Ratchet+Wrench Radio

What’s Your Mission? (w/ Chris Cloutier)

In this episode, Chris Cloutier of Golden Rule Auto Care and autotext.me visits Ratchet+Wrench Radio to discuss personal mission statements. Many shop owners have a detailed and comprehensive vision for the health and growth of their shop, but how many also apply this to their personal lives where all of that drive stems? Chris breaks down his four pillars for developing a personal mission statement and tells how you can use a personal mission statement to be your external governing compass in all of your decisions making personally and professionally. 

Can APAC ATI Solve the Auto Technician Shortage? (w/ Chris Knuth)

In this episode, Chris Knuth of APAC ATI stops by the show to talk about how his nonprofit auto technician training program can help shops across the country with labor shortages. He shares the background of the organization, how it finds technicians to train, and how auto repair shops can work with him.

How to Build Your Apprenticeship Program (w/ Mitch Moncur)

In this episode, Mitch Moncur of Denny's Auto in Riverton, Utah, talks about how he finds, trains, and develops high school-age apprentices to be shop-ready by their graduation date.

AAPEX Bonus: Lauren Beaulieu of Advance Professional

In this episode. Ratchet+Wrench Editor Chris Jones catches up with Lauren Beaulieu, VP of Advance Professional, Worldpac, Carquest, and Autopart International. They are to revisit a story from the June 2022 issue of Ratchet+Wrench on TechNet Impressions and talk about what's new with the program.

Podcast: How Ortho Brings Voice Assistance to Shop Bays (w/ Kim Conti)

In this episode, Kim Conti, VP of product for RAIN Agency, talks about her company's new disruptive shop technology, Ortho. This voice assistant will increase the speed at which techs work by eliminating unnecessary back-and-forth computer searches replacing them instead with voice commands.

What Is ADAPT Anyway? (w/ Hanna Bubser)

This week, EBM Digital Editor and ADAPT Podcast host Hanna Bubser talks about what ADAPT is and why forward-thinking shop owners should care about it. We dive into its differences from Ratchet+Wrench and how to find and access all of its content.    Subscribe: ADAPT newsletter Listen: The ADAPT Podcast Learn: ADAPT Automotive website

From Technician to Owner (w/ Daniel Gonzalez)

In this episode, Daniel Gonzalez of Boudreau's Auto in Holliston, Massachusetts, tells how he went from technician to shop owner during the pandemic, and about relocating from Texas to Massachusetts to open his shop (and the lessons he learned).

Podcast: How to Get Media Coverage for Your Shop (w/ Mickie Kennedy)

This week, Mickie Kennedy, founder and president of eReleases, the small business leader for press release distribution, joins editor Chris Jones on Ratchert+Wrench Radio. Mickie is an expert at helping small businesses increase their visibility and credibility and he’s here today to share some valuable insights on why more shops should use press releases to draw attention to their shops. [2:28]: What is a press release? [3:40]: How to know if your shop's stories are newsworthy (including a funny repair shop case study) [10:37]: Leveraging community news resources [13:52]: Tips for writing our press releases (or hiring someone else to do it for you) [14:48]: Press release distribution etiquette tips [19:23]: Success tips

Bonus: California & The Future of the Aftermarket

In this bonus episode of Ratchet+Wrench Radio, Bob Redding, the Automotive Service Association’s Washington, D.C., representative, joins editor Chris Jones for a look at how California's decision to become a zero-emissions state by 2035 will affect the automotive aftermarket. We also discuss the significance of the decision by the California Air Resources Board to intervene on behalf of independent repair shops to provide ongoing access to information.

Today’s Class Trains Techs Using an App (w/ David Boyes)

In this episode, David Boyes joins Ratchet+Wrench editor Chris Jones to talk about his company’s app, Today's Class, an online learning organization that has been supporting the automotive industry for more than 20 years. If you recall, Boyes was highlighted in the August issue Breakdown, A Classroom in Your Pocket.   We discuss:  (0:06): What Today’s Class is and how it works  (3:15): What the time commitment looks like  (5:21): The science behind app-based learning  (7:19): The features of the app (12:10): The value for shop owners  (17:01): Feedback Boyes has received from shop owners  (18:05): How the app’s gamification feature encourages learning  (20:06): How to get Today’s Class