September 29, 2025 • 15 mins
🎙️ Podcast Show Notes:
Knowledge isn’t just power—it’s survival in today’s collision repair world.
In this weeks’ episode, I share lessons from decades serving this industry, and my recent experience at the Tennessee Collision Repairers Association “Music City Conference”. The core message? Continuous education isn’t optional—it’s the foundation of safe repairs, thriving businesses, and long-term success.
Our industry is evolving at breakneck speed. ADAS systems, EVs, and OEM-mandated repair procedures are rewriting the playbook every year. Falling behind isn’t just about lost efficiency—it can mean liability, lost business, or even life-and-death consequences. The $42 million John Eagle Honda lawsuit is a stark reminder of how costly “doing it the old way” can be.
But here’s the flip side: investing in education—both for yourself and your employees—pays dividends beyond the shop floor. When owners commit to their own growth, they set the tone for the entire team. When technicians attend training events, they don’t just return with new skills; they return re-energized, motivated, and proud to apply what they’ve learned. The result? Better repairs, higher morale, and a shop culture that attracts and retains top talent.
Key Takeaways
✅ Continuous education is survival — ADAS, EVs, and OEM repair procedures are changing faster than ever, and staying current is non-negotiable.
✅ Investing in your team pays off — Training opportunities not only sharpen skills but reignite pride, passion, and loyalty.
✅ Leaders set the tone — When owners prioritize their own growth, they inspire their employees to do the same.
As Henry Ford said, “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.” Whether you’ve been in this business for 5 years or 50, the moment you think you’ve seen it all is the moment you fall behind. Because in this industry—and in life—the learning never stops.
#CollisionRepair #AutoBody #ShopOwner #ADAS #EVRepair #ContinuousLearning #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #AutomotiveIndustry #RepairSafety #TrainingMatters #BodyShopLife #NeverStopLearning
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_02 (00:00):
Having just spent the last couple days at the
inaugural Tennessee CollisionRepairs Association Music City
Conference in one of my favoritecities, Nashville, and sitting
through several timelyeducational sessions presented
by collision industry leaderslike Mike Anderson, Dave Lewer,
and several others, as well asgetting a chance to present my
own cost of contaminationoverview, I had the opportunity
(00:24):
to cap off that two-day eventwith an open mic discussion
panel in a packed room that wasvery educational, eye-opening,
and inspiring.
Usually these inspiringexperiences are not only awesome
opportunities for me to extendmy own knowledge about our
industry, but it also fuels mydesire to share what I've
learned with all of you andhopefully inspire you to expand
(00:45):
your own education regardless ofwhat you do for a living.
SPEAKER_01 (00:57):
Welcome to the Mind Rings Podcast with your host,
Rick Hello, where minorinvestments produce major
improvements in mindset,personal growth, and success.
This is the place to be everyMonday.
SPEAKER_00 (01:18):
Next level growth is up everybody.
SPEAKER_02 (01:25):
Welcome to the MindMix Podcast.
Thanks so much for stopping in.
If you're a returning listenerand haven't done so already,
please take a minute and clickthe follow or subscribe button
and then rate and review theshow.
When you rate and review theshow, the algorithms for Apple,
Spotify, Google Podcasts,iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, and
all the other platforms will seethat it's valuable and show it
(01:47):
to more people that have neverseen it before.
And hopefully it can help themtoo.
I would really, really, reallyappreciate your help sharing
this word with your friends andfamily as well.
And if you're a brand newlistener, welcome.
I hope you find something ofvalue here that helps you in
your personal or professionallife as well.
Please make sure to click thesubscribe or follow button so
you never miss another episode.
(02:08):
If you've been listening to theshow for a while, or been on the
receiving end of my daily quoteof the day emails, or maybe just
catch my posts on Facebook orLinkedIn, you know I'm all about
the quotes, right?
If you'd like to start receivingmy quote of the day emails,
there's a link in the show notesto sign up.
It's free and you canunsubscribe at any time.
Having just spent the lastcouple days at the inaugural
(02:29):
Tennessee Collision RepairsAssociation Music City
Conference in one of my favoritecities, Nashville, and sitting
through several timelyeducational sessions presented
by collision industry leaderslike Mike Anderson, Dave Lewer,
and several others, as well asgetting a chance to present my
own cost of contaminationoverview, I had the opportunity
to cap off that two-day eventwith an open mic discussion
(02:52):
panel in a packed room that wasvery educational, eye-opening,
and inspiring.
Usually these inspiringexperiences are not only awesome
opportunities for me to extendmy own knowledge about our
industry, but it also fuels mydesire to share what I've
learned with all of you, andhopefully inspire you to expand
your own education regardless ofwhat you do for a living.
(03:14):
This week I wanted to reshare amessage from a couple years ago
that spoke to that exact topic,and quite honestly, it's a
message that needs to be heardagain.
So let's go way back to early2023 in episode 117 and really
let this message sink in.
(03:36):
One of my greatest passions inlife started way back when I was
just a skinny long hairedteenager back in the 70s, and
has grown stronger over thedecades.
I've always enjoyed meeting newpeople from all aspects of life,
all economic backgrounds, andall different ages.
I've always been fascinated withwhat makes people tick, what
their views or outlook on thingsare, what they have in common
(03:58):
with others, and how differentand unique each one of us are.
Now this may sound a littlestrange coming from a self
proclaimed introvertedextrovert.
Yep, I was more comfortable atparties just kind of lurking in
the background, quietlyobserving, than to stand in the
middle of a conversation.
I was shy on the outside, butcurious and interested in those
around me on the inside.
(04:19):
I always seemed to take jobsthat were extremely social in
nature, from selling gardenseeds as a youngster door to
door to driveway sales, youknow, like pumping gas and
filling oil.
Yeah, I used to do that.
To working in severalrestaurants, body shops, and my
job or sales career.
I always seemed to be in aposition to talk to others as
(04:40):
part of my job.
Now when I was younger, I didn'thave the confidence to lead most
conversations, but when someoneengaged me on a subject I liked,
like cars or music, for example,I lit up like a spotlight.
But as time went on and Imatured, I was able to sell,
advise, and mentor withauthority.
Over the past thirty plus yearsin the distribution world,
(05:01):
making thousands of sales callsand putting myself in a position
to have to communicate with justabout every personality type you
could imagine, was probably thebest thing I could have ever
done as a career.
Not only has it provided meexpertise in reading people and
finding solutions quickly formost, it's also proved to be an
ongoing education I would havenever received in college, which
I didn't have as an option, noranywhere else.
(05:24):
Which leads to my other passion,and the focus of this message
learning, knowledge, education,and continual improvement.
With the exception of the time Ispent in high school, I've
always craved learning.
Although, as I said a minuteago, because I had four other
brothers and sisters and asingle income family, college
just wasn't an option.
But I found plenty of ways tolearn and to grow through the
(05:46):
various jobs that I had.
Opportunities to learn somethingnew are everywhere you look.
There's a great quote by theformer Secretary General of the
United Nations, Kofi Anon.
Knowledge is power, informationis liberating.
Education is the premise ofprogress in every society, in
every family.
The more I learn, the more Iunderstand those first three
(06:09):
words.
Most industries or occupationsrequire some level of continuing
education to stay up to date,relevant, or competitive in
their fields.
And most employees begrudginglytake whatever trainings is
needed or mandatory at whateverintervals to remain employed,
and that's it.
The transportation industry, andmore specifically, the
automotive repair industryrequires so much more training
(06:33):
at much shorter intervals due tothe constant changes in
technology, substrates,equipment, and repair methods
that seem to change with everynew model that it can feel like
a full-time job just to try tokeep up.
Since the introduction of ADASsystems, electric vehicle
technology, artificialintelligence, the OEM's creating
and strongly recommending to nowinsisting on their own safe and
(06:56):
proper repair methods to returnthe damaged vehicle back within
OEM specs.
The need for training by allmembers of Repair Center has
skyrocketed.
Along with that, I've noticed abig increase in the amount of
training opportunities availableto our industry in the last few
years.
And a massive increase in theamount of social media focus on
that available training in allaspects of vehicle repair.
(07:19):
The reasons for all this arereally quite simple.
Safety, safety, safety.
If you're looking for acompetitive edge for your
business or a more effectivejumpstart to your personal
development, I'll make yourfirst step super simple.
It is a fact that an incrediblenumber of the most successful
business owners, nearly half ofthe Fortune 500 companies,
top-earning professionalathletes, entertainers, and
(07:42):
industry leaders likeMicrosoft's Bill Gates, former
President Bill Clinton, OprahWinfrey, Richard Branson,
Amazon's Jeff Bezos, andSalesforce Mark Benioff, all
have one thing in common.
They all have at least onecoach, and some have several,
that they work with on aconsistent basis.
Someone that helps guide,mentor, and support them,
(08:02):
challenge them, help them setand achieve goals that move them
forward, and then hold themaccountable to follow through,
driving personal andprofessional growth.
Working with a coach has manysubstantial benefits.
Just for an example, 80% ofcoaching clients report improved
self-esteem or self-confidencethanks to coaching.
99% of individuals and companiesthat hire a coach report being
(08:23):
very satisfied, and 96% would doit again.
If deep down you know it's timeto make those improvements in
your business, your personallife that you've kicked down the
road year after year, if you'retired of knowing there's a
better version of you waiting toshine, but unsure of how to
bring that version to light.
If you're tired of wanting toenjoy a more successful
business, but not sure how tostart, and if you don't want to
(08:46):
go another 12 months withoutbetter results, but you don't
want to go it alone, then takethe first step.
It's super simple.
Sometimes talking to the rightperson can make all the
difference.
Go to www.rixilover.com/slashcontact, and I'll set you up
with a free consultation callwith me to see if one on one
coaching is right for you.
Vehicles interact with oursociety on two fronts.
(09:08):
Initial collision, they can runinto property, other vehicles,
and people, and secondarycollision.
The people on the inside drivingcan slam into various parts of
the interior of the vehicle.
Humans are soft and squishycompared to the hard plastic,
aluminum, and steel componentsof today's automobile, and they
lose every time an accidentforces them into battle.
(09:30):
So repairing these vehiclescorrectly or incorrectly can
really literally be thedifference between life and
death.
For many years I truly believethat a majority, but most
certainly not all, repairtechnicians that I've run across
in hundreds of body shops reallydidn't have this in the
forefront of their minds guidingrepair decisions.
Nope, not until the forty-twomillion dollar John Eagle Honda
(09:52):
lawsuit that resulted from thetwenty thirteen collision crash
of an improperly repairedvehicle.
That certainly opened some eyesand created some severe pucker
situations for many collisionrepairs and shop owners.
Well, perspectives changed andmore technician training was
consumed, but unfortunately,there's still many that are way
(10:13):
behind the curve on gaining theknowledge needed to process a
safe and proper repair.
There's also an air of arroganceand ego with some that have been
doing it for 30, 40, or 50years, that they've learned
enough.
They've seen it all or done itall before, and there's nothing
more for them to learn at thispoint.
In my experience, dealing withsome of these texts from a job's
(10:35):
position for over thirty years,and even going back to when I
was a paint instructor forseveral semesters, usually the
ones that claim they know it allare usually the ones that need
the most training.
There's a quote from Epicus saysthat it's impossible for a man
to learn what he thinks healready knows.
There's a tremendous amount ofpride in the men and women in
our industry, from the back ofthe shop all the way up to
(10:57):
ownership, but with that pridecomes a bit of ego as well.
And sometimes we need to putthat ego in check.
Admit to ourselves that we don'tknow it all.
In fact we never will.
And open our minds to learnsomething new.
Remember, there is power inknowledge.
I was reminded of this recentlywhen I attended a training event
with a few paint techs from ahigh volume shop that does
(11:19):
outstanding work.
Even though these were some veryexperienced and very talented
technicians, they were stillexcited to learn more about a
new paint line they've beenusing for a few months.
Even though they had most of thekey functions of this new system
down perfectly, with the help ofa very patient and thorough
instructor, they were able tounlock some very beneficial
tricks and tips with this newsystem that will enable them to
(11:41):
produce even higher qualityrepairs in a shorter amount of
time.
It was funny, the older, moreexperienced painter admitted to
all of us, he was pretty surethat he would probably not walk
away from training without anyclear advantages, but was
pleasantly surprised to takehome some solid nuggets that
would definitely up his game.
I would strongly encourage ourindustry leaders, shop owners,
(12:02):
and managers to first investtime and finances into their own
continuing education, whetherit's taking part in some iCar,
AMI, paint manufacturer,equipment, or other training
opportunities available, eventhose unrelated auto-repair, as
most self-development educationwill have some major impact on
whatever industry you serve, aswell as your own personal lives.
(12:24):
Secondly, encourage, empower,invest in your own people that
work for you to take advantageof any training available to
them as well.
Do not limit them to virtual oronline options only.
There is so much extra valuegained in spending time outside
the shop in a learningenvironment with one's peers.
(12:45):
New perspectives, special tricksof the trade, hidden shortcuts,
and sometimes a better way ofapproaching common problems are
revealed and shared within thegroup.
As an owner or a leader, you maynot realize how many of your
techs crave that chance to getout of the shop for a training
event and learn with theirpeers.
The classroom setting, timespent on the floor with
instructors, and especially thelunches or dinners out spent
(13:08):
with others in the industry canreinvigorate their passion for
what they do and have them allfired up to put their new
learnings into action at yourshop.
But your ignoring this fact, orworse yet, refusing to send some
of them to trainingopportunities, only instills the
message that you just don't careabout their desires to grow and
improve, or they just aren'tworth the investment, or they're
(13:31):
only there to make you money.
This negative mindset andworking atmosphere won't inspire
or drive performance.
It will only serve to inspirethat desire to find someplace
else to park their toolbox.
In my career as a paint tech,I've worked at many places that
did not value training, and afew shops that did.
And I remember how both felt tome.
(13:52):
In my last thirty plus years asa distributor, I've had the
privilege of not only being ableto attend training and continued
education events, producttrainings, self-development
seminars, live speaking eventsand conferences, but I've also
had the extreme pleasure andhonor of attending many of these
with my customers, as well as mypeers.
(14:13):
For those of you that know mewell, I'm big on quotes, right?
In fact, I've been sending out aquote of the day for over a
decade.
Every weekday, sending outsomething that may inspire,
motivate, or give you a positivelens to look through.
If you want to join that list,just click on the link in the
show notes to join.
But I wanted to wrap this upwith a couple quotes I really
(14:34):
love about this message.
Henry Ford had said, Anybodythat stops learning is old,
whether at twenty or eighty.
Anyone who keeps learning isyoung.
Ben Franklin said this withoutcontinual growth and progress,
such words as improvement,achievement, and success have no
meaning.
(14:55):
And the great B.B.
King once quoted, The beautifulthing about learning is that no
one can take it away from you.
So do yourself a favor.
Do your business a favor.
In fact, do the whole world afavor.
Keep learning, keep growing, andset an example for those that
look up to you.
(15:19):
Well, that's all I had for youtoday.
Thanks again for tuning in.
I really appreciate yoursupport, and I hope you have a
great week.
I can always be reached atwww.rixilover.com, where you can
find all my social media links,podcast episodes, blog posts,
and much more.
Having just spent the last couple days at the
inaugural Tennessee CollisionRepairs Association Music City
Conference in one of my favoritecities, Nashville, and sitting
through several timelyeducational sessions presented
by collision industry leaderslike Mike Anderson, Dave Lewer,
and several others, as well asgetting a chance to present my
own cost of contaminationoverview, I had the opportunity
(00:24):
to cap off that two-day eventwith an open mic discussion
panel in a packed room that wasvery educational, eye-opening,
and inspiring.
Usually these inspiringexperiences are not only awesome
opportunities for me to extendmy own knowledge about our
industry, but it also fuels mydesire to share what I've
learned with all of you andhopefully inspire you to expand
(00:45):
your own education regardless ofwhat you do for a living.
SPEAKER_01 (00:57):
Welcome to the Mind Rings Podcast with your host,
Rick Hello, where minorinvestments produce major
improvements in mindset,personal growth, and success.
This is the place to be everyMonday.
SPEAKER_00 (01:18):
Next level growth is up everybody.
SPEAKER_02 (01:25):
Welcome to the MindMix Podcast.
Thanks so much for stopping in.
If you're a returning listenerand haven't done so already,
please take a minute and clickthe follow or subscribe button
and then rate and review theshow.
When you rate and review theshow, the algorithms for Apple,
Spotify, Google Podcasts,iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, and
all the other platforms will seethat it's valuable and show it
(01:47):
to more people that have neverseen it before.
And hopefully it can help themtoo.
I would really, really, reallyappreciate your help sharing
this word with your friends andfamily as well.
And if you're a brand newlistener, welcome.
I hope you find something ofvalue here that helps you in
your personal or professionallife as well.
Please make sure to click thesubscribe or follow button so
you never miss another episode.
(02:08):
If you've been listening to theshow for a while, or been on the
receiving end of my daily quoteof the day emails, or maybe just
catch my posts on Facebook orLinkedIn, you know I'm all about
the quotes, right?
If you'd like to start receivingmy quote of the day emails,
there's a link in the show notesto sign up.
It's free and you canunsubscribe at any time.
Having just spent the lastcouple days at the inaugural
(02:29):
Tennessee Collision RepairsAssociation Music City
Conference in one of my favoritecities, Nashville, and sitting
through several timelyeducational sessions presented
by collision industry leaderslike Mike Anderson, Dave Lewer,
and several others, as well asgetting a chance to present my
own cost of contaminationoverview, I had the opportunity
to cap off that two-day eventwith an open mic discussion
(02:52):
panel in a packed room that wasvery educational, eye-opening,
and inspiring.
Usually these inspiringexperiences are not only awesome
opportunities for me to extendmy own knowledge about our
industry, but it also fuels mydesire to share what I've
learned with all of you, andhopefully inspire you to expand
your own education regardless ofwhat you do for a living.
(03:14):
This week I wanted to reshare amessage from a couple years ago
that spoke to that exact topic,and quite honestly, it's a
message that needs to be heardagain.
So let's go way back to early2023 in episode 117 and really
let this message sink in.
(03:36):
One of my greatest passions inlife started way back when I was
just a skinny long hairedteenager back in the 70s, and
has grown stronger over thedecades.
I've always enjoyed meeting newpeople from all aspects of life,
all economic backgrounds, andall different ages.
I've always been fascinated withwhat makes people tick, what
their views or outlook on thingsare, what they have in common
(03:58):
with others, and how differentand unique each one of us are.
Now this may sound a littlestrange coming from a self
proclaimed introvertedextrovert.
Yep, I was more comfortable atparties just kind of lurking in
the background, quietlyobserving, than to stand in the
middle of a conversation.
I was shy on the outside, butcurious and interested in those
around me on the inside.
(04:19):
I always seemed to take jobsthat were extremely social in
nature, from selling gardenseeds as a youngster door to
door to driveway sales, youknow, like pumping gas and
filling oil.
Yeah, I used to do that.
To working in severalrestaurants, body shops, and my
job or sales career.
I always seemed to be in aposition to talk to others as
(04:40):
part of my job.
Now when I was younger, I didn'thave the confidence to lead most
conversations, but when someoneengaged me on a subject I liked,
like cars or music, for example,I lit up like a spotlight.
But as time went on and Imatured, I was able to sell,
advise, and mentor withauthority.
Over the past thirty plus yearsin the distribution world,
(05:01):
making thousands of sales callsand putting myself in a position
to have to communicate with justabout every personality type you
could imagine, was probably thebest thing I could have ever
done as a career.
Not only has it provided meexpertise in reading people and
finding solutions quickly formost, it's also proved to be an
ongoing education I would havenever received in college, which
I didn't have as an option, noranywhere else.
(05:24):
Which leads to my other passion,and the focus of this message
learning, knowledge, education,and continual improvement.
With the exception of the time Ispent in high school, I've
always craved learning.
Although, as I said a minuteago, because I had four other
brothers and sisters and asingle income family, college
just wasn't an option.
But I found plenty of ways tolearn and to grow through the
(05:46):
various jobs that I had.
Opportunities to learn somethingnew are everywhere you look.
There's a great quote by theformer Secretary General of the
United Nations, Kofi Anon.
Knowledge is power, informationis liberating.
Education is the premise ofprogress in every society, in
every family.
The more I learn, the more Iunderstand those first three
(06:09):
words.
Most industries or occupationsrequire some level of continuing
education to stay up to date,relevant, or competitive in
their fields.
And most employees begrudginglytake whatever trainings is
needed or mandatory at whateverintervals to remain employed,
and that's it.
The transportation industry, andmore specifically, the
automotive repair industryrequires so much more training
(06:33):
at much shorter intervals due tothe constant changes in
technology, substrates,equipment, and repair methods
that seem to change with everynew model that it can feel like
a full-time job just to try tokeep up.
Since the introduction of ADASsystems, electric vehicle
technology, artificialintelligence, the OEM's creating
and strongly recommending to nowinsisting on their own safe and
(06:56):
proper repair methods to returnthe damaged vehicle back within
OEM specs.
The need for training by allmembers of Repair Center has
skyrocketed.
Along with that, I've noticed abig increase in the amount of
training opportunities availableto our industry in the last few
years.
And a massive increase in theamount of social media focus on
that available training in allaspects of vehicle repair.
(07:19):
The reasons for all this arereally quite simple.
Safety, safety, safety.
If you're looking for acompetitive edge for your
business or a more effectivejumpstart to your personal
development, I'll make yourfirst step super simple.
It is a fact that an incrediblenumber of the most successful
business owners, nearly half ofthe Fortune 500 companies,
top-earning professionalathletes, entertainers, and
(07:42):
industry leaders likeMicrosoft's Bill Gates, former
President Bill Clinton, OprahWinfrey, Richard Branson,
Amazon's Jeff Bezos, andSalesforce Mark Benioff, all
have one thing in common.
They all have at least onecoach, and some have several,
that they work with on aconsistent basis.
Someone that helps guide,mentor, and support them,
(08:02):
challenge them, help them setand achieve goals that move them
forward, and then hold themaccountable to follow through,
driving personal andprofessional growth.
Working with a coach has manysubstantial benefits.
Just for an example, 80% ofcoaching clients report improved
self-esteem or self-confidencethanks to coaching.
99% of individuals and companiesthat hire a coach report being
(08:23):
very satisfied, and 96% would doit again.
If deep down you know it's timeto make those improvements in
your business, your personallife that you've kicked down the
road year after year, if you'retired of knowing there's a
better version of you waiting toshine, but unsure of how to
bring that version to light.
If you're tired of wanting toenjoy a more successful
business, but not sure how tostart, and if you don't want to
(08:46):
go another 12 months withoutbetter results, but you don't
want to go it alone, then takethe first step.
It's super simple.
Sometimes talking to the rightperson can make all the
difference.
Go to www.rixilover.com/slashcontact, and I'll set you up
with a free consultation callwith me to see if one on one
coaching is right for you.
Vehicles interact with oursociety on two fronts.
(09:08):
Initial collision, they can runinto property, other vehicles,
and people, and secondarycollision.
The people on the inside drivingcan slam into various parts of
the interior of the vehicle.
Humans are soft and squishycompared to the hard plastic,
aluminum, and steel componentsof today's automobile, and they
lose every time an accidentforces them into battle.
(09:30):
So repairing these vehiclescorrectly or incorrectly can
really literally be thedifference between life and
death.
For many years I truly believethat a majority, but most
certainly not all, repairtechnicians that I've run across
in hundreds of body shops reallydidn't have this in the
forefront of their minds guidingrepair decisions.
Nope, not until the forty-twomillion dollar John Eagle Honda
(09:52):
lawsuit that resulted from thetwenty thirteen collision crash
of an improperly repairedvehicle.
That certainly opened some eyesand created some severe pucker
situations for many collisionrepairs and shop owners.
Well, perspectives changed andmore technician training was
consumed, but unfortunately,there's still many that are way
(10:13):
behind the curve on gaining theknowledge needed to process a
safe and proper repair.
There's also an air of arroganceand ego with some that have been
doing it for 30, 40, or 50years, that they've learned
enough.
They've seen it all or done itall before, and there's nothing
more for them to learn at thispoint.
In my experience, dealing withsome of these texts from a job's
(10:35):
position for over thirty years,and even going back to when I
was a paint instructor forseveral semesters, usually the
ones that claim they know it allare usually the ones that need
the most training.
There's a quote from Epicus saysthat it's impossible for a man
to learn what he thinks healready knows.
There's a tremendous amount ofpride in the men and women in
our industry, from the back ofthe shop all the way up to
(10:57):
ownership, but with that pridecomes a bit of ego as well.
And sometimes we need to putthat ego in check.
Admit to ourselves that we don'tknow it all.
In fact we never will.
And open our minds to learnsomething new.
Remember, there is power inknowledge.
I was reminded of this recentlywhen I attended a training event
with a few paint techs from ahigh volume shop that does
(11:19):
outstanding work.
Even though these were some veryexperienced and very talented
technicians, they were stillexcited to learn more about a
new paint line they've beenusing for a few months.
Even though they had most of thekey functions of this new system
down perfectly, with the help ofa very patient and thorough
instructor, they were able tounlock some very beneficial
tricks and tips with this newsystem that will enable them to
(11:41):
produce even higher qualityrepairs in a shorter amount of
time.
It was funny, the older, moreexperienced painter admitted to
all of us, he was pretty surethat he would probably not walk
away from training without anyclear advantages, but was
pleasantly surprised to takehome some solid nuggets that
would definitely up his game.
I would strongly encourage ourindustry leaders, shop owners,
(12:02):
and managers to first investtime and finances into their own
continuing education, whetherit's taking part in some iCar,
AMI, paint manufacturer,equipment, or other training
opportunities available, eventhose unrelated auto-repair, as
most self-development educationwill have some major impact on
whatever industry you serve, aswell as your own personal lives.
(12:24):
Secondly, encourage, empower,invest in your own people that
work for you to take advantageof any training available to
them as well.
Do not limit them to virtual oronline options only.
There is so much extra valuegained in spending time outside
the shop in a learningenvironment with one's peers.
(12:45):
New perspectives, special tricksof the trade, hidden shortcuts,
and sometimes a better way ofapproaching common problems are
revealed and shared within thegroup.
As an owner or a leader, you maynot realize how many of your
techs crave that chance to getout of the shop for a training
event and learn with theirpeers.
The classroom setting, timespent on the floor with
instructors, and especially thelunches or dinners out spent
(13:08):
with others in the industry canreinvigorate their passion for
what they do and have them allfired up to put their new
learnings into action at yourshop.
But your ignoring this fact, orworse yet, refusing to send some
of them to trainingopportunities, only instills the
message that you just don't careabout their desires to grow and
improve, or they just aren'tworth the investment, or they're
(13:31):
only there to make you money.
This negative mindset andworking atmosphere won't inspire
or drive performance.
It will only serve to inspirethat desire to find someplace
else to park their toolbox.
In my career as a paint tech,I've worked at many places that
did not value training, and afew shops that did.
And I remember how both felt tome.
(13:52):
In my last thirty plus years asa distributor, I've had the
privilege of not only being ableto attend training and continued
education events, producttrainings, self-development
seminars, live speaking eventsand conferences, but I've also
had the extreme pleasure andhonor of attending many of these
with my customers, as well as mypeers.
(14:13):
For those of you that know mewell, I'm big on quotes, right?
In fact, I've been sending out aquote of the day for over a
decade.
Every weekday, sending outsomething that may inspire,
motivate, or give you a positivelens to look through.
If you want to join that list,just click on the link in the
show notes to join.
But I wanted to wrap this upwith a couple quotes I really
(14:34):
love about this message.
Henry Ford had said, Anybodythat stops learning is old,
whether at twenty or eighty.
Anyone who keeps learning isyoung.
Ben Franklin said this withoutcontinual growth and progress,
such words as improvement,achievement, and success have no
meaning.
(14:55):
And the great B.B.
King once quoted, The beautifulthing about learning is that no
one can take it away from you.
So do yourself a favor.
Do your business a favor.
In fact, do the whole world afavor.
Keep learning, keep growing, andset an example for those that
look up to you.
(15:19):
Well, that's all I had for youtoday.
Thanks again for tuning in.
I really appreciate yoursupport, and I hope you have a
great week.
I can always be reached atwww.rixilover.com, where you can
find all my social media links,podcast episodes, blog posts,
and much more.
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