2d • 📣General discussion📣
Your Next Competitive Advantage Isn't AI. It's Focus.
I read something today that honestly shook me.
According to a brand new YouGov survey, 40% of Americans didn't read a single book in 2025.
Not one.
And here's what really got me: just 19% of adults now account for 82% of all books read. The top 4% alone account for nearly half.
Reading isn't declining evenly. It's splitting into two groups — the few who still think deeply, and everyone else who's training their brain to scroll, skim, and forget.
Now, you might be thinking — Chris, what does this have to do with running a shop?
Everything.
Think about your biggest frustrations right now.
Techs who can't seem to retain what they learn. Advisors who can't follow a process without hand-holding and constant reminders of basic procedures.
That nagging feeling that YOU know what you should be doing to grow your business… but you can't seem to sit still long enough to actually do it.
That's not laziness. That's attention collapse.
And it's everywhere.
We're all swimming in the same ocean of notifications, short-form videos, and dopamine hits.
Your brain is being trained — every single day — to be distracted. And a distracted brain can't diagnose consistently, can't build systems, can't train people, and can't make the kind of decisions that separate a shop doing $800K from one doing $2.5M.
HERE'S THE THING THAT NOBODY'S TALKING ABOUT
If you can focus — really focus — for 30 minutes a day, you are already in the top tier.
Not just of shop owners. Of everyone.
I was in a high-level mastermind a while back with one of the top copywriters and bloggers in the world.
And he said something I've never forgotten:
"In the future, the ability to focus will be a superpower."
We're living in that future right now.
And reading is how you train the muscle.
Not scrolling. Not podcasts (though those are fine).
I mean sitting with a book, phone in the other room, and making your brain do the hard work of sustained attention.
That's where your best ideas come from.
My best decisions as a business owner didn't come from my own genius — they came from ideas I borrowed from books and applied to my situation.
Better books led to better hiring methods, better ad campaigns, better leadership conversations, better workflow and systems.
Your competitors?
Most of them are scrolling in the parking lot before they open. Watching Marvel movies at night. And training their distraction muscles every single day.
While they're entertained, you could be becoming more dangerous, more strategic, calmer under pressure, and better at seeing around corners.
So here's my challenge to this community:
THE 30-DAY FOCUS CHALLENGE
15 minutes a day.
That's it.
Real reading — a physical book or e-reader.
The rules are simple:
Phone in another room. No music with lyrics. Same time every day. Keep a tiny notebook nearby to dump stray thoughts so your brain stops nagging you.
That's the whole thing.
If you're thinking "I don't have time" — you're already spending 30-60 minutes a day on your phone.
We're just stealing 15 of those minutes back and investing them in your brain instead.
If you're thinking "I can't focus long enough" — that's exactly why you need to train it.
You don't HAVE focus. You BUILD it.
Same as any other skill.
If you're thinking "I hate reading" — try audiobooks for commutes, but still do at least 15 minutes of real reading to train the focus muscle.
Build momentum first.
Pick something that pulls you in, not something that impresses people on a shelf.
Here's what I believe:
The shop owners who win over the next 3-5 years won't be the ones with the best scan tools or the fanciest lifts.
They'll be the ones who can still think clearly when everyone around them is drowning in noise.
Reading is how you protect your brain. And your brain is the most important tool in your shop.
Comment "I'M IN" below and tell us what you're going to read first.
And if you want — drop the last book that actually changed how you run your shop. 👇
Let's build a reading list for this community.
6:20
2
1 comment
Your Next Competitive Advantage Isn't AI. It's Focus.
skool.com/technicianfind
Proven templates, strategies, training and top-level networking to help independent auto repair shops hire quality staff faster.
Leaderboard (30-day)
1
+32
2
+22
3
+17
4
+9
5
+7
Powered by