"I can't afford to recruit right now." I've heard this from dozens of shop owners over the years. And every single one of them would fix a broken lift the same week. But an empty bay? They'll let that sit for a year. Same lift. Same lost production. But because nobody sends you an invoice for an empty bay, it doesn't feel real. Until you see the number. Hunt Demarest — CPA, author of Beyond the Bays — ran the math across his client base. An empty bay costs roughly $175,000 a year. Not in revenue. In GROSS PROFIT DOLLARS out of your pocket. I just went back on Hunt's podcast Business by the Numbers for a second time. I'm the first returning guest he's ever had by-the-way😎 We got into: → Why one A-tech narrowed her search to six shops — and exactly what the winning shop did that the other five didn't → The reason every ChatGPT-written job ad looks identical to every other ad on Indeed (and what that's actually costing you) → What most shops get dead wrong in the two weeks between an accepted offer and a toolbox drop → Something I announced publicly for the first time If you've got an empty bay right now — or you're one Friday afternoon conversation away from one — this is the episode you need to watch.👇

The owner didn't even know that the tech was there. The tech was watching everything. The bowling nights. The lake trips on the owner's boat. The birthday celebrations. Techs getting recognized publicly for ASE certifications. Every single post that showed what it felt like to work there. Then one Friday, his current shop did something that pushed him over the edge. And guess who he called first. Not Indeed. Not a recruiter. Not the shop down the street with the biggest ad and the billboard. The shop he'd been silently watching for 24 months. That's the story I shared on the Honest Garage Podcast this week with @David Laird and Paul Regalado. And it's the story that changes everything about how you think about recruiting. Because here's the uncomfortable truth: The best technicians in your area aren't scrolling job boards on their lunch break. They're not. They're employed. They're getting paid decent. They've got a family and friends telling them "You're crazy for even thinking about leaving." And the only thing that gets them to pick up the phone is a shop that made the risk feel worth it. On this episode, we get into: → Why one of our client's techs (an A-tech with six shops competing for her) chose THEM — and what the tool truck driver who didn't even service their shop had to do with it → The blue marlin fishing story I told at a conference that explains exactly why your Indeed ad isn't working (and what to do instead) → What happens when you make a tech fill out a 12-page application before you'll even talk to them (spoiler: they go to the next shop) → The real cost of every day you're down a tech — and why treating recruiting as an expense instead of an investment is the most expensive mistake you'll make this year → Why speed-to-lead isn't just a marketing concept — it's the #1 reason good candidates ghost you One thing David said that stuck with me: "Set aside your ego. That person in your inbox deserves the same courtesy and respect as if they showed up in person."

I was on Remarkable Results Radio with @Carm Capriotto recently and the episode just dropped. A shop owner asked about structuring pay for a GM. I mentioned that any bonus tied to gross profit requires transparency. He pushed back hard. "I had a friend who shared his numbers. The guy learned everything and opened his own shop." Before I could respond, a veteran multi-shop owner dropped this bomb: "Are you hiring a babysitter or a manager? Because those are two different things." The Zoom went quiet. Then he said something that made a few owners uncomfortable: "Why would you hire a general manager if they're not going to manage the numbers for you?" Here's the thing—the fear of "they'll learn and leave" is almost never the real issue. The real reasons are uglier. And we unpack all three in this episode. This episode will make you think. It might make you squirm. And it could change how you build your next leadership hire. 🎧⏯️ [Listen / view the full episode below] P.S. One owner on the call said he builds his compensation INTO the model—openly—and his managers are MORE motivated, not less. Wait until you hear how he structures it.

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

Here's the brutal truth most shop owners won't admit: It's NOT all about the money. I just sat down with Sean Tipping on the Automotive Diagnostic Podcast alongside @Dean Sharpe —a tech turned shop owner and Technician Find client who built a thriving 12-person shop from scratch in San Diego. What Dean shared blew me away (and I've placed hundreds of techs). In this raw 90-minute conversation, we revealed: - Why Dean REFUSES to pay flat rate (and what he does instead that has techs begging to work for him) - The "foreman decision" that freed him from 60-hour weeks - What techs REALLY look for during interviews (spoiler: they're testing YOU) - The Friday afternoon pattern I've tracked that shows when your techs are about to jump ship Plus: The exact questions smart technicians ask that expose whether your shop builds careers or burns them out. After 7 years of connecting techs with shops, I can tell you—Dean's approach is different. And it works. If you're tired of losing good people to the shop down the street, this episode could change everything. 🎧 Watch now: Episode 309: Finding—and Becoming—a Great Shop P.S. - Dean shares his exact pay structure on air. I rarely hear shop owners be this transparent about compensation. Worth the listen for this alone. #TechnicianFind #AutomotiveIndustry #TechnicianRetention #AutoRepairBusiness"