Most auto repair shop owners assume weak car count means they need more marketing, but sending more customers into a shop that isn't ready to say "Yes" can make the REAL problem even worse. Ryan Hillenbrand joins Guy Roberts and Michael “The Berg” Rosenberger to explain how better operations, stronger average repair orders, and a consistent customer experience have to come before aggressively buying more demand. Learn the marketing tiers a growing repair shop should work through, from the opportunities already available inside the business to professional digital marketing and the advanced tactics many owners jump into too early. Your repair shop needs to convert its marketing into sustainable revenue before deciding where the next marketing dollar should go.

Our Sponsors:Tekmetric is the all-in-one platform built specifically for auto repair—it's what modern, growth-minded shop owners are running on. https://auto.tekmetric.com/4g8XPX0 When Leads Near Me and Shop Fix Academy work together, auto repair shops win. When proven digital marketing combines with powerful coaching and a passionate community, the results are remarkable!Book your strategy session today. Mention code SHOPFIX and get $500 off your first month.https://leadsnearme.com/ShopFixPodcast/Our Products:If you want your shop to reach the next level, start with the person leading it and build your foundation with Shop Fix LITE.⁠https://shopfixacademy.com/shop-fix-lite?utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=join-lite&utm_content=cta⁠Better leadership starts with learning what to do differently, so create your free training account and start putting proven Shop Fix strategies to work in your shop.⁠https://shopfixacademy.com/free-training?utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=freetrainingaccount&utm_content=cta⁠Motivation can get you started, but growth takes continued execution, so see what’s coming up at Shop Fix Academy and get in the room for what’s next.⁠https://shopfixacademy.com/upcoming-events?utm_source=sfa-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=sfa-events-2026&utm_content=cta

A shop can stay busy yet still lose money when the owner doesn't know which numbers to track, which systems are broken, or what needs to change first. In this episode, Guy Roberts and Michael “The Berg” Rosenberger sit down with Matt Carlson, a former Microsoft software engineer who had never worked in a professional repair shop before starting his own. Matt eventually grew to five locations generating $1.56 million in one month! Matt breaks down how broken workflows, pay plans, and a lack of accountability kept his first shop stuck, and what happened when he finally began implementing the systems and coaching already available to him. Improving the way you operate doesn't require abandoning the purpose behind your shop. A strong mission can help attract the right employees, customers, and community. Learn how Matt turned operational chaos into scalable growth, while creating a cycle between business and nonprofit that makes a much larger impact beyond the shop.

Almost every shop owner can relate to being so stuck working as a technician in their shop that they never have a chance to grow the business itself. Shop Fix Academy Coach Kyle Meadows was in the same boat: sleeping at the shop so he could work 24/7, just trying to get the next mortgage payment, always working on the next car..but he actually found a way out, and in this episode he breaks down how you can do the same!

From less thank $20K months at his auto repair shop to averaging over $600k months now, Kyle has locked down VITAL systems and processes that make it so he doesn't even have to BE AT THE SHOP.

Learn the specific techniques he uses at his shop today that allowed him to spend 4 months this year on vacation while his shop was still printing money! Anyone can achieve true freedom in their shop with the right systems.