I'm running a side experiment with @Brian Nerger to augment his current technician hiring campaign... Ever wonder what would happen if you built your entire hiring strategy around a single, ideal technician? We're doing it now. Meet Jason Reeves. He's not real… but he might as well be. This little experiment changed how I think about recruiting and I can't wait to report the results. 👇 Curious? Take a look at Jason's "Wanted Poster" and tell me what stands out to you. (And yes—you probably have a Jason out there looking for you too.)

I was on a call this week with a very sharp shop owner couple. Husband's a former tech. They're in a small town—less than 20,000 people. A few years ago, they hit what felt like a wall. They were doing just over $1 million. And the wife said something that stuck with me: "I thought we had hit the pinnacle." That was it. That was the ceiling. Small town. Limited population. Can't grow past this. Makes sense, right? Then they joined a coaching program (you probably know the one, the headline of this post is the tip off). And here's where it gets interesting. They didn't learn some secret marketing hack. They didn't find a magical recruiting source. They didn't suddenly discover a pool of hidden A-techs in their area. What they discovered was that they were the problem. The wife put it simply: "Their whole big thing is fix the owner, fix the shop. And that's truly what ended up happening. We had to get fixed before we could fix the shop." This year? They're on track to more than double revenues. Same small town. Same people. Same market. The only thing that changed was them. Here's the lesson: The gap between where you are and where you want to be is rarely a strategy gap. It's an identity gap. You can't build something bigger than your current self-concept allows. These two had accidentally built a culture where everything came back to them. The staff would ask permission for things they were already empowered to decide. They called it the "What Would [Owners] Do" problem. Every decision, every question—back to mom and dad. And why? Because the owners hadn't done the internal work to trust their team. To let go. To see themselves as something other than the smartest person in the room who had to approve everything. The moment they fixed that—the revenue followed. So here's my question for you this weekend: Where might YOU be the ceiling? Not the market. Not the tech shortage. Not your town's population. Not the economy. You. What belief about yourself or your shop is keeping the lid on?

Most shop owners interview for skills. The best ones interview for scars. Here's my favorite question that cuts through the rehearsed answers: "What's a piece of criticism you received in the past that has stuck with you? What was the criticism, and why was it significant?" Why this works: People who grow remember their turning points. They can name the moment. They felt it. They changed because of it. What I'm listening for isn't the criticism itself—it's ownership. Did they take it seriously? Did they understand it? Did they change something? Or do they get defensive? Blame someone else? Minimize it? The best techs I've ever placed weren't the ones with the cleanest records. They were the ones who could point to a specific moment when someone told them something hard—and they listened. Coachability isn't a skill. It's a posture. And this question reveals it in 60 seconds. What about you? What's a piece of criticism you've received that changed how you lead or run your shop? 👇 Drop it below. I'll share mine in the comments.

Had a conversation with a shop owner that got my blood pressure up. A competitor—a dealer employee—literally walked onto his property and tried to recruit one of his techs while the guy was on break. Just... showed up. On his lot. Talking to his people. Here's my take: That's not "recruiting." That's trespassing wrapped in desperation. And here's the thing—if they'll do that to you, they'll do it to their own people too. That's not a culture. That's a churn machine. What this shop owner did immediately: → Told the team: "If anyone approaches you on our property, bring it to management. No drama—just info." → Made it crystal clear: "You're not in trouble. We just need to know." → Had a calm, professional conversation with the business that pulled this move: "Do not come on our property again. Contact me directly if you want to talk." No shouting. No threats. Just clear boundaries. But here's the real lesson: The only long-term protection from poaching isn't policies or signage or confrontation. It's culture + clarity + communication. If your techs know what they have, know they're valued, and know you're invested in their future—some guy in a polo shirt wandering onto your lot isn't a threat. He's a reminder of what they don't want. Now I want to hear from you: What would you do if a competitor tried to poach one of your techs—especially on your property? Drop your playbook 👇 - Do you confront the other shop? - Do you set a policy or put up signage? - Do you pull your tech aside and ask what they need to stay? - Do you do nothing and just double down on culture? What's your move? P.S. The shop owner told me his tech brought it up before he even knew it happened. That's when you know your culture is working.

"I think I let some good ones slip through the cracks." He hadn't been great about responding to comments and messages on his recruiting ads. Shop got busy. He figured if someone was really interested, they'd apply. Here's what most shop owners miss: Your Facebook recruiting ad isn't just an ad. It's a conversation starter. When you run these campaigns, unexpected things happen: → Happy customers comment saying nice things (reply and thank them) → Potential NEW customers ask if they can bring their car in (yes, this happens constantly) → The ads get shared by folks who know techs → Technicians like, comment, or share the ads That last one is where the gold is. Some techs comment to ask a question—they want to see if anyone's actually listening before they apply. Some "like" the post to bookmark it because they're at work. Some share it to send to a buddy. Every. Single. One. Is an opportunity. Look at their profile. Send a message: "Hey, saw you liked our post—are you looking for a shop or just curious?" You'd be amazed how many conversations start that way. The lesson: You're paying for these leads. Every notification is a potential conversation. Don't flush your money by ignoring them. Reply to everything. Engage with everyone. P.S. Speed matters. When someone comments or messages, respond fast. Quality techs have options—they're not waiting around for a callback.