspiration behind his company (1:00), hesitations that he’s met from independent auto repair shop owners (3:00) and how the system works (5:10).  Darolfi then discusses where RoboTire currently is (12:00), including Dave Toole’s shop, Toole’s Garage in San Carlos, Calif. He also discusses what is probably the biggest obstacle standing in...

Welcome to the first-ever weekly news round-up podcast from Ratchet+Wrench. This week, Ratchet+Wrench reports on vehicle inspection news. 

What do Kobe Bryant, Ben Hogan and the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team have in common? They were all underdogs who used their unique approaches to stay focused on their processes—to unbelievable results. In this episode of From the Editors, vice president of content Bryce Evans and editorial director Anna Zeck dive deeper into three unique stories of triumphing over adversity, and how this month’s f...

In this special podcast, the winners of Ratchet+Wrench’s inaugural Best Workplace awards sound off on what makes their shops worthy of the title. Chip Broemmer, owner of Advanced Car Care,  shares how he worked with his staff in order to allow him to be able to provide tools to his technicians (1:00); Bryan Gossel, owner of BG Automotive, shares how he maintains his award-winning culture across mu...

It's fun to make New Year's resolutions, but so many of us struggle to stick to them. In fact, a recent study from Strava found that approx. 80 percent of people who make New Year's resolutions drop them by the second week of February (so, yeah, right about now). If you are one of the many that contribute to this statistic, it may be time to find a better approach. On this episode of Ratchet+Wrenc...

Monthly guest Aaron Stokes shares his secrets for increasing ARO. 

Monthly guest Frank Leutz, a podcast guru, shares how to make your own podcast.  1:00: Introduction  5:15: Why you should have a podcast  7:30: Business plan for your podcast  11:30 Format and structure of the podcast 12:30 Podcast logo  14:00 Getting ideas for content   22:30: Recording, broadcasting and editing  27:30: Grow your audience  32:30: Podcast payoff  38:00: Wrap-up 

In the inaugural episode of From the Editors, vice president of content Bryce Evans and editorial director Anna Zeck break down the biggest stories in the February issue of Ratchet+Wrench.   First, the two discuss the shift in leadership styles over the years (anyone remember lots of yelling from their high school coaches?), why it’s important to serve your teams, and how to put each team member i...

Casey Welch, CEO and co-founder of Tallo, a hiring platform, shares how shop owners can attract Generation Z and how they're different from Millennials.  2:00 minute mark: Who Gen Z is 3:00 minute mark: How Gen Z differs from Millennials  6:00 minute mark: Gen Z's similarities to the Baby Boomers  7:30 minute mark: How to attract these job candidates  11:00 minute mark: What Gen Z is looking for i...

Grote Industries was recently highlighted by Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb for its partnership with Ivy Tech Community College and the Indiana Department of Correction. Through the program, Grote provides workplace experience and training, as well as opportunities for permanent employment to women returning to the workforce.  Andrew Garrett, human resources officer at Grote, discusses the benefits...

Monthly guest Aaron Stokes shares his pick for the KPI you should be tracking (but probably aren't) and how to go about improving it. 

This week on Ratchet+Wrench Radio, we talk with two marketing experts from Podium on how to up your game in the marketing playing field.

Publicity is a great way to reach customers, but not every shop owner is trained for it. Frank Leutz, owner of Desert Car Care of Chandler, and co-host Susie Wong, discuss the dos and don’ts of a press release, how to attract the media and how to prepare for a TV appearance.   Hear more from Frank at http://bit.ly/WrenchNation

Aaron Stokes shares how negative staff members can disrupt the entire business, how to prevent it from happening and how to know when enough is enough.

Tom Burden, founder of Grypmat, shares the inspiration behind his tool tray, which was named one of Time's Best Inventions of 2018, and his advice on finding your inner problem-solver. 

Frank Leutz and co-hose Susie Wong break down their marketing calendar and provide tips so others can create their own for the upcoming year.

Jason Stretch, owner of Legendary Automotive and Truck Service, discusses the importance of recruiting and his approach to the process.

With the holiday season upon us, Aaron Stokes discusses the importance of giving thanks for one of your most valuable assets—your employees. 

In his inaugural podcast, Frank Leutz, owner of Desert Car Care of Chandler, and co-host Susie Wong, tackle the tech shortage and discuss the techniques that have worked for them as well as areas that they’ve struggled with. 

In this week's episode of Ratchet+Wrench Radio, Junior Word, president of Carquest North America discusses how he's been able to keep a focus on the customer throughout his time with the company and what he hopes to bring to his new position.

Jim Lang, president of Lang Market, discusses what independent shop owners need to do in order to stay relevant. 

With SEMA and AAPEX week upon us, Ratchet+Wrench decided to focus on how to manage stress with a busy schedule. In this week's episode, we talk with trainer, speaker, and coach, Joe Robinson, who works for companies all over the world focusing on stress management and work-life balance.

In this month's episode of Ratchet+Wrench Radio, Aaron Stokes talks about how shop owners can become plagued with fear and how they can get out of this mindset.

Jennifer Filzen, owner and operator of Rock Star Marketing, explains why small business owners need to get on the social media train now and what shop owners can do to take it to the next level.