Advertise on podcast: Confessions of a Shop Owner

Keep shop management, payments, marketing (all the things) all in one place with Tekmetric. It will CHANGE YOUR LIFE. Click HERE Turnkey Marketing has made my life SOOO much simpler, AND they've helped keep the phone ringing. Do you need these two things too? Learn more HERE Tired of your shop’s social media looking like every other repair shop on the internet? Stand out with 47 Consulting. Learn more HERE When I used the maintenance tool for the fist time with Detect Auto, my mind was blown. My advisors had the same reaction - and then SO MUCH MORE TIME. Learn more about Detect Auto and book a free demo now! Elite 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 HERE Mike Allen sits down with Trey and Sasha Holley, owners of a 10-bay repair shop in Thomaston, Georgia, for a conversation about growth, technician development, working with your spouse and building a business that can eventually survive without you. Trey and Sasha share how losing Sasha’s father suddenly forced them into the business side of automotive before they were ready—and why watching him work himself relentlessly shaped the kind of shop they want to build today. They also explain why struggling to find an experienced A-tech completely changed their hiring philosophy after they took a chance on a high-school student, bought him a toolbox and developed him into a productive young technician now learning diagnostics. The conversation gets into their 400-hour backlog, whether becoming a multi-shop operation is actually something they want, succession planning for their son and the uncomfortable question of what happens to your business if you die tomorrow. And in true Confessions fashion, Trey eventually admits that one of his shop’s biggest historical problems wasn’t employees, technicians or customers—it was his own attitude. Timestamps: 00:00 – Do You Really Need an A-Tech?01:29 – Meet Trey & Sasha Holley03:59 – From Two Bays to a 10-Bay Shop05:38 – Being Thrown Into Business Overnight06:15 – Losing Sasha’s Dad at 5108:57 – Starting Their Own Shop11:02 – Running a Business With Your Spouse13:03 – When Employees Play Husband vs. Wife16:40 – Moving a Technician Into the Front Office18:17 – 400 Hours of Approved Work19:27 – Stop Looking for A-Techs—Build Them20:50 – Teaching a Young Technician Diagnostics22:49 – The Never-Ending Growth Problem23:56 – How Much Growth Is Enough?25:39 – Building a Shop Their Son Can Inherit26:08 – What Happens If the Owners Die Tomorrow?28:36 – Mike’s “Oh Shit, I’m Dead” Book35:08 – What Happened to Sasha’s Dad’s Shop?38:04 – Their First ASTA Expo47:03 – Stop Making Excuses and Show Up51:09 – Trey’s Confession: “The Problem Was Me”52:44 – “I’ve Only Had Two Leave in Tears” 😂

Tekmetric opened my eyes to just how much a good SMS will do for a shop. Their software is top of the line, and with them, so is my shop. Try them for yourself HERE My marketing before and after signing up with Turnkey Marketing is pretty scary. In a good way. Get your marketing right today HERE Tired of your shop’s social media looking like every other repair shop on the internet? Stand out with 47 Consulting. Learn more HERE 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 HERE Elite 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 HERE Mike Allen sits down with Carry-Lynn Rodenberg of Turnkey Marketing for Marketing Call #2, and this time they dig into what happens after your marketing actually works. Mike shares the numbers from his shops—including nearly 2,700 inbound callers in September, roughly 550 unanswered calls and a call-to-car conversion rate of only about 33%—and they talk about how much revenue can disappear when advisors accidentally repel customers. They also discuss handling negative Google reviews, why customer retention may be more important than buying more leads, ways to fill an empty schedule, and why overwhelming customers with massive estimates can sometimes hurt long-term relationships. Carry-Lynn also explains how Google and other AI tools are changing local search, why shops need to be prepared for AI-generated phone calls and why lazy AI use may eventually make every business sound exactly the same. The big question throughout the episode: Do you actually need more marketing—or do you need to stop wasting the customers you already have? Timestamps:00:00 – How Advisors Accidentally Push Customers Away01:08 – Mistakes Happen—Your Response Matters09:34 – Google Reviews & Rebuilding Reputation11:48 – How to Respond to a Bad Review13:37 – What Mike Learned From His Negative Reviews15:46 – You Paid to Make the Phone Ring—Now Convert It18:44 – Measuring Call-to-Car Conversion20:48 – Mike Missed 550 Calls in One Month23:46 – Google’s AI Is Calling Repair Shops28:46 – “Be Nice to the Robot” 😂30:42 – Could AI Capture 100 More Cars a Month?32:50 – Is a Huge ARO Destroying Customer Retention?34:49 – Only 24% of New Customers Came Back39:59 – How to Win Back Lost Customers43:16 – What to Do When Next Week’s Schedule Is Empty48:01 – Easy Customers Already Sitting in Your Database49:35 – Marketing Priorities for a Smaller Shop53:34 – The Most Alarming Thing About AI Marketing57:10 – Bad Marketing Decisions & AI Slop

Tekmetric transformed my shop. Plain and simple. Want that for yours? Touch HERE Turnkey Marketing takes the stress of doing something I'm not good at off my plate. And gives it to someone who is. Click HERE for more. Tired of your shop’s social media looking like every other repair shop on the internet? Stand out with 47 Consulting. Learn more HERE Elite 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 HERE When I used the maintenance tool for the fist time with Detect Auto, my mind was blown. My advisors had the same reaction - and then SO MUCH MORE TIME. Learn more about Detect Auto and book a free demo now! Mike Allen sits down with Andrew Klement of Finley River Auto and Diesel to talk about what happens when a technician becomes a shop owner—but actually plans for it first. Andrew explains why he hired a coach and CPA before opening, started with a service advisor from day one, invested in systems immediately and surrounded himself with people who had already made the mistakes he wanted to avoid. The result? A greenfield startup with no existing customers that projected roughly $350,000–$360,000 in first-year revenue had already crossed $600,000 with three months left in the year. They also get into Andrew’s first employee quitting, why shop owners fail at training, how to sell repairs without high-pressure tactics, what a healthy shop culture can do for a technician’s career and the time 18-year-old Andrew invented a completely fictional “starter break-in noise” to cover up a mistake. And because it’s Confessions, Mike also gets to explain why releasing an $18,000 repair while still being owed $7,500 is probably a terrible business strategy. Timestamps:00:00 – Sell by Educating, Not Pressuring00:45 – Mike & Andrew Live From ASTA09:15 – Andrew Tried Free Diagnostics10:03 – Finley River Auto & Diesel15:38 – Andrew’s Technician Background17:25 – Building a Shop the Smart Way19:09 – $350K Projection → $600K+ Revenue20:27 – Is the Startup Actually Profitable?23:20 – Almost Leaving the Automotive Industry25:15 – What a Great Shop Taught Andrew29:44 – Can the Customer, Tech AND Shop All Win?32:16 – Andrew’s First Employee Quit34:07 – Selling Without High-Pressure Tactics35:39 – “You Hired Him. It’s Your Responsibility.”39:06 – The Infamous “Starter Break-In Noise” 😂41:42 – A Local Podcast as Shop Marketing44:20 – Andrew’s First ASTA Experience45:33 – Don’t Try to Implement Everything46:21 – The $18,000 Ticket He Still Hasn’t Collected47:06 – Mike: “Don’t Do That Shit.”

Tekmetric transformed my shop. Plain and simple. Want that for yours? Touch HERE If you're like me and aren't good at marketing, don't do it on your own. Let the experts handle it. Touch HERE for more on Turnkey Marketing. Tired of your shop’s social media looking like every other repair shop on the internet? Stand out with 47 Consulting. Learn more HERE Elite 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 HERE When I used the maintenance tool for the fist time with Detect Auto, my mind was blown. My advisors had the same reaction - and then SO MUCH MORE TIME. Learn more about Detect Auto and book a free demo now! Mike Allen, Bryan Pollock, Jim Cokonis and Justin Allen sit down on the ASTA Expo floor for a conversation about one of the biggest problems in automotive repair: technicians and service advisors often don’t know what they don’t know. They dig into how bad information gets passed from technician to technician, why years of experience don’t automatically mean someone is doing the job correctly, and why training has to teach people how to think instead of simply memorize answers. The conversation covers tire sales, diagnostic strategy, technician education, young tech development, alignment and ADAS calibration, repair standards and some of the unbelievable things trainers still see happening inside real shops. They also debate whether shops are wasting technologically savvy young technicians by sticking them on oil changes for years instead of identifying their natural strengths early. And somewhere along the way, Mike takes a technical quiz, Bryan explains why someone can be wrong for 25 straight years, and everybody gets distracted by chicken wings. Timestamps:00:00 – Tire Sales Should Be This Simple01:17 – Live From ASTA: How Good Are Shops, Really?05:30 – How Bad Information Gets Passed Down09:50 – Teaching Technicians How to Think15:10 – Mike Takes the Technical Quiz21:18 – Why Aftermarket Training Matters28:05 – What Service Advisors Need to Know29:41 – Stop Overcomplicating Tire Sales34:14 – What Trainers Actually See Inside Shops40:32 – “You’ve Been Doing It Wrong for 25 Years”42:21 – Why Aren’t Technicians Training?46:11 – Are We Wasting Young Technicians?50:00 – Meet Justin Allen from Hunter52:00 – Every Shop Needs an ADAS Strategy57:38 – When a Customer Refuses Required Work1:00:08 – How Do We Raise the Industry Standard?1:03:40 – Can Five Minutes of Training Actually Work?1:10:11 – Training the Next Generation of Trainers

Keep shop management, payments, marketing (all the things) all in one place with Tekmetric. It will CHANGE YOUR LIFE. Click HERE Turnkey Marketing has made my life SOOO much simpler, AND they've helped keep the phone ringing. Do you need these two things too? Learn more HERE Tired of your shop’s social media looking like every other repair shop on the internet? Stand out with 47 Consulting. Learn more HERE When I used the maintenance tool for the fist time with Detect Auto, my mind was blown. My advisors had the same reaction - and then SO MUCH MORE TIME. Learn more about Detect Auto and book a free demo now! Elite 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 HERE Mike Allen sits down with Stacia Aeschbach of Aeschbach Automotive and the Driven for More podcast to talk about leadership, growing a repair shop, raising five kids, women in automotive, and how her shop turned social media into a massive part of its brand. Stacia breaks down how Aeschbach Automotive grew an audience of tens of thousands of followers, generated nearly 100 million Meta views in a year, and started hearing from customers who discovered the shop through TikTok and other social platforms. They talk about why generic stock photos and boring repair content don’t work, how controversial content drives engagement, what shops should actually post, and why becoming more human may matter even more as AI-generated content becomes everywhere. Mike also realizes that an auto repair shop is basically a reality show full of misfit toys—which might actually be the best marketing opportunity in the industry. Timestamps: 00:00 – How Social Media Keeps Your Shop Top of Mind00:56 – Meet Stacia Aeschbach03:15 – Leadership & Your “Emotional Wake”07:39 – How Aeschbach Automotive Got Started09:11 – From Tinder to a $3 Million Repair Shop12:24 – Five Kids, Shop Ownership & No Excuses14:48 – Women in the Automotive Industry19:43 – Building a Massive Shop Social Media Following23:18 – Nearly 100 Million Social Media Views24:13 – Making Money From Shop Content26:40 – How Often Should a Repair Shop Post?31:38 – Does Social Media Actually Bring in Customers?34:21 – Why Your Shop’s Social Media May Be Hurting Trust36:52 – Controversy, Engagement Bait & Going Viral39:15 – How Shops Can Start Creating Content41:22 – Humanizing the People Behind Your Business42:51 – Why AI Makes Being Human More Valuable44:56 – Which Automotive Podcast Is the Worst? 😂

Tekmetric opened my eyes to just how much a good SMS will do for a shop. Their software is top of the line, and with them, so is my shop. Try them for yourself HERE My marketing before and after signing up with Turnkey Marketing is pretty scary. In a good way. Get your marketing right today HERE Tired of your shop’s social media looking like every other repair shop on the internet? Stand out with 47 Consulting. Learn more HERE 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 HERE Elite 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 HERE Mike Allen sits down with Matt Lofton at ASTA 2026 for another Carfix coaching call—and this time they finally have data from Mike’s decision to start charging for diagnostic work at one location. They break down what happened to car count, gross profit, effective labor rate and average repair order before diving into the much bigger debate around flat rate, hourly pay, technician trust and whether pay plans actually motivate employees. Matt explains why incentive programs often create a short-term bump without changing long-term behavior, why writing an SOP is not the same thing as training, and why repetition and accountability matter more than another complicated compensation plan. Mike also admits that sometimes the recurring employee problem might actually be an owner problem. It’s a conversation about diagnostics, technician pay, leadership, training and what it really takes to build a team that consistently executes. Timestamps:00:00 – The Technician vs. Shop Owner Problem00:56 – Live From ASTA 202601:30 – The Free Diag T-Shirt Conspiracy04:25 – Mike Defends Free Diagnostics08:44 – We Started Charging for Diag: Here’s What Happened12:09 – Should You Quote Diagnostic Fees Over the Phone?18:25 – The Complimentary Consultation Strategy20:15 – How to Sell the Value of Diagnostic Testing25:57 – Should a Faster Technician Cost Less?28:03 – Flat Rate Isn’t the Problem33:46 – Changing a Technician’s Pay Plan Without Losing Trust36:06 – Does Money Actually Motivate Technicians?39:01 – The Cobra Effect: When Incentives Backfire40:49 – What Actually Motivates Employees?43:49 – Are Shop Processes Becoming Too Complicated?44:49 – Writing an SOP Is NOT Training47:29 – Why Great Shops Execute Better51:33 – Mike’s 72-Page Parts Manual 😂52:36 – “I’ve Told Him 22 Times!”53:10 – Mike Admits He’s Been the Problem54:40 – Matt Has Screwed Up Just About Everything56:57 – Why Small Shops Struggle to Train58:12 – Scale Gives You Time to Train1:00:11 – What Mike Needs to Fix Next

Tekmetric transformed my shop. Plain and simple. Want that for yours? Touch HERE Turnkey Marketing takes the stress of doing something I'm not good at off my plate. And gives it to someone who is. Click HERE for more. Tired of your shop’s social media looking like every other repair shop on the internet? Stand out with 47 Consulting. Learn more HERE Elite 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 HERE When I used the maintenance tool for the fist time with Detect Auto, my mind was blown. My advisors had the same reaction - and then SO MUCH MORE TIME. Learn more about Detect Auto and book a free demo now! Mike Allen and Bryan Pollock sit down with Avern Collins to find out what it actually takes to build a legitimate, profitable mobile mechanic business instead of becoming another guy fixing cars out of the back of a truck. Avern breaks down why he charges nearly $250 upfront for diagnostics, how professional branding and communication help him avoid competing on price, what a productive mobile technician can generate in revenue, and why knowing which jobs to turn down is just as important as knowing how to fix cars. The conversation also gets into $250–$300 labor rates, technician hiring, customer expectations, mobile-mechanic stereotypes, and why shop owners need to stop letting ego turn every nightmare vehicle into a personal challenge. Timestamps: 00:00 – Aftermarket Parts Aren’t What They Used to Be00:57 – Bald Heads, Hairlines & Pollock’s Hair Polish05:24 – Meet Avern Collins: Building a Mobile Repair Business06:56 – Why So Many Mobile Mechanics Fail08:15 – Why Avern Never Wanted a Brick-and-Mortar Shop10:05 – Escaping the “Cheap Mobile Mechanic” Reputation11:29 – Why Avern Refuses to Do Free Diagnostics12:28 – $250 Before the Mechanic Even Shows Up17:18 – Customer Communication Like Amazon and DoorDash27:42 – Teaching Mobile Mechanics to Run a Real Business34:21 – Why Professionalism Changes What Customers Will Pay36:58 – $250–$300 an Hour for Mobile Auto Repair38:00 – Why Great Mobile Technicians Are So Hard to Find43:14 – When Should Kids Get Their First Phone?49:49 – How Much Revenue Can One Mobile Mechanic Produce?50:30 – Stop Saying Yes to Every Repair51:27 – Stop Trying to Be the Hero Shop54:06 – Why Nightmare Cars Should Cost More to Diagnose54:46 – Why Avern Won’t Work Behind Other Mechanics57:13 – Sometimes the Best Business Decision Is Saying No

Tekmetric transformed my shop. Plain and simple. Want that for yours? Touch HERE If you're like me and aren't good at marketing, don't do it on your own. Let the experts handle it. Touch HERE for more on Turnkey Marketing. Tired of your shop’s social media looking like every other repair shop on the internet? Stand out with 47 Consulting. Learn more HERE Elite 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 HERE When I used the maintenance tool for the fist time with Detect Auto, my mind was blown. My advisors had the same reaction - and then SO MUCH MORE TIME. Learn more about Detect Auto and book a free demo now! Mike Allen sits down with Eric Joern of Kaizen CPAs & Advisors and host of Under the Hood CPA to talk about the financial side of shop ownership that most technicians never signed up to learn. They get into disastrous QuickBooks files, surprise tax bills, R&D credits, ERC abuse, sales and payroll tax mistakes, buying versus selling business assets, tax strategy when selling a shop, and why your CPA needs to hear about major decisions before you make them. Eric also brings his background as a dealership service advisor into the conversation, leading to some extremely questionable water-pump sales advice from Mike. If you own a repair shop and have ever looked at QuickBooks and immediately closed the tab, this episode is probably for you. Timestamps:00:00 Brown Water and Being Confidently Incorrect00:56 ASTA, STX & the Confessions Hospitality Suite03:24 Meet Eric Joern of Kaizen CPAs04:08 Tax Deadlines and Mike’s Financial Responsibility05:43 How Bad Are Most New Clients’ Books?07:36 Mike Confesses His Podcast Books Are Terrible09:08 Paying Taxes Means You Made Money… Right?09:40 How Aggressive Should Your Tax Strategy Be?10:37 Is the R&D Tax Credit Worth Exploring?13:04 The Tax Credit Eric Saw Abused the Most15:34 Does Cheaper Mean More Trustworthy?16:12 Eric’s Life as a Dealership Service Advisor17:22 Mike’s Terrible Water-Pump Sales Advice18:49 Don’t Solve a $3,000 Problem With a $50,000 Solution19:05 Toyota Warranty Work and the 300% Rule21:10 Why Does QuickBooks Online Suck?23:20 Are There Any Real QuickBooks Alternatives?24:45 Shops Still Running Everything Through QuickBooks26:18 Is Saving $300 Worth Wasting Your Nights?26:47 “My Wife Does the Books and She Loves It”27:25 Why Eric Started Under the Hood CPA30:11 Shop Owners vs. Other Small-Business Clients31:18 “I Don’t Know What I Spent $50,000 On”32:14 The $50,000 Amazon Bill34:17 Shop-Owner Bookkeeping Horror Stories35:07 The $60K–$80K Sales Tax Mistake35:54 Mike’s Payroll-Tax Acquisition Nightmare38:32 Buying Assets vs. Buying the Business39:09 How Deal Structure Can Save Millions41:06 Could Your Shop Eventually Be Sold Tax-Free?44:28 Which Coaching Group Has the Hardest Financial Reporting?45:50 Why Shop Owners Need Their Numbers Faster46:08 What Is Live Bookkeeping?47:33 The One Thing Your CPA Wishes You’d Do48:03 Talk to Your CPA BEFORE the Big Decision49:33 Mike’s Idea for a Personal Board of Advisors50:44 Getting Your CPA, Advisor and Attorney on the Same Page52:10 Every Financial Meeting Needs an Agenda53:11 How to Find Kaizen CPAs54:04 Free Financial Tools for Shop Owners55:23 The Biggest Profit Leak in Mike’s Shop

Keep shop management, payments, marketing (all the things) all in one place with Tekmetric. It will CHANGE YOUR LIFE. Click HERE Turnkey Marketing has made my life SOOO much simpler, AND they've helped keep the phone ringing. Do you need these two things too? Learn more HERE Tired of your shop’s social media looking like every other repair shop on the internet? Stand out with 47 Consulting. Learn more HERE When I used the maintenance tool for the fist time with Detect Auto, my mind was blown. My advisors had the same reaction - and then SO MUCH MORE TIME. Learn more about Detect Auto and book a free demo now! Elite 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 HERE Mike Allen sits down with Carrie-Lynn Rodenberg of Turnkey Marketing to kick off a new monthly series that lets listeners sit in on the marketing side of running Mike's shops. They break down marketing budgets, customer acquisition, direct mail, attribution, branding, customer retention, phone performance, and why simply making the phone ring means nothing if the shop can’t convert the opportunity. Carrie-Lynn also uncovers a painful number at Mike’s flagship store: hundreds of first-time callers but only a fraction turning into customers, potentially representing tens of thousands of dollars in missed revenue. Along the way, Mike admits he may be Turnkey’s worst client, explains why shutting marketing off when you’re busy can come back to haunt you months later, and learns that sometimes the marketing isn’t broken — the operation is. Timestamps: 00:00 Seven Years Since Turnkey First Visited Carfix00:41 Mike Used to Sleep at the Shop03:15 Meet Carrie-Lynn Rodenberg and Turnkey Marketing05:24 Mike Buys Marketing Tools… Then Forgets to Use Them07:05 How Mike Started Working With Turnkey08:57 Mike Tried Doing His Own Marketing — Then Came Back09:07 Why We’re Recording Mike’s Marketing Calls11:21 The Hidden Cost of Bad Marketing13:25 Sniper Marketing vs. Spray and Pray13:41 Carrie-Lynn Went From Doing Everything to Building a Team14:44 Mike’s 115-Episode Long Con 😂15:51 Stop Making Your Marketing About Yourself17:28 Why Most Small-Business Marketing Becomes White Noise20:14 Your Competition Is Better Than You Think21:36 How a Business Responds When Things Go Wrong23:07 Every Shop Says They Have Great Service23:53 How Do You Actually Stand Out?26:24 Why Direct Mail Takes Time to Work28:50 Every Shop Has Blind Spots29:33 Want to Ruin Mike’s Day? Listen to His Phone Calls30:12 Did Your Marketing Actually Make the Phone Ring?30:59 Why Marketing Attribution Is So Difficult32:27 The Creepy Side of Modern Targeted Marketing34:29 Can You Target Technicians at a Competitor’s Shop?36:12 What Turnkey’s Marketing Onboarding Looks Like37:26 SEO, AI Search and Building the Right Marketing Mix40:04 Bad Marketing Can Cost You Technicians Too40:24 Mike Confesses He Might Be Turnkey’s Worst Client42:34 Carrie-Lynn Finds a Painful Number43:41 What Should Your Call Conversion Rate Be?44:25 229 New Callers… Only 56 New Cars44:55 Mike Explains Where Carfix Dropped the Ball46:16 How Service Advisors Say “No” Without Saying No47:06 More Staffing Means More Opportunity to Say Yes49:54 Did Carfix Leave $84K on the Table?50:24 The Marketing Worked — Carfix Didn’t Convert It50:49 Why You Shouldn’t Turn Marketing Off When You’re Busy51:23 Today’s Marketing Decisions Affect Your Slow Season52:47 The Cheapest Customer Is the One You Already Have53:16 Why Customer Retention Matters So Much54:18 Why Shops Should Prebook the Next Appointment54:54 Convenience May Be Your Biggest Competitive Advantage55:21 You Might Be Paying to Market Your Competition56:20 A $100 Lead Could Become a $32,000 Lost Customer57:33 What This New Monthly Marketing Series Will Look Like58:51 Mike Finally Promises New Pictures

Tekmetric opened my eyes to just how much a good SMS will do for a shop. Their software is top of the line, and with them, so is my shop. Try them for yourself HERE My marketing before and after signing up with Turnkey Marketing is pretty scary. In a good way. Get your marketing right today HERE Tired of your shop’s social media looking like every other repair shop on the internet? Stand out with 47 Consulting. Learn more HERE 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 HERE Elite 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 HERE Mike Allen sits down with Saurav Kumar and Kamran Rahman from 47C to talk about what actually makes social media work for an auto repair shop—and why going viral might be the wrong goal entirely. They break down the difference between generic content and real brand-building, why local relevance matters more than raw views, how shops can create trust before a customer ever needs a repair, and why the right audience is more valuable than a huge one. Mike also admits one of his shops is now charging for diag, gets on a soapbox about technician pay and training, and somehow turns a discussion about marketing into another story about his pants coming off. Timestamps:00:00 Generic Social Media Is Everywhere00:59 Was This the Worst Recording Day Ever?01:27 What It’s Really Like Filming Inside a Repair Shop03:00 Can Shop Owners Mix Their Own Content With Professional Content?04:00 Mike’s First Impression of 47C05:53 Why Saurav Never Carries His ID08:08 Mike Admits He Didn’t Understand 47C at First09:47 The Confessions Lounge and Studio12:00 The Story Behind Mike’s Throne13:51 Meet 47C17:10 Why They Chose the Automotive Industry18:33 Are Repair Shops Actually Bad at Business?20:05 Why Automotive Attracts Private Equity21:56 What 47C Actually Does for Repair Shops25:19 Why Customers Want to Feel Like They Belong26:45 Mike Finally Buys Into Social Media Brand Building28:52 Are Repair Shops Still Early to Short-Form Video?30:11 Why Mike Doesn’t Want to Be the First Early Adopter31:05 Landscape vs. Portrait Video34:24 Mike Is Now Charging for Diag at One Shop35:58 Learning Dynamic Pricing From an Ice Cream Truck37:36 Technician Pay, Training and Labor Rates41:18 The Reality of Entrepreneurship43:22 No Booze, No Cocaine While We’re Working44:46 You Can Run a Good Business and Still Have Fun45:52 Why 47C Limits How Many Clients It Takes49:55 The Biggest Problems Facing Repair Shops52:55 Focus on What You’re Good At and Hire Out the Rest54:00 Why Generic Social Media Isn’t a Strategy55:00 Are Viral Shop Videos Actually Useful?56:00 Mike’s Million-View Video Reached the Wrong Audience58:40 Mike Learns What Kind of Content His Audience Really Wants59:09 Closing Thoughts

Tekmetric transformed my shop. Plain and simple. Want that for yours? Touch HERE Turnkey Marketing takes the stress of doing something I'm not good at off my plate. And gives it to someone who is. Click HERE for more. Tired of your shop’s social media looking like every other repair shop on the internet? Stand out with 47 Consulting. Learn more HERE Elite 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 HERE When I used the maintenance tool for the fist time with Detect Auto, my mind was blown. My advisors had the same reaction - and then SO MUCH MORE TIME. Learn more about Detect Auto and book a free demo now! Mike Allen sits down with Matt Lofton for another open-book coaching session, digging into the real numbers behind one of Mike’s shops and figuring out what has to change to push it past 20% net profit. They break down car count, closing ratio, effective labor rate, gross profit per billed hour, staffing capacity, revenue per employee, and why a shop can look busy while still leaving a lot of money on the table. The conversation eventually forces Mike to reconsider one of his favorite controversial strategies—free diagnostics—and whether qualifying customers and charging for testing could actually improve the shop. As usual, there’s plenty of math, sarcasm, questionable financial decisions, and Mike reluctantly admitting that Matt may have a point. Timestamps00:00 Mike Forgot the Most Important Podcast Preparation: A Drink01:21 A $734 Power Bill vs. Matt’s Accidental Backyard Rainforest04:25 Growing the Business Just Creates New Problems07:35 Are Shop Owners Bad at Celebrating Wins?11:33 Opening the Books: $115K Revenue, $530 ARO & 24% Closing14:40 The Shop’s Best Month of the Year15:18 Building a 20%+ Net Profit Goal18:18 How to Calculate the Revenue Your Shop Actually Needs20:41 Can the Current Team Produce Enough Hours?25:45 “I Have No Excuse Not to Put $25K–$30K in the Bank”27:04 Could This Be a 30% Net Profit Shop?27:45 The Gross Profit Per Billed Hour Every Shop Needs to Know30:21 The Problem With a 24% Closing Ratio31:47 Your Loss Leader Doesn’t Have to Be for Everybody34:29 23 Cars Out of 110 Generated $034:57 “We’re Not Hospice for Cars”35:19 Should Repair Shops Have an Age Limit on Vehicles?36:32 Mike Admits He’s About to Make a Bad G-Wagon Decision39:58 Matt Sees Mike’s Effective Labor Rate and Gets Sad41:12 Mike Calls Capacity Calculators “Mental Masturbation”42:02 Should Mike Finally Start Charging for Diagnostic Testing?43:15 What McDonald’s Can Teach Repair Shops About Pricing44:04 Qualifying Customers Before Giving Them Something Free46:25 Mike Promises to Rage-Bait Matt Again46:54 Raising Effective Labor Rate Could Add $500K in Capacity49:11 What Should the Entry-Level Diagnostic Fee Be?51:41 The Revenue-per-Employee Hiring Benchmark55:05 Is It Already Time to Hire Another Technician?55:49 Why Your Shop Can’t Operate at Redline Forever57:17 “Good Dude Is Not a Qualifier for Employment”59:42 Mike Prepares to Admit He Was Wrong About Free Diag

Tekmetric transformed my shop. Plain and simple. Want that for yours? Touch HERE If you're like me and aren't good at marketing, don't do it on your own. Let the experts handle it. Touch HERE for more on Turnkey Marketing. Tired of your shop’s social media looking like every other repair shop on the internet? Stand out with 47 Consulting. Learn more HERE Elite 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 HERE When I used the maintenance tool for the fist time with Detect Auto, my mind was blown. My advisors had the same reaction - and then SO MUCH MORE TIME. Learn more about Detect Auto and book a free demo now! In this episode of Confessions of a Shop Owner, Mike Allen and Bryan Pollock get into technician pay, work ethic, training, shop culture, and whether today’s owners are expecting too much from the modern workforce. Bryan questions whether the self-motivated technician is disappearing, while Mike pushes back on the idea that someone should receive six-figure pay before developing a six-figure skill set. They also get into government regulation and price-gouging enforcement, bad repair shops, Mike’s anonymous Facebook trolling, and why sometimes the industry’s problems feel impossible to fix. And because this is Confessions, Mike also explains how he managed to injure himself playing kickball on the beach. Timestamps:00:00 Mike’s Casino Decisions & Bryan’s Corvette Disaster04:54 Mike Gets a Letter From the Attorney General07:34 Fraud Alert…Live During the Podcast08:05 Mike’s Fake Career as a Professional Blimp Folder12:23 Confession: Mike Has Been Trolling Shop Owners Anonymously17:17 Why There’s More Than One Right Way to Run a Shop19:37 Three Shop Owners With Completely Different Business Models21:44 David Roman Wants Absolutely Nothing to Do With Mike24:19 Cheap Labor Rates & Buying Failed Shops’ Equipment25:07 Is Bryan Becoming a Cranky Old Shop Owner?27:05 Are Technicians Becoming Too Dependent on Shop Owners?29:22 Bryan’s Crash Course Into Becoming a Technician32:26 Is the Self-Motivated Technician Disappearing?33:23 Should You Make $100K Before You Have $100K Skills?35:31 What Happens When Newer Cars Get Even More Complicated?35:58 “I Want to Learn”…But Won’t Use Free Training37:10 Technicians Who Say Training Is “Too Basic”39:18 Bryan’s Government Intervention Rant Begins41:00 Price Gouging vs. Shops That Can’t Fix Cars43:43 Who Gets to Decide What an Auto Repair Shop Should Charge?47:01 Why Government Regulation Won’t Fix the Real Problem48:10 Should Shops Call Out Bad Repairs From Other Shops?52:44 Mike Adds Four Employees to His Shops55:10 Mike’s Most Embarrassing Kickball Story57:02 Mike Defends His Sumo Wrestling Record58:25 Why You Need to Be at ASTA Expo

Keep shop management, payments, marketing (all the things) all in one place with Tekmetric. It will CHANGE YOUR LIFE. Click HERE Turnkey Marketing has made my life SOOO much simpler, AND they've helped keep the phone ringing. Do you need these two things too? Learn more HERE Tired of your shop’s social media looking like every other repair shop on the internet? Stand out with 47 Consulting. Learn more HERE When I used the maintenance tool for the fist time with Detect Auto, my mind was blown. My advisors had the same reaction - and then SO MUCH MORE TIME. Learn more about Detect Auto and book a free demo now! Elite 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 HERE In this bonus audio-only episode, Mike Allen sits down at Tektonic 2026 with Tekmetric President Lauren Langston and Chief Product Officer Jared Haleck for a conversation that starts spicy and quickly heads into the future of automotive repair. They discuss whether industry coaches can remain relevant after years away from shop ownership, why repair shops have earned some of the public’s mistrust, and what real-world data says about the massive impact of consistent DVIs. Mike also gets an inside look at SmartDVI, automated estimating, integrated phone systems, AI call assistants, and other technology that could dramatically change how service advisors and technicians work. Timestamps 00:00 The Coaching Question That Made the Panel Spicy01:01 Can Coaches Stay Relevant After 10 Years Away From Shop Ownership?03:23 Why Tektonic Stands Out From Other Industry Events04:26 Tekmetric Digital Ads & Why Google Maps Matters08:08 The DVI Numbers That Should Shock Shop Owners09:00 Longer DVIs = Nearly $200 More ARO?09:32 SmartDVI: Using AI to Build Better Inspections Faster13:48 Can AI Understand Your Technician’s Accent?15:27 Building New Features vs. Fixing What Customers Already Use19:15 We’re 20 Minutes In…Maybe We Should Introduce the Guests22:41 Every Shop Owner Thinks They’ve Built the Next Great AI Tool24:35 What Happens When Software Companies Build Your Integration’s Feature?27:06 SmartDVI, Meta Glasses & Hands-Free Inspections30:24 How Close Are We to Fully Automated Estimates?34:17 Let Service Advisors Build Relationships—Not Estimates35:53 Personalized Service Plans & Eliminating Customer Surprises37:21 Has Auto Repair Earned Its Bad Reputation?41:24 Does Showing Future Repair Pricing Encourage Price Shopping?46:06 Tekmetric Phones & the Next Big Integration49:12 AI Call Assistants Listening in Real Time53:11 Mike Announces Tekmetric’s Entire Future Roadmap…Without Permission

Tekmetric opened my eyes to just how much a good SMS will do for a shop. Their software is top of the line, and with them, so is my shop. Try them for yourself HERE My marketing before and after signing up with Turnkey Marketing is pretty scary. In a good way. Get your marketing right today HERE Tired of your shop’s social media looking like every other repair shop on the internet? Stand out with 47 Consulting. Learn more HERE 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 HERE Elite 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 HERE In this episode, Mike Allen, Ryan Ragan, and Tony Mercury dig into the power of networking and relationship-building at automotive industry events like the ASTA Expo. They talk about how rapid advances in technology, especially AI, are reshaping both vehicles and shop operations. They also stress the huge benefits that come from dropping egos and openly sharing struggles, with honest conversations paving the way for growth and support among shop owners. Wanna win a ticket to ASTA? If you're a shop owner who has never been, register to WIN HERE Timestamps:00:00 Survivor-Style Competition: The ASTA Expo Gets Wild01:36 Why Every Shop Owner Needs Car Tribe Connections04:01 The Miata, the “Fun Car” & Shop Owner Cred10:08 The Future of Self-Driving, Subscription Cars & AI in Auto Repair12:16 From T-Mobile Number to Success: Meet Tony Mercury18:01 The Honest Shop Owner Life Cycle (and Why We Stagnate)20:08 Crushing Ego and Building Teams in the Shop25:46 Why First-Time Expo Attendees See HUGE Growth26:07 The Ultimate Training and Networking Lineup at ASTA30:01 Inside the ASTA Survivor Pre-Party: Obstacle Courses, Axe Throwing & More32:28 How to Win Free Tickets & Why You Have No Excuse33:14 The 80+ Classes that Actually Move the Needle in Your Shop36:24 Shop Owners Only: No-Vendor, No-BS Roundtables40:08 Raw Entrepreneur Talk, Family Fails, and Real-Life Shop Disasters42:02 How to Get Involved, Confess, and Join the Next Event

Tekmetric transformed my shop. Plain and simple. Want that for yours? Touch HERE Turnkey Marketing takes the stress of doing something I'm not good at off my plate. And gives it to someone who is. Click HERE for more. Tired of your shop’s social media looking like every other repair shop on the internet? Stand out with 47 Consulting. Learn more HERE Elite 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 HERE When I used the maintenance tool for the fist time with Detect Auto, my mind was blown. My advisors had the same reaction - and then SO MUCH MORE TIME. Learn more about Detect Auto and book a free demo now! In this episode, Mike Allen sits down with Tony and Becca Zanders to discuss the realities of selling an auto repair shop and what it takes to leave behind more than just a paycheck. They share the story of building Heritage Auto Repair from the ground up before selling it to a longtime employee, explaining why preserving their legacy mattered more than chasing the highest offer. The conversation explores private equity, succession planning, burnout, and the emotional challenges many owners face after selling their business. Tony and Becca also offer practical advice for increasing your shop's value, building systems that outlast you, and creating an exit strategy that aligns with your long-term goals. Timestamps:00:00 Legacy vs. Payday: The Truth About Selling Your Shop 01:00 Meet Tony & Becca Zanders: Building Heritage Auto Repair Together 04:41 From Backyard Garage to One of Idaho's Top Repair Shops 07:00 Selling to an Employee Instead of the Highest Bidder 08:20 Private Equity, High Multiples & Internal Buyouts 10:42 Questions Every Shop Owner Should Ask Before Selling 12:14 Don't Wait Until Burnout: The Three Keys to a Healthy Exit 16:07 Defining Your "Why" Before You Sell 17:44 Choosing the Right Successor and Passing the Baton 21:14 The Emotional Reality of Staying On After the Sale 23:24 Losing Your Identity After Selling Your Business 24:18 Empowering Employees to Increase Shop Value 27:13 The D6 Elements: Building a Sale-Ready Business 35:16 How to Start Planning Your Exit—Even If You're Late 37:03 The Biggest Mistakes That Destroy Shop Value 39:40 Why Strong Processes Matter—Even After the Sale 44:02 Vegas Food Recommendations & Planning for AAPEX