Ratchet+Wrench Radio

Chris Messer, executive vice president of the transportation group at Endeavor Business Media—Ratchet+Wrench's parent company, sits down once again with leadership coach Mike Jones of Discover Leadership to tackle the powerful concept of frontline leadership — what it means to lead from the front, why vision and accountability matter, and how every member of a team, regardless of title, has the op...

Join Chris as he sits down with Jeff Cox, President of the Automotive Maintenance and Repair Association, and Andrew Car from SSI to explore the game-changing world of Digital Vehicle Inspections (DVI). Learn how the Motorist Assurance Program (MAP) is setting industry standards for repair recommendations, and discover why shops using visual DVIs see triple the approval rates for their recommendat...

In this episode, Mike Bennett takes us on a deep dive into the auto repair industry's remarkable 2025 journey—from the challenging spring months when consumer confidence plummeted to the record-breaking summer that has shops back on track for projected growth. This episode explores the economic forces shaping the industry, from tariff impacts to electricity cost surges, and reveals the strategies...

 In this Ratchet+Wrench Management Conference teaser episode, Kinja Dixon reveals how his doctor's orders and a moment of vanity sparked a transformation that led to international sales awards, early retirement at 34, and becoming a sought-after speaker who's inspired thousands worldwide. Dixon discusses his Four Pillar system (Purpose, Health, Emotions, Knowledge) and why change is happening whet...

In this episode, Mike Jones, president and master trainer at Discover Leadership Training, returns with Chris Messer, executive vice president of the transportation group at Endeavor Business Media, to discuss what it takes to be a person who follows up and follows through in a business setting. 

In this episode of Ratchet+Wrench Radio, Glenn Piccolo, managing partner at Adams Automotive in Houston, Texas, breaks down the customer service framework behind Adams Automotive's seven-day service model. It's a philosophy they refer to as "auto hospitality." It takes concepts that make retail successful and implements them into the shop's workflow for greater customer satisfaction and retention.

In this episode, a sneak preview of his lunchtime keynote for the 2025 Ratchet+Wrench Management Conference, Rob Pietrowski, VP Research at IMR/Endeavor Business Intelligence, reveals shocking inflation data that's reshaping the automotive aftermarket: vehicle costs are up 57% since 2019, annual maintenance and repair spending has jumped 50%, and the ripple effects are hitting every level of the i...

For anyone who has ever uttered the words, "failure isn't an option," Mike Jones, president and master trainer at Discover Leadership Training, has a message you should consider. Jones talks about leadership and failure in this special episode of Aftermarket All-Access. He's joined by Chris Messer, executive vice president of the transportation group at Endeavor Business Media—Ratchet+Wrench's par...

In this episode, Dave Johnson, president and CEO of Automotive Service Excellence, discusses the recent ASE Instructor Training Conference in St. Louis, Missouri, in July and the valuable benefits ASE certification provides to automotive instructors, including industry-wide credibility, access to cutting-edge curriculum resources, and professional development opportunities.  Johnson also addresses...

When something’s off in your shop—profit’s down, productivity’s lagging, or margins are shrinking—it’s easy to blame the numbers. But what if the real problem isn’t the numbers themselves… but how we interpret them? Today on Ratchet+Wrench Radio, we’re joined by Hunt Demarest , a  partner at Paar Melis & Associates , leading financial expert in the auto repair industry, and host of the  Busine...

Charlie Zlatkos, owner of Pleasant Care Car, immigrated to the U.S. at 17. He talks about growing his vocabulary from four English words to opening and running a multi-million-dollar a year shop. Zlatkos also talks about being mentored by Todd Hyes of Auto Shop Answers and how his perspective on entrepreneurship was changed.  Lastly, he tells the story of a 13-year-old boy on a bicycle who stopped...

In this episode of Ratchet+Wrench Radio, Group Editorial Director Chris Jones discusses a situation that every shop owner needs to understand—how to handle a customer fallout before it goes viral. Synergy Auto Care in Wilson, North Carolina, made national headlines on June 19 after a Black customer walked out over employees' dismissive comments about Juneteenth. We're going to break down exactly w...

In this episode, Lisa Foshee, senior vice president of Government Affairs and General Counsel at Auto Care Association, breaks down the right to repair battle affecting independent auto repair shops. As automakers fight to restrict access to diagnostic data, independent auto repair shops and their customers face an existential threat. Foshee covers Massachusetts' leading legislation, Maine's effor...

Join us on Ratchet+Wrench Radio as Mike Jones from Discover Leadership Training shares powerful insights on elevating your leadership game. In this episode, Mike explores the critical distinctions between leadership and management, reveals how discipline fuels personal and professional growth, explains why traditional motivation falls short and what drives lasting change, and identifies common com...

We're living through uncertain and changing times. In this episode, Josh Parnell of Limitless Leadership talks about how to lead without wavering.

In this episode of Ratchet+Wrench Radio, sponsored by Bosch, Shawn Dupuie, Senior Director of Sales and Operations, joins Ivan Rioja-Scott, editor-in-chief, to dig into what modern shop success really looks like. The pair discusses culture, KPIs, technician retention, pay plans, emerging tech and more. You’ll hear why continued education matters, how to spot red flags early and where to find relia...

In this episode, Steve Dawson, Washington D.C. regional manager for Hunter Engineering , talks about what auto repair shop owners and technicians need to do to be ADAS-ready. He discusses preparation and infrastructure, necessary training and skills, liability and legal implications of calibration, and how to educate customers on the necessity and importance of calibration. 

In this episode of Ratchet+Wrench Radio, Margaret Light, licensed marriage and family therapist of Equilibrium Therapy Services P.L.L.C. talks about the impact of mental health on decision-making in business. She also has tips for owners and managers who are too optimistic or too pessimistic, and discusses how to bounce back mentally from a bad decision.

In this episode of Rachet+Wrench Radio, sponsored by SHOP-WARE, Editor-in-Chief Ivan Rioja-Scott sits down with Cavan Robinson, VP of Vehlo, to talk about how SHOP-WARE can help improve your shop’s efficiency and bottom-line results. By using a streamlined cloud-based platform, you can significantly improve customer service while ensuring your shop runs seamlessly, boosting car counts, average rep...