I know how techs feel. Not because I'm empathetic. Not because I've read studies. Not because they've told me (but they have, repeatedly). I know because I've been processed through the same machine that's crushing them. A couple of years ago, I extracted myself from a multi-location corporate MSO contract. They had dozens of stores and four layers of centralized management we had to deal with. Seven-day approval cycles for a simple Facebook ad. Every decision gutted and reconstructed by someone who hadn't touched a wrench or written copy in a decade. By week three, me and my team were just another vendor number. My expertise – built over years of filling bays with great techs – meant nothing. Data meant nothing. Results meant nothing. The only thing that mattered was not disturbing the bureaucracy. One Tuesday, after the fourth strategy pivot in two weeks, I sat in my car and had a revelation that changed everything: This suffocating, soul-crushing experience wasn't just frustrating me. It was giving me insider intelligence your competitors will never have. **I now know EXACTLY how your techs feel in dealers and corporate chains.** Not theoretically. Viscerally. That senior tech with 20 years' experience whose workflow suggestion disappears into the regional management void? I've been him. That young tech who spots an upsell opportunity but can't get anyone with decision authority to listen? I've been him. That A-player who's slowly dying inside because their expertise has been reduced to an employee ID number? I've been him. Here's what that corporate MSO taught me that changes everything for you: **Large organizations aren't accidentally soul-crushing. They're STRUCTURALLY soul-crushing.** When I finally told that MSO what wasn't working, you know what they said? "That's just how large organizations work. It's the price of scale." They were right. And they handed you a weapon they can never defend against. You see, as an independent shop owner, you possess something chains can never replicate, no matter how much they pay:

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.

Look, I get it. When someone waves a 5x EBITDA check in your face, it's tempting. But here's what 7 years of paying attention in this business has taught me: Private equity firms are culture killers. Period. That family atmosphere you spent 20 or 30+ years building? The techs who've been with you since day one? The service advisors who know your customers' kids by name? Gone. In 18 months or less. I just read Todd Hayes' new Ratchet + Wrench article breaking down how PE works in our industry. And while I respect Todd's hustle (the man built an $80M operation), here's my take: You NEED to understand how private equity works. Not because you should sell to them. But because they're coming whether you like it or not. Here's the playbook they don't advertise: - Buy your shop and a bunch more (3–5x EBITDA) - Roll them up together - "Optimize" (aka gut your culture, cut benefits and perks, cut "overhead", etc.) - Piss customers off and push your best people out ("my way or the highway" destroys loyalty and sends top performers packing) - Flip for profit (10–14x EBITDA) The kicker? When PE rolls through a town, clients we are advertising for get flooded with calls and applications from techs and advisors looking for shops that still give a damn about their people. So yeah, read this article. Learn their game. But more importantly... If you hear PE is sniffing around your area, call me immediately. Because while they're destroying cultures, you'll have a golden opportunity to recruit the best talent in your market. The techs fleeing PE shops aren't looking for another corporate gig. They want what you've got - a real shop with real values. Don't let this moment pass you by. Here's a link to the article: Private Equity: What to Know Before You Sell (Or Scale)

Ever walk into a meeting feeling tense and wondered why things went sideways so fast? Turns out there’s a neuroscience secret sabotaging your shop meetings: your team can literally smell your fear. In 2009, neuroscientists made a fascinating discovery: - Volunteers exercised on treadmills, scientists collected sweat. - Same volunteers went skydiving, scientists collected that sweat too. - Volunteers in brain scanners were exposed to these invisible scents. The results? Fear sweat activated the amygdala (your brain’s alarm system) instantly. Exercise sweat? No reaction at all. Here's why this matters for your shop meetings: When you walk in stressed about cash flow, worried about losing your top tech, or anxious about a comeback—your team subconsciously senses it, triggering fight-or-flight mode before you even speak. That's why meetings derail quickly: - Your service advisor gets defensive about ARO. - Your lead tech clams up instead of sharing valuable insights. - Everyone becomes territorial, arguing rather than solving problems. - The interview makes a turn for the worse and the tech ghosts you when you try to follow-up. I've seen this happen in dozens of shops. An owner’s hidden fear creates a ripple effect, harming productivity and morale. The good news? When fear is named, it loses its power. Next time things get tense, try these two questions: 1. "What's the thing you're scared of having happen?" 2. "How do we prevent it together?" Watch what happens: - Your tech admits they're worried about comebacks. - Your advisor reveals they're anxious about customer complaints. - Suddenly, your team tackles real problems together instead of fighting imaginary battles. - The interview goes great and the tech takes your call to make an offer. Your experiment this week: - Use these two questions in your next meeting. - Notice what shifts, then come back and share your results. Because leading your shop isn’t about being fearless—it’s about naming your fear, so it doesn’t run your meetings.

An artical on avoiding tech burn out I was quoted in. https://wrenchway.com/blog/how-technicians-can-advance-without-burning-out/