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, VP of Industry Advancement at ASE, 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 ASE.
Beyond the Wrench
The 3-Day Work Week Redefining Fixed Ops
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Brooke English Guy, General Manager of Coastal Chevrolet Cadillac and Coastal Nissan in Pawleys Island, SC, breaks down how a third-generation family dealership built a culture technicians actually want to stay in. In this episode, she covers how a compressed 3-day work week reshaped technician recruitment and retention, why she hires for humility, hunger, and people skills over experience, and how she grew past early imposter syndrome to thrive in the car business.
Watch the video recording
Quick note—you may notice some video lag in this episode due to technical difficulties. Thanks for bearing with us, and enjoy!
About the Episode
- Host: Jay Goninen, ASE, jgoninen@ase.com
- Guest: Brooke English Guy, Coastal Chevrolet Cadillac and Coastal Nissan, brooke@coastalsaves.com
Links & Resources
- Get notified of new episodes --> Join our email list
Join the ASE Connects Community
ASE 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:
Connect with us on social:
We care about our customers, we care about our employees, and while I might not have an opportunity every single day to talk to all of my employees, I really do try to get to them as much as possible, especially technicians, just because I know that they get forgotten about.
SPEAKER_01Beyond the Wrench with Jay Ganinen.
SPEAKER_00Welcome back to Beyond the Wrench. My name is Jay Ganinen, and I am your host. Today's guest is Brooke English Guy, dealer principal and general manager of Coastal Chevrolet Cadillac and general manager of Coastal Nissan. I was introduced to Brooke through our mutual friend Chris Craig, who told me about the unique culture she's helped build at Coastal. One of the things that really caught my attention is that many of their service team members work just three days a week, creating an environment where technicians are eager to join the team. In this episode, we're going to talk about leadership, technician retention, workplace culture, and some of the innovative ways Brooke and her team are challenging traditional thinking in the automotive retail business. Welcome to the show, Brooke. How are you?
SPEAKER_03I'm great. How about you?
SPEAKER_00Good. It was it's been fun to get to know you here a little bit. And uh, Chris had a lot of great things to say, kind of about everything that you
Growing Up in a Dealership
SPEAKER_00do. But the funny part to me was that you didn't initially want to be in the automotive business. Uh talk to me about that a little bit.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I um, you know, my dad, it's we're third generation. So I saw my dad go through it, and um, I think part of me was like, dang, he's he's not here a lot, so he must be working all the time. Um, and then my mom really was like pushing me because she was like, I just I think she knew the most, right? Of like the long hours, the stress. And so she was really pushing me to do biology because I love science. Um, and that's what I went to school for, switched my major several times, and ultimately realized this is not what I want to do. I got a business degree, still was like not sold on going in automotive, but I was not making any money. And so I left my parents, and my dad was like, why don't you go sell cars at the dealership? And I'm like, I will do this, and then I will not be doing this because yeah, I just I don't think I want to do this long term. And then what do you know? Here I am, uh 11 years later, running the store, and I never left.
SPEAKER_00What was your first job in the dealership?
SPEAKER_03I was selling cars. Um, but before it was the car car sales. Yeah, it was full-time. Before all that, I did filing for the service department. I worked with the accounting team um like part-time after school. So I was working a little bit at the dealership before then.
SPEAKER_00Did like when you when you're there, how is it received as you're this this third generation coming in and you're working with some folks that probably have been there for most of your life, right? Like there's probably a fair amount of people that you've known for all your life. Uh, how was it when you're first coming in?
SPEAKER_03I think obviously people are a little skeptical, right? Because my dad, so my granddad passed away like 10 years into us having the business. So it's mostly been my dad. So everybody knows my dad, trusts my dad. And so in a way, you know, you think of you CEO dealer kids, right? Like they're spoiled, they're entitled. And I think growing up, people probably are like, oh boy, like what's gonna happen, right? Because there's three of us kids, and my aunt also has two kids, so it's like, you know, any any one of us could have gone in the business. But I think absolutely from their perspective, there's definitely a lot of skepticism. But I think as I worked and grew, like I had a lot of growing to do as a young adult, I think now it's like very different. People know I've worked to get to where I am. Like, yes, if I wasn't the dealer kid, sure, I don't know where I'd be. But at the same time, my dad did not let me just coast. He he definitely let me figure things out on my own. And there have been many tears shed on figuring things out on my own, but I wouldn't trade trade it for anything else because it's maybe who I am today. It's made me, I think, respected amongst the people here. And you that has to be earned, it can't be given.
SPEAKER_00I I get the sense, and I I know a lot of multi-generational kind of owners of dealerships, and every single one I've talked to, especially the ones that have kind of really had to go through like through it, right? Like, like where it just wasn't like here's this dealership, good luck. Like there, there were there was a process to go through, and and at some level, yeah, I don't want to say like woe is me, but it is challenging, right? It's a different type of challenge in in kind of how you're exposed to the business at an early age. And as you're brought up into the business, I think there are hurdles that maybe had you not been a part of the family growing up or had just been raised in the business in like that was your intention to go into the business, uh it it it's a little different uh in that I think you're battling that outside perception that oftentimes isn't overly accurate. Uh did you kind of experience that? I mean, maybe some of those hurdles that that um are that go unseen, maybe.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, just are you talking mostly about like the judgment of being a regular kid? Yeah, definitely. And even to this day, like I'm sure people think it of like, oh wow, well, she was just given this and she's so young, like, you know, she's a GM, of course, because her dad found the business and blah blah blah. And I really don't care what people think, to be honest. That's a good thing, yeah. But I mean, early on I did because I think there was a lot of imposter syndrome there, you know. Um, and rightfully so. I had so much to learn, and I still have so much to learn. But yes, I definitely can see where people might think that, but I think I've proven myself. I mean, I've worked my freaking butt off to do the things that I do, and I think people see that I do that and see that I care and just the way that I carry myself. Um, I just am a creature of like learning. I always want to learn, I always want to grow. Um, I don't have this entitled air about me. I just think that I think that's one of the biggest things that my dad taught me. Like all the time growing up, when friends would come over, he'd be like, now you don't tell them what I do, you don't tell them that we own the dealership, you just say that I work there. And I was like, okay. Didn't know what that, you know, what like why, but okay. And so, you know, he just taught me humility at a very young age, and like I'm so thankful for that because I feel like so many people don't have that, and yeah, they do get judged for being a typical dealer kid, is what I would call it.
SPEAKER_00Well, you you talk about imposter syndrome, and that that's a real thing. And I think a lot of times it's good, and it's weird for me to say that, but I think at some level it kind of forces you to get outside of your comfort zone, and it almost I I don't want to put words in your mouth, but it at some level kind of puts a chip on your shoulder of like, I've got to I've got to prove to these folks that I am gonna work hard and that I am gonna do all the things that I say I'm going to do, and it uh it adds an element of just uh stress, I think, when when you go into it and you do have a little uh a hint of that uh imposter syndrome. I experience similar things at an early age coming into the business as a whole. Uh, but then I think if you just kind of keep your head down and work, uh you you aren't thinking about that, right? You're you're trying to focus on the things that you can control and and just do a good job. And and you mentioned that growth mindset. I think that's so important to getting through some of that imposter syndrome as a whole.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, for sure. And and there's like I don't really feel imposter syndrome as much anymore. I know that I'm capable, I know that um I have the ability, like I was called to do this in a way, but there's definitely a ton of pressure because my dad has taken this company from the ground up and made it very successful, and like the last thing I'm gonna do is squander that and take it for granted. And now, in a way, I have that challenge of okay, I'm gonna take it to the next level, right? Like, I'm gonna be even better. Um, and I've always been like that for whatever reason of just achieve, achieve, achieve. And you know, it's funny. Like, my husband's like, Can you just like slow down for like a little bit? I'm like, no, there's not enough time. So, you know, I I love that. I think it's just it's what makes the car business fun too, because it is every single day is a grind. And yes, at times it can be exhausting, but I I love it. I wouldn't want to do anything that was boring, same stuff every single day. I can tell you that much.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's weird how those of us that grew up in the industry, I think there is that back, like back of mind piece of you that's like, do I do I really want to do this? Do I really want to be in this? And then when you actually live it and you kind of see all the personalities and kind of all the things that maybe you took for granted growing up that all of a sudden are your daily life, I think you get a different appreciation for it as well. And there are things that I think are still frustrating to me over the years of the industry as a whole, of like shops as a whole, but you still like there's this deep kind of love for it that I don't think goes away then, right? Like once it's in your blood, it it's really, really hard to get out of that.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, definitely. And it's just funny because, like we talked about at the beginning of this, I never thought I would do this, and now I'm like, oh boy, I'm I'm stuck, you know. I can do anything, but I'm like, I don't know. It's like the other day I was just having like a freaking hard day, and I was just my dad called me, he's like, Are you okay? I'm like, Yes, I'm fine. I said, it's just I'm just annoyed. I said, but the thing is, is I don't want an easy job. I said, but sometimes I wish that sometimes I could just not get punched in the face every single day. Like, give me one day that I'm not punched in the face, you know. So um just it's just the car business. And that in my like the weird, messed up way of my thinking is I going to figure out how to get people to stop hating on us. I'm just going to do it. And that's what keeps me going every single day, is just proving people wrong. I love proving people wrong. It's like this weird psychotic thing of me that uh, you know, I'm just I have to do it.
What People Get Wrong About the Car Business
SPEAKER_00I'm I'm gonna ask you a super vague question. When you talk about maybe some of those outside perceptions, is there anything that comes to mind in terms of maybe what some of those inaccurate outside perceptions are of like the general public?
SPEAKER_03Of the car business?
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Oh boy. I think just uh the biggest one is that they were here to screw you over, and that's just not the case. I think because a lot of people don't understand the ins and outs of the car business, and because unfortunately things are not very black and white, um, especially in service. Like I can't tell you how many times I wish I could just say, hey, yes, this is absolutely what's going on with your vehicle, but unfortunately that's not the case. And I think because of that, people think that we're getting one over on them because that's what was happening in the 70s and 80s. And unfortunately, yeah, there are dealerships that do still do that. But what I always tell people is like, we are a for-profit business, guys. Like, we are not a security service, like we are here to make money. And the problem is so many people don't understand what is actually like a fair markup or a fair, like what we should make as a company. Like, I told my husband last night, I was like, I wish so bad I could just show people our expenses, to show them just how much money it costs to run this freaking thing every month, because then you would understand why we have to make the money we do to stay afloat, and then our profit margins really aren't even that great. Like when you compare it to a lot of other industries, I mean, I and then I when I explain all this and I'm like, why do I why do I do this? It's just so funny, but it's still a great time. So I would say the biggest you know misconception is just that we're here to get you. And like if we were here to get you, like, do you think I want to deal with angry people? Like, do you think I just love to make people mad? That's what I always am like, what? No, it makes no sense.
SPEAKER_00It doesn't. I I do look at that from the internal sense too, within within the dealership's doors and the walls, right? Where you even have maybe that internal perception that, hey, we're not spending money on this, uh, and maybe there's some some level of angst or or um confusion. And I it's sometimes hard to be overly transparent with your team because you also don't want to scare them, right? Because hey, you we had a bad month, and the the the PL doesn't look as good as we'd like it to look. And there's months where it can be rough, there's months where it can look good, and then it maybe the perception is the other side of like, oh my gosh, they're just making money hand over fist, and and they're not they're not sharing it with us. And I I just look at like I I do wish there could be more understanding on that end, and sometimes we we aren't overly transparent because we're trying to protect people too, right? Like, like you mentioned, we have to be for-profit businesses. If you're not a for-profit business, that ain't good. Like you're you're there's a chance you're gonna go away really, really quick if if you're not turning a profit. But then the the need to have that profit to be able to do the things you need to do to have that growth mindset, right? Like, yes, I I want to send everybody to training. Guess what? You need money to send people to training. Like, there's just all of these things that I think go into a business that, and it's not their fault, like it's not a normal employee's fault that they don't understand that piece, but there's so many dynamics that go into it that in some cases, at least in my experience, you're you're not trying to scare people, you're not trying to give them the wrong impression, you're not trying to mislead anybody. It's a lot of times just because it it it has to say stay a little bit sheltered, right? Like, and maybe that doesn't make sense, but uh, it just uh yeah kind of as you said that kind of triggered me a little bit on on some of that topic as a whole.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah. And it's like, yeah, I mean, we're pretty transparent with our management staff because we understand like they have expenses to manage, they have obviously pro like it's good for them to understand how the business works and what we're spending because when they come up and are like, hey, I think we should invest something in this, then it's like they understand why we can't. Um, you know, and so I think it's important. I don't think every dealership's that transparent with their managers, but we just believe in doing that because I think it makes everybody better and everybody on the same page.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I I love that. I I love the transparency with the management team. Uh, and I do think that helps a lot. And even the side of like coaching them with communication as it relates to talking about financials, I do I do see opportunities within our industry for like technicians, for example, to understand the business a little bit more and understand the difference between the labor rate and what their hourly pay is. And and like the more we can educate both sides, right? Like even when I look at the management of of shops and dealerships, it's it's you know, understanding what the technicians are looking for, but then on the other side, understanding what's going to drive those things that are going to make you happy. If we all work together, there's a better chance that everybody's gonna be happy.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, definitely. And I think, yes, like just from my TikTok videos and seeing what technicians are saying, and I think there's a lot that we can understand as owners and and upper management about what they do, but there's definitely a lot that they could understand about how much money it costs again to run this thing because all the time I think the biggest one of the biggest comments I get online is just you know, pay me half of the door rate. And it's like oh my gosh, like I would love to pay people as much as I possibly can. And and I think we do here, I really do. And but at the same time, if it's shooting the company in the foot, I don't have a company to pay you because now I'm out of business, you know, and so I think we're very generous. Um, I mean, in fact, I know that we're generous. We donate a lot of of money, we we help people, we help our employees, like if they have something going, you know, we have done a lot. Um, but it's just it's like how much transparency do you offer? And then at the end of the day, it's like how much are they really gonna understand? I mean, everybody's in their own little bubble. And it's like if you tell them that, anyways, are they really they're still going to want to make as much money as they can, they're still going to want to, you know, you know, in your own bubble, you want to be the most favorite person. I mean, that's just how people are, like, not everybody's selfish, right?
SPEAKER_00It's natural, right? Yeah, well, it yeah, it's natural. And I I totally agree with you. And I I think I I go back to some of my friends that you know, I I started a startup, right? Like that that's about as unstable of a business as you can do is a startup. And I remember telling early days employees when we when they would come on with us, like, listen, just so you understand, I can pay you X amount, but this is far from like an established company. This is far from like the stability. So if you're craving stability, this probably isn't the right spot for you. But then I look at it as we've gotten more stable over the years. One, I think those early days people that came on with me are nuts. Like they they came on and uh it without really any guarantees or anything, and they really stuck out a lot with us, which is I am forever grateful for. But then you look at, you know, there have been some maybe flash in the pan types of businesses that will pay, and especially in the startup world, they'll pay really, really high, but the stability of the business isn't there, and it's kind of a roller coaster. And I think if you're that technician that's out there and you kind of see that, you know, that shiny object down the road, and you're like, oh, I could go make X, but then you don't understand that maybe they're not the most stable business in the world. And I I think for anybody that's ever been in an unstable world, I think the craving of the stability of a good business is is hugely vital. And again, going back to your profitability, that's what drives that stability. And I think a lot of people crave that even more than they know.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I agree. It's it's just it's so tough to be profitable and then you want to be fair to your employees. But it's like we've actually had people who have left who thought the grass was greener and then asked to come back, and it's um, you know, it's it's it's a really good thing for us because you know, we don't if people leave on good terms, absolutely we welcome them back. But it's good for us to see like, okay, we really are doing something good here because you hear, like I said, like we get punched in the face every day. So it's like you hear about how bad you're doing, um, then you have people leave or whatever, and so you're like, dang, like, are we doing things right? Is this the right thing to do? And then you hear stories like that, and you're like, okay, yeah, we're we're not that bad, because you then you hear the horror stories. Oh my gosh, I could go on and on about that. But it's encouraging to know that we are doing well, and you see that a lot here because we do have very tenured employees, which I think is harder and harder to find in the automotive system.
SPEAKER_00Yes, yeah, and it says a lot about your business, right? If you do have those long-tenured employees, I think businesses develop a uh reputation over time, and if that's your reputation, that's a pretty darn good reputation to have. Like you've got people in a day and age where kind of just that that general sticking with a company isn't quite what it used to be. And I I do think it says a lot to uh to potential employees, to your own employees, that you know you've you've built a culture that is uh that is really one to be desired. Every shop, dealership, and business in our industry depends on great technicians. Between the technician shortage, disconnected school relationships, and lack of trustworthy workforce data, it makes it difficult for shops to plan, hire, and grow. That's where ASC Connects comes in. Created in partnership with Renchway, ASC Connects is a membership designed specifically for shops like yours to help you build a stronger technician pipeline by connecting with schools, empowering you with tools and data to improve your recruiting, retention, and performance. With ASC Connects, you can connect with local schools through school assist, start building relationships, and support the programs that educate our future technicians. You can also access verified data on technician pay, benefits, and labor rates through the industry data exchange so you know how your shop compares locally and nationally. Lastly, you can get proven strategies for leadership, employee development, and shop management through members-only guides, templates, and events. Join ASE Connects to strengthen your workforce and build a stronger, smarter shop. Learn more at wrenchway.com slash solutions slash shops or follow the link in the show notes. Now I I I looked at kind of it I led with some of the uniqueness about how you run the fixed side. I'm interested in how that. Evolution took place for you to really get that interest in the fixed side, right? Because it coming through the variable side, it can be a little bit of a different, uh, a different animal when you looked at that fixed side. Was the fixed side something that intrigued you from the start, or was that something you kind of had to grow to love?
SPEAKER_03It intrigued me because I knew that one day I would have to like once I started loving the business, right? Like the first three years, I was like, I don't hate, I hate this place, you know, not this place, but just just automotive. I was like, I don't know, this is for me. Um, but once I realized, like, okay, I'm have this opportunity, I can then run the place one day. Yeah, absolutely. It's like, oh, there's this whole land that's so magical and you don't know anything about it, and ooh, behind the scenes, and um, so it definitely intrigued me, but I didn't really have an opportunity to like get in the weeds, if you will, until I became GM like four and a half years ago. And um, yeah, it's a whole different side, I'll tell you that. And I wish that every single person in variable could watch fixed, and the same for fixed could go to variable because there's so much perspective to gain. Like I probably have the most perspective here. And you know, both sides, there's their frustrations with the other department, and rightfully so. But it's like if the shoe was on the other foot, you would understand why it's like that. And it is a very different world in uh fixed ops, but it's it's a great, it's where the the customers, that's where the relationships are built. So it is vital to the organization and understanding how it works and understanding the people there is absolutely like you have to. You have to understand it. Like I'll I have never turned a wrench, I did not sell service, but I think I have a pretty good grasp and understanding because of how much time I've spent with the people there and understanding what goes on. So I think that definitely helps. I always wish, like, I tried to get my dad to let me write service, and he was like, you don't need to do that, you blah blah blah. That's going backwards or something. I was like, but why? Like, and I really wish back then I'd really have a backbone. I wish I would have pushed a little harder because I think that really could have given me even more perspective on that job. But I get a lot of it because I do have to deal with the unfortunate people that do escalate to me and fix it. So I think I've got my taste now. Um so yeah, it's it's different.
SPEAKER_00I think I think you would have been a killer writing service. I think you would have been really, really good at that, uh, just in general, by the way.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I don't know about when I first started, but now that I don't take crap, I think for sure I could I could definitely write some service.
Learning Fixed Ops as a New GM
SPEAKER_00If there's another person in a similar position to you that's listening to this, and they're just getting into really, you know, maybe understanding the fixed side a little bit more. Would you have any advice on how to go about that? Like how to how to immerse yourself and how to learn that fixed side.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I actually do have a friend who just became GM and he has been asking me um some questions, and I just told him the best thing you can do, and I know it might seem like a waste of time because like there's so much to be done, is simply sitting with the people there and like coming in early. Like when I first started, I came in really early, and I was like the first one there for a little bit, especially when we brought on trainers, and just to show people that I was there and that I cared. Um, and yeah, I think just like talking to each tech, getting to know them, like that takes time, and obviously you can't do it all day, every day for however long. But I I could tell when I first became GM, like people had known what I did up at in sales, but obviously there was this wall, right? And my service manager has been with us for like over 20 years and knows me, grew up, saw me grow up, and I think there was this definitely this thing of okay, let's see what she's got. Is she gonna do it? Is she gonna what's she gonna do? And he even told me after the fact about the service managers after I brought the trainers and he they were like, Yeah, we were really unsure about this training, like we were like questioning it and all this stuff, but they were like, Yeah, we see the numbers now, and we we got your back. And I was like, there we go. So it took time, but you have to, you just have to do it. You have to do the same thing like you would do with anyone, like any relationship. Build, nurture, listen to them, talk them off the ledge, become that trusted person for them because a lot of these people don't really like have someone to kind of talk about those things with, and I think that's the difference between my generation and my dad's generation is that we listen, and sorry, dad, you know, but we listen, we do have that sense of like oh, like nurture, like okay, and then versus like the previous generation, it's just like performance, performance. Like my dad's a very, very caring individual, but it's just a different type of management style, if you will. Um, I don't know how to describe it, it's just I think people need that, you know.
SPEAKER_00I think, but the the point being there that I pulled out of truly getting to know your people, right? I think that's such an underrated piece of leadership in that you spent some time out there and you get to know the texts and maybe even get to know their significant others' names, or you get to know their kids' names, and uh really truly showing that you care. I I know in a lot of the technicians that we've talked to or or that have completed surveys through some of the stuff we're doing, whatever that's one of the common complaints we we hear, especially with dealer principals, is like, hey, they'll park their car on the side of the building, walk directly to their office and and not acknowledge that we exist, right? But the fact that you went out, spent time with them, and truly like trying to understand them and their personalities and understanding all the dynamics that happen in a shop. They're they're all kinds of different personalities in a shop. I think that can't that can't hurt at all, right? Like just to get to know people in general probably just goes such a long way.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and you have to think so many techs work at companies that have this big giant person at the helm who never comes to who will never come to the store. You know, they just they own it and they have their people under them, and I think that's what's what makes us unique is we we truly are family owned. Like I tell that to customers because people will like, oh yeah, you're family owned. Like, no, like I'm here, my cousin's here, my brother's here, my dad's here, my aunt's here, my cousin's husband works here. Like, we have like six people that are here at any given point in time who are actually part of the family. You know, we are part of this business, we care about our customers, we care about our employees, and like while I might not have a an opportunity every single day to talk to all of my employees, I really do try to get to them as much as possible, especially technicians. Um just because I know that they get forgotten about and they're you know, they they see it, they see it 100%. So the last thing I'm gonna do is give them any like reason to be like, oh, she doesn't care, right? And right, I don't even have to talk to them that long. It's just checking in with them, seeing how things are going, like just well, that means the world.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, if if you take the time to do that, that means the world. Now, the family dynamic is interesting to me, right? And I'm I'm fascinated by that in all businesses. Uh, I think it's you know, whether it comes down to making a key decision or uh just opinions as a whole, how how has that been in kind of managing those relationships? And I'm I'm uh assuming probably pretty great, but it is a family dynamic that it that can be challenging at times.
SPEAKER_03Oh yeah. It's we our family loves each other very much. And and one of the things I told my dad is I said, if this business ever came between us and anyone here, I'd be out. Like I'd just be out, I'm it's not worth it, you know, because I'm a believer and I just I know where my true home is. It's not this dealership, it's not this world. So nothing that this business does could ever come between that. So when you have that mindset, it's like, okay, look, we're just we're just working, like this is just a business. So it does provide like unique um times of uh frustration for sure. I mean, the other day I had told my dad to his face that he was being annoying. Um there's that. And uh it's just that generation is just so comical, it is so funny. They're just very repetitive, very like in the numbers, like ah, and I have to like be like, okay, you know, take it with a grain of salt, move forward. And then what's really cool is my cousin and my brother and I all have our unique giftings, you know, and they stay in their lane, I stay in my lane. There's no like head butting as far as that goes, which is really great because it could be oh, well, this is my portion and that's mine, and I want to be the owner. Both of them are like, we know you you're the owner, we don't want to do that. Like, we do not want to be the GM, we do not want to make the key decisions, and that makes it easier because it's like I think it's so much easier when just one person's doing that instead of all these people, you know, all the cooks in the kitchen, if you will. And they're good at what they do, you know, they have their unique talents that that provide a lot of value to the company. So I I think God just made that happen for us because I think if it was any other way, yeah, it would be really challenging. And you hear about it all the time. You hear about the people, the family members who are on payroll just to keep them out of the dealership. I'm like, what? I mean, that's crazy. And the thing I respect about my dad a lot is, you know, my I have a younger brother, the youngest, who's not in the business, who tried to be in the business and just didn't work out, and that's okay. We're all good, but it's like dad just was like, okay, he's just not gonna have part of the company. And that was like, that's great because it that is what's fair, and my dad is has always been a fair person, and that's what I respect about him is because yeah, that's the right thing to do. He always does the right thing, and that's ultimately like what our culture is about is just doing the right thing by our employees and by our customers.
SPEAKER_00Doing the right thing is uh obviously a pretty amazing thing about you and your family. I want to kind of shift this to how that relates to the service department, then, right? And I
The 3-Day Work Week Built Around Technicians
SPEAKER_00I mentioned this before, but the fact that you guys have a unique schedule and that you are looking at things a little bit differently is really cool. And I think it gives you kind of that unique differentiator that so many look for. I want to talk through that side a little bit, and we'll start with the schedule because that's such low-hanging fruit and it's such a cool thing that you guys do. Uh how long have you been doing this? Uh how does it work? Uh like give me give me an idea of of the scheduling of technicians and and kind of your your your look at that.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, so we've been doing the the schedule as long as I've been here full time, so 11 years. So I guess the first year I started working, we changed that up, which is kind of crazy to think about. And my service manager, he took it from a 20 group, and another dealer somewhere like I think in New York was doing this, so we decided to do it. And the key thing with anything with change is you have to get onboarding, like you have to get people like bought in. So um he went to the key technicians, the key advisors, of course, but mostly the techs, because those are the like heartbeat of your of your shop. And he's like, Hey, this is what I'm thinking about doing. What do you think? Obviously, there's some skepticism, blah, blah, blah. And then as time went on, they're like, Okay, like, you know, he was just like, Hey, this this store is doing it, this is the results, this is this, this is that. They were like, Okay. So then in everybody met and said, Hey, this is what we're gonna do. And we told people, hey, look, for we're gonna do it for a whole year. We like we are committing, we are not going back because we knew if we did, it's just, you know, you're gonna lose all the wind in your sail. So we said, and because of that, we're gonna make sure, like we know you guys are worried because hey, you're going from six days, five to six days, down to three grain and you're extending your hours, but people were so scared about making enough money. So we're like, look, we are going to make sure like you're not gonna go backwards. So we took people's year-to-date income from the previous year, and we're like, okay, you won't make any less than this. So I think that's the biggest thing is if you want to you want people to be bought in, you need to know what is what are their worries, what are their fears, and do the best you can of overcoming those fears. And so that's what we did the first year. We sat everybody down at the end, and we were like, hey, how did it go? What do you guys think? And everyone's like, please I'll go back, please I'll go back. And so we're like, all right, and then we did go a little backwards. So that first year was tougher, but what we realized is that we couldn't just cut the team in half, we had to have two separate teams. So we basically hired an extra advisor per team, we hired some more techs per team, um, and then just FYI, the parts department, is also on this shift schedule, too. So the same parts people stay with this the same team. So it just makes it easy for communication purposes. But yeah, that's how it happened. And now we run 313, so there's two shifts, and once a month they switch schedules. So one team does have to work the full six days, which that's happening right now, actually. And um, I'm sure they're very excited to get off work tomorrow. So yeah, it's I mean, I've used it as a recruiting tool, I've hired technicians from it. I mean, it's been great as far as like work-life balance goes and getting people here because as we know, technicians are you know exiting the industry more so than they're entering the industry. And I just I used it as a tool. So here we are.
SPEAKER_00How how does it work with vacation then? If you're you know, somebody takes a week of vacation, is that basically three days or you're using the amount of PTO in hours, I'm I'm assuming. I just I you look at something like that and you're like, my goodness, how cool is that? Because if you then are taking you know three days off and you've got all of this time off, like that's a that's a pretty cool perk.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, so the way the time off works, there's no paid vacation because they get six full weeks off a year, and then when they're off during a normal week, they're off four days because we are closed on Sundays. So when you do the math, they work less, like they're off more. They're off more in a year than they're working. So um, yeah, what people do is you know, the schedule comes out on the very first of the year. We just basically roll it over, you know, it's just it just keeps continuing on. So that way they know, hey, these six weeks are the weeks I can take vacation if I want, if I want to go on a trip, if I want to do something else, and then here are my four-day weekends, if you will. Um yeah, it's pretty crazy.
SPEAKER_00I and just the fact that you when when you're laying out that schedule, you're actually taking into consideration what they think or what they need, or hey, we have a family uh trip coming up, and uh it just the listening part is so key, and I don't think very many do a good job at that. And so I I I commend you for putting together a schedule like that to start with, but then as you're looking through it, just being able to accommodate people's personal lives, and similar to what you said with maybe your generation being different than your dad's generation, and that you know, I George Aaron's at ASC always talks about this where he talks about uh he's he's closer to retirement age than he is the beginning of his career, right? But he always talks about how his generation lived to work and the newer generations are working to live, and he goes, they might have it right. And I I do think it's a it's a kind of a different leaf. I do think just personal obligations, it feels like there's always a million things going on. So to be able to accommodate somebody's personal life is is has to be hugely impactful.
SPEAKER_03Yes, and yeah, I would agree with that statement. Like my dad for sure lived to work, and it wasn't like a bad thing. I mean, he had to do what he had to do. Like we would not be here if it were not for his hard work and getting us through so many hard times. And so, you know, I don't know if I could have done that. I I don't know if I would have had that in me, the the strength that it took to get us to where we are today. Um, just simply that because of that mindset, right? Of that generation. It's a different mindset versus now I think we have this fresh perspective of like, wow, I don't want to be 70 or whatever age and be like so burned out, so tired, having health issues because all I did was work, work, work, you know, and I don't know where that came from. Um, no clue why our generation is like that. I don't know if it's because of social media and people are traveling and you're like, woo, I want to just go have fun. I think it has something to do with it, you know. But um, I think people are just happier knowing like I'd rather like make a little less, but as long as I spend time with the people that I love, like that's what's important to me. And not that it's that's the win to my my dad. I just think it's the way they were raised. Like, think about even their parents, even more so of a workaholic kind of thing. So I don't know, I don't know what shifted to make that happen, but it's definitely a completely different thing because you see it in the workforce now. Like we're even having to create different kinds of scheduling up front because it's like people don't want to work 60 hours. I don't want them to work 60 hours, like I just same thing, like I value that. So it's like, how can we do our best to accommodate as many of our staff as possible while making sure that we're covered and while making sure that they're making the money they need to, and and all of those things. So it's it's a balancing act, but I think it can be done when you include people in the conversation and be transparent because it's like, hey, we're gonna try this, but the moment it doesn't work, like we're gonna have to go back, we're gonna have to do this if we aren't making the money we need to make. And people understand that, you know. So I think it's just about yeah, like don't just keep things in the dark with your people.
SPEAKER_00Well, I think just the candor of having that conversation in the first place is is hugely impactful. This week's episode of Beyond the Wrench is brought to us by Jasper Engines and Transmissions. Okay, your customer's engine or transmission has failed, but now is not the time for them to trade their vehicle. Not without a working engine or transmission. Besides, would they have kept their vehicle another three to five years if their engine or transmission had not let them down? If you answered yes, then Jasper Engines and Transmissions is your choice to give your customer's vehicle new life and many thousands of miles of enjoyable driving performance. When considering the high cost of a new or newer used vehicle, there's a pretty good case to be made for replacing a drivetrain component that has failed or is delivering poor performance. Rather than trading their car, truck, van, or SUV, install a quality, remanufactured Jasper product for less than your customer would have to invest in a new vehicle or a newer used vehicle. Check out their website at jasperengines.com to learn more about the money-saving value of Jasper. Now, you also talked about teams, and I'm always interested in team dynamics and and how you have a team that works really well together. I I I've talked a lot about the different pieces of a puzzle in a shop and the different personalities, and we talked about you getting out and getting to know the people. And I I'm interested in what you see like in putting together a team that really works well together. I like I don't know that the dynamics, I know that's a very loaded question because there's dynamics all over the place in terms of assembling a good team. But when when you look at a good team, I mean, are there any things that stick out to to you as to like, hey, this team really kicks butt, and this is why they kick butt. Uh, any anything in particular?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, so I think it all starts with what are you willing to accept and what are you not willing to accept as a company? And in fact, when I became GM, actually some people quit before because I think they knew that things were gonna change, right? Because we had just gone through redeveloping our core values and mission statement, and it's a lot of it's about accountability and positivity, and basically, like, hey, like things are are are are about to change. Like, I'm not gonna just take your negativity. So um they did me a favor because I knew the exact people that I I knew I was gonna have an issue with, and I think it's it's looking for people who are humble, who are hungry, who want to work, because unfortunately they're the flip side of what we just talked about, is people do not know what it takes to make a good paycheck. They think they do and they do not. It is like the level of effort they think they need to have versus what actually needs to happen is totally different. So you have to have some hunger and you gotta have people skills, man. Even if you're a tech, you need to know how to talk to your advisor, and you can't just be a just what's it called, like passive aggressive. I mean, I can't read your mind. So, you know, it's and I didn't take that from myself, by the way. That's out of a really good book I read. Um, but it was a really, really Life-changing, like moment where I was like, wow, this is exactly what makes an I it's called the ideal team player.
SPEAKER_00Because oh yeah, yeah. Patrick Lancioni, right?
SPEAKER_03Yeah. I think I have it. Yeah, great book. And um, you know, I only read it like within the last year, but I think because of that, like all the stuff that led up to that moment, it was like, hey, are we gonna accept these people? Even though we need text, are we gonna accept their negative crap? No, we're not. So we're gonna have conversations with them. We're gonna say, hey, look, like this is the direction we're going. We're just not gonna put up with that anymore. And we understand if you have frustrations, but like come to me one-on-one. Don't go to everybody else, don't become this cancer in the shop. And the same, it wasn't just text, you know. I'm sorry, calling them out, don't mean to do that. But you know, there's other people. I mean, the the sacred cow on the sales floor, are we gonna continue just let him be the way he is? And oh, but he sells so many cars. Like, who cares? Who cares? He doesn't align with our culture, and so then once you once you start like weeding through that and you develop this amazing team, and then you bring people on and you don't settle, that's when you create like magic and people genuinely like coming to work. And yes, there's gonna be some people who you bring on, they're not gonna like be what you thought, and you know that that plays out how it will. But I think we have a really awesome team across the board. I mean, I remember when I first came in, my dad would talk about these managers. Oh my gosh, I have so many hilarious stories, and it's because you know, he just didn't have a good team around him to help him hire the right people, so it was just him on return. So he just did what he had to do. Um, and again, it's like a different environment too now, but he just had to deal with some crazy stuff. I was like, I am so glad I did not, I had like the tail end of that. I was like, what? Who are these people? And um, it's just nice now to come into work and be like, I can trust all of you. Like, I can trust that you're gonna take care of my my customers. I could trust that you're gonna take care of each other, that if there's any issues, you know, it's not gonna be like, holy crap, this person stole money. It's just gonna be like, hey, these people got in an argument, blah, blah, blah. Like nothing crazy really happens anymore, which is great, but also that was very entertaining at one time.
SPEAKER_00Entertaining, but you're you're happy that the entertainment happened in the past. Yes, yes. I I do think what you're what you're talking about there is such an important thing as well, with the accountability side, and especially as it relates to kind of mission vision values, right? So if I I think I've worked for companies in the past early on in my career where you you would have values listed out on a chart, like this is corporate America, right? Like you go and they have the values listed out, and you're like, I don't think like 75% of the people here live those values at all, right? Like it's the like the opposite of everything that you're saying. And so I I think it was commonplace at one time to have everything printed out on the wall, but not actually live whatever values that you're you're talking about. What you're talking about with accountability and actually making key decisions based on those values, I think is what actually brings some meat to it, right? Where it's actually happening and it's actually like what's creating the culture that you've worked so hard to build. Whereas there's some companies that just miss there, right? Like they they just don't live the values, and I think it really, really puts them in a bad spot.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, definitely. It's it's just you have to know your why, um, both as an individual and as a company, because if you don't, then you're just gonna bring whoever on, and then you're gonna wonder why you have so much turnover and wonder why people are complaining, and you know, it's just and no one's perfect. Like, is everyone positive every single day here? Absolutely not. Um they aren't anywhere. Like, and for me, like I really do like I think I do a pretty darn good job of being positive every day, but I have to. Like, I'm not going to be, I'm not going to show any sort of I'll be factual, but I'm not gonna be like, oh my gosh, ever the world's burning, ah, ah, you know?
SPEAKER_00And um some days it's hard not to do that.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, like if I do that in my office behind closed doors, but um yeah, it's just it and it's about just everybody living and breathing those values and holding each other accountable. Like I've I've told my managers many times, I'm like, even though you're you're not over you, if I if you see him or you see her being a certain way and it's not what you know our culture is, you need to say something. Like, I you it can't just rely on me all the time to be the one to be like, hey, that's not the right thing to do, or hey, that's not how we do things here. Like, call people out in the in a kind way, you know, don't be a freaking you know, a hole about it, but unless it needs to happen, but it's just like, hey, like that wasn't the most positive thing you could have said, or hey, that's not the right way to treat the customer. Like, let's think about it this way, like, and that's when the biggest change happens. I'm still working on that with people because I think it's just a different way of thinking because I think for so long people have been like hierarchy, right? But um, that's when I think, you know, like that's when teammates like the best teams in sports, it's because they call each other out and hold each other accountable instead of waiting for the coach to do it. So I think when we can do that, then we're really gonna be just cooking with fire and doing really, really well.
SPEAKER_00Well, and I I think that's where your veteran leadership really comes into play, right? Because uh it I've talked about this often as well, where a lot of times you will have that alpha in the shop, or you'll have you know a few people that I think, especially for young technicians, they're looking up to that person over and above anybody else in the dealership, right? That like they're looking at that person as you know how I should act. And I I truly think the best cultures that are out there is is weird or bad as this sounds, like if you have a new person that comes in and they just don't fit, right? Like there's just it's just a and it's there might not be a bad person or like they might not be doing anything wrong, they just don't fit. It becomes really clear really fast when you have a strong culture, right? Because it's just like, hey, we do things a certain way around here, and you're either going to live to this standard of what we do, or you probably would be best suited to go somewhere else, right? Like I just think when when you look at those cultures and the importance of having those strong personalities in the shop or any part of the business that are acting the way you want them to act, or they're they're the ones that are actually really kind of carrying the flag for the dealership, and the impact that has is huge.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and we've actually had some recent things where people worked like we brought them on and they didn't work out very quickly because of the accountability that was there. And so those people realize very quickly, oh shoot, they actually mean, you know, because I think some people, especially if they've come from a dealership, they're like, Yeah, I got this, whatever, you know, it's just like any other dealership. And then you come in here and it's like, oh, I'm actually gonna be held accountable to what I say and what I do. Oh, okay. I don't know if that's for me. And and we're not for everybody, you know, we we we're just not, and that's all right. There's a place for everybody. But if you're gonna come here, you're gonna do the right thing and you're gonna be held accountable to your actions, and you're not gonna be like, oh my gosh, put on display. But you know, we're we make mistakes, I make mistakes, and you know, it sucks when you do, but at the end of the day, that's how you get better.
Hiring for Humility, Hunger, and People Skills
SPEAKER_00Do you feel like that's had a big impact on who you're looking for when you hire? Uh you know, are you looking for that ideal or maybe not ideal? You kind of have an avatar, or you have kind of that that person with specific traits that you're looking for in the hiring process.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. So recently, because of reading that book, um, we developed a sheet that helps us hire for those three traits. So person, uh people skills, humility, and hunger. And it is a great sheet. Like I sh I told my manager about it, about the book, and told him the three traits, and then he put everything into AI and it generated like it has helped us so much with hiring recently. Because if you have those three things, I think you have the perfect human being on your team. Because how many people can't talk to people right now? They either blow up on people, they're too shy, they don't know what to say, they're you know, and and that's really hard to train. Like, you can you can train word tracks, you can train some a little bit of charisma, but ultimately, if someone doesn't know how to talk to someone, they're probably not gonna figure it out. Humility, you cannot train humility. You're either humble or you're not. Like you're you're I mean, you're either like cocky or you're not. And same thing with hunger. I can't I can't teach you to want it, you gotta want it. So if you have those three things in an individual, I can guarantee you you're gonna have a great employee because they will be willing to get the job done, whatever it takes, help others along the way because they're humble, and take care of customers and have healthy conversations with employees.
SPEAKER_00I I love those those three traits or those three qualities. And you hit it on the head earlier in the podcast when you were talking about the importance of being able to communicate, especially with technicians, because uh amongst technicians, that's where a lot of things can go awry, right? When there's not that communication, or maybe there's just that constant friction that's that's not working well. And I just being able to communicate, you're right, is it I think a skill that we oftentimes take for granted when in reality it can be a tough skill to find. It can be a tough skill, especially maybe they've got that technical aptitude and they can fix anything, but they don't have some of those key elements that that it might sound really good to start, but it's gonna be tough for them to fit in moving down the road, right? And I think that's uh having purpose in how you're looking for people is so such a I I think competitive advantage because I do think there are still a lot of not even just our business, right? Like in any industry, when they get when it's hard to find people, you end up hiring those people with that pulse that might not fit who you are, but you're desperate and you hire anyway. And I think it's just such a mistake that that really sets you back. It might help you in the short term, but really kills you in the long term.
SPEAKER_03Oh, yeah, we've made those mistakes many times, and I'm sure we'll do it again. Like, even though we have this the way to hire, there's gonna be a time where we might need someone really bad, be like, okay, like they check off two of the three, so let's just try it out, and you know, because you always hope the for the best in people, and people always interview very well too. You know, they're gonna interview at their best, so you know you're gonna you're gonna bring some people on that aren't completely aligned, and then you're gonna bring some people on that you thought, I don't know about these people, and then they're your best people. It's like yes, you know, you just never know. So at the end of the day, it's like you're gonna make mistakes about hiring and firing and all that. It's life, so just do the best.
SPEAKER_00It is it's messy, and I think you can read a book and everything makes sense, and and then when you get into reality of like truly making decisions, you'll you'll take that advice into play, but you also have to use logic and common sense and and really making an educated decision on something and knowing that nobody's batting a thousand here, right? Like it that there are going to be hiccups, there are going to be times where you miss, but that's okay. Like it's not like it not everything's going to be perfect ever. And and uh I think the more you can come to reality with that, you you might come up with better questions to ask in the interview process because of maybe a way that you were burned before, or maybe you you find things that you should look for in that interview process that you didn't think of before. Uh some of it is experience and just going through it, I think, and and being able to kind of look for the tells.
SPEAKER_03Yes, absolutely. And you know, as time goes on, you usually get better at reading people and understanding people and all those things, but there's gonna be people who are gonna, if you will, get one over on you, interview very well, know how to interview, and you're gonna, you know, but at the end of the day, if if the right culture is in place, that person will quietly and kindly exit and make it easy on you because they're not gonna want to be there, they'll find somewhere else.
SPEAKER_00I I've got some good stories about mistakes I've made over the years doing that very same thing, and one of them was really, really hard because I didn't hire them. I worked at a dealership, the dealer principal hired the person, and immediately I'm like, oh no. What and it ended in not disaster, but very close to it. Uh, it was it was just a uh a mess right from the start, and it was one of those where you're like, there are red flags all over the place here, and we are kind of uh set up for a really, really bad spot. And sure enough, like within like three months, everything was a wreck. He I'm not even gonna go into details because it was such a mess. Uh, but I I I definitely learned some things, uh, and maybe one of them was the importance of taking your time. They always say uh hire slow and fire fast. That was definitely not one where we hired uh we hired slow. It was a high a fast hire that really bit us. So yeah, I uh yeah, there and same thing like for your staff too. Like when you make that bad hire, it makes their lives harder, right? And you might be alienating some of your best, and you you you're not intending to do that, but it ends up just not being good for the culture.
SPEAKER_03No, and I I have a rule. I don't I don't hire for I don't ever hire for someone else. Like, if someone wants to hire or fire someone, sure I will help, but ultimately it's their decision. Like, if one of my friends were to apply and they're like, Brooke, can I get a job there? I'd be like, Yeah, you gotta go through the process. You're I'm not gonna just bring you on because half the time those people freaking suck, anyways, because then they want you to hit them with everything, you know. But it's like you have to let your people do their job, like do the job because you hired them for, yeah. And yeah, like I don't want to hire everyone, anyways. I don't have time for that. So why would I just be like, yeah, okay, you're hired random person, whatever that I know? Like, I'm just not gonna do that. Like, mm-mm.
SPEAKER_00I think that's a
Rapid Fire Questions
SPEAKER_00smart move. All right, we're getting close to the end of the podcast. This hour has gone incredibly fast. Uh, do have three kind of fun, quick hitting questions for you to end the show with. Uh, the first is are you a morning person or a night owl?
SPEAKER_03Oh, morning for sure.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, all right. That's uh that's been a common theme uh probably ever since we started asking that question. Uh I think uh it's pretty common in in high achievers for that that early morning success. But uh second question, what was your first car? This is an interesting one as a uh somebody that grew up in the car business. What was your first car?
SPEAKER_03My first car was a red 05 at Nissan Sintra, and I will never forget it because when I got it, um I was very surprised, and uh it had black leather seats, and I will never forget. So we live in South Carolina. Every time I would go out to my car in high school, I had to crank the car, lean in, crank the car, stand there for five whole minutes at least to because these seats were so hot, hot, so hot. I remember the first time I got in there, I literally burned my legs, and I was like, oh, okay. So yeah, that's what I would have to do. It was a great question.
SPEAKER_00That's a good one.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Did you name it?
SPEAKER_03No, I did not. I've never been a car namer.
SPEAKER_00Me neither. Yeah. Uh, but uh, a lot of people do. Uh, so it's no offense to those folks. Last question uh, what is your favorite type of food?
SPEAKER_03Oh, dude, this is a hard question. I am a foodie. I I love all foods, but I would say my favorite. Like, if we're getting very specific, there's this place in Italy that has this really good um pasta dish that we went to. And I think like I will I will take photos. I'm that person, I'll take photos of the food. I will go back and look at them. I'll be like, oh honey, do you remember that time went to this place and we got that random tart thing? And he's like, What are you talking about? And I'll be like, here it is. He's like, How do you remember that? I was like, I'm telling you, like, I like people have certain memories that they like things. It's food for me. I will be like, Yes, I remember that dish. I remember where I was at, I remember what it tasted like. Yeah, I just you're big time foodie then.
SPEAKER_00Like you this is different level foodie.
SPEAKER_03Oh, it's yeah, and I'm the person who everyone comes to when they're going on a trip and I've been there, they're like, where do I need to go? What's it like which places? And I'm like, here, here, here, here, here. Make sure you go here for this time, make sure you do get this meal. Yeah, like everyone knows that whatever I recommend to you is going to be good.
SPEAKER_00I I might end up uh reaching out randomly to ask for tips on that because I am the opposite of that. I'm terrible at that. I love food, love good food, and am terrible at planning. So my wife is far better at that than I am, but always looking for tips. Yes, yes. So I'll be randomly reaching out at some point to see if you've been a certain place.
SPEAKER_03Please do. Uh it's always an honor when people text me that because I'm like, yes, I'm that person in people's lives. I'm the food person.
SPEAKER_00I will say, I I wish when we would have started asking those questions that we would have had a tally of uh each group because I think Mexican and Italian are the leaders in the clubhouse uh between all the guests. So uh you're you're right and you're in good company there.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and it's like at home, I don't really love Italian, but when like Italy, it's just hope pasta, everything's homemade. It's like, dude, you can eat so much food and you don't even like feel bad, and it's the best. It's so great.
SPEAKER_00Oh my goodness. Well, what a fun conversation. I really appreciate you taking the time out of your incredibly bit busy schedule to uh to join us today and uh just had a blast. Hope we can do it again sometime.
SPEAKER_03Yes, I enjoyed it too. Thanks for having me.
SPEAKER_00That wraps up another episode of Beyond the Wrench. If you like this episode, please show your support by rating and following the podcast. You can also watch the video interviews on Wrenchway's YouTube channel. Speaking of Wrenchway, did you know Beyond the Wrench is managed and produced by the Wrenchway team? Wrenchway is an online community dedicated to promoting and improving automotive and diesel careers. We help technicians find the best jobs to work at, and we also help auto, diesel, and CTE instructors get more support from local industry. You can learn more by visiting wrenchway.com.