Gain Traction

Mike Edge

The Gain Traction Podcast features top tire and auto repair professionals, shop owners, industry executives, and thought leaders.

  1. 6d ago

    Why I Never Change the Name, Pay, or Hours

    Parham Parastaran is the founder of Left Lane Auto, an automotive service company operating 40 brands across 90 locations in 20 states. His career began in his family’s Car-X shop while he attended the University of Illinois. He later expanded the business into a 17-location portfolio that included independent tire stores. After selling the company he had built over 24 years, Parastaran watched nearly every employee leave within a year. That experience shaped his approach to employee retention after acquisition: preserve the local identity, protect established working arrangements, and earn the team’s support before introducing change. In this episode… Multi-location operators buy shops for their revenue, reputation, and experienced teams. The first push toward standardization often puts those assets at risk. Pay changes alter household income. Schedule changes disrupt family routines. A fast rebrand removes a familiar name that employees and customers already trust. Each additional location increases the pressure to impose a single operating model. That is the central challenge behind employee retention after acquisition. Left Lane Auto protects continuity while its leaders learn how each shop works. Operational changes begin after the local team understands the reason and supports the direction. Parastaran also explains how this philosophy shapes conversations with sellers. Owners receive flexibility in how they exit, remain involved, or retain a financial interest. The business follows strong shops and structures the transition around what keeps each operation stable. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:  [01:03] Parham Parastaran and Left Lane Auto [01:37] Building an automotive career from one family shop [07:40] Preserving local businesses after an acquisition [13:16] Lessons from losing a long-standing team [21:19] Balancing tire sales with mechanical service [23:27] Evaluating shops and speaking with sellers [26:10] Structuring flexible transitions for former owners [27:38] Expanding deal options through Bertram Capital Resources mentioned in this episode: Parham Parastaran on LinkedInLeft Lane Auto LLC WebsiteTread PartnersGain Traction Podcast on YouTubeGain Traction Podcast WebsiteMike Edge on LinkedInQuotable Moments: “It’s the blessing of having nothing, so you have no choice.”“You know, you’re going to go backwards when you lose people.”“The things that I learned from the failures was that I don’t ever want to put ourselves in a cash position where we’re going back.”“We’ll follow good stores.”“We’ll find a way to say yes.”Action Steps: Build an employee retention checklist after an acquisition that records each person’s pay plan, regular schedule, tenure, and responsibilities before the handoff.Pause proposed compensation and scheduling changes until their effects on employees’ lives and store performance are documented.Meet with the store manager and longest-tenured employees to identify the routines, relationships, and local practices customers depend on.Keep the acquired shop’s local name while reviewing its customer recognition and community value with the existing team.Write the former owner’s post-sale role, decision authority, and exit timeline into the transition plan before announcing the acquisition.

    Why I Never Change the Name, Pay, or Hours
  2. Aug 5

    One Word: The Tire Shop Marketing That Built a Brand

    Ricky Ivey is the second-generation owner of Pueblo Tires & Service, a South Texas tire and automotive service company with 13 stores and a dedicated lube shop. His experience with tire shop marketing strategies spans decades of local advertising, brand development, store expansion, and operational growth. Ivey also brings long-standing industry involvement to the conversation. He has served on the Texas Tire Dealers Association board since the 1980s and encourages dealers to build relationships through associations, buying groups, and operators in other markets. In this episode… Independent tire dealers sell products that customers can find in many places. Recognition comes from giving people a clear reason to remember the business. Pueblo Tires & Service approached the problem by creating “Shampoozie,” a made-up word tied to the company’s promise of superior service. Building recognition required more than a memorable word. Pueblo placed the message across its advertising and kept funding marketing as media shifted from radio and television toward Google and social platforms. The expense remained visible every month, while the results took longer to measure. Multi-location growth added another layer. Procedures helped Pueblo create consistency across stores, property ownership gave the company more control over its locations, and a separate lube shop created room for oil-change demand without disrupting tire sales. Marketing still depended on the experience customers received at the counter because advertising carried little value without honesty and a protected reputation. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:  [01:21] Ricky Ivey and Pueblo Tires & Service [02:19] Development of the “Shampoozie” brand [07:29] Long-term investment in marketing [11:30] Pueblo Tires family business history [18:13] Operational systems supporting company growth [20:02] Business expansion and a $1 million loss [23:30] Development of a dedicated lube operation [26:31] Customer transparency and brand reputation [28:11] Industry associations and professional relationships Resources mentioned in this episode: Pueblo Tires & Service WebsiteTread PartnersGain Traction Podcast on YouTubeGain Traction Podcast WebsiteMike Edge on LinkedInQuotable Moments: “You have to be really creative to sell tires because they’re kind of everywhere, especially nowadays.”“You have to pay attention to marketing, and it’s always changing.”“You can never, ever, ever recover your reputation.”“I lost $1 million in one year, and that was in 1992.”“You need to have some leverage over your properties.”“Get involved with your association, your buying groups, and get to know people in different markets.”Action Steps: Choose one service promise customers can remember and write a one-sentence definition for it. Review every location’s website, signage, social profiles, and printed materials for consistent use.Build tire shop marketing strategies into a 12-month calendar. Set the monthly budget as a fixed percentage of sales and assign the campaign, channel, owner, and review date before spending begins.Review recent customer complaints, declined work, and callbacks before increasing advertising. Correct unclear estimates, inconsistent inspections, and counter communication that puts the shop’s reputation at risk.Document one customer-facing process across all locations by tomorrow. Start with vehicle intake, inspection findings, estimate approval, or final delivery, then give each manager the same standard.Contact an industry association or buying group and schedule conversations with two dealers outside your market. Compare one operating process, one marketing expense, and one growth decision.

    One Word: The Tire Shop Marketing That Built a Brand
  3. Jul 29

    How One Tire Program Caps a Fleet's Costs Every Year

    Keith Redford is the Director of Fleet Operations at JAM Best-One Tire, a commercial tire and fleet service organization with locations across Michigan and Ohio. He began his commercial tire career at Belle Tire, moved into tire wholesale, and joined JAM in 2005. Redford brings more than two decades of experience to fleet tire management. His work focuses on controlling operating costs, strengthening preventive maintenance, and building service relationships that support fleets over the long term. In this episode… Commercial fleet customers need more than a shop that responds when a tire fails. They need a service partner who understands their operations, monitors spending, and recommends products that make sense for their equipment. Redford’s approach is built around predictability. A structured program gives fleet operators a clearer view of annual tire expenses and the maintenance decisions driving those costs. Regular account reviews compare spending with prior years and connect the numbers to changes inside the customer’s business. That creates a real tension for tire dealers. Good fleet tire management often means helping customers purchase fewer tires. Redford treats lower customer spending as the foundation of a longer relationship rather than a threat to immediate sales. Trust creates room for fleet growth, referrals, and deeper service partnerships. Consistent execution also depends on culture. Technicians, salespeople, and managers bring different skills to the operation, but no role succeeds on its own. The work ultimately supports drivers carrying goods and returning home safely. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:  [01:26] Career progression in commercial tire sales and fleet operations [03:43] JAM Best-One’s commercial tire business formation and growth [07:38] Extending national-account service standards to smaller fleets [12:01] Employee retention through a people-centered service culture [18:04] Commercial truck utilization as an economic indicator [20:26] Reducing fleet operating costs through long-term service partnerships [23:53] Applying a seek-to-understand leadership approach Resources mentioned in this episode: Keith Redford on LinkedInJAM Best-One Tire WebsiteTread PartnersGain Traction Podcast on YouTubeGain Traction Podcast WebsiteMike Edge on LinkedInQuotable Moments: “We cannot be successful apart from one another because we all have different skill sets.”“At the end of the day, I want my people to know that they’re valued.”“Our job is much more important than that. It’s about people keeping people safe on the road.”“We’re looking for those 20-year relationships.”“The more we understand their business, the better we can help them.”Action Steps: Create a fleet tire management baseline by pulling the previous 12 months of tire and mechanical-service invoices for each fleet account. Separate recurring maintenance from unplanned replacements and identify the accounts with the largest spending changes.Schedule account reviews with key fleet customers. Compare current spending with the previous year, document operational changes, and agree on the next maintenance priority.Standardize a small-fleet service program across every location. Define inspection intervals, reporting expectations, product recommendations, and the person responsible for customer communication.Review handoffs between sales, technicians, and location managers. Assign ownership at each stage so recommendations reach the customer and approved work reaches the bay without delay.Measure the relationship beyond monthly tire sales. Track annual customer spending, maintenance consistency, account retention, and referrals to show the long-term value of the program.

    How One Tire Program Caps a Fleet's Costs Every Year
  4. Jul 22

    Run Your Auto Shop Like You're Running for Mayor

    Geoff Fisher is the COO of GVT Tire & Auto and Auto Pros of Minnesota, an automotive service network with 18 locations. His perspective on auto repair shop growth comes from experience across the shop floor, service counter, process development, and multi-location operations. Fisher began working as a tire and lube technician at age 16 before earning an operations management degree from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management. He later spent two years as a service writer and moved into leadership, where he now helps guide an expansion plan targeting 26 locations. In this episode… Growth exposes every loose process inside a shop. One location often survives inconsistent communication because the owner sees problems firsthand. Eighteen locations operate differently. Managers develop separate expectations, accountability becomes uneven, and recurring problems turn leadership into constant firefighting. Fisher uses the Entrepreneurial Operating System to create a shared operating language across locations. Weekly scorecards replace emotional decisions with measurable information. Car count, average repair order, and labor hours reveal where a process has broken down and give managers a clear place to begin correcting it. That operational discipline addresses only part of auto repair shop growth. Expansion also creates tension between consistency and local identity. Fisher’s team wants every location to feel connected to its town rather than viewed as another chain. Community involvement, local partnerships, and visible service build relationships that a new sign cannot create by itself. The economics reinforce that approach. Fisher places the average cost of acquiring a new customer at about $130. A free oil change or community initiative costs less while creating a direct opportunity to demonstrate the shop’s service. Opening one location every five weeks raises the stakes because each new team must carry the same processes without losing its connection to the community. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:  [01:14] Fisher begins his automotive career at age sixteen [04:06] Shop-floor experience leads Fisher into operations management [06:22] EOS replaces emotional management with measurable performance data [10:55] Repeatable processes support expansion across multiple locations [13:12] The company averages one shop opening every five weeks [15:46] Community involvement strengthens retention and local trust [20:30] Clear measurements expose operational breakdowns [22:19] Coaching shapes Fisher’s team leadership approach Resources mentioned in this episode: Geoff Fisher on LinkedInGVT Tire & Auto WebsiteAuto Pros of Minnesota WebsiteTread PartnersGain Traction Podcast on YouTubeGain Traction Podcast WebsiteMike Edge on LinkedInQuotable Moments: “That people feel like your shop is a part of the town, not just located in it.”“We are currently averaging one shop every five weeks.”“I call it running for mayor, right?”“And I felt like sometimes we were playing too much firefighter and not really understanding what started the fire.”“Help me, help you, help us.”Action Steps: Turn auto repair shop growth into a weekly scorecard. Track car count and average repair order, then add one labor-efficiency measure that managers review at the same time each week.Select one recurring operational problem and document its root cause. Assign ownership of the correction, set a deadline, and review whether the same problem returns.Build a store-opening playbook from the processes already working. Document training responsibilities, workflow expectations, and the first-week operating routine before the next location opens.Give every location one concrete community commitment. Choose a school partnership, local business relationship, or service initiative that places the team in direct contact with residents.Calculate customer acquisition cost and compare it with the actual cost of a goodwill offer. Track whether recipients return for a second visit rather than measuring success by redemption alone.

    Run Your Auto Shop Like You're Running for Mayor
  5. Jul 15

    When Should Auto Repair Shops Raise Labor Rates?

    Henry Rose is the CEO of Neighborhood Car Care in Western New York. He entered the automotive industry from outside the traditional technician path, bringing experience from property management, construction, and operations into independent auto repair. After first connecting with the business as a customer, Henry became involved with what was formerly Scruggs Automotive Repair and later purchased two of its locations. Today, he leads Neighborhood Car Care with a practical view of auto repair labor rates, customer experience, team support, and shop profitability. In this episode… Auto repair labor rates are not just numbers on an invoice. They reflect the value a shop proves, the confidence of the team presenting the work, and the cost of keeping trained people supported. Shop owners are dealing with rising technician costs, tighter margins, customer price sensitivity, and the pressure to build a business that survives slow months. Henry Rose brings the discussion back to capacity, billable hours, customer trust, and the shop experience behind the rate. A labor rate becomes easier to defend when the operation supports it. Full schedules, clean facilities, clear communication, easy scheduling, team benefits, and confident advisors all change how customers receive the number. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:  [01:10] Introducing Henry Rose of Neighborhood Car Care [01:20] Henry Rose’s transition into independent auto repair leadership [03:20] How a garage door invoice reframed labor rate value [06:22] Why auto repair pricing faces unique customer scrutiny [13:05] Using hospitality to strengthen diagnostic value and trust [16:19] Structuring labor rates around business costs and team support [18:23] Using shop capacity as a signal for rate increases [20:23] Measuring market response without weakening price confidence [23:11] Building team alignment behind higher labor rates [26:19] Protecting long-term stability through responsible profit strategy [31:19] The work ethic behind sustained shop growth Resources mentioned in this episode: Henry Rose on LinkedInNeighborhood Car Care WebsiteTread PartnersGain Traction Podcast on YouTubeGain Traction Podcast WebsiteMike Edge on LinkedInQuotable Moments: “You have to charge what you need to charge, but at the same time, when we’re just nothing but confrontational in our pricing structure, that’s also very scary for the customer.”“We have to be huge on building the value when we’re talking with people.”“We need to make the money that we need to make, so that our team can do the job they need to do, the training, the education.”“If you’re hitting 120 billable hours, and you’re that capacity, and then you’re booking out more than four or five days, you really should consider increasing your labor rate.”“We have a fiduciary responsibility to our team members. We need to keep the company healthy because if there’s a weird dip, a bad month, you can’t have everyone wondering, are they going to get paid?”Action Steps: Audit weekly billable-hour capacity before raising rates. Compare the shop’s actual billed hours against the total hours the operation can realistically sell.Review the customer experience that supports the price. Clean waiting areas, clear communication, easy scheduling, and visible professionalism help customers understand the value behind auto repair labor rates.Train advisors to present price with confidence. A labor rate loses strength when the person explaining it sounds unsure, defensive, or apologetic.Track close rate and booking pressure after a rate change. Use customer response, schedule demand, and advisor confidence to find the market’s breaking point.Tie pricing to team stability. Build rates around wages, benefits, training, tools, and the cost of keeping the business healthy through slow months.

    When Should Auto Repair Shops Raise Labor Rates?
  6. Jul 8

    How On-Demand Grip Could Change Winter Driving

    Wes Boling is the Senior Communications and Content Manager for Nokian Tyres, where he helps explain product innovation, dealer education, and the company’s North American story. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, he has been with Nokian Tyres for nearly eight years and joined the company as it prepared to open its North American production factory in Dayton, Tennessee. Before entering the tire industry, Boling worked as a sports reporter in Knoxville, earned his MBA from Belmont University, and built experience in public relations and family business. His role gives him a clear lane for explaining on-demand grip winter tires in terms that connect engineering, safety, and the conversations happening inside tire dealerships. In this episode… Winter driving has become harder to explain with old tire categories. Drivers still need control on ice, but they also care about road noise, dry-road performance, road wear, and the limits tied to traditional studded tires. Multi-location tire dealers need a cleaner way to talk about winter traction without turning the counter conversation into a technical lecture. Nokian Tyres is bringing that conversation into a new place with on-demand grip winter tires. The studs respond automatically to the road, absorbing when conditions are warmer or dry and engaging when cold conditions call for ice grip. That changes the selling conversation because the value is not hidden inside a compound chart. The customer problem is visible: changing winter roads, black ice, and the need for control before the driver loses confidence. The business lesson is bigger than one tire launch. Product knowledge only works when the counter team knows how to translate it. Drivers walk in with an immediate problem, and the dealer’s job is to connect the right technology to the risk sitting in front of them. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:  [01:04] Who Wes Boling is and why his role matters [01:38] Wes Boling’s path from sports reporting into tire communications [04:44] How on-demand grip winter tires automatically respond to road conditions [06:51] Why modern studded tires are trying to reduce old tradeoffs [08:21] How double stud technology supports braking and turning on ice [10:22] Why black ice makes changing winter conditions harder to manage [12:52] How Arctic testing shaped years of winter tire research [14:19] What dealers and journalists noticed during the tire launch [17:36] When dealers and consumers can expect the tire rollout [18:12] Why asking better questions builds stronger industry relationships [23:29] How tire shop counter staff help customers understand safety Resources mentioned in this episode: Wes Boling on LinkedInNokian Tyres WebsiteTread PartnersGain Traction Podcast on YouTubeGain Traction Podcast WebsiteMike Edge on LinkedInQuotable Moments: “It is the first studded winter tire to come with what we call on-demand grip.”“The tire kind of makes that decision itself.”“We were able to essentially reduce the studs’ negative impact on the road while increasing its safety properties.”“What this tire delivers is that responsiveness.”“We’re crafting it on a foundation of more than a decade of incredible research.”Action Steps: Build a winter tire talk track for every counter team. Start with the driver’s real concern: ice, black ice, loss of control, noise, and confidence on unpredictable roads.Train advisors to explain on-demand grip winter tires without engineering overload. Use plain language: the tire adjusts to the road, the studs engage on ice, and the customer gets a clearer safety story.Audit old objections around studded tires before winter selling season. List the concerns customers bring up most often, then create direct answers around noise, road impact, dry-road comfort, and legal limits.Use changing winter conditions as the sales context. Shoulder-season ice, warmer dry roads, and sudden black ice events give dealers a practical reason to revisit winter recommendations with customers.Make the counter team part of the product launch strategy. Technology does not create revenue until the person across the counter connects it to the driver’s daily risk.

    How On-Demand Grip Could Change Winter Driving
  7. Jul 1

    The Succession Plan Most Tire Shops Overlook

    Brad Templin is the owner of Scott’s U-Save Tires & Auto Repair, a four-store tire and auto repair business serving Indiana and Illinois. His family’s automotive roots go back more than a century, starting with a parts distributorship in Chicagoland before the next generation moved into the tire and auto repair side of the industry. Brad returned to the business after studying aerospace engineering at Purdue and working in a corporate technical sales role. He came back through the shop floor first, working as a tire tech, learning the counter, and earning his way into leadership. His experience gives him a practical view of tire shop succession planning, especially for owners who already have future leaders inside the business. In this episode… Shop owners talk often about technician shortages, training, and recruiting. Brad Templin brings up a different issue that sits closer to the owner’s seat: who carries the business forward when the current owner starts thinking about stepping away. The next owner is not always a son or daughter. The next owner is sometimes the manager who has been there for 15 years, the lead tech who already knows the crew, or the trusted employee who opens the shop when the owner is gone. Brad’s point is direct: second-generation ownership does not have to mean blood. It means culture, trust, experience, and the ability to protect what the business already means to the people inside it. For multi-location operators, the succession question gets bigger. Growth creates opportunity for the next layer of leaders, but owners still have to decide who gets a real path forward. A sale to an outside buyer changes the financial picture. A handoff to someone inside the business changes a life, protects the shop’s identity, and keeps the business tied to the community that helped build it. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:  [01:01] Brad Templin’s role at Scott’s U-Save Tires [02:55] How Brad’s family history shaped his view of the industry [04:06] Why second-generation ownership does not have to mean family [06:10] Why blue-collar shop ownership still offers serious opportunity [08:18] How self-awareness shapes stronger leadership decisions [11:30] Why technician-minded owners struggle to think like visionaries [15:39] How owner financing can create a practical succession path [20:55] Why Brad had to earn leadership by working every shop role [22:20] How the next generation can improve what the founder built [24:36] Why independent shops matter beyond the services they sell [29:13] How endurance training connects with business leadership Resources mentioned in this episode: Brad Templin on LinkedInScott’s U-Save Tires & Auto Repair WebsiteTread PartnersGain Traction Podcast on YouTubeGain Traction Podcast WebsiteMike Edge on LinkedInQuotable Moments: “I have now fallen so in love with this industry, I see so much opportunity and runway in front of it.”“Second generation ownership doesn’t even have to be blood.”“Taking over a succession plan of an already successful shop that you’re familiar with, you have such a great runway opportunity.”“Shop ownership is very rewarding.”“We’re needed as much as a doctor, a lawyer, an attorney, an accountant.”Action Steps: Identify one person inside the business who already operates with ownership-level trust. Look at who opens the shop, handles pressure, protects the culture, and keeps the team moving when the owner is not there.Start tire shop succession planning before the exit feels urgent. Build a path around responsibility, financial structure, leadership development, and clear expectations instead of waiting for a forced sale.Let future leaders work every major seat in the business. Counter work, tire tech work, customer conversations, and store operations create respect that no title can replace.Separate technical skill from ownership readiness. A strong technician is valuable, but ownership also requires leadership, vision, decision-making, and the ability to carry people through change.Use growth to create opportunity for the next layer of leaders. Multi-location operators need people who see a future inside the business, not just a job inside the shop.

    The Succession Plan Most Tire Shops Overlook
  8. Jun 24

    The Tire Sale That Keeps Repair Customers Coming Back

    Brad Griffin owns Griffin Tire and Auto, with two locations in Charlotte, North Carolina. His family has done business in Charlotte since 1961, the Berkshire location has operated since 1989, and Brad is the third generation around the business. The shops have shifted toward commercial and fleet accounts while continuing to serve retail customers. Brad has made his shops competitive on tire pricing to bring customers back for higher-profit repair and maintenance work, an approach built on customer retention through tire sales. He emphasizes a team, from the counter to the technicians, who can hold a knowledgeable conversation with any customer. In this episode… The oil change is no longer the hook. Intervals have stretched so far that the dependable three-month visit is gone, and the shops that built their traffic on it are watching customers drift to whoever they pass next. Brad makes a sharper play: tires and rotations now do the work the oil change used to do, bringing drivers back on a schedule you can count on. The tension lives in the pricing. Charge what the market expects and you protect margin but lose the relationship. Sharpen the pencil on tires and you trade a little short-term profit for a customer who returns for years of repair and maintenance work. Brad lays out the math that decides which side of that line a shop lands on, plus the staffing, sourcing, and trust decisions that hold the whole model together. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:  [03:07] Brad's background and the family path into the business [05:25] Going to market with tires as the new loss leader [06:46] Staffing and training technicians in a tight labor market [08:26] Choosing tire brands and reading customer value [15:06] How tires build the relationship that drives repair work [17:26] Selling "happy" versus running a need-based business [21:40] Customer-first service against the big-box model [23:58] Tariffs, parts sourcing, and the Right to Repair Act [30:05] Closing philosophy on people and customer education Resources mentioned in this episode: Brad Griffin on LinkedInGriffin Tire & Auto WebsiteTread PartnersGain Traction Podcast on YouTubeGain Traction Podcast WebsiteMike Edge on LinkedInQuotable Moments: "The best tire is the one that fills the need of the customer and provides a profit to us.""We joke that we're the dentist that you can't feel.""The tire seems to be the easiest way to show value, because, quite frankly, most people don't know enough about their cars to understand the repairs.""Focus on taking care of the customer, value their dollar, value their time.""Everybody who walks through those doors doesn't come because they have to, they come because they want to."Action Steps: Audit your current loss leader this week and rebuild customer retention through tire sales by pricing tires and rotations to pull drivers back on a predictable schedule.Stop quoting premium brands your volume cannot support; stock a strong tier-two or tier-three line with a comparable mileage warranty and sell it on dollars-per-mile value.Run the used-versus-new math for a customer at the counter tomorrow to show why a cheaper used tire often costs more per mile than a new one.Coach every person from the counter to the bay to explain a repair in plain terms, since that conversation is what earns the next visit.Track repeat-visit rate by customer, not just ticket average, and make protecting the customer's time the metric your team manages to.

    The Tire Sale That Keeps Repair Customers Coming Back

Ratings & Reviews

4.2
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

The Gain Traction Podcast features top tire and auto repair professionals, shop owners, industry executives, and thought leaders.

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