Ratchet+Wrench - April 2021 by EndeavorBusinessMedia-VehicleRepairGroup

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04.21

STRATEGIES & INSPIRATION FOR AUTO CARE SUCCESS

INSIDE THE SMALL SHOP Setting New Expectations At Premier Auto Repair John Cayer is churning out impressive results despite a limited shop footprint and small staff.

HARNESS YOUR RESOURCES FOR MAXIMUM OUTPUT

PAGE 22

4 BOOKS FOR FUTURE LEADERS PAGE 31

CHARM NEW CUSTOMERS PAGE 26

MARCONI:

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04.21 VO L . 0 9 N O. 0 4

A P R I L Stand Out From the Crowd With a skilled team and clear marketing strategy, Tom Cummings has built a reputation as the "King of Three Bays."

F E AT U R E

C A S E

SMALL SHOPS, BIG RESULTS

COURTESY STACKS AUTO

What does it take to stand out and succeed as a small operation? Three shop owners share how they’re harnessing their space, manpower, and resources to build lean operations for maximum output.

S T U DY

A SOCIAL SUCCESS

To find new customers, owner Tim Lanier shares how the Killian Automotive team built a winning marketing strategy. B Y A B B Y PAT T E R S O N

BY MEGAN GOSCH

PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. COPYRIGHT ©2021 BY 10 MISSIONS MEDIA LLC. All rights reserved. Ratchet+Wrench (ISSN 2167-0056) is published monthly by 10 Missions Media, LLC, 571 Snelling Avenue North, St. Paul, MN 55104. Ratchet+Wrench content may not be photocopied, reproduced or redistributed without the consent of the publisher. Periodicals postage paid at St. Paul, MN, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTERS Send address changes to: Ratchet+Wrench, 571 Snelling Avenue North, St. Paul, MN 55104.

ON THE COVER: JOHN CAYER PHOTOGRAPHED BY TOM GODFREY

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TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

J U M P

S TA R T

T O O L B OX

10 ONLINE

15 VIEWPOINT

31 LEADERSHIP

13 EDITOR'S LETTER

17 ADAPT

35 HUMAN RESOURCES

Survey says: Performance tracking has a clear ROI Redefining success

A look at the factors poised for big aftermarket impact How autonomous lingo can pose a threat

18 SHOP VIEW

DeBoer’s Auto in Hamburg, N.J.

21 STRAIGHT TALK

To boost employee performance look for ways to praise

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

VOLVO TO MAKE ONLY EVs BY 2030

Volvo will make only electric vehicles by 2030, the Detroit Free Press reported.

18% Annual Revenue over $1 million

13% Overall Gross Profit Margin Above 50%

5% Efficiency Above 100%

The automaker said it is phasing out the production of all cars with internal combustion engines, including hybrids. The brand’s allelectric vehicles will be sold exclusively online. The automaker aims to have half of its global sales be fully electric by 2025, with the remaining half made up of hybrids.

GM EYES MULTIBILLIONDOLLAR TENNESSEE FACTORY

General Motors is eyeing a site in Spring Hill, Tenn. to build a new multibillion-dollar battery factory, the Detroit Free Press reported. This site would be GM’s second battery factory, along with one that is currently being built in Northwest Ohio. GM is partnering with LG Energy Solutions for the new factory. The companies are

RADIO

Could the rollout of retirement plans be your next competitive advantage when it comes to recruiting a new generation of techs? Greg Skolnik, industry coach and owner of Motor Works Inc. in Rockville, Md., outlines why the benefit will become an essential business practice in the near future in this episode of Ratchet+Wrench Radio. ratchetandwrench.com/ retirement-benefits

expected to invest $2.2 billion in the project. It would create roughly 1,100 jobs.

TEXAS BUSINESSES RECEIVE TAX EXTENSION

Texas businesses will have an extra two months to file taxes following the damage caused by recent winter storms and power outages, Fox Business reported. The Internal Revenue Service officially moved the deadline from April 15 to June 15 and relief will be available to people who have businesses in the state.

For more aftermarket industry updates, head to ratchetandwrench.com/news

VISIT

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Recognize your peers. Nominations for the 2021 AllStar Award close on May 10— submit your nominations today! For more information regarding Ratchet+Wrench’s 2021 All-Star Award, visit ratchetandwrench.com/awards

s p o n s o r e d

b y

EDITOR'S LETTER

How Do You Define Success?

WHY EVALUATING OURSELVES IS MORE DEPENDENT ON PURPOSE THAN RESULTS It was pretty clear we weren’t going to be on the same page. I’ll

save you the majority of the details—and some of the tangential topics—but I had a discussion recently with a friend about what “success” means. It stemmed from a comment he made about the surprising “success” his company had in 2020, amid the pandemic. For context, he’s an executive in a large, multi-billion-dollar corporation. And, well, you know me already. We were bound to have some philosophical differences, but those viewpoints aside, I was just genuinely curious about his comment. “How do you define success for your company?” It came down to margin goals, and overall profitability. His company effectively hit nearly all of its financial objectives. Sure, he explained, they had a slight reduction in overall revenue, but with limiting expenses (remember that comment), they were able to surpass many of their margin goals. They had recently closed out their fourth quarter at the time we talked, and their executive-level meeting about the results was positive, nearly across the board. Now, we’re burying the lead in this story, right? That comment about limiting expenses: The company laid off nearly 2,000 employees early in the pandemic, and has no plans to hire back the vast majority of them. So, I’ll ask all of you reading, How do you define success in your company? This is a question we ask often as we try to present the stories and strategies of the industry’s most “successful” leaders. Yes, we do have a set of benchmarks we look at in vetting sources for our content, and there are a number of ways that we verify the effectiveness of the strategies they share with us. Still, there’s a level of subjectivity, as success comes in many shapes and sizes. Associate editor Megan Gosch’s piece, “Small But Mighty” (p. 22), is a perfect example of this, as she highlights “smaller” operations around the country who are making a huge impact—both within their businesses and in their communities. These are lessons that can be emulated regardless of your own business footprint and scale. Now, I’d doubt many of these folks Megan profiled would agree with my friend about his company’s success last year—or at least, they’d feel as uneasy as I did in hearing it explained. My friend and I had an interesting debate, as at 10 Missions Media, the top-of-the-list reason we shared with our team about why 2020 was successful was that we were able to get through the year with zero layoffs, furloughs or pay reductions for our teams.

BRYCE E VA NS, VICE PRESIDENT, CONTENT A ND E VENT S BE VA NS@10MISSIONS.COM

That’s a stark contrast, huh? Depending on your dictionary, success is often defined as the accomplishment of an aim or purpose; that last word is the key for me, and that’s where philosophical differences tend to creep in with people. Financial goals and benchmarks are critical as guideposts to achieve our larger purpose, but only you can decide what that purpose is. We don’t all have to agree, but we should each have our own answer. At Ratchet+Wrench, our purpose is to help you achieve yours. So, however you define success for your operation, let’s keep pushing for it. 0 4 . 21 / R + W / 15

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GET STARTED NOW with a FREE demo and special savings! Call us: 800-275-4417 | Visit us: www.mitchell1.com Or find your local Mitchell 1 sales representative: www.mitchellrep.com repair information | shop management | shop marketing © 2020 Mitchell Repair Information Company, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Mitchell 1® is a registered trademark used herein under license.

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J U M P S TA R T

Trend Tracking While the future holds plenty of X-factors, these bellwether trends could be a boon for the repair business BY MEGAN GOSCH

Just over a year ago, the world was grappling with a neverending list of unknowns. Words like “unprecedented,” “pivot” and “new normal” were just beginning to take on new meaning and lockdowns were beginning to sweep the nation. When Ratchet+Wrench last checked in with Mike Chung, the Auto Care Association’s director of market intelligence, many cities and states were just beginning to lift local restrictions only to face new spikes in COVID-19 cases, and Chung predicted how shops could brace their operations for a second wave. Now, as vaccines are distributed and cross-industry experts begin to talk post-pandemic trends, Chung offered his insight on some of the factors that could impact the aftermarket most in the coming months and how shop owners can prepare for potential boosts in business.

What will be the biggest bellwethers for aftermarket success in 2021? Right now there are just too many variables and unknowns to make set predictions. When it comes to trend tracking, a lot of people picture it as looking into a crystal ball, but this year has really been more like a snow globe with all of these variables floating around and you’re not sure where they’re going to settle. That being said, there are some elements that we’re tracking that have the power to make a real impact in the months ahead, COVID caseloads and vaccine efficacy being several of them. We’re continuing to monitor caseloads and consider what trends we can pull from that. With a spike in cases after major events like Christmas and New Year's, you can track the progression between rises in cases, then hospitalizations, then associated deaths. So, those caseloads can be a major bellwether because the more cases, the higher the possibility for additional restrictions which, of course, impacts the aftermarket as it once again changes people’s activities and driving habits. Vaccine efficacy, including protection against the new strains that are being discovered, is also going to tie into that. As more vaccines get distributed and we hope-

Mike Chung, Director of Market Intelligence, Auto Care Association

fully achieve herd immunity, that will tie in with the impact of those restrictions and activities and people's driving habits as well. And those factors can also directly impact vehicle miles traveled (VMT) which is going to be another major indicator. If we’re picturing a move towards post-pandemic life where vaccines are available, case loads are at a steady state and there’s less of a need for restrictions, activity’s likely going to open up and more people could be back on the road. We saw VMT decrease by nearly 50 percent last April and 13 percent for the year in 2020 versus 2019, but recent industry surveys are finding that many consumers expect to increase their driving relative to pre-pandemic levels in the near future. That could be a great sign for the aftermarket, but it opens up a new slate of questions. What are those questions to consider when it comes to VMT? If people are going to drive more than they did pre-pandemic, that’s great, but will that actually become a reality? Say I’m someone who’s so tired of being at home this past year that I start making plans to go on a cross-country road trip or fly off to go on a safari in Africa when things let up.

Will I actually go? Only time will tell. You also have to think about the type of miles being driven. Recent data has shown that through this last year, essential workers have continued to drive while many essential workers have not, so instead of considering VMT in general, you have to start thinking who is doing the driving? And what do their vehicles look like from an age and mileage perspective? New studies are finding that the average age of vehicles is on the rise and that consumers are delaying maintenance through the pandemic. Are those older vehicles with delayed maintenance owned by essential or nonessential workers? Those are all considerations that can have an impact. As the dust continues to settle, what can shop owners do to prepare for these post-pandemic conditions in the meantime? If I could give one piece of advice it’s to be prepared for a potential influx of customers as things start to open up more. Customers may experience enough of a decrease in their anxiety that they begin participating in activities and driving more and maybe they’ll feel comfortable enough to start visiting the repair shop again (rather than delaying maintenance), but it’s not likely that they’ll have completely eliminated that anxiety altogether. Shops have to continue to foster an environment where customers can feel safe so that’s something to keep top of mind as well as the implications for staffing, ways to make reservations, customer communication and setting expectations for your hours, requirements for safe social distancing, wearing a mask, etc. The idea is that this situation is more of a dimmer switch, not a light switch. The process of opening things up isn’t going to be a sudden on and off, so maintaining consistency in those shop policies to keep customers feeling safe and minimizing anxiety will go a long way. 0 4 . 21 / R + W / 17

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FIND OUT EVEN MORE

How Shops Use Autonomous Lingo Advertising campaigns have been overestimating vehicle’s capabilities since the 1960s, but with today’s technology, hyperbolic language has the power to be dangerous. In the 1960s, Chrysler ran a campaign for its Imperial model, advertising it as “footless driving” said Daniel McGehee, director of the National Advanced Driving Simulator and associate professor of industrial and systems engineering at the University of Iowa. How is it foot-less, you’re wondering? “Cruise control,” said McGehee. “In the mid-1960s, the Imperial was heavily marketed towards women, inferring you won’t run your stockings if you drive this car.” Today’s vehicles equipped with advanced driver assistance systems are not advertised as foot-less, but even more misleading, “driverless,” which implies that the occupant doesn’t have to, and perhaps shouldn’t, pay attention to how the vehicle is acting, which McGehee said, couldn’t be further from the truth. To read the entire story, including what shops need to know about the terms they use, head to adaptautomotive.com/lingo.

ADAPT TREND REPORT Want the latest automotive technology stories sent right to your inbox? Get the newsletter that will help you prepare for the future of automotive service. Sign up at adaptautomotive.com/newsletter.

Registration and hotel accommodations are now open for The ADAPT: Automotive Technology Summit. The full two-and-ahalf-day schedule is available at adaptsummit.com.

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ADAPT is tracking new technologies that might soon end up in the vehicles at your shop. A recent interview with Neural Propulsion Systems about its advanced LiDAR and radar setup reveals how the autonomous technology world is striving toward safer roadways. Head to adaptautomotive. com/newradar to learn about the technology and how it can be used.

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J U M P S TA R T

DeBoer’s Auto BY MEGAN GOSCH PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY DEBOER'S AUTO

1 SHOP S TAT S Owner: Bill DeBoer Location: Hamburg, N.J. Staff Size: 6 (2 technicians, 1 owner, 1 writer/ manager, 1 parts manager, 1 maketing assistant) Average Monthly Car Count: 132 Annual Revenue: $645,000

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HAVE AN OUTSTANDING SHOP? Send a few photos and a brief description to submissions@ratchetandwrench.com and we might feature it here.

1 / Fresh Faced For Bill DeBoer, owner of DeBoer’s Auto, curb appeal is never an afterthought. In 2000, DeBoer set a full facelift in motion, transforming the then drab, faded cinderblock building with a stucco exterior, mansard roof and plenty of pops of color. And from signage, to landscaping, to outdoor decor, he’s made a point of refreshing the shop’s look every few years since. Most recently, DeBoer mocked up ideas for a new trim, landing on an orange that nods to the shop’s Dutch heritage, after a vote from the shop’s Facebook fans.

2 / Zen Zone DeBoer and his team have been hands-on in creating a comfortable space for customers inside as well. His technicians helped build a DIY wood backdrop with the creative use of remnant hardwood flooring to warm up and section off the shop’s lobby, while his manager helped pick color schemes, art and more. To create a relaxed atmosphere, shop furniture was intentionally sourced from a supplier popular with spas, and customer amenities like a complimentary coffee bar were added.

3 / A Clear Vision DeBoer is diligent in keeping the shop’s online appearance up to date as well. Shop upgrades are promptly documented and used to refresh the shop’s marketing materials to keep the shop’s virtual and in-person experience in line. DeBoer jokes that with regular shop upgrades, photo shoots have become an annual event. “If you’re trying to put your best foot forward, you don’t want customers seeing things that don’t reflect the brand anymore, especially when those are materials they’re seeing before they’ve even walked through the door.”

4 / Eye on Expansion

DeBoer continues to add to the small shop with overall plans for growth. He bought an office building across the street where he shoots the shop’s video content and holds leadership meetings, training sessions, and more, but DeBoer also has space to build. A move away from used car sales has provided the shop with a plethora of parking space and potential for expansion in the near future. “We’ve got plenty of space to work with,” he says. “It’s an asset that lets us be in the driver’s seat and gives us options in how we want to grow.” 0 4 . 21 / R + W / 21

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Columns

STRAIGHT TALK Joe Marconi

HOW TO IMPROVE EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE Harping on the negatives won’t get you far

MICHAEL HOEWELER

In the early 1970s, Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry hit a wall with his

players’ performance on the field. At the time, one of his coaching methods was to have a team meeting to review film from the previous game. At the meeting he would point out all the mistakes the players made in an attempt to improve overall performance. The result: performance did not improve. In fact, things got worse. Landry finally realized that pointing out his players' mistakes was ultimately bringing down morale and shutting his players down. He recognized that the best way to improve and teach excellence was to show each player when they excelled, not when they missed the mark. He continued to show films of previous games, but he highlighted the team’s effort and the great plays made during the game. During an interview Landry noted, “We only replay winning plays.” As a result, the Dallas Cowboys appeared in the 1975 Super Bowl and won it in 1977. Shop owners have unique responsibilities. We hold ourselves accountable for ours and our shop’s performance. Comebacks, productivity, efficiency, sales, and profit all take center stage. Our mind never ceases to find ways in which to improve. This is the life of a business owner. The relentless quest where each day is an opportunity to be better than the day before. We understand that attaining our goals is not just the result of what we do, but a combined effort of our entire team. This is where frustration sets in. We sometimes feel that our passion and commitment is not always matched by our employees. That frustration often leads to pointing out the wrong or the

mistakes performed by our employees. It’s our attempt to improve shop performance, but the result will most likely be the opposite. Feedback is important. Everyone should know what’s expected of them and when they’ve missed the mark. But we all know everyone has an emotional bank, and that bank needs a healthy deposit of “atta-boys”before any attempt is made to give criticism. For some, pointing out a mistake is perceived as your opinion. In other words, you may be correct in your assessment of someone’s performance, but many people have a hard time accepting it. The bottom line is this: Feedback given to an employee when something went wrong, in an attempt to improve their performance, is too often considered negative feedback. This may shut down the employee, which closes their mind, resulting in no improvement. Think about it, how many issues have you repeated over and over, with no improvement no matter how many times you bring up the problem? We need to take a page from Tom Landry’s playbook. It’s far better to focus on what went right, as opposed to what went wrong. When you spot the right behavior or when someone excelled, highlight it and reward it. People crave praise and recognition and are inclined to repeat the behavior that was rewarded. This is not to say that we must ignore when things go wrong. I believe mistakes must be identified and used as a learning experience. However praising effort will keep a person open and willing to discuss when mistakes are made. Improving employee performance means looking at things through the eyes of our employees and understanding

Joe Marconi has more than three decades of experience in the automotive repair industry. He is the owner of Osceola Garage in Baldwin Place, N.Y., a business development coach for Elite Worldwide and co-founder of autoshopowner.com. j.marconi@eliteworldwide.com ratchetandwrench.com/marconi

what they go through on a daily basis. Let’s face it, employees generally want to excel. I have never met a technician who enjoys a comeback or a service advisor who celebrates a declined sale. They may not show it, but their emotions, just like yours, are flowing intensely throughout the day. As you go about your day, keep a positive mindset. Tell yourself things will work out. Look for reasons to praise and point out when people excel. This will do a world of good for you and for your employees. Don’t focus on what went wrong, focus on what goes right. This will give your employees the desire to want to excel again and improve morale. Remember what Tom Landry said, “We only replay winning plays.” 0 4 . 21 / R + W / 2 3

SMALL BUT MIGHTY What these shops lack in size, they make up for with impressive results BY MEGAN GOSCH P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y T O M G O D F R E Y A N D S TA C K ' S A U T O S E R V I C E A N D T I R E S

Driving down West Boylston Street, it might be easy to miss Premier Auto Repair. While the shop is set on a popular thoroughfare, the two-bay shop’s compact storefront is surrounded on both sides—nestled between the outposts of a local used car dealership. “We hear it all the time,” says owner John Cayer. “Customers come in every week who never even realized we were here.” Just the day before, a regular at the Dunkin’ Donuts only 200 feet away dropped in for the first time, stunned at his discovery after driving by what must have been hundreds of times. “With less than 1,000 square feet, it can seem like we’re hidden in plain sight.” While some may think small shops are a dying group with limited potential and a grim future, Cayer hasn’t let the shop’s size hold him back. With a team of four bringing in nearly $800,000 in annual revenue on just two bays, he’s one of many notable independent operations proving a unique strength in numbers—churning out impressive results despite small shop footprints and staff sizes. To learn what it takes to stand out and succeed as a small operation, Ratchet+Wrench spoke with Cayer and the owners of other small but mighty shops to see how they’re harnessing their space, manpower, and resources to build lean and nimble operations for maximum output.

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PREMIER AUTO REPAIR Owner: John Cayer Location: Worchester, Mass. Shop Size: 950 square feet Staff Size: 4 Bays: 2 Average Monthly Car Count: 150 Annual Revenue: $795,000

Stand Out Design John Cayer added eye-catching elements to his shop's view to keep the small operation from blending in.

Make It Work

When Cayer overheard a customer say Premier Auto Repair’s lobby reminded them of sitting in a closet, he knew it was time for a redesign. Not only did customers often confuse the shop with the used car dealership that occupies storefronts on either side (even leaving negative Google reviews based on experiences at the dealership on Premier Auto’s account), the shop lacked a front counter and dedicated space for a service advisor. “Working in a small shop is all about learning to innovate within the box and be resourceful with the space you have,” he says. Just weeks after the redesign, new customers began streaming in, all wondering if the shop was part of a new chain. With a new polished look, Cayer says he’s been able to attract more of his ideal customers and increase his rates. “This wasn’t a full remodel and it didn’t replace our core marketing efforts, but it did help us build our own value and trust from our customers that’s paying off in the bottom line,” says Cayer.

inch in the shop’s redesign. He drafted precise layout options to pinpoint a clear vision before work began. By raising the lobby’s ceiling from 90 inches to nealy 14 feet, and adding windows and a sliding glass door between the reception area and shop floor, Cayer was able to give the illusion of more space. Customers can now see repairs in action through the windows and the higher ceilings have made the lobby feel much larger without having to physically dedicate much additional floor space. The shop’s work floor was reorganized and 30 square feet where the shop’s oil barrels took up space were used to create space for the lobby’s service writer desk. Two 300-gallon oil tanks are now stored vertically with reels mounted to the ceiling. Cayer also moved oxygen and acetylene tanks to the compressor room, adding retractable reels for easy access. Cayer also updated the shop’s logo, incorporated a grey and orange color scheme to the shop’s exterior design, and tweaked the name from “Premier Automotive” to “Premier Auto Repair” to more clearly differentiate the shop from its neighbor.

Design for maximum impact. With extremely limited space, Cayer got crafty to make the most of every square

Always be moving. With just two bays, two service advisors, and a focus on tracking gross profit

by the hour, Cayer’s core strategy for keeping car count and efficiency high is to keep things moving. When he and his team run into a 20-minute wait on a part delivery, they take the car they're working on off the lift and put another on. “It takes 45 seconds to a minute to get a new car on the track, whereas waiting for that part is going to cost us 20.” Larger shops may balk at the idea of pulling a car in three times to finish a repair, but Cayer says that flexibility is critical. “We make sure not to have more than one vehicle that can’t be put back together in 10 minutes at any given time because it shuts you off to anything coming in,” he says. “There’s no flexibility. You’re committed.” The Premier team also calls about each of its parts orders for real-time delivery updates, schedules waiters before noon, and encourages drop-offs and the use of the shop’s loaner cars to allow more flexibility in shuffling jobs around. “One of our biggest priorities is the ability and willingness to pivot at any given moment, change on the fly and foresee what’s coming next,” says Cayer. “It’s something I’m trying to teach my service advisor and only comes through practice.” Cayer says this ability is particularly critical in a small shop like his where there are fewer resources to lean on. “If we had another bay or a bigger staff, we might have more leeway, but if you end up down a tech or order the wrong part for a repair and you don’t understand how to rearrange, you can throw off days of work,” he says.

More than Meets the Eye

“I’ll be honest, we’re not much to look at,” says Dena Ganje, co-owner and business coordinator for My Mechanic Maintenance & Repair in Tucson, Ariz. Set yards back from the road, the shop’s small garage face begins to blend with its industrial surroundings in a nondescript business park. “We’re located in an unsightly, rundown, working class part of town,” she says, frankly. “But we’re busy roundthe-clock.” The shop’s front lot is a constant flurry of motion as customers arrive and depart 0 4 . 21 / R + W / 2 5

while the shop’s team expertly navigates the organized chaos. But how and why? “It’s all about word-of-mouth and our reviews,” she says. “Customers drive from all over because they heard great things from a friend or looked us up online and couldn’t pass us up, and that really comes from our transparency.” Seizing the Moment As customers enter the 500-square-foot front office, they become a part of the shop’s hustle and bustle as the team answers phones and relays repair updates. “They’re seeing and hearing us speak openly and freely about what’s going on, including with their vehicle. There’s no one behind the scenes. They’re getting to be included in the action,” says Ganje. It’s why the team firmly doesn’t provide prices over the phone, too—Ganje wants the customers to come in and experience the shop, quelling any doubts about the shop’s appearance or location. The team prioritizes time spent answering questions and educating customers and, when customers express gratitude, Ganje doesn’t demure. “When someone says, “I’m so glad I found you,’ that’s when we seize the moment and ask if they’ll pass it on in person or online,” she says. Synchronized and Streamlined With no marked parking and shop equipment spread across multiple buildings, the My Mechanic team has devised a finetuned process for workflow. Creating a pseudo valet service, customers pull up to the front of the shop and a team member drives the car to the appropriate lot and space. The same occurs upon delivery. “The team has this system perfectly choreographed,” says Billy. “We’ll talk to the customer as they’re getting checked out and as soon as they turn around, suddenly their car is there and it’s on and ready and pointed in the right direction with the A/C running—it sounds small but it’s saved us and the customers so much frustration and confusion, and it makes them feel like a VIP.” 2 6 / R + W / 0 4 . 21

STACK'S AUTO SERVICE & TIRES Owner: Tom Cummings Location: North Babylon, N.Y. Shop Size: 7,000 square feet Staff Size: 6 (3 technicians, one general service manager, two service writers, one bookkeeper) Bays: 3 Average Monthly Car Count: 350 Annual Revenue: $1.8 million

Big Returns With just 1,500 square feet of shop space, Tom Cummings added an outdoor scissor lift to boost business.

“THE MORE I HEAR 'YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO DO THAT IN A THREE-BAY SHOP,' IT LIGHTS A FIRE." TOM CUMMINGS OWNER STACK'S AUTO SERVICE & TIRES

Building relationships with neighbors has also proved beneficial as the shop has slowly grown its footprint with the rental of space in the surrounding lots. The shop’s front lot is utilized for quick, short-term repairs, while longterm or heavy line projects that have yet to be diagnosed or are awaiting approval are left in the back lots. A workflow board, detailing services required, vehicle owner, parking location, and repair stage is also updated by the entire team multiple times per day. Eager to Invest As a small operation, the shop limitedsome of its equipment investments by

MY MECHANIC MAINTENANCE & REPAIR Owners: Dena and Billy Ganje Location: Tucson, Ariz. Shop Size: 7,000 square feet Staff Size: 7 (2 service advisors, 5 technicians) Lifts: 7 Average Monthly Car Count: 200 Annual Revenue: $1.2 million

sending some jobs to neighboring shops— until customers started to complain. “We’d hear from clients who were disappointed that their experience with our recommendations didn’t match their experience with us,” says Ganje. “Eventually we realized we could better serve our clients if we invested in ourselves.” To afford investments in assets like tire, A/C, and programming equipment, as well as a Hunter alignment rack, the Ganjes formed partnerships with other local shops who now send alignments and other repairs they’re unable to complete to My Mechanic. With each investment made, the Ganjes diligently track ROI, including their purchase of five loaner cars, which only took a month to recoup the original expense (despite purchase price, maintenance and insurance costs). “It’s all trackable. That’s the kind of investment that takes a shop from small to mighty,” she says.

Determined to Exceed Expectations

When Tom Cummings bought Stack’s Auto Service & Tires in North Babylon, N.Y. in 2004, he knew he had his work cut out for him. The shop’s original owner and namesake had run a decent shop, but was a gruff man. “He made a lot of customers uncomfortable. They just didn’t want to

come in to deal with him.” After buying the 1,500-square-foot shop, Cummings immediately threw his efforts into marketing, putting his picture in the local paper, and building a strong team with a relaxed family dynamic to show the shop had started a new chapter. “Suddenly people were talking,” he says. “It was amazing how customers turned up little by little, when they realized the atmosphere had completely changed. It was like the shop had a whole new aura and we took off.” Plan for change. While the shop’s friendly team and relaxed atmosphere keep loyal customers engaged, Cummings continues to rely on his marketing efforts to bring in new customers, finding the most success with direct mail. Based on Long Island in a residential area, Cummings says direct mail helps combat one of his biggest challenges in customer retention—New York’s cost of living. The shop is surrounded by apartment buildings, “which is great for bringing in new customers, but once they leave, we rarely see them come back. They’ve usually moved to another state.” Cummings notes the challenge helps keep his team sharp. “When we tweak our strategy or a mailer doesn’t get out, we’re seeing the benefits or consequences pretty quickly,” he says. “It’s a constant reminder to stay on our A-game.”

Maximize manpower. When it comes to workflow, Cummings—now known as “The King of Three Bays”—has a clear strategy. “A lot of big operators will have multiple lifts for each tech so they can leave a car on a lift. We’ll pull a car on, check it, write it up, pull it off, pull a new one on and repeat,” Cummings says. “That’s what makes us efficient with our limited space, so we can be quick, accurate, and tee things up strategically based on which tech is fastest at a certain repair.” Cummings also recently hired a general service staff member and invested in an outdoor scissor lift. His general service tech spends most of his day coordinating and completing customer pick-ups and drop-offs, managing the loaner cars, picking up tire shipments, and servicing flat tires or minor repairs on the outdoor lift in between. “That’s normally something a smaller shop wouldn’t have, but why not keep our most skilled manpower where we need it most and squeeze more capacity out of a space we weren’t using?” Finetune your mindset. Over the years, Cummings has learned to keep business moving with a swift decision-making process, which wasn’t always easy for him. Today, he’ll meet with his managers, talk through an idea for a day or two, then pull the trigger. Whether exploring alternatives to his digital vehicle inspection system or considering marketing tweaks, Cummings has found that, “the faster you fail, the better off you are and the less recovery time you have to make up for. Wading in and dragging your feet can kill you slowly by losing months or years to a bad plan before you realize it’s too late.” He sets goals just out of reach to keep operations focused and his team motivated to push for their best. “I know people have some set ideas on what you can do in a small shop, but I love to prove them wrong,” he says. “The more I hear, ‘you’ll never be able to do that in a three-bay shop,’ it lights a fire and drives us to push even harder.” 0 4 . 21 / R + W / 27

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SOCIALLY ACQUIRED The ideal marketing campaign can connect you with new customers

BY A B BY PAT T E R S O N PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY KILLIAN AUTOMOTIVE

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Behind the Scenes Killian Automotive makes a point to share the faces behind its operation on its social media channels.

The way Tim Lanier looks at social media and

marketing may be different than most. Instead of seeing it as a means to advertise sales and boost profits, the owner of Killian Automotive uses it to show off his employees, give customers a behindthe-scenes look at shop life, and spread the shop's positive image in the community. He does so with the help of Angie King, the shop’s director of marketing and communications. Though they haven’t abandoned direct mail and follow-up calls to retain current customers, Lanier and King’s main focus is attracting young, new faces, and social media has been their go-to solution. The Backstory Before the pandemic, the shop’s marketing strategies were well planned. Each December, Lanier and King sit down and review the current year, going over what worked, what didn’t, and the overall

KILLIAN AUTOMOTIVE Owner: Tim Lanier Location: Canton, Ga. Shop Size: 12,000 square feet Staff Size: 17 Lifts: 16 Average Monthly Car Count: 440 Annual Revenue: $2.4 million

returns from their campaigns. From there, they fill up their marketing calendar for the next year, breaking it down week by week. “You need to have a calendar laid out on when you are going to do the mailings, or whatever it is you’re doing. Have a schedule set and stick to it,” Lanier says. “If you look at your whole year and go back and watch how your shop has done, you’ll start seeing some holes, and you’ll want to fill those holes during the slow times.” The Problem Usually, the shop doesn’t have a problem with acquiring new customers through marketing efforts—on average, 63 walk through the door each month. But when COVID-19 hit in March, acquiring new customers was at a standstill. It was the same for other businesses, too, especially restaurants, hit hard by stay-at-home orders. While 0 4 . 21 / R + W / 2 9

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looking for ways to help their own business get back on its feet, other businesses in the community were on Lanier’s and King’s minds, too. “We wanted to find a way to help out in the community,” Lanier says. “Everyone was worried during that time, and we knew we were going to double down on our marketing and spend more than we usually do.” The Solution The shop came across an idea that another shop from its Elite Pro Service group was carrying out. Bryan Kauffeld, owner of Ulmer’s Auto Care in Cincinnati, Ohio, had the idea to partner with local restaurants to drum them up some business, alongside some for his shop, too. His idea? “Distance Socially, Eat Locally.” Customers who spent $250 or more at the shop would receive a $25 gift card to a local restaurant. Lanier and King thought it was a brilliant idea, and decided to carry out the same thing in their own town, 441 miles away. King called restaurants, finding six that were willing to participate. While Lanier went out to bring each restaurant a check and pick up gift cards, 90 in all, King was busy working on the design for 5.5-by-8-inch cards the restaurants would put in to-go orders, advertising the repair shop and its campaign. “We would get new customers from them, which puts a little money in their pockets, and customers would usually spend more than the $25 [at each restaurant],” Lanier says. King posted about the campaign on Google My Business, blending the promotion in with the four or five other campaigns the shop runs at any given time. She also plastered it loud and proud on Facebook, where she usually runs one or two campaigns at a time. Throughout the Distance Socially, Eat Locally campaign, Lanier stopped by a few of the restaurants now and then to snap a picture with the owners, give them a shoutout on Facebook, and tag them in the post. 3 0 / R + W / 0 4 . 21

The Aftermath The 90 gift cards went fast. Within four weeks, all had been given away to customers who spent $250 or more at the shop. While Killian Automotive spent more money during the month of May on its marketing budget—$2,250 on the gift cards alone—Lanier and King were confident it would pay off and would achieve their overall goal of attracting new customers to their shop, ones they intended to retain long-term. “There’s more money involved with a customer acquisition,” Lanier says. “We knew if we put ourselves out there more than anyone else has, we’d come out stronger.” Just how much stronger? While the shop’s usual customer acquisition was 63 per month over the past three years, in the midst of the pandemic, the month of June was higher than it’s ever been, with 91 new customers. The Takeaway Though the campaign took off based on some quick thinking, it was made possible because it fit within the marketing plan the shop already had in place. However, he says the content with which you fill your calendar can’t be just anything; it needs to have a purpose. “You have to know what you’re doing and that the money you are spending is creating results,” Lanier says. “The only way to know is to track how your shop performs, week by week, and compare to how it’s performed in the past.” This is especially important when attempting to attract new customers. If you’re marketing to retain, customers already know who you are. With acquiring new customers, they don’t know anything about you other than what they see on the outside. Lanier says that’s why the shop focuses on smiling faces, maintaining a clean facility, and differentiating themselves from the competition with the value they bring to the table. “You really want to focus on who you are more than you would for retention,” Lanier says.

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Reach Your Target Market Unlock your shop’s potential with KUKUI

John Scheidhauer has owned Alpine Auto Works (Memphis, Tenn.) since 1992, just around the time Bill Gates appeared on morning television to talk about a hot new thing called the internet. It’s hard to imagine those dial-up days from where we are today, but one aspect of ROI remains crucial to shop owners now just as much as it did then—the ability to reach customers and conduct business in a reasonable way. It starts with your website. “I was spread out in four or five different projects for CRM, text, email, web, and social media, and I was told KUKUI could handle it,” Scheidhauer says. “I’d received email solicitations from them before, and I dug it up, looked into the program and it’s just too good to be true. Everything I was chasing around is now available in one slick package.” Scheidhauer embodies the idea of one slick package. Before owning Alpine, he worked at a BMW dealership, became a master technician, then worked in various departments, service advising, shop foreman, “and pursued everything I could to ease life as a shop owner.” He was fortunate to have a partner who could finance the opening of the shop and Alpine was on its way. “The cars are the easy part,” he says, “there’s not always a solution to people.” Being able to communicate with them, however, goes a long way toward unlocking that particular Pandora’s Box. And the key is KUKUI. SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY Despite all his preparation for running a shop, Scheidhauer was not prepared for the constant updating, upgrading and upkeep of a contemporary website. “I was running my own Google business data and that’s a full-time job for an owner. I never realized—coming from being a technician —how important specific marketing is. If I want a specific customer base, I have to direct that.” Now, however, Scheidhauer speaks regularly with a dedicated KUKUI representative to ensure his site runs smoothly, is up to date and reaches the audience he needs to reach—BMW owners. His shop specializes in BMW repair, so reaching the Bimmer crowd is crucial to success. “We update the site quite a bit and they assist with the tools, best practices and help to modify the analytics. Our rep

has been fantastic as far as critical response and helping to build the website. I was a trainwreck in that and they helped us really lock it down. They make you look like a pro.” Scheidhauer describes living with “antiquated tools” before working with KUKUI. Now he can make changes whenever he wants, and he hasn’t seen any other company offer the sort of all-in-one package KUKUI does for busy shop owners. Since embracing the KUKUI platform, Alpine has seen more business, higher AROs and ultimately more revenue. “I can market to specific markets or demographics to whom I consider productive customers,” Scheidhauer says. “The ability to monitor shop factors such as parts margins on a daily basis and compare to the rest of the market is pretty big. The dashboard gives me a number about where I’m at and how I compare to the rest of the country. I can adjust areas where I didn’t even know I was being negligent or underperforming, and my rep can help me tailor my marketing and get those numbers to where I want to be. “The tools KUKUI provides is invaluable,” he continues, “the platform extracts information from every point of contact and it’s been amazing to see it all come together. Having such a quick answer to gauge how our shop is doing day to day, week to week, month to month is crucial.” KUKUI helps Scheidhauer realize how crucial modern communication and technology is, and he realized that combining texting and CRM in one platform is extremely efficient and beneficial to the shop. His customers report a more personal connection to him (whether he’s in the shop or not) and he looks forward to using text-to-pay. “I’m more like a freightliner than a jet ski,” he says. “I like big, long turns. I intend to increase my growth by 25 percent this year, which is pretty ambitious. Between embracing KUKUI, remodeling our shop and rolling out new marketing, it felt like the time to do it.” To learn how KUKUI can help unlock your shop’s potential, visit kukui.com.

If you would like to learn more about KUKUI, visit kukui.com/rw or call (877) 695-6008

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like he understands how to meet them on their level, which is critical as a leader.” How to Win Friends & Influence People By Dale Carnegie

Reads That Build Future Leaders SHOPS SHARE THE INSIGHTS GAINED THROUGH THE BOOKS READ AS A TEAM BY MEGAN GOSCH

You’ve heard it before. Leaders are readers.

Bill Gates is disciplined in his practice of reading at least 50 books per year, Elon Musk is reported to have grown up reading two books each day, and Warren Buffett famously spends nearly 80 percent of his day reading. Leaders have a desire to learn and a curiosity for fresh perspectives, but true leaders doesn’t just take the time to absorb new ideas. They make a point to share what they’ve learned. After all, what good is all that intel you’ve gathered if it’s stuck in a silo? Whether building a formal book club, gifting a dog-eared copy, or implementing a full leadership program, Ratchet+Wrench checked in with four shop leaders who are not only dedicated readers, but are building reading and reflection into their day to day shop culture. Here they share their favorite leadership-focused and the takeaways inspiring future leaders within their ranks. The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to SelfDiscovery GOOGLE

By Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile

After reading The Road Back to You, Joe Valind, owner of Auto Safety Center in West Bend, Wis., was intrigued.

He’d discovered the book at an industry conference and was surprised at how well it had him pegged. The book breaks readers down into nine different personality types, from perfectionist to peacemaker, clearly defining the virtues and motivating influences behind each type to help readers better understand their individual strengths and weaknesses and the unique factors that motivate other personality types. “It gives you a clear language for understanding the drivers behind your personality and how that impacts the way you relate to the world,” he says. “I was shocked at how much I took away when it comes to self awareness and understanding my crew.” He’s now bought the book for several members of his team, including his shop foreman, who Valind says was eager to understand more about himself and better communicate with his peers. “This book is all about self-discovery, but that discovery only makes you more aware of how you connect with other people,” he says. Valind says the book’s helped his foreman build assurance as a leader on the team. “It’s given him this confidence to embrace his strengths and step up with the group,” Valind says. “It clicked and he feels

Dale Carnegie’s renowned title is not a new read for most repair shop owners, and certainly not for Andy Daniels, AAM, president of Frank's Automotive Repair in Tulare, Calif. The industry veteran has read the book at least 12 times and tends to circle back to it with his team on a biannual basis for two simple reasons. “It’s filled with reminders we need to hear on a daily basis in this business and every time I read it I take something new away from it,” he says. “Different sections click in a new way based on what’s going on in my life or something we’re experiencing with the shop.” The most vital lesson he’s taken away over the years? Give honest and sincere appreciation. “That’s a no-brainer when it comes to customer service, but it’s something that gets lost in the shuffle while you’re getting cars in and out,” he says. Taking the time to praise work done well, however small the task, helps strengthen the relationships between him and his team as well as each other, he says. It’s something he’s witnessed out on the shop floor often, especially after the team’s revisited the read. “In a jam-packed day, when one of our best techs is taking the time to compliment the new guy (even if mistakes have been made) he’s building a dynamic where he feels valued and respected, which is exactly what you need to lead.” The 5 Levels of Leadership: Proven Steps to Maximize Your Potential By John C. Maxwell

At Curt’s Auto Repair in Phoenix, Ariz., John. C Maxwell’s most popular title has essentially become required reading. “Generally I’ll make more personal recommendations for everyone, but 5 Levels is one I ask the entire team to read,” says owner Curt L. Rock. “It’s actually a book I’ve used to help shape our shop’s core culture.” 0 4 . 21 / R + W / 3 3

The book breaks Maxwell’s core principles out into five clear benchmarks for building a well-rounded leader—not just a boss—that helps challenge, develop and inspire those around them, and how to maximize impact along the way. Rock has built the shop’s culture around Maxwell’s fifth level: pinnacle. Leaders at this level invest in the success of others, create opportunity and seek to lift the entire organization day-in and dayout. Rock says everyone on the team works together toward this goal, using Maxwell’s book to create a common mindset and shared examples to refer back to. “That fifth level is all about constantly pushing that little bit to go the extra mile and it’s contagious. Throughout the day we all take time to take initiative, speak up, hop in to help out on something,” he says, noting that the more each person on the team steps up, the more it seems to inspire the rest. “It’s really helped create leaders across the board as we all work to do better than we are at what we’re doing.”

Great by Choice By James C. Collins and Morten T Hansen

When COVID-19 hit, Jim Hayes, general manager for Pacific Motor Service in Monterey, Calif., called an audible. The shop’s leadership training program was scheduled to read a different book, but Hayes brought Great by Choice to the top of the list to match the team’s reading material to the moment. The book distills nine years of research to analyze companies that thrived through extremely chaotic and disruptive events. An understanding that uncertainty is unavoidable in any business is its central tenet. After Hayes and the shop’s leadership team first read the book years ago, they adjusted their shop processes to strategize for the inevitability of a crippling event, drawing from principles like “fanatic discipline” and “productive paranoia” to guide their planning. “Whether it’s a fire, hurricane, pandemic, or war, there are always going

to be unforeseen circumstances that can impact the business,” says Hayes. “We wanted our team to see that a lot of times leadership comes down to planning and looking ahead, and give them an idea of how we’d done that.” The team read and discussed the book as lockdowns were put in place, hospitals filled and local businesses were forced to furlough or lay off employees. “The shop was able to stay open with relatively little impact to the team, and we got to show them what we’ve been working for over the years in real time,” says Hayes. Discussion around the book not only gave the team a common language and deeper understanding of the business’s core goals, but inspired staff to search for ways they can contribute in their own roles. “It got us all on the same page and now that they know and understand the playbook, they’re starting to talk and think through ways they can help complete those plays.”

Recognize your peers. Nominations for the 2021 All-Star Award close on May 10—submit your nominations today! For more information regarding Ratchet+Wrench’s 2021 All-Star Award, visit ratchetandwrench.com/awards

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T O O L B OX / H U M A N R E S O U R C E S

no bearing on the interview or assessment of the candidates’ abilities. “Oh, this interview was for today?” Interviewers should be prepared. They should have their questions written down and carefully considered before the interview. They should bring a note-taking device to the interview location, which should be easily accessible for candidates.

Red Light, Green Light A BREAKDOWN OF THE QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD— AND SHOULDN’T—ASK WHILE INTERVIEWING

Yellow Light Questions regarding COVID-19 vaccination. Although the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission states that employers “may” require employee vaccination, Young does not recommend beginning this line of questioning during an interview because it “opens a rabbit hole” of potential exposure to the candidates’ information regarding declared or perceived disabilities. If your company has a mask mandate or other sanitizing procedures in place, present these plainly and direct any questions the candidate may have to the appropriate department.

B Y R YA N M C C A N N A

GETTY IMAGES

Interviews are nerve-wracking for both

candidates and employers. Candidates want to present themselves in the best light, while employers want to find the right person for the job. It can be difficult to walk the fine line between finding the right fit and asking the right questions. Karen Young is one of the leading experts in helping companies find the right match for their positions in an ethical way. Young is president and founder of HR Resolutions and best-selling author of Stop Knocking on My Door: Drama-Free HR to Help Grow Your Business. She has more than 30 years of experience in the field, helping employers stay on top of HR management and the hiring process. In this guide, you’ll find topics Young recommends to avoid, how to navigate difficult questions, and helpful ideas for redirecting conversations.

Red Light Any question related to a candidate’s race, creed, nation of origin, age, disability, family status, marital status, gender expression or sexuality. “So, tell me about yourself.” While this might be an appropriate icebreaker at a restaurant or dinner party, Young warns this is not an appropriate question before an interview. The vagueness of this question frequently leads candidates to reveal things about themselves that are not only irrelevant to the position, but could subconsciously bias the interviewer before the interview even begins. “Do you have daycare arrangements in place?” If your company offers childcare or other family-related benefits, that information should be presented to all candidates, regardless of gender expression, Young adds, but should have

BY THE BOOK I N T E RV I E W E R S S H O U L D B E W E L L T R A I N E D TO AVO I D S U B C O N S C I O U S B I A S A N D A D H E R E TO F E D E R A L A N D S TAT E L AW S , I N C LU D I N G , B U T N OT L I M I T E D TO :

• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990

• Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) of 1978

• Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993

• Genetic Information

Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) 2008

• Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act of 1970

• Fair Employment Practices Agencies (FEPAs)

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“What are your professional goals for the next 2-5 years?” “I used to shy away from questions like these,” Young says, “but now I see real value for employers in the candidates’ answers.” Young recommends looking for a candidates’ self-awareness and motivational drive in their answers. All answers are valid, and she encourages employers to identify answers that are a match for the position and the company’s needs. “Do you anticipate any challenges in commuting to this location or working these hours?” This question is more helpful than asking where a person lives, if they have a car, or other questions that carry a degree of bias or that others could see as potentially discriminatory. It is also more appropriate than questioning the candidate about religious conf licts, family commitments, or other personal details that the company does not need to know. Young elaborates,

“If it has no bearing on the individual’s ability to do the job, it should not be asked in the interview.” Green Light Ask every candidate the same questions. Young identifies this as one of the five most important strategies for a successful interview. “Asking all candidates the same questions ensures that everyone is judged on the same playing field,” she adds. It also helps the interviewer accurately compare candidates’ abilities and to objectively choose the best match for the position. “Do you have any concerns about your ability to perform any of the essential functions listed in the job posting?” Young identified this as one of four key strategies to successful interviews. Every question should be geared towards identifying their ability to do their job and be successful in your organization. “It’s completely understandable if

you’re a little nervous this morning, I am too.” This statement allows a moment of empathetic connection and can help to put candidates at ease. If, during the course of an interview, you realize you’ve asked a question that is off-limits or inappropriate, Young says the best thing to do is to first, own your mistake. “A great thing immediately after,” Young says, “is to say, ‘I apologize, that question has no impact on my interpretation of your ability to perform these duties. I’m nervous today too. Please forgive me.’” Make a note of what happened, write down what you asked, if the candidate responded and how you handled the situation afterwards. When the interview is over, make your way over to the Human Resources department to explain what happened in full. Even small incidents should not be swept under the rug or ignored.

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Columns

THE FIXER Aaron Stokes

GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK In the chase for the perfect work-life balance, you’re failing yourself

for work-life balance, and I have to say, I just can’t buy into it. Don’t get me wrong. I agree balance is something to strive for, but I think a lot of us have the wrong idea when we picture work-life balance. I think a lot of us are getting hung up on this idea of keeping our work and home lives completely separate and somehow excelling at both. I think we’re picturing this with a clear divide, as a black and white situation. It’s just not realistic. Life doesn’t happen that way. And more importantly, you’re setting yourself up to feel like a failure at both. At some point your work is going to impact your home life and vice versa and you end up beating yourself up that you couldn’t keep the two apart. But for me, the saddest part of the whole concept is the number of shop owners that are missing out on their lives because they’re so busy trying to achieve that balance. They’re sure that if they push a little harder and keep working at it, they’ll be able to take the family on vacation and completely unplug or get through a weekend without checking their email. There’s this idea that someday they’ll perfect the process and in the meantime their life is passing them by. That’s why I’m a big proponent of work-life mix. I’ve stopped trying to keep the two separate. I’m a business owner, and a father, and a husband, and it’s just not realistic to only tend to shut out one part of my life at a time. I take my family everywhere and I don’t shut out my work when I’m out of the office. 4 0 / R + W / 0 4 . 21

I don’t completely unplug. If I’m hosting a conference, my kids are probably going to be on-site and if I’m on a snowboarding trip with my son, I’m not going to stress about answering a few calls and responding to the texts that have rolled in. I wrote last month about how business happens in seasons, with times to grow and times to refine, and I think the same carries through here. There are going to be seasons where work is busy and you have to put your nose to the grindstone, and there are going to be off seasons where you have more time to play with. The trick is leaning into those seasons and finding a way to be at peace with juggling and making the most of both. And I know that’s not easy because I’m a shop owner too. I’ve been there. It took me a decade—a full 10 years of working like a dog and sacrificing that personal life—to learn that lesson and find what works for me. But that’s the key: finding what works for you, because it’s not going to look the same for everyone and it’s not going to be as black and white as shutting out one to work on the other. For me, the work that comes in on a Friday night is something I’ll push to Saturday morning when my family’s asleep, so I’m not missing a date night with my wife or weekend plans with my kids. If I’m out of town or on vacation, I don’t allow my team to text or email me unless it’s an emergency. Are texts and calls and emails still going to come through? Absolutely. And will I take a few minutes to deal with them, even on a snowboarding trip with

Aaron Stokes grew his business, AutoFix, into a six-shop operation that is widely regarded as one of the top repair businesses in the country. He is also the founder of Shop Fix Academy. aaron@shopfixacademy.com ratchetandwrench.com/stokes

my son? Yes, because that’s the reality of running a business. But that’s also when I’m going to take advantage of the perks that come with business ownership: the freedom to set my own schedule and the power to delegate. And the beauty of it is, the more you set your own schedule, the more you delegate, the easier it gets to take personal time and get that practice at managing that work-life mix. Your team learns how to deal and you learn how to let go a bit and juggle the two. The big message? Plan the trip. Schedule the date night. Give yourself a break. Stop waiting for the ideal moment to step away, and stop beating yourself up for the call you had to take on vacation. Life’s too short to waste chasing that black and white divide and you have to start somewhere. Embrace the gray.

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