Beyond the Wrench
How can automotive and diesel shops run a better business and be more profitable? How can we make the aftermarket and dealerships more attractive to younger generations? Each week, Jay Goninen, VP of Industry Advancement at ASE, will sit down with shop owners, technicians, instructors, and professionals in the automotive and diesel industries to have them share their stories and insights. We’ll dive deep into what’s going on in shops and dealerships and what we can do to help drive the industry forward. The Beyond the Wrench Podcast is powered by ASE.
Episodes
John Doonan, President of International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), breaks down why they see themself as the "heartbeat of the auto industry." In this episode, he talks about what makes IMSA's staff and drivers feel like one big family, how IMSA is helping build the next generation of automotive talent through a new career program with ASE, and how strong partnerships with companies keep the series stable.
Lisa Joseph, Director of ASE Connects Schools at ASE, breaks down how ASE Connects (formerly WrenchWay) is helping schools tap into free industry support, and how completing one quick form now enters schools into the $11k Snap-on giveaway. In this episode, she walks through the online platform, how the back-to-school form connects schools with local shops, and gives a sneak peek at Student Profiles coming very soon.
Tyler Gallardo, known online as Ty the Car Guy with nearly 1 million followers, breaks down how he turned a mobile mechanic business into a full-time content career. In this episode, he covers his path into the trade, how he grew his business from the ground up, how his first videos unexpectedly took off, and how he handles negativity in the comments without letting it get to him.
Watch the video recording on YouTube
About the Episod...
Cole Conrad, Senior Vice President of Product Management at Milwaukee Tool, breaks down how Milwaukee Tool's growth into transportation trades wasn't a step-by-step plan—it was patience and instinct, one tool at a time. In this episode, recorded live at Milwaukee Pipeline 2026, Cole covers the shift into automotive as an all-in focus, how the team decides what's worth building next, and why trusting instinct over data was key...
Live from the 2026 Milwaukee Pipeline event, Ryan Mack, Group Product Manager, and Tim Schneider, Assistant Product Manager at Milwaukee Tool, join us to unpack how user frustration drives every product they build. In this episode, they cover the design story behind the M18 FUEL STRIKER, how accessories are engineered around real field use, a new grease gun that solves three key frustrations, and their favorite things about the Pip...
Michael Coley, President of ASE Education Foundation, breaks down the largest workforce grant the Department of Labor has ever awarded in the transportation service industry. In this episode, he covers what qualifies as a registered apprenticeship program, how the $25 million is expected to be allocated as final details are worked out with the DOL, and the goal of funding 6,000 new apprentice technicians over the next four years.
Joe Toscano, Founder & CEO of Service Stories, returns to show how his AI platform turns everyday repair orders into ready-to-publish content. In this episode, he covers why he built Service Stories after burning out on social media himself, why voice and AI search are changing how customers find shops, and the growing impact of your shop’s Google Business Profile.
About the Episode
...Stacy Balzer, Founder/CEO of Uplift+Ignite Coaching and Consulting and former Senior Director at Ford Motor Company, breaks down the communication habits that set the best dealerships apart. In this episode, she shares the tools and mindset shifts leaders need to actually connect with their teams and build a culture people want to stay in.
About the Episode
- Host: Jay Goninen, ASE, jgoninen...
Brooke English Guy, General Manager of Coastal Chevrolet Cadillac and Coastal Nissan in Pawleys Island, SC, breaks down how a third-generation family dealership built a culture technicians actually want to stay in. In this episode, she covers how a compressed 3-day work week reshaped technician recruitment and retention, why she hires for humility, hunger, and people skills over experience, and how she grew past early imposter synd...
Dave Johnson, President and CEO of ASE, sits down with WrenchWay co-founders Jay Goninen and Mark Wilson to break down the news: WrenchWay is officially part of the ASE family. In this episode, they cover why the deal made sense for both sides, what's changing (and staying the same) with the brand and product, and answer some of the questions they've been getting recently—including whether Beyond the Wrench is sticking around...
Wayne Brozek, Founder and CEO of WB Global Services, breaks down why the parts department is only as strong as the process behind it. In this episode, he covers how parts and service personalities differ inside a dealership, how a simple audit he performs can expose inventory discrepancies in a shop, and how he applies fractional leadership to help guide dealership teams.
About the Episode
Trent Broberg, CEO of Fullbay, joins the show to talk about where AI is taking the repair industry. In this episode, Trent breaks down Fullbay's shift from an app to a platform, how AI is changing predictive maintenance and parts identification, and key insights from Fullbay's State of Heavy-Duty Repair Report you won't want to miss.
About the Episode
- Host: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, jayg@wre...
Gabe Christian, Owner of Import Performance Auto Repair in Bend, Oregon and seven-time winner of best shop in the city, returns to break down what shop culture actually looks like from the inside. He and Jay get into the daily habits, team dynamics, and small details that make technicians want to show up and stay.
About the Episode
- Host: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, jayg@wrenchway.com
- Guest: Gab...
Anthony Calhoun is an ASE Master Technician with 25+ years in the industry, CEO of A.W.C. Consulting LLC, and author of “Why Techs Leave and How to Keep Them.” In this episode, Anthony walks through what each role has taught him about where the industry is falling short. He covers the mindset that helped him grow as a young tech, the advice he gives to those coming up now, and what pushed him to write a book and build A...
Joe Hamilton, President & CEO of Vortex Optics, helped build one of the outdoor industry's most recognized and fiercely loyal brands by treating service as a competitive weapon, not an afterthought. In this episode, Joe unpacks the CARE Movement (Create A Rare Experience), why hiring people who already share your values is the foundation of delivering it, and why being genuinely human is the rarest advantage a business can have...
Chris Craig—Fixed Ops Curriculum Developer at RockED and content creator with 135,000 followers across platforms—has built his following by saying the things most people are afraid to post. In this episode, he breaks down why showing both sides of every industry argument is slowly shifting the culture, from the ASE certification debate to the 30/30/30 myth, what shops get wrong when hiring new grads, and the financial t...
Josh Arnold, Recon Lead Technician at Austin Subaru, is back on the podcast for another honest conversation about life in the trade. He opens up about mentoring apprentices from scratch, what it really took to turn around a struggling recon department, and how public speaking and MPI video have pushed him to grow in ways he didn't expect.
About the Episode
- Host: Jay Goninen, WrenchWa...
Christian Spell, a recent high school graduate and SkillsUSA National Officer, joins Jay to share how a serious injury redirected his path—straight into automotive class and SkillsUSA. He opens up about competing, leading, and developing the professional skills most techs never learn in a shop.
About the Episode
- Host: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, jayg@wrenchway.com
- Guest: Christian Spell, Skil...
Todd Ainsworth, Shop Owner at Swedish Automotive, Inc. and President-Elect of the Northwest Auto Care Alliance (NWACA), joins us to talk about developing the next generation of technicians and why most shops are leaving that opportunity on the table. During the episode, Todd covers his journey from technician to shop owner, gives a closer look at NWACA's apprenticeship program and what makes it work, and why it's easier to grow a t...
Antonio Maldonado and Jake Martin are recruiters for the Service Technician Education Program (STEP) at BMW North America—and they go way beyond just recruiting. In this episode they break down how STEP works for automotive and collision students, what hands-on training from day one actually looks like, and how BMW is nurturing the next generation of technicians from first contact to career.
During this episode we expe...
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