Michael McGregor is Managing Director at Focus Investment Banking. His experience includes fifteen years of advising on business transfers, capital raises, and management buyouts for middle market businesses. He has been a founder or co-founder of three automotive-related businesses. Michael is author of the book Buy, Build, Fix, Sell , which helps tire and service dealers build better businesses and get maximum value when they decide to sell. In this episode… If you own a tire and auto repair s...
Aug 31, 2022•22 min•Ep. 51
Dwayne Myers is Co-owner and Managing Partner of Dynamic Automotive, an independent automotive repair business with five locations in Frederick, MD. He has spent his career of over 30 years in the maintenance and repair industry, ranging in size from lawn mowers to U.S. Army tanks. His skill set includes negotiation, market planning, team building, business planning, and operations management. Dwayne's greatest passion is enriching the lives of others through philanthropic endeavors and communit...
Aug 24, 2022•22 min•Ep. 50
Sally Thomas is Co-owner of J.P. Thomas & Company. She is most-commonly associated with Thomas Tire & Automotive, a family-owned and operated full-service repair shop that’s been in business since 1981. With 10 retail and commercial service centers in North Carolina, Thomas Tire & Automotive’s mission is to be the first and only choice for all automobile-related needs. In this episode… Tire and auto repair can be a tough business. Shop employees not only need to be skilled at diagnos...
Aug 17, 2022•20 min•Ep. 49
Steven Stamey is Operations Manager at Maxi Auto Service, which has eight locations in the Chattanooga, TN area. He started his career at a Chevrolet dealer in 1999. Steven is also a former college level instructor with ASE L1, L2, and L3 Master Certification. In this episode… What motivates your staff? Is it strictly financial compensation or are there other, less tangible factors? Do your employees stick around for decades or are they here today and gone tomorrow? If you own a tire and auto re...
Aug 10, 2022•23 min•Ep. 48
Neal Maier is Co-Founder of Tread Partners, a digital marketing agency that helps auto repair and tire shops drive success through coordinated marketing strategies. He is a skilled negotiator, salesperson, and business planner with expertise in Search Engine Optimization and Customer Relationship Management. Tread Partners has designed a full-scale reengagement program called ReTread that brings old customers back into auto repair and tire shops. In this episode… Are you an owner or manager of a...
Aug 03, 2022•13 min•Ep. 47
Tim Shaffer is Co-Founder and CEO of Search Tires, also known as searchtires.com, the world’s first price comparison search engine. He is also President of YENT, a subsidiary of Prepared Patriot Brands. Tim is a leader, an innovative thinker, and a trusted advisor who excels at guiding businesses from multimillion-dollar start-ups to established companies. In this episode… Have you ever tried shopping for tires online? Did you just find the first set you found or do you search on different sites...
Jul 27, 2022•23 min•Ep. 46
Brian Sump is the Owner and President of Urban Autocare, Klasse Auto Rentals, and Avalon Motorsports. His passion is to transform the automotive industry through innovation and training and to create opportunities for his team to grow. Brian has an engineering degree from the Colorado School of Mines, played for the St. Louis Rams, and is currently a Co-pastor at a church in Westminster, CO. In this episode… If you own or manage a tire and auto repair shop, what’s your biggest challenge? Is it o...
Jul 20, 2022•23 min•Ep. 45
Doug Miller is President of St. Lucie Battery & Tire, which has 15 locations on the central east coast of Florida. He has taken over operations from his father, Joey — the founder of the company. Doug looks to expand St. Lucie Battery & Tire, which has been in business for more than fifty years, with a focus on integrity and serving the community with honesty and reliability. In this episode… Are you a tire and auto repair shop owner whose business has been affected by the pandemic or su...
Jul 13, 2022•26 min•Ep. 44
Neal Maier is Co-Founder at Tread Partners, a digital marketing agency that helps auto repair and tire shops drive success through coordinated marketing strategies. He is a skilled negotiator, salesperson, and business planner with expertise in Search Engine Optimization and Customer Relationship Management. Tread Partners has designed a full-scale reengagement program called ReTread that brings old customers back into auto repair and tire shops. In this episode… If you are the owner of an auto ...
Jun 23, 2022•22 min•Ep. 42
Patrick Egan is a senior marketing executive and the Founder and CEO of Spark Interactive. Spark Interactive fuses the power of storytelling with professionally-produced video to help business owners attract a high volume of the right customers. Patrick takes a pragmatic approach to product management, marketing and team building, with a focus on the execution of technological vision. In this episode… Are you looking for a way to attract more of the right people to your tire and auto repair shop...
Jun 15, 2022•20 min•Ep. 41
Clare Hetherington is the Marketing Manager at DriveRightData. She is a data-driven marketer who is passionate about customer relationship management and the results that strategic marketing and marketing automation can deliver. At DriveRightData, Clare takes ownership of all global marketing activities from branding, strategy, and value proposition building to lead generation and data insight. In this episode… Are you a tire manufacturer or tire retailer with a website showcasing your products?...
Jun 08, 2022•21 min•Ep. 40
Chan Patel is Vice President of Sales and Business Development at Autotext.me. His passion and energy is focused on making Autotext.me the leader in digital inspections and workflow solutions for the automotive industry. The company has been experiencing record growth — Chan’s deep experience and proven track record has been the catalyst behind that success. In this episode… As an owner or manager of an auto repair shop, do you find it frustrating communicating with your customers about recommen...
May 25, 2022•21 min•Ep. 39
Brian Lenhardt is the Owner and Vice President of Operations at Fat Boys Tire & Auto in Wyoming. Fat Boys has provided services to the tri-state area for over 50 years and now operates five locations. Brian is the third generation in the business and has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old. He now has 17 years of experience in the industry and oversees corporate, national, and government accounts while managing Fat Boys’ outside sales team. Brian lives in Wyoming with his wife...
May 18, 2022•20 min•Ep. 38
Keith Heavilin is the President of YellowFin Digital, a full-service creative design and digital marketing agency based in Texas that provides comprehensive website and digital marketing services. Keith is also the Co-founder of Floww Digital, a company that provides digital marketing solutions for independent auto repair and tire shops across the United States. Keith’s management portfolio includes the development of four unique businesses in four distinct industries, which he led from initial ...
May 11, 2022•27 min•Ep. 37
J.P. Brooks is the Chief Revenue Officer at Fitment Group. He’s spent over 15 years in the automotive aftermarket with a focus on the tire and wheel industry. J.P. has worked on many levels within this industry, including software sales, business development, partnership, management, and product development. J.P. lives in Duluth, Minnesota with his wife and daughter. He enjoys spending as much time outdoors with his family as the weather permits. In this episode… The tire industry has traditiona...
Apr 27, 2022•18 min•Ep. 36
Chris Pazderny is the Vice President of Operations at Caliber Auto Care in Texas. He has been in the automotive industry for 30 years, starting at age 16. Chris began his career as a part stocker at a Ford dealership in Texas. Eventually, he was hired to get Service First Automotive off the ground, opening the first shop in July 2011. He helped develop multiple stores until 2017, when they signed a joint venture agreement with Caliber. Since then, they have expanded to 32 locations in Houston, D...
Apr 20, 2022•18 min•Ep. 35
Beth Barron is the CEO of Chabill’s Tire & Auto Service based in southern Louisiana. Under Beth’s leadership, Chabill’s has grown into a market force with 17 retail locations. Before becoming CEO, Beth spent 26 years as the Vice President for Chabill’s. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and government from Northwestern State University. In this episode… Many business owners are focused on the bottom line. They worry about numbers and work employees to the ground trying to ke...
Apr 06, 2022•22 min•Ep. 34
Tere Hardin is an automotive software expert with over two decades of experience. Currently, he is an Enterprise Account Executive for Shop-Ware. Previously, Tere was a Product Specialist for Automotive Management Solutions and ran the National Accounts for Progressive Automotive Systems. Born and raised in South Texas, he joined the Marines when he was 17 and left a small farm to repair navigation equipment aboard a Navy helicopter carrier. Tere spends his free time riding his Harley Davidson a...
Mar 30, 2022•18 min•Ep. 33
Neal Maier is the Co-founder of Tread Partners; a digital marketing agency focused on using SEO, marketing, and branding to help tire companies and auto-repair shops grow and thrive. Neal was previously a Partner at 3VE and COO of TexTivia, which rebranded into 3VE. He has worked for multiple automotive companies such as Autoshop Solutions and Auto Pro To Call. Mike Edge is in Business Development at Tread Partners. He has had a lengthy career in his field, previously being the Owner and Busines...
Mar 23, 2022•35 min•Ep. 32
Neal Maier and David Christopher are Co-founders of Tread Partners; a digital marketing agency focused on using SEO, marketing, and branding to help tire companies and auto-repair shops grow and thrive. Neal was previously a Partner at 3VE and COO of TexTivia, which rebranded into 3VE. He has worked for multiple automotive companies such as Autoshop Solutions and Auto Pro To Call. David was previously also a Partner at 3VE and was the Founder of TexTivia, which rebranded into 3VE. He has over 20...
Mar 16, 2022•13 min•Ep. 31
Chris Garman is the Vice President of Business Development at Sun Auto Tire & Service. Sun Auto Tire & Service is the leading provider of quality aftermarket automotive repair, maintenance, and tire service in the Southwest. Chris oversees Sun Auto Tire’s merger and acquisition activities. Before being acquired by Sun Auto, he was the President of his family’s automotive store, GB Auto in Phoenix. Tommy Gaynor is the Pacific Northwest Market Director at Sun Auto Tire & Service. Tommy...
Mar 09, 2022•26 min•Ep. 30
Patrick Murphy is the CEO and Co-founder of SideKick360. SideKick360 is a web-based reporting platform that provides on-demand reporting and operations tools for shop management systems. Patrick is also the Founder and Head Coach at Retail Tire & Service Solutions. He focuses on solving operational, data, and people challenges faced by auto repair shops at both companies. In 2014, he founded MyCarCareRewards, now BAYiQ, which brought real-time integrated loyalty marketing to the tire and aut...
Feb 09, 2022•19 min•Ep. 29
Bryce Evans is the Vice President of Content and Events at 10 Missions Media. Bryce oversees the company’s six national brands, Auto Service Professional , ADAPT , FenderBender , Modern Tire Dealer , National Oil & Lube News , and Ratchet+Wrench . He also takes care of the live events, marketing department, and additional products. An award-winning journalist, Bryce has produced work in dozens of national and regional publications. In this episode… Starting a business isn’t easy — but it hel...
Feb 02, 2022•22 min•Ep. 28
Craig Van Batenburg is the CEO and Chief Technical Officer of ACDC Hybrid EV Training Resources. Craig has worked as a tech since 1968, a shop owner since 1977, a management trainer since 1997, and a technical trainer since 1999. In 2014, he added a research and development center to his facility. He's deeply interested in the EV space and training those curious and willing to learn. In this episode… Electric cars might seem like a mystery if you've been working on traditional vehicles for years...
Jan 26, 2022•20 min•Ep. 27
Rob Eskew is the Co-founder and Co-owner of TRUE Automotive in Atlanta, Georgia. Rob has been in the repair business since 2005 — before graduating high school. He performed service and upgrades on BMWs and other European models during college at UGA. After college, he worked in commercial construction, but his true passion was working on cars. This led him to co-found TRUE Automotive in 2012. Rob’s goal is to have over 50 locations by 2030. Rob is passionate about self-improvement, discipline, ...
Jan 19, 2022•19 min•Ep. 26
Scott Blair is the Founder of T.R.A.C.K. Auto Training & Network, which is poised to soon be the premier tire, rim, and chassis training center in the US. Their team serves both the mobile tire industry and traditional tire stores with customers ranging from one-store family-owned to multi-state national chains. As a 28-year veteran of the tire and custom wheel industry, Scott is passionate about everything related to tires and wheels. He is the Managing Partner of 2U Tire of Alabama, Co-fou...
Jan 12, 2022•25 min•Ep. 25
Tim Winkeler is the President and CEO of VIP Tires & Service, with 63 locations in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Tim is an accomplished, people-focused leader with a track record of building high-performance teams that exceed expectations and are hyper-focused on customer needs and feedback. Tim thrives in helping organizations succeed through strategy, development, and execution. Tim is originally from St. Louis, Missouri but grew up in Oklahoma before moving to Maine. I...
Jan 05, 2022•23 min•Ep. 24
Patrick Egan is the Founder of SPARK Interactive. SPARK Interactive fuses the power of storytelling with the technology of professionally produced video to help business owners attract their target customers. Patrick has over 10 years of experience in the automotive industry, primarily focusing on marketing. Previously, he was the Vice President of Marketing at Kukui Corporation and the Digital Marketing Director at AutoServe1. In this episode… It can be difficult to introduce your automotive sh...
Dec 29, 2021•16 min•Ep. 23
Duncan Alney is the Founder and CEO of Firebelly Marketing, a social media marketing agency that makes brands more likable and profitable. Duncan juggles the roles of catalyst, program overseer, problem solver, and strategist within the organization. He also hosts The Firebelly Social Show, which features food and beverage brands on a mission to make the world better, and he’s a member of the Digital Agency Elite (Agency Owner Mastermind). In his free time, Duncan enjoys spending time with his s...
Dec 22, 2021•28 min•Ep. 22
Tricia Sauls is the Executive Director of Automotive Service and Tire Alliance (ASTA). Her breadth of experience lays within the fields of data management, finance, and branding, specializing in social media and creative marketing. Previously, she was the Office Admin of Marketing for Unity of the Triangle and a Project Manager for Atlanta Business Technology. In this episode… It’s easy to feel isolated as a small business. Day after day, you see huge companies reaching new pillars of success an...
Dec 15, 2021•16 min•Ep. 21
