Cheers to Freedom Powered by OptSpot

OptSpot

4.5 (8)
MARKETING
UPDATED WEEKLY

Cheers to Freedom is a podcast designed for business leaders, especially in the car wash industry, that want to build a business they love, without spending their time in the weeds. We want to help you find freedom from the day to day grind live the life you want to live.

1D AGO

Episode 20: The Retail Revenue You're Leaving on the Table

Here's a number that might change how you think about your business: Members make up only 36-42% of your customers. The majority — nearly 60% — are retail buyers.But when you look at your daily traffic, it's 80-90% members. Why? Because members wash 2-3 times per month. Retail customers wash once every 3-5 months.This creates a dangerous illusion. You think your business is built on memberships. You forget that most of your customers are retail — and you have no system to bring them back.In this episode, I break down:The real data behind membership vs. retail customer mix (with SEC-filed sources)Why daily traffic numbers hide your true customer baseThe simple system that turns invisible retail customers into repeat visitorsHow loyalty programs give you visibility you never had beforePlus, I'll tell you about our upcoming Retail Revenue Revolution Summit on April 20th — a one-day virtual event dedicated to solving this exact problem.Links:Register for the Retail Revenue Revolution Summit: https://optspotsummit.comFree Mini-Course - Five Funnels to Freedom: https://fivefunnelstofreedom.comOptSpot: https://optspot.comData Sources Referenced:Major Express Operator SEC Filings (10-K, Quarterly Exhibits)Houlihan Lokey U.S. Car Wash Sector Update (Fall 2024)Rinsed Q4 Research Report (Member Usage Data)

10 min
FEB 16

Episode 19: Stop Marketing Like a Car Wash

Your car wash's marketing looks exactly like your competitor's. And that's why neither of you is winning. In this episode of The Car Wash Growth Playbook, I break down the difference between institutional advertising (what 95% of car washes do) and direct response marketing (what actually produces results). I'll give you three rules that will change how you spend every marketing dollar, inspired by Dan Kennedy's direct response principles and applied specifically to the car wash industry. If you've ever spent money on marketing and had no idea whether it worked, this episode is for you. Resources: Free Marketing Crash Course: The Five Funnels to Freedom - https://fivefunnelstofreedom.com OptSpot - Marketing for Car Washes - https://optspot.com

10 min
FEB 9

Episode 18: The system that creates predictable revenue for car washes

I'm against complicated marketing.Most operators are doing a dozen different things—direct mail, social media, banners, promotions, digital ads—none of it connected. They're spraying and praying, hoping something works.Your marketing is most effective when it's simple. One clear goal. Everything aligned. Everything moving in the same direction.In this episode, I break down The Five Funnels to Freedom: the simple system that replaces complicated marketing with predictable revenue.You'll learn:- How signage + loyalty can capture 40-80% of your daily customers- The text-to-redeem partnership model that builds your list through trust- Why you should stop selling memberships to cold audiences- How OptSpot customers average 17-month memberships vs. industry average of 7-9 months- Why 40-60% of cancellations were never meant to cancelGet the free Five Funnels mini-course: https://optspot.us/fivefunnels18

10 min
FEB 2

Episode 17: Pre-Opening Playbook: How to Launch Your Car Wash with Thousands of Customers Waiting

Most operators open their car wash hoping customers show up. Smart operators open with thousands already waiting.In this episode, I break down the pre-opening playbook that helped one operator build a 7,000-person text club before washing a single car, another presell 274 memberships before opening day, and a third turn a "C location" into 4,000+ active members.This is the exact system for building your customer base while your wash is still under construction.KEY INSIGHTS:- Awareness does not pay the bills. Phone numbers do.- The best time to build your list is the moment you claim the dirt- Construction delays can become competitive advantages- Free washes without phone number capture are wasted moneyThe Car Wash Growth Playbook is your weekly source for practical marketing strategies that work. New episodes every Monday.Learn more about OptSpot: https://optspot.comGet our FREE Five Funnels to Freedom Crash Course: https://optspot.us/five-funnels-ep17#carwash #carwashmarketing #carwashbusiness #grandopening #textmarketing #smsmarketing #membershipmarketing

6 min
JAN 26

Episode 16: Why Discounting to Save Members is a Losing Strategy (And What to do Instead)

A member wants to cancel. Your instinct? Offer a discount.Stop. That's the most expensive mistake in membership retention.In this episode, I break down why discounting to save members is a losing strategy—and what to do instead. You'll learn:• Why discounts to acquire are smart, but discounts to save are desperate• The three problems you create every time you discount to prevent a cancellation• The Downgrade Save: three paths that keep customers in your ecosystem• Path 1: Downgrading to a lower wash package• Path 2: Wash books for customers who don't want monthly charges• Path 3: Loyalty programs for infrequent washers• The mindset shift from "protecting the price" to "protecting the relationship"• The pause option that cut one car wash's cancellation rate by 20% overnight• Exact scripts your team can use starting MondayA cancellation isn't a goodbye. It's a conversation about fit.Discount to start the habit. Downgrade to save the relationship.---CONNECT:Website: https://optspot.com#CarWashMarketing #MembershipRetention #CarWashBusiness #TextMarketing #OptSpot

12 min
JAN 19

Episode 15: Stop watching your competitors (they're already watching you)

"My competitors keep trying to do the same things I'm doing, using the same tools, the same offers. They're even signing up for my text campaigns to see what I do."Sound familiar?In this episode, Josh Taylor breaks down why obsessing over your competitors is the fastest way to lose the game. He shares how OptSpot handles competitors who try to copy their strategies, and why they're not worried about it. Plus, he introduces the concept of the infinite game from Simon Sinek and explains why the car washes that win aren't playing to beat their competitors. They're playing to outlast them.In this episode, you'll learn:→ Why you can't hide your success from competitors (and why you shouldn't try)→ The difference between a finite mindset and an infinite mindset→ What actually differentiates your car wash (hint: it's not your marketing)→ The intangibles your competitors can never copy→ How to control what you can control and run your own raceKey quote from this episode:"The difference between car washes that win and car washes that struggle isn't that one of them has access to a secret strategy or tool that the other doesn't. The difference is execution."Resources mentioned:📖 The Infinite Game by Simon SinekReady to build a text club that drives real results?Visit https://www.optspot.com to learn how we've helped over 500 car washes across North America grow their memberships and increase revenue.

5 min
JAN 13

Episode 14: Stop paying people to sell. Pay them to give instead.

Your customers are avoiding your staff because they know they're about to be sold to. Here's how to fix it. Most car washes only pay people to interact with customers when they're selling something. The problem? Customers see right through it. They avoid eye contact, rush through the vacuum bay, and leave as fast as possible. In this episode, I'm showing you a completely different approach: Pay someone to give things away with no sales pitch attached. It sounds backwards, but the operators doing this are seeing higher membership growth and better retention than the ones running aggressive sales programs. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:→ Why the law of reciprocity creates more loyalty than sales tactics→ 3 specific gift strategies (air fresheners with QR codes, coffee shop gift cards, interior cleaning kits)→ The exact conversations that naturally lead to membership signups→ How to implement this Monday morning for ~$300→ What metrics to track (and which ones to ignore)This isn't theory. This is proven across 500+ car washes in North America. SUBSCRIBE to The Car Wash Growth Playbook for weekly marketing strategies you can implement immediately.ABOUT OPTSPOT:We've helped over 500 car wash operations build text marketing systems and grow sustainable businesses. Our strategies focus on building customer relationships that drive membership growth and long-term loyalty.CONNECT WITH US:Website: [OptSpot.com]#carwash #carwashmarketing #customerexperience #smallbusinessmarketing #membershipgrowth

11 min
12/15/2025

Episode 13: The Truth About Free Washes Most Car Wash Miss

Free washes feel expensive for a reason. And it’s not because they don’t work. It’s because most car wash operators misunderstand where free washes fit in the marketing funnel.In Episode 13 of the Car Wash Growth Playbook, Josh Taylor breaks down the real reason free washes work, why so many operators quit too early, and how free wash offers actually create long-term, predictable revenue when used correctly.This episode introduces a simple but powerful framework every car wash owner needs to understand: Curiosity → Enlightenment → Commitment. Josh explains why free washes belong at the curiosity stage, why your text club does the heavy lifting in the enlightenment stage, and why memberships and revenue only happen after that process is complete.You’ll also learn why every phone number you collect is worth about $15 in long-term value, not because every person becomes a member, but because of how lifetime value and conversion rates work together. When you understand this, free washes stop feeling like a cost and start looking like an investment.In this episode, you’ll learn:• Why free washes feel expensive but are actually valuable• Where most car washes go wrong with free wash offers• How the Curiosity → Enlightenment → Commitment funnel works• Why your text club is the most important part of the funnel• How free washes outperform percentage-off discounts• Why quitting too early kills otherwise great marketing strategies• How to think about phone numbers as revenue-producing assets• How free washes lead to memberships, retail sales, and repeat visitsIf you’re a car wash owner or operator who wants to build predictable revenue, grow your text club, and stop second-guessing your marketing strategy, this episode will change how you think about free washes forever.🎧 Listen to Episode 13 now and learn why free washes actually make you money.

5 min

4.5

out of 5

8 Ratings

Cheers to Freedom is a podcast designed for business leaders, especially in the car wash industry, that want to build a business they love, without spending their time in the weeds. We want to help you find freedom from the day to day grind live the life you want to live.

Creator

OptSpot
Years Active

2021 - 2026
Episodes

84
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© OptSpot
Show Website

Cheers to Freedom Powered by OptSpot