The First Course Correction of the Year [E240]
About this episode
January often brings high hopes for shop owners, but reality can quickly set in with inconsistent car counts and other challenges. This episode emphasizes the importance of course correction rather than panic when things don't go as planned. Listeners are encouraged to assess their assumptions, recognize small wins, and avoid emotional decision-making. Practical advice on follow-ups and maintaining marketing efforts is shared, highlighting that discipline and patience are key to navigating the early year struggles in the automotive repair industry.
The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.
Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/
Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/
If you would like to join their private facebook group go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind
Episode Summary
By the second week of January, most shop owners are already questioning their plans, their numbers, and sometimes themselves. In this episode of The Weekly Blitz, Coach Chris Cotton breaks down why that feeling is not failure—it’s feedback.
This episode is all about making your first smart course correction of the year without panic, emotional decisions, or abandoning a plan that still deserves time to work. If January hasn’t gone exactly how you expected, this episode will help you reset, refocus, and move forward with clarity and confidence.
🔑 What You’ll Learn in This Episode
Why January rarely starts the way we picture it—and why that’s normal
The difference between failure and feedback in the early weeks of the year
A simple 3-question framework to make intelligent course corrections
What shop owners should not change yet in week two of January
One tactical move that can create immediate momentum without discounting
How discipline—not hype—sets winning shops apart early in the year
🛠️ Key Takeaways
January doesn’t reward optimism—it rewards process
A slow start does not mean a bad year
Most early-January mistakes are emotional, not strategic
Small, fast corrections beat big reactive changes
Momentum is built by staying in the game, not starting over
📋 Action Step for This Week
Before making any big changes, sit down and answer these three questions:
What did I assume that turned out to be wrong?
What’s working better than I expected?
What am I overreacting to?
Then choose one tactical improvement to focus on this week—starting with follow-up on declined or unsold work.
🤝 Episode Sponsor
This episode is brought to you by Shop Marketing Pros.
Shop Marketing Pros helps auto repair shop owners build consistent, long-term growth strategies that actually work—especially during slower or unpredictable seasons like January. If you’re looking for marketing that supports your business instead of stressing you out, visit ShopMarketingPros.com.
🎧 About The Weekly Blitz
The Weekly Blitz is a short-form, tactical mindset podcast for auto repair shop owners who want clarity, confidence, and consistent execution in their business. Hosted by Coach Chris Cotton, each episode delivers real-world insight you can apply immediately in your shop.
To listen to more episodes, make sure and go over to iTunes and or Spotify.
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Connect with Chris:
AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching
www.aftermarketradionetwork.com
940-400-1008
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