Episodi
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Charles Dickens might have said it best when he began his story âA Tale of Two Citiesâ by saying "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.â When you think about it, every year end review and new years forecast could be summed up exactly the same way. Itâs all in how you look at things.
In this 2023 wrapup/2024 forecast episode of Talking Shop With ShopOwner, Doug Kaufman and Vic Tarasik discuss the state of the automotive industry at the end of the year and what to expect in the coming year.
Kaufman, editor of ShopOwner magazine and Tarasik, The Shop Owner Coach agree that 2023 has been decent, with some clients experiencing record months and trending towards a record year. They also discuss the positive impact of lower gas prices and the potential for increased vehicle maintenance and repairs as a result.
However, they acknowledge that things can change.
The speakers touch on the importance of being prepared for potential challenges and uncertainties in the coming year, such as supply chain issues and changes in consumer behavior. They also discuss the trend of some shops considering a four-day workweek and the benefits and drawbacks associated with it.
Overall, they emphasize the importance of focusing on what can be controlled within the shop and making decisions that prioritize the well-being of employees and the satisfaction of existing customers.
Talking Shop with Shop Owner is sponsored by AAPEX, the premier automotive industry networking and educational event. To get more information about the 2024 AAPEX show, to be held November 5-7 in Las Vegas, visit AAPEXshow.com. -
When the workday is over, the tools are put away, the computers have gone to sleep, the customers have driven away safely and the last tech has clocked out, washed up and left the parking lot, do you ever just take a minute to put your hands on your hips, look around your shop, take a deep breath and think, âIs this really all there is to life?â
If so, youâre probably not alone.
After a tiring day of being responsible for everything â from customersâ cars and their safety, employee productivity and their familyâs security to your own business legacy, things can get a bit overwhelming. Thereâs a lot of stressful nights spent tossing, turning and considering whatâs next.
Bryce Kenny understands what youâre feeling. Kenny, professional driver of the Monster Jam Great Clips Mohawk Warrior monster truck, says he has been stuck in routines that were intended to bring him one level of satisfaction, only to find out that he was stuck in the wrong gear.
In this episode of Talking Shop with Shop Owner, Bryce Kenny, talks about his new book called "Geared for Life." In the book, Kenny shares his personal journey and offers advice on finding the courage to chase dreams and overcome fear. He emphasizes the importance of shifting into the next gear in life and making a lasting impact on the world.
Kenny believes that success is not about faking it until you make it, but rather believing in yourself and becoming the best version of yourself. He also encourages readers to look for ways to inconvenience themselves and to find meaning and purpose in their work. Kenny's book is available for purchase on various platforms, and he is passionate about helping others find their own gears and achieve success.
Talking Shop with Shop Owner is sponsored by AAPEX, the premier automotive aftermarketing business and networking event. For more information about the show, visit AAPEXShow.com. -
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We talk a lot about the challenges facing shops these days â from technology to training to technicians, it often feels like we have more problems than solutions.
In this episode of Talking Shop With ShopOwner, we endeavor to get answers to some of our questions. Doug Kaufman, editor of ShopOwner and Tomorrowâs Technician, talks with Jen Maher, CEO of TechForce Foundation, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring and supporting young people to pursue careers as automotive technicians.
TechForce provides scholarships, grants, and resources to help students get the education and training they need to enter the industry.
Tech Force recently launched the "Grab the Wheel" campaign, which aims to reach out to 13 to 24-year-olds who may be interested in becoming automotive professionals. The campaign focuses on empowering young people to take control of their future and consider a career as a skilled technician. Tech Force also offers a community platform where industry professionals can connect and support each other and encourages industry professionals, shops, and manufacturers to get involved by volunteering, making donations or posting job opportunities.
Tech Force is taking a group of students to the 2023 AAPEX Show, to expose them to the industry and show them the opportunities available. For more information on the foundation, visit TechForceFound.org
Taking Shop with ShopOwner is presented by AAPEX. -
Would you go for a ride in a car that has no driver? Autonomous vehicles are making news every day and they're making some automotive professionals nervous. Are they the future of ride sharing? Are we destined to become a world of passengers? Today we're talking about taking a backseat and letting technology do to driving. We're talking Shop with Shop Owner.
Autonomous vehicles have been in the news a lot recently. Waymo, Google's self-driving car division has just announced success in putting completely autonomous vehicles into the field in Arizona. Yet there are still some challenges. Google says there have been cases where the test drivers in their vehicles fell asleep behind the wheel. A driverless car recently drove into wet concrete, mistaking it for a road, and studies from London have shown that self-driving cars and their cameras aren't yet perfect.
In this episode of Talking Shop with Shop Owner, Doug Kaufman discusses the future of autonomous vehicles with Chris Piche, the CEO of Smarter AI. Piche explains that Smarter AI develops software platforms for AI cameras used in various applications, including driverless cars. He emphasizes that while AI cameras are not perfect, they are constantly improving and have already been used to enhance safety features in cars. Piche also discusses the challenges of data collection and processing, as well as the potential for AI cameras to detect complacent and distracted driving. He concludes by mentioning the increasing use of AI technology in commercial transportation markets.
This episode of Talking Shop With ShopOwner is presented by AAPEX, the automotive industry's premier training, technical and networking gathering. The 2023 AAPEX Show will be held in Las Vegas, October 31-November 2. For information, visit AAPEXShow.com -
Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan once said, "Enjoying success requires the ability to adapt. Only by being open to change will you have a true opportunity to get the most from your talent." While it's doubtful the Ryan Express was discussing the future of the automotive aftermarket, his words are just as true for us as they were for himself, as he found himself facing increasingly younger, stronger batters throughout his career.
In this episode of Talking Shop with ShopOwner, the Kaufmans continue their analysis of what's to come. Doug Kaufman with Shop Owner Magazine and Derek Kaufman, managing partner at Schwartz Advisors, talk about the future of this industry, focusing on the people, the ones who work in the shops, the ones who own the shops.
The common complaint is there's just no good techs out there. When the local fast food places are having trouble hiring workers, what chance do we have? What will it take to recruit, hire and retain top talent now and in the next several years?
Talking Shop with ShopOnwer is sponsored by AAPEX, the premier automotive industry networking and educational event. To get more information about the 2023 AAPEX Show to be held this year in Las Vegas, October 31-November 2, visit aapexshow.com. -
Of all the changes this industry has faced over its more than a century of life, that past 40 years have been a whirlwind. Weâve seen typewriters transition to mainframes to laptops; weâve witnessed the eventual embrace of fuel injection and anti-lock brakes; weâve seen OBDII and the internet come and pagers and faxes go. Through it all, shop owners have adapted.
Itâs fun to look back at whatâs changed and consider how much better off we are now â but itâs scary to be on the other side of the curve, looking forward, trying to predict whatâs coming next over the horizon.
In this episode, Doug Kaufman, editor of ShopOwner grills Derek Kaufman, managing partner at Schwartz Advisors about what we can expect in the automotive industry in the future. As it turns out, that future is both closer and more amazing than you may imagine.
Talking Shop With ShopOwner is sponsored by AAPEX, the premier automotive industry networking and educational event. To get more information about the 2023 AAPEX show, to be held this year in Las Vegas, October 31 through November 2, visit AAPEXshow.com. -
For years, many automotive professionals feared the growing presence of electric vehicles because of the possibility that they meant fewer service opportunities. Since it's now becoming clear that EVs will still require much of the traditional maintenance and repair found in conventional vehicles, shops are embracing the technology.
With electric vehicles, potentially accounting for 40% of total passenger car sales by 2030, the time is now to equip the people working on these vehicles for the road ahead, especially since drivers are keeping their cars on the road longer.
They're not going away and shop owners and technicians will need to know how to do jobs - even traditional service and maintenance work - efficiently and safely.
From training to tooling, the requirements to work on EVs are more critical than ever. Increased production and the push to adopt EVs has been a long time coming, but are the technicians who service these vehicles and keep them on the road ready for the change?
In this episode of Talking Shop With ShopOwner, Doug Kaufman talks with Susan Starnes, Vice President of Emerging Markets with NAPA and Jake Sorensen, a NAPA Auto Care technician at McNeil's Autocare in Sandy and Riverton, UT, who explain why addressing the challenges before they're a problem is the best way for shops to prepare for the coming influx of electric vehicles.
This episode is sponsored by AAPEX. -
As a fan, the drama and excitement of sports are a great distraction from real life - something amazing might be right around the next corner, the next pitch or the next pass. Yet, as a coach or player, you know you need a great game plan to get to the next level.
It's no different with your business. When you've done all you can do to help your team be successful, it's up to them to execute your X's and O's. Sometimes, a timeout will be required to get things back on track.
In this episode of Talking Shop with ShopOwner, Doug Kaufman talks with Vic Tarasik about the efforts a good coach puts in before the game starts so that mid-course corrections aren't devastating to your business.
This episode of Talking Shop with ShopOwner is sponsored by AAPEX, the premier automotive industry networking and educational event. To get more information about the 2023 AAPEX Show, to be held this year in Las Vegas, October 31st through November 2nd, visit aapexshow.com. -
Hopefully we all do vehicle inspections â and hopefully, most of those are digital inspections. And, with constantly evolving advances in technology, those inspections are producing amazing images. Those pictures are telling the story your customer needs to hear in ways that words alone canât begin to explain.
Whether it's between technicians, or the service advisor and customers, or technicians and the shop owner, communication is key to a successful day and a successful shop. But with increased communication hurdles is what you are saying really what's being understood? According to Rod Stewart, "every picture tells a story, don't it?"
A DVI is like a three step support mechanism for, one, connecting with customers and showing them the importance of the repairs you recommend with. Two, visual proof of why it should be done. And three, showing the quality of the pair once it's done. Offering customers a log of pictures also helps them to see for themselves how the parts wear over time. This both educates your customer and also builds their trust in your shop. Likely they'll be more open to the repairs you recommend following those photos. But just having the pictures isn't the end of the story.
In this episode of Talking Shop with ShopOwner, editor Doug Kaufman has a conversation with Vic Tarasik from Shop Owner Coach and Greg Buckley, from Buckley's Autocare in Wilmington, DE.
The trio discuss not only why a DVI is the best way to inspect every car, but what tools are required, how they should be conducted and what you can do with the information once you've captured it.
This episode of Talking Shop with Shop Owner is sponsored by AAPEX. AAPEX is the premier automotive industry networking and educational event. To get more information about the 2023 AAPEX show, to be held this year in Las Vegas, October 31 through November 2, visit AAPEXshow.com. -
There is justified concern about the future of this industry, and specifically, who's going to be around to fix vehicles when that trusted local mechanic retires his wrenches. Some fear that no one is interested or able to step into the gap.
In this episode of Talking Shop with ShopOwner, Doug Kaufman talks with Mike Wiant from the Ohio Tech Group. Mike has an innovative way of creating excitement about this industry and is on a mission to inspire the next generation of technician.
This episode of Talking Shop with ShopOwner is sponsored by AAPEX, the premier automotive industry networking and educational event. To get more information about the 2023 AAPEX Show, to be held this year in Las Vegas, October 31st through November 2nd, visit aapexshow.com. -
Think your job is challenging enough just working with your friends and employees? Try working with your family. Multi-generational shops are looked at in awe because a lot of times we just can't picture ourselves working with our parents or siblings or children. Family businesses can offer significant opportunities and even greater challenges.
You know, far too often family businesses are looked at as nothing more than a dysfunctional dictatorship â we all do what dad says â but family businesses can be much more dynamic.
Working together with your family every day can be challenging. Consider the possibility of potentially buying a shop from mom and dad or even selling it to your kids. Think about those transitional challenges on top of the challenges of running an automotive shop in general. And you have the family dynamic on top of the day-to-day challenges. Is this an easy or difficult transition?
This episode of Talking Shop With ShopOwner features a conversation between third-generation shop owners Kevin and Renee Oswald, from Oswald Service in Rexburg and Idaho Falls, Idaho; veteran shop owner and mentor Vic Tarasik from Shop Owner Coach; and Doug Kaufman, editor of ShopOwner magazine.
Talking Shop with Shop Owner is sponsored by AAPEX, the premier automotive industry networking and educational event. AAPEX 2023 is coming faster than you think â itâll be held in Las Vegas, October 31st through November 2nd. You can get more information by visiting AAPEXshow.com. -
Do you ever have that 3 am feeling, when you suddenly wake up out of a deep sleep just knowing something is wrong? Most of the time of course, itâs the little things that cause the most stress and anxiety.
Oh, but donât forget the big things. Weâve all heard the gallows humor âWhatâs the worst that can happen? Wait - don't respond...we all know the answer to that seemingly simple question.
In this episode of Talking Shop with ShopOwner, Vic Tarasik from Shop Owner Coach and Matt Allen from Virginia Automotive in Phoenix, AZ, tell horror stories around the campfire â they say theyâve learned that Murphyâs Law is real and they have real world experience in recognizing what can go wrong will go wrong â but theyâve also dealt with the nightmares and have learned how to sleep soundly at night. This interview should give you some solid business recommendations to be sure youâre ready to deal with whatever horror story you face.
Talking Shop with Shop Owner is sponsored by AAPEX, the premier automotive industry networking and educational event. With AAPEX 2022 in our rearview mirror, AAPEX 2023 will be coming up fast. You can get a recap of last yearâs show and start making plans for AAPEX 2023, being held in Las Vegas, October 31st through November 2nd by visiting AAPEXshow.com. -
Have you ever had a feeling that there is a huge party going on somewhere and you haven't been invited? You're happy for everyone who got to go and you know that you'll hear all about what happened, but boy, what did you miss!?
To many thousands of people, AAPEX was the biggest party of the year - call it a festival, a homecoming, a reunion - if you weren't there, you're a little bummed because of, well, FOMO.
Shop Owner Editor Doug Kaufman (who wasn't there) talks with Shop Owner Coach president Vic Tarasik (who was) about the 2022 AAPEX Show. From hosting teachers on the show floor to learning about the latest software enhancements to installing lifts in Joe's Garage to eating tapas at Firefly, Vic reminds Doug that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, unless you learn something and take it back to the shop to help your business.
This episode of Talking Shop with ShopOwner is presented by AAPEX 2022, the premier educational and networking event in the industry, held November 1st through the 3rd in Las Vegas. For information about the incredible training and informational experiences YOU missed, visit AAPEXshow.com. -
Hereâs an all-too realistic scenario â A technician is elbow deep into a repair when he suddenly needs to access an online repair manual. Because the shopâs computer is in the main office, he stops work, sets down his tools, washes his hands, walks to the office, starts to look for the TSB he needs but realizes he doesnât remember the trim level on the vehicle. He finally inputs all the right information, hits PRINT â and is met with a flashing NO PAPER message.
Sound like a story youâve heard before? In this episode of Talking Shop with ShopOwner, weâre talking with Bryan Levenson, co founder and CEO of CTYK. He's passionate about harnessing the power of the internet â and the human voice â to make repairs faster, easier and more accurate.
CYTK, the first mobile app for automotive repair, is the next leap forward in AI-powered mobile applications, CYTKâs touch and voice search technology provides quick access to vehicle service and repair information to help automotive technicians do their work faster and with greater accuracy. Visit CYTK.io to learn more -
When you start a new job as an employee, youâre usually given time to acclimate to your new situation. Youâre given time to learn how to do a job the right way, how to build your skills, how to master your craft. Expectations are tempered somewhat, at least until you know your way around the shop.
Counter that with being the boss. You donât have time to LEARN the job â you have to DO the job, handling every pressure imaginable at 7 am on Day One. How can you prepare for success when youâre simply trying to survive as a business owner? Luckily, resources are out there to help you maintain your focus and maximize your efforts.
In this episode of Talking Shop With ShopOwner, Vic Tarasik and Murray Voth , president of RPM Training, explain what a 20 Group is, why you should care and how you can "test drive" a group with no commitment during AAPEX.
To learn more about or to register for the seminar, visit AAPEXShow.com.
Contact Vic Tarasik at [email protected] or shopownercoach.com.
Contact Murray Voth at [email protected] or RPMTraining.net.
Contact Doug Kaufman at [email protected].
Review the webinar (Navigating the Rapids Ahead) mentioned in the podcast at ShopOwnerMag.com.
This episode of Talking Shop with ShopOwner is being presented by AAPEX 2022, the premier educational and networking event in the industry held November 1st through the 3rd in Las Vegas. AAPEX will provide incredible training and informational experiences. Visit AAPEXshow.com to learn more. -
No one should be surprised by the news that there's a shortage of technicians coming into or staying in this industry, but the revelation for many people is that this isn't just a dead-end career.
In this episode of Talking Shop with ShopOwner, Mike Pressendo explains that TechForce Foundation's mission is to help the public and future technicians understand this is a high tech career path now. "It's not just wrenching. It's aviation, it's automotive, it's motorcycle, it's marine, it's heavy equipment. If it moves, we're looking to support them. And it's a lucrative career path," he says.
This episode of Talking Shop with Shop Owner is sponsored by AAPEX 2022. AAPEX is the premier automotive industry networking and educational event. It will be held this year in Las Vegas, November 1st through the 3rd. Get more information by visiting AAPEXshow.com. -
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over hoping for a different result. In today's economy, that's also a recipe for disaster.
In this episode of Talking Shop with ShopOwner, David Rogers tells Doug Kaufman that every instinct he had when he was a new shop operator would have led him down that path to insanity by relying on his habits and the patterns he was comfortable with. Realizing that wasnât going to cut the mustard for his family or his shopâs owner, he knew that change was necessary.
David Rogers, COO of Keller Brothers in Littleton, Colorado, has consistently set sales and profit records for 25 years since he took over management of the shop. And for over 20 years, as founder and president of Auto Profit Masters and Shop4D, heâs been helping thousands of other shop owners to do the same.
"Sitting still in today's business, economic and cultural environment will only benefit competitors who want to take you market," Rogers explains. "Change is the new normal."
Rogers talks about how to make your shop the first choice for customers and employees, and references an article he wrote in the August 2022 issue of ShopOwner magazine. Visit
https://www.shopownermag.com/reprogramming-your-internal-computer
For more information, contact David Rogers at [email protected].
This episode of Talking Shop with Shop Owner is brought to you by AAPEX, the premier business educational and networking event in the automotive industry. For information about this yearâs show, to be held November 1st through 3rd in Las Vegas, visit AAPEX Show.com. -
Perceptions of the industry have changed over the past 35 years. The grease monkey has given way to the technician and thanks to the effort of a lot of people in this industry, being in the automotive repair business is seen in a better light by many people. Of course, we still face resistance from some influential players.
Luckily, there are dedicated trainers out there to remind us that education has ALWAYS been important in this industry and much of what we think is cutting edge technology has been around a lot longer than we might remember. What has changed is the speed and the increased need for up to date training, not only for technicians but also for service advisors and shop owners.
In this episode of Talking Shop with ShopOwner, Doug Kaufman speaks with Duane "Doc" Watson, technical trainer at Bosch, about his history as an educator, the challenges he has faced and the opportunities he sees.
To contact Doc, email [email protected]. To email Doug, it's [email protected].
This episode of Talking Shop with Shop Owner is brought to you by AAPEX, the premier business educational and networking event in the automotive industry. For information about this yearâs show, to be held November 1st through 3rd in Las Vegas, visit AAPEX Show.com. -
If youâve tried to travel this summer, you may have come to one conclusion: the friendly skies seem decidedly angry.
Luckily, the open road beckons, and though driving brings about its own challenges these days, thereâs nothing like a little bit of windshield time to put your mind at ease. If, that is,
you and your car are prepared for your journey. Before a long road trip, your customers count on you to do whatâs necessary to get their cars ready to handle whatever the Eisenhower Interstate System, the Lincoln Highway (Route 30 and others) or the iconicMother Road (Route 66) can dish out. If they don't a lot of prayer may be involved.
Joe Keene, Automotive Content Video Producer, and potentially certifiable lunatic at Babcox Media, is doing a little praying and a lot of preparation by calling on automotive aftermarket partners to help him turn his 1989 Cadillac Brougham from a dead pile of rusty fenders into a safe, reliable land yacht capable to hauling him 2500 down Route 66 on his way to the 2022 AAPEX Show. Joe sits down with ShopOwner Editorial Director Doug Kaufman to talk about his plans, preparations and partnerships.
This episode of Talking Shop with Shop Owner is brought to you by AAPEX, the premier business educational and networking event in the automotive industry. For information about this yearâs show, to be held November 1st through 3rd in Las Vegas, visit AAPEX Show.com.
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A man with dreams, itâs said, needs a woman with vision. Her perspective, faith and support will change his reality.
In this episode, of Talking Shop with ShopOwner, Doug Kaufman speaks with Holly Weller, part of the husband-and-wife team that owns and operates Auto Fix, an Auto Value Confidence Plus Certified Service Center in Henning, MN. This shop is featured on the cover of the June issue of Shop Owner magazine and you can read all about Jeff and Hollyâs spectacular growth in a very rural area of Central Minnesota by visiting ShopOwnerMag.com.
During a preliminary interview, Jeff made one thing abundantly clear â he couldnât have gotten where he is today without the help, support and guidance of his wife. He told me that Holly is the one who gets everything done right.
Of course, it's not a unique story - thanks and congratulations to ALL of the unsung heroes of today's automotive repair facilities!
This episode of Talking Shop with Shop Owner is brought to you by AAPEX, the premier business educational and networking event in the automotive industry. For information about this yearâs show, to be held November 1st through 3rd in Las Vegas, visit AAPEX Show.com. - Mostra di più
