More power for building secret AI hiring weapons for independent shop owners. I can't wait!💪🏽

It hit me like a wrench to the skull. There's a part where he talks about the "Life Raft Drill" - when your business hits a rock and starts taking on water. Sound familiar? I've talked to some of you who feel like you are drowning right now. Techs quitting. Profits tanking. You're back under the hood instead of running the business. Here's what Dawson says that made me think of you: "You're the captain of a ship with 15 employees, and you just hit a rock. Your ship is going to sink... But you have a life raft." The problem? When staffing chaos hits, most shop owners try to plug EVERY hole. They're bailing water, rowing, AND trying to steer. That's not leadership. That's panic. Dawson's brutal truth: Some people need to be thrown overboard. Not because they're bad people. But because when you're sinking, you need fighters - not passengers. His "watermark concept" is genius: - Draw a line at your breakeven point - Show EVERYONE where it is - Make it clear: we stay above this line or we ALL sacrifice No more carrying dead weight while your A-players burn out. Look, I help shops find techs every day. But sometimes the answer isn't hiring MORE people... It's getting the RIGHT people rowing in the same direction. Who's plugging holes, who's rowing, and who's just... there? Drop a comment: What's your biggest staffing crisis right now? Let's help those shops that are struggling right now stay afloat. P.S. If you need the full Emergency Business Response guide, DM me. It's pretty bold but every shop owner that is in emergency condition should read this. #AutomotiveLeadership #ShopOwnerStruggles #StaffingCrisis

A little birdie told me that Ratchet + Wrench caught wind of the custom GPT I built for auto repair shops to help them respond to negative reviews and wrote an article on it. You can find it here: Technician Find Releases Tool for Auto Repair Shops to Craft Online Review Responses And you can find the Negative Review Response Generator and a bunch more AI tools custom built for shops in the Shop Owner's AI Toolbox in the classroom section of this community. DM me if you need access, it's free but in beta so it's not available to the public.

Mea culpa! I've been slacking on the leaderboard and I'm sorry! I've been super busy staffing up shops! I have reached out personally to the Rockstars who top the leaderboard month-to-month and you got a surprise treat! I really appreciate your contributions to making this community vibrant and useful. Congratulations to Rob Morrison who turned up the heat and landed at the #1 spot again last month. Craig Zale is not to be forgotten with his strong showing in the second spot. You two are becoming the Larry Bird and Magic Johnson of this community. Wow, that reference probably dated me. In his first appearance at the top of the leaderboard is David Laird. His competitive spirit has really kicked in. Thanks to everyone who contributed to making the Technician Find Community more valuable and useful to our members by posting. Here's how the top 6 finished up: 1️⃣ @Rob Morrison 2️⃣ @Craig Zale 3️⃣ @David Laird 4️⃣ @Stephanie Walsh 5️⃣ @Dean Sharpe 6️⃣ @Eddie Lawrence

Had a shop owner tell me last week: "I can't compete with the bigger shops offering $5 more per hour." Wrong game, wrong strategy. Just read this killer article on Ratchet + Wrench from Jim Saeli that completely flips the script on recruiting. Here's the truth bomb: The best techs aren't chasing only dollars - they're chasing growth. Think about it... Every experienced tech has worked for a shop that promised the world then threw them in a bay with zero support. They're DONE with that. But when you lead with training? When your job ads say "We provide ASE support, paid external training, and mentorship tracks"? You just separated yourself from 95% of shops still posting "Must have own tools. Competitive pay." Here's what hit me hardest from the article: → Young techs want mentors, not just managers → Your current team becomes your best recruiters when they feel invested in → Trade school instructors send their best students to shops known for development → Training lets you hire for potential, not just experience (bigger talent pool!) The shops crushing it right now aren't the ones with the deepest pockets. They're the ones building reputations as "career makers" with clear pathways for growth. Action step: Look at your current job postings. Do they mention ANYTHING about growth opportunities? If not, you're invisible to ambitious techs. [Check out the full article here - it's packed with specific examples of how to position training in your recruiting] Who else is using training as a recruiting tool? Drop your best strategies below 👇 P.S. This applies to service advisors too. Stop trying to steal experienced advisors with higher pay. Start attracting hungry ones who want to learn your system and grow with you. Game changer.