Garage Grit Podcast

Most independent auto repair shops don't struggle because they lack technical skill—they struggle because growth eventually exposes weaknesses in leadership, communication, and customer experience. In this episode of the Garage Grit Podcast, Brad Templin shares how building the right people, culture, and leadership systems helped transform a single family shop into a growing multi-location organiz...

Growth doesn't start with better marketing tactics. It starts when customers experience consistency, accountability, and trust every time they interact with your shop. The shops that win long term are the ones that create confidence before the repair order is ever written. Jimmy Sexton built Jimmy's Automotive over nearly four decades in Asheville, North Carolina. Early on, like many shop...

For independent shop owners, trust isn't built through advertising alone. It's built through consistency, reputation, and becoming the shop customers call when nobody else can help. In this episode of Garage Grit, Mike Gallup shares how customer confidence and long-term relationships shaped every stage of his business journey. Mike's story started far from ownership. From pumping gas a...

Scaling Auto Repair Shops Fast: Rack Attack, Gross Margin Discipline, and A-Player StandardsOn the Garage Grit podcast, the host and a panel of shop owners/operators discuss how to scale auto repair shops quickly beyond just marketing. Chris (Berkeley, CA) describes a busy, high-rate market with limited new competition and the need to say no to certain work; Quinton (near Baltimore) is expanding a...

Most shop owners don't struggle because they lack information. They struggle because they have too many priorities competing for their attention. In this Vendor Insights episode of the Garage Grit Podcast, Mike Kost shares why growth often starts with trust, accountability, and taking the next step rather than chasing perfect solutions. Mike works with independent auto repair shops through Transfo...

Most independent repair shops focus on repairs, equipment, and staffing. Jarred Mason believes customer trust starts much earlier. In this Origin & Impact episode of the Garage Grit Podcast, Jarred shares how reputation, consistency, and customer confidence became the foundation of Mason Automotive's growth in Indiana. Jarred's story started long before opening his own shop. From worki...

Many shop owners invest heavily in training, technology, and marketing but still struggle to convert phone calls into long-term customer relationships. In this Vendor Insights episode, Brad Hurlock sits down with Dan Molloy to explore how communication shapes trust, influences customer decisions, and impacts shop growth long before a repair order is written. Dan works with automotive businesses to...

In a market dominated by technology companies, self-driving vehicles, and changing customer expectations, trust remains the most valuable asset an independent repair shop can build. In this Origin & Impact episode of the Garage Grit Podcast, Peter Khory shares how customer relationships, reputation, and consistency continue to drive growth in one of the most competitive regions in the country....

What makes customers trust one auto repair shop over another? In this episode of the Garage Grit Podcast, Ryan Hoover of North Shore Automotive shares how customer perception, branding, and consistency shape long-term growth. From painted buildings to communication systems and rental car experiences, Ryan explains why every customer touchpoint influences trust. Ryan breaks down how his shops evolv...

Most shop owners think about phones only when they stop working. But poor call handling, weak backup systems, and inconsistent customer communication quietly hurt visibility, trust, and conversion long before a total failure happens. In this Vendor Insights episode, David Boyd explains why communication systems deserve the same strategic attention as marketing. David Boyd from Call Inbound works c...

Most shop owners think growth comes from advertising, promotions, or bigger marketing budgets. Christopher Fuller explains why customer trust is often built through everyday interactions that never show up on an invoice. From helping stranded motorists to creating memorable customer experiences, this episode explores how visibility, reputation, and human connection drive long-term growth. Christop...

Most shop owners think marketing starts with ads, websites, or social media. Eric Winn believes it starts somewhere much simpler: trust. In this Origin & Impact episode of the Garage Grit Podcast, Eric explains how customer confidence, communication, and personal service have become the foundation of LMT Auto Repair’s growth in Maryland. Eric grew up inside the family business and eventually s...

Most shops think marketing starts with ads or SEO. Quintin Hankla explains why customer experience, communication, and shop perception are what actually drive growth. From warranty positioning to customer gifts and visibility strategy, this episode breaks down how trust is built long before the repair begins. Quintin Hankla owns Orams Garage near Baltimore, Maryland. His journey started with hards...

On the Garage Grit Podcast, a panel with shop owners Josh Wahlstrom (Farmington, Utah), Chris Fuller (Auburn, Massachusetts), and Rick Sharpe (Annapolis, Maryland) discusses internal shop communication and its impact on customer trust, emphasizing that auto repair is ultimately a relationship business with two outcomes: the transaction and how customers feel when they leave. They compare workflows...

Most independent shops focus heavily on repairs—but customers make decisions based on perception long before the vehicle enters the bay. In this Origin & Impact episode of the Garage Grit Podcast, Travis Vreeland explains how communication, presentation, customer experience, and premium positioning transformed his European specialty shop into a destination business. Travis built VAP Auto Shop...

Most auto repair shops think growth comes from more bays, more technicians, or better equipment. But customers make decisions based on trust, visibility, communication, and confidence long before they approve a repair. In this Origin & Impact episode of the Garage Grit Podcast, Alex Kacsh explains how Accurate Automotive scaled rapidly by becoming the trusted “one-stop solution” for its commun...

In auto repair, trust is built through communication long before the vehicle is repaired. In this Origin & Impact episode of the Garage Grit Podcast, Kirk Dye shares how Kirk’s Car Care built decades of customer loyalty through direct conversations, transparency, and a reputation-driven customer experience. Kirk started at a Goodyear shop at just 16 years old, pushing a broom and learning diag...

Most shop owners are experimenting with AI—but few are using it in a way that actually impacts revenue or customer experience. The gap isn’t access to tools. It’s clarity on what AI should actually do inside a shop. Barb Donnini from BoxPlot works with businesses trying to turn AI into something practical. Across shops, she sees the same pattern: AI is used for small tasks like emails or summaries...

Visibility changes everything in auto repair. In this Origin & Impact episode of the Garage Grit Podcast, Josh Brooks explains how customer perception, community presence, and communication directly impact growth for an independent shop in Utah. From building design to technician culture, Josh shares how small customer-facing changes created stronger trust and increased awareness in a competit...

Most shop owners focus on fixing cars—but customers are deciding based on trust long before that. In this episode, Kyle Northrop shares how shifting perception and communication changed everything in his business. Kyle started Helena Import Repair after leaving the dealership world, but early on, visibility and trust were major barriers. Customers didn’t know him, didn’t understand his value, and...

Most shop owners don’t have a hiring problem—they have a visibility problem. When the right technicians never see your shop, never feel your culture, and never hear your story, you’re already losing before the first conversation even happens. Chris Lawson works with auto repair and diesel shops across the U.S., helping them rethink how recruiting actually works. Instead of reacting when bays go em...

Most auto repair shops don’t struggle with skill—they struggle with perception. In this episode, Tom Sciortino breaks down how trust, communication, and customer experience directly impact revenue, retention, and long-term growth. Tom’s journey started in 1986 with a belief he could “do it better.” But early on, the real challenge wasn’t fixing cars—it was shaping how customers perceived his shop....

Most shop owners think growth comes from pricing, speed, or volume. But the real driver is how customers perceive your shop before they ever say yes. In this episode, Reggie Smith breaks down how trust, positioning, and experience shape every buying decision. Reggie’s journey at ASG Automotive in Indianapolis started in the bay, working as a lube tech before moving into the front and eventually in...

Host Brad Hurlock of AA Shop Marketing leads a Garage Grit Podcast panel with Josh Brooks (May Automotive, Utah), Reggie (ASG near Indianapolis), and Tom (Total Automotive near Buffalo) on who truly runs a shop when implementing change. They discuss pushback and buy-in around DVI adoption, AI-driven CRM (Service Intel) and the importance of asking “why,” plus quality-control procedures like post-r...

Who’s Running the Shop? Lead Tech vs Owner on Process, DVI, QC, Training, and Pay Plans On the Garage Grit Podcast, host Brad Hurlock (AA Shop Marketing) moderates a panel with Josh Brooks (May Automotive, Utah), Reggie (ASG, Indianapolis area), and Tom (Total Automotive, near Buffalo, NY) about who truly runs a shop when owners implement changes and face pushback from lead techs or staff. They di...