Just read Chris Jones' latest piece in Ratchet+Wrench, and the numbers stopped me cold. Two-thirds of shop owners worked as technicians before taking the leap. Another 38% were managers. 24% were service advisors. Think about that for a second. The majority of successful shop owners didn't start at the top. They started under the hood, behind the counter, or managing the chaos of daily operations. Which means that ambitious tech or advisor you're struggling to hire? They're not just looking for a job. They could be looking for what YOU found—a path to something bigger. Here's what most shop owners miss when writing job posts: Top talent isn't motivated by hourly rates alone. They're motivated by possibility. When you were a tech, what made you dream of ownership? Probably watching your boss make decisions, seeing the business side, understanding how the numbers worked. Your next A-player wants the same glimpse behind the curtain. Instead of posting another "Experienced Tech Wanted" ad, try this: "Seeking Lead Technician interested in learning the business side. This role includes monthly P&L reviews, customer service training, and direct mentorship on shop operations. Clear advancement path to management and potential partnership opportunities for the right candidate." See the difference? You're not selling a job. You're selling a future. P.S. Huge props to Chris Jones at Ratchet+Wrench for surfacing this data. The full breakdown is worth your time—it includes insights on porter-to-owner paths (6%) and those who started with zero industry experience (17%). Wild stuff. Link to the full article: Numbers: The Path to Shop Ownership What path did YOU take to ownership? Drop it in the comments—your story might inspire someone else's journey.👇

I had a great discussion with Technician Find community member @David Laird last week about auto repair shop marketing that will help you boost car count AND hire better techs. The quote above is just one of the gems shared by David during the chat. I had a great time mixing it up with David. It turns out that there's a ton of overlap between great marketing and great recruiting and we deep dive into both on this call. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL DISCOVER: ✅ The 3 marketing mistakes costing shops $5,000-$10,000+ annually (and why they seem "safe") ✅ Why Google Local Service Ads are the #1 opportunity RIGHT NOW (pay-per-lead, not per-click) ✅ The "60-70 page website" strategy that outranks dealers spending 10x your budget ✅ How to get 30-35% close rates on marketing leads (real numbers from real shops) ✅ The "Market Lock" system - why David won't work with your competitors ✅ 3-step Monday morning play to boost car count in 90 minutes KEY TOPICS COVERED: ✔️ The Revenue-Technician Death Spiral ✔️ Why Generic Websites = Generic Results ✔️ What ACTUALLY Works In 2025 To Drive Customers Into Your Shop ✔️ What Is The $10,000 Website Mistake (And How Do You Avoid It)? ✔️ How To Compete with Dealers (Without Their Budget) ✔️ What Are The Hidden Demand Signals in Your Market (And How They Can Make You Money) ✔️ The Shop Success System Explained ✔️ 30-Day Emergency Car Count Plan Here's the direct link to check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=To90SVghxfc

I've been saying this for MONTHS while everyone else was panicking about AI replacing jobs: The trades are becoming the most secure, high-opportunity careers in America. And auto repair is leading the charge. This article just confirmed what I've been telling shop owners all year — while tech workers worry about ChatGPT taking their jobs, OUR industry is virtually AI-proof. Here's the reality nobody wants to admit: → AI can write code, but it can't test drive a car to diagnose that "pinging sound" → For every new tradesperson entering the workforce, there are 20 job openings → Over HALF of skilled trade workers are already over 50 and retiring soon → By 2030, 80 million tradespeople will retire while only 40 million new workers enter → HVAC alone has 100,000+ unfilled jobs RIGHT NOW Shop owners, you're not just running a repair business. You're operating in one of the most secure, essential industries in America. Your technicians aren't just employees — they're skilled professionals in an industry where demand is exploding and supply is shrinking. The article nails it: "AI can replace some office jobs, but it cannot replace the physical work of keeping life running." That's OUR industry. That's YOUR opportunity. The shops that recognize this shift and adapt their recruiting and retention strategies NOW will thrive. The ones that don't? They'll be fighting over an increasingly small pool of talent. Read the full article here: [The Next Millionaire Class? Why America's Future Depends On Tradespeople] What's your strategy for attracting technicians to this AI-proof industry? Let's talk about it in the comments below👇 #AutomotiveIndustry #TechnicianShortage #AutoRepairBusiness #SkilledTrades #FutureOfWork

For years, I've been telling shop owners that "chatting up the tool guy" for tech leads was a dying strategy. Tool dealers are getting bombarded from every angle—everyone wants the same thing: "Know any good techs?" It's exhausting for them. And frankly, ineffective for you. But here's what I missed... I was talking to a shop owner today and she shared a story that flipped my perspective: Her A-tech was quietly job hunting and asked the tool guy for a reference letter to land a dealer position. But here's the twist—because this owner had built a REAL relationship with his tool guy (not just the "got any leads?" variety), the tool guy gave her a heads up. Result? The owner got ahead of it. Invited the tech for a conversation. Countered the offer. The tech is young and frankly in my opinion needs to learn a lesson, so he decided to leave anyway but it was better that it wasn't totally out of the blue. That heads up gave the shop owner a bit more time to prepare so they weren't caught totally flat-footed. The lesson hit me like a torque wrench to the head: Stop treating tool guys as tech vending machines. ❌ Start treating them as your shop's early warning system. ✅ Think about it: - They're in EVERY bay - They hear EVERY conversation - They know who's happy, who's looking, who's checked out - They're neutral territory—techs trust them Your tool guy isn't your recruiter. They're your intelligence network. The strongest shops don't just buy tools from these folks. They build genuine relationships that create a protective moat around their talent. So here's my revised stance: - Asking tool guys for tech leads? Still not great. - Building real relationships with them? Absolutely golden. The difference? One is transactional. The other is transformational. What's your take? How has your relationship with tool dealers impacted your retention? Drop your thoughts below. 👇

I learned this from working with over 200 independent repair shops over the last 7+ years, not from a guru. I was watching a training by Alex Hormozi this evening and with that statement above, he just articulated what we've been telling our shop owner clients about technician applications every single week. Here's the brutal reality: Lots of shops we talk to have taken an HR training sometime in the past and they are treating technician applicants like they're interviewing for NASA. - 30-minute application forms - Personality tests before hello - Resume requirements for wrench turners - Three rounds of interviews before discussing pay Then they wonder why their inbox is emptier than a parts shelf in 2020. Listen closely: Your technician applications ARE your leads. And right now, you're putting up more barriers than a NASCAR track. Think about it – skilled techs have options. They're getting recruited constantly. They're not jumping through hoops just to MAYBE get a callback from you. Here's what actually works: Remove friction FIRST. Optimize LATER. Start simple: - Name - Phone number (for texting) - "Tell me about your experience" (optional) That's it. Get the conversation started. Once you're drowning in applicants? THEN add your filters. But you can't filter what doesn't exist. The bottom line: Your #1 goal isn't to find the perfect tech through a perfect process. It's to start conversations with as many qualified techs as possible. Everything else is just ego disguised as "standards." At Technician Find, we've helped hundreds of shops flip this script. The ones who remove friction first? They're the ones actually hiring. The ones still perfecting their 6-page application? Still posting "We're Hiring" signs from 2019. What's one piece of friction you could remove from your hiring process TODAY? Drop it below. Let's fix this together. 👇 P.S. – Hormozi agrees with me and his advice works for $100M companies, so it'll work for your shop. The principles don't change. Only the excuses do.