Ethan Whidden

Ep 160: Hiring for Culture Changes Everything with Stacey Black and Ethan Whidden

Ep 89 - Sam "Awesome" Freeman & Ethan Whidden | Why You Don't "Need" an A-Tech

Tektonic 2027 is coming up April 1-3, and if you missed year 1, you MUST NOT miss year 2. It's bigger, it's better, because is Tekmetric's conference. You know it's gonna be the best conference in the history of conferences. Get lower pricing now HEREMy marketing before and after signing up with Turnkey Marketing is pretty scary. In a good way. Get your marketing right today HERE47 Consultants brings your shop’s story to life on social media, helping Carfix engage 60,000 people in Raleigh in just a few weeks. See what 47 Consultants can do for your shop, and tell them Big Daddy Mike sent you! Make your techs happier with Detect Auto. They'll stop getting "check noise" or "check vibration" from advisors with the customer concern tool. It will CHANGE YOUR LIFE. Book a demo HEREElite Worldwide's Ignite 2027 is coming up in February and NOW is the time to sign up. It's happening in Vegas February 4-6 and it will be the best 3 days of your shops year when you attend. Save $100 when you use code CONFESSIONS HERESam Freeman is the Partner Manager with Promotive Ethan Whidden is a Sales Representative. Today, they share with Mike what they've learned about the challenges of recruiting in the automotive repair industry. They discuss the unrealistic expectations shop owners often have when looking for that elusive “A tech” and why most owners should reconsider what they truly need in their shops. The conversation covers the importance of clear communication—both when hiring and when working with vendors—and the need for accountability on both sides of the hiring process.Timestamps:00:00 - The reality of open bays & shop hopping01:14 - Walking the trade show floor & exhibitor life03:23 - Ethan Whidden on joining Promotive, shop culture, and genuine conversation07:27 - Mike Allen confesses: why he hesitated to use Promotive08:45 - Effort vs. results in recruiting—Matt Lofton’s tough love09:01 - Why most shops think they need A-techs (and why they’re wrong)14:47 - Defining technician levels (and what “A-tech” really means)17:26 - Expectations vs. reality: shops, techs, and unicorn hires18:09 - The shop owner who took “unrealistic” to new levels19:31 - Diagnosing your real hiring needs20:01 - Chaos coordinators & fixing the front office21:02 - You don’t need a unicorn—you need to be a better owner24:01 - Shop competition: Mario Kart, go-karts, and Monopoly battles27:02 - Epic neighborhood parties and community building33:06 - Localized guerrilla recruiting vs. Promotive (can you DIY?)34:03 - Why shop owners make terrible customers for vendors35:09 - Communication, unspoken expectations, and messy outcomes37:58 - Candidate screening, accountability, and whose fault is it, really?41:41 - Hiring stories: ghosting, no-shows & offers used as leverage51:14 - Why techs really leave—(hint: it’s not always money)01:00:05 - What you SHOULD pay your B-techs and A-techs in 202601:06:09 - Boasting moms, cheer championships, and motivation01:11:08 - Code yellow, code red: shop bathroom confessions