Ratchet+Wrench Radio

The Mental Health Toll of Shop Ownership

In this episode, Margaret Light, MA, LMFT, MN LMFT of Equilibrium Therapy Services P.L.L.C. discusses the unique stressors shop owners face and how they can impact mental health. She talks about the stress and burnout continuum and how unmanaged stress and burnout can develop into formal mental health concerns for shop owners. She concludes by sharing tips to help shop owners understand the impact of stress on themselves and their work and when to seek professional help to overcome chronic stress.

Get Your Marketing into High Gear

In this episode, Ryan Burton of Leads Near Me talks about the contents of his new book “High Gear: Marketing Strategies for Auto Repair Shops”, what you can learn about shop marketing, and his conference of the same name High Gear Auto Repair Marketing Conference, which will take place from November 14-16, 2024, in Atlanta.

Keeping People Interested: How Small Gestures Lead to Big Results

In this episode, Bill Snow, vice president, franchise development & operationsRad Air Complete Car Care, talks about how he shows his team his appreciation, why they celebrate every win, and the importance of sweating the small details when it comes to encouraging your team members.

Keeping Customers Loyal Through Appreciation Marketing

In this episode, Lauralee Schmidt of Schmidt Auto Care in Springboro, Ohio, discusses her approach to customer appreciation marketing. She also talks about ideas that have worked, ones that haven't, lessons learned, and why shops need a marketing budget. 

How Niche Shops Can Expand Services

In this episode, Nichole Bennecoff of Empower Automotive, formerly The Subie Guys, talks about running a niche Subaru shop and why she's now widening her scope of service, and how she's using driver profiles and data to do it. 

How Leaders Become Limitless

In this episode, Brandon Jones and Josh Parnell of Limitless Leadership talk about what it takes for a shop owner to holistically become the leader their team needs from people to process.

Talking Shop: Alex Noll of ABR Houston

In this episode, we visit with Alex Noll, owner of ABR Houston European Specialty Repair in Houston, Texas. If you recall, Alex was featured in the February 2024 issue as the featured shop in Shop View. Today, Alex talks about his background in automotive, going to tech school, getting picked up by BMW, going after shop ownership, and what the future holds for him.

Podcast: Can Online Scheduling Increase Car Count?

In this episode, Steven Fafel of AutoOps shares industry data about the effectiveness of online scheduling and how it adds customers to the shop. He also talks about the latest feature that helps shops close more appointments after hours.

Can AI-Based Service Advisors Change the Game?

Kieran O'Brien of Shopgenie demos the company's new virtual advisor, Jasmine, and explains how this tech can help shops book more after-hours appointments and how AI is changing front-of-house operations. 

Ready to Sell Your Shop? Here's How

In this episode, Matthew Schwab of Cluth Automotive in Houston, Texas, talks about what shop owners who are ready to turn over the reigns need to do to get a buyer for their shop.