He Made $3.1 Million and ZERO Profit (And How He Fixed It) | EP4 | Shop Fix Academy Podcast
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About this episode
With a full lot, $3 Million in revenue and a huge local following, Coach Thomas Andrews and his business partner Mike should have been at…
Key takeaways
- —Understanding financials is crucial for business success.
- —Coaching can provide tailored solutions to specific business challenges.
- —Building a strong team and culture is essential for growth.
- —Community support and collaboration can lead to industry-wide improvements.
- —Personal transformation often precedes business transformation.
Frequently asked
- What was the main financial issue faced by Thomas and his partner?
- They were generating significant revenue but were losing money due to poor financial management and high accounts receivable.
- How did coaching impact their business?
- Coaching helped them understand their financials, implement structured processes, and ultimately transform their business from losing money to achieving substantial profits.
- What is the importance of community in the automotive industry?
- Community support fosters collaboration, sharing of best practices, and collective growth, which can elevate the entire industry.
▸Full transcript
We had done like $3.1 million in revenue and lost like $260 grand. Lost what? The ego needed space to get in between the lips. 100%. And honestly, 10,000 square feet wasn't big enough for that. Will we regret not seeing this through, or will we regret actually doing this? Welcome to the ShopFix Academy podcast. My name is the Bird, and joining me we have Guy Roberts, co-host.
That guy. That guy. That's it. Absolutely. This guy. This guy. This guy. That's right. And it's amazing to welcome Mr. Thomas Andrews. What's up, everybody? I smell cinnamon energy. Oh yeah, fire, fire. We should actually have hot sauce on the table. We should. We should. Oh yeah, because we're bringing the heat. Someone's already done this. I, I feel like this episode is going to be spicy.
Yeah, we're bringing the heat. Yeah. You started in ShopFix as a client, correct? And you were doing a ton of revenue. Yeah, making no money. Zero money. But I was doing a ton of revenue though. Oh yeah, you're right. I joined in June of 2021. Okay. And in 2020, we had done like $3.1 million. Okay. In revenue and lost like $260 grand.
Lost what? Yeah, uh, a quarter million dollars. A quarter of a million dollars? Yeah, yeah, working 18 hours a day every day. Holy cow. So I— but around town, oh dude, we were famous. Yeah, because we were building, you know, trucks for professional football players. We were like going to all these truck shows. We were driving around in these big lifted trucks.
I mean, dude, we, we were like living the life. Okay. But it was all for the wrong reasons. And it wasn't until we joined ShopFix Academy that we kind of surfaced that. Okay. Okay. Do you do primarily diesel? Like, what's the— what's your business? So when we joined, we had just one store. Okay. And it was a relatively large store at that point.
It was an 8-bay store, 10,000 square feet. Okay. And, uh, and we only did Light-duty diesel. We did not even do oil changes. Yeah, pop the brakes, pop the brakes. 6,000 square feet with 8 bays. Yeah, that's— did you pick up on that? Yeah, yeah, yeah. We kind of got— yeah, Aaron kind of snapped us on that. Dude, why do you have like 30 feet between bays, bro?
Just put another lift in. Space to make money. And we were like, dude, we got to have space to spread out. Big old toolboxes. We're doing like engines and fuel systems and we're doing transmissions and like it's light-duty diesel, so we got like big box trucks and we got F-250s, F-350s, F-450s, F-550s, and 2500s and 3500s. And, and so we're like, oh well, these things are like really big vehicles, so we need a lot of space, you know, because we don't want like upset technicians.
Sure, sure. The ego needed space to get in between the lifts. 100%. Yeah. And honestly, 10,000 square feet wasn't big enough for that. That's awesome. I'm just, I'm going, man, You were like, wait a minute, 8 bays? No, I'm just kidding. Our second store is 7,000 square feet and 12 bays. Oh yeah. Yeah. And I mean, that's where I come from, where Aaron would look at square footage and put so many lifts.
I'm like, there's no way you're putting all these lifts in place. Oh yeah, watch me. And I'm sure he had a floor plan for you ready to go. Oh yeah. Let's do this. Yeah. Oh yeah. Insane. So, so you can, so specifically, you were losing a lot of money. Yes, we were losing a lot of money. And ultimately, we didn't, we didn't know what a P&L was.
We were the type that was, uh, we, we have money in the, in the account and we pay our bills and, and we're good. And, you know, Mike and I didn't take, uh, money out of the business, um, so we just left the money in the business. And then what would happen is, is, and we get to a point where it's like, wait a minute, there's no money in here.
Well, then we have an AR of $350,000, right? Um, because, you know, we like to play the bank, uh, at 0% interest. Oh, that's fun. Um, for our clients. So that's why we had like a lot of clients, you know. AR, accounts receivable. Accounts receivable. So we're shipping these trucks off. Yes. All lifted. Would pick up the vehicle, they would pick it up, grab the keys.
Hey man, I'll get you in like a month. Wow. I'll get you in a month. And we're like, yeah man, no problem. Wow. Like, you know, show up one day, right? And, uh, so yeah, I mean, majority of that obviously was for businesses. Yeah. But, um, then what would happen is, is that $350,000 in accounts receivable, um, isn't like guaranteed, you know?
Because like sometimes people can just like not pay their bill for like— forget about you, or like, you know, block your phone number or dissolve their business. And then you go to— yeah, so hey, hey man, like what about the $25,000 you You owe me. Never heard of you, bro. Yeah, right. This business owes you. Owes you that. Owes you that. But this business doesn't exist anymore.
So like, you can't come after me personally because that's the whole point of an LLC, right? So it prevents liability from passing through to the person. So we learned a lot of lessons. Okay. Early on. So did you lose $260,000 plus the AR? Well, the AR, I would say that. Yes. So I'd say that that was a portion of the entire loss.
Okay. But honestly, to measure that. Yeah. I mean, dude, it took, it took years. I mean, it was, it was the gift that kept on giving in like the worst way possible. Sure. Right. Which was we would have a client that's got 5 trucks and he's been a great customer. It's always great customers. Yeah. Everybody starts out as a great customer until they're not.
Right. Until they don't. So. Right. So it was, it was, hey, man, key dropper. Hey, man, I need this. Get my truck fixed. I'm a landscaper. I need my truck back. Okay, perfect priority. We'll put you in line, we'll get you in there. And you have to understand the way we operated, like the diesel shop, we had 60 to 100 vehicles on the lot at all times and we were backed up months.
A lot of fleet work, a lot of consumer work with big jobs. But then also the fleets would come in. And so what would happen is then the consumers would continue to get pushed off because we would bring the fleets in. But then the fleets were the ones that weren't paying the fastest. The consumers were actually paying faster. So really it was just this whole thing.
And so what happened was we were prioritizing our efforts. It would key drop, key drop, key drop. And then it would get to the point where we would give them, extend them, you know, $50,000 worth of credits. And then it was all great at that point. But they didn't anticipate truck 1 needing a motor, truck 2 needing a trans, truck 3 needing a fuel system.
And then it's like, oh dude, I don't have the money. And then, well, I guess I'll just flee and move on. Wow. Yeah. Wow. So yeah, our accounts receivable. Okay. Is no longer like $300,000. We, at that store, it hovers around $100,000 to $125,000, which is still large for, you know, the market. And we try to get it as, as tight as we can.
But we have also created Life Before Structure. We've created an actual approval process and we actually call on references and, and we do an application. And then we extend the credit. So basically it starts out your first vehicle, maybe we'll give you $5,000 worth of credit. But then as you spend more money and you, and you actually pay your bills, then we would increase that credit line to you.
So it has become more corporate, as we would say, right? Back in the day, we were not very structured at all. I mean, we didn't even really understand financials to that point until we joined Shopify Academy. And that really helped. I'll never forget Dave Market was my coach, and the first assignment, um, when you join ChopFix is to give him your P&L.
And so he's on the phone and he's like, I'm so glad, hey man, give me your, uh, P&L. And, uh, we're like, huh? He's like, wait, whoa, whoa, you mean to tell me that you guys are doing $3 million in sales and you don't have a P&L, or don't you know what it is? I'm like, nah man, money in the bank. Yeah.
And well, not really much money in the bank, but we got enough money to pay our bills. Yeah. So is that what, is that what you want? You want bank statements? Well, what do you want? And so then we worked through that and it was great because then that opened our eyes to a lot of things because it was like, oh crap.
So you didn't even see, you didn't even see the problems in the business. Dude, not even. You just felt them through the bank account. Dude, we were so— So you did not see the actual problems and your coach pointed out some problems. It was like terrifying at first because Mike and I joined ShopFix with like probably the largest egos in the room.
Wow. And then, wow, imagine getting checked at the door like, hey bro, $3 million in revenue is cute, but like what's your net profit look like? And I'm like, net profit? Never heard of her, right? And so that's the thing is like it's It's crazy how— and you have to understand, we were younger individuals, right? So we were, we were— I mean, but around town, I mean, dude, we had a massive social media following.
Yeah, like everyone was like, CDT Automotive, that's the place to go. And you know, this is the thing, and our parking lot was slammed full and we have work. And we're— but we didn't realize we were inefficient. Mike and I would like get to the point where, uh, because we were so involved in the business, right, we, we would work non-stop and it was all the time.
And so we didn't even have time to go to the bank. And at that point in time, back in the 2020 timeframe, we were still taking in a lot of cash. Okay. So sometimes like by the end of the week, we would have $60,000 to $100,000 in cash. And then we would go to the bank. Y'all ever been to the bank with like $60,000 large?
Wow. You want to talk about getting interrogated? Oh yeah. Hey, what do y'all do? Oh, we own an automotive repair shop. No, you don't. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah, we do. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. We have, we have a lot of clients that own automotive repair shops. None of them have $60,000 cash. And I'm like, yeah, but we weren't, we weren't doing credit cards because that was just our client base was checks and cash.
Sure. And so, but we wouldn't even, we would, we wouldn't be able to get to the banks. Then what would happen is, is money would get tight. Oh crap, got to find 10 minutes to go to the bank. I mean, we weren't, we weren't eating lunch. I mean, we weren't doing any of this stuff. It was like literally we were— didn't even have time to go to the bank.
Yeah, we were so far in the weeds, Berg. I mean, like there was no light at the end of the tunnel, right? And so What happened was, just like probably the majority, I would say, of people that find ShopFix Academy, when we started seeking a coaching company, because you have to understand, Mike and I thought we knew it all. Sure. Right? We were very advanced in our opinion for our age group in our town.
And so we thought, and a lot of people would tell us that, man, you guys are doing awesome. This is great. By all rights. They thought the world of you because of the revenue you were doing and how many cars were on your lot. You looked successful from outside. All this— what I mean, were your technicians weren't aware? Because all they— they're not broken.
Like, we're just— they're turning wrenches and getting paid to turn wrenches. And, and they see a lifetime of never-ending work. Sure. They come there, we're like, oh, perfect. Well, I guess I don't have to worry about my paycheck. Yeah. And you— and they didn't. Right? Sure. And, but they were hourly, so it didn't really matter anyways. Oh, wow. Oh, my goodness. Crack that one open later.
Let's make a note. We're going to come back to that. But yeah, so back to the simple fact of when we started seeking is Mike and I got to our wit's end. The end of— we always would meet and review the previous year. Okay. So 2020, a lot happened in 2020. That was the COVID timeframe. That was all the things. We also— that was when we went through our lawsuit.
And so that was a big ordeal for us. And so we get to the point and we're like, Man, honestly, like, I came from IT. I was making, you know, $1.50 in IT before I quit my job. And, uh, and Mike is a master technician, so he could go make $1.50, uh, working for somebody else and have zero headache, zero debt, zero everything.
And so we looked at each other and be like— and we were working 18, 19 hours a day. Mike, his marriage didn't, uh, didn't make it, uh, during that time. My marriage got very rocky, and luckily we, we were able to make it, but I was on thin ice for a very long period of time. And so it got to the point where we looked at each other and said, well, we got a few options.
We can sell. I mean, okay, what, the real estate? That's basically it. We didn't really have a business. I mean, the business was losing money. Sure. Didn't have financials to even give anybody anyway. So they could be like, all right, man, yeah, we'll get the real estate. That's it. Like, good to go. Right. But or bring in a mediator or a coach.
And it was hard for us to get to that point because that was Mike and I taking our egos that were— I mean, there ain't no trash can around to house that. Sure. And so we had to really look at each other and say, you know what, maybe we're not as smart as we think we are. Maybe we don't have it all figured out.
Maybe we really should look. And so Mike found Aaron on YouTube. Okay. It was, uh, it was like through Facebook at the time. And then he was going through, uh, like just some little videos and he ends up seeing, comes across on like a forum and then comes to Facebook and then he sees ShopBase. Then he goes to the website and he gets on the website and then he finds that, uh, there's this little, you know, video thing on the website.
And, uh, and he goes through that and he's like, well, he starts searching Then he finds Aaron Stokes. And then so then he goes and searches Aaron Stokes and sees on the forums and they're like, oh yeah, he's the guy. Like, he's the guy, he's the guy, he's the guy. And he sees all these testimonies, right? I came in, I was a broken shop owner.
We thought we had it all figured out. I mean, so a lot of this stuff was like resonating. And so, Mike, I'll never forget, we were at, we were at a vendor leadership conference for Meyer Distributing, which is like a big aftermarket distributor. And, uh, and so we were, we were at their like little event and we were looking for a coaching company.
Did you know what a coach was at that time? Did you know what they do? I had no idea what that— all we needed honestly, Berg, was somebody to come in between him and I and like pour into us. Interesting. Because if we had gotten to the point where we were so frustrated with the outcome and the results, sure, that we were just taking it out on each other.
Oh yeah. But both of us are working our tail off. It wasn't a level of effort issue. It was like we were both hamsters on a wheel. Yeah. And there was no end in sight. And so it was either, hey, it's time or money. Yeah. And we had neither. And so it's like, at what point in time do we just realize, okay, like, I'm fine with making a time-heavy investment as long as there's the money following.
Yeah. Or I'm fine with taking a hit on the money to have more time, right? Yeah. And so typically that's how that works, right? It's on the scale. You have time or money and it goes up or down. Well, we had neither. And so that— we got to our wits' end and we're like, well— but then we, we had a meeting. I'll never forget, it was like at nighttime after work.
We stayed there from like 5:30 to 9 or 10 o'clock at night, just me and him. And that's when we were like, What do we do? It was a Friday night, which was great because then Saturday morning, wake up, we're like casually talking about it, kind of reflecting. Sure. And then by Saturday night, we're like, dude, we can't throw away the last 10 years of our life.
Sure. You know what I mean? Sure. Like, I mean, this was— and this was 9— it was basically 9 years, uh, to be exact, because we had started this in 2012. Um, and so we're like, will we regret one day not seeing this through, or will we regret actually doing this? Right. And so it was like, yeah, we're going to regret. It's always going to be the question of, well, what if we would have done this?
Yeah. Interesting. And so when we got there, which was a huge breakthrough for us, because then it was like, okay, yeah, we both agree that we don't need to give up. And also it wasn't in our DNA to give up. I mean, that's the whole reason why we got to where we got to. Right. So, sure. But that was that moment. We had that moment.
So then he finds Aaron. Okay. And, and we set up a call and we were unique because we were a partnership. Sure. And so one of the things that I loved about ShopFix Academy was it seemed to me like it wasn't a cookie cutter coaching company. Sure. Right off the rip. Because first thing he said was, is, hey, listen, we were like, hey, who's our coach?
Like we got all excited. Oh yeah. Who's our coach? It's like, I don't know yet. We have to get to the end of this call And then I'm going to hand-place you with the coach that I think will be able to make you guys the most successful because I want to make sure that you get in with somebody that maybe can relate or had a similar story or went through similar things.
And so he ended up placing us with Dave Marker because Dave Marker was in a partnership and in the performance game. And so it was like perfect because I feel like our entire experience could have been completely different if it was more of a cookie-cutter deal where it's like, okay, hey man, we have 20 coaches, they're all basically the same. Yeah, so we're just gonna eeny meeny miny moe and give you this guy in the same curriculum, same process.
Like, okay, we're gonna, we're gonna work on your sales right now, that's module number 1. We're gonna car count and revenue, and then we're gonna get to GP, and then we're gonna get GP percentage, then we're gonna get to the P&L and the financials. You didn't need any of that. None of it. You needed the financials. I needed it, honestly. You did the financials off the rip.
Yeah, because we— I mean, because honestly, Mike and I were making daily decisions. Yeah, based off of hopes, dreams, and gut feelings. Yeah, and a bank account that was one day had $100 grand in it, the next day had $2, right? And because depending on how many bills we had to pay that day, right? Depending on how many people came up to pick their car up, right?
Sure. So that was the whole thing. But it was— what was awesome about Shop Fix Academy was it was a custom-tailored solution for exactly what we needed in the area that we were in, in our journey at that time. So it wasn't like, oh yeah, you guys have been in business for 9 years. Like, dude, you guys, you know, you guys are doing great.
You know, you, you've been in business for 9 years. Well, yeah, we've been in business for 9 years. We've been spinning our wheels for 9 years. We know nothing about business. I mean, dude, if you look at our Look at our timeline. Mm-hmm. 2012. Mm-hmm. To 2026. Okay. Okay. So 2012 to today, 14 years. Right. So 14 years. Yep. Okay. 9 without coaching.
9 without coaching. Okay. And then 6, uh, well it was basically 5 cuz we joined in June of, so not even 4 and a half. Okay. Okay. 4 and a half years. So 4 and a half years in 2021 to today. Honestly, the revenue number doesn't even matter. But you know, from a revenue perspective, you know, we were doing $3 million in sales in 2021 when we joined in June.
Okay. And this year we'll touch close to $10 million in sales. Dang. Okay. So in 4 and a half years. Right. But my most proud moment is not the— it's not that it's the profit, it's the net. Right. So the growth in net going from negative. Sure. To positive. Right. And then being able to also going from 6 employees to 35 employees.
Yeah. In 4 and a half years. So how many families' lives we've been able to help transform through Mike and I being transformed. The, the net profit swing— it's something just clicked in me. You went from losing a quarter million dollars net profit. That's a million dollar swing. It's a million dollar swing that you jumped, correct, in a couple of years. Yeah, because that'll be $1.25, $1.3.
So really $1.5 million swing. Yeah, that's awesome. In 4 and a half years with a coach. Yeah, with a coach. And, and so, and that's, and that's really honestly, when you think about it, you're like, oh, well, wow, man, like, that's crazy, Thomas. Like, would you, would you change any part of your journey? And my answer is no. I would run my race the exact same.
You needed all that pain. I needed all the pain. You needed to go through all of the failures because on the big— your biggest breakthrough is on the other side of your biggest failure. And I truly believe in that. I mean, Mike and I, we're not the men that we are today We're not the— our— even Mike's happily married now. He's, he's got an incredible marriage and I have an incredible marriage.
I've got wonderful kids and Mike's on the journey to, to get into that space to start, to start creating his family, which is awesome. But then it's also the leaders that we have become to then be the inspiration to all of the people that we lead in our professional lives across both of our stores so that then they now can be the men and women leading their families and then their children.
And the transformation of that is Mike and I— what started as a passion for vehicles in the automotive industry and for a passion for lifting, you know, big trucks, fast trucks, fast cars, all that stuff is now a passion for developing people and pouring into others. And that's what really fills our cup now. And it's just crazy how you go in the industry and you, and you think that everything is going to be, oh yeah, man, it's all cars and we love to fix cars.
And, you know, Mike loves to turn wrenches. He hasn't turned wrenches in 3 years. Wow. You know, he's forgotten how to turn wrenches, right? But it's like, but there was a time in his life. Yeah. A long period. Sure. That he never thought he would never not turn a wrench. Yeah. Right. And it was a pivotal moment when he, when he took his toolbox off.
And it's hard to lose that identity. Of course. Because a lot of technicians, like I know mine was early on, is my identity is wrapped up in that toolbox and fixing cars. That's what everybody, I mean, everybody goes through that. Sure. I come out of being a musician and that was my identity. And I'm 3 or 4 years into the auto industry, still trying to figure out my identity.
But if you came to that coaching 2, 3 years into it, that soil wouldn't have been ready for a correct point. So there's, it's different for everybody. For you, it's at that 10-year point, you're at that place to where you're ready to receive. You know, somebody might be ready to receive 2 years into it. You know what I mean? It's just different for every— it's different for everyone.
And the thing is, and what I would tell you and anybody that's listening to this podcast, that my biggest thing in my experience with Shop Fix Academy is run your race. Don't worry about what everybody else is doing. Don't worry about that it only took somebody else 6 months or 6 years and it took you 10 years or 5 years. It doesn't matter.
It's your story. It's nobody else's story. And we're all running a similar playbook, but it's custom tailored to your markets, your team, your culture, your shops. Your people, right? And so that's what I love about it, is that it's, it's your race and run it the best that you can run it. Yeah. And ultimately, you're gonna be successful when you do that.
Amen. Because it's not how you start the race, it's how you finish the race. That's right. And that duration is relative. Sure, sure. It, it doesn't matter. And so that's like my biggest thing is, is, you know, yes, do we make excuses? And you guys are probably like, oh my gosh, Thomas like actually made excuses. Like, that's crazy, you know? This is like one of the most disciplined people I know.
Like, people always tell me, like, Thomas, dude, like, you got it all figured out. I'm like, no, I don't. And don't ever say that again because I do not have it all figured out. And I have been through a lot to get to this point. Yes. Am I the most disciplined in my life currently? Absolutely I am. But it's because I surrounded myself with a bunch of people that were working on themselves, had coaches, and were able to work on themselves, work on their shops, and do everything to help take them to the next level.
And I left a lot of relationships And a lot of friendships that I had that ended up being one-sided friendships or friendships that were not doing anything for me. And it was all me pouring into them and pouring and pouring and pouring. And it was like really what they were doing was dragging me down, not helping push me. And so that's like, I look forward to coming to ShopFix events every quarter because, I mean, dude, you want to talk about filling your cup?
Absolutely. Like everyone has a different story in the community they come from. Some people come from all walks of life, right? May have a small community, small population. Maybe your high school was a graduating class of 20. You know, my high school was graduating class of 500. How many people do I keep in contact with from my graduating class of 500? Uh, Mike and like maybe 2 other people.
Sure. Yeah, sure. Right. But it's all your race. And I, you know, I really want everyone to understand that there isn't a one-size-fits-all and there's not a one race and this is how you need to run it. You need to run it at your pace. And you're going to be successful if you continue to stick to the script. Yeah. So many people look for that easy button, right?
What's the one thing I need to do? It was that when you came in, were you and Mike kind of like, okay, let's try this and let's find what's that magic button that we hit? I don't have any secrets in the automotive industry. Like, I don't have anything that— what I love about what we do is it's an open door policy. Yeah.
You want to come inside my store? See how we operate, meet my team, see our structure, see our systems, by all means show up. We're going to take care of you. We have nothing to hide. Ultimately, I would love to be able to help any people that we can help in the community, whether it's struggling, broken shop owners like myself when we joined ShopFix Academy.
I ultimately believe that every single person in business— I don't care what industry you're in You need a coach, period. ShopFix Academy, maybe I'm a little biased. Ultimately, I love it not only for the coaching but for the community, because I truly believe your network is your net worth. And at the end of the day, that is what separates ShopFix Academy and makes them so special, right?
Yes, you have coaching. Yes, you have— and the live events, right? The live events are insane. They're amazing. And ultimately bringing all of your closest people together under one roof to where you can collaborate and have all the conversations, because that's what happens at the top. Yeah. And then take those back into your communities and grow like wildfire within your communities. What are we doing?
We're leveling up the entire industry. We're working together. We're helping each other. There are other coaches in ShopFix that are within 7 minutes from my store. Sure. And guess what? We meet every single month. The first Monday of every month, we have a standing meeting. It's me, Jack Getz, Jay Ha, my business partner, Mike. Love it. And we call it, we call it the Operator's Roundtable.
Love it. And what do we do? We share everything. No secrets. I love it. Because we're not competing on price. Yeah. We're competing on service. And if Jack or Jay are doing something in their environments that's working great for them, Maybe I should take a page out of their book. Absolutely. And instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, yeah, run that play and see how that works.
And I would open that to anybody, non-ShopFix community, people that are struggling. Sure. I'm willing to open my doors just like all of us are willing to open our doors. And really, honestly, all we want to do is try to inspire and impact as many lives as we possibly can. In this world. And whether we're doing that to struggling shop owners or whether we're doing that to the general community or whatever the case is, I would just really, really want to extend the invite for you to experience a coaching company.
Number one, Shop Face Academy would be a great choice. And ultimately also getting involved and plugged in in your communities. Absolutely. And being able to take that back into there. Absolutely. Guys, we are out of time. It has been a blast. Guy, you're the funniest guy I know. Well, you know. Yeah, absolutely. Thomas, thank you so much for being here. Awesome, thank you.
For those of you watching and listening to this, I hope you picked up a bunch of gold nuggets. I know I did for sure. Find your community. Find a community that pushes you. At ShopFix, we are going to push this industry. We are going to continue to go find people that want to level up and help each other and push each other.
We'll see you next time.
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90 hours a week, elite technician credentials, and a growing shop... but Eric Walker was still failing as an owner. Why? He couldn't grow long term while carrying the whole auto shop on his back. The cars were being fixed, but nobody’s work was ever good enough. So the “super tech” kept stepping in, taking over, and teaching his team to depend on him. In this episode, Guy Roberts and Michael "The Berg" Rosenberger dig into the shift from technician identity to actual ownership. Learn the moment Eric realized his standards were holding his people back, why letting a technician struggle can actually reduce the owner’s struggle, and why the guy with the quickest answer can become the biggest bottleneck in the building. Your job is no longer to be the hero who fixes every car themselves. Your job is to build people who can solve problems without you. Eric spent more than a decade carrying the load. Today, his auto shop has a 13 person team rowing in the same direction even when he isn’t there.Stop searching for better technicians and start developing the ones you have with Tech Fix.https://shopfixacademy.com/tech-fix?utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=join-tech-fix&utm_content=ctaGet the structure and support to stop carrying your entire shop yourself with Shop Fix LITE.https://shopfixacademy.com/shop-fix-lite?utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=join-lite&utm_content=ctaLearn how top shop owners build teams that perform without everything falling back on you with our free Replays & Guides.https://shopfixacademy.com/replays-and-guides?utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=shopfix-resources&utm_content=cta
I Spent 10 Years Stuck at $1.7M, Now I'm About To Hit $5M (How I Did It) | EP12 | Shop Fix Academy Podcast
For ten years, Wayne Watson's shop hit the same wall — $1.5M to $1.7M in revenue, eight bays, no way through. He'd been in business since 1993, tried everything, and still couldn't crack $2 million. Then something shifted. Today he runs 18 bays, did $4M last year, and his team is already gunning for $6M. He explains how he spent years managing the wrong numbers: parts percentage, GP benchmarks, shop supplies, before discovering where the real breakthrough was hiding and the reframe that reordered how he sees his entire business: that the difference between broke and profitable usually comes down to three or four cars a day.Get the structure, coaching, and accountability to take control of your numbers and build a more profitable shop with Shop Fix LITE. https://shopfixacademy.com/shop-fix-lite?utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=join-lite&utm_content=ctaLearn alongside operators who have overcome the same financial, leadership, and operational challenges you’re facing at a Shop Fix Academy Event.https://shopfixacademy.com/upcoming-events?utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=sfa-events-2026&utm_content=cta Stop tracking numbers without knowing what to do next, watch From Guesswork to Growth and learn the metrics that actually drive profit.https://shopfixacademy.com/guessworktogrowth?utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=fromguessworktogrowth&utm_content=cta
From Harsh Truths In Mentorship To Reaching A $14M Operation | EP11 | Shop Fix Academy Podcast
Hard conversations don’t hold you back, they expose what has to change if you want to grow.In this episode, multi-shop owner Adam Preusser sits down with Guy Roberts and Michael "The Berg" Rosenberger to talk about the kind of mentorship that doesn’t just tell you what you want to hear. This conversation gets into why real growth often starts with accountability, covering the relationships that challenged Adam's thinking and expanded what he believed was possible. He shares what he learned from the mentors who pushed back, why surrounding yourself with people who simply agree with you can keep you stuck, and how those hard-earned lessons helped shape the owner he became while building an operation now profiting roughly $14M annually. Learn why the right mentor should challenge you, accountability has to come before growth, and you need to hear the harsh truths you've been avoiding.Join Shop Fix LITE and learn alongside experienced coaches and a community of shop owners committed to building stronger, more profitable businesses.https://shopfixacademy.com/shop-fix-lite?utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=join-lite&utm_content=ctaAccess free guides, training, and on-demand replays from Shop Fix Academy to keep growing long after this episode ends.https://shopfixacademy.com/replays-and-guides?utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=shopfix-resources&utm_content=ctaThere's something different about learning in a room full of shop owners who are solving the same challenges you are.https://shopfixacademy.com/upcoming-events?utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=sfa-events-2026&utm_content=cta
Your Shop Isn't Scaling Past $1M For These 5 Reasons...
The average U.S. auto repair shop profits under $600K, however the average Shop Fix Academy grown shop profits $2.4M. Guy Roberts and Michael “The Berg” Rosenberger cover 5 proven strategies that explain why so many owners still can’t break the $1M ceiling. This is not a car count problem. It is a leadership, people, systems, and capacity problem. Learn whether or not a $1M manager can actually lead a $2M store, why the employees who helped you reach your first million may not be the ones who can help you double profits, and how hiring more bodies can double overhead without moving production. They unpack the “Front of The Step, Back of The Step” model every growing shop owner needs to understand. Stay tuned to get the right people producing at the right level, and scale a $1M shop into a $2M operation without crushing cash flow along the way.Ready to break through your next growth ceiling? Shop Fix PRO gives you 1:1 coaching, proven systems, and a community of experienced shop owners to help you build a stronger, more profitable business.https://shopfixacademy.com/shop-fix-pro?utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=join-pro&utm_content=ctaExplore free replays, practical guides, and proven resources designed to help you improve profitability, strengthen your team, and grow your shop with confidence.https://shopfixacademy.com/replays-and-guides?utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=shopfix-resources&utm_content=ctaThe best shop owners never stop learning. Explore upcoming Shop Fix Academy events and find the training that's right for you and your team.https://shopfixacademy.com/upcoming-events?utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=sfa-events-2026&utm_content=cta
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AutoShop Ministries Episode 3 - From Technician to CEO: Pace, Purpose, and Long-Term Success
Joe Adams and Chaplain Devontae Tidwell discuss why endurance beats speed in leadership and business. Using scripture & practical examples, they explain how steady, sustainable effort builds lasting success. They challenge listeners to slow down, set a sustainable pace, and ask whether today’s choices will still be good eight years from now—emphasizing discipline, patience, and long-term planning.
Selling to the Curb: How AI Turned More Calls into Customers [RR 1099]
Thanks to our Partners, NAPA Auto Care and NAPA TRACS Watch Full Video Episode What does it take to build one of the fastest-growing auto repair businesses while leveraging artificial intelligence to improve performance at every level? In this episode, Carm Capriotto welcomes Jesse Jackson, Founder and CEO of Mango Automotive, to discuss how she scaled from zero to eight locations in less than five years. Jesse shares the leadership lessons learned through rapid growth, how custom AI tools are helping improve customer experience and operational consistency, and why she believes it's time to rethink how independent shop owners plan their exit from the industry. What You'll Learn How Mango Automotive expanded from a startup to eight locations through strategic acquisitions.The leadership challenges that come with rapid growth and why building a corporate support team became essential.The three cultural principles that drive employee engagement: never yell, bonus well, and have fun.How AI is being used to measure standard operating procedures and improve accountability.Why analyzing phone conversations with AI helps advisors convert more callers into customers.How providing realistic price ranges over the phone can improve appointment conversion rates.How AI-driven follow-up processes dramatically increased maintenance rebooking rates.Practical ways any shop owner can use tools like ChatGPT or Claude to evaluate service advisor performance without spending hours reviewing phone calls.Why thousands of shop owners approaching retirement may be leaving significant business value on the table.How Jesse's cooperative exit model could help independent shop owners achieve substantially higher business valuations than traditional private equity acquisitions. Artificial intelligence isn't replacing great leadership; it's making great operators even better. Combined with a strong culture, measurable processes, and innovative thinking about business ownership, AI can help repair shops improve customer experience, scale more effectively, and create greater long-term value for both. Jesse Jackson, CEO, Mango Automotive, 8 locations Learn more about NAPA Auto Care and the benefits of being part of the NAPA family by visiting https://www.napaonline.com/en/auto-care NAPA TRACS will move your shop into the SMS fast lane with onsite training and six days a week of support and local representation. Find NAPA TRACS on the Web at http://napatracs.com/ Connect with the Podcast: Visit the Website:https://remarkableresults.biz/Subscribe on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/carmcapriottoFollow on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/RemarkableResultsRadioPodcast/Follow on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmcapriotto/Follow on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/remarkableresultsradiopodcast/Join Our Virtual Toastmasters Club:https://remarkableresults.biz/toastmastersJoin Our Private Facebook Community:https://www.facebook.com/groups/1734687266778976Join our Insider List:https://remarkableresults.biz/insiderAll books mentioned on our podcasts:https://remarkableresults.biz/booksOur Classroom page for personal or team learning:https://remarkableresults.biz/classroomSpecial episode collections:https://remarkableresults.biz/collectionsBuy Me a Coffee:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/carm The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/ Remarkable Results Radio Podcastwith Carm Capriotto:Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion.https://remarkableresults.biz/Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z:From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.https://mattfanslow.captivate.fm/Business by the Numbers: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level.https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/The Weekly Blitz: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/Speak Up! Effective Communication: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills with Craig O'Neill.https://craigoneill.captivate.fm
Episode 274 - Can The Automotive Service Industry Be Saved? With Cecil Bullard and Wayne Marshall
Don't get to the end of this year wishing you had taken action to change your business and your life.Click here to schedule a free discovery call for your business: https://geni.us/IFORABEDon't miss an upcoming event with The Institute: https://geni.us/InstituteEvents2026Shop-Ware gives you the tools to provide your shop with everything needed to become optimally profitable.Click here to schedule a free demo: https://info.shop-ware.com/profitabilityTransform your shop's marketing with the best in the automotive industry, Shop Marketing Pros!Get a free audit of your shop's current marketing by clicking here: https://geni.us/ShopMarketingProsShop owners, are you ready to simplify your business operations? Meet 360 Payments, your one-stop solution for effortless payment processing.Imagine this—no more juggling receipts, staplers, or endless paperwork. With 360 Payments, you get everything integrated into a single, sleek digital platform.Simplify payments. Streamline operations. Check out 360payments.com today!In this episode, Cecil Bullard and Wayne Marshall discuss the challenges facing the automotive industry today. They examine the complexities and controversies surrounding technician licensing and certification, highlighting the need for industry-wide standards. The conversation also addresses the importance of financial literacy and measurable productivity in running a successful shop.00:00 Debating dealership licensing issues10:17 Balancing employee pay and motivation13:05 Building Employee Loyalty18:33 Improving employee wages and management23:01 Business fundamentals and financial ratios29:03 Planning an Exit Strategy35:00 Chris Enright on industry frustration41:01 Need for sophisticated testing46:14 Importance of unique selling proposition51:13 Importance of inclusivity and differentiation54:12 Challenges with membership relevance01:03:44 Young talent and enthusiasm01:04:15 Recruiting a young car enthusiast
The Customer Is NOT Always Right
In this episode of Repair Shop Reckoning, Kevin tackles one of the most damaging beliefs in business: "The customer is always right." For years, shop owners have been taught to bend over backward for every customer, absorb every complaint, hand out...