Honest Garage Podcast

David Laird
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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. 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

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. Jun 24

    Train Before It Rolls In: Tom Pacheco on EV Readiness, High Voltage Safety, and Building the Next Tech Pipeline

    EVs are already showing up in independent repair shops, but Tom Pacheco is not here to scare owners into becoming an EV specialty shop overnight. His message is more practical than that: start with safety, train your people, and build readiness before the wrong vehicle rolls into the bay. In this Expert Spotlight episode, David and Paul sit down with Tom Pacheco, founder of ZEVTech Consulting and executive director of ASA Colorado, to talk about what independent shops really need to know about EVs, hybrids, alternative fuel vehicles, and high voltage systems. Tom breaks down the simple rule every shop should understand first: do not touch anything orange unless you know exactly what it is. From there, he explains why EV readiness starts with low voltage fundamentals, proper disconnect procedures, PPE, gloves, meters, OEM information, and hands-on training that proves a technician can actually do the work safely. This conversation also goes beyond EVs. Tom shares how ASA Colorado is helping shops access training, grants, community college partnerships, internships, and apprenticeship pipelines so the industry can develop the next generation instead of waiting for unicorn techs to appear. If you are a shop owner wondering what EV training is actually worth it, how much you should invest, or how to prepare your team without turning your whole business upside down, this episode is a clear, calm, and practical place to start. Links: Honest Mechanic Marketing (HMM): https://honestmechanicmarketing.com/ ZEVTech Consulting: https://electricvehicletechniciantraining.com/ Automotive Service Association of Colorado- ASA CO: https://asacolorado.org/

    Train Before It Rolls In: Tom Pacheco on EV Readiness, High Voltage Safety, and Building the Next Tech Pipeline

  6. Jun 22

    Built Through the Hard Seasons: Shawn Gilfillan on Two Brand Growth, Hiring for Values, and Becoming Coachable

    Shawn Gilfillan's story is not polished, easy, or overnight. It is busted knuckles, hard lessons, bad hires, a major injury, personal setbacks, and the decision to keep growing anyway. Shawn is the owner of Automotive Magic and Magic Lube and Rubber in New Jersey. Together, the two businesses create a smart split. Automotive Magic handles the heavier repair work, while Magic Lube and Rubber focuses on the maintenance lane. Different services, same foundation: trust, professionalism, and relationships that last. In this episode, Shawn shares how he grew up around tools, helped his dad restore a 1962 Corvette, worked through shops where the values did not always line up, and eventually decided to build the kind of place he wished existed. He also opens up about a brutal quad accident that left him hospitalized, bedridden, and forced to run the business from home while his brothers helped keep the doors open. That season became a turning point. Shawn had to stop being the hero in the bay and start becoming a real operator. You will hear how his leadership changed through coaching, self awareness, and a much slower approach to hiring. Shawn talks about hiring for values, emotional intelligence, coachability, and culture instead of just technical skill. He also shares a powerful message for owners who feel overwhelmed: get clear on your purpose, stop trying to do everything yourself, and build a business that lines up with your values. If you are a shop owner trying to grow past survival mode, protect your culture, and become the kind of leader your team actually needs, Shawn's story is worth hearing. Links: Honest Mechanic Marketing (HMM): https://honestmechanicmarketing.com/ Automotive Magic: https://automotivemagic.com/ Magic Lube and Rubber: https://magiclubeandrubber.com/

    Built Through the Hard Seasons: Shawn Gilfillan on Two Brand Growth, Hiring for Values, and Becoming Coachable

  7. Jun 17

    Earned, Not Inherited: Eric Newton on Second Generation Leadership, New Partners, and Modernizing Curt's Auto Repair

    Eric Newton is a second generation shop owner, but his story is not about being handed a business. It is about earning a seat at the table, surviving hard seasons, and then stepping into leadership at the exact moment the shop entered a new chapter. Eric is the second generation owner at Curt's Auto Repair in Phoenix, Arizona, a long standing shop known for honest diagnostics, diesel work, brakes, AC repair, and straight communication that builds trust over time. In this episode, Eric walks through how he started in the shop young, worked through years of change, and then navigated an ownership transition that did not go the way he expected. Instead of a simple handoff, two business partners, Jeremiah and Mike, came in alongside him so the original owner could retire fairly and the business could keep moving forward without getting squeezed. Eric also shares what he is focused on now. Cleaner systems, stronger accountability, better hiring decisions, technician pay, and building a shop that can scale with repeatable processes. He talks about concepts like EOS and why the future of the shop has to be intentional, while still keeping the core promise simple, tell the truth, do not sell what is not needed, and protect the team culture. If you are a second gen operator, thinking about partners, or trying to modernize a legacy shop without losing integrity, this conversation is worth hearing. Links: Honest Mechanic Marketing (HMM): https://honestmechanicmarketing.com/ Curt's Auto Repair: https://mycarhurts.com/

    Earned, Not Inherited: Eric Newton on Second Generation Leadership, New Partners, and Modernizing Curt's Auto Repair

  8. Jun 15

    Relationship First Euro Repair: Chris Keefer on Building Independent Motorcars, Treating Techs Like Pros, and Winning in the BMW Community

    Chris Keefer did not grow up planning to be a career tech or a shop owner. He was a BMW enthusiast who knew enough HTML in the early 2000s to make a trade with a local BMW shop. Let him work on his car a few days a week, and he would build them a website. He never left. In this episode, Chris shares how a German trained mentor shaped his standards, including a lesson that still drives his leadership today. Knowing when you do not know is part of doing the job right. Over time, Chris became a high level producer, then built Independent Motorcars, a full service European specialist shop in Miramar, San Diego focused on BMW, Porsche, Mercedes Benz, and Audi. You will hear how the shop grew from a 2,500 square foot start into the unit next door, then made the post Covid leap into an 11,000 square foot facility that reflects pride in the work and respect for the people doing it. Chris also gets candid about the business being relationship driven and not easily scalable, why he refuses the private equity style cookie cutter mindset, and how investing in real benefits and a clean, organized environment changes how techs show up for customers. Chris also drops a simple marketing move that actually fits a specialist shop. If you are an enthusiast, join the clubs aligned with your niche because that is where rock solid long term customers come from. Links: Honest Mechanic Marketing (HMM): https://honestmechanicmarketing.com/ Independent Motorcars: https://www.independentmotorcars.com/

    Relationship First Euro Repair: Chris Keefer on Building Independent Motorcars, Treating Techs Like Pros, and Winning in the BMW Community
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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
    2026
  • Episodes
    51
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    Honest Garage Podcast