Beyond the Wrench
How can automotive and diesel shops run a better business and be more profitable? How can we make the aftermarket and dealerships more attractive to younger generations? Each week, Jay Goninen, Co-Founder & President of WrenchWay, will sit down with shop owners, technicians, instructors, and professionals in the automotive and diesel industries to have them share their stories and insights. We’ll dive deep into what’s going on in shops and dealerships and what we can do to help drive the industry forward.
The Beyond the Wrench Podcast is powered by WrenchWay.
Episodes
315 episodes
Inspection Video Is the New Standard—Are Your Students Ready?
Video inspections are now standard in dealerships and shops across the country, but most students graduate without ever recording one. In this episode, Warner Jones, Sr. VP at TruVideo, walks instructors and program directors through why inspec...
Build a Shop That Runs Without You
Dan Paulson, Author of “Escape the Owner’s Trap,” joins us to tackle one of the biggest challenges shop owners face—being stuck in the middle of everything. We break down how to build accountability without micromanaging, fix communication gaps...
Growing the Auto Industry Funnel: Recruiting, Training, & Inspiring the Next Gen
Justin Allen has been in the automotive industry since 1998—and now, as a Regional Field Trainer for Hunter Engineering Company, his passion is training the next generation of technicians. In this episode, Justin breaks down how he got his star...
Technician Happiness Starts the Moment They Walk In
Marco Zwanenburg, Aftersales Consultant at New Drive Consulting, joins us to be a voice for technicians in this people-first industry. He shares how shops can create a strong first impression from day one, why appreciation has to go beyond pay,...
Women Supporting Women in Auto
Tiffany Scherado, Owner of Lifetime Transmissions and Facilitator of Amazing Women in Automotive (AWiA), joins us to share how AWiA is building a powerful community for women in the industry. Tiffany talks about what’s new since her last appear...
How Gear Her Up Is Opening Doors for Women in Auto
Jason Kerstetter, Co-Founder of the Gear Her Up Foundation, joins us to share how he’s creating opportunities for young women in automotive. Inspired by his daughter learning to work on her own car, Jason explains how the 12-week program teache...
5 Steps to Train and Retain New Technicians
Donald Favors, Auto Tech Instructor at Lowell High School, joins us to talk about the five steps he developed for technician retention in his “Pathway to Retention” program. In the episode, he walks through each step in detail—from connecting w...
Motivating Students & Helping Them Succeed
Gerrot Jacobson, Automotive Instructor at Hawkeye Community College, joins us to talk about how he challenges and motivates students in the classroom every day—giving them a safe place to fail so they can learn, grow, and keep moving forward! H...
Simulating a Flat Rate Pay Plan in the Classroom
David Kocher, Automotive Instructor at Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation, joins us to explain how he introduced a simulated flat rate pay plan to help students understand how flat rate works early in their careers. David walks us through his...
Second Generation Shop Ownership
Brad Templin, COO at Scott's U-Save Tires & Auto Repair, discusses his journey into second generation shop ownership and what the transition looked like taking over his family’s business. He shares why he chose not to take the easy path bac...
Mentorship is the Beginning of Leadership
Dwayne Myers, CEO of Dynamic Automotive, discusses why mentorship is the foundation of leadership and how his team focuses on growing their own technicians through a structured apprenticeship program. From investing in local schools to intentio...
What 5,500 Technicians Really Think About the Industry
In this recorded webinar, WrenchWay leaders Mark Wilson and Jay Goninen, along with Dave Johnson from ASE, share highlights from the 2026 Voice of Technician Survey. Based on more than 5,500 responses across the automotive and diesel industries...
Training & Developing Young Technicians
Cindy Barlow, Director of Industry Relations at WyoTech, joins us to talk about how, as an industry, we’ve neglected training young and entry-level technicians. In this episode, she discusses how shops can better support and develop young talen...
Building Better Collision Technicians in the Classroom
Jessica Weaver, Auto Body Collision Technology Instructor at Dakota County Technical College, shares how adapting to different learning styles, using visuals, and hands-on play can make a real impact in the collision repair classroom. She expla...
Bonus Episode: Inside Alliant Power’s Capital Reman Acquisition
Jeff DeCarlis, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Alliant Power, joins us live from HDAW in Texas to share a major announcement: Alliant Power has acquired Capital Reman. In this episode, Jeff walks through the strategy behind the move,...
From Heartbreak to Hands-On Apprenticeships
Renee Crisler, Owner and Founder of the Reilly Crisler Jumpstart Memorial Fund, joins us to share how she turned the loss of her son into a mission to help other “Reillys” explore careers in the skilled trades. She shares Reilly’s story, the pu...
ASE Connects: Building the Technician Workforce Together
Jay Goninen and Mark Wilson from WrenchWay, along with Dave Johnson from ASE, share an inside look at ASE Connects—a new community designed to strengthen the technician workforce. In this recorded webinar, they cover what ASE Connects is, how i...
Why Retention in Automotive Starts With People
Eric Wagner, automotive professional, joins the podcast to talk about why the auto industry must shift from a numbers-driven mindset to a true people business in order to attract and retain our talent. Throughout the episode, Eric discusses the...
From Technician to Filmmaker Spreading Positivity
Keith Smith, writer and visual storyteller of Straight Up Living, shares how he turned his ability to speak “technician” into spreading positivity in the automotive industry through his short film “From Bay Floors to Backroads.” In this episode...
What’s Ahead for WrenchWay in 2026
Mark Wilson, Co-Founder & CEO of WrenchWay, joins us to recap 2025 and share what’s ahead for WrenchWay in 2026. They discuss the growing partnership with ASE and the launch of ASE Connects, efforts to collect better technician data, and ke...
How Racing Legends Inspire Future Technicians
Steve Johnson and Larry Dixon Jr., legendary drag racers, join us to share their paths in racing and how they’re helping inspire the next generation of automotive enthusiasts and technicians. During the episode, Steve and Larry share their raci...
Proactively Growing the Industry’s Technician Pipeline
Lew Olivier, Director of Outreach at the MN State Transportation Center of Excellence, joins us to discuss growing the next generation of technicians. Lew explains how events like Nitro-X spark student interest in technical careers, what shops ...
Raising the Standards & Respect for the Repair Industry
Ryan Kooiman, Director of Training at Standard Motor Products, joins us to talk about banding together to raise the professional standards in the repair industry. He covers the balance between technical curiosity and shop profitability, the imp...