Honest Garage Podcast

David Laird

Welcome to The Honest Garage Podcast — where we talk shop about running a real repair business in the real world. Each week, David Laird sits down with independent shop owners, technicians, and industry experts to unpack what's working (and what's not) in marketing, hiring, leadership, and operations. No buzzwords. No agency jargon. Just honest conversations that help you grow your shop, keep your team steady, and build a business that lasts. Our show is about real shops telling real stories. Where shop owners talk about more than just repairs. They're building people, serving their communities, working on the shop, and not just in it. We are ultimately all shaping the industry that we all love!

  1. 6d ago

    Business First, Bay Smart: Matt May on Numbers, Premium Vehicles, and Rebuilding Village Motor Works

    Matt May did not come into auto repair as a technician. He came in as a businessman with a background in science, manufacturing, and the pharmaceutical industry. That outside perspective changed the way he looked at the shop from day one. Matt is the owner of Village Motor Works in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, operating out of a historic building that dates back to the 1940s. The shop focuses heavily on European and higher end Japanese vehicles, including BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Volkswagen, Volvo, Lexus, Acura, and more. In this episode, Matt shares how retirement at 52 did not last long, how a struggling Midas opportunity turned into a shop turnaround, and how he grew what had been a two-car-a-day operation into a business producing more than one and a half million dollars annually. He also talks about moving away from the franchise model, returning the shop to the Village Motor Works brand, and shifting the customer base toward premium vehicles where the margins, expectations, and relationships made more sense. You will hear Matt's business-first view of the industry, including why every shop owner needs to understand labor costs, parts costs, rent, margins, pay plans, and the real numbers behind profitability. He also gets into technician pay, service advisor incentives, flat rate concerns, and why the wrong compensation model can quietly create pressure to sell the wrong things. Matt also shares a forward-looking take on AI, diagnostics, and the technician shortage. His view is that the next generation of techs may need to be as comfortable with computers as they are with tools, because the cars are not getting simpler. If you want to hear what happens when a numbers-driven operator steps into auto repair, rebuilds the model, and learns how to run a profitable shop without being the person turning the wrench, Matt's episode is worth hearing. Links: Honest Mechanic Marketing (HMM): https://honestmechanicmarketing.com/ Village Motor Works: https://vmwraleigh.com/

    Business First, Bay Smart: Matt May on Numbers, Premium Vehicles, and Rebuilding Village Motor Works

  2. Sep 21

    Partner for the Next Chapter: Abraham Chavez on Three Shop Growth, Legacy Brands, and Building Leaders Who Think Like Owners

    Abraham Chavez grew up in the family shop, learning the business from the ground up. Sweeping floors, cleaning parts, helping in the shop, moving into sales and service advising, then eventually stepping into ownership. But his story did not stop with one location. Today, Abraham owns Griffin's Auto Repair, Dieter's European Auto Repair, and Joe Jr's in San Diego, California. In this episode, he shares how Griffin's became the starting point, how he acquired and rebuilt Dieter's to preserve a European specialty shop legacy that goes back to 1960, and why his third location became an opportunity to turn one of his strongest managers into a partner instead of losing him to ownership somewhere else. Abraham gets honest about what three shop ownership really feels like. The numbers, the hiring stress, the vendor accountability, the quality expectations, and the fatigue that comes after more than 30 years in the industry. He also explains why the right people, the right procedures, and the right schedule are what give an owner the freedom to step away, spend time with family, and think about the next chapter. You will hear how Abraham identifies constraints by watching sales, gross profit, margins, and productivity, why he prefers quality OEM parts when possible, and how long standing customer trust is protected by one simple rule he learned from his dad: only sell or repair what is actually needed. If you are growing beyond one location, trying to develop leaders inside your shop, or wondering what the business should give back after years of grind, Abraham's episode is worth hearing. Links: Honest Mechanic Marketing (HMM): https://honestmechanicmarketing.com/ Dieter's Motorsports: https://www.dietersmotorsports.com/ Griffin's Auto Repair: https://www.griffinsautorepair.com/ Joe Jr's Auto: https://joejrauto.com/

    Partner for the Next Chapter: Abraham Chavez on Three Shop Growth, Legacy Brands, and Building Leaders Who Think Like Owners

  3. Sep 14

    Teach Problem Solvers: Brian Weeks on Family Legacy, Core Values, and Building Technicians at ATC Auto Center

    Brian Weeks grew up inside the automotive business. His grandfather was building transmissions in the 1950s, the family business started in 1972, and Brian was around cars, racing, and the shop long before he ever became an owner. But the real leadership story starts in 1998, when Brian, his brother Chris, and their cousin walked into work on a Monday morning and realized the previous generation was not coming in. Customers were waiting, the doors were open, and they had to figure out how to run the business in real time. A year later, Brian and Chris officially bought the shop. Today, ATC Auto Center has grown into two locations in Augusta and Grovetown, Georgia, with 22 service bays and a reputation built on people, process, and trust. In this episode, Brian shares what more than 25 years of ownership has taught him about core values, culture, accountability, and developing the next generation of technicians. He talks about why culture is not what you post on a wall, it is what you tolerate, and why even talented people cannot stay if they operate outside the values of the shop. You will also hear Brian break down how ATC teaches technicians to become problem solvers, not order followers. From their five steps of a proper repair to the 1-3-1 method, Brian explains how asking better questions helps young techs build real diagnostic thinking instead of just waiting for answers. If you are trying to grow a shop with strong people, better standards, and a team that can carry the reputation forward, Brian's episode is worth hearing. Links: Honest Mechanic Marketing (HMM): https://honestmechanicmarketing.com/ ATC Auto Center: https://atcautocenter.com/

    Teach Problem Solvers: Brian Weeks on Family Legacy, Core Values, and Building Technicians at ATC Auto Center

  4. Aug 24

    Service Advisors Need Tools Too: Coralee Zueff on Customer Conversations, Diagnostic Value, and Confidence at the Counter

    Coralee Zueff knows the service advisor role from the inside. She has lived the pressure of the counter, the technician handoffs, the customer questions, the price objections, the phones, the texts, the parts delays, and the constant juggling act that most shop owners do not always see. In this Expert Spotlight episode, David and Paul sit down with Coralee Zueff, award-winning master service advisor, public speaker, coach, trainer, and Amazon bestselling author of Five Star Service Advisor and Coralee's Car Care Cookbook. Coralee breaks down why service advisors need more than scripts. They need real tools, real examples, technical understanding, confidence with money conversations, and the ability to explain value without sounding pushy. She shares how advisors can communicate the value of diagnostics, handle customers who walk in with AI-generated repair guesses, and turn complicated inspection findings into clear next steps. You will also hear Coralee's take on shop hierarchy, advisor and technician teamwork, ego at the counter, women in the industry, and why the best advisors learn how to educate customers without overcomplicating the conversation. If your shop wants better approvals, fewer counter conflicts, stronger advisor confidence, and a smoother bridge between the front and back of the shop, Coralee's episode is packed with practical takeaways. Links: Honest Mechanic Marketing (HMM): https://honestmechanicmarketing.com/ Coralee Zueff: https://www.coraleezueff.com/

    Service Advisors Need Tools Too: Coralee Zueff on Customer Conversations, Diagnostic Value, and Confidence at the Counter

  5. Jul 29

    Only What You Need: Trent Sweitzer and Noah Warner on Scaling Integrity, Multi Location Growth, and Training Techs

    Trent Sweitzer and Noah Warner are not trying to prove that one honest repair shop can survive. They are trying to prove that an automotive company can grow to serious scale without pressure selling, unnecessary repairs, or the kind of upselling that has damaged trust in the industry for years. Trent and Noah are co-owners of Summit Integrity Auto Repair, serving the Kansas City Metro through locations in Lee's Summit, Raymore, Leavenworth, and Fort Leavenworth. Their promise is simple: Only what you need, guaranteed. In this episode, Trent and Noah share how the business grew from three people grinding six days a week into a multi location operation with big goals and a clear point of view. They talk about building the company around different owner strengths, with Noah pushing growth, Trent focused on systems and strategy, and Bobby staying close to the technical side of the business. You will hear how Summit Integrity uses its Integrity Report to document every vehicle, educate customers, and draw a clear line between helpful recommendations and unnecessary upsells. They also get practical about technician development, state inspections, documentation, warranties, customer trust, and why "if it is not written down, it did not happen" became a hard earned operating rule. If you are trying to grow beyond one location, build a repeatable shop system, or prove that honest repair can still be profitable at scale, Trent and Noah's conversation is worth hearing.

    Only What You Need: Trent Sweitzer and Noah Warner on Scaling Integrity, Multi Location Growth, and Training Techs

  6. Jul 26

    Plant the Seed Early: Todd Compton on Technician Awareness, Clear Communication, and Building Compton's Automotive

    Todd Compton's path into the automotive industry started long before he opened his own shop. His dad worked around racing fuel, Todd grew up wrenching on go-karts and C10s, and by high school he was already getting his hands dirty in shops and community college automotive classes. In this episode, Todd shares how that early exposure turned into a career through the dealership world, including GM training, drivability work, electrical diagnostics, and the mentors and mistakes that shaped him along the way. After years in dealerships, boredom and curiosity pushed him toward side work in a storage unit, which eventually became Compton's Automotive in Charlotte, North Carolina. Todd gets real about the hardest seasons of ownership, including opening in 2005 right as Hurricane Katrina disrupted fuel supply, then later facing COVID with a little more perspective on cash reserves, expense creep, and staying prepared. He also shares the two biggest unlocks that helped the business grow: better communication with staff and customers, and learning the financial side of the shop. You will hear how Compton's Automotive uses technology like Shop-Ware and AutoOps, vehicle inspections, photos, videos, and clear prioritization to help customers understand what is actually happening with their vehicles. Todd also talks about why "honest" is a word that has to be proven through action, not just used in marketing. One of the strongest parts of this conversation is Todd's work around the next generation. Through Tools in Schools and local apprenticeship pathways, he is helping students see that modern automotive work is not just turning wrenches. It is diagnostics, electrical knowledge, computer skills, problem solving, and a real career path for young people who may not even know the trade exists. If you care about building a better shop, improving communication, and helping the industry attract future technicians, Todd's episode is worth hearing. Links: Honest Mechanic Marketing (HMM): https://honestmechanicmarketing.com/ Compton's Automotive: https://www.comptonsautomotive.com/

    Plant the Seed Early: Todd Compton on Technician Awareness, Clear Communication, and Building Compton's Automotive

  7. Jul 22

    Think Like an Owner: Marshall Atkinson on GM Accountability, Cleaner Operations, and Modernizing Neal's Garage

    Marshall Atkinson's story is a reminder that a great operator does not always start as the owner. Sometimes they grow into the role by caring enough to take ownership before the title ever catches up. Marshall manages Neal's Garage in Durham, North Carolina, a long-standing independent shop that has served the community since 1950. After serving in the Air Force, Marshall came into the business through a friend, started learning the front counter, and eventually became the person trusted to lead the day-to-day operation while the owner stepped further out of the building. In this episode, Marshall breaks down what it really takes to run a shop well when the owner is not there every minute. It is more than answering phones and moving cars. It is watching the numbers, protecting workflow, setting standards, managing people, making equipment decisions, and creating a customer experience that feels consistent every time. You will hear how Neal's Garage has become more intentional about the work it accepts, including narrowing the vehicle mix, reducing big bay-locking jobs, and keeping the shop focused on profitable, manageable work. Marshall also talks about the details that shape reputation, from cleanliness and uniforms to loaner cars, hybrid service, EV charging, and remembering customers by name. If you are an owner trying to step back, a GM trying to step up, or a shop leader who wants the business to run with more clarity and less chaos, Marshall's episode is worth hearing. Links: Honest Mechanic Marketing (HMM): https://honestmechanicmarketing.com/ Neal's Garage: http://nealsgarage.com

    Think Like an Owner: Marshall Atkinson on GM Accountability, Cleaner Operations, and Modernizing Neal's Garage

  8. Jul 13

    Catch the Opportunity: Jay Power on Call Performance, Advisor Workload, and Using Shop Data Smarter

    Most shop owners ask whether their marketing is working. Jay Power wants them to ask a sharper question: is the shop actually catching the opportunity that marketing already created? In this Expert Spotlight episode, David and Paul sit down with Jay Power, CEO of Oktorocket, to talk about one of the most expensive blind spots in auto repair: what happens between the phone ringing, the advisor answering, and the customer actually showing up. Jay brings a deep background in enterprise software, large scale contact centers, shop communication systems, and real automotive experience. In this conversation, he breaks down what Oktorocket is seeing across shop data, including answer rates, missed calls, advisor workload, close ratio, outbound callbacks, customer retention, and the real revenue impact of small operational changes. You will hear why one in five calls may be a brand new customer, why overloaded advisors can make the wrong numbers look good while the shop stays flat, and how a few points of improvement in close rate or answer rate can create major revenue movement. Jay also gets practical about AI, where it belongs today, where it does not, and why customers still expect a real human during normal business hours. If you want to stop guessing, tighten your front counter, and understand the data already sitting inside your shop, this episode is worth hearing. Links: Honest Mechanic Marketing (HMM): https://honestmechanicmarketing.com/ Oktorocket: https://oktorocket.com/

    Catch the Opportunity: Jay Power on Call Performance, Advisor Workload, and Using Shop Data Smarter
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About

Welcome to The Honest Garage Podcast — where we talk shop about running a real repair business in the real world. Each week, David Laird sits down with independent shop owners, technicians, and industry experts to unpack what's working (and what's not) in marketing, hiring, leadership, and operations. No buzzwords. No agency jargon. Just honest conversations that help you grow your shop, keep your team steady, and build a business that lasts. Our show is about real shops telling real stories. Where shop owners talk about more than just repairs. They're building people, serving their communities, working on the shop, and not just in it. We are ultimately all shaping the industry that we all love!

Information

  • Creator
    David Laird
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    55
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    Honest Garage Podcast