Podcasts about Technician

Send us Fan MailWelcome to episode 251 of the Laundromat Resource Podcast! This week, Jordan Berry welcomes Brianne—a passionate laundromat owner and professional service technician—whose journey in the laundry industry is filled with wins, losses, and major learning moments. From buying her first laundromat at 22 to mastering equipment repairs and navigating tough leases, Brianne shares candid stories and actionable advice for both new and experienced owners. Tune in for honest insights, practical tips, and the inspiration you need to take your laundromat business to the next level!In this episode, Jordan & Breyan Discuss:00:00 Introducing mastermind groups10:19 Challenges with laundromat lease13:53 Losing the laundromat lease19:43 Securing a 7A loan purchase24:34 Is college still worth it?31:03 Leaving the banking job37:30 Learning from Laundromat Failures38:30 Pushing through tough times48:17 Building relationships for business deals51:43 Deciding on equipment retooling59:20 Preventative maintenance tips for washers01:00:29 Checking and cleaning hose bib screens01:08:55 Reality of owning laundromats01:14:44 Embracing technology and innovation01:18:51 Helping Customers Fix Machines01:23:54 Joining a mastermind groupFree Strategy Zoom Call with Jordan:https://calendly.com/laundromatresource/free-strategy-call?back=1

End chaos in your firm—300+ peers use this framework. Free video here: https://www.businessofarchitecture.com/framework In this episode, Rion digs into why "premium fees" start in your head long before they appear in a proposal. He explores how architects are trained to be exceptional technicians, but rarely prepared to think like business owners, and how that gap quietly limits growth. A simple but powerful model is introduced to reframe how time, value, and income really work. Rion also challenges several deeply held beliefs architects carry about money, responsibility, and worth. He discusses why avoiding financial conversations weakens both firms and client relationships, and how greater clarity can create freedom rather than pressure. The focus is not on tactics, but on seeing the business of architecture differently. The uncomfortable middle ground that drains architects without them noticing A subtle distinction that determines whether your firm can survive without you The mental shift that changes how clients perceive your fees

Hello voices from the bench community, John Wilson here and I wanted to share some news about the evolution of the Programill lineup. Most importantly, Ivoclar's new PrograMill 7. What stands out right away is the reduced air consumption this mill requires, but what you'll notice first is that impressive new touchscreen. For us, the biggest advantage has been increased spindle power. Next time you see your Ivoclar representative, be sure to ask about the PrograMill 7 and tell them John Wilson sent you. Thank you. At exocad Insights in beautiful Mallorca, we finally caught up with Felix from Imagine USA—and the timing couldn't have been better. As an exocad dealer on the front lines of digital dentistry, Felix shared his excitement about the strong turnout, the familiar faces, and most importantly, the innovation coming from exocad. What stood out most? The new exocad Hub and its cloud-based capabilities, along with powerful AI-driven tools inside DentalDB designed for efficient batch processing. For Felix and the Imagine team, it's not just about seeing what's new—it's about putting it to the test. By running new features through their own production facility first, they ensure real-world performance before bringing solutions to their customers. This week, Elvis and Barb continue their coverage from exocad Insights 2026 in beautiful Mallorca, Spain, where the conversations are just as valuable as the lectures. The episode starts with Dr. Zhiqiang Luo, who shares his perspective on educating the next generation of dentists in an increasingly digital world. The discussion explores how students are adapting to technology, why foundational analog skills still matter, and the challenge of preparing future clinicians for workflows that continue to evolve at a rapid pace. It's an insightful look at where dental education is headed and how digital dentistry is becoming second nature to new graduates. The conversation then shifts to one of the most memorable encounters from the event as Elvis and Barb sit down with Alyson Bravo, a passionate dental technician from Brazil who has traveled across the globe to attend exocad Insights. What starts as a discussion about digital workflows quickly turns into a story about chasing dreams, making connections, and experiencing the international dental community firsthand. Alyson talks about discovering digital dentistry, teaching himself advanced design techniques, and the excitement of finally meeting people he has only known through podcasts, social media, and online education. The episode wraps up with returning friend of the podcast Tobias Specht from Ivoclar. Fresh off several major product announcements, Tobias gives listeners an inside look at the collaboration between Ivoclar and exocad and how customer feedback continues to shape product development. He discusses the integration of Ivotion into the exocad workflow, the importance of training and education, and how Ivoclar works with customers around the globe to refine new products before they ever reach the market.Special Guests: Alyson Bravo, Dr. Zhiqiang Luo, and Tobias Specht.

Visit www.joniradio.org for more inspiration and encouragement! --------Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible. Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org. Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

Veronica Tofte has worked at the company for more than 20 years and has tried out several different roles over the years. Veronica says: "Curiosity and personal drive are advantages if you want to try new things. You shouldn't be afraid to put forward suggestions and be involved in the daily work, even in areas outside your own. Geberit is at the forefront and invests heavily; it is a safe, stable company with great cohesion among both colleagues and managers." Interested in learning more or working with us? You can find more information at www.geberit.se/karriar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Filip Bustad started as a warehouse worker within Logistics at Geberit in Bromölla in 2022. Since then, he has taken active steps to progress, successfully changing positions internally, and currently works as a production engineer. In this role, he works with instructions, documentation, and holds sub-project responsibilities. He is also involved in a major global project aimed at improving Geberit's highly advanced ceramic processes. Filip describes Geberit as a fantastic workplace with helpful and great colleagues in a family-like atmosphere. If you want to grow within the company and contribute to improving the business, there are great opportunities if you work hard, show drive, and have a certain amount of patience. Interested in learning more or working with us? You can find more information at www.geberit.se/karriar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Think your business needs more marketing? Think again. In this episode, Ambrosia Carey shares why most beauty professionals don't have a marketing problem, they have an order problem. Learn the five foundations of sustainable business growth, from client experience and retention to referrals, value, and visibility. If you've been posting more, working harder, and still not seeing the results you want, this episode will help you identify the real bottleneck holding your business back. Plus, discover which business archetype you fall into and the simple shifts that can create more growth without burnout. Join our FREE 10 Day Business Challenge Try GlossGenius at 50% off Gold or Platinum using code SUCCESSFUL: http://glossgenius.com/successfulstylist Key Take-aways: 1. Many beauty professionals assume they need more visibility, followers, or content. In reality, growth often stalls because of weaknesses in retention, referrals, client experience, or value creation. 2. The strongest businesses create an experience worth talking about. Marketing may attract attention, but exceptional experiences create loyalty, trust, and word-of-mouth referrals. 3. Increasing retention by even a small percentage can generate thousands of dollars in additional revenue without attracting a single new client. 4. Referred clients often arrive with built-in trust because someone they already know has recommended your business. 5. Sometimes the solution isn't increasing volume, it's increasing the value you provide through better services, experiences, systems, and client outcomes. 6. Marketing doesn't fix weak systems. It magnifies them. Strong businesses focus on experience, retention, referrals, and value before scaling visibility. 7. Whether you're the Visibility Addict, Technician, Discount Queen, Busy But Broke Stylist, or Foundation Builder, identifying your patterns can help reveal your next opportunity for growth. 8. Consumers are craving authenticity, conversation, and connection. Community-based content is becoming more effective than highly polished marketing. 9. Email lists, podcasts, downloads, partnerships, and communities create long-term stability that isn't dependent on changing social media algorithms. 10.  Before investing more time into marketing, ask yourself: If 100 new clients showed up tomorrow, would your business retain them, serve them well, and turn them into advocates? 11. The fastest-growing businesses aren't trying to fix everything at once. They're identifying the next bottleneck and focusing their energy where it will create the greatest impact. 12. Growth becomes easier when you understand whether your challenge is retention, referrals, pricing, value, or visibility...and stop treating every issue like a marketing problem. Take 15% off our favorirte skincare line, Pharmagel w/ code SSA15: https://pharmagel.net/?ref=SSA15 If you prefer viedeo, join us on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@successfulstylist For more, follow along on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/successfulstylistacademy?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

Barry T. Black is a retired FBI veteran with over 31 years of experience specializing in counter-terrorism and complex white-collar crime investigations. As a Master Bomb Technician and SWAT sniper, he served on the front lines of some of America's most significant historical events, including the Oklahoma City bombing, the 9/11 attacks, and the Waco standoff. Today he joins me to talk about his career in law enforcement and more. Buy "Hazardous Devices: Memoir of an FBI Bomb Technician, Accountant and Sniper" here: https://a.co/d/052fBISa

From Audi Mechanic to $50M CEO (Part 2): He Stopped Thinking Like a Technician. How does an Audi mechanic become a $50M CEO? In this episode of the Blue Collar Millionaire Podcast, Ryan shares the mindset shift, leadership lessons, and business strategies that helped him go from working on cars to building a $50 million company. If you're a contractor, tradesman, home service business owner, or entrepreneur looking to scale your business, this conversation breaks down what it really takes to stop thinking like a technician and start thinking like a CEO. Ryan and Kevin discuss business growth, leadership, hiring A-players, unit economics, mentorship, company culture, profitability, scaling a service business, and the identity shift required to build a high-growth company. Whether you're running an HVAC company, plumbing company, roofing company, painting company, electrical company, landscaping company, or another blue-collar business, the lessons in this episode apply directly to growing revenue, improving profitability, and building a business that doesn't depend on you. 00:00 – From Audi Mechanic to Business Owner 03:15 – The Power of Borrowed Belief 07:42 – Why Most Owners Stay Stuck 11:18 – Stop Thinking Like a Technician 15:55 – The Identity Shift Required to Scale 21:34 – Finding the Right Mentors 26:08 – Understanding Business Unit Economics 31:47 – How Ryan Scaled Shops Faster Than Competitors 37:26 – Why A-Players Are Worth the Investment 42:10 – The Numbers Every Owner Should Know 47:36 – Building a $50M Company Through Systems 52:14 – Responsibility Is Your Ability to Respond 57:28 – The Mindset That Creates Growth 1:02:11 – Stoicism, Leadership & Mental Toughness 1:08:05 – Why Most Entrepreneurs Get in Their Own Way 1:13:22 – Pressure Is a Privilege 1:18:41 – Creating Value and Building Wealth 1:23:35 – Final Advice for Blue-Collar Entrepreneurs Check out BoardRoom Elite and get in the room with operators, investors, and owners who are actually doing this every day.

On this episode, Kyle Jordan joins the show to share some updates on the ACMA's Certified Composites Technician programs. Kyle is Director of Certifications with the ACMA. He'll be discussing some of the new digital training options launched over the last couple of months, including those for CCT recertification.  You can learn more about these CCT... The post 270: ACMA's Certified Composites Technician Program: What's New and What's Next first appeared on Cast Polymer Radio.

If you want to get ahead in your business, it's time to stop being the technician and start stepping into the manager, and visionary roles. Our host, Diane Rolston, references one of the most important business books she's ever read E-Myth Revisited. She explains something so many business owners experience but don't have the language for and why most women are stuck over-functioning in exactly the wrong role.Listen to learn these key takeaways:Why going out on your own means you didn't just become the technician. You became every other role in the company too, whether you wanted to or notThe three key roles from E-Myth Revisited: what each one is responsible for and the critical question each role is constantly askingWhy most entrepreneurs skip one of these three roles completely and why that's exactly why things feel chaoticThe dangerous comfort zone most women over-function in: why it feels productive but is quietly keeping the business stuckWhat happens when your head is down doing the work all day and the two perspectives you completely lose access toWhy the manager and visionary roles keep getting neglected and what the real cost of that neglect is to your businessWhere a Virtual Assistant fits into all three roles: not just taking tasks off your plate, but actually strengthening a specific role you've been neglectingHow support becomes truly transformational when it frees you to operate as the visionary and when businesses actually start to scaleThe honest reminder: the goal isn't to stop being the technician entirely (you're good at it for a reason)One final question to ask yourself right now about which role actually needs more of your attention firstComing up next: why smart, capable women struggle so much to delegate in the first place and why it's almost never about skill.Free resources to get started with your own virtual assistant: "Top 10 Questions to Ask a VA Company When You Want to Hire a VA" by Diane Rolston: https://app.groove.cm/groovemember/download/xylsp51fbe3b909e70d43d635f85fa3f115b5229 Tasks You Can Delegate: https://keap.page/mw315/229-tasks-you-can-delegate1.html5 Problems in Delegating: https://bit.ly/5ProblemsofDelegatingYour Virtual Assistant Readiness Scorecard: https://www.dianerolston.com/blog/still-doing-it-all-yourself-your-virtual-assistant-readiness-scorecardBook a time to chat with Diane directly to get your own vetted Dynamic VA: https://www.dianerolston.com/booking.htmlWant to be invited to join Diane's NEW high-level, like-minded group of women? Email her at diane@dianerolston.com.Do you prefer reading blogs or watching videos?Read Diane's blogs here: https://www.dianerolston.com/blogWatch Diane's videos here: https://www.youtube.com/@CoachDianeRolstonThis show's host, Diane Rolston, is called THE Expert on Being Dynamic and living a Dynamic Life. She specializes in coaching high-achieving women who want to be successful AND satisfied. She is a Certified Professional Coach, International Speaker, 11-time Author, and host of the five-time award-winning Dynamic Women Podcast, ranked in the top 2.5% of podcasts.Diane has been recognized with multiple awards for her professional accomplishments and for the powerful impact she has on the women she inspires and empowers. Chicken Soup for the Soul co-creator Jack Canfield describes her as “an amazing woman” doing “incredible work helping women develop holistic lives of balance.”Through her program, VA Made Easy, she helps entrepreneurs go from task overwhelm to business ease by hiring and training Virtual Assistants for them while also providing proven systems, processes, and strategies for success.Outside of her work, Diane is a mother of two, a soccer player, and a stand-up comedy rookie, always embracing new challenges and personal growth.You're invited to reach out to Diane and visit her website: www.dianerolston.com Check out what Diane is up to and other opportunities here: linktr.ee/dianerolstonConnect with me on your favourite social platform:https://www.facebook.com/LifeCoachDianehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/dianercoaching/https://twitter.com/DianeRCoachinghttps://www.instagram.com/coachdianerolston/https://www.youtube.com/user/DianeRolstonCoachingPersonal Email: diane@dianerolston.comDiane believes we are not defined by our titles or our roles. Instead, we are more powerful and happy when we can be who we are. This brought out her book Dynamic You™, based on a successful program, where she reveals the secret code to confident, wealthy, and successful women and leads women to unleash the Dynamic Woman™ in them!Grab your copy of Diane's autographed Dynamic You™ Book at a special Discount:https://www.dianerolston.com/store/p3/Autographed_Dynamic_You%E2%84%A2_Book.htmlThanks for listening!It means so much to us that you listened to our podcast!With this podcast, we are building an international community of Dynamic Women®. We aim to inspire more women to unleash their dynamic selves and enhance their lives across all areas, particularly in business. If you know someone who would benefit from this message or would be an awesome addition to our community, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a note in the comment section below!Subscribe to the podcastIf you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast app on your mobile device.Leave us a reviewWe appreciate every bit of feedback to make this a value-adding part of your day. Ratings and reviews from our listeners not only help us give you more of what you want, but also help others find us in their podcast app. If you have a minute, an honest review on Apple Podcasts and other apps goes a long way! If you do, send a screenshot along with your mailing address to our team team@dianerolston.com and you'll receive something in the mail!

On the phone-in: Appliance repair technician Aaron Publicover answers listeners' questions. And off the top of the show, on PEI, we hear about scientific research on lobsters using tags. And David Coon in NB explains why he is retiring as leader of the Green Party.

Technicians are speaking up—and the message is clear. From pay and career paths to culture and communication, this episode dives into what shop owners must understand (and do differently) to compete for talent in 2026.

Josh Arnold, Recon Lead Technician at Austin Subaru, is back on the podcast for another honest conversation about life in the trade. He opens up about mentoring apprentices from scratch, what it really took to turn around a struggling recon department, and how public speaking and MPI video have pushed him to grow in ways he didn't expect. Watch the video recordingAbout the EpisodeHost: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, jayg@wrenchway.comGuest: Josh Arnold, Austin Subaru, Connect with Josh on LinkedInLinks & ResourcesGet notified of new episodes --> Join our email listJoin the ASE Connects CommunityASE Connects brings shops, dealerships, and schools together in one structured network to strengthen the technician pipeline. By making it easier to connect, collaborate, and support students through job shadows, internships, and classroom engagement, ASE Connects helps schools build stronger programs and helps shops develop a more consistent, local source of future technicians. Learn more:ASE Connects Memberships for Shops & DealersASE Connects Memberships for Schools (Free!)Connect with us on social:FacebookInstagramXLinkedInYouTubeTikTok

Is there really a technician shortage or is the industry losing good people because shops are ignoring the real problem?In this episode, Marshall, John Baranski, Brent Osmond, and Richard Mueller break down the uncomfortable truth behind technician recruiting, retention, flat rate pay, shop reputation, apprentice turnover, and why automotive technicians are moving into heavy-duty, mining, material handling, and hourly positions.The conversation gets real about what shops say they need, what technicians actually talk about, and why every dealership's reputation travels faster than most leaders want to admit.Because technicians know.They know what your shop pays.They know what your benefits cost.They know how your bonus structure actually works.They know which shops develop people and which shops chew them up.This episode is for technicians, shop foremen, service managers, fixed ops directors, dealership leaders, and anyone trying to understand why attracting and keeping good technicians has become one of the biggest challenges in the trade.Topics include technician shortage myths, apprentice retention, flat rate frustration, heavy-duty recruiting, employee experience, shop culture, technician career paths, and why great technicians don't automatically become great leaders.The strongest line from the episode says it all:“If you think that the technicians around your area don't know what your techs are getting paid, you're dead wrong.”Negative PushesPositive PullsGod Blessj.Follow Brent Osmond:https://www.linkedin.com/in/brent-osmond-7b8302149/Dynamic Diesel Solutionshttps://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamic-diesel-solutions-canada/posts/?feedView=allFollow Marshall Sheldonhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/marshall-sheldon-981349176/Briggs Industrial Solutionshttps://www.linkedin.com/company/briggs-industrial-solutions/Follow Richard Muellerhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-mueller-024155150/Wolfe Automotive Grouphttps://www.linkedin.com/company/wolfecalgary/Follow John Baranskihttps://www.linkedin.com/in/john-baranski-335021270/Miami Car Cartelhttps://www.instagram.com/miamicarcartel/⚠️ Disclaimer:I'm a licensed mechanic. That doesn't mean I know what I'm doing, whether it's fixing things or filming things. Do your own due diligence.Listen to The Wrench Turners Podcast:Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/1ScwRP0DFMtDsp83JxPhPK?si=26aeb4be65da45ebInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/mrjoshuataylor/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrjtaylor/00:00 Technicians know what everyone is getting paid00:52 Is there really a technician shortage?01:45 Trade schools are still producing apprentices03:47 Shortage or bad working conditions?07:00 Shops complain about shortage but ignore retention10:26 The real cost of training a new technician12:42 What an empty bay actually costs the business15:32 Shops have reputations whether leaders admit it or not22:57 Why apprentices leave in the first year29:52 Flat rate resentment and why techs are leaving automotive34:24 Automotive techs moving into heavy duty and material handling40:48 Different types of high performing technicians43:58 Why good technicians don't always become good leaders48:21 What's coming next: career paths technicians care about

Ed is a clean room production technician at New York Creates in Albany, New York. Ed describes his work as a technician including data collection, machine operation, and process streamlining. Ed shares his career progression from a level 1 operator to a clean room production technician in just over two years. He emphasizes the importance of soft skills and communication in the semiconductor industry. Ed also shares his non-traditional career path, starting in construction and customer service, and how his role at New York Creates has provided him with stability and independence.MNT-EC: https://micronanoeducation.org/Talking Technicians on the Web: https://micronanoeducation.org/students-parents/talking-technicians-podcast/NY Creates Workforce Development: https://ny-creates.org/workforce-development/

You got 800 hours of technical training. You got 3 hours on customer service. You weren't trained for the moment a customer says "that's too expensive." That's why you freeze. Chris Elmore breaks down why handling objections is troubleshooting with a person instead of a machine. Same process. One difference: emotions. He walks through how LEAP works on real objections, why "that's too expensive" rarely means what you think, and the one question that splits the price from the work. You'll learn: Why problem-solving before asking questions is parts changing What real listening and empathy sound like on a call How to split the price from the work with one question Why LEAP out of order becomes PLEA Why "fix it" is only one-fifth of your job Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5DlsGABopPu9Qq9NNhK4hu Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/windshield-time/id1386770507

Christian Moore is one of the few people who's been wildly successful in BOTH roles. Comfort advisor at a 52 million dollar company. Project manager at a 2.5 million dollar company. Now selling technician at Cowboys AC in San Antonio.He's lived both sides. And in this episode, he breaks down the pros, cons, differences, and what nobody tells you about each role.If you've ever thought about moving from tech to sales, or from sales back to tech, this episode is for you.In This Episode:Christian's journey: 52 million dollar company to 2.5 million dollar company to Cowboys ACWhy he left after the PE acquisition (got the ick)Project manager vs comfort advisor: the real differencesComfort advisor: marketed leads only, fighting to establish credibility from scratchSelling tech: rapport already built, homeowners are grateful you showed upThe midnight install story: crew arrived at 11:45 PM, complete system installed by morningHow same-day same-night installs close deals on service aloneWhy Christian replaced his own 7-year-old AC (coil leak at 6 years, compressor at 7)The role-play: how to present options on a 9-year-old system with zero charge"I don't want you to hate me" - normalizing the replacement conversationSitting in silence for 20 minutes while they decideThe triple takeaway close: "Are you sure? Going once, going twice, last call"Why he tries to UNSELL it at every step"You do not get the right to tell me I never informed you" - the directness selling techs can useDoctor analogy: if your doc said "your blood pressure is fine-ish" and you had a heart attack 6 weeks later, that's malpracticeHow many techs are committing malpractice in homes every day by not being directPrescription without diagnosis is malpracticeThe advantage of comfort advisor: navigate higher level conversationsThe disadvantage: fewer leads (homeowners want "fix it first" mentality now)The advantage of selling tech: opportunities everywhereThe disadvantage: if you're not trained in communication, you grab low-hanging fruit and leave help on the tableKey Differences:Comfort Advisor: Marketed leads only, homeowner doesn't know you from Adam, fight to establish credibility from scratch, higher level conversations, full presentation every timeSelling Technician: Service calls and tech turnovers, rapport already built by the tech who sold you coming out, homeowners are grateful you showed up, let your hands do the credibility work, self-narrate the diagnostic (this is good, this is not good), show your work as you go, can be very directThe Midnight Install:Client concern. 9-year-old system. Zero charge. No warranty because it was never registered. Christian presents four options at 9:30 PM. Homeowner chooses Option 4 (full replacement with zoning). Crew arrives at 11:45 PM. Complete install by morning.Cowboys AC runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you have a need, they're there. Christian is out past midnight at least once a week because on the way home, someone has a problem.The question for owners: If a company moved into your market and operated like that, what would happen? Or flip side: if YOU operated like that, how much market share would you take?The Role-Play (9-Year-Old System, Zero Charge):"From my diagnostic tonight, there's zero charge in this system. We have a leak somewhere. We can do a pressure test, pump it full of nitrogen, isolate the problem, get pricing. But remember earlier when I told you the last company never registered the warranty? Everything is out of pocket. You said you replaced the coil 3 years ago for 3 thousand dollars cash. The last thing I want is for you to hate me, but whatever the repair is, you don't get that money back when the next thing fails.The other option, and I don't want you to hate me for it because this system's only 9 years old, is updating this to have full brand new warranties, installed correctly. Earlier you said it comes down to taking care of your grandchildren who are differently abled and need conditioned air. I don't know the turnaround time on the fix because we haven't isolated it yet. But the fastest thing to give you peace of mind is resetting this from the ground up. Totally up to you. Just let me know how I can help."Work with Sam:Website: https://www.closeitnow.netCoaching & Training: https://www.closeitnow.net/coachingFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/closeitnowEmail: sam@closeitnow.netSummer Sales Surge Series 2026:Live virtual training June through September. Monday nights 7 PM Central. 1497 dollars for the entire bundle. Month one will pay for the entire summer. Email sam at closeitnow.net or visit salesurgebundle.com3 Ways to Work with Sam:On-Site Training - Half-day classroom plus half-day ride-alongs with your teamVirtual Training - Same frameworks, delivered remotely for teams or individualsThe Build - Company scaling for HVAC and home services owners. You built the revenue. We help you build the business. Finding 15 to 20 percent of revenue sitting in your company that should have gone to your bottom line.Connect with Christian Moore:Cowboys AC - San Antonio, TexasNext Week:Leader of One, Leader of ManyLeave a review on Apple Podcasts or Google to help more salespeople and contractors find this show.Google Review Link: https://g.page/r/CbfnnDqTCwQdEAE/review

In this episode of the Tactical Dent Tech Podcast, John Hiley breaks down what it really feels like when everything starts scaling fast—hail hits, cars stack up, and pressure builds from every direction. This isn't just about PDR… this is about what happens to YOU when business explodes. John shares real-time insight from the middle of a massive hail surge in DFW—talking about: Managing overwhelming growth and logistics The reality of expansion (and the risk behind it) Why chaos is often the doorway to your next level How pressure builds stronger technicians and leaders The importance of faith, discipline, and mindset during high-stress seasons He also dives into something most guys don't talk about—the mental and spiritual reps required to handle bigger opportunities. If you're in the PDR industry and stepping into a bigger season… this one hits. Key Takeaways: Growth always comes with pressure—learn how to handle it Chaos is not the enemy—it's a signal to level up You don't grow without resistance Your reaction to stress determines your next level The best techs and business owners are built in these moments This episode is for dent techs, business owners, and anyone pushing into the next level of their craft.

Learn more about Refrigeration Mentor Customized Technical Training Programs at www.refrigerationmentor.com/courses Join the Refrigeration Mentor Hub here In this episode, I'll explains how technicians can stand out in refrigeration job interviews. I'll share tips on building confidence, developing a troubleshooting mindset, and communicating technical processes step by step, including fundamentals like superheat, subcooling, wiring diagrams, controls, and compressor diagnostics. Many companies hire for attitude, reliability, and problem-solving more than years of experience, and knowing how to demonstrate work ethic, professionalism, business-minded value and asking strong questions will put you ahead of the pack when it comes to competing for a refrigeration technician job. In this episode, we cover: (00:48) Job Interview Mindset (02:24) Building Trust Through Honesty (04:04) How to Talk Technical Confidently (07:25) Job Interview Preperation (11:39) Communicating Stepwise (15:07) Value of Showing Ambition (19:23) On-Call Work Ethic (25:10) Asking Smart Questions (28:58) Professional Reputation Helpful Links & Resources: Episode 256. Career Tips for New Technicians Episode 224. The Key To Finding New Career Opportunities as a Technician Episode 169: Leadership Insights: Work Ethic and Value Creation with Scott Farley of The Arcticom Group  

A video called "Son of an Area 51 Technician" was making the rounds on Youtube. Someone shares something that stops people mid-scroll. People want to know more and suggest he go back to a location and film his adventure. And that's where this story starts going wrong.SourcesKTNV Kenny's YouTube Channel StrangeOutdoors Medium Reddit Wikipedia Support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month, with benefits starting at the $3 tier!Follow us on Instagram at offthetrailspodcastFollow us on Facebook at Off the Trails PodcastIf you have your own outdoor misadventure (or adventure) story that you'd like us to include in a listener episode, send it to us at offthetrailspodcast@gmail.com  Please take a moment to rate and review our show, and a big thanks if you already have!**We do our own research and try our best to cross-reference reliable sources to present the most accurate information we can. Please reach out to us if you believe we have mispresented any information during this episode, and we will be happy to correct ourselves in a future episode.

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology and AutelWatch Full Video EpisodeIn this episode, Matt Fanslow uses Game of Thrones, specifically the arc of Daenerys Targaryen, as a metaphor for what can happen when a mechanical or technical specialist moves from employee to shop owner. The comparison is not that former technicians suddenly “burn everything to the ground,” but that people can start with strong ideals, endure pressure, accumulate responsibility, and slowly rationalize decisions they once hated from the other side of the counter.Matt draws a parallel between Daenerys' journey, from abused and powerless exile to powerful ruler, and the path of a technician who opens a shop after years of saying, “If I were in charge, I'd do things differently.” At first, that new owner may try to build the kind of workplace they always wanted: better pay, better equipment, better treatment, and fewer manipulative incentive structures. But then reality intrudes. Bills come due. Tooling, software, subscriptions, payroll, benefits, facility costs, and client pressure pile up. What once looked like greed from the employee side may start to look like survival from the owner side.A major thread in the episode is the difference between explaining behavior and excusing it. Matt is careful not to justify poor management, bad pay plans, or unfair treatment. Instead, he looks at how stress, fear, frustration, and financial pressure can slowly change a person's beliefs. The former employee who despised production-based pay may eventually install a production-based pay plan. The shop owner who wanted to buy the best equipment may eventually stop doing that when employees fail to care for it. The person who promised to never become “that owner” may wake up, or perhaps never wake up, having become very close to the thing they once opposed.The episode also touches on incentive design. Matt discusses how incentive-based pay plans can increase production, but only if the surrounding system is fair. When a mechanical or technical specialist is paid based on production, but too many external forces affect their ability to produce, the pay plan can feel like punishment. Dispatch, workflow, parts delays, bad information, poor estimating, broken processes, and uneven support can all take money out of the worker's hands. In that environment, the game feels unfair, even if the pay plan itself is not inherently unethical.Matt argues that pay plans should not be used as a substitute for management. A compensation structure cannot do the work of leadership, communication, process improvement, fairness, and accountability. Straight hourly can work. Flat rate can work. Hybrid incentive plans can work. But none of them work automatically, and none of them remove the need for honest management and honest self-assessment.The larger point is that people rarely change all at once. They shift slowly. The language changes first. Then the justifications. Then the policies. Then the culture. Like Daenerys, the fall is not simply about one bad decision at the end. It is the accumulated effect of pressure, loss, betrayal, fear, and power.Matt closes by reflecting on Game of Thrones itself, noting that the show was among the best when it was at its peak, even if the ending remains debated. He suggests that Daenerys' storyline may be worth revisiting not just as fantasy, but as a study in how ideals can erode when pressure, power, and isolation build over time.Key TopicsThe former technician turned shop owner: The episode examines what happens when someone who once criticized shop ownership suddenly has to carry the risk, payroll, bills, tooling costs, subscriptions, client demands, and employee issues themselves.Daenerys Targaryen as a shop-owner metaphor: Daenerys begins with a desire to break abusive systems, but eventually becomes capable of the very behavior she once opposed. Matt uses that arc to frame how former employees can become the kind of owners they used to resent.Explaining versus excusing: A central distinction in the episode is that understanding why owners behave a certain way does not automatically make those behaviors right.Incentive pay and production pressure: Production-based pay plans can produce measurable gains, but they also create resentment when employees are held accountable for factors outside their control.The danger of using pay plans as management: Matt argues that compensation systems cannot replace leadership, process design, accountability, and honest communication.Stress, fear, and rationalization: The episode explores how frustration, anxiety, financial pressure, and disappointment can slowly alter a person's beliefs and management style.The slow drift into becoming what you opposed: The episode's core warning is that becoming “that owner” usually does not happen in one dramatic moment. It happens one rationalization at a time.Quotes“When enough people make false promises, words stop meaning anything. Then there are no more answers, only better and better lies.”“We have to be able to explain things without excusing them.”“The pay plan cannot be the manager.”“You can have a straight hourly shop where production is good. You can have a flat-rate shop where people are happy. But neither one happens by accident.”“A production incentive becomes punishment when too many things outside the employee's control take money out of their hands.”“A lot of people do not become bad owners all at once. It is slow, and then all at once.”“The danger is not just power. It is pressure, fear, frustration, and then the story we tell ourselves afterward.”Thanks to our Partner, Pico TechnologyAre you chasing elusive automotive problems? Pico Technology empowers you to see what's really happening. Their PicoScope oscilloscopes transform your diagnostic capabilities. Visit PicoAuto.comThanks to our Partner, AutelFrom drivability diagnostics and TPMS service to ADAS and advanced safety systems, Autel helps technicians follow OEM procedures and repair with confidence. Learn more at Autel.comContact InformationEmail Matt: mattfanslowpodcast@gmail.comDiagnosing the Aftermarket A - Z YouTube ChannelThe Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion. https://remarkableresults.biz/Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level. https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size. https://craigoneill.captivate.fm/

Like the show? Show your support by using our sponsors.Promotive can help you find your dream job. Touch HERE to see open jobs.Need to update your shop systems and software? Try Tekmetric HERELaunch your tool game to the next level with Launch Tech USA! HEREIn this episode, Jeff chats with Derek Amodio about his unique path back into the automotive industry after spending years working as a chef. Derek opens up about making the switch from the kitchen to the shop, the challenges of moving from hourly pay to flat rate at a Chrysler dealership, and why having the right culture and mentorship around you matters so much. They also talk about keeping up with changing automotive technology, the importance of ongoing training, and how a supportive team can make all the difference for techs getting started or finding their way back into the industry.Timestamps:00:00 Weather and tire myth discussion09:24 Getting hired at FedEx12:32 Choosing a dealership career path20:12 Using memory notebooks26:33 Challenges of incentivized pay systems28:41 Discussing job training and challenges33:37 Tech training and helpful tips42:17 Balancing work hours and breaks45:59 Installing car seats on Saturdays50:56 Thinking about future innovations54:38 Tesla maintenance issues59:28 Driving a yellow SRT8 Challenger01:04:11 Mechanics sharing car repair challenges01:12:19 Teamwork and helping each other01:18:12 Discussing technician pay plans01:21:48 Chrysler heater core issue workaround01:25:34 Supportive service manager01:33:29 Supporting each other in tough times Follow/Subscribe to the show on social media! TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@jeffcompton7YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@TheJadedMechanicFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091347564232

This episode explores the unique perspectives of pharmacy technician educators and their role in shaping the next generation of technicians. Listeners will gain insights into effective teaching strategies, current challenges in technician education, and innovative approaches to competency development.  The information presented during the podcast reflects solely the opinions of the presenter. The information and materials are not, and are not intended as, a comprehensive source of drug information on this topic. The contents of the podcast have not been reviewed by ASHP, and should neither be interpreted as the official policies of ASHP, nor an endorsement of any product(s), nor should they be considered as a substitute for the professional judgment of the pharmacist or physician.

Learn more about Refrigeration Mentor Customized Technical Training Programs at www.refrigerationmentor.com/courses Join the Refrigeration Mentor Hub here In this episode, I'm sharing the top seven basics every supermarket refrigeration technician needs to master. These encompass the fundamentals like superheat, subcooling, compression ratio, refrigerant flow, wiring diagrams, ladder diagrams, P&IDs, refrigeration schedules and sequence of operations. We'll also discuss safe electrical troubleshooting and proper meter use, understanding rack operation and the importance of controls, sensors, and communication networks. Revisiting these basics - no matter how long you'be been in the industry - are crucial to eliminating guesswork, diagnosing issues more confidently, cutting troubleshooting time and reducing callbacks. In this episode, we cover: (00:48) Seven Basics of Supermarket Refrigeration (00:55) Refrigeration Fundamentals (02:09) Electrical Diagrams (04:20) Meter Skills (05:09) Supermarket Rack Operation Basics (06:44) Case Components  (07:17) Refrigeration Controls (11:18) Building Troubleshooting Habits (13:43) Safety on Refrigeration Job Sites Helpful Links & Resources: CO2 Unfiltered Episode 395. Basics of Refrigeration: Importance of Revisiting the Fundamentals Episode 299. Basic Refrigeration 101 Episode 37. Refrigeration Fundamentals and Troubleshooting Training with HVAC Know It All

Don't get to the end of this year wishing you had taken action to change your business and your life.Click here to schedule a free discovery call for your business: https://geni.us/IFORABEShop-Ware gives you the tools to provide your shop with everything needed to become optimally profitable.Click here to schedule a free demo: https://info.shop-ware.com/profitabilityUtilize the fastest and easiest way to look up and order parts and tires with PartsTech absolutely free.Click here to get started: https://geni.us/PartsTechTransform your shop's marketing with the best in the automotive industry, Shop Marketing Pros! Get a free audit of your shop's current marketing by clicking here: https://geni.us/ShopMarketingPros In this episode, David and Lucas discuss the challenges of handling difficult customer complaints, specifically a negative review following a diagnostic process and the denial of repair work. They dive into the importance of clear communication, setting expectations with consumers, and defending the value of professional diagnostic procedures. Throughout the conversation, they emphasize the need for industry-wide improvement, highlighting how prioritizing quality repairs and properly educating both staff and customers can help move the automotive industry in a better direction.00:00 Client disputes repair charges04:23 Diagnostic process and repair decision06:32 Challenges of Dealing with Customers12:13 Discussing steak pricing strategies14:11 Handling customer expectations16:25 Discussing repair pricing strategy22:10 Ensuring quality car repairs24:46 Surrounding yourself with success26:35 Frustrations in the auto repair business32:03 Challenges of business growth35:45 Focusing on quality and process37:05 Why we started the show40:35 Technician frustrations over pricing

Alfred Crabtree, founder of Blade Repair Academy, and Sheryl Weinstein of SkySpecs join to discuss standardized technician training and risk reduction in blade repair. Sign up now for Uptime Tech News, our weekly email update on all things wind technology. This episode is sponsored by Weather Guard Lightning Tech. Learn more about Weather Guard’s StrikeTape Wind Turbine LPS retrofit. Follow the show on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Linkedin and visit Weather Guard on the web. And subscribe to Rosemary Barnes’ YouTube channel here. Have a question we can answer on the show? Email us! Allen Hall: Alfred and Sheryl, welcome to the program. Sheryl Weinstein: Thanks. Allen Hall: So we’re in Dunlap, Tennessee, not too far from Nashville, uh, and also close to. Chattanooga Chattanooga, and we’re in the Smoky Mountains ish region. We’re Alfred Crabtree: no, we’re, we’re, you could consider it Appalachia for sure. Sure. Okay. Uh, we’re on the, in the valley called the Seche Valley, uh, which splits the Cumberland Plateau. So we’re, we’re in a valley and we have hills a thousand feet above us here. Yeah. Either way. It’s beautiful. Joel Saxum: Yeah. It’s a great drive in here. Alfred Crabtree: Yeah. It’s a unique place. Yeah. Allen Hall: And we’re at Blade Repair Academy, which, uh, if you’re not familiar with Blade Repair Academy, you should be. Uh, because a lot of the good training that happens in the United States actually happens to play repair, repair Care blade, repair academy. Uh, yeah, it’s been a long week at uh, OMS this week and we got the introduction today. This is the first time we’ve been on site. That’s right. And, uh, we wanted to see all the cool things that are happening [00:01:00] here. And it really comes down to technician training competency. Working with blades, working with tools, knowing what you’re doing up tower when you’re on the blade, which is hard to train. It’s really hard to train, and both you and Cheryl have a ton of experience being up on blades and repairing blades and scarfing and doing all the critical features that have to happen to make blades work today. It’s a tough training regimen. There’s a lot to it and a lot of subtleties that don’t always get transferred over from teachers to students unless you have. Done it for a number of years. You wanna kind of just walk through the philosophy of Blade Repair Academy? Alfred Crabtree: Yes. The, uh, you’ve, you’ve outlined quite well some of the issues. The environment where we work is very hard to take a ti the time to put somebody through a training regimen. We’re so constrained by weather windows and then. You know, even if the weather’s nice, lightning can come, wind [00:02:00] speeds can cut off your workday. So production, production, production is what’s important. And Cheryl and I both come from the rope access method. And in the rope access method, 95% of the time you’re up there alone. And if you’re up there and you’re producing, you’ve got your blinders on. Speaker 2: Mm-hmm. Alfred Crabtree: And you’re not ready to share with somebody else what to do. Speaker 2: Mm-hmm. Alfred Crabtree: With the basket or platform, you can have two even three people up on Blade, but it still has all these constraints of get the job done, get the job done. There’s a lot of stress up there. And having the bandwidth to take on new information or to challenge some preconceived notions or try, that’s not the place to do it. So knowing that. Blade Repair Academy is built so that we have an environment that simulates all of the up tower stuff without being up tower. And you’re gonna have the time you need to invest in your learning without consequences. Right. So it’s a very much a [00:03:00] about creating the right environment to uptake the new information. And we have found a lot of help from. Manufacturers and suppliers in the industry to sponsor us because obviously it behooves them to have their materials in the hands of trainees. So we’re also able to help companies come up with, uh, new solutions, try new products. Speaker 2: Mm-hmm. Alfred Crabtree: New, uh, you know, what’s the best practice. For this, if you’re up on Blade and you have a way of top coating and you get a new product and your way of top coating doesn’t suit that product, well chuck it down. I’ll never touch it again. Yeah. Because I did not perform well here we can, we can give you training. We have, of course, been trained by the suppliers about what’s the best product to use, what’s the best way to go about things, and then, and then we can disseminate it. So that’s the fundamental reason why the space is. Is [00:04:00] what it is. Joel Saxum: Yeah. And I think that that’s, that’s a good segue to be honest with you, right here, right behind these doors you have a classroom. That’s right. Right. So in this facility, all composed in one, we have a classroom here we have your additive and subtractive. I liked how you said that to us when you’re giving us the tour. Uh, but we’ve got a, a grinding booth basically over here and we’ve got, um, a layup area here where you can teach. 16 people at a time. Alfred Crabtree: That’s right. Yeah. That would be max Joel Saxum: for sure. Alfred Crabtree: Yeah. Sheryl Weinstein: And in a vertical surface, so, ’cause all the stuff that you’re doing in the field, right, is always in a vertical surface. Mm-hmm. So there’s a, there is a big difference between working where gravity is sort of against you, especially with larger laminations and things like that. So being able to do your training and simulate the same, a similar way that you would work in the field is pretty critical, I would think. Allen Hall: And actually working on. Actual repairs. Simulated repairs, yeah. Mm-hmm. Now, don’t explain how you created them, because I know secret sauce. It’s a secret sauce. Yes. But I did look at the blade [00:05:00] damage. It, it looks exactly like a lightly strike. Yeah. Which a predominant amount of repairs are about, unless there’s, you know, serial defects, as Cheryl has pointed out numerous times, but. Being able to repair something that’s quasi real is critical because we’ve been to other places and the repairs are, well, I’ll take a hammer and I’ll hit this and, okay, sure you got a DA, you gotta repair that. But that’s not real. And getting, getting the people to use the tools in the right way, vertically Speaker 2: mm-hmm. Allen Hall: Is the key. Because although the, the, the article, the test sample isn’t moving around like you are up on a blade, it’s still difficult. And unless you have the proper techniques and the approaches, yeah, it’s gonna be dang near impossible. We explain some of the blade repairs that Joel and I have seen more recently is like. It’s a little rough and it shouldn’t have to be so rough because it is a skill that you have to learn and acquire over time. But you have to know the fundamentals. That’s what Blade Repair Academy is here to teach you those [00:06:00] fundamentals. Like, yes, it’s gonna take time, but if you work it this way, at least you’re gonna be successful. Alfred Crabtree: Yeah. And if you’re managing a team of employees who are doing this, it, it would be great to have the insight of what your teams. Strengths and weaknesses are, yeah, you can figure out how to deploy people, but also how to, you know, maybe fix some of those problems. Mm-hmm. Our panels that you brought up are standardized. Everyone looks exactly the same. It’s the exact same makeup, and we standardize the damage. So when somebody has to repair damage here, the core removal size is the same on everyone. That way when we’re comparing the reports, you can actually have a apples to apples comparison of the, the trainees. Outcome. Speaker 2: Mm-hmm. Alfred Crabtree: And now you, you know, in, in the model that you talked about where people will go to a, you know, their junkyard of blades and they’ll find spots on blades to put their eight guys on. Those eight people are not gonna be doing the same repair. And even if they are collecting data, what are you [00:07:00] comparing? It’s not Joel Saxum: apples to apples. Yeah. It’s not. Alfred Crabtree: So we really tried to start from the beginning, fresh with a whole new idea of how to approach this. Mm-hmm. By not being attached to an ISP, we don’t have to deal with. Oh, here, use all our leftovers. Yeah. Yeah. That’s your training budget. Yeah. Yeah. And oh yeah. We, you know, we’re an, we’re a owner operator, so yeah. Go work on that blade in the grass. Mm-hmm. That those limit what precious time we have available to train. Yeah. So this thing from the ground up is about. Making as much advance in the skillset and understanding that technician in the, in the week that they’re here. Joel Saxum: I think that was a really cool thing we touched on as well. Your, your team here as well, Cheryl. Thanks for traveling up to, to hang out with us. Offer some insights too. But you guys, because you’ve been in the people that have developed a curriculum yourself, Cheryl, your, some of your team sitting over here, uh, and, and people around the industry that have helped out with the place, you have the ability of like, okay, we have. Eight brand new technicians. Let’s make [00:08:00] sure we walk through how to measure from the trailing edge to the blade center up, mark this thing out, these kind of things all the way to some stuff that I didn’t really think about that much. Like I’ve used an angle grinder before, right? But I’ve never looked at five different ones and decided which one would be the best for my hands. Thinking about it up on the blade, how you’d handle it with your fingers, these kind of things like, I was like, man, that’s, those are real insights that you’re not gonna get to learn. Like why put someone up to let them have a whole season or a whole summer, two summers figuring out how to hold a grinder? Well, when they can learn from someone that’s been doing it for years and years and years and can teach them these things. So from advanced or from very beginners learning fundamentals to advanced training, you guys have gotta cover here. Alfred Crabtree: There’s something here to glean for everybody, and even if you are a well experienced technician, maybe what you’re gonna get most is learning how to talk the language of the new techs and the new hires who are getting the. Introductory course training. You know, our, our el our basic course is called support. It’s 40 hours [00:09:00] and it’s really about making, uh, an employee who can support a lead. And then if that person follows up with the lead training in a whatever interval of time of their choice, which is kind of another benefit here, we can train you any week of the year. That is where we start to really get this, we call it the retention vortex. Right where we layer up technician training and somebody who’s had level two now gets a level one with them. Now there’s some synergies. Now they’re getting some really efficiencies. A commonality of language, a commonality of process, you know, eliminating variables. Uh, and that’s how you’re gonna have to build new net capacity and build new teams Allen Hall: and that common language. Is really unique, but that comes from your experience in the field, mostly at rope partner, where you both really got your teeth in this industry. Speaker 2: Mm-hmm. Allen Hall: But communicating to one another correctly so you can pass along to the next crew or even explain what you did to the engineer, the. Properly [00:10:00] there is. There is a culture to it. There is a language to it, and you just don’t pick that up. By going from wind turbine to wind turbine. You pick it up in training from someone who knows how to do it. It’s really critical. Sheryl Weinstein: It’s pretty critical to have baseline training. I think it is also very important to follow it up with field experience and skills building because every blade model is different. Every repair is different. You’re always gonna encounter something that deviates from that like standard approach to your repair. You have to kind of know how to problem solve, and that kind of only comes with the field experience, but having a more standardized training to start with, it’s something that industry doesn’t really have and is really needed. I think across the board it also helps, you know. Owner operators or even OEMs kind of track their ISPs and understand what level of text do you have, what experience do they have and how, how does that differ across their different [00:11:00] levels? If we have one ISP training one way over here and another one training another way over here, and they have different sets of certifications. It’s really hard to keep that all together and evaluate it as an owner operator or an OEM, you know, using a vendor. So I think having a place like Blade Academy that’s agnostic and separate from like, you know, the actual ISP really helps to standardize that a bit more. Allen Hall: Yeah, because the key is we’re getting to, well, we’re gonna cross a hundred thousand turbines in the United States pretty quickly. Yep. Joel Saxum: Before 2030, or probably rated about 2030. Allen Hall: Right. That’s. Soon. Mm-hmm. How are we gonna manage that? And there’s a lot of new people coming into the industry, obviously. How are we gonna train ’em up properly? How are we gonna communicate to one another? And there’s just so much movement in the industry. I. It makes it hard, I think, because weirdly enough, I think ISPs develop their own little culture about how to deal with things, and then they hop to the next company and it’s a different language. Exactly. And that needs to go away. Yeah. There’s a, Alfred Crabtree: there’s a branch of business that’s [00:12:00] OEM centric and there’s a branch of business that’s asset owner. Yeah. Post warranty. And those are really two different things. And, and there’s a veil of secrecy between one and the other. Yeah. And we kind of feel here at Blade Repair Academy that we’re like this polyglot that can talk to everybody because we don’t have, we’re not an ip You’re not competing, we’re not an O You’re not competing. Yeah, we’re not competing. But we, we, you know, we have the, we wanna provide this data as a clearinghouse. You know, we talk about certification in the non standards. Well, the way we deal with it is we’ll give you a certificate. And it’s got our brand on it. But you know, what does that mean? Yeah. What? That And $4 will get you a Starbucks the way we do it, maybe not even then. Right? The way, the way we, not four bucks Sheryl Weinstein: for Starbucks, maybe 10 Alfred Crabtree: and a half hour wait in the line. But the way you know, what we do is we provide you with a deliverable. We knew, we knew that. Okay. Our certification is, you know, ether. Speaker 2: Mm-hmm. Alfred Crabtree: But [00:13:00] this report. That everybody who comes through here generates that you can compare. Now you’re gonna have to go to work and study these reports when you get ’em as a deliverable. Speaker 2: Mm-hmm. Alfred Crabtree: As a, you know, an employer, but we we’re giving you what you need. Mm-hmm. To make some decisions about what do I have to work on, what else do we need to improve upon? Allen Hall: Yeah. Not everybody’s built for this job, but you wanna be able to suss that out. Earlier rather than later. Yeah. Right. I mean, there’s other things to do with wind turbines that don’t evolve blade repair. And if they don’t necessarily have the skillset or the comprehension to do some of these more complex things, maybe blade repair is not it. Right. But rather know that now. Yeah. Right. And the Blade Repair Academy is a place to do that because there’s a standard there, right? Mm-hmm. And I, I, as Joel has pointed out, yeah, there’s a lot of erratic training that goes on. Mm-hmm. You can’t compare student A to student Z. Blade repair academy. You can. Alfred Crabtree: We can. Mm-hmm. Right. Allen Hall: And if, if I’m an ISP, I want that. Sure. I want you to tell me [00:14:00] who’s on top and who’s kind of the middle so I can make decisions about where to deploy ’em and who and who to put ’em with. Joel Saxum: Yeah. ’cause at the end of the day, every ISP, uh, every ISP that’s trying to grow and scale effectively is trying to do that at the end of the year, right? Yeah. They’re looking through, they’re grading their technicians, finding out who’s the next lead, who’s this, who’s that? But this is a great way to do that, sort them through in a controlled setting. I mean, we sat in, in your training facility in the actual classroom here, and you walked us through some of the online, the online training platform that you have built. Some of the things the students have to do before they get here, and then kind of how you walk ’em through things, and it’s impressive. It’s good stuff, right? So when you have that combined with the both sides of blade repair, subtractive, additive, right? You get to get this, this holistic view of what that blade technician can do. Yeah. Right? And that’s, that’s one of the things you guys offer here, which I think is fantastic. Alfred Crabtree: Yeah. And we’re trying to constantly improve, you know, we’re talking with OEMs about dissemination of operating procedures or work instructions, share with us [00:15:00] work instructions. We’ll build analogs. That we can train to. Mm-hmm. And we can test off of it. We can verify skill sets. You know, we have a lot of serial flaw campaigns out there that are critical. And do we wanna unleash anybody on it or do we want to know that those people can do it? I think everybody wants to know that they can do it, whether they’re the. Technician themselves, or the person writing the checks. Speaker 2: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Alfred Crabtree: Everywhere in that loop wants to Now not everybody wants to pay for it. Yeah. But we all need it. Speaker 2: Yeah. Alfred Crabtree: And so somewhere along the line, you’re paying for it in the forms of our favorite acronym, COPQ. That’s Joel Saxum: right. Cost support, quality. You know, speaking about the idea of serial defects or known problems in the industry and how to prepare people for those, how do you prepare people for those? Well, they gotta get the experience by just. Grinding away Top coat and getting into him. I walked in here and I looked at this blade sample we have here, and I was looking at it and I go, it looks like a 48.7 C Oh yeah. Buddy walks over you like our 48.7 C I’m like, [00:16:00] man, you guys did a good job on, you know, like, so, so I made a lot of money on 48.7, you know, so to walk in here and see these different tickets that you guys have built, you know, carbon plank and different things with carbon spars and hey, we’re gonna do a carbon spa repair. We have this boom, now we can work on it. Mm-hmm. You know, and we’ll Alfred Crabtree: work with you to solve your problem in a really quick, efficient manner. Mm-hmm. You know, I think one of the things that we have is operational readiness. Most people who are training in-house flip their hat around for a couple weeks and train composites. Mm-hmm. In a limited capacity in the warehouse or at the dock at the truck during January. During January, whatever. And then they flip their hat back on and they go deal with it. And I think the hiring situation is so tough. Like working at Height, you probably need to make sure somebody can tolerate working at height. Yeah. Before you invest in composite training, I mean. You have so many things you have to juggle in your particular situation. When do I put money in this person? We get that. [00:17:00] And so we’re open all the weeks of the year. So we can do this at any time. Of course, everyone wants it in the end of first quarter. Mm-hmm. You know, right before the season starts. So we have a, you know, you have to, you gotta schedule with us, but we can really do this anytime. And so you don’t have to one and done and live with it. Speaker 2: Mm-hmm. Alfred Crabtree: You know, it. You can fit the training into your hiring schema wherever you feel fit, and you can hire people. And if there are stars, bring them in for their secondary, they’re execute their lead training whenever you want. You know, so you can, we can be very flexible and in the advanced stages we will make what you need, you know, obviously has to make business sense for us, but we’ll make blades to replicate the problems you’re facing. Sheryl Weinstein: And I think in terms of like what you were saying when you’re working on, you knows whether we wanna call them recurring issues or serial defects. A lot of it is awareness, right? It’s awareness [00:18:00] of understanding the blade structure, at least at a basic level. It’s awareness of understanding what you’re looking at. It’s, you know, we’re only gonna better inform the industry and the OEM if our technicians have a level of awareness to sort of bring up things that they see as they’re doing repairs. So if they notice that, for example, the, the fibers are misaligned, right? That could indicate that that was a wrinkle, and them having that level of communication or documentation will only help then inform the OEM. Like, is this the reason behind that problem? And so I think like. You know, with Alfred and, and the curriculum here at Blade Academy, them kind of, you know, setting a standard for how, how you know, the structure of the blade, the different types of blades you may see, whether they have carbon fiber in them, or you know, fiberglass, UD spars. Where those things are located, [00:19:00] what to be aware of as you’re removing damaged material. It’s really critical to the overall quality and just the awareness of the tech on the blade and that feedback loop that we’re lacking so much in this industry. Alfred Crabtree: Yeah, for sure. Yeah, and we have our boilerplate products that come from, you know, like, uh, Cheryl was my mentor at RP and wrote partner, and she taught me a lot and a lot of the. The, the way we do things here comes from the rope, a rope access paradigm, which, you know, actually is backward compatible because if with rope access, you’re doing things alone. Speaker 2: Yeah. Alfred Crabtree: So if we’ve have ways and, and processes that allow that to happen alone, then when you’re on a basket or a platform with an extra person, you can only benefit Yeah. That much easier. Yeah. Um, it’s where we come from, you Joel Saxum: know, and, and that’s a good point, right? Like when we’re sitting here, rip Blade Repair Academy. Alfred, you’re here. Cheryll, you’re joining us today. These are two X blade technicians that have been on all kinds of blades. They have been up and down on ropes. So it’s training by [00:20:00] trainers who have been the technicians that’s important. Who have seen the problems. Yeah, yeah. You know, who have lived, have lived that road life. We talked, you’re joking about living in hotels, right? Mm-hmm. Like that have done, gone through that, right? So you’re learning from people that aren’t just like, oh, I hate the idea of going to a university and learning HR or something, whatever, from someone who’s never done it in the real world. Yeah. You know, uh, the trainers here have done it in the real world, um, and it shows. Alfred Crabtree: Thanks, man. And you know, the other thing too is our tagline is practical and contemporary. And the thing is, I’m no longer contemporary. Like I left the field years ago. I rely on folks like Cheryl, who’s still in the, in the Blade Services game over there at Skys Specs. She’s on, she’s got a full subscription to the cereal floss that are out there. Joel Saxum: Yeah. Probably the best one in the industry, to be honest with you. Alfred Crabtree: Well, you know. Uh, I think so. I don’t know anything about serial flaw, but it’s, it’s input from the rest of the industry that’s gonna allow this to continue. Otherwise, we’re gonna be, you know, [00:21:00] a 10-year-old standard that isn’t relevant anymore and that’s not what we want to do. So, outreach like Cheryl and I are talking about, Hey, what is it in your product line that should be in our product line? And I want to talk to OEMs and, uh. Owner operators, you know, what is it? What are your pain points? What in your fleet is needing attention? And of course, we’re gonna do all this with the business case, right? Mm-hmm. Like we wanna take LEP products and place them head to head and give a two day clinic or seminar to stakeholders, to purchasers. You know, we wanna give our, our two, our five day course condensed into two days. Where people who are stakeholders who are making decisions about where to place technicians, they should get out here and gr and grind a little bit and get a little empathy for their position. Hard work. The hard work of the Sheryl Weinstein: hard work that it is. Yeah. And then kind of understand Alfred Crabtree: from another side where the [00:22:00] communication breakdown is. ’cause it’s, it’s not all the texts, right? Mm-hmm. You know, they have a, you gotta understand how heavily loaded they are, you know, when they’re in the field. Mm-hmm. Um, so we’re, we’re at the place now where we’re really looking to do some outreach and talk to, uh, regulatory bodies that are starting to come up with standards, right? Like the IEC group met and pro produce a draft standard and they’re gonna work on the repair standard. And that’s a, a little bit of a ways away, but I can’t sit around and wait for, for standards to come to me. So we got this thing started. If you build it, they will come. You guys came, you know, Cheryl came and, um. We we’re really proud of where we’re at, but at the same time, it’s like, okay guys, the rest of the industry, now we’re here. Now you need to know, now you need to take advantage of us. Mm-hmm. And help tell us what you need. So I think the Sheryl Weinstein: LEP thing is a really good call out because I do see a lot of customers questioning what do I choose? How do I know [00:23:00] what to choose? Absolutely. Should my vendor be telling me what to choose? And that’s what happens in many cases, is that the ISP just kind of tells the owner operator. This is what you should use. Well, why, and, and what, you know, how have we ever really sized up like one against the other? Like in any true, I don’t know, study? No. And a lot of the, a lot of the like. Those different types of LEP, the, the companies that you know have these, they don’t have a lot of good documentation on showing like how their products stand up. I mean, it’s kind of, it’s more theory based than anything. I mean, they put ’em through rain erosion tests and whatever, but. It’s, I feel like that’s a tough space. It’s also a very, like, um, a very tough scope of work to have high quality at. So more training around it is necessary. You know, repair companies don’t wanna use their high skilled repair techs for the LEP because they need them for the more complex repairs [00:24:00] yet. The LEP is so susceptible to quality issues, and if you’re gonna pay an extreme amount of money to, you know, put the LEP to fix your erosion, put the LEP on blades, hope for a performance improvement, and then it fails in a year. I. That’s no help to anybody. So these different products, they also come with different price points. Like, can we really value the shell over the coating? I, I just find that this is a tough space. And so doing something like that and doing more training around LEPI think is probably pretty important. Yes. You know, unless the robots are gonna take it over and then, well, even then, I think it’s the only app. Allen Hall: The application, that’s the variable there. And not having people trained up for that particular LEP product is a huge problem because it’s super risky. You’re risking all that money and time and having to do it all over again and removing LEP that has been improperly applied. It’s a nightmare. [00:25:00] Nightmare. Total nightmare. You don’t want that to happen. And I’ve seen sites where that’s happened, getting technicians. Trained properly for the right material and doing that here up in Tennessee is, is the right approach. It’s risk reduction, which is what the industry is in right now. Risk reduction. Alfred Crabtree: Yeah. Yeah, we, we’ve beliefs. That’s a great way to put it. You know, if you hire somebody. We were talking earlier how there are like two models. One is like the New York Yankees, where you’re going to be buying all the expensive free agents. You can poaching people from other, you know, trying to get experienced talent. You’re paying a premium for them, but you aren’t gonna know until halfway through that season how that person is performing. Yeah. You know, that is a lot of. That was, that is a lot of variability that you could control. Mm-hmm. And in a seasonal business, those weeks are really multiplied by two or three. Right. In terms of like the impact on your revenue and your opportunity to make money. It’s risk reduction, like Alan was saying. Yeah. It’s Allen Hall: all risk, right? Yeah. And the, [00:26:00] the way that the industry is moving and the pace at which is moving right now, risk reduction starts to move to the top five years ago. We do a lot of risky things because we’re making money. Interest rates are low and, but today we cannot afford to do that. And if you watch the industry change right now, it is gonna be more focused than ever in having proper technicians on site that they complete the job that they were intended to do. Precisely, accurately, and once, not twice. Once. Yeah. And that is gonna be the marker of the, whether this industry grows or not. Mm-hmm. And that’s why Blade Repair Academy is needed so much. Now, Alfred, how do you interface with the ISPs, OEMs, and the operators in terms of getting people out here? How do they, how do they push that button and say, Alfred, I’m gonna send you 40 technicians next week. How does that, how does that go? I don’t quite have that down Alfred Crabtree: yet. But, uh, you know, it, we talked earlier, it’s a small world. You know, blade repair is small. There [00:27:00] we mentioned if you, there’s a hundred people in the industry you need to know and then you’ve covered it. Um, our, I think we’ve been, we’ve been kind of riding this new wave of like, oh, who’s this new kid on the block? And, and we can kind of be quiet and still are mysterious. And I pop up at a conference and host a round table or whatever. Uh, so far. It’s mainly been our personal network, which is large enough in this gig to, to get people in. ISPs are much more likely to do it small is ISPs are much more likely to do it. Owner operators, they’re trying to build their training centers. They have a little different, that’s a different model though. It’s a different model. Um, they’re, they’re tougher to get. So primarily it’s been ISPs. We have definitely a, a, a curriculum for new hires, right? We call it support, but we’re [00:28:00] reluctant to go sell that to the street or to the public. Like, Hey, enter the industry here, because we don’t quite yet have that, you know, guarantee that people will recognize our certificate and. Use it to hire people. I don’t quite have that system in place. However, I have so much interest from the Department of Labor to support us in creating an occupation. They want us to build apprenticeship programs. We need corporate sponsor, we need a big employer or to to buy in, and then we can create an apprenticeship program. Then we can find public money for people to get some support to get into a new, a new industry. So, well, they Allen Hall: need to come out here. They need to come out to Dunlap. And visit the facilities, talk with you, understand what the philosophy is, see it up close. There’s a lot of them have been to other places. Sure. And see what the differences are here. And, and that’s gonna be the decision maker. They’re gonna see what the product walking out the door is and [00:29:00] go into the classroom and, and get the grinder, right? Yes. Get, get your hands dirty a little bit. Yeah. And realize, yes, this is what I was looking for to begin with. I just couldn’t find it. And I found it here in Tennessee. Alfred Crabtree: Yeah, I, I think you’re right. And, and we, we are slowly, you know, bringing people in that we know, like the reason why y’all are here and some other folks have visited us this week is because o and m was in Nashville. And I was like, come on, come on. We’re only two hours away. We’ll buy you lunch. Come on. Pretty place. Yeah. You have to see this place to understand it because we are sort of, you know, outsiders, right? I mean, we’re, we’re from the, the industry, but we’re not. We’re not a spinoff of any company. We’re not a division of an ISP. We’re totally organic and unique in a, in a part of the world that doesn’t have any wind. So, yeah. Uh, but once you get here, you get it. The economics make sense. You know, we couldn’t do what we’ve done anywhere else as cheaply as we’ve done, which means we feel like we’re super value rich for what you’re paying and for the amount of time that you’re spending [00:30:00] here. Allen Hall: Oh, 100%. Uh. Let’s give the ISPs, the OEMs and the operators, uh, where to go. What’s the website? Where can they find you on LinkedIn? Alfred Crabtree: We’re at blade repair academy.com. Uh, we’re located in Dunlap, Tennessee. We’re on Blade Repair Academy at LinkedIn. I’m Alfred Crabtree. You can find me there. Uh. Allen Hall: Yeah, that’s where you need to go because that’s how the process starts. If you want to have high level technicians that really know how to work on composites and are working with real materials on simulated, but. Pretty realistic damage. Yeah. Weirdly realistic. Yeah. Secret sauce. And to get some sort of validation and to kind of get graded. Mm-hmm. And so you have a, a, a sense of how they’re doing. You’re going to have to go to Blade Repair Academy. You need to get out to Tennessee and you better check it out because I, Alfred, I gotta be honest, this place is gonna get crazy busy [00:31:00] and I’m gonna have. ISPs calling me saying, can you get a hold of Alfred and get me inside? Can you get me in? No, I can’t because it’s Alfred’s deal and Alfred’s gonna run this thing. We’re very approachable and, but very approachable. Keep calling, he’ll answer and take care of you, but it’s gonna get busy because the philosophy here is the right one. Thanks. So congratulations for putting this together and thank you for the invite. Uh, it is been a pleasure to see it. It’s uh, it, it’s great to know that you are around and you’re helping the industry. Alfred Crabtree: Thank you. We appreciate it and you guys are a great clarion for the industry. A great voice. So, uh, those words, uh, right in the fields. And I wanna thank Cheryl too for coming out. I haven’t seen her for a while. It’s funny ’cause today I, on my phone, you know, five years ago today, she and I were here before this business existed as rope partner employees working on r and d week doing infusions. So, uh, Sheryl Weinstein: the space has transformed. It’s amazing. Yeah. You guys have done a, a [00:32:00] really great job. Like I, yeah, I think you’re definitely pushing the industry into a, like a new realm. Bringing something that, that it really needs, you know, that we don’t have at the moment or that we didn’t have. Alfred Crabtree: Yeah, well hopefully, uh, it improves everybody’s quality of product and the bottom line. ’cause uh, you know, that’s what we’ll do. We’ll affect your bottom line for sure. Allen Hall: So Sheryl and Alfred, thank you so much for being on the podcast. Thanks guys. Right, Sheryl Weinstein: thank you.

Jim Sennett is the manager of repair programs at AAA (American Automobile Association), where he oversees the Approved Auto Repair network of roughly 6,000 shops across the country, about 5,000 independents and 1,000 dealerships, along with the club's emerging technologies work on EVs and hybrids. He came up through Goodyear, starting as a tire changer and working through alignment tech, service advisor, service manager, and store manager across two stints with the company. Between his Goodyear years and his current role he spent nearly a decade in law enforcement before returning to the industry.Jim has been with AAA for 12 years and serves as Vice Chair of the ASE Education Foundation, which puts him at the center of how the industry is responding to the technician shortage in auto repair; both through the certification side and through the apprenticeship program AAA built with NAPA to bring new people into the trade.In this episode…The technician shortage in auto repair stopped being an abstract talking point around 2022-2023, when AAA's approved shops started telling Jim Sennett the same thing in different words: the tows keep coming, the waiting rooms keep filling up, and there's nobody behind the bay door to do the work. AAA's response was to stop waiting for the trade-school pipeline to fix itself and build a parallel one, partnering with NAPA on an apprenticeship program designed to take someone out of a grocery store, a fast-food job, or a closed-down factory and turn them into a working technician in 18 to 24 months.Jim walks through the actual mechanics: $300 a year per person, free for shops already running NAPA, but built parts-supplier agnostic so O'Reilly, Advance, and AutoZone shops are not locked out. The program is self-paced and mentor-based inside the shop, and the apprentice finishes with four ASE certifications; brakes, steering and suspension, A/C, and electrical. He also gets into why the recruiting pitch itself is part of the problem. The trade is still being sold as the "Cooter from Dukes of Hazzard" job; greasy coveralls, wrench in hand, when the actual work is a laptop in one hand and a diagnostic tool in the other. The shortage closes faster when the marketing catches up to what the job has become.The other thread worth following is Jim's story about a Buffalo shop owner who was a few months from closing. Jim sat down with him, looked at the numbers, and made him do two things first: raise labor rates and raise parts margins. The shop is now operating out of its second, bigger location.Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn: [01:14] Introducing Jim Sennett and his role at AAA[02:45] Early career path from college into a general service technician role at Goodyear[04:26] Overseeing AAA's Approved Auto Repair program[08:49] The three-decade partnership between AAA and NAPA[09:40] Reframing the technician's image in the modern trade[10:36] Formative lessons from Goodyear's management training[13:28] Addressing the technician shortage through the AAA/NAPA apprenticeship[17:30] Rescuing a Buffalo shop through disciplined pricing and margin strategy[21:06] Leading with a firm, fair, and consistent standard[24:35] The under-promise, over-deliver principle and the Five Guys case study[26:48] Closing reflections and hometown conversationResources mentioned in this episode:Jim Sennett on LinkedInAmerican Automobile AssociationASE Education FoundationTread PartnersGain Traction Podcast on YouTubeGain Traction Podcast WebsiteMike Edge on LinkedInQuotable Moments:“These men and women are professional people out there, you got a laptop in your hand now, you're doing more work on a computer than you are turning wrenches.""You find the right person, the right personality for you, and we'll give you a program, and we'll make them into a technician in 18 months to two years.""Always be firm, fair and consistent every day.""I'm always a fan of under-promising and over-delivering.""If you can't be your word, or you can't have someone that believes in you, it kind of sets a bad foundation and we know what happens with bad foundations, the building tends to crumble."Action Steps:Audit your labor rates and parts margins this week, raise both if the math says so.Enroll one career-changer in the AAA/NAPA apprenticeship at $300 a year and assign a senior tech as mentor.Rewrite your tech job postings to lead with diagnostics, scan tools, and EV work, not wrench-turning.Pick one customer promise: timeline, price, or scope, and engineer the over delivery.Join AAA's Approved Auto Repair program to access the apprenticeship pricing and the nationwide warranty.

If you're leading a service department or responsible for fixed ops performance, this is one of those conversations you don't skip. In this episode, I sit down with someone I've known and respected for years, Mitch Kudler, COO of Simms Auto Group… a guy who didn't just study the business, he lived every role in it. From technician to advisor to GM to executive leadership, Mitch brings a perspective that most leaders simply don't have. We dig into what most GMs misunderstand about service, why retention is the real game (not transactions), and the small decisions that quietly cost dealerships millions, like losing tire business or failing to create a real first service experience. Mitch breaks down the importance of transparency, why MPIs and video are still wildly underutilized, and how culture inside your store directly impacts customer trust. This conversation also hits leadership hard, how to unify sales and service, why most managers don't actually understand their numbers, and the simple but powerful act of walking your store and listening. If you want stronger retention, better CSI, and a team that actually works together… this one will stay with you. And personally? This one meant a lot. Mitch is one of those people I've always admired from afar—and every time we talk, I walk away better. Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki Podcast |

Don't get to the end of this year wishing you had taken action to change your business and your life.Click here to schedule a free discovery call for your business: https://geni.us/IFORABEShop-Ware gives you the tools to provide your shop with everything needed to become optimally profitable.Click here to schedule a free demo: https://info.shop-ware.com/profitabilityUtilize the fastest and easiest way to look up and order parts and tires with PartsTech absolutely free.Click here to get started: https://geni.us/PartsTechTransform your shop's marketing with the best in the automotive industry, Shop Marketing Pros! Get a free audit of your shop's current marketing by clicking here: https://geni.us/ShopMarketingPros In this episode, Austin joins the Changing The Industry Podcast to discuss his journey from dealership technician to shop owner in South Carolina. Austin shares the challenges of buying a shop as a young technician, including navigating the SBA loan acquisition process and building a reliable team after early hiring struggles. The conversation covers practical strategies for technician management and compensation, as well as the importance of professional bookkeeping and mentorship as a shop grows.00:00 Navigating industry-exclusive groups08:31 Hiring the first technician13:09 Starting the podcast idea20:25 Cost transparency with manufacturers23:02 ETI's role in tool manufacturing27:38 Managing car programming and updates34:15 Car's auto-braking false alarms39:15 Quick and safe control arm repair44:53 Building a strong technician team52:07 Technician attendance and bonus policy55:11 Dealing with difficult coworkers58:51 Growing with business mentors01:05:03 Evaluating business coach effectiveness01:12:50 Importance of clean financial records01:14:53 Wanting a strict accountant

T0A – Power circuits and hazards: hazardous voltages, fuses and circuit breakers, grounding, electrical code compliance, Lightning protection; Battery safety. T0B – Antenna safety: tower safety and grounding, installing antennas, antenna supports. T0C - RF hazards: radiation exposure, proximity to antennas, recognized safe power levels, radiation types, duty cycle. 1:26:11

T0A – Power circuits and hazards: hazardous voltages, fuses and circuit breakers, grounding, electrical code compliance, Lightning protection; Battery safety. T0B – Antenna safety: tower safety and grounding, installing antennas, antenna supports. T0C - RF hazards: radiation exposure, proximity to antennas, recognized safe power levels, radiation types, duty cycle. 1:26:11

On the phone-in: Listeners call repair technician, Aaron Publicover, to get answers about their appliances. And off the top of the show, we speak with Darlene Oakes about a new program on PEI to get cooling systems in private long-term care homes. We also hear your feedback on trains and cycling.

You're doing the work of 40 people, but you only have one life. It's time to stop being the Everything Officer."

What are the simplest, lowest-cost ways to improve your fleet, without new budget, approvals, or tools? In this episode, Facundo Tassara and Steve Saltzgiver break down the “low-hanging fruit” in fleet management: the overlooked opportunities that can drive massive gains in efficiency, safety, and cost savings. They cover: Why pre- and post-trip inspections are your biggest missed opportunity The true cost of ignoring small issues (and how they escalate fast) How proactive maintenance prevents exponential risk and liability Easy ways to improve technician productivity immediately Why shop culture and leadership presence drive real performance Hidden savings in fuel audits, vendor management, and surplus assets If you're a fleet leader looking to eliminate blind spots, improve operations, and lead with confidence, this episode gives you practical actions you can implement today.

Manufacturers aren't just losing workers — they're losing decades of institutional knowledge. Nick Haase, co-founder of MaintainX, explains how the “silver tsunami” is exposing gaps in maintenance data and why companies that fail to capture that knowledge now risk falling behind.

In this episode, we look at how pharmacy compliance intersects with drug diversion. Hear expert insights, real-world examples, and practical strategies to protect your practice and your patients.  The information presented during the podcast reflects solely the opinions of the presenter. The information and materials are not, and are not intended as, a comprehensive source of drug information on this topic. The contents of the podcast have not been reviewed by ASHP, and should neither be interpreted as the official policies of ASHP, nor an endorsement of any product(s), nor should they be considered as a substitute for the professional judgment of the pharmacist or physician.

Send us Fan MailIf you are still opening Premiere Pro every day, you have a $100,000 identity problem. You're performing $30/hr laboor in a business that needs $500/hr leadership. Today, I'm breaking down the 'Technician's Ceiling' and the exact moment you must put down the mouse to save your profit margins.First of the "shorties" back on the feed. Straight out of last week's Elite call, where two or three members were wrestling with the same stuck point: they're still in the edit, and it's capping the business.The belief underneath it is the one I want to kill in this episode. The idea that your client hires you because of what you do on the tools. They don't. That's an identity you've attached to yourself, and it's the exact thing keeping you stuck as the operator. Richard Branson doesn't fly the plane. Nobody thinks Virgin is a worse airline for it.I talk through one client with a $160K/year account that nearly walked because the founder over-promised, hit a capacity wall, and the edit became the bottleneck. And another Elite client who just won a $67K government project in a technical area he knew almost nothing about, with four more in the pipeline. Potentially $335K of work, because he built the environment and the team instead of trying to be the one pressing the buttons.Then I walk through the S.C.A.L.E. Staircase from the book: Operator, Juggler, Stabilizer, Strategist, Scaler. Most people think they're further up than they are. Most are still in Operator or Juggler. The move out of Operator isn't more AI agents, more tools, or a more complex stack. It's simplification. Delete first, delegate second, defer third, in that order.Pat grew from $160K to over $2M once he accepted that the creativity was in building the team, building the machine, and buying back his time, not in touching the last 10% of the edit.If you want to know where you actually sit on the staircase, the quiz is at scalemethodbook.com.The question I'll leave you with: are you still the bottleneck in your own business?Mentoring options : www.denlennie.comConnect with Den on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/den_lennie

Hey Voices from the Bench community! Jessica Love here, sending a shoutout from Utah! If you're passionate about creating natural, beautiful smiles—but want to simplify your workflow without sacrificing aesthetics—this is for you. I'm honored to be part of Ivoclar's development team introducing a powerful new stain and glaze system featuring Structure Paste, IPS e.max Ceram Art. Create stunning depth and lifelike color in as little as one firing. Let's continue to innovate, simplify, and create meaningful change—one smile at a time. CAM has been a major topic lately, and a lot of that conversation keeps coming back to hyperDENT. But instead of just talking about the software itself, it's worth looking at real-world experience. Imagine USA has been using hyperDENT in their own lab for over 15 years. That kind of longevity says a lot—they're not just selling and supporting it, they're relying on it in their own production every single day. That's what really sets them apart. This week's episode brings it full circle as Elvis reconnects with one of the podcast's very first guests, Renata Bundy, now a longtime professor at New York City College of Technology. Along with her are two technicians who represent both sides of the journey—lab owner Roberto Rossi and workflow master Eugene Vega—creating a conversation that dives deep into education, mentorship, and what it really takes to succeed in today's dental lab world. Roberto shares his unlikely path from working sanitation in New York to building a thriving lab, Synergy Dental Studio, over nearly three decades. With a relentless focus on quality, constant improvement, and embracing digital (while still questioning it), he explains how his lab has grown into a tight-knit, high-level operation. Eugene adds perspective from inside the lab, describing his evolution from student to managing daily workflow, highlighting how important environment, mentorship, and work ethic are when transitioning from school to real-world production. Renata ties it all together from the educational side, reflecting on over 20 years of teaching and how the program has evolved alongside the industry—from analog fundamentals to digital workflows—while still preparing students for the realities they'll face after graduation. The group doesn't shy away from the tough truths either: low starting pay, steep learning curves, and the high dropout rate among new technicians. But the message is clear—stick with it, find the right lab, and the opportunity is there. It's a conversation about growth, grit, and the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people—whether that's in the classroom or the lab. And if nothing else, you'll learn that a little Italian lunch might just be the secret to building a loyal team.Special Guests: Eugene Vega, Renata Budny, CDT, TE, and Roberto Rossi.

Learn more about Refrigeration Mentor Customized Technical Training Programs at www.refrigerationmentor.com/courses Join the Refrigeration Mentor Hub here In this conversation, we're discussing how refrigeration techs can make the transition from technician to manager, with Todd Ernest, Executive Chairman of Climate Pros. Todd has some great insights on management skills, including technical excellence versus leadership excellence, emotional intelligence and coaching ability. We also dive into honing communication skils, listening, avoiding favorites, delegating instead of doing, and accountability - the softer skills that are critical for technicians who want to make the career jump into management. In this episode, we cover: (05:56) Tech vs Manager Mindset (08:59) Traits of Successful Leaders (09:53) Communication Skills (17:59) New Manager Mistakes (23:58) Delegation in the Field (26:04) Accountability Shift (29:03) Management Reality Checks (29:53) Crucial Conversations Manager Need to Have (31:34) Communication That Lands (33:03) Offering Praise and Listening (37:22) Coaching and Establishing Control (39:23) Learning on the Road  Helpful Links & Resources: Episode 262. Transitioning from Technician to Management Episode 286. Leadership Training for Technicians with Jim Pape of The Arcticom Group BOOK: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie BOOK: Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck Follow Todd on LinkedIn

Are certifications like ASE and CAFM still worth it—or are they becoming irrelevant in today's technician shortage? In this episode of the Fleet Success Show, Josh Turley and Drew Morrow break down the real reason certifications are losing traction, why that's dangerous for fleets, and what leaders should be doing instead. They unpack: Why shops are lowering standards (and the long-term risk) The difference between factory certs vs. ASE How certifications create defensible credibility and benchmarking The hidden leadership gap behind technician shortages Josh's real CAFM journey (and what it actually takes to pass) Why motivated teams outperform “warm bodies in seats” If you're a fleet leader trying to build a stronger team, improve performance, and lead with confidence, this episode is a must-listen.

On the latest episode of Connected, Greg sits down with Marco Zwanenberg, a technician and industry voice who's helping dealerships rethink how they operate from the service bay up. With decades of experience across Europe and the U.S., Marco brings a perspective that cuts through the noise, especially as dealerships struggle with declining productivity and increasing complexity. Marco and Greg cover: • Why technician productivity is slipping —and what's actually causing it. • How better verification and communication can save hours in the shop. • Where AI can (and should) play a role in helping technicians work faster and smarter. If you're serious about improving technician productivity and cutting down wasted time in your shop, this conversation is worth your time!

Hey Voices from the Bench community! Jessica Love here, sending a shoutout from Utah! If you're passionate about creating natural, beautiful smiles—but want to simplify your workflow without sacrificing aesthetics—this is for you. I'm honored to be part of Ivoclar's development team introducing a powerful new stain and glaze system featuring Structure Paste, IPS e.max Ceram Art. Create stunning depth and lifelike color in as little as one firing. Let's continue to innovate, simplify, and create meaningful change—one smile at a time. CAM has been a major topic lately, and a lot of that conversation keeps coming back to hyperDENT. But instead of just talking about the software itself, it's worth looking at real-world experience. Imagine USA has been using hyperDENT in their own lab for over 15 years. That kind of longevity says a lot—they're not just selling and supporting it, they're relying on it in their own production every single day. That's what really sets them apart. This week, Elvis and Barb sits down with Katherine Steinbock-Dyke of Whip Mix to talk legacy, leadership, and the evolution of a family-run powerhouse in the dental industry. As part of the Steinbock lineage, Katherine shares what it was like growing up around the business—from selling Girl Scout cookies on the shop floor to eventually stepping into the CEO role. Her journey wasn't a straight line, starting instead in international business and corporate HR before finding her way back to Whip Mix and working her way through multiple roles across the company. The conversation dives into the realities of running a multi-generational company in a rapidly changing industry. Katherine talks about balancing tradition with innovation, from gypsum and articulators to digital workflows and resin development. She opens up about the challenges of staying relevant, the importance of continuous improvement (hello, WIN program), and what it really means to lead a team she genuinely cares about. Along the way, there's plenty of classic bench banter—everything from assembling pizzas at Papa John's to the chaos of early 3D printing workflows and navigating massive trade shows like IDS. The episode wraps with a look at where Whip Mix is headed, Katherine's focus on reconnecting with labs and customers, and how the next generation is shaping the future of dental manufacturing while respecting its roots.Special Guest: Katherine Steinbock-Dyke.

Don't get to the end of this year wishing you had taken action to change your business and your life.Click here to schedule a free discovery call for your business: https://geni.us/IFORABEShop-Ware gives you the tools to provide your shop with everything needed to become optimally profitable.Click here to schedule a free demo: https://info.shop-ware.com/profitabilityUtilize the fastest and easiest way to look up and order parts and tires with PartsTech absolutely free.Click here to get started: https://geni.us/PartsTechTransform your shop's marketing with the best in the automotive industry, Shop Marketing Pros! Get a free audit of your shop's current marketing by clicking here: https://geni.us/ShopMarketingPros In this episode, Lucas and David are joined by Eric Svedberg of European Autowerks. Eric shares his journey from starting in the gas station business at 16 to owning and growing a successful automotive shop. The conversation dives deep into the persistent technician shortage, with Eric outlining the challenges in attracting and retaining skilled talent and the evolving pay structures needed to stay competitive. The hosts and Eric also explore strategies for fair compensation, diagnostic testing systems, and the importance of shop culture and communication in bridging the divide between owners and technicians.00:00 Starting at a gas station job04:49 Rebranding to Automotive Specialists09:29 Mac and cheese cart setup11:26 Bellman warns about minibar sensor15:40 Salary expectations for auto techs18:05 Explaining the three-level system21:04 Handling customer pushback25:35 Technician pay discussions26:54 Negotiating a technician's pay raise30:33 Paying employees more than expected34:26 Explaining the production bonus system37:27 Growing demand for skilled technicians41:53 Ensuring seamless parts distribution44:01 Discussing social media dynamics48:42 Dealing with unreliable workers52:06 Understanding different industry perspectives55:27 Dealing with technician issues56:07 Discussing employee accountability

D.R. Barton Jr., director of market research for the Foundation for the Study of Cycles, says he expects the market to continue its recovery through one more burst higher that lasts into the summer, but after that he is seeing "a bouncy, sideways market" with heightened volatility, swings reaching 20% up or down in a quarter. He is looking for "inflation-hedging names" for whatever happens coming out of the current cease-fire in the war in Iran, noting that he expects inflation to dampen the economy and the market for the remainder of the year. Isaac Wakszol, chief executive officer at Activest Wealth Management, says investors need to guard against "this time is different" thinking in wanting to make portfolio changes due to the recent increase in inflation and oil prices, war in Iran and more. He notes that in the market's last 100 years, there have been 17 recessions and 20 wars and that markets have always recovered, "and we're on Day 40-something of this war and the market is higher."  In preaching discipline, Wakszol did note that 2026 into 2027 will be "a year of reckoning" for artificial intelligence, to see if it can deliver on its promises, because failing that could dampen market enthusiasm. In The NAVigator segment, Rob Shaker, portfolio manager at Shaker Financial Services, says that the fear-based selling that gripped the market around the start of war in Iran created a "generic widening" of discounts for closed-end funds. Shaker, a "discount-capture investor," says that widening — and the current recovery — was caused mostly by "the irrational effects of excessive selling pressures overall," which means that the bad news is creating buy-the-dips opportunities rather than fundamental problems for closed-end funds.

Hey Voices from the Bench community! Jessica Love here, sending a shoutout from Utah! If you're passionate about creating natural, beautiful smiles—but want to simplify your workflow without sacrificing aesthetics—this is for you. I'm honored to be part of Ivoclar's development team introducing a powerful new stain and glaze system featuring Structure Paste, IPS e.max Ceram Art. Create stunning depth and lifelike color in as little as one firing. Let's continue to innovate, simplify, and create meaningful change—one smile at a time. Alright, Voices From the Bench listeners—We're coming to you live from Dallas at DLAT, and we had to grab a quick pop-in from the floor. That's right—because when you're walking a show this big, you never know who you're going to run into… and sure enough, we caught up with Jordan Greenberg—yeah, the HyperDent guy. No booth this time, just cruising the floor, connecting with partners, supporting dealers, and checking in with labs looking to level up their workflows. And get this—he's not just talking theory. We're talking fully automated solutions for preform abutments… no human nesting. That's right—automation that knows your blank size, optimizes your workflow, and keeps production moving without missing a beat. It's the kind of innovation that's pushing labs forward—faster, smarter, and more efficient. So if you're at DLAT, keep your eyes open… because the future of CAM might just be walking right past you. This week, we catch up with the always entertaining and wildly unconventional Seth Potter—live from Paraguay. From sailing the world with his family to building a thriving remote design business, Seth shares a story that's anything but typical. What starts as a conversation about exocad Insights quickly turns into a deep dive into faith, freedom, digital dentistry, and what it really takes to create a life on your own terms. Seth walks us through his unique upbringing—growing up with a missionary dentist father, assisting on dental trips in the Dominican Republic, and spending his teenage years living on a sailboat. That early exposure to dentistry (and adventure) eventually led him into dental technology, where he combined analog fundamentals with a self-taught digital workflow to become a leader in remote design. We also get into the evolution of his career—from working in a small lab and helping implement digital systems, to launching one of the first remote CAD design businesses in Canada. Seth shares how he hustled for his first clients (hint: it involves Indeed and a clever pitch), scaled through efficiency, and ultimately hit a breaking point that forced him to rethink balance, burnout, and what success actually looks like. Now splitting his time between Canada and Paraguay, Seth has built a lifestyle that many dream about—while still pushing the limits of productivity, workflow systems, and digital education with exocad. If you've ever thought about going remote, improving your efficiency, or just wondered what's possible in this industry… this one's for you. Join us at exocad Insights 2026, happening April 30–May 1, 2026, on the stunning island of Mallorca, Spain. This two-day event features powerhouse keynotes, hands-on workshops, live software demos, and top-tier industry showcases—all in one unforgettable setting. Barb and Elvis will be on site bringing you exclusive interviews, plus don't miss the FIRST 5k run on the coast! And of course, cap it all off with the legendary exoGlam Night under the stars. Tickets are limited. Visit exocad.com/insights-2026 and use code VFTBPalma15 for 15% off.Special Guest: Seth Potter.

T9A – Antennas: vertical and horizontal polarization, concept of antenna gain, definition and types of beam antennas, antenna loading, common portable and mobile antennas, relationships between resonant length and frequency, and dipole pattern. T9B – Feed lines: types, attenuation vs frequency, selecting. SWR concepts, Antenna tuners (couplers), RF Connector selecting and weather protection. 59:17

Hey Voices from the Bench community! Jessica Love here, sending a shoutout from Utah! If you're passionate about creating natural, beautiful smiles—but want to simplify your workflow without sacrificing aesthetics—this is for you. I'm honored to be part of Ivoclar's development team introducing a powerful new stain and glaze system featuring Structure Paste, IPS e.max Ceram Art. Create stunning depth and lifelike color in as little as one firing. Let's continue to innovate, simplify, and create meaningful change—one smile at a time. When it comes to digital dentures, design is easy—manufacturing is where things get messy. That's why the Elevate Denture Solution brings it all together. Built by Roland DGSHAPE, Ivoclar, and FOLLOW-ME! Technology Group, it combines machine, materials, and CAM into one fully optimized workflow—so you get consistent, high-quality results without the guesswork. Want to simplify production and scale with confidence? Check it out at rollanddga.com/elevate. This week, Elvis and Barb finally track down the always-on-the-move Katie (now Katherine!) Wilcox to hear her journey from dental assisting to lab tech to helping shape one of the industry's fastest-growing digital solutions companies. What starts as a conversation about avoiding small talk and loving lab life quickly turns into a deep dive into outsourcing, automation, and how labs are surviving (and thriving) in a post-COVID world. Katherine shares how her early curiosity in the back of a dental office led her into dental technology, why she fell in love with the bench, and what pulled her out of it into sales and software. From cold-calling labs during COVID to helping scale a global design center, she offers a behind-the-scenes look at how outsourcing evolved from “no way” to “no-brainer” for labs trying to manage workload and staffing challenges. The conversation shifts into the evolution from Evident to EviSmart, where the focus is now on automation, workflow optimization, and reducing the chaos of digital file management. Katherine breaks down how connecting systems, eliminating repetitive tasks, and adding AI-driven QC is helping labs do more with less—without sacrificing quality. Join us at exocad Insights 2026, happening April 30–May 1, 2026, on the stunning island of Mallorca, Spain. This two-day event features powerhouse keynotes, hands-on workshops, live software demos, and top-tier industry showcases—all in one unforgettable setting. Barb and Elvis will be on site bringing you exclusive interviews, plus don't miss the Women in Dentistry Lunch, celebrating career growth, wellbeing, and the real stories shaping our profession. And of course, cap it all off with the legendary exoGlam Night under the stars. Tickets are limited. Visit exocad.com/insights-2026 and use code VFTBPalma15 for 15% off.Special Guest: Katherine Wilcox.