Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Chris Cotton Weekly Blitz

Where have you decided that “good enough” is good enough?

Inspired by Nick Saban’s perspective on normal versus special, this episode of the Weekly Blitz challenges shop owners to examine the standards they accept—in their margins, customer experience, leadership, and team culture.

Using lessons from football, we explore what it takes to build a shop where people prepare, take ownership, and improve together. We also tackle a tough leadership question: what happens when your most committed employees keep carrying teammates who do the minimum?

You’ll leave with a practical seven-day challenge to identify one weak spot, define a better standard, and follow through with your team.

Sponsored by Shop Marketing Pros.

Show notes

A busy shop isn’t automatically a strong shop. This week’s Weekly Blitz asks whether the habits inside your business are helping you build something special—or simply survive another week.

Drawing on football and Nick Saban’s ideas about human nature and excellence, we discuss how shop owners can turn high expectations into clear, repeatable actions.

In this episode

• The “good enough” trap: How acceptable margins, inconsistent customer communication, and comfortable routines can hold your shop back.
• Define your championship: Decide what winning means for your business, employees, family, and customers.
• The owner sets the standard: Examine whether your communication, preparation, and follow-through match what you expect from your team.
• Protect the people who care: Support your strongest employees without making them responsible for carrying everyone else.
• Make excellence actionable: Translate vague expectations into clear responsibilities, processes, and coaching.
• Watch your shop’s film: Use customer feedback, repair documentation, comebacks, and operating numbers to learn and improve.
• Build sustainable performance: Give your team the training, tools, capacity, and support to meet your standards consistently.

Your seven-day challenge

• Identify one area where you’ve accepted “good enough.” Be specific and honest.
• Define a better standard. Decide what should happen, who owns it, and what support they need.
• Discuss it with your team and follow up. Start with your own responsibility, listen to their feedback, and review progress after seven days.

Questions to take back to your shop

• Would I want to work for me?
• Do my employees know what success looks like?
• Am I rewarding dependable people with more work instead of meaningful support?
• Where am I tolerating a problem because addressing it feels uncomfortable?
• What will I do this week to become a better leader and create higher standards around me?

Sponsor

Shop Marketing Pros specializes in marketing for auto repair shops. Learn more at shopmarketingpros.com.

Keep the conversation going

Bring one honest leadership question and one specific improvement you’re ready to make into your next conversation with ADP.

Set the standard. Help your people meet it. Follow through.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private Facebook Group, go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Download and Listen on Our Mobile App: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/app/

Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: https://remarkableresults.biz/

Automotive Field Theory with Matt Fanslow: https://mattfanslow.captivate.fm/

Business by the Numbers with CPA Hunt Demarest. https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/

The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Brian and Kim Walker: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

A customer says, “Go ahead and fix it.” Your team orders parts, schedules the repair, and completes the work. Then comes the surprise: the customer disputes the charge, says they never approved the price, or never returns to pick up the vehicle.

On this episode of The Weekly Blitz, Coach Chris Cotton explains why clear repair authorizations, upfront pricing, and a consistent deposit process are essential to protecting your shop and building customer trust.

That starts with everyday services. Does your customer understand what a 30K, 60K, or 90K service includes? Do they know what diagnostic testing costs, what it covers, and whether repairs are additional?

Chris also walks through his minimum 50% deposit policy: explain and send the estimate, obtain the customer’s authorization, send the deposit payment link, verify payment, and then order parts and confirm the repair schedule.

Addressing these details upfront helps identify payment concerns before the shop commits parts, labor, and schedule space.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Why sending an estimate is different from obtaining authorization.

• How to explain maintenance packages and diagnostic testing charges.

• What records help document an authorized, completed repair.

• Why a signed estimate or paid deposit does not guarantee protection from chargebacks.

• How the minimum 50% deposit process works.

• Why payment expectations belong in the conversation before parts are ordered.

• How to handle deposit objections respectfully and consistently.

• Why customers need clear cancellation, refund, and scheduling terms.

• How to train service advisors and audit whether the process is being followed.

THE DEPOSIT PROCESS

Explain the recommended work, scope, and total price.

Send the estimate to the customer.

Obtain authorization for the specific work and price.

Send a payment link for at least 50% of the approved total.

Verify the deposit payment.

Order parts and confirm scheduling based on availability.

Apply the deposit to the final invoice and clearly show the remaining balance.

The 50% minimum discussed is Chris’s shop policy, not a universal legal requirement. Authorization requirements vary by state. Deposit terms must fit applicable law and payment processor requirements.

THIS WEEK’S CHALLENGE

Review ten recent repair orders, including a maintenance service, a diagnostic visit, and a larger repair.

Can you easily find the approved scope, price, authorization, additional approvals, deposit record, and final balance? Identify the biggest gap, coach your team, and correct it this week.

EPISODE SPONSOR: SHOP MARKETING PROS

Your customer experience starts before someone calls your shop. Shop Marketing Pros helps auto repair businesses tell their story and connect with customers.

Learn more at ShopMarketingPros.com/chris, and tell them Coach Chris Cotton and The Weekly Blitz sent you.

OUR ADP PARTNERSHIP

Your payroll process deserves the same consistency as your customer authorization process. Interested in learning more about our ADP partnership and whether ADP could be a fit for your shop? Contact Coach Chris through AutoFix Auto Shop Coaching.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private Facebook Group, go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Download and Listen on Our Mobile App: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/app/

Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: https://remarkableresults.biz/

Automotive Field Theory with Matt Fanslow: https://mattfanslow.captivate.fm/

Business by the Numbers with CPA Hunt Demarest. https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/

The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Brian and Kim Walker: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

The seasons are changing, and 2027 will be here before you know it. Before the holidays fill your calendar, take an honest look at your business: What went right in 2026? What didn’t? And what needs to change next year?

On this episode of The Weekly Blitz, we’re talking about turning this year’s lessons into a practical plan for 2027. From gathering your decision makers to building your marketing plan, the work you do now can help you enter January with clear priorities and next steps.

In this episode:

• Review your 2026 goals, results, wins, and missed opportunities.
• Understand what worked so you can build on it.
• Address what didn’t work with honest conversations and specific actions.
• Schedule a planning meeting with your partners, leadership team, or trusted business cohorts.
• Build a 2027 marketing plan around your goals, customers, budget, and capacity.
• Assign responsibility, set deadlines, and schedule follow-up meetings.
• Include your own time, leadership development, and personal priorities in the plan.

Your assignment this week: Get your planning meeting on the calendar, gather your 2026 results, and start—or revisit—your 2027 marketing plan.

Our partnership with ADP

The Weekly Blitz appreciates our partnership with ADP. As you plan for 2027, take time to review the payroll and HR systems that support your team and your business.

If you'd like to see what your shop may qualify for, click the link and fill out the short form here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=gIQsTPDTW0i3UIB_9pOAL0sixY5HeyxPgn9sghF08cZUNkJYSzRMRjVLSjlNSzVRUThITEVZNDQxRS4u&route=shorturl. Our ADP partner will reach out directly to walk you through the available options and answer your questions.

​

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private Facebook Group, go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Download and Listen on Our Mobile App: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/app/

Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: https://remarkableresults.biz/

Automotive Field Theory with Matt Fanslow: https://mattfanslow.captivate.fm/

Business by the Numbers with CPA Hunt Demarest. https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/

The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Brian and Kim Walker: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

Your Phone Skills Suck

Yes, we’re talking about phone skills again.

Coach Brent and Chris recently discussed a client who wanted to invest more money in marketing to generate five to eight additional cars per week. Before recommending a larger marketing budget, they listened to the shop’s phone calls.

There was some good news: the service advisors were asking callers to schedule appointments.

Unfortunately, almost everything that happened between the phone ringing and that final request was cringeworthy. The advisors were trying to close the sale without first building a relationship, understanding the customer, or communicating the shop’s value.

The solution wasn’t immediately buying more marketing. The shop first needed to do a better job with the opportunities it already had.

In this episode

• Why closing the sale begins when the phone rings
• How to build a relationship before asking for the appointment
• Why answering questions isn’t the phone call’s only purpose
• How shops unintentionally turn every call into a price comparison
• The importance of asking good questions and listening carefully
• How to explain diagnostic value without sounding defensive
• Why advisors should offer specific appointment options
• How phone skills translate into better in-person communication
• Why a higher average repair order can reduce the need for more cars
• How to review phone calls without turning the process into punishment
• Why role-playing should happen before advisors speak with real customers
• How weak phone skills waste otherwise effective marketing
• The real opportunity

If a shop needs only five to eight more vehicles per week, it may not need a dramatic increase in lead volume. It may need to “suck less” at converting the opportunities already coming in.

Better phone skills can also produce better conversations at the counter. When advisors listen carefully, ask better questions, explain value, and confidently present recommendations, average repair order could increase by $200 or more—depending on the shop’s current performance, inspections, pricing, customer base, and sales process.

At 50 repair orders per week, an additional $200 per ticket would represent $10,000 in weekly sales without adding more vehicles to the schedule.

This week’s challenge

Listen to five phone calls, including calls that resulted in appointments and calls that did not.

Evaluate whether the advisor:

• Sounded welcoming
• Got and used the customer’s name
• Asked relevant questions
• Acknowledged the customer’s situation
• Explained the shop’s process and value
• Guided the conversation confidently
• Asked for the appointment
• Offered a specific appointment time
• Confirmed the necessary details
• Choose one behavior to improve, practice it with the team, and listen again to measure the progress.

Shop Marketing Pros

Marketing can make the phone ring, but the shop still has to convert that opportunity.

Shop Marketing Pros helps take the guesswork out of marketing for independent auto repair shops by bringing professional experience and strategy to the process. When strong marketing is supported by a well-trained front counter, a shop has a better chance of turning attention into appointments and lasting customer relationships.

Autofix Auto Shop Coaching + ADP

If you love Autofix Auto Shop Coaching, check out our partnership with ADP payroll services.

Autofix Auto Shop Coaching + ADP — Fill out the form: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/QMmq5kch3m

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private Facebook Group, go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

Why should an experienced professional be paid less simply because they can solve a problem faster?

In this episode of The Weekly Blitz, Chris Cotton explains why value should be based on expertise and results—not just the number of minutes a task takes. A coaching lesson might take 40 minutes to deliver, but it can contain knowledge that took 35 years to develop. The same is true for automotive technicians: customers aren’t merely paying for the time spent turning a wrench; they’re paying for accurate diagnosis, professional judgment, and a dependable result.

Chris also challenges shop owners to turn what they learn into repeatable processes, teach those processes to their teams, implement them, and then move on to the next improvement.

Plus, hear how Shop Marketing Pros applies professional expertise to take the guesswork out of shop marketing.

If you love Autofix Auto Shop Coaching, learn about our new partnership with ADP payroll services and fill out the short form here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/QMmq5kch3m

Autofix Auto Shop Coaching + ADP — Fill out the form

You’re Paid for the Years, Not the Minutes

In this episode of The Weekly Blitz, Chris Cotton discusses why skilled professionals should be compensated for their expertise and the results they create—not solely for the time a task takes.

A business-coaching lesson might be delivered in 40 minutes, but it can represent 35 years of experience. That accumulated knowledge gives a shop owner a shortcut: learn a proven process, teach it to the staff, implement it during the week, and then move on to the next improvement.

The same principle applies to automotive technicians. An experienced technician may diagnose or repair a vehicle faster precisely because of years of training, practice, tool investment, and real-world problem-solving. The customer isn’t simply purchasing minutes; the customer is purchasing an accurate diagnosis, a professional repair, and confidence in the result.

In this episode

• Why faster work is not necessarily easier work
• The difference between selling time and creating value
• Why a shortcut can eliminate trial and error without cutting corners
• How coaching compresses decades of lessons into actionable guidance
• Why customers benefit from a technician’s accumulated experience
• How to turn knowledge into a repeatable shop process
• Why implementation—not information—changes a business
• How Shop Marketing Pros helps take the guesswork out of marketing
• A simple challenge for teaching and implementing one new process this week

This week’s challenge

• Choose one valuable lesson that currently lives only inside your head. Turn it into a clear process, teach it to your team, implement it in the shop, reinforce it, and then move on to the next improvement.

Shop Marketing Pros

Professional marketing works much like professional automotive service or coaching: the value is not limited to the time spent completing a task. Shop owners benefit from the experience, judgment, and proven strategies behind that work. Shop Marketing Pros helps take the guesswork out of marketing so owners can remain focused on running their shops.

Autofix Auto Shop Coaching + ADP

If you love Autofix Auto Shop Coaching, check out our new partnership with ADP payroll services.

Autofix Auto Shop Coaching + ADP — Fill out the form: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/QMmq5kch3m

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private Facebook Group, go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

Hope is powerful—but hope alone won’t fix your business.

In this episode of The Weekly Blitz, Chris Cotton dedicates a direct and personal conversation to his friend and former client, Rich Young. Chris explains why “hope is not a strategy” and connects that lesson to the Cotton family motto: “Have a plan and execute the plan.”

Chris also speaks candidly to struggling shop owners about taking responsibility, setting pride aside, and asking for help before another six months of valuable time and momentum disappear.

Plus, learn about the new partnership between AutoFix Auto Shop Coaching and ADP and the exclusive savings available to eligible AutoFix members.

HOPE IS NOT A STRATEGY: HAVE A PLAN AND EXECUTE THE PLAN

This episode of The Weekly Blitz is dedicated to Chris Cotton’s friend and former client, Rich Young.

Hope gives us something to believe in, but it cannot replace a real plan. Hoping for more customers isn’t a marketing strategy. Hoping to find a technician isn’t a recruiting plan. Hoping profitability improves won’t fix a shop’s financial problems.

Results require a plan—and the willingness to execute it.

In this episode, Chris discusses:

• Why hope is important but cannot serve as a business strategy
• The danger of waiting for problems to fix themselves
• Why shop owners must take responsibility for their next move
• How pride can prevent owners from asking for help
• Why waiting another six months can cost valuable time, profit, and momentum
• The difference between a business problem and its symptoms
• How to build an actionable plan around ownership, deadlines, and measurable results
• The Cotton family motto: “Have a plan and execute the plan”
• Why an imperfect plan put into action is better than a perfect plan that never begins

A MESSAGE TO STRUGGLING SHOP OWNERS

If your shop is struggling, you do not have to continue struggling alone.

Not every problem is your fault, but as the owner, you are responsible for how you respond. Help is only a phone call or click away.

Set aside your pride, get out of your own head, and reach out to someone. If that’s AutoFix Auto Shop Coaching, we would be honored to help. If it’s someone else, that’s okay too.

What matters is recognizing when your current approach isn’t working and taking action now. Don’t sacrifice another six months waiting to begin.

THIS EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY SHOP MARKETING PROS

If your marketing strategy is “hope the phone rings,” it’s time to build a better plan.

Shop Marketing Pros helps independent repair shops approach their marketing with purpose and consistency. Stop waiting for customers to find your shop by accident.

Learn more: https://shopmarketingpros.com

AUTOFIX AUTO SHOP COACHING × ADP

AutoFix Auto Shop Coaching has partnered with ADP to give eligible AutoFix members access to preferred promotions on payroll, HR, compliance, and workforce solutions.

This partnership is backed by firsthand experience. Chris owns AutoFix Auto Shop Coaching and three repair shops—and believes in ADP enough that he switched all of his businesses over to ADP.

Eligible AutoFix members may receive:

A 20% lifetime discount on eligible ADP services

Waived setup fees

Up to six months of free payroll, depending on eligibility

Preferred pricing on HR, compliance, and benefits solutions

ADP’s available services include:

Payroll for hourly, salaried, seasonal, and split-shift employees

Federal, state, and local payroll tax filing

HR and compliance support

Hiring and electronic onboarding tools

Background checks and an employee handbook builder

Employee benefits and deduction management

Pay-as-you-go workers’ compensation options

R&D tax-credit solutions

Tools and services designed to support growing teams

Check your eligibility and connect with the dedicated ADP partner:

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/QMmq5kch3m

KEEP LISTENING

Discover more great automotive podcasts, industry insights, and practical business conversations from the Automotive Repair Podcast Network.

If this episode made you think of another shop owner who needs to hear its message, send it to them.

Have a plan. Execute the plan. And remember: hope is not a strategy.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private Facebook Group, go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

What happens when a shop owner finally reaches their personal financial goals?

In Episode 272 of The Weekly Blitz, Coach Chris Cotton challenges successful shop owners to reconnect with the deeper purpose behind their businesses. Reaching your personal finish line doesn’t mean you have finished leading—especially when employees still have dreams they are working to achieve.

The inspiration for this episode came from Dave Schedin of Computrek. During a recent in-person class, a successful shop owner asked:

“I netted $350,000 last year. How much money do I need?”

Coach Chris offers a different way to think about that question:

Did you net $350,000 while your employees were earning exceptional incomes? Do they have opportunities to build retirement security? Are you helping their families plan for important goals such as their children’s education?

These questions aren’t intended as a universal compensation formula. They are a challenge to look beyond the owner’s bank account and ask what the strength of the business is making possible for everyone who helped build it.

In This Episode

Why shop owners can lose their drive after reaching personal goals

How an owner’s “why” should evolve as the business grows

The difference between building personal wealth and creating opportunity

Why profit is a resource for leadership

What it really means to fight for your employees

Why high standards and accountability are part of caring for people

How compensation, benefits, and career paths support retention

Practical ways to help employees prepare for retirement

Opportunities to support employees’ family and education goals

Why employees’ dreams are not always purely financial

How Simon Sinek’s Leaders Eat Last applies to shop ownership

Creating a leadership scorecard alongside your financial scorecard

Key Takeaway

Your employees helped make your dreams possible. Build a company that gives them a genuine opportunity to make their dreams possible too.

Reaching your personal financial goal is not an excuse to become complacent. It may be an invitation to pursue a larger purpose: developing people, creating careers, improving families’ financial security, and building a company that continues changing lives long after you leave.

A Challenge for Successful Shop Owners

Ask yourself:

Are my employees sharing in the success they help create?

Does every employee understand how they can increase their earnings?

Are competitive benefits and retirement opportunities available?

Are we helping employees develop professionally and financially?

Does every team member have a visible career path?

Do I know what my employees want their lives to look like?

Have I stopped pushing simply because I became comfortable?

What can this business make possible for other people?

Not every shop can immediately pay every employee $100,000 or fund every possible benefit. The point is to establish the right direction, build the financial capacity, and begin making measurable progress.

Be Pissed Off for Greatness

Get angry at complacency—not at your employees.

Fight against the idea that burnout, high turnover, weak benefits, and nonexistent retirement planning should be normal in the automotive industry.

Protect profitability. Charge appropriately. Build better systems. Develop leaders. Hold people accountable. Market consistently. Then use the strength of the business to create meaningful opportunities for the people who depend on it.

Build a Leadership Scorecard

Continue measuring sales, gross profit, effective labor rate, productivity, ARO, car count, cash flow, and net profit—but consider adding measurements for your people:

Retirement-plan participation

Employee-retention rate

Completed one-on-one meetings

Training hours

Documented career-development plans

Internal promotions

Skills-based pay increases

Progress toward employees’ professional and personal goals

Financial statements tell you whether the business is succeeding. A leadership scorecard helps reveal whether the people are succeeding with it.

Special Thanks

A special shout-out to Dave Schedin of Computrek for inspiring this episode, starting an important conversation, and continuing to challenge automotive shop owners to think differently.

Mentioned in This Episode

Dave Schedin and Computrek

Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek

The “Circle of Safety”

Employee compensation and career development

Retirement benefits and 401(k) participation

Education savings and 529 plans

Leadership scorecards

AutoFix Auto Shop Coaching

Episode Sponsor: Shop Marketing Pros

Building excellent careers requires a healthy shop with a consistent flow of the right customers.

Shop Marketing Pros provides personalized marketing specifically for auto repair shops. Their services include websites, SEO, digital advertising, social media, and content designed to help potential customers know, like, and trust your business.

Good marketing isn’t just about filling tomorrow’s schedule. It creates stability for the business and the people who depend on it.

Visit ShopMarketingPros.com to schedule a discovery call, and tell them Coach Chris Cotton and The Weekly Blitz sent you.

Ready to Reconnect With Your Why?

AutoFix Auto Shop Coaching helps shop owners improve profitability, create accountability, develop leaders, strengthen compensation plans, and build businesses that produce lasting value for owners, employees, and their families.

Visit AutoFix Auto Shop Coaching to learn more.

Suggested Episode Chapters

00:00 — Introduction: Have shop owners become disconnected from their why?

01:45 — Special thanks to Dave Schedin of Computrek

02:35 — “I netted $350,000. How much money do I need?”

04:40 — Coach Chris’s answer and challenge

06:30 — How an owner’s why changes as the business grows

08:45 — What it means to fight for your employees

11:10 — Be pissed off for greatness

12:50 — Sponsor: Shop Marketing Pros

13:50 — Connecting the message to Leaders Eat Last

15:55 — Turning good intentions into compensation, benefits, and opportunities

18:00 — Understanding employees’ individual dreams

19:25 — Creating a leadership scorecard

20:30 — Final challenge for successful shop owners

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private Facebook Group, go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

The E-Myth, Owner Dependence, and Coaching to Valuation

What would happen to your auto repair shop if you stepped away for 30 days?

In this episode of The Weekly Blitz, Coach Chris Cotton explores the lessons of Michael Gerber’s The E-Myth Revisited and connects them to our current focus on coaching to valuation.

Many shop owners started as talented technicians. But being excellent at repairing vehicles doesn’t automatically prepare someone to manage employees, create systems, understand financials, develop leaders, market a business, or prepare that business for an eventual sale.

Coach Chris explains why a profitable shop isn’t necessarily a valuable shop—and why reducing owner dependence is essential for building a business that can operate, grow, and retain its value without the owner standing in the middle of every decision.

In This Episode

The “entrepreneurial myth” and why it applies to auto repair shops

The Technician, Manager, and Entrepreneur roles inside every owner

Working in your business versus working on your business

Why owner dependence creates risk for a potential buyer

The relationship between systems, predictability, and valuation

Why tribal knowledge needs to become documented processes

The difference between a profitable shop and a transferable shop

How to perform a 30-day owner-dependence test

Why delegation must include responsibility, training, and authority

Five questions that can reveal weaknesses in your shop’s valuation

One practical step you can take this week to begin building a more valuable business

Key Takeaway

A shop becomes more valuable when it produces consistent results through its people and systems—not through the owner’s constant heroic effort.

The Technician creates today’s result.

The Manager creates consistency.

The Entrepreneur creates the future.

Coaching to valuation means strengthening all three areas while gradually reducing the shop’s dependence on the owner.

Five Questions to Ask About Your Shop

Where am I still acting as the shop’s primary Technician?

Which important processes exist only in someone’s head?

What stops when I leave the building?

Are customers loyal to me personally or to the shop and its team?

If I were buying this business, what would make me nervous?

This Week’s Challenge

Choose one recurring responsibility that currently depends entirely on you.

Document it. Teach it. Assign it. Measure it—and resist the urge to immediately take it back.

Repeated consistently, this process helps create a shop that is more profitable, predictable, transferable, and valuable.

Episode Sponsor: Shop Marketing Pros

A valuable shop needs a consistent marketing system that builds a reputation around the business—not only around its owner.

Shop Marketing Pros provides personalized marketing specifically for auto repair shops. Their services include websites, SEO, digital advertising, social media, and content designed to help potential customers know, like, and trust your business.

Visit ShopMarketingPros.com to schedule a discovery call, and tell them Coach Chris Cotton and The Weekly Blitz sent you.

Ready to Build a More Valuable Shop?

If you need help developing leaders, improving your financials, documenting processes, reducing owner dependence, or creating a roadmap toward a future transition, connect with AutoFix Auto Shop Coaching.

Visit AutoFix Auto Shop Coaching to learn more.

Mentioned in This Episode

The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber

Shop Marketing Pros

AutoFix Auto Shop Coaching

Suggested Episode Chapters

00:00 — Introduction: The E-Myth and coaching to valuation

01:40 — Why great technicians can become trapped business owners

04:15 — The Technician, Manager, and Entrepreneur

07:10 — Working in the business versus working on it

09:20 — Sponsor: Shop Marketing Pros

10:20 — Building the shop as a repeatable prototype

12:50 — Profitable doesn’t always mean valuable

14:50 — The 30-day owner-dependence test

16:35 — What coaching to valuation looks like

18:15 — Five questions every shop owner should answer

19:30 — This week’s challenge and closing

Chapter times are approximate and can be adjusted after the final audio edit.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private Facebook Group, go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

Your Coach Doesn’t Know Squat About Marketing

Your auto repair shop business coach may be great at improving operations, financial performance, leadership, and profitability—but that doesn’t necessarily make them a marketing expert.

In this episode of The Weekly Blitz, we explain why shop owners should be cautious about accepting marketing advice from someone who isn’t actively studying and practicing it every day.

Marketing changes fast. The platforms, algorithms, privacy rules, technology, and customer behaviors that shaped successful strategies five years ago have changed dramatically. In some cases, tactics that worked just six months ago may already be losing effectiveness.

When your coach offers an opinion about SEO, Google Ads, social media, websites, or digital strategy, ask what current data and hands-on experience support it. Before cutting a marketing channel or changing direction, get a professional opinion from someone working in automotive marketing today.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why coaching repair shops and marketing repair shops are different specialties
• How outdated marketing advice can hurt your business
• Why confidence should never replace current data
• Questions to ask before acting on someone’s marketing recommendation
• How business coaches and marketing professionals should work together
• Why operational problems can sometimes look like marketing problems
• When to seek a professional marketing audit or second opinion

Your coach can be an invaluable part of your team—but every professional should stay in their area of expertise. Let your coach help strengthen the business, and let a qualified marketing professional connect that business with the right customers.

Sponsored by Shop Marketing Pros

Shop Marketing Pros helps independent auto repair shops market differently with strategies built around each shop’s goals and local market.

From websites and search visibility to paid advertising, social media, content, and measurable strategy, the Shop Marketing Pros team works in automotive marketing every day.

Get professional marketing guidance based on current experience and real data at ShopMarketingPros.com.

Key Takeaway

Don’t accept marketing opinions as marketing expertise. Ask for current data, relevant experience, and measurable recommendations before making decisions that could affect your shop’s car count, reputation, growth, and future.

Connect With Shop Marketing Pros

Website: ShopMarketingPros.com

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to The Weekly Blitz and share it with another independent auto repair shop owner.

Keep pushing forward, keep challenging assumptions, and keep marketing differently.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private Facebook Group, go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

Coaching to Valuation: What Is Your Shop Really Worth?

You may believe you own a million-dollar shop—but would the financials support that number if a qualified buyer examined your business today?

In this episode of The Weekly Blitz, we introduce Coaching to Valuation, a new approach that builds on the proven principles of Coaching to Profits. The goal isn’t just to improve this month’s numbers. It’s to create a more profitable, transferable, and valuable business.

We discuss:

• The difference between Coaching to Profits and Coaching to Valuation
• Why every owner should be prepared to sell—even if they never plan on selling
• What “blue-sky” or goodwill value means
• Why a profitable shop may still be difficult to sell
• How owner dependence can reduce business value
• The importance of clean, credible financial records
• How staffing, systems, customer retention, marketing, and risk affect value
• Setting a 24-month target and coaching toward it
• Evaluating a shop you may want to purchase
• Preparing your own shop for a possible sale

To begin the valuation process, you will need at least one full year of profit-and-loss statements and a matching balance sheet. Three years of both is preferred because it provides a clearer view of the business’s performance and trends.

An estimated valuation is not a formal appraisal or a guaranteed sale price. It is a practical starting point for identifying weaknesses, strengthening the business, and creating a measurable plan for increasing its value.

This episode is brought to you by Shop Marketing Pros. Learn more at ShopMarketingPros.com.

The Weekly Blitz is proud to be part of the Automotive Repair Podcast Network.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private Facebook Group, go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

Podcast Description

If you won't show up for yourself, why should anyone else?

After four shop owners scheduled discovery calls and failed to show up in the same week, Coach Chris Cotton decided it was time for an honest conversation.

This isn't an episode about phone calls.

It's an episode about commitment.

In this tough-love edition of The Weekly Blitz, Chris challenges shop owners to stop making excuses, stop blaming coaching programs, and start taking ownership of the one thing they can control—themselves.

If you've ever said, "I'm too busy," this episode may be exactly what you need to hear.

​In this episode you'll learn:

• Why missing appointments is a symptom of a bigger leadership issue.
• How "I'm too busy" often means your business is running you.
• The guarantees every great coaching relationship should provide.
• Why coaching only works when owners do the work.
• The common denominator in failed coaching relationships.
• Why commitment—not motivation—is the foundation of success.
• How protecting your calendar protects your future.

​Memorable Quotes

• "Your business doesn't own itself. If it owns you, you've built a prison."
• "The problem isn't that you've had three coaches. The common denominator in all three coaching relationships is the person you shave with every morning."
• "Your coach can show you the path, but they can't walk it for you."
• "Success isn't built on motivation. It's built on commitment."
• "Your future isn't decided by the appointments you make. It's decided by the appointments you keep.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private Facebook Group, go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

Podcast Description

Last week we discussed the purpose of answering the phone. This week we're taking the next step—how to coach service advisors after the call.

Coach Chris Cotton shares the exact process he uses with AutoFix Auto Shop Coaching clients, including why advisors should evaluate themselves first, how to use a simple Pass/Fail coaching system, why you should coach behaviors instead of personalities, and how recognizing great phone calls is just as important as correcting poor ones.

If you're serious about building a stronger front counter and creating confident service advisors, this episode is packed with practical coaching strategies you can implement immediately.

​

​Show Notes

In this episode you'll learn:

• Why advisors should listen to their own calls before coaching begins.
• The importance of asking, "How do you think you did?"
• Why every phone call should still be evaluated Pass or Fail.
• The coaching checklist every owner should use.
• How to coach behaviors instead of attacking personalities.
• Using AI call scoring to prioritize coaching opportunities.
• Why catching employees doing something right is one of the best leadership tools you have.
• How matching customer tone and emotion builds trust and confidence.

​Key Quotes

• "Coach the behavior—not the person."
• "People repeat what gets recognized."
• "Recognition isn't just encouragement. Recognition is coaching."
• "The best coaching starts with one simple question: 'How do you think you did?'"
• "Technology doesn't replace leadership—it simply helps us become better leaders."

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private Facebook Group, go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

Most service advisors think their job on the phone is to answer questions.

They're wrong.

In this episode, Coach Chris Cotton explains why the only objective of every incoming phone call is to secure the appointment and how that one mindset shift can dramatically improve your closing ratio, increase car count, and create a better customer experience.

Chris dives into why shop owners should be listening to phone calls every week, how to score calls using a simple pass/fail system, and why service advisors must confidently guide customers through the scheduling process instead of simply providing information.

You'll also learn why appointment times don't mean what customers think they mean, how to properly set expectations before a customer arrives, and why successful shops intentionally overbook based on historical no-show rates.

If you want more cars showing up, fewer scheduling headaches, and service advisors who sound like trusted professionals, this episode is for you.

​

​In This Episode

✔ Why every phone call should be scored Pass or Fail

✔ The only purpose of answering the phone

✔ Why service advisors should lead—not simply answer questions

✔ Setting expectations before customers arrive

✔ Why appointment times are actually arrival times

✔ Creating a smooth customer check-in process

✔ Scheduling based on probabilities instead of hope

✔ Why your phone process is actually part of your marketing

​

​Key Takeaways

• "The purpose of answering the phone isn't to answer questions. It's to secure the appointment."
• "Customers don't need another information desk. They need someone willing to guide them."
• "Every phone call is a sales opportunity long before an estimate is ever written."
• "Appointment time isn't when the repair starts. It's when the relationship starts."
• "Don't schedule perfection. Schedule reality."

​Memorable Quotes

• "If the appointment wasn't scheduled, the phone call failed."
• "The best service advisors don't wait for customers to lead—they confidently guide them."
• "Confusion creates frustration. Expectations create confidence."
• "Your service advisor is one of the most important salespeople in your business."
• "Hope is not a scheduling strategy."

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private Facebook Group, go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

Build a Business Worth Owning... and Worth Buying

What is your business actually worth?

If you don't know the answer, you're not alone—but it's one of the most important questions every shop owner should be asking.

In this episode of The Weekly Blitz, Coach Chris Cotton introduces AutoFix Coaching's new Coaching to Valuation philosophy. Instead of focusing only on monthly KPIs, this approach starts by understanding your current business value and building a customized coaching roadmap that increases enterprise value over time.

Whether you plan to sell your shop someday or keep it for the next generation, every leadership decision should make your business stronger, healthier, and more valuable.

In This Episode

• Why valuation matters—even if you never plan to sell
• The difference between building income and building enterprise value
• Introducing AutoFix Coaching's Coaching to Valuation philosophy
• Why every KPI should connect to business value
• The importance of income statements and balance sheets
• How a customized coaching roadmap helps build a stronger business

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private Facebook Group, go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

5 Lessons Every Shop Owner Should Steal from the Top 10%

The 2026 PMA Benchmark Report is packed with data—but numbers only matter if you know how to apply them.

In this episode, Coach Chris Cotton breaks down the five biggest lessons hidden inside the report and explains why leadership, productivity, systems, and accountability consistently separate the best repair shops from everyone else.

If you've ever wondered what elite-performing shops actually do differently, this episode provides practical, actionable answers backed by industry data and real-world coaching experience.

In This Episode

• Why labor rate isn't the biggest profit driver
• The real reason productivity matters
• How top shops build repeatable systems
• Why owners become the growth ceiling
• What winning shops do to retain great employees
• Practical action items you can implement immediately
• The numbers don't lie—and this report proves that great leadership always wins.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private Facebook Group, go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

The latest PMA Benchmark Report confirmed something we've been teaching at AutoFix Coaching for years: the biggest problem facing most independent repair shops isn't labor rates, marketing, or even the technician shortage—it's leadership.

In this episode, Coach Chris Cotton breaks down the coaching-related findings from the PMA report and explains why top-performing shops consistently outperform the rest through better systems, stronger leadership, improved productivity, and disciplined execution.

Chris also discusses the recent leadership changes at Automotive Training Institute (ATI), what those changes may mean for current coaching clients, and why shop owners should evaluate coaching based on the people, accountability, and results—not just the company name.

If you've ever wondered why some shops continue to grow while others stay stuck despite charging higher labor rates or spending more on marketing, this episode will challenge your thinking.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why higher labor rates don't guarantee higher profits
• The real reason productivity is a leadership metric
• What the PMA report reveals about elite-performing shops
• Why many owners become their own growth bottleneck
• What ATI's recent organizational changes could mean for coaching clients
• How to evaluate whether your current coaching relationship is helping your business grow
• Leadership changes everything. The numbers prove it.

Sponsored By Shop Marketing Pros

Shop Marketing Pros helps independent auto repair shops dominate their markets through SEO, website design, Google Ads, and digital marketing strategies built specifically for the automotive industry.

Learn more at:

https://shopmarketingpros.com

Need Help Understanding Your Numbers?

Schedule a discovery session with AutoFix Auto Shop Coaching today.

https://autoshopcoaching.com

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private Facebook Group, go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

Many auto repair shop owners struggle with cash flow despite having decent sales and respectable margins.

Why?

Sometimes the answer isn't on the Income Statement.

In this Weekly Blitz episode, I discuss why owner draws can become one of the most overlooked causes of cash flow problems inside an auto repair business.

After reviewing a shop's financials, I discovered multiple family members were taking approximately $15,000 per week in draws from the company. The withdrawals were sitting on the Balance Sheet, making it easy to overlook their impact on operational performance and cash flow.

In this episode you'll learn:

• Why owner draws deserve more visibility
• The difference between tax accounting and management accounting
• How hidden withdrawals impact cash flow
• Why businesses should determine what they can afford to distribute
• The two solutions available when draws exceed profitability
• Why numbers can hide even when they don't lie

Sponsored By Shop Marketing Pros

Shop Marketing Pros helps independent auto repair shops dominate their markets through SEO, website design, Google Ads, and digital marketing strategies built specifically for the automotive industry.

Learn more at:

https://shopmarketingpros.com

Need Help Understanding Your Numbers?

Schedule a discovery session with AutoFix Auto Shop Coaching today.

https://autoshopcoaching.com

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private Facebook Group, go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

Want to know one of the fastest ways to determine if an auto repair shop is struggling?

Look at the parking lot.

If the same vehicles are sitting in the same spots for two weeks or longer, there is a good chance the shop has serious operational problems hiding beneath the surface.

In this Weekly Blitz episode, I share one of the biggest warning signs I learned from my own experience as an absentee owner. The unfinished cars weren't the problem—they were the symptom of deeper issues involving leadership, workflow, communication, estimating, approvals, and accountability.

We'll discuss:

• Why unfinished vehicles are trapped revenue
• How stagnant parking lots signal operational bottlenecks
• The hidden costs of delayed repairs
• Why movement matters more than volume
• Questions every shop owner should ask about aging vehicles
• How high-performing shops manage workflow differently
• If your lot looks more like vehicle storage than an active repair facility, this episode is for you.

Sponsored By Shop Marketing Pros

Need more of the right customers finding your shop online?

Shop Marketing Pros helps independent auto repair shops dominate local search results through automotive-specific websites, SEO, digital advertising, and proven marketing systems.

Learn more at:

https://shopmarketingpros.com

​

Ready to Improve Shop Performance?

Visit AutoFix Auto Shop Coaching and schedule a discovery call today.

https://autoSHOPCOACHING.com

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private Facebook Group, go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

Episode Overview

Technology is moving fast in the automotive repair industry — and that’s not a bad thing.

AI phone systems, automation tools, communication platforms, and workflow integrations all have the potential to improve efficiency, scalability, and customer experience.

But here’s the hard truth discussed in this episode:

Bad implementation creates bad customer experiences.

Coach Chris Cotton shares recent experiences hearing AI answering systems from competing shops that sounded robotic, disconnected, confusing, and trust-breaking. The issue wasn’t the technology itself — it was the lack of leadership oversight behind it.

This episode challenges shop owners to stop blindly automating customer interactions without personally auditing the experience their customers are actually receiving.

Key Topics Discussed

• Technology Is Not the Enemy

Chris makes it clear:

• He loves technology and innovation in the industry.

Modern tools can improve:

• Workflow efficiency
• Scheduling
• CRM follow-up
• Customer communication
• Capacity management
• Shop productivity
• Marketing effectiveness

But technology should enhance leadership — not replace it.

“Technology amplifies leadership. It does not replace it.”

The Danger of Poor AI Phone Systems

Many shop owners are implementing AI answering systems to help with:

• Staffing shortages
• Overloaded advisors
• Missed calls
• Operational pressure
• But if the system sounds:
• Cold
• Robotic
• Confusing
• Slow
• Untrustworthy

It can quietly damage:

• Customer confidence
• Appointment conversion
• First impressions
• Long-term retention
• Brand reputation

Most customers won’t complain.

They’ll simply call another shop.

​Memorable Quotes From This Episode

• “Answering the phone is not the objective. Creating trust is.”
• “Too many owners are trying to automate chaos instead of fixing chaos.”
• “Customers don’t announce lost trust. They just call someone else.”
• “Convenience cannot come at the expense of customer confidence.”
• “Good technology still requires leadership oversight.”
• “The market is becoming less forgiving of sloppy execution.”

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private Facebook Group, go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

• “Volume without margin is just organized chaos.”
• “If your ARO doesn’t reflect the work, your process is broken.”
• “Busy is not a business model.”
• “Diesel shops don’t lack opportunity—they lack execution.”
• “If your pricing doesn’t match your capability, that’s a decision.”
• “Throughput—not car count—is what drives profit.”
• “Fleet work should support your business, not control it.”
• “You’re not running a schedule—you’re reacting to it.”

​

​In this episode of The Weekly Blitz, Coach Chris Cotton breaks down why diesel repair shops should be outperforming general repair shops—and why many aren’t.

From underperforming ARO and mismanaged fleet accounts to scheduling inefficiencies and weak marketing strategies, this episode uncovers the operational and leadership gaps holding diesel shop owners back.

Chris shares practical strategies to improve profitability, increase efficiency, and fully leverage the built-in advantages of diesel specialization.

​

​Diesel shops have a built-in advantage—higher ticket potential, specialized expertise, and strong demand.

So why are so many still struggling with profitability?

In this episode, Coach Chris Cotton breaks down the operational, pricing, scheduling, and marketing mistakes that are holding diesel shop owners back—and what to do about it.

If your shop is busy but not producing the results it should, this episode will challenge how you’re thinking and give you clear actions to take.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private Facebook Group, go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

Objective: Elevate the conversation beyond the topic.

Questions (open discussion):

• “What does this season teach us about leadership?”
• “How does going through something like this change how you lead your team?”
• “What would you say to shop owners who are currently struggling in silence?”

Core Message:

• Leadership isn’t tested when things are easy
• Emotional intelligence is a performance multiplier
• Strong businesses are built by leaders who can adapt under pressure

​

• ​Have a real conversation with your spouse—ask, don’t assume
• Identify 1–2 pressure points in your communication
• Clarify roles inside the shop to reduce friction
• Track KPIs weekly to remove emotional decision-making
• Build margin into your schedule—everything doesn’t need to be urgent

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

Quotes

• “Capacity doesn’t create demand—demand earns capacity.”
• “Hope is not a hiring strategy.”
• “Keeping people you don’t have work for isn’t kindness—it’s avoidance.”
• “Skinny spending is discipline, not fear.”
• “Your business can’t breathe if you suffocate it with payroll.”
• “Car count problems are usually process problems.”
• “You don’t learn leadership when things go right.”
• “Volume inconsistency exposes operational weakness.”

​

​In this episode, Coach Chris Cotton breaks down a real-world leadership moment from Firestone of Durango—over-hiring ahead of demand, navigating a sudden drop in car count, and making tough payroll decisions. Learn how to stay lean, improve operational discipline, and respond like a true leader when business shifts.

​

​Are you carrying too much payroll in your shop?

In this episode of The Weekly Blitz, Coach Chris Cotton shares a real situation from Firestone of Durango—what happened when hiring ahead of demand backfired, and how leadership decisions made the difference.

If your car count is inconsistent, your payroll is high, or you're feeling pressure… this episode is for you.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private Facebook Group, go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

In this episode, Coach Chris Cotton breaks down the hard truth most shop owners avoid: your team’s performance is a direct reflection of your leadership.

Using the Toyota/GM production story as a foundation, Chris explains why the same employees can produce drastically different results under different leadership environments—and what that means for your shop.

You’ll learn:

Why blaming your team keeps you stuck

How leadership systems drive shop performance

The real reason culture feels broken

What to fix immediately to improve productivity and accountability

​

​Think your team is the problem? Think again.

In this episode, we dive into a powerful real-world example that proves performance is driven by leadership—not personnel. If your shop is struggling with low productivity, weak culture, or inconsistent results, this episode will challenge everything you believe about your team.

This is a direct, no-excuses conversation about ownership, accountability, and what it really takes to build a high-performing shop.

​

​PULL QUOTES

“Your crew is a mirror of your leadership—whether you like it or not.”

“Same people, different leader, completely different results.”

“You don’t have a people problem—you have a leadership ceiling.”

“A-players don’t stay in B-level environments.”

“More cars into a broken system just creates more chaos.”

“What you tolerate becomes your culture.”

“Your shop performs exactly how it’s led.”

“Comfortable leaders build struggling shops.”

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private Facebook Group, go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com

Get our listening APP HERE.

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

In this episode, Coach Chris Cotton breaks down key principles from Die With Zero and applies them directly to independent auto repair shop ownership.

You’ll learn:

Why most shop owners delay life too long

How business growth can become a trap

The importance of memory dividends vs. financial accumulation

How to align your shop operations with your life goals

Tactical steps to start reclaiming your time

​

​Are you building a business… or postponing your life?

Inspired by Die With Zero, this episode challenges shop owners to rethink how they use time, money, and leadership. Coach Chris Cotton breaks down how delayed living, poor structure, and reactive operations keep owners stuck—and what to do about it.

This is a must-listen if you want your shop to support your life—not replace it.

​

​Most shop owners think they’re building freedom—but they’re actually building a trap.

In this episode, Coach Chris Cotton breaks down powerful lessons from Die With Zero and shows how they apply directly to auto repair shop ownership.

If you’re stuck working too much, delaying life, or waiting for “someday”… this episode will challenge your thinking.

🔧 Topics Covered:

Shop owner burnout

Business vs. life alignment

Memory dividends

Operational independence

Leadership growth

​

​You’re not building a business—you’re delaying your life.”

“If your shop can’t run without you, it owns you.”

“Money unused at the wrong time in life is wasted opportunity.”

“Capacity ceilings are leadership ceilings—and lifestyle ceilings.”

“Most shop owners don’t have a money problem—they have a life design problem.”

“If it’s not scheduled, it’s not real.”

“The goal isn’t to die rich. It’s to live fully.”

​

​Make sure to support the companies that support this podcast.

A big thank you to our sponsor, Shop Marketing Pros. If you’re serious about growing your shop with consistent, strategy-driven marketing that actually works in the automotive industry, they’re the team to trust. You can learn more and get connected with them at:

https://shopmarketingpros.com

And don’t forget, The Weekly Blitz is proud to be part of the Automotive Repair Podcast Network—bringing you some of the best voices and insights in the automotive industry.

​https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

We appreciate you listening, supporting our partners, and being part of a community that’s committed to raising the standard.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private Facebook Group, go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

💬 PULL QUOTES

“You’re not busy—you’re out of control.”

“Chaos is a system failure, not a workload problem.”

“Structure creates freedom.”

“If everything is urgent, nothing is under control.”

“Clarity eliminates chaos.”

“If you are the system, you are the bottleneck.”

“Visibility creates control.”

“Busy and controlled is possible. Busy and chaotic is optional.”

“You don’t need less work—you need better structure.”

“Stop reacting. Start designing.”

📝 SHOW NOTES

In this episode, Coach Chris Cotton breaks down why so many auto repair shops feel chaotic—and how to fix it.

From daily rhythm and workflow structure to leadership bottlenecks and team clarity, this episode gives shop owners a practical roadmap to install control and eliminate operational stress.

📄 EPISODE DESCRIPTION

If your shop feels overwhelming, unpredictable, and constantly reactive… this episode is for you.

Coach Chris Cotton explains why chaos isn’t caused by being busy—it’s caused by lack of structure.

Learn how to implement simple systems, create daily rhythm, and take back control of your business.

📺 YOUTUBE DESCRIPTION

Feeling overwhelmed in your shop?

It’s not because you’re busy—it’s because you lack control.

In this episode, Coach Chris Cotton shows you how to eliminate chaos and install structure fast.

🔧 Learn:

Why chaos happens in shops

How to create daily operational rhythm

Where leadership bottlenecks form

How to build real control

👉 Shop Marketing Pros: https://shopmarketingpros.com/

👉 Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Subscribe for more leadership-driven shop strategies.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private Facebook Group, go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

“Profit doesn’t disappear—it leaks.”

“You don’t need more cars. You need fewer leaks.”

“Underpricing is working for free—you just don’t see it.”

“You can’t sell what you don’t inspect.”

“Productivity solves more problems than hiring.”

“Most sales problems are process problems.”

“Discounting is emotional—profit is strategic.”

“Busy doesn’t mean profitable.”

“Tight systems win in a tight market.”

“Stop chasing more. Start protecting what you have.”

​

​In this episode, Coach Chris Cotton breaks down the most common profit leaks inside auto repair shops—and how to fix them quickly.

From pricing and inspections to productivity and advisor performance, this episode delivers practical strategies to help shop owners stop losing money and start maximizing the work they’re already doing.

If your shop is busy but not profitable, you don’t have a revenue problem—you have a profit leak.

In this episode, Coach Chris Cotton exposes the most common areas where shops lose money and gives you actionable steps to fix them fast.

Stop chasing more cars and start capturing the profit already inside your business.

​

​Where is your profit actually going?

In this episode, Coach Chris Cotton reveals the hidden profit leaks inside auto repair shops—and how to fix them immediately.

🔧 Learn:

The biggest pricing mistakes shop owners make

Why inspections drive ARO

How productivity impacts profitability

Where advisor process breaks down

👉 Shop Marketing Pros: https://shopmarketingpros.com/

👉 Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Subscribe for real-world shop leadership strategies.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private Facebook Group, go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

“You don’t run a shop—you run a system that either produces profit or chaos.”

“Auto repair is the input. Profit is the output.”

“If your numbers aren’t clear, your leadership isn’t either.”

“You don’t fix profit by getting busier—you fix it by getting better.”

“If you are the system, you are the bottleneck.”

“Capacity problems are usually leadership problems.”

“Systems create predictability. Predictability creates profit.”

“The industry is shifting from fixing cars to running businesses.”

“You either have a machine—or a stressful job.”

“Leadership evolution always precedes business growth.”

​

​In this episode, Coach Chris Cotton challenges shop owners to rethink their entire business model. You don’t run an auto repair shop—you run a profit engine fueled by auto repair.

Chris breaks down the key drivers of profitability, exposes common system failures, and outlines how leadership, process, and measurement must align to create consistent results.

If you’re tired of chaos, inconsistent profits, and feeling stuck—this episode will give you the clarity and direction to start building a real business.

​

​Are you running a shop… or are you running a machine?

In this episode of The Weekly Blitz, Coach Chris Cotton breaks down one of the most important mindset shifts in the auto repair industry: your shop is not the product—profit is.

Learn how to identify the key drivers of your business, eliminate profit leaks, build systems that scale, and step into the leadership role required to grow beyond survival mode.

If you’re ready to stop reacting and start operating with intention, this episode is for you.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private Facebook Group, go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

📌 Show Notes

Episode 251 – Radical Ownership in the Auto Repair Shop

In this episode, Coach Chris Cotton breaks down the concept of radical ownership and how it transforms culture, accountability, and performance in independent repair shops.

Topics Covered:

The difference between blame and ownership

Applying Extreme Ownership principles to shop operations

Systems vs individuals

Ownership and scalability

Tactical steps to build a culture of accountability

Sponsor:

Shop Marketing Pros – Helping independent repair shops build predictable growth.

​When something goes wrong in your shop… who owns it?

In Episode 251 of The Weekly Blitz, Coach Chris Cotton dives into radical ownership and how embracing full responsibility transforms leadership, culture, and performance inside an auto repair shop.

Blame limits growth.

Ownership unlocks it.

If you’re serious about building a high-performance team and scalable business, this episode is a must-listen.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private Facebook Group, go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private facebook group go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

In this milestone episode, Coach Chris Cotton reflects on identity, growth, and the evolution required to build scalable businesses.

Topics Covered:

1. Why milestones are about identity, not numbers
2. The mindset shifts required for scale
3. Letting go of old versions of yourself
4. Operator vs Owner thinking
5. Leadership ceilings and business growt
6. Reflection exercises for serious shop owners
7. ​What does it really take to build a scalable business?

In Episode 250 of The Weekly Blitz, Coach Chris Cotton reflects on the mindset shifts and identity evolution required to grow as a leader in the auto repair industry.

1. This isn’t about revenue.
2. This isn’t about expansion.
3. It’s about who you had to become — and who you must become next.
4. If you’re serious about growth, this milestone episode will challenge you to think deeper.

Sponsor:

Shop Marketing Pros – Helping independent auto repair shops build predictable growth.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private Facebook Group, go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

In this episode, Coach Chris Cotton dives into building a solution-based culture inside your auto repair shop.

Topics Covered:

1. Why excuses spread through teams
2. The difference between reasons and excuses
3. How leadership sets the tone
4. Eliminating blame-based thinking
5. Building systems that reduce failure points
6. Tactical ways to raise accountability immediately

Sponsor: Shop Marketing Pros – Helping independent shops eliminate marketing excuses and build predictable growth.

​Excuses don’t fix cars. Leaders do.

In Episode 249 of The Weekly Blitz, Coach Chris Cotton breaks down how excuse-driven culture slows growth and damages accountability in auto repair shops.

This episode challenges shop owners to shift from blame to solutions and create a standard where problems are fixed — not explained.

If you want a faster, stronger, more accountable shop… this one’s for you.

To listen to more episodes, make sure and go over to iTunes and or Spotify.

Don't forget to rate and review us!

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private facebook group go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private facebook group go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Host: Coach Chris Cotton

Network: Aftermarket Radio Network

Episode 248 – Build It to Sell (Even If You Never Do)

In this episode, Coach Chris Cotton breaks down why every auto repair shop should be designed for exit from day one.

Topics Covered:

Why most shop owners own a job, not a business

How to structure your shop for transferability

The power of a business prospectus

Reducing owner dependency

Increasing enterprise value

Tactical steps to build sellable systems

Sponsor:

Shop Marketing Pros – Helping shops create predictable growth and market dominance.

Network:

Aftermarket Radio Network

​

​If someone offered to buy your auto repair shop tomorrow, could you hand them a clean prospectus?

In Episode 248 of The Weekly Blitz, Coach Chris Cotton dives into why every shop should be built to sell — even if you never plan to.

From clean financials and defined structure to removing owner dependency, this episode challenges independent shop owners to think like enterprise builders, not operators.

Because one day, you will exit.

Will you leave chaos… or value?

🎙️ Podcast Network

The Weekly Blitz is proud to be part of the Aftermarket Radio Network, home to some of the most trusted voices and podcasts in the automotive aftermarket.

Be sure to explore the network for more shows focused on leadership, operations, technology, and the future of automotive.

📌 Listen, Subscribe & Share

If this episode resonated with you:

Subscribe to The Weekly Blitz

Check out Shop Talk Her Way

Share this episode with someone who cares about leadership done right

Strong leaders build strong teams — and strong teams build strong shops.

🤝 Episode Sponsor

This episode is brought to you by Shop Marketing Pros.

Shop Marketing Pros helps auto repair shop owners build consistent, long-term growth strategies that actually work—especially during slower or unpredictable seasons like January. If you’re looking for marketing that supports your business instead of stressing you out, visit ShopMarketingPros.com.

🎧 About The Weekly Blitz

The Weekly Blitz is a short-form, tactical mindset podcast for auto repair shop owners who want clarity, confidence, and consistent execution in their business. Hosted by Coach Chris Cotton, each episode delivers real-world insight you can apply immediately in your shop.

To listen to more episodes, make sure and go over to iTunes and or Spotify.

Don't forget to rate and review us!

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private facebook group go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Host: Coach Chris Cotton

Network: Aftermarket Radio Network

Episode 247 – Leaders Eat Last… But Don’t Starve

In this episode, Coach Chris Cotton dives into Simon Sinek’s concept from Leaders Eat Last and applies it directly to the auto repair industry.

Topics Covered:

What “leaders eat last” really means

The difference between sacrifice and self-neglect

How leadership creates psychological safety in your shop

Why burned-out owners hurt culture

Tactical ways to protect your energy while still serving your team

📄 Episode Description (For Apple / Spotify)

What happens when you walk out of your shop and realize you never ate lunch?

In Episode 247 of The Weekly Blitz, Coach Chris Cotton explores Simon Sinek’s powerful leadership concept from Leaders Eat Last — and how it applies to auto repair shop owners.

Leadership means sacrifice. But does it mean burnout?

This episode challenges shop owners to protect their people without starving themselves in the process.

If you’ve ever carried the weight of your shop on your shoulders… this one’s for you.

🤝 Featured Collaboration

This episode highlights the launch and growth of Shop Talk Her Way, a podcast dedicated to honest conversations, leadership development, and real experiences — especially for women in automotive, but valuable for anyone leading a team or business.

🎧 Sponsor Message

This episode of The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by Shop Marketing Pros.

Shop Marketing Pros specializes in marketing for auto repair shops — not generic marketing fluff. From websites and SEO to paid ads and branding, they focus on strategies that actually drive car count, improve ARO, and support profitable growth.

If you’re ready for marketing with accountability and industry understanding, check them out and let them know The Weekly Blitz sent you.

🎙️ Podcast Network

The Weekly Blitz is proud to be part of the Aftermarket Radio Network, home to some of the most trusted voices and podcasts in the automotive aftermarket.

Be sure to explore the network for more shows focused on leadership, operations, technology, and the future of automotive.

📌 Listen, Subscribe & Share

If this episode resonated with you:

Subscribe to The Weekly Blitz

Check out Shop Talk Her Way

Share this episode with someone who cares about leadership done right

Strong leaders build strong teams — and strong teams build strong shops.

🤝 Episode Sponsor

This episode is brought to you by Shop Marketing Pros.

Shop Marketing Pros helps auto repair shop owners build consistent, long-term growth strategies that actually work—especially during slower or unpredictable seasons like January. If you’re looking for marketing that supports your business instead of stressing you out, visit ShopMarketingPros.com.

🎧 About The Weekly Blitz

The Weekly Blitz is a short-form, tactical mindset podcast for auto repair shop owners who want clarity, confidence, and consistent execution in their business. Hosted by Coach Chris Cotton, each episode delivers real-world insight you can apply immediately in your shop.

To listen to more episodes, make sure and go over to iTunes and or Spotify.

Don't forget to rate and review us!

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private facebook group go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Host: Coach Chris Cotton

“Communities are regulating repair capacity out of existence… and they still expect same-day service.”

“At some point, towns are going to run out of places to fix the cars they depend on.”

“The bay shortage isn’t just a market problem—it’s a permitting problem.”

Data/Pressure

4. “Vehicles per bay hit about 253 by 2022—and it’s projected to top 261.”

5. “More cars. More complexity. Fewer bays. That’s the squeeze.” Productivity / ‘One tech’

6. “If you want more capacity, stop hunting bays and start hunting waste.”

7. “Most shops don’t have a technician shortage. They have a productivity leak.”

8. “Every owner knows the one technician I’m talking about.”

9. “Imagine every shop releasing one dead-weight tech back into the pool—suddenly half the industry improves.”

Owner shortage

10. “You don’t have a capacity problem—you have a leadership pipeline problem.”

11. “The technician shortage hurts production. The shop owner shortage threatens the industry.”

Consolidation / Collision

12. “Collision repair is showing us the future: consolidation accelerates when succession fails.”

🎧 Sponsor Message

This episode of The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by Shop Marketing Pros.

Shop Marketing Pros specializes in marketing for auto repair shops — not generic marketing fluff. From websites and SEO to paid ads and branding, they focus on strategies that actually drive car count, improve ARO, and support profitable growth.

If you’re ready for marketing with accountability and industry understanding, check them out and let them know The Weekly Blitz sent you.

The Weekly Blitz is proud to be part of the Automotive Repair Podcast Network, home to some of the most trusted voices and podcasts in the automotive aftermarket.

Be sure to explore the network for more shows focused on leadership, operations, technology, and the future of automotive.

📌 Listen, Subscribe & Share

If this episode resonated with you:

Subscribe to The Weekly Blitz

🤝 Episode Sponsor

This episode is brought to you by Shop Marketing Pros.

Shop Marketing Pros helps auto repair shop owners build consistent, long-term growth strategies that actually work—especially during slower or unpredictable seasons like January. If you’re looking for marketing that supports your business instead of stressing you out, visit ShopMarketingPros.com.

🎧 About The Weekly Blitz

The Weekly Blitz is a short-form, tactical mindset podcast for auto repair shop owners who want clarity, confidence, and consistent execution in their business. Hosted by Coach Chris Cotton, each episode delivers real-world insight you can apply immediately in your shop.

To listen to more episodes, download the ARPN App at https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/app

Don't forget to rate and review us!

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private facebook group go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Host: Coach Chris Cotton

Network: Aftermarket Radio Network

Guest: Coach JeanAnn SaintGrace

Title : Real Leadership, Real Voices: Shop Ownership, Coaching, and Shop Talk Her Way

📄 Podcast Description

In Episode #245 of The Weekly Blitz, Coach Chris Cotton sits down with Coach JeanAnn SaintGrace — former shop owner, industry coach, and host of the podcast Shop Talk Her Way.

This episode is all about real-world leadership in the automotive industry. JeanAnn shares her journey as a shop owner, the lessons learned from running a business in the trenches, and how those experiences shaped her coaching philosophy today. This isn’t theory — it’s perspective earned through experience.

Chris and JeanAnn also dive into their new collaboration, the importance of elevating meaningful conversations in automotive, and why Shop Talk Her Way is creating space for voices and leadership styles the industry needs more of.

This episode is honest, grounded, and packed with insight for shop owners, managers, service advisors, and anyone serious about leading well in this industry.

🛠️ What You’ll Learn in This Episode

JeanAnn SaintGrace’s background as a former shop owner

How real ownership experience shapes better coaching

The leadership lessons you only learn by being in the trenches

Why representation and authentic voices matter in automotive

The mission behind Shop Talk Her Way

What this new collaboration means for shop owners and leaders

Why strong leadership beats shortcuts every time

🤝 Featured Collaboration

This episode highlights the launch and growth of Shop Talk Her Way, a podcast dedicated to honest conversations, leadership development, and real experiences — especially for women in automotive, but valuable for anyone leading a team or business.

🎧 Sponsor Message

This episode of The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by Shop Marketing Pros.

Shop Marketing Pros specializes in marketing for auto repair shops — not generic marketing fluff. From websites and SEO to paid ads and branding, they focus on strategies that actually drive car count, improve ARO, and support profitable growth.

If you’re ready for marketing with accountability and industry understanding, check them out and let them know The Weekly Blitz sent you.

🎙️ Podcast Network

The Weekly Blitz is proud to be part of the Aftermarket Radio Network, home to some of the most trusted voices and podcasts in the automotive aftermarket.

Be sure to explore the network for more shows focused on leadership, operations, technology, and the future of automotive.

📌 Listen, Subscribe & Share

If this episode resonated with you:

Subscribe to The Weekly Blitz

Check out Shop Talk Her Way

Share this episode with someone who cares about leadership done right

Strong leaders build strong teams — and strong teams build strong shops.

🤝 Episode Sponsor

This episode is brought to you by Shop Marketing Pros.

Shop Marketing Pros helps auto repair shop owners build consistent, long-term growth strategies that actually work—especially during slower or unpredictable seasons like January. If you’re looking for marketing that supports your business instead of stressing you out, visit ShopMarketingPros.com.

🎧 About The Weekly Blitz

The Weekly Blitz is a short-form, tactical mindset podcast for auto repair shop owners who want clarity, confidence, and consistent execution in their business. Hosted by Coach Chris Cotton, each episode delivers real-world insight you can apply immediately in your shop.

To listen to more episodes, make sure and go over to iTunes and or Spotify.

Don't forget to rate and review us!

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private facebook group go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Host: Coach Chris Cotton

Network: Aftermarket Radio Network

Episode Title: Celebrate the Win… Then Keep Moving

Podcast Description (Apple Podcasts / Spotify)

What happens when you hit a big goal… and your coach barely pauses before handing you the next one?

In this episode of The Weekly Blitz, Chris Cotton dives into the tension between celebrating wins and maintaining momentum — from both sides of the coaching relationship. Sparked by a personal weight-loss milestone that was quickly followed by a new target, Chris reflects on what accountability really looks like, why great coaches don’t linger on success, and how a simple pause — just one more beat — can make people feel seen without slowing progress.

This episode is a must-listen for shop owners, leaders, and coaches who want to push people forward without losing the human element along the way.

📝 Show Notes

⏱️ Episode Overview

Coaching is about progress — not comfort. But does that mean we skip celebration entirely?

In this episode, Chris Cotton shares a personal coaching moment that led to a deeper realization about how wins are acknowledged, why accountability partners often move on quickly, and how leaders can strike a better balance between recognition and forward momentum.

This isn’t about trophies or praise — it’s about reinforcing discipline while keeping people engaged, motivated, and seen.

🔑 Key Topics Covered

Why great coaches don’t linger on wins

The difference between celebrating progress and getting stuck in it

A personal story about weight loss, coaching, and unexpected emotions

How shiny-object celebration can kill momentum

The real job of accountability partners and coaches

Why high performers need direction more than motivation

The concept of “one more beat” — pausing just long enough to acknowledge effort

How shop owners and leaders can apply this with technicians, advisors, and managers

Recognizing progress without lowering standards

🧠 Key Takeaways

Coaches move on quickly on purpose — not because they don’t care

Momentum matters, but so does feeling seen

You don’t need fireworks or long celebrations — just intentional recognition

One extra pause can strengthen trust without slowing progress

Great leadership balances pressure with humanity

📣 Sponsor Message

This episode is brought to you by Shop Marketing Pros — a marketing partner that doesn’t just sell ads, but actually understands the auto repair industry.

Chris recently joined Brian on the Auto Repair Marketing Podcast to discuss “The Most Important KPI You’re Not Tracking” — a conversation that highlights why it matters when your marketer is plugged into real industry conversations.

It’s good to know your marketing partner is thinking, learning, and bringing meaningful insights forward — not just pushing clicks.

📻 Network Shout-Out

Proud to be part of the Aftermarket Radio Network, where shop owners and industry leaders come together to share real conversations that move the aftermarket forward.

👊 Final Thought

Progress doesn’t stop — but it feels better when it’s recognized.

Celebrate the win.

Pause for one more beat.

Then keep moving.

🤝 Episode Sponsor

This episode is brought to you by Shop Marketing Pros.

Shop Marketing Pros helps auto repair shop owners build consistent, long-term growth strategies that actually work—especially during slower or unpredictable seasons like January. If you’re looking for marketing that supports your business instead of stressing you out, visit ShopMarketingPros.com.

🎧 About The Weekly Blitz

The Weekly Blitz is a short-form, tactical mindset podcast for auto repair shop owners who want clarity, confidence, and consistent execution in their business. Hosted by Coach Chris Cotton, each episode delivers real-world insight you can apply immediately in your shop.

To listen to more episodes, make sure and go over to iTunes and or Spotify.

Don't forget to rate and review us!

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private facebook group go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Host: Coach Chris Cotton

Network: Aftermarket Radio Network

Episode Title: Some People Can Only Take You So Far

In this episode of The Weekly Blitz, Chris Cotton dives into one of the toughest leadership realities in business: recognizing when people have reached their capacity ceiling. From service advisors who cap sales to employees who unknowingly hold organizations hostage, this episode challenges shop owners to confront fear-based thinking and lead with clarity.

Chris explains why it’s never as bad as your mind tells you it will be — and how growth often lives on the other side of uncomfortable decisions.

Topics Covered:

Capacity ceilings in service advisors

The danger of hostage thinking

Why great employees aren’t always the right employees

How fear exaggerates outcomes

Leadership decisions that unlock growth

🤝 Episode Sponsor

This episode is brought to you by Shop Marketing Pros.

Shop Marketing Pros helps auto repair shop owners build consistent, long-term growth strategies that actually work—especially during slower or unpredictable seasons like January. If you’re looking for marketing that supports your business instead of stressing you out, visit ShopMarketingPros.com.

🎧 About The Weekly Blitz

The Weekly Blitz is a short-form, tactical mindset podcast for auto repair shop owners who want clarity, confidence, and consistent execution in their business. Hosted by Coach Chris Cotton, each episode delivers real-world insight you can apply immediately in your shop.

To listen to more episodes, make sure and go over to iTunes and or Spotify.

Don't forget to rate and review us!

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private facebook group go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Episode Title: It’s Easy to Contract When You Should Be Expanding

Host: Coach Chris Cotton

Network: Aftermarket Radio Network

What if the real communication problem isn’t what you said… but what the other person heard?

In this full-length episode of The Weekly Blitz, Coach Chris Cotton devotes an entire show to one of the most overlooked leadership skills: making sure communication actually lands. Using a personal story about taco salad from his youth, Chris breaks down why assumptions derail teams, how leaders unintentionally create confusion, and what it really takes to ensure understanding—at work, at home, and everywhere in between.

If you’ve ever said, “That’s not what I meant,” this episode is for you.

Episode Summary:

In “The Taco Salad Lesson: Communication That Actually Lands,” Coach Chris Cotton explores why communication breaks down even when intentions are good. Through a relatable childhood story and real-world leadership examples, this episode dives deep into the difference between hearing and listening, the danger of assumptions, and how leaders can verify understanding before problems show up.

You’ll learn:

Why intent does not equal impact

The difference between hearing and listening

How assumptions quietly wreck teams

Simple ways to confirm understanding

Why clarity is a form of respect

🤝 Episode Sponsor

This episode is brought to you by Shop Marketing Pros.

Shop Marketing Pros helps auto repair shop owners build consistent, long-term growth strategies that actually work—especially during slower or unpredictable seasons like January. If you’re looking for marketing that supports your business instead of stressing you out, visit ShopMarketingPros.com.

🎧 About The Weekly Blitz

The Weekly Blitz is a short-form, tactical mindset podcast for auto repair shop owners who want clarity, confidence, and consistent execution in their business. Hosted by Coach Chris Cotton, each episode delivers real-world insight you can apply immediately in your shop.

To listen to more episodes, make sure and go over to iTunes and or Spotify.

Don't forget to rate and review us!

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private facebook group go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Episode Title: It’s Easy to Contract When You Should Be Expanding

Host: Coach Chris Cotton

Network: Aftermarket Radio Network

When business feels uncomfortable, most shop owners don’t pause — they panic.

They pull back marketing.

They delay hiring.

They cancel training.

In this episode of The Weekly Blitz, Coach Chris Cotton tackles one of the most dangerous instincts in business: contracting when expansion is required.

This conversation is about leadership under pressure — and why fear-based decisions quietly kill long-term growth. Coach Chris breaks down why contraction feels responsible, why it’s often the wrong move, and how the best-performing shops expand strategically when others retreat.

This is not about reckless growth.

It’s about intentional expansion — expanding systems, leadership, visibility, and execution when it matters most.

If you’ve been feeling squeezed, uncertain, or tempted to “wait and see,” this episode will challenge that thinking — and give you a better path forward.

⏱️ EPISODE TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – 02:45

🔥 Opening Hook: Why contraction feels safe — and why it’s dangerous

02:45 – 08:30

🧠 Why shop owners contract under pressure (fear vs leadership)

08:30 – 14:45

📈 What expansion really means (hint: it’s not always a new building)

14:45 – 16:15

🎯 Mid-Roll Sponsor: Shop Marketing Pros

16:15 – 22:30

🏗️ Expand or slowly shrink: the real cost of waiting

22:30 – 25:00

🚀 Final close + Aftermarket Radio Network mention

💡 KEY TAKEAWAYS

Contraction is emotional. Expansion is strategic.

Pausing marketing is usually the most expensive decision you can make.

Expansion doesn’t mean reckless growth — it means intentional investment.

Slow shops don’t need less visibility — they need better execution.

Leadership shows up before confidence does.

🔊 QUOTABLE LINES

“Contraction is easy. Expansion is leadership.”

“Markets don’t reward fear — they reward presence.”

“If your shop is slow, question execution before demand.”

“There is no neutral — you’re either expanding capability or shrinking your future.”

“Confidence doesn’t come before action. It comes after.”

🤝 Episode Sponsor

This episode is brought to you by Shop Marketing Pros.

Shop Marketing Pros helps auto repair shop owners build consistent, long-term growth strategies that actually work—especially during slower or unpredictable seasons like January. If you’re looking for marketing that supports your business instead of stressing you out, visit ShopMarketingPros.com.

🎧 About The Weekly Blitz

The Weekly Blitz is a short-form, tactical mindset podcast for auto repair shop owners who want clarity, confidence, and consistent execution in their business. Hosted by Coach Chris Cotton, each episode delivers real-world insight you can apply immediately in your shop.

To listen to more episodes, make sure and go over to iTunes and or Spotify.

Don't forget to rate and review us!

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private facebook group go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Episode Summary

By the second week of January, most shop owners are already questioning their plans, their numbers, and sometimes themselves. In this episode of The Weekly Blitz, Coach Chris Cotton breaks down why that feeling is not failure—it’s feedback.

This episode is all about making your first smart course correction of the year without panic, emotional decisions, or abandoning a plan that still deserves time to work. If January hasn’t gone exactly how you expected, this episode will help you reset, refocus, and move forward with clarity and confidence.

🔑 What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Why January rarely starts the way we picture it—and why that’s normal

The difference between failure and feedback in the early weeks of the year

A simple 3-question framework to make intelligent course corrections

What shop owners should not change yet in week two of January

One tactical move that can create immediate momentum without discounting

How discipline—not hype—sets winning shops apart early in the year

🛠️ Key Takeaways

January doesn’t reward optimism—it rewards process

A slow start does not mean a bad year

Most early-January mistakes are emotional, not strategic

Small, fast corrections beat big reactive changes

Momentum is built by staying in the game, not starting over

📋 Action Step for This Week

Before making any big changes, sit down and answer these three questions:

What did I assume that turned out to be wrong?

What’s working better than I expected?

What am I overreacting to?

Then choose one tactical improvement to focus on this week—starting with follow-up on declined or unsold work.

🤝 Episode Sponsor

This episode is brought to you by Shop Marketing Pros.

Shop Marketing Pros helps auto repair shop owners build consistent, long-term growth strategies that actually work—especially during slower or unpredictable seasons like January. If you’re looking for marketing that supports your business instead of stressing you out, visit ShopMarketingPros.com.

🎧 About The Weekly Blitz

The Weekly Blitz is a short-form, tactical mindset podcast for auto repair shop owners who want clarity, confidence, and consistent execution in their business. Hosted by Coach Chris Cotton, each episode delivers real-world insight you can apply immediately in your shop.

To listen to more episodes, make sure and go over to iTunes and or Spotify.

Don't forget to rate and review us!

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private facebook group go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

✅ SHOW NOTES — “If You Build It, They Will Come (But Only If You Build the RIGHT Thing)”

The Weekly Blitz with Coach Chris Cotton

Presented by Shop Marketing Pros

Episode Summary

This episode dives into the Field of Dreams mindset and how the legendary line “If you build it, they will come” applies to auto repair shops — but with a modern twist. Coach Chris Cotton breaks down why so many shop owners build the wrong things, delay the right things, or avoid the hard things, and how that mindset stalls growth, profit, and momentum.

You’ll walk away with real, tactical actions to build the processes, team, customer experience, and culture that actually attract customers — not just hope they show up.

Big Ideas from Today’s Episode

1. Vision requires courage, not permission.

Ray Kinsella didn’t wait for the neighborhood to approve his baseball field — and neither should you wait to build the systems your shop needs.

2. “Build it” means building the right foundation: Clear processes

A signature customer experience

A team that buys into the mission

A brand customers trust instantly

3. Your shop’s experience IS your marketing.

If people walk out feeling great, they will talk. If they don’t feel anything… they won’t remember you.

4. Fear delays momentum — and delayed momentum kills profit.

If you already know what needs to be built, the cost of waiting is higher than the cost of

starting.

5. The Field of Dreams Action List:

Build a system people can feel

Build consistent standards

Build a reputation you earn, not buy

Build the future version of your shop, not the fearful version

Coach’s Tactical Homework

Before the next episode, write down:

What are you building right now?

What do your customers actually need you to build?

What’s the ONE thing you’ve avoided building because it scares you?

If you disappeared tomorrow, what would people miss about your business?

Your answers tell you whether you’re building a baseball field… or just mowing grass.

Sponsor — Shop Marketing Pros

For auto repair shops ready to attract better customers and build a brand worthy of attention, connect with Shop Marketing Pros. They’re the trusted experts who bring clarity, strategy, and real results. 👉 Visit them to level up your marketing game.

Explore more industry-leading podcasts at:

📲 AutomotiveRepairPodcastNetwork.com

Download the mobile app for Apple & Android for fast, easy access to every show.

To listen to more episodes, make sure and go over to iTunes and or Spotify.

Don't forget to rate and review us!

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private facebook group go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

To listen to more episodes, make sure and go over to iTunes and or Spotify.

Don't forget to rate and review us!

Finish Strong Series: “Planning, Not Wishing — The Simple 3-Page Plan for Q1”

Presented by Shop Marketing Pros — your marketing engine for 2025 and beyond.

Episode Summary

In the final part of the Finish Strong Series, Coach Chris Cotton delivers the ultimate shop-owner reset: a simple, no-fluff, highly actionable 3 Page Plan to launch Q1 with focus, clarity, and momentum.

No corporate complexity.

No overstuffed binders.

No 27-goal “strategy lists.”

Just a tight, practical plan built around what ACTUALLY moves the needle in the first 90 days of the year.

If you want 2025 to be different — truly different — it starts with this.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

✔️ Why Most Shop Plans Fail

The traps: too big, too confusing, too vague, not shared with the team.

✔️ Page 1 — The Reality Check

Chris walks through the exact questions and assessments needed to understand:

What worked

What failed

What must be fixed first

The ONE thing that will drive the biggest Q1 win

✔️ Page 2 — The Goals That Matter

A focused, data-driven list of goals every shop should set for Q1, including:

ARO

Car count

Tech productivity

Labor GP%

Parts margin %

Customer experience targets

The 3 behaviors that directly improve all of them

✔️ Page 3 — The Action Calendar

This is where the magic happens:

Who is responsible

What happens weekly

What gets tracked

How accountability works

How meetings tie it all together

How to create a 90-day cadence that keeps the team aligned

✔️ How to Turn This Into a Team Tool, Not an Owner Document

Because a plan that lives in your head doesn’t change your shop — only a plan your team understands and owns can do that.

Why This Episode Matters

Most shop owners “hope” January will be better.

Hope isn’t a plan.

A clear, simple, actionable plan is the difference between repeating another year… and creating a breakthrough one. This episode hands you the structure to do exactly that.

Sponsored By: Shop Marketing Pros

Special thanks to Shop Marketing Pros for supporting this episode. If you want stronger branding, better online visibility, and more cars in your bays, go to ShopMarketingPros.com — they’re the real deal.

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private facebook group go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Finish Strong Series: “Your Cashflow North Star”

Presented by Shop Marketing Pros — trusted marketing partners for top-performing auto repair shops.

Episode Summary

In Part 3 of the Finish Strong Series, Coach Chris Cotton tackles the topic that stresses shop owners more than anything else: cashflow.

This episode introduces the concept of the Cashflow North Star — the exact number that tells you whether your shop is safe, stressed, or in danger. Chris delivers a tactical, step-by-step breakdown of how to calculate it, how to use it, and how it transforms your clarity and decision-making as a business owner.

If you’ve ever felt uncertain about money, unsure about what’s “safe,” or anxious about the ups and downs of car count… this episode is your cure.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

✔️ Why You’re Not Broke — You’re Unclear

The emotional truth behind why even profitable owners struggle with money fear.

✔️ What a Cashflow North Star Actually Is

A simple but powerful financial safety system that every shop owner MUST have.

✔️ The 3 Zones Every Shop Operates In

Green Zone — Healthy

Yellow Zone — Tight

Red Zone — Danger

And exactly what to do in each.

✔️ How to Calculate Your North Star (Step-by-Step)

Chris breaks down the full process: fixed expenses, weekly burn rate, danger thresholds, safety buffers, and the real “stop spending” line.

✔️ The December Cashflow Mistakes That Kill Shops

Lessons on:

Equipment purchases

Early tax payments

Holiday bonuses

Subscription creep

Neglected receivables

Missing parts credits

Poor forecasting

✔️ How to Forecast Cashflow for 90 Days

A simple 30/60/90 approach that eliminates fear and replaces it with leadership-level clarity.

Why This Episode Matters

A shop without a cashflow plan is a shop that’s always one slow week away from panic. When you know your Cashflow North Star, you stop guessing… and start leading. This episode gives you that power.

Sponsored By: Shop Marketing Pros

A big thank you to Shop Marketing Pros for sponsoring this episode. They’re the experts in storytelling, branding, and digital marketing for auto repair shops.

Learn more at ShopMarketingPros.com — where great shops get great marketing.

To listen to more episodes, make sure and go over to iTunes and or Spotify.

Don't forget to rate and review us!

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private facebook group go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Finish Strong Series: “People Season — Keep the Team Focused, Motivated & Appreciated”

Presented by Shop Marketing Pros — the most trusted marketing agency in the automotive repair industry.

Episode Summary

In Part 2 of the Finish Strong Series, Coach Chris Cotton dives deep into the most important part of your shop’s success in December: your people. This episode unpacks the emotional reality of the holiday season, how burnout impacts productivity and customer experience, and the tactical steps leaders can take to lift their team, energize the shop, and create a culture that drives performance through the end of the year (and into the next).

This is the leadership blueprint shop owners need — practical, human, and built around real-world behavior.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

✔️ Why December Is “People Season”

Understand the emotional and psychological load your team carries this time of year — and why your leadership matters more now than ever.

✔️ The Real Causes of Burnout (It’s Not the Work)

Hear why burnout comes more from feeling unseen than from being busy, and how to counter it with clarity and connection.

✔️ The 5 Tactical Motivators That Actually Work

Things like:

• Personalized recognition
• Shorter Fridays or flex schedules
• Team-based appreciation routines
• Specific shoutouts that matter
• Leading with empathy and accountability

✔️ Daily Huddles: The December Lifeline

How 10 minutes of morning structure can transform your team’s focus, speed, and communication.

✔️ Creating a December Theme That Pulls Everyone Forward

How to set the tone with simple shop-wide focus points like “Zero Comebacks Month” or “Run Through the Line.”

✔️ The Family Touch That Builds Loyalty

Why acknowledging the people behind your employees has an outsized impact on morale and performance.

Why This Episode Matters

December is when your team needs leadership, clarity, and appreciation — not more pressure. This episode gives you the tactical tools and mindset to build culture, create momentum, and finish the year with a team that feels committed, energized, and ready for 2025.

Sponsored By: Shop Marketing Pros

A big thank you to Shop Marketing Pros for sponsoring this episode. They’re the experts in storytelling, branding, and digital marketing for auto repair shops.

Learn more at ShopMarketingPros.com — where great shops get great marketing.

To listen to more episodes, make sure and go over to iTunes and or Spotify.

Don't forget to rate and review us!

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private facebook group go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

🎧 The Weekly Blitz — Episode 1 Notes

Finish Strong Series: “The Final Push — Maximize December Without Feeling Desperate”

Presented by Shop Marketing Pros — the automotive repair industry’s leading marketing experts.

Episode Summary

In Part 1 of the Finish Strong Series, Coach Chris Cotton breaks down how to turn December from a “slow month” into a strategic opportunity. Instead of coasting into the holiday season, Chris shows shop owners how to lean in, create momentum, and drive revenue without discounting, panicking, or looking desperate.

This episode gives you the exact tactical playbook for ending the year powerfully and stepping into January with confidence, clarity, and cashflow.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

✔️ The Myth of ‘Slow December’

Why December isn’t slow — it’s chaotic — and how that chaos actually creates more opportunity for intentional shops.

✔️ Stop Projecting Your Stress Onto Customers

Most shop owners talk themselves out of money. Chris explains how to stop assuming what customers will or won’t spend this month.

✔️ How to Build DVIs That Actually Sell Work

The December DVI blueprint: picture-heavy, story-driven, urgency-focused, and built around safety and travel needs.

✔️ Same-Day Follow-Up: The December Secret Weapon

Why customers are more likely to say “yes” within 6–12 hours, and how to use this window strategically.

✔️ Zero-Desperation Marketing

Why you shouldn’t discount in December — and what to send your customers instead.

✔️ Scheduling Tactics for the Final Push

How to run December like a “say yes and figure it out” month: micro-jobs, flexible bays, promise windows, and elevated communication.

✔️ How to Finish the Year — and Start the Next — With Momentum

December is a psychological month for both owners and customers. Chris breaks down how to shape that momentum and avoid the common traps that derail shops.

Why This Episode Matters

Most auto repair shops lose December — not because the work isn’t there, but because their mindset is off. This episode teaches you how to shift your perspective, operate with confidence, and capture the opportunities other shops miss.

Your year isn’t over.

Your customers still need you.

And your shop still has money on the table.

Sponsored By: Shop Marketing Pros

A special thanks to Shop Marketing Pros for making this episode possible. If you're ready to grow your car count, build trust in your community, and create marketing that actually works, visit ShopMarketingPros.com.

They help great shops get seen, known, and understood.

Connect With Coach Chris Cotton

📧 Email Chris: chris autofixsos.com

To listen to more episodes, make sure and go over to iTunes and or Spotify.

Don't forget to rate and review us!

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private facebook group go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Special Thanks to Our Sponsor:

⭐ Shop Marketing Pros — helping auto repair shops tell their story, attract the right customers, and grow their business.

👉 Learn more: shopmarketingpros.com

​​📓 Show Notes

Topic: Scheduling in auto repair shops

Theme: Controlled flexibility—saying yes while staying efficient

Key Points:

Appointment-based industries struggle with no-shows

Overbooking isn’t reckless—it’s strategic

Teaching a “figure-it-out” mindset builds customer trust

Flexibility is a skill, not chaos

Action Steps:

Review your average show rate and build a 10–15% overbooking buffer.

Designate one “flex” bay per day.

Empower advisors to say “yes” within reason.

​Part of the Automotive Repair Podcast Network:

🎙️ Remarkable Results Radio — Carm Capriotto

📈 Business by the Numbers — Hunt Demarest

🔧 Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z — Matt Fanslow

💬 Speak Up! Effective Communication — Craig O’Neill

🚀 Auto Repair Marketing Podcast — Kim & Brian Walker

💥 The Weekly Blitz — Coach Chris Cotton

​Thanks for listening to The Weekly Blitz, brought to you by Shop Marketing Pros. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a fellow shop owner and help them figure it out too.

Want to be on the show or suggest a topic? Email me at chris autofixsos.com

To listen to more episodes, make sure and go over to iTunes and or Spotify.

Don't forget to rate and review us!

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private facebook group go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

Special Thanks to Our Sponsor:

⭐ Shop Marketing Pros — helping auto repair shops tell their story, attract the right customers, and grow their business.

👉 Learn more: shopmarketingpros.com

​​Episode Summary:

Coach Chris Cotton dives into how reality TV and shows like Friends shaped the way people connect with authenticity — and how those same emotional triggers apply in today’s auto repair world. Using lessons from They Ask, You Answer by Marcus Sheridan and Endless Customers by John Jantsch, Chris shares how shop owners can build deep customer loyalty through transparency, consistency, and storytelling.

Key Takeaways:

Authenticity beats perfection — customers connect to what’s real.

“Know, Like, Trust” isn’t marketing jargon; it’s relationship math.

Use video, blogs, and social to educate — not just sell.

Highlight your team’s personalities; people buy from people.

Deliver consistency — small promises kept lead to lifetime loyalty.

​Part of the Automotive Repair Podcast Network:

🎙️ Remarkable Results Radio — Carm Capriotto

📈 Business by the Numbers — Hunt Demarest

🔧 Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z — Matt Fanslow

💬 Speak Up! Effective Communication — Craig O’Neill

🚀 Auto Repair Marketing Podcast — Kim & Brian Walker

💥 The Weekly Blitz — Coach Chris Cotton

To listen to more episodes, make sure and go over to iTunes and or Spotify.

Don't forget to rate and review us!

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private facebook group go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

When emergencies hit—like government shutdowns, road closures, or sudden slowdowns—most shops panic. Smart ones glide safely because they built a parachute plan. In this episode, Coach Chris Cotton walks you through how to identify your cash trigger point, protect your team, and create a survival strategy for your auto repair business.

Timestamps:

0:00 – Opener

1:45 – Why every shop needs a parachute plan

4:20 – Determining your cash trigger point

8:00 – Identifying key team members

12:10 – Levels of emergency response

15:30 – Communication and leadership under pressure

19:00 – Final thoughts

​

​Special Thanks to Our Sponsor:

⭐ Shop Marketing Pros — helping auto repair shops tell their story, attract the right customers, and grow their business.

👉 Learn more: shopmarketingpros.com

​

​Part of the Automotive Repair Podcast Network:

🎙️ Remarkable Results Radio — Carm Capriotto

📈 Business by the Numbers — Hunt Demarest

🔧 Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z — Matt Fanslow

💬 Speak Up! Effective Communication — Craig O’Neill

🚀 Auto Repair Marketing Podcast — Kim & Brian Walker

💥 The Weekly Blitz — Coach Chris Cotton

To listen to more episodes, make sure and go over to iTunes and or Spotify.

Don't forget to rate and review us!

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private facebook group go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

If your coach tells you something you don’t like… that’s probably the exact thing you need to hear.

In this episode of The Weekly Blitz, Coach Chris Cotton lays down some tough love for shop owners: stop running from the hard truths that will actually grow your business.

Too many people hire a coach, hear something uncomfortable, and then go looking for someone who’ll tell them what they want to hear. That’s not coaching — that’s validation. And validation won’t get you better results.

This week, Chris breaks down why we do this, how it’s killing your growth, and what to do instead.

You’ll learn:

✅ Why coaching isn’t supposed to feel good

✅ How confirmation bias keeps shop owners stuck

✅ What happens when you stop chasing agreement and start embracing accountability

✅ The difference between “I want to feel better” and “I want to get better”

👉 Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode!

Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro: The uncomfortable truth about coaching

02:30 – Why we resist hard feedback

06:00 – The trap of validation-seeking

09:45 – Real-world examples from the coaching trenches

13:30 – How to sit in discomfort and trust the process

17:30 – Key takeaways and closing thoughts

Contact Coach Chris:

📧 Email: chris autofixsos.com

​Special Thanks to Our Sponsor:

⭐ Shop Marketing Pros — helping auto repair shops tell their story, attract the right customers, and grow their business.

👉 Learn more: shopmarketingpros.com

​Part of the Automotive Repair Podcast Network:

🎙️ Remarkable Results Radio — Carm Capriotto

📈 Business by the Numbers — Hunt Demarest

🔧 Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z — Matt Fanslow

💬 Speak Up! Effective Communication — Craig O’Neill

🚀 Auto Repair Marketing Podcast — Kim & Brian Walker

💥 The Weekly Blitz — Coach Chris Cotton

To listen to more episodes, make sure and go over to iTunes and or Spotify.

Don't forget to rate and review us!

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private facebook group go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

In this powerful follow-up to “You Can’t Win the Game If You Don’t Know How to Play It,” Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix Auto Shop Coaching takes you from awareness to action.

This episode dives into what separates shop owners who know their business from those who dominate it — execution, accountability, and leadership.

Learn how to:

🏈 Turn knowledge into consistent execution

🔥 Shift from playing defense to playing offense in your business

📊 Build daily habits that drive results

👥 Create a culture of accountability and competition

💭 Develop a winning mindset that moves your team forward

It’s time to stop surviving and start competing. The only question left is — are you ready to win your game?

​🔥 Remember: You can’t win the game if you don’t know how to play it.

To listen to more episodes, make sure and go over to iTunes and or Spotify.

Don't forget to rate and review us!

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.

Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/

Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

If you would like to join their private facebook group go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind

In this episode of The Weekly Blitz, Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix Auto Shop Coaching breaks down one of the biggest truths in business: you can’t win the game if you don’t know how to play it.

Most shop owners are out there hustling every day — fixing cars, keeping customers happy, trying to make payroll — but they’re doing it without a playbook. In this episode, Chris explains what the real game of auto repair ownership looks like, what the rules are, and how to finally start winning it.

Learn how to:

• Identify the real game you’re playing as a business owner
• Understand your KPIs — your “scoreboard”
• Build a playbook your whole team can follow
• Shift from being the player to becoming the coach
• Lead your team to victory week after week

Whether you’re running a one-man shop or managing a full crew, this episode will help you stop playing on defense and start calling plays that actually score.

​🔥 Remember: You can’t win the game if you don’t know how to play it.

To listen to more episodes, make sure and go over to iTunes and or Spotify.

Don't forget to rate and review us!

Connect with Chris:

AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching

www.autoshopcoaching.com

www.aftermarketradionetwork.com

940-400-1008

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae

Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com

The 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

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.

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.

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.