#78 Dan Noeltner From Employee to Employer

#78 Dan Noeltner From Employee to Employer

In this episode:  * Dan's start in PDR in 1996 — crayons, fluorescent tube lights, and homemade tools * 13 years working for someone else before going out on his own in 2009 * The growing pains of hiring, training, and a worker's comp audit that stung * How PDR College and Advanced Skills changed the way Dan ran his business * The COVID hailstorm story — laid off on a Wednesday, biggest year ever by Saturday * Building the business: dealership Quonset hut, three-car garage, purpose-built shop, uptown building with an in-bay automatic car wash and detail bay * Bringing on Stu and Chase and building a family team of techs * Dan's best advice for anyone in their PDR journey * Tool of the Week, picked by Dan Noeltner * An update on PDR Expo, September 25th–26th at the Rio in Las Vegas Links mentioned:  Dent Specialist Inc (Dan's shop): https://dentspecialistinc.com Tool of the Week — PDR Finesse Tools: https://pdrfinessetools.com/ PDR Expo: https://www.pdrexpo.com Follow Dent Repair Now: @dentrepairnow (all platforms) Hashtags:  #PDR #PaintlessDentRepair #DentRepairNow #PDRExpo #DentRepair #PDRLife #HailRepair #AutoBody #SmallBusiness #PDRTools #DentSpecialist #TheGreatYapChallenge 2. Timestamped Show Notes  00:00  Cold open — on location at Dan Noeltner's house in Highland, Illinois, just outside St. Louis 00:30  Catching up: golf, birthday parties, and great-nephews — Gene and Dan have been friends for 10 years since meeting at an Advanced Skills seminar in 2016 02:00  How Gene and Dan met — the early days of Mobile Tech RX and Bryce Kelly at MTE 03:00  Dan's PDR origin story — started in 1996, his 30th year in the business 04:00  What training looked like in '96 — crayon marks, fluorescent tube lights, no Loose yet 05:00  Bare-bones tools, the old Anson catalog, and meeting Steve from Ultra 06:00  Lacy Tools out of Springfield, Missouri, and the early days before whale tails 08:00  Wholesale hail work, drilling holes, and cutting his teeth on rental cars 09:00  Retail didn't exist yet — 13 years working for someone else, 1996 to 2009 10:00  What it was like to walk away and go out on his own 12:00  Going solo in 2009 and eventually bringing on his nephew part-time 13:00  The worker's comp audit surprise that comes with hiring your first employee 14:00  Self-training a tech — the difference between being a good technician and a good teacher 15:00  The turning point — PDR College, Dan Rokicki, and signing up for Advanced Skills 18:00  Giving credit to Keith Cosentino and Shane for shaping modern PDR 19:00  How Advanced Skills changed the way Dan looked at his business, not just the job 22:00  Working out of a dealership's Quonset hut, then a three-car garage at the house 23:00  Breaking ground on his own shop in 2018 25:00  The COVID story — laying guys off, a 5am phone call, and a hailstorm that changed everything 27:00  Buying the uptown building — adding an in-bay automatic car wash to the business 28:00  The detailing experiment — paint correction and ceramic coating instead 30:00  Adding Stu (future son-in-law) and Chase (Dan's son, now serving in the Air Force) as techs 32:00  On the friendships built in the PDR industry — and how fast you connect with other techs 33:00  Dan's advice for anyone on their PDR journey: always be willing to learn 36:00  Tool of the Week — Dan picks his go-to Finesse tool 39:00  PDR Expo update — September 25th–26th at the Rio in Las Vegas, plus Gene's round table and cold glue class 40:00  Wrap up — where to find Dan and Dent Specialist Inc online Links:  Dent Specialist Inc: https://dentspecialistinc.com Tool of the Week — PDR Finesse Tools: https://pdrfinessetools.com/ PDR Expo: https://www.pdrexpo.com Follow Dent Repair Now: @dentrepairnow (all platforms)

#77 The Video That Changed My Life

Episode 77: The Video That Changed My Life [00:00:00] Intro — welcome back to episode 77, Happy belated 4th of July, America's 250th. [00:00:00] Audio update — fixing last week's mic issues on intros/outros, asking listeners for feedback. [00:01:00] Correcting the record — it's actually been 13 years making YouTube videos, not 10 like he said last week. [00:02:00] Setting up today's topic: the origin story of how he got more involved in the PDR industry, sparked by one video. [00:03:00] Back to 2013 — the 4th of July hail storm and the car at the center of the story. [00:04:00] Being an introvert by nature and how uncomfortable he was on camera and in person for most of his life. [00:05:00] Announcing the Great Yap Challenge — 40 days of posting starting the next day, focused on Instagram and Facebook. [00:06:00] Shoutout to MeLissa for suggesting he go back and revisit his old videos for content. [00:07:00] Early video gear — the flip camera days and learning to talk to a lens instead of a screen. [00:09:00] Studio flooding interruption from a drainage issue next door — a real-time behind-the-scenes moment. [00:10:00] Back to the story — Dent Magic John (John Hiley) posts a glue-pulling tutorial video in a Facebook group in 2013. [00:12:00] Deciding to make a response video showing his own approach to oversized rail dents. [00:13:00] Playing back a clip of the original 2013 response video — early lighting, no mic, radio playing in the background. [00:16:00] The video hit 57,000 views on a channel that was never promoted — surprisingly strong engagement for the time. [00:17:00] Editing the video on a flight and putting it out into the world. [00:18:00] The video puts him on John Hiley's radar, leading to a phone call about a new trade organization: PDR Nation. [00:19:00] Joining PDR Nation as an advisor, eventually moving up to secretary and then chairman. [00:20:00] John and Mike Toledo invite him to speak on stage at MTE about PDR Nation membership marketing. [00:22:00] Prepping for a 20-minute speaking slot split three ways with John and Mike. [00:23:00] First time public speaking — the anxiety, the tunnel vision, and giving the entire 20-minute talk to one audience member in 5 minutes. [00:25:00] The aftermath — deciding he needed to actually learn how to speak from stage. [00:27:00] Tracing the ripple effect — SEMA, PDR Expo, MTE, PDR20, The Marketing Minute, coaching with Keith Cosentino, and Advanced Skills Seminar all trace back to that one video. [00:29:00] Wrapping the origin story and encouraging listeners to make their own video. [00:29:00] Shoutout to Matt Armijo at Get A Grip for the custom UV-printed cup with Dent Repair Now and Pittsburgh branding. [00:31:00] Praising Get A Grip's suction cup umbrella setup and customer service. [00:32:00] Tool of the Week — Keco's 12" Carbon Fiber Blending Hammer with interchangeable aluminum head and dual pivot tips. [00:33:00] Breaking down Keco's interchangeable system — handle lengths, head types, and durometers. [00:36:00] PDR Expo 2026 details — September 25-26 at The Rio in Las Vegas, round table Friday. [00:37:00] Coaching availability and how to get in touch — dentrepairnow.com/coaching. [00:38:00] Outro and thanks for listening.

#76 Goals Check In Half Way There

[00:00] Kicking off Episode 76 — happy almost-4th of July, and a nod to America's 250th. [01:00] Q2 is officially in the books. Time for the quarterly goals check-in. [02:00] Looking back at a slow Q1, losing Dave, and the shift heading into Q2. [03:00] A good, productive, profitable Q2 — but not much time left to work ON the business. [04:00] Question for listeners: how did your Q2 go? Were you working on your business or stuck working in it? [05:00] What's ahead for Q3: the new beginner's podcast, "PDR Life," dropping Netflix-season style. [07:00] Gene's AI workflow for producing the podcast — transcript to show notes in minutes. [08:00] Question for listeners: are you using AI in your business, and how? [09:00] Gene's now accepting 1-on-1 coaching clients for PDR shop owners — how the discovery call works. [11:00] The promise: no missed episodes all year. Halfway through and still on track. [13:00] Why discipline beats motivation when it comes to staying consistent. [15:00] Doubling down on quick-tip content and video. [16:00] How 10 years of consistent YouTube videos are now bringing customers through the door. [19:00] The Q3 challenge for listeners: set aside 20-30 minutes and write down your goals. [21:00] The "one more step" mindset — a Navy SEAL BUD/S lesson on grinding through big goals. [23:00] Tool of the Week: Anson PDR's Tequila Tornillo interchangeable-tip rod. [26:00] The twofer: PDR Finesse Tools' 3/8" tip and extension set. [29:00] Coming up: PDR Expo 2026 in Vegas, Mack's beginner competition, the cold glue class, and the soft skills seminar. [31:00] Wrap-up — thanks for listening, like the Facebook page, and get involved on social. Links Mentioned Anson PDR — Tequila Tornillo Double Bend Hub Rod, Interchangeable Tip: https://ansonpdr.com/products/copy-of-tequila-tornillo-double-bend-interchangeable-tip-rod-hub-handle?variant=39841855570088 PDR Finesse Tools — 3/8" Set of Tips & Extensions: https://pdrfinessetools.com/product/3-8-set-of-tips-extensions/ PDR Expo 2026 (The Rio, Las Vegas — September 25-26): https://pdrexpo.com Email Gene directly: gene@dentrepairnow.com Follow Dent Repair Now everywhere: @dentrepairnow

#75 No One Cares

A solo episode this week. Gene Fetty is fresh off a 10-day vacation (Cocoa Beach plus a six-day Bahamas cruise) and unpacking two things at once: what unplugging actually taught him, and a brutal Southwest Airlines travel day that crystallized a frustration he's been sitting on for a while — the growing sense that, in a lot of places, nobody cares anymore. He brings it back home to what “caring” actually has to look like inside a business, and the episode closes with the launch of a brand new recurring segment: Tool of the Week. Taking a Real Vacation 10 days off — longer than their usual 7-day trip — split between Cocoa Beach and a 6-day Bahamas cruise MeLissa has been pushing Gene to slow down for years; this trip finally proved her point The first couple of days were less about relaxing and more about unwinding from “go mode” after working eight straight days beforehand Cruise life forced a real disconnect: bad internet, no calls, just waves and quiet — even Gene's “forever knots” loosened up Trusting Shannon to hold down the front desk and Louie and Mack to keep the shop running made it possible to actually unplug A reminder that boredom used to be thinking time — Gene's now building small unplugged moments into his mornings on purpose Father's Day & Getting Back to a Normal Schedule Happy belated Father's Day to all the dads listening Cut out early Friday, took Saturday and Sunday off — Louie and Mack stepped up so Gene didn't have to be in the shop The challenge to listeners: slow down, travel more, and build in the kind of regular breaks Gene admires in friends like Kevin Byrd The Southwest Airlines Saga A lamb roast with MeLissa's family on Saturday meant a hard flight home from the cruise on Friday Bounced between gates, denied a same-day flight change despite Southwest's own weather-rebooking policy, then held at the gate for late passengers after being told there was no time to wait for Gene's family Bags were denied boarding on an earlier flight “for not making it” — then turned up having flown on that exact flight anyway Landed hours late, with the gate agent's own colleague at baggage claim confirming: “Happens all the time.” “They Just Don't Care” Jason's (MeLissa's cousin) line that stuck with Gene: once you accept that people just don't care, it's almost easier to take Ties directly back to the insurance adjuster story from a few episodes back — a pattern of people protected from consequences who've stopped trying Gene's pushback: that attitude is exactly what Dent Repair Now refuses to allow into the shop What Caring Actually Looks Like The Great Service Guarantee: if a customer isn't 100% satisfied with the entire experience — repair, treatment, everything — they don't pay Every customer touchpoint matters: water, coffee, Wi-Fi, a clear explanation of cost and options The $200 rule: any team member can solve a customer problem on the spot, no approval needed, as long as it costs less than $200 Gene's challenge to other shop owners: what's actually in place at your business to make sure customers are taken care of? NEW SEGMENT: Tool of the Week Starting this episode, every show will spotlight a tool (or two) worth checking out. Week one is a two-for-one from Dent Reaper and Anson PDR. Compact Hub Mini Kratos Set — $259 from Dent Reaper. A smaller version of the popular Kratos Fat Tip door tool, built for tight European-style doors. Three mini Kratos tips (16" x 5/16", 12" x 1/4", 8" x 7/32") on compact hubbed rods. Gene's been running them on sharp, tight creases and says they push clean with no bend. https://dentreaper.com/products/compact-hub-mini-kratos-set?_pos=2&_sid=bfa6cde94&_ss=r Tequila Compact Handle Indexing — $199 from Anson PDR. The micro/compact hub handle built to pair with the Kratos Mini set. Gene's recommendation: grab the extension too — the added leverage saves your shoulders. https://ansonpdr.com/products/compact-handle-indexing Note: the Compact Handle only fits Anson's Compact HUB system — it will not fit micro hubs from other brands Coming Up PDR Expo 2026 — September 25–26 at The Rio, Las Vegas https://pdrexpo.com A Pittsburgh soft skills seminar, tentatively being planned for October A new beginner-focused show, the PDR Lifestyle Podcast, launching as a separate series soon 1-on-1 and 20 Group coaching available with Gene — covering repairs, business, marketing, growth, or staying small on purpose

#74 Techniques to Sell and Connect Better

Guest: Kip Brooks | Honest as Hail: Men of Metal Episode Summary Gene Fetty and Kip Brooks meet up in person — halfway between Pittsburgh and Cleveland — for a cross-promotional episode recorded in Gene's truck. Kip brings a background in neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) and soft skills sales training, and the two dig into practical techniques PDR techs can use to build rapport faster, sell with more confidence, and stop letting mindset get in the way of closing. Key Topics The 3–7 second first impression window — and why context changes the clock Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP): what it is, how it started, and how it applies to sales The 'know, like, and trust' framework — all three must be in place for a sale Zig Ziglar's moral obligation: if you believe in your product, you're obligated to sell it Belief and congruence — customers feel hesitation before they can explain it Why learning conventional repair costs (body shop pricing) makes you a better PDR salesperson Flipping the mindset switch when the phone rings mid-repair Smiling on the phone — how it changes tonality and why that matters The psychological sigh — a breathing reset before a customer interaction Finger-to-thumb breathing trick to shift from chest breathing to diaphragm breathing Matching your customer's speaking cadence to build unconscious rapport How to handle a room or a group with mixed energy types — start at the middle NLP modeling: breaking down what top performers do and replicating it Guest Links — Kip Brooks / Honest as Hail: Men of Metal Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/honest-as-hail-men-of-metal/id1884169242 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7AKTwrTTFYWYCig3DS790N?si=ZeA4yDolQXyElhh0Jo8mSA YouTube: https://youtube.com/@themenofmetal?si=ZJYQonuCL6aHcpl6 Facebook: Search Kip Brooks or Kipnosis Mentioned in This Episode Zig Ziglar — moral obligation to sell Nicholas Boothman — How to Make Someone Like You in 90 Seconds or Less Tony Robbins — introduction to NLP concepts Alex Hormozi — lack of information as the root of indecision PDR College Podcast (Keith Cosentino) Blackout Burger — where this episode was born PDR Expo 2026 The Rio, Las Vegas | September 25–26 Gene's cold glue class + The Roundtable of Knowledge. Keith Cosentino MC'ing the roundtable. pdrexpo.com Follow Dent Repair Now @dentrepairnow across all platforms. Help Gene hit 10K on Facebook!