Like the Beyond the Wrench podcast? Be sure to follow & rate us — whether on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! This week, we welcome Jill Trotta, Vice President/GM, Industry, Sales, and Certification at RepairPal to the podcast. We talk about how the best-in-class shops are providing their technicians with regular training to ensure they’re staying up-to-date on the latest technology in the industry. We also discuss where shops can find training oppo...
Jun 30, 2021•58 min•Ep. 65
On this week's episode, we talked with Jamie Powers about the importance of key performance indicators, tips for communicating with employees, how to manage accountability during a technician shortage, and understanding the fixed operations role. Follow & rate the Beyond the Wrench Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts! About Our Host: Jay Goninen Co-Founder & President, WrenchWay jay@findawrench.com | 608.716.2122 About Our Guests Jamie Powers Fix...
Jun 23, 2021•48 min•Ep. 64
Like the Beyond the Wrench podcast? Be sure to follow & rate us — whether on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! On this week’s episode, we talk with three former technicians about what struggles they experienced working as techs, why they think techs are leaving the industry, and actions shops can take to boost technician retention. About Our Host: Jay Goninen Co-Founder & President, WrenchWay jay@findawrench.com |608.716.2122 About Our Guests Bob...
Jun 16, 2021•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 63
Subscribe & rate the Beyond the Wrench Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts! In this week’s episode, we talk with Cheryl Thompson, CEO & Founder of Center for Automotive Diversity, Inclusion and Advancement. We discuss the meaning of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), why it’s important for our industry to embrace DEI, and what needs to change in the industry. About Our Host: Jay Goninen Co- Founder & President, WrenchWay jay@findawrench....
Jun 09, 2021•1 hr 1 min
Like the Beyond the Wrench podcast? Be sure to follow & rate us — whether on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! We’re excited to be back after a short break! In this week’s episode, we’re talking with TC Olsen, Director Talent Acquisition, LKQ, about recruiting military veterans and how to manage military veterans once you have them in the shop. Hope you enjoy the episode, and don't forget to subscribe and rate us in the app store! About Our Host: Jay...
Jun 02, 2021•56 min•Ep. 61
Like the Beyond the Wrench podcast? Be sure to follow & rate us — whether on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! Today, we welcome Tiffany Scherado to the podcast. Tiffany is the Facilitator for the new Amazing Women in Automotive group, and she brings some fantastic insight to the podcast on how we, as an industry, can better support women in automotive. Resources: Join the Amazing Women in Automotive Facebook Group for free here: https://www.facebook...
Apr 27, 2021•36 min•Ep. 60
Like the Beyond the Wrench podcast? Be sure to follow & rate us — whether on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! On today’s episode, we’re talking with Sue Dickson, Owner & Operator of Closs Tire & Auto, and Jack Wilson, Auto Service Instructor at Lake County Tech Campus, to learn about how their local community has worked together to successfully make an impact on the technician shortage. About Our Host: Jay Goninen Co- Founder & President...
Apr 13, 2021•59 min•Ep. 58
Like the Beyond the Wrench podcast? Be sure to follow & rate us — whether on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! On this week’s episode, we have an intimate discussion with Jim Mathis, Owner & CEO of WyoTech, about his history and how he came to lead WyoTech. About Our Host: Jay Goninen Co-Founder & President, WrenchWay jayg@wrenchway.com | 608.716.2122 About Our Guest: Jim Mathis Owner & CEO, WyoTech Connect with us on social: Facebook Ins...
Apr 06, 2021•1 hr 2 min
Like the Beyond the Wrench podcast? Be sure to follow & rate us — whether on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! Steve Hamre, National Technician Recruiting Manager for Lithia Motors, joins us for an engaging conversation about the value in technician career development, attracting more young people to skilled trades, and resumes tips for technicians. About Our Host: Jay Goninen Co-Founder & President, WrenchWay jayg@wrenchway.com | 608.716.2122 Ab...
Mar 29, 2021•54 min
Like the Beyond the Wrench podcast? Be sure to follow & rate us — whether on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! We’re diving into technician career development with Josh Masser, Service Manager, Vinny’s Towing and Recovery. Josh shares his experience as a technician and working his way through the industry, and we discuss a variety of topics, including: the importance of good leadership, on-the-job training, tools, and more. About Our Host: Jay Gonine...
Mar 23, 2021•1 hr 13 min
Like the Beyond the Wrench podcast? Be sure to follow & rate us — whether on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! Today, we’re excited to welcome Russell Hill to the podcast. Russell is the Managing Partner at FixedOPS Marketing, which helps dealerships market their fixed ops departments. In this episode, we discuss how dealerships can improve their websites to attract new service customers. About Our Host: Jay Goninen Co-Founder & President, Wrench...
Mar 16, 2021•55 min
Like the Beyond the Wrench podcast? Be sure to follow & rate us — whether on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! This week, we welcome Carolyn Coquillette to the podcast. Carolyn is the Founder & CEO of Shop-Ware, and the Owner of Luscious Garage which specializes in hybrid repairs. Listen in as we discuss advances in the automotive industry and technician training — particularly around hybrid and electric vehicles. About Our Host: Jay Goninen Co-F...
Mar 09, 2021•59 min
Like the Beyond the Wrench podcast? Be sure to follow & rate us — whether on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! Ever wonder what a day in the life of a mobile technician looks like? On this week’s episode, we’re talking with Andrew Sneed, Lead Technician for RepairSmith. Andrew tells us all about what it’s like to be a mobile technician, including benefits, unique challenges, and the skills that make a great mobile tech. About Our Host: Jay Goninen Co...
Mar 02, 2021•50 min
Like the Beyond the Wrench podcast? Be sure to follow & rate us — whether on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! Today we’re talking with Carly Roiniotis from Wind River Financial about a very important topic for all shop owners and managers: evaluating credit card processors. In this episode, we discuss different types of providers, what to look for in a credit card processor and why it’s important, and more. Tune in and don’t forget to subscribe and ...
Feb 23, 2021•49 min
Like the Beyond the Wrench podcast? Be sure to follow & rate us — whether on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! It’s becoming increasingly important for shop owners and managers to have a clear path for career growth in order to recruit and retain technicians. But, what does having a clear career path look like and how do you even get started? We’re tackling this topic with Jim Bennett this week. Jim is the Owner of CarMasters Automotive and the Direc...
Feb 16, 2021•52 min
Like the Beyond the Wrench podcast? Be sure to follow & rate us — whether on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! There are many unique challenges to building and growing a mobile repair business. This week on Beyond the Wrench, we chat with Joel Milne, CEO of RepairSmith, about how RepairSmith came to be, and what unique challenges they face running a mobile repair business. About Our Host: Jay Goninen Co-Founder & President, WrenchWay jayg@wrenchw...
Feb 09, 2021•45 min
Like the Beyond the Wrench podcast? Be sure to follow & rate us — whether on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! We’re excited to welcome Tanner Brandt back to the podcast. Today, our discussion centers around mobile diagnostics. Tanner gives us the 411 on what mobile diagnostics is, what goes into being a great mobile diagnostician, and where he sees the mobile diagnostics business going in the future. About Our Host: Jay Goninen Co-Founder & Pres...
Feb 02, 2021•54 min
Like the Beyond the Wrench podcast? Be sure to follow & rate us — whether on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! Today, we welcome Tim Cifelli, Marketing Director at BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY, to the podcast. In the episode, we discuss some of the challenges shop owners are facing today and how technology can not only solve many of the issues they’re experiencing, but also help them build more value into their business. About Our Host: Jay Goninen Co-Founder ...
Jan 26, 2021•51 min
Like the Beyond the Wrench podcast? Be sure to follow & rate us — whether on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! On today’s episode, we’re talking with Rick Perrin, Partner, B2B CFO, about how a shop owner can exit business successfully and profitably. We cover a number of topics, including: how a shop owner can prepare to sell their business, how valuation is calculated, and even what a technician should think about if they’re thinking of starting the...
Jan 19, 2021•56 min
Like the Beyond the Wrench podcast? Be sure to follow & rate us — whether on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! Welcome to another episode of Beyond the Wrench. This week, we’re talking with Timmy Martin. Timmy is an Automotive Technology Instructor at Red Oak Independent School District. Timmy is passionate about educating young students about how the industry operates. We discuss how shops can help grow automotive programs at both the high school an...
Jan 12, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 45
Like the Beyond the Wrench podcast? Be sure to follow & rate us — whether on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! We’re kicking off the new year with a bang! We’ve brought back two of our most popular podcast guests of 2020 — Ed Roberts and Tully Williams. In this episode, we discuss what we learned in fixed operations in 2020 and what we expect to see in 2021. Topics include: mobile service, technician pay and retention, how shops can help schools, and...
Jan 05, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 44
Like the Beyond the Wrench podcast? Be sure to follow & rate us — whether on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! For the final episode of 2020, we’re talking with Mark Wilson, CEO of WrenchWay & Find A Wrench. We discuss the importance of understanding the process a technician goes through from the time they are made aware of a job opening to the time they are hired. There is a major step in the technician’s job search process that shops and dealer...
Dec 15, 2020•51 min•Ep. 43
Like the Beyond the Wrench podcast? Be sure to follow & rate us — whether on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! We’re bringing Damon Agostino onto the podcast today. Damon is a Technician at Sixth Street Automotive in Macclenny, Florida. On this episode, Damon gives us his perspective into what technicians look for in a shop, including: how management can motivate technicians, struggles with new techs coming into the shop, what to do when your career ...
Dec 08, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 42
Like the Beyond the Wrench podcast? Be sure to follow & rate us — whether on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! Today we’re welcoming Scott Saxton to the show. Scott is the Director of Sales - North America for Sonic Tools. This week, we’re talking about all things tools-related, including the dealership/shop-owned tools model, asset management, financial guidance for new techs, and more. Tune in to this week’s episode, and make sure to subscribe to t...
Dec 01, 2020•54 min•Ep. 41
Like the Beyond the Wrench podcast? Be sure to follow & rate us — whether on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! Great technicians are in high demand… which is exactly why shops and dealerships need to focus on retaining the technicians they have more than ever. This week, we welcome Jeff Daniel, Service Director at Maple Hill Auto Group, to the show. We discuss how management can gain and build the trust of their technicians and get ownership/general ...
Nov 17, 2020•51 min•Ep. 39
Like the Beyond the Wrench podcast? Be sure to follow & rate us — whether on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! Today, we welcome Brian Sump, Owner of Avalon Motorsports, who was recently named Shop Owner of the Year by AAPEX. In today’s episode we’re diving into recruiting, retaining, and developing technicians in your shop. About Our Host: Jay Goninen Co-Founder & President, WrenchWay jayg@wrenchway.com | 608.716.2122 About Our Guest: Brian Sump...
Nov 10, 2020•48 min•Ep. 38
Like the Beyond the Wrench podcast? Be sure to follow & rate us — whether on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! There’s a new mobile app that was just released called WrenchWay Insiders. The app gives technicians, service advisors/managers, and industry professionals a place to voice their opinions on different issues in the industry (and rewards them for doing it). It’s a fun way to give feedback that will help improve the industry for existing and f...
Oct 27, 2020•25 min•Ep. 37
Like the Beyond the Wrench podcast? Be sure to follow & rate us — whether on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! On this week’s episode, we welcome Josh Tebben. Josh is an Automotive Technician at Ryan Auto Mall. Josh has a lot of experience working both as a heavy equipment and automotive tech for both independent shops and dealerships. We talk through a lot of topics including warranty labor rates, pay, the disconnect between the shop and the front o...
Oct 20, 2020•56 min•Ep. 36
Like the Beyond the Wrench podcast? Be sure to follow & rate us — whether on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! We’re back fresh off of TechMission 2020, and we’ve invited one of our industry roundtable panelists to continue the conversation here on the podcast. Ray Clark is the Training & Development Manager at Truck Country, and Ray has a lot of great ideas on how we can get more technicians entering the industry. We discuss different types of p...
Oct 13, 2020•49 min•Ep. 35
Like the Beyond the Wrench podcast? Be sure to follow & rate us — whether on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! Today, we welcome Ben Zimmerman, Technology Education Teacher at Verona Area High School in Wisconsin. We’re talking about how shops and dealerships can help attract more young students to the industry by supporting their local high schools. Whether it’s giving a shop tour, doing a demo, or donating tools and equipment — there are so many si...
Oct 06, 2020•44 min•Ep. 34
