Darrin Barney shares his journey from running a family-owned shop with his brother to becoming CEO of Elite Worldwide. He talks about the early struggles of building a profitable business and the importance of having the right team in the right roles. Darrin also opens up about buying the company that changed his life and
Lauren Reinhold, Director of Training & Education at Kirk NationaLease, shares her journey from technician to teacher to leading a technician training and apprenticeship program. She discusses how connecting with students on a personal level helps them succeed, and she breaks down key parts of the program she's building. Lauren also highlights the disconnect between
Curtis Gardner, Audi Master Guild Technician at Sewell Audi of North Houston and Founder of Gnarred LLC, shares what young technicians need to know to build a respectful and lasting career. With 15+ years of experience, he covers common mistakes, how to survive your first months in the shop, and why discipline and strong workflows
John Roberts, Shop Foreman at Metro Toyota, didn’t plan to be on the podcast—but his insights were too good not to share. In this episode, John breaks down the powerful difference between training and mentoring, shares how he builds confidence in his team, and explains why becoming a top-tier technician takes more than just skill—it
Marc Erickson, National Sales at AutoMeter Products, Inc., grew up in a drag racing family and naturally found his way into the automotive world. Over 20 years ago, he started at AutoMeter, and his passion for the brand has only grown. In this episode, Marc discusses the importance of credibility and honesty with customers, offers
In this episode, Dan Aldrich, Director of Automotive Technical Training at Christian Brothers Automotive, dives into what sets top technicians apart—a growth mindset paired with strong mentorship. Dan explores why soft skills are just as crucial as technical skills, how mentorship can transform many careers, and why investing in yourself is key to moving forward
Bryan Robbins, Owner & Lead Instructor of Hot Rod High School, is bringing auto tech education to students at home through online lessons and take-home kits. What started during COVID now reaches homeschooled students and beyond. Bryan shares his journey of following in his dad’s footsteps as a teacher, how Hot Rod High School found
Joel Adcock, Director of Partnerships & Business Development at Revv, joins us to talk about the growing demand for ADAS calibrations in today’s vehicles. He explains how often calibrations are needed—even after basic repairs—and why prescans should be part of every job. Joel also highlights the need to better educate drivers on what ADAS is
Miles Bell, General Manager of Dave’s Auto Center, shares how his family’s shop built a combined following of over 4 million on social media to help grow their independent auto shop. He talks about how he and his dad, Dave Bell, have learned to work together by playing to each other’s strengths, their “secret sauce”
Dave Bell, Founder of Dave’s Auto Center, joins us to share his real journey from growing up in poverty to starting a successful shop and building a loyal social media following. He walks us through how he made the leap from being an operator in the business to becoming a true owner, why mentorship matters
