Ratchet+Wrench Radio
Ratchet+Wrench
Updated 4 days agoRatchet+Wrench Radio offers four tracks each month that explore the industry's biggest trends, most pressing topics, and the leadership and business management tips and strategies you need to thrive.
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Episodes (473)
Innovate: Solving the Diagnostics Training Dilemma
Shop owner John Bridgwater speaks on the importance of investing in your technicians' diagnostic training.
How I Did it: Moving Away From Transactional Relationships
Jason Malo, vice president of Advanced Automotive Performance in Uxbridge, Mass., speaks on how his shop has been able to gain profits by approaching customer relationships as a long-term investment.
Lead: Identifying Opportunity
In this month's Lead podcast, Aaron Stokes discusses some signs of opportunity shop owners should look out for when wanting to grow.
Innovate: A Creative Take on Shop Culture
Wayne Whitworth speaks on the strong company culture at Schertz Auto Service in Schertz, Texas, and the unique projects they collaborate on to make it happen.
Grow: Finding Your Passion
In this week's Grow podcast, Ratchet+Wrench columnist Rissy Sutherland speaks with Tekmetric owner and shop owner Sunil Patel about his unique journey into the industry.
How I Did It: Mastering the Call
Nancy Friedman, founder of Telephone Doctor, details the importance of customer service and shares her top tips for mastering customer calls.
Lead: The Danger with Taking Risks
Aaron Stokes details what every shop owner needs to consider when taking a large risk in their business.
Innovate: Marketing with a Personal Touch
For years, Bockman's Auto has sent out holiday cards and "Christmas in July" coupons to its clients for an estimated $40,000 boost or so. Learn the ROI secrets from owner Jon Bockman.
Innovate: Bruce Howes and the Power of Process Maps
Bruce Howes is the owner of Atlantic Motorcar Center in Wiscasset, Maine. For years, Howes has used process maps to train his staff, run his shop, and ensure success.
Innovate: Extreme Ownership Yields Success
Lucas Underwood is the owner of L & N Performance Parts in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Today on R+W Radio, Lucas shares how rewarding—and simple—it is to go the extra step for your clients, and what the concept of extreme ownership means to him.
Lead: Never Stop Advertising
Pre-sell. Be a promoter. And never, ever stop advertising. This week on Ratchet+Wrench Radio, Aaron Stokes tells it like it is.
Innovate: Old-School Media for New-School Customers
Jeff Matt is the owner of Victory Auto Service & Glass, a six-shop operation in Minnesota (five) and Florida(one). Today, Matt shares his experience working at a shop where customer service was nonexistent, and how he leveraged that experience into a successful multi-shop business (and the old-school media he uses to keep it going).
How I Did It: Weathering the Storm in Nome, Alaska
Rolland Trowbridge is the owner/operator of Trinity Sails & Repair in Nome, Alaska, the only shop for hundreds of miles. Perched on the western coast of Alaska at the edge of the Arctic Sea, Trowbridge faces some unique shop challenges in the frozen north. Hear the conclusion of his story in part 2 of 2 this week.
How I Did It: Weathering the Storm in Nome, Alaska
Rolland Trowbridge is the owner/operator of Trinity Sails & Repair in Nome, Alaska, the only shop for hundreds of miles. Perched on the western coast of Alaska at the edge of the Arctic Sea, Trowbridge faces some unique shop challenges in the frozen north. Hear his story in part 1 of 2 this week.
Grow: No Business is an Island
Robert Ohlman's shop was struggling. He found a mentor, however, and things started to change—he listened, learned, and turned his process around. Now Tony's Brake & Alignment is thriving. Hear his story today on Ratchet+Wrench Radio.
Lead: Don’t Wait ’til the End of the Month
"Don't wait 'til the end of the month!" This is great advice for just about anyone. In this episode of Ratchet+Wrench Radio, shop owner and R+W columnist Aaron Stokes describes the challenges and opportunities when month-end rolls around and your numbers aren't where you want them to be. Football fans will appreciate his AFC title match comparison to running a shop, and bonus: Stokes shares his Super Bowl prediction.
How I Did It: Treat Your Staff
Matthew Roayaee, owner of Auto Check Elite in Katy, Texas, boosts company morale by providing breakfast, lunch, and focusing on traditions around his business.
Innovate: Brian Bowersock & Ask the AutoMan Radio Show
Brian Bowersock is the owner and operator of West Automotive Group, a three-store California operation located in San Diego county with shops in Escondido, El Cajon, and Kerney Mesa. Ask the Auto Man, which airs on San Diego Channel 6. Bowersock's show focuses on a different automotive topic every week, ranging from how often drivers should service automatic transmissions to what it means when a vehicle’s check engine light comes on and everything in between. The goal of Ask the Auto Man is to educate drivers on the many topics related to the automotive industry and keep them up-to-date on the latest industry news. Listen to Brian discuss his experience with the radio show and how he channels his passions, hobbies, and goals into his shop for himself and every WAG employee.
Lead: Look Ahead to 2019 With a Vision and a Plan
Aaron Stokes discusses his 2019 goals: the whiteboard vision, the shop floor implementation, and how he motivates his staff to get there.
How I Did It: Leon Anderson
Leon Anderson, owner of Integrity Auto Care in South Beliot, Ill., opened his business in order to provide an answer for those who lost jobs at a local dealership. Today, he's in the process of opening his second location, and talks with Ratchet+Wrench on the lessons he learned from his first year in business.
Grow: Running a Family Business
Rissy Sutherland talks to Michael Brewster, president of Gil's Garage Inc., about the challenges and opportunities of his thriving family auto shop.
Innovate: Stubbornness to Persevere
Stephen Reinarts, Dean of Automotive Programs at Dunwoody College of Technology in Minneapolis, Minnesota, discusses the challenges and opportunities of educating and hiring young employees in the body shop industry as well as the current technician shortage.
Disrupt: Preparing Entry-Level Employees for Success
Charlie Robertson, president of the Collision Career Institute, explains what shop operators can do to set their entry-level employees up to be assets at their facility.
Innovate: Creating an Off-Site Office
Creating an off-site location can bring about change throughout the shop, the separation creates independence among staff members. The location can serve as a separate meeting hub for the shop, and it provides owners with space away from the business. Gary Pontious Jr. of Toledo Auto Care discusses how his business recently took the leap into establishing a separate office location and how it's brought positive change to the establishment.
How I Did it: Staying Healthy as a Shop Owner
Today, Ryan Clo is the owner of three shops in the Cincinnati area and is regarded as one of the best operators in the country. But seven years ago, Clo readily admits that his business was running him—to the detriment of his health and his relationships. Since then, he's undergone a personal transformation that challenged his beliefs about business ownership, as well as his physical and mental health. In this week's podcast, Clo digs deeper into his journey, as well as provides easy health and wellness tips that every shop owner could—and should—implement.