LIFT Your Shop

What happens when your auto repair shop is growing, but you're still losing $50,000 a month?In this episode of the LIFT Your Shop Podcast, Kelsey Outram sits down with Ryan Blair, CEO of Alloy Automotive Partners, to discuss his journey from Audi technician to shop owner to leading a growing network of European auto repair shops across Texas and Colorado.Ryan shares how he went from opening his first shop in an 800-square-foot storage unit to taking on over $1 million in debt, nearly losing everything, and rebuilding his business from the ground up.Together, they discuss the financial realities of running an auto repair shop, the importance of understanding cash flow and overhead, and why getting more cars through the door is only part of building a profitable business.In this episode, you'll learn about:The mistakes that nearly cost Ryan his businessHow mentorship and coaching helped him turn things aroundWhy understanding overhead, gross profit, and cash flow is criticalThe relationship between technician capacity, car count, and profitabilityWhy Ryan believes in hiring technicians before increasing car countHow oil change specials can drive customer acquisition and long-term revenueThe advantages of specializing in European auto repairLessons learned from acquiring and scaling multiple shopsWhy leadership, mindset, and accountability matter at every stage of growthWhether you're running your first auto repair shop or looking to expand into multiple locations, Ryan's story offers valuable lessons on overcoming challenges, building sustainable growth, and becoming a stronger business owner.Book mentioned: Awareness by Anthony de MelloConnect with Ryan: Find Ryan Blair on Facebook.About LIFT Auto Repair MarketingLIFT helps independent auto repair shops grow through digital marketing strategies, including SEO, Google Ads, websites, Google Business Profile optimization, social media marketing, and more.Learn more: https://liftautorepairmarketing.comSubscribe to the LIFT Your Shop Podcast for more conversations with automotive industry leaders, shop owners, and experts sharing real experiences and strategies for growing a successful auto repair business.#LiftYourShop #AutoRepairShop #ShopOwner #AutomotiveIndustry #AutoRepairBusiness #ShopManagement #BusinessGrowth

What’s holding your auto repair shop back might not be a lack of customers, technicians, or opportunity. Sometimes, it’s the difficult decisions that keep getting pushed to another day.In this episode of the LIFT Your Shop Podcast, Kelsey sits down with Juan Barrera, multi-shop owner and coach, to talk about his journey from technician to business owner—and the leadership lessons he had to learn along the way.Juan shares why growing a successful shop requires owners to stop thinking only like technicians and start thinking like leaders. From keeping the wrong employee too long to failing to properly onboard new hires, some of the decisions that are easiest to procrastinate can have the biggest impact on your team and your business. In this episode, you'll hear about:Why keeping the wrong person can hurt your entire team and shop cultureHow stronger leadership can help you attract and retain better employeesWhy your pay structure should create a win for both employees and the businessWhat shop owners often get wrong when hiring and onboarding new team membersWhy implementing what you learn matters more than simply attending another conference or trainingHow to create accountability without constantly having to babysit your teamWhy shop owners should hold their vendors accountable, too—and regularly review performance and resultsHow personal development can become one of the biggest factors in growing your businessJuan’s message throughout the conversation is simple: growth requires action. The longer you avoid the uncomfortable decisions, the longer you may be keeping your shop, your team, and yourself from moving forwardListen to the full episode to hear Juan’s story and the lessons he believes more shop owners need to put into action.

What if the biggest thing holding your auto repair shop back isn’t your building, your bay count, or even your pricing—but the way you serve the customer?In this episode of the LIFT Your Shop Podcast, Kelsey sits down with Charlie Zlatkos of Pleasant Car Care and Auto Hospitality Group to talk about how a hospitality-first approach has helped transform the way his shops operate and grow. Charlie shares his journey from working in gas station repair shops to building a highly successful automotive business—and the processes that helped him get there. They dive into what it really means to create an exceptional customer experience, including why Charlie believes in “saying yes,” how his team walks customers through repairs without overwhelming them, why transparency builds trust, and how better systems can dramatically increase what a shop is capable of producing.In this episode, you’ll hear about:Charlie’s journey from Greece to building his own auto repair businessHow a small shop can produce surprisingly big numbersWhy inspecting every vehicle is so importantThe “Moneyball” approach to presenting repairs and maintenanceWhy overwhelming customers with a huge estimate can backfireHow shop tours and transparency help build customer trustWhy great service can support higher pricingCharlie’s philosophy of “Yes is the answer. What is the question?”How staffing, processes, and technology make saying yes possibleWhy AI should create more time for human interaction, not replace itThe importance of clean, organized shops and a strong customer experienceWhy discipline and consistency matter just as much as having the right processCharlie also shares real examples from his shops—including how one small location reached a $460,000 month and how another location grew from roughly $135,000 per month to approaching $900,000 in a month while operating from essentially the same footprint. Whether you’re trying to increase revenue, improve your customer experience, strengthen your processes, or simply understand how much potential your existing shop may have, this conversation offers a different way to think about growth.Learn more about LIFT Auto Repair Marketing:https://liftautorepairmarketing.com/Learn more about Charlie’s approach and Auto Shop Answers:https://autoshopanswers.com/If you enjoyed this episode, like, subscribe, and follow the LIFT Your Shop Podcast for more conversations with leaders across the automotive industry.

What does it really take to grow from technician to shop owner — and eventually build a successful multi-location auto repair business?In this episode of the LIFT Your Shop Podcast, Kelsey sits down with Greg Bunch, owner of Aspen Auto Clinic and CEO of Transformers Institute, to talk about the lessons he’s learned over 25 years in the automotive industry.Greg shares how he went from buying a $250 Volkswagen Bug and learning to fix cars himself to building his first shop out of his garage — and eventually growing to six locations.They dive into the realities of building an auto repair business, including:When to stop working in the business and start working on itWhy growing too quickly can create major cash-flow problemsThe danger of lifestyle creep as your shop becomes successfulWhy shop owners need to understand their financials and KPIsHow to know when you're actually ready for a second locationThe systems and processes needed to successfully scaleWhy strong SOPs alone aren't enough without the right peopleHow hiring and company culture affect long-term growthMistakes Greg made along the way — and what he would do differently todayWhether you're running your first shop, considering a second location, or already managing multiple locations, this conversation is packed with lessons on leadership, financial discipline, systems, hiring, and sustainable growth.If you enjoyed the episode, like, subscribe, and follow the LIFT Your Shop Podcast for more conversations with leaders throughout the automotive industry.Learn more about LIFT Auto Repair Marketing:https://liftautorepairmarketing.com/Learn more about Greg Bunch & Transformers Institute:https://transformersinstitute.com/

What happens when expanding to a second auto repair shop goes completely wrong?In this episode of the Lift Your Shop Podcast, Kelsey Outram sits down with Joe Valind of Auto Safety Center, a four-location auto repair business in the Greater Milwaukee area, to talk about the successes — and failures — that shaped his journey from technician to multi-shop owner.Joe's story didn't follow a perfect path. He started as a high school apprentice at the same shop he would eventually own, working his way through the industry before purchasing the business. Years later, convinced his first location had reached its potential, Joe took a chance on a second shop.It didn't work.Without the financial foundation, leadership structure, or systems needed to support another location, the expansion turned into 18 months of challenges and ultimately ended with Joe being evicted from the second location.He returned to Store 1 knowing it was a pivotal moment for the business. Instead of letting the failure define him, Joe used it to rethink how he operated, improve profitability, strengthen his team, and build the foundation he would need to eventually expand again.Today, Auto Safety Center has four locations.In this episode, Kelsey and Joe discuss:• Joe's journey from high school apprentice to auto repair shop owner• Buying his first shop after repeatedly being turned down by banks• Why freedom doesn't automatically come with business ownership• The mistakes behind his first attempt at opening a second location• Why Store 1 should be running successfully before adding Store 2• Rebuilding a business after hitting rock bottom• Using marketing and incentive-based pay plans to drive growth• Getting a shop to operational and human capacity before expanding• Why strong leadership becomes one of the biggest constraints in multi-shop growth• Developing managers and promoting leaders from within• Using character, chemistry, and competency as cultural guardrails• Why you can't want someone's growth more than they do• Encouraging employees and helping them see potential they may not see themselves• Building a business that can operate without the owner• Why cash reserves matter before acquiring another location• Evaluating demographics, traffic, and market conditions before choosing a new shop• How an unexpected conversation led Joe to an off-market acquisition opportunity• Learning from failure instead of repeating it• Lead measures vs. lag measures and why behaviors ultimately drive KPIsOne of the biggest lessons from Joe's story is that adding another location shouldn't be an "instead of" decision because you're frustrated with your current shop. It should be an "in addition to" decision because the first business is healthy, profitable, properly staffed, and capable of operating without you.If you're an auto repair shop owner thinking about opening a second location, building a leadership team, or trying to create a business that doesn't depend entirely on you, this episode offers a firsthand look at both what can go wrong and what it takes to do it differently the next time.Joe's book recommendation:• The 4 Disciplines of ExecutionJoe specifically recommends the book for its distinction between lead measures and lag measures — focusing not only on the KPIs you're trying to achieve, but on the behaviors that actually create those results.Want to connect with Joe?Joe shares his email toward the end of the episode for shop owners who want to reach out and connect.If you enjoyed this episode, like the video and subscribe to the channel for more conversations with auto repair shop owners and industry leaders about growing stronger, more profitable businesses.Lift Your Shop PodcastHosted by Kelsey Outram | Lift Auto Repair Marketing#AutoRepair #AutoRepairShop #ShopOwner #MultiShopOwner #AutomotiveBusiness #ShopManagement #BusinessGrowth #Leadership #AutoRepairMarketing #LiftYourShop

What does it actually take to grow an auto repair shop from a tiny two-bay operation into a $3M+ business?In this episode of the Lift Your Shop Podcast, Kelsey Outram sits down with Ryan Cerny of Stoiched Automotive in Appleton, Wisconsin to talk about his journey from technician to shop owner — and the numbers, systems, and decisions that helped him steadily scale his business.Ryan started small, leasing a 1,500-square-foot corner of a tractor-trailer shop for just $695 a month while working as a technician during the day and repairing vehicles nights and weekends. Eventually, that side business became his full-time focus and grew into a 9,000-square-foot, nine-bay operation doing more than $3 million in annual revenue.But this conversation isn't just about growth.Ryan breaks down the financial side of running a healthy auto repair business, including how shop owners should think about gross profit, net profit, technician costs, overhead, cash reserves, labor rates, and GP per hour.In this episode, Kelsey and Ryan discuss:• Going from technician to auto repair shop owner• Growing steadily without trying to scale too quickly• Why Ryan recommends keeping roughly three months of overhead in reserve• Understanding your P&L instead of managing from your checking account balance• Gross profit vs. net profit — and the targets Ryan watches• Understanding the true cost of your technicians• Gross profit per hour and why Ryan's service advisors understand the numbers• Giving service advisors flexibility to save jobs without simply discounting• Training service advisors and continuously improving sales skills• How Ryan would approach acquiring and operating a second location• Creating team buy-in through systems, leadership, and incentive-based compensation• Why your marketing plan should be mapped out before expanding• The importance of creating a five-year vision while staying open-minded about how big your business can becomeOne of Ryan's biggest lessons after more than a decade in business? Don't underestimate how far you can go in 10 years.If you're an auto repair shop owner trying to better understand your numbers, improve profitability, build a stronger team, or prepare for your next stage of growth, this episode is packed with practical insights you can take back to your shop.Books Ryan recommends:• Three Feet From Gold• Toolbox TruceWant to connect with Ryan?Ryan recommends reaching out to him via Facebook DM.If you enjoyed the episode, like the video, subscribe to the channel, and turn on notifications for more conversations with successful auto repair shop owners and automotive industry leaders.Lift Your Shop PodcastHosted by Kelsey Outram | Lift Auto Repair Marketing#AutoRepair #AutoRepairShop #ShopOwner #AutomotiveBusiness #AutoRepairMarketing #ShopManagement #AutomotiveIndustry #BusinessGrowth #AutoRepairBusiness #LiftYourShop

From 1 Shop to 10 Locations: How Jim Brown Scaled a Multi-Million Dollar Auto Repair Business.How do you go from running one struggling shop… to scaling 10 high-performing locations?In this episode of the LIFT Your Shop Podcast, Kelsey sits down with Jim Brown, owner of Speed Auto Repair, to break down the exact systems, mindset shifts, and operational strategies that transformed his business.After nearly 20 years of operating a single shop, Jim made a pivotal change—implementing structured systems, inspections, and daily reporting. The result? More success in one year than the previous 19 combined, and a rapid expansion to multiple locations generating millions in revenue.This episode dives deep into what it actually takes to scale—from building strong processes and teams to evaluating acquisition opportunities and creating a culture that drives growth.What You’ll Learn:- The 3 biggest changes that transformed Jim’s shop overnight- Why inspecting 100% of vehicles is a game-changer- How daily reporting and meetings drive performance and profitability- What to look for when buying your second (or third) shop- The key metrics that determine whether a deal is worth it- How to scale from 1 to 10+ locations without losing control- How to build a culture that develops leaders from within- Why systems—not hustle—are the foundation of growth

What does it really take to build a highly profitable auto repair shop—even in a tough location?In this episode of The LIFT Shop Podcast, Kelsey sits down with Jay Huh, owner of CARMEDIX in Durham, North Carolina, to break down how he went from working out of his home garage to building a shop generating over $3 million in revenue—and consistently netting $60K–$100K per month.Jay shares the real story behind his journey, including the mistakes, mindset shifts, and systems that allowed him to scale, simplify, and ultimately step out of day-to-day operations.This episode dives deep into what actually moves the needle in a shop—from pay plans and hiring to marketing strategies that drive consistent car count.What You’ll Learn:Why most shop owners stay stuck (and how to break out of it)The difference between working in your shop vs on your shopHow to structure commission-based pay plans that drive performanceThe key metrics every shop owner must track dailyWhy gross profit dollars matter more than percentagesHow to consistently hire technicians—even in a “shortage”The marketing strategy that keeps bays full (including direct mail)Why systems—not location—determine your success

In this episode of the Lift Your Shop Podcast, Kelsey sits down with Matt Curry, founder of Craftsman Auto Care, to break down what it really takes to scale an auto repair business the right way.After building Curry’s Auto Service to 10 locations and $18M in revenue, retiring at 47, and then coming back to do it again — Matt now runs 8 shops (with more on the way) and is on track for $36M in sales.So what’s the secret?It’s not flashy marketing.It’s not complicated systems.It’s operational discipline.In this episode, Matt shares:The 3 core things every shop must do to grow fastWhy full digital inspections (with photos + video) are non-negotiableHow presenting estimates in order of priority builds trustWhy test driving every vehicle before AND after service mattersHow he gamified Google reviews to approach 10,000 five-star reviewsWhat it takes to attract and retain top technicians (including $300K+ earners)Why most shops struggle with hiring — and how to fix itMatt simplifies growth down to this:Be honest.Be nice.Do what you say you’re going to do.Inspect every car.Present everything transparently.That’s how you build trust.That’s how you scale.That’s how you create real freedom.If you’re a shop owner trying to grow from $30K months to $200K months — this conversation is packed with actionable insight.

In this episode of the Lift Your Shop Podcast, Kelsey sits down with Eric Walker, owner of Walker Automotive in Elkton, Kentucky, to talk about what truly separates great shops from average ones.Eric shares how bringing back old-school customer service — commitment times, promise-based scheduling, loaner vehicles, and real accountability — has transformed his shop’s growth in a town of just 1,600 people. He explains why trust is the real product shops sell, how leadership and training changed his business, and what it takes to stop “owning a job” and start running a real company.From building a high-performing team to creating a culture of ownership, training, and continuous improvement, this conversation is packed with practical insights for shop owners who want to grow without excuses.If you’re struggling with hiring, team performance, training, or scaling beyond yourself — this episode is for you.