Why Charging Fairly Isn't Greed: Lessons from a Shop Owner Who Almost Gave It All Away

Why Charging Fairly Isn't Greed: Lessons from a Shop Owner Who Almost Gave It All Away

Plenty of shop owners walk in with a big heart and walk out with a struggling business, convinced that charging fairly and taking care of people are opposites. This episode breaks that myth down piece by piece, showing what it actually looks like to run a generous shop that's also a profitable one. In this episode of Maximum Octane, Kim Hickey and Jason Patel sit down with David Wostarek, owner of Northwest Imports in Austin, Texas. Before opening his own shop, David spent years as a foreman at a Porsche/Audi dealership, caught between frustrated customers and a service department more focused on hitting numbers than fixing the actual problem. That frustration is exactly what pushed him to go out on his own and build something different. The conversation moves through real, practical territory: why owners need to get away from the front counter so they stop discounting out of guilt, how to onboard even a 20-year tech without sounding insulting, and why skipping that step quietly sets everyone up to fail. They also dig into AI-powered DVIs and estimating tools already saving advisors real time, the growing electronics risk hiding in "cheap" cars, and a smart pitch for consignment sales as an overlooked revenue stream for well-maintained vehicles. Tune in to episode 141 of Maximum Octane if you've ever felt like the bad guy for charging what the job's worth, or you're struggling to get a veteran tech to buy into how your shop actually does things. David proves you can run a profitable shop and still be the generous owner you set out to be; you just need the systems to back it up. Episode Takeaways: * 01:30 Why David used to treat profit like a dirty word, and what changed his mind * 02:25 The real reason owners need to get away from the front counter * 05:16 What happens when you open a shop with no end goal beyond "do it better" * 08:05 Why onboarding a 20-year tech matters just as much as onboarding a rookie * 11:06 How treating your team as "internal customers" shapes how they treat real ones * 13:58 The oxygen-mask problem: taking care of everyone except yourself * 17:04 Vehicle health reports vs. courtesy inspections, and why the difference matters * 19:09 What AI tools like AutoVitals and Auto Tech IQ are actually saving advisors time on * 25:00 Why a $20K Hyundai can hide a $1,400 repair bill waiting to happen * 29:48 The consignment sales idea most shops haven't thought of yet Connect with David Wostarek: * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-wostarek-b8a88a18/] * Northwest Imports [https://nwimports.com/] Let's connect: * Website [https://maximumoctane.com/] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/hickeykim/] * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/kim.hickey.167] * Email: info@maximumoctane.com ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Hiring Techs Is Broken. Here's How Promotive's AI Fixes It with Lisa Coyle and Sam Freeman

Most shop owners complain about finding technicians but do nothing to fix it. They ask, "Do you have ten fingers?" Get a yes, and hire them tomorrow. No interview, no vetting, no onboarding. Just panic. Lisa Coyle heard this enough times to build a solution. She created Promotive to bring a professional recruiting process to shops too busy fighting fires to build one themselves. In this episode of Maximum Octane, Kim Hickey and Jason Patel sit down with Lisa Coyle, founder of Promotive, and Sam Freeman to discuss why shop hiring is broken and how AI is fixing it. Lisa walks through her background building 360 Payments into a successful business and why she noticed that recruiting was always the hardest part. She explains the philosophy behind Promotive: hire people you'd trust to work on your own family's cars. Sam talks about why most shops lack a real recruiting process and how that costs them talent. They dive into how Promotive uses an AI agent to conduct interviews, screen candidates, and provide detailed summaries and ratings so shop owners can make smarter hiring decisions. The conversation reveals how the AI agent is surprisingly human-like, with candidates opening up to it and even thanking it for the conversation. Jason goes through a live interview demonstration with the AI agent, showing how natural and effective the process is. Lisa and Sam discuss the data insights shops can gather from properly structured interviews, future possibilities for building technician databases, and how they're already handling 300 to 400 dials per week. They emphasize that technicians are essential workers who keep families safe, and the vetting process matters. Both Lisa and Sam offer free consultation to any shop owner ready to take recruiting seriously. Tune in to episode 140 of Maximum Octane if you're still hiring on desperation or wondering if there's a better way to find quality technicians. Lisa and Sam prove that the problem isn't the labor pool. The problem is the process. Episode Takeaways: * 02:08 How Parkinson's Law applies to recruiting: shops complain more than they actually try to solve it * 03:11 Why fantasy hiring doesn't work: waiting for a great tech to just walk through the door * 04:16 The reality of most shop hiring: basic questions and hiring on the spot with zero structure * 05:20 Why shop owners don't recruit: the urgent always outweighs priorities in business * 06:09 What led Lisa Coyle to create Promotive after success with 360 Automotive * 20:34 How Promotive's AI agent conducts interviews and gathers data * 30:30 The interview process breakdown: realistic questions that actually matter for the role * 47:45 Why the AI bot approach works better than paper forms or text applications * 50:27 Why candidates open up to the AI agent like she's human Connect with Lisa Coyle: * Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisacoyle18/] * Promotive [https://gopromotive.com/our-story/] Connect with Sam Freeman: * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-freeman-034632a3/] Let's connect: * Website [https://maximumoctane.com/] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/hickeykim/] * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/kim.hickey.167] * Email: info@maximumoctane.com ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

90% of Third-Gen Businesses Fail. Here's How You Won't with Dan, Noah, and Luke Garlock

Ninety percent of third-generation businesses fail. It sounds like a doom-and-gloom stat, and it should. But Dan Garlock didn't treat it that way. When his dad said second-generation businesses fail at a super high rate, Dan heard it as a challenge. Now, as he prepares his two sons, Noah and Luke, to potentially take over Silver Lake Auto and Tire Centers, he's facing those same odds again. The difference is preparation. Not forcing kids into the business, not assuming they'll magically know what to do, and not waiting until you're ready to retire to start teaching them what you know. Dan is doing something most family business owners skip: he's exposing his kids to every angle of the operation while there's still time to learn. In this episode of Maximum Octane, Kim Hickey and Jason Patel sit down with Dan Garlock and his sons, Noah and Luke, to talk about multi-generational family business succession. Dan walks through his family's three-generation journey, starting with his dad, Wally, opening a Shell gas station in 1973, through the pivots and challenges, to Dan and his brother Darren buying the business in 2015. He explains the decision to let his sons choose whether they want to be part of the family business rather than forcing them into it. Noah and Luke share their experiences working different roles in the shop, what they've learned, and where they want more exposure to understand the business better. The conversation reveals why most families fail at succession and what Dan is doing differently. He emphasizes the importance of starting early, letting kids shadow different areas, and letting them work their way up instead of handing them the keys. Kim and Jason highlight the humility and willingness to learn that Noah and Luke bring to the table, which is the opposite of entitled kids who think the business owes them something. Dan talks about surrounding yourself with mentors who have successfully navigated multi-generational transitions.  Tune in to episode 139 of Maximum Octane if you're thinking about family business succession or you have kids who might join your company someday. Dan, Noah, and Luke show what preparation and intentionality look like when the stakes are this high and the odds are against you. Episode Takeaways: * 01:24 How Dan's family went from gas stations to independent auto repair * 02:34 Why running a business "like a family" creates problems instead of solutions * 04:55 The full story of Silver Lake's evolution from his dad's startup to second-generation ownership * 05:30 Why Dan decided not to force his sons into the family business * 18:20 The importance of exposing kids to different roles and departments early * 30:36 What Noah learned from service advising and customer interaction * 30:54 Luke's perspective on wanting more exposure to the business and management side * 30:36 The gap in knowledge Noah identified and why that matters for succession * 33:30 Noah's perspective on acknowledging the head start the business gives him * 33:46 Luke's advice: start early and get deeper into different business sides * 33:59 Dan's recommendation: surround yourself with mentors who've done this successfully Connect with Dan Garlock: * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-garlock-9a08932a/] * Silver Lake Auto & Tire Centers [https://silverlakeauto.com/] Let's connect: * Website [https://maximumoctane.com/] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/hickeykim/] * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/kim.hickey.167] * Email: info@maximumoctane.com ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Hit the Switch: Master Your Mood or It Masters Your Business with Sam Richter

Your team reads your body language before they hear your words. A bad morning, a lost deal, traffic on the way to work. It takes one thing to set the tone for the entire day, and suddenly your frustration becomes your team's problem. Sam Richter learned long ago that the moment you step on stage, none of that matters. You flip a switch. Most shop owners never figure out how to flip that switch, which means every bad day becomes a team crisis. In this episode of Maximum Octane, Kim Hickey and Jason Patel sit down with Sam Richter to explore how speakers, leaders, and entrepreneurs maintain consistent excellence regardless of circumstances. Sam walks through his 30-year journey from advertising and public relations to becoming a full-time speaker and consultant on generative AI. He explains why his non-verbal communication is just as important as his message, how he uses mastermind groups for accountability, and why he still learns four hours every single day despite decades of experience. He shares the mindset that separates people who get good from people who stay sharp. The conversation digs into why consistency is harder than excellence and how routine becomes your foundation when everything around you is chaotic. Sam reveals how successful people balance the grind with personal life, why continuous learning isn't optional in a fast-changing world, and how to coach yourself like Michael Jordan had a coach. He breaks down generative AI not as a threat but as a tool that frees you to do what only humans can do: build trust, show empathy, connect with people, and lead with wisdom. Sam explains the real transformation happening now and why anxiety about change is normal but not an excuse to stop growing. Tune in to episode 138 of Maximum Octane if you're letting your circumstances dictate your performance or your team's morale. Let Sam show you how to hit the switch, maintain your best self every single day, and position yourself for what's coming next in your industry. Episode Takeaways * 2:40 How to flip the switch between your personal state and your professional performance * 3:30 Why giving your best to every person is a leader's most important job * 3:50 How non-verbal communication shapes perception more than your words * 6:30 How 30 years of experience become irrelevant if you stop learning * 7:10 The routine that keeps you sharp even while traveling constantly * 8:10 How mastermind groups hold you accountable to what actually matters * 18:20 Why generative AI isn't about replacement, it's about efficiency * 32:20 Why your mindset shift determines whether you lead or get left behind * 38:50 The exponential acceleration of innovation in your lifetime * 42:00 AI as a tool for efficiency, so you can do what only humans can do Connect with Sam Richter: * Website [https://www.samrichter.com/] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/samrichter/] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/samrichter/] * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/SamRichterSpeak] * X [https://x.com/SamRichter] * YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/c/samrichter-speaker-author] Let's connect: * Website [https://maximumoctane.com/] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/hickeykim/] * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/kim.hickey.167] * Email: info@maximumoctane.com [info@maximumoctane.com] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Stop Marketing When Things Are Slow: Start 365 Days Ahead

Shop owners know Q1 is slow. So they wait until December to panic and throw money at ads, which is the exact opposite of what works. While most shops treat marketing like an emergency room visit, the ones pulling ahead are treating it like preventive care. They market 365 days a year, plan quarterly trends a year in advance, and understand that your customers' decision-making happens months before their wallet opens. The gap between shops that thrive and shops that scramble isn't opportunity. It's calendar management. In this episode of Maximum Octane, Kim Hickey and Jason Patel sit down with Doug Robinson from Optimize Digital Marketing to break down why marketing is a full-year responsibility, not a seasonal reaction. Doug walks through how to identify your slow seasons before they hit, why your tax return campaign in April is already too late, and how to speak to customers with planning and urgency in mind. He reveals why 66% of small businesses are increasing their marketing budgets right now, which means your competition is moving whether you are or not. The conversation covers local service ads as the closest thing to an acquisition magic button, why algorithm training time matters, and how shop owners sabotage themselves by waiting until they're desperate. Doug explains the real difference between being busy and being profitable, why you can't just turn up, spend one week, and expect results, and how to track trends that forecast your needs before your customers do. He shares the framework for smart planning, the tools that work year-round, and what to do if you haven't locked in your strategy yet. Tune in to episode 137 of Maximum Octane if you've been waiting for the right time to market or thinking you can catch up when business slows. Let Doug help you flip your calendar from reactive to proactive and understand why your neighbor's marketing plan is already locked in for next year. Episode Takeaways: * 2:50 Why you need to market 24/7, not just when business drops * 5:10 How unexpected expenses work and why budgeting matters to your message * 7:20 Why your staple marketing tactics should never change but always improve * 8:30 What local service ads actually do and why they're different from regular Google ads * 10:10 Why planning a full calendar in October for the next year beats quarterly planning * 12:30 How to speak to customers who owe taxes versus those getting refunds * 14:00 Why tax return campaigns in April are completely off timing * 17:10 How to help customers understand and plan for their vehicle maintenance * 23:10 How to know if a campaign actually moved the needle on your business * 27:40 The stat that should concern you: 66% of businesses are increasing marketing spend * 28:30 How to actually respond to negative reviews without taking them personally * 31:40 The truth about word of mouth in the digital age Connect with Doug Robison: * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-robison-98b90641/] * Optimize Digital Marketing [https://www.whyoptimize.com/] Let's connect: * Website [https://maximumoctane.com/] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/hickeykim/] * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/kim.hickey.167] * Email: info@maximumoctane.com ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.