Garage Grit Podcast

Jimmy's Automotive has served its community for nearly four decades under Jessica's father, Jimmy. After spending 13 years in dentistry, Jessica returned to the family business and worked her way from service advisor to general manager. As she takes on a bigger leadership role, she's bringing a fresh perspective to how the shop connects with customers, employees, and the surrounding co...

His approach centers on personal communication and transparency. He still encourages his salespeople to walk around vehicles, examine tire wear, and explain what the tires reveal about alignment, suspension, and other issues. He introduced in-store tablets to make promotional credit applications easier, rather than leaving customers struggling with small phone screens. Freedom Tire also focuses it...

A customer doesn't just choose an auto repair shop because it can fix their vehicle. They choose the business they can find, understand, communicate with, and ultimately trust. For independent shop owners, visibility and customer relationships can make the difference between staying in the same place and building something bigger. Dave Ross started his automotive career as a technician before...

Shop Couples Therapy Pt. 2: Wives on Working Together, Boundaries, and Growing the GarageIn this Garage Grit Podcast panel, the host interviews the wives/co-owners from four auto repair “power couples” about the realities of running shops together: Nikki McQueen (Bat Boys Automotive, Branson, MO), Rachel Carrasco (Zoom Automotive & Diesel Repair, Denver, CO), Jamie Mercadinho (Star Auto Servic...

His approach centers on building genuine relationships. During slower periods, his team reaches out to customers to check on their vehicles rather than simply sending promotional messages asking them to book an appointment. Seth also believes in standing behind his work, helping customers when they need it, and becoming a trusted resource in the community. His strategy is built around relationship...

Shop Couples Therapy (Part 1): Power Couples Running Auto Repair ShopsHost Brad Hurlock (AA Shop Marketing) introduces a Garage Grit Podcast panel on “Shop Couples Therapy Part One,” featuring four shop owners who work full-time with their wives: Jeremy (Branson, Missouri, second-generation, 10,000 sq ft, 13 lifts/20 bays, wife Nikki in the business since 2006), Manny (Aurora/Denver, Colorado, Zoo...

One challenge facing independent repair shops is that customers may not realize which services a shop can provide—or how much help it can offer when a repair involves an extended warranty. Travis explains how warranty claims can become time-consuming, why some shops avoid them, and how developing relationships with warranty representatives can make the process easier. The conversation also explore...

Preston also discusses how he is using AI to help technicians and service advisors organize diagnostic information, build clearer estimates, reference supporting sources, and communicate more consistently. Rather than replacing people, these tools help his team spend less time assembling information and more time explaining recommendations to customers. The goal is a more consistent, understandabl...

Brien Cantrelle, owner of HOUMA TIRE & AUTO LLC in Houma, Louisiana, spent years working in automotive repair, sales, and management before opening his own shop. After discovering an opportunity to purchase a neglected former repair facility, he and his partners rebuilt the space and opened their doors in October 2024. The business grew primarily through organic word of mouth, personal relatio...

Sean found that simply waiting for fleet customers to discover the shop wasn't enough. Email could get buried, phone calls could be filtered, and location alone couldn't create the relationships needed to win new business. The challenge became understanding what prospective customers actually needed and what would make them trust APA over their current provider. ResolutionGuests:Sean Gordo...

One challenge facing independent repair shops is that customers may not realize which services a shop can provide—or how much help it can offer when a repair involves an extended warranty. Travis explains how warranty claims can become time-consuming, why some shops avoid them, and how developing relationships with warranty representatives can make the process easier. The conversation also explore...

One of the biggest challenges in automotive service is communicating complicated diagnostic problems without losing customer confidence. Preston explains why he is transparent when his team encounters an unfamiliar issue, how he approaches diagnostic charges, and why customers appreciate honesty. When customers don't understand what a shop is doing or why a repair takes time, trust can become...

A great auto repair shop needs more than skilled technicians. Customers need to trust the people working on their vehicles, understand the value they receive, and feel confident recommending the business to others. For independent shop owners, reputation and visibility can determine whether a promising business keeps growing or reaches a ceiling. Brien Cantrelle, owner of HOUMA TIRE & AUTO LLC...

Prepping an Auto Repair Shop for Sale: Systems, Data, and Succession PlanningHost Brad Hurlock (AA Shop Marketing) leads a Garage Grit Podcast panel on preparing auto repair shops for sale and how exit planning overlaps with running a stronger business. Guests include Tad Benda (rural Deming, NM tire/mechanical shop, ~21 employees, ~$3M sales), Ryan Hoover (owner of four Washington shops), and Sha...

Trust is built when customers understand what their repair shop sees, recommends, and stands behind. In this episode of Garage Grit Podcast, Vinnie Carollo shares how transparency, reputation, and a distinct customer experience helped Vex European grow from a small operation into an established European and exotic vehicle repair business. Vinnie spent years working with Porsche before launching hi...

Jerome's story starts with a family business founded by his grandfather in 1956. After 33 years working his way through the shop, Jerome now helps lead the business alongside his brother. The shop's long history gives it a strong foundation of customer relationships, but maintaining that trust still depends on what customers experience every time they walk through the door. One of the clea...

Ray’s Tire Barn was built around a simple idea: customers should feel confident that their vehicles—and their time—are in good hands. In this episode, Ryne Ray explains how customer service, visibility, reputation, and consistent communication helped a new shop establish itself in Bossier City. Ryne’s path into ownership started with frustration over poor customer service and workmanship. That exp...

Hiring feels harder than ever—but many shops lose great employees before they even get a chance. In this Vendor Insights episode, Brad Hurlock sits down with Tristan Realubit to explore why better hiring decisions start with better evaluation, not bigger applicant pools. Tristan Realubit, founder of RollSync and owner of four automotive repair shops near Chicago, shares lessons from years of growi...

Friend vs Boss: Setting Boundaries, Culture, and Accountability in Auto Repair ShopsOn the Garage Grit Podcast, a panel of shop owners and managers (from Arizona, Louisiana, and Oklahoma) discuss the “friend vs boss” dilemma in building shop culture, especially with family and friends on staff. They describe avoiding fraternizing like after-work drinking, while still mentoring employees through st...

Most auto repair shops focus on getting new customers. Mike Zalisbuilt something different—using trust, consistency, and customer experience to turn weekly fuel visits into long-term repair relationships. This episode explores how marketing isn't just what you say online—it's what customers experience every time they pull into your shop. Mike grew up atGreen Village Garage, a family-owned...

Customers don't judge your shop only by your repairs—they judge it by every interaction before they ever walk through the door. In this episode, Patrick Egan explains why phone calls, AI assistants, and customer communication are becoming some of the biggest trust signals in modern auto repair marketing. Patrick Egan, founder of Spark Interactive, has spent years helping independent repair sho...

Trust isn't built only when a customer approves a repair—it's built through every interaction that shapes how people perceive your shop. In this episode of Garage Grit Podcast: Origin & Impact, Jim Anderson explains why culture, communication, and customer confidence become some of a shop's strongest long-term marketing advantages. Jim Anderson built Anderson Automotive from a one-...

Trust isn’t built with coupons—it’s built with consistency. In this episode of the Garage Grit Podcast, Brett Gioe shares how three decades of protecting his shop’s reputation helped Zoom Tech Automotive become a multi-generational destination for customers in Mandeville, Louisiana. Brett’s journey started with a childhood around his grandfather’s service station before opening Zoom Tech Automotiv...

Trust isn't built when customers pick up their repaired vehicle—it's built the moment someone answers the phone. In this episode of the Garage Grit Podcast: Origin & Impact, Joey Margavio shares how customer perception became one of Star Auto Service's biggest competitive advantages. As a second-generation leader at Star Auto Service in Metairie, Louisiana, Joey grew up in the shop...

Trust is built through the experience customers have with your shop—and reinforced every time they talk about you online. In this episode of Garage Grit Podcast, Evan Brodof shares how customer experience, family ownership,The resolution is not one marketing tactic. It is a consistent customer-facing experience built around trust, personal connection, family-oriented culture, and accountability. E...