Épisodes

  • From Shop Floor to Scale: Brian Bates on Leading Straightaway Tire Into Its Next Chapter
    Mar 4 2026

    What happens when a lifelong shop owner steps into the COO role of a fast-growing national platform? In this episode, Brian Bates breaks down the walls shop owners hit when scaling, how to balance culture with growth, and why leadership—not capital alone—will determine who wins the next decade in the aftermarket.

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    31 min
  • Margin Under Pressure: How Surcharging Helps Shops Fight Rising Costs
    Feb 25 2026

    Tariffs, inflation, and rising labor costs are putting real pressure on shop margins right now—and I know a lot of shop owners are asking how to recover those costs without upsetting customers. In this episode of Ratchet+Wrench Radio, I sit down with payments expert Randy Motos to break down surcharging: what it is, how it works, what the compliance rules really are, and why “freedom of choice” at checkout is becoming a go-to strategy for shops looking to offset credit card fees while protecting customer trust.

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    17 min
  • Skating to Where the Puck Is Going: Why the Aftermarket’s Future Depends on Education and Leadership
    Feb 18 2026

    Recorded live from the AAPEX show floor, Northwood University president Kent MacDonald sits down with editorial director Chris Jones to discuss what Wayne Gretzky’s famous advice means for the automotive aftermarket—and why leadership, entrepreneurship, and education have never mattered more.

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    27 min
  • Beyond the Bays: Why Shop Owners Must Understand Their Numbers to Protect Profits
    Feb 11 2026

    Full bays don’t always mean healthy profits. In this episode of Ratchet+Wrench Radio, host Christine Schaffran sits down with Hunt Demarest, CPA, partner at Paar, Melis & Associates, and author of Beyond the Bays, to unpack why so many shop owners feel busy but broke—and what they can do about it. From cash vs. profit confusion to overlooked financial fundamentals, Hunt explains how better understanding your numbers can change the trajectory of your business.

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    17 min
  • What 2025 Taught Us About the Aftermarket—And What Comes Next
    Feb 4 2026

    What really drove aftermarket performance in 2025—and what signals should shop owners be paying attention to now? In this episode of Ratchet+Wrench Radio, Auto Care Association senior director of market intelligence Mike Chung breaks down the data behind tariffs, inflation, supply chain shifts, and changing consumer purchasing habits. From parts buying to tire trends, Mike explains what the numbers reveal—and how they point to what’s coming in 2026.

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    36 min
  • Fight Forward
    Jan 30 2026

    What if the biggest thing holding you back isn’t your goals—but how you’re framing them?

    On this episode of Ratchet+Wrench Radio, Chris Messer, vice president of transportation at Endeavor Business Media, sits down with Mike Jones, president of Discover Leadership, alongside editorial director Chris Jones for a powerful conversation on fighting forward. From personal growth to shop performance, they unpack why focusing on what you want—rather than what you’re trying to avoid—can change your results, your culture, and your leadership impact.

    If you want a mindset shift that leads to real, lasting change, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.

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    27 min
  • The Overlooked Goldmine: What Auto Shop Owners With Silent Partners Don’t Realize About Exit Planning and Tax-Free Gains
    Jan 28 2026

    Silent partners can be a powerful asset—or a costly blind spot—when it’s time to sell an auto repair business. In this episode of Ratchet+Wrench Radio, host Christine Schaffran sits down with Nick Papakyrikos, CPA, to uncover how smart exit planning, clear agreements, and the right tax structure can turn a future sale into a largely tax-free payday.

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    24 min
  • From Food Stamps to Small Business of the Year: The Relentless Leadership of Kendall Warnock
    Jan 21 2026

    Fifteen years ago, Kendall Warnock was a technician with a dream, five T-shirts, and a shop name chosen to land at the front of a phone book. Today, he leads one of Lincoln, Nebraska’s most respected repair facilities and has been named Small Business of the Year. Now he’s bringing his hard-won leadership lessons — built through grit, humility, and nonstop self-development — to Ratchet+Wrench readers as an online columnist in 2026. In this episode, we talk about his journey, his mindset, and why he believes helping others is his true calling.

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    18 min