From Navy Veteran to Coaching Service Teams | Alec Ruffini & Clemente Dominguez | Wrench Turners Podcast
Today’s guests didn’t stumble into leadership; they forged their way there. Alec Ruffini, a Navy veteran turned automotive coach, and Clemente Dominguez, a rising shop foreman, join host Joshua Taylor to talk about what it really takes to run a high-performing dealership service department.
From ethical sales and technician development to team dynamics and trust-building, this episode is packed with hard-earned wisdom. Alec shares lessons from decades of turning around underperforming shops, while Clemente offers a fresh perspective from someone who went from independent repair to managing a 25-person dealership team.
💥 Topics we cover:
👉 Alec’s unexpected career path
👉 Why integrity matters
👉 What Clemente learned
👉 How to build technician trust
👉 What it actually means to be a steward
👉 Communication shapes team performance
👉 The one mindset every technician needs
👉 Managing stress
If you're in Fixed Ops, an aspiring leader, or a technician wondering how to level up, this is your playbook. This is how leaders get built.
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🌍 More episodes and resources: https://wrenchturnerspodcast.com
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🧔♂️ Sponsored by The Bearded Brotherhood
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💻 Powered by:
FixedOPS Marketing — Revolutionizing dealership service marketing. https://www.fixedopsmarketing.com
The Lion Partnership — Strategic Dealership Consulting https://www.lionpartnership.com
DCS - Digital Communication Solutions
https://www.dicoso.us
Chapters:
00:00 Leadership that changes Fixed Ops
01:55 Navy to service director
03:45 Clemente’s path
07:26 The big transition: smol vs large
10:10 Coaching culture: “More or better”
12:04 Alec’s leadership test
17:03 Mentorship wins
21:29 How great leaders build trust
27:13 Clemente’s “shop equality”
32:30 Advice for techs
35:46 How Alec and Clemente manage anxiety
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