Ratchet+Wrench Radio
Ratchet+Wrench Radio offers four tracks each month that explore the industry's biggest trends, most pressing topics, and the leadership and business management tips and strategies you need to thrive.
Episodes
What happens when a lifelong shop owner steps into the COO role of a fast-growing national platform? In this episode, Brian Bates breaks down the walls shop owners hit when scaling, how to balance culture with growth, and why leadership—not capital alone—will determine who wins the next decade in the aftermarket.
Tariffs, inflation, and rising labor costs are putting real pressure on shop margins right now—and I know a lot of shop owners are asking how to recover those costs without upsetting customers. In this episode of Ratchet+Wrench Radio, I sit down with payments expert Randy Motos to break down surcharging: what it is, how it works, what the compliance rules really are, and why “freedom of choice” at checkout is becoming a go-to strat...
Skating to Where the Puck Is Going: Why the Aftermarket’s Future Depends on Education and Leadership
Recorded live from the AAPEX show floor, Northwood University president Kent MacDonald sits down with editorial director Chris Jones to discuss what Wayne Gretzky’s famous advice means for the automotive aftermarket—and why leadership, entrepreneurship, and education have never mattered more.
Full bays don’t always mean healthy profits. In this episode of Ratchet+Wrench Radio, host Christine Schaffran sits down with Hunt Demarest, CPA, partner at Paar, Melis & Associates, and author of Beyond the Bays, to unpack why so many shop owners feel busy but broke—and what they can do about it. From cash vs. profit confusion to overlooked financial fundamentals, Hunt explains how better understanding your numbers can change ...
What really drove aftermarket performance in 2025—and what signals should shop owners be paying attention to now? In this episode of Ratchet+Wrench Radio, Auto Care Association senior director of market intelligence Mike Chung breaks down the data behind tariffs, inflation, supply chain shifts, and changing consumer purchasing habits. From parts buying to tire trends, Mike explains what the numbers reveal—and how they point to what...
What if the biggest thing holding you back isn’t your goals—but how you’re framing them?
On this episode of Ratchet+Wrench Radio, Chris Messer, vice president of transportation at Endeavor Business Media, sits down with Mike Jones, president of Discover Leadership, alongside editorial director Chris Jones for a powerful conversation on fighting forward. From personal growth to shop performance, they unpack why focusing on what you ...
Silent partners can be a powerful asset—or a costly blind spot—when it’s time to sell an auto repair business. In this episode of Ratchet+Wrench Radio, host Christine Schaffran sits down with Nick Papakyrikos, CPA, to uncover how smart exit planning, clear agreements, and the right tax structure can turn a future sale into a largely tax-free payday.
Fifteen years ago, Kendall Warnock was a technician with a dream, five T-shirts, and a shop name chosen to land at the front of a phone book. Today, he leads one of Lincoln, Nebraska’s most respected repair facilities and has been named Small Business of the Year. Now he’s bringing his hard-won leadership lessons — built through grit, humility, and nonstop self-development — to Ratchet+Wrench readers as an online columnist in 2026....
For 100 years, Veenstra’s Garage has served its Michigan community through depressions, relocations, sweeping industry change, and four generations of leadership. In this episode of Ratchet+Wrench Radio, Editor Christine Schaffran sits down with Mike and Jason Veenstra to talk about legacy, modern challenges, the transition from father to son, and what it really takes to keep a shop thriving for a century.
Katie French’s journey from a Power Wheels–obsessed kid to AAPEX Service Advisor of the Year is anything but ordinary. Now, as she joins Ratchet+Wrench Magazine as an online columnist in 2026, she’s bringing real-world experience, raw honesty, and a deep passion for elevating shop culture. On this episode of Ratchet+Wrench Radio, editor Christine Schaffran sits down with Katie to talk about her early days in the industry, her missi...
The automotive industry faces a critical technician shortage—but Mike Coley, president of the ASE Education Foundation, is tackling the problem from the ground up. Learn how 2,000 accredited schools across the country are preparing the next wave of skilled professionals, and discover what employers can do to identify and nurture young talent in their own backyard.
With more than 5,000 auto shop fires annually and rising risks from EVs, high-output chargers, changing shop layouts, and aging suppression systems, fire safety has become a moving target. In this episode, Mountain State Fire Protection owner Steve Lockwood joins Christine Schaffran to reveal the overlooked hazards hiding in plain sight, the upgrades that matter, and the must-do inspections every shop should prioritize. If you want...
Ford’s CEO says 5,000 technician jobs are sitting open—and that’s just the beginning. In this episode of Ratchet+Wrench Radio, Christine Schaffran talks with Repairify’s Chief Transformation Officer, Keith Crerar, about the skills shortage, the rise of ADAS complexity, and the real-world technology helping shops stay ahead. From AI to change management to technician training, Keith breaks down what shop owners must do now to stay c...
At SEMA in Las Vegas, Chris Messer and Mike Jones dive into why your mindset—not your skill set—determines the trajectory of your business. From the power of surrounding yourself with the right people to embracing change in a fast-moving industry, this episode challenges shop owners and leaders to elevate their awareness, rethink their environment, and commit to becoming an even better version of themselves. If you want to shift fr...
Long hours, physical strain, financial stress, and the weight of customer expectations—life in the automotive industry can take a toll. But you don’t have to face it alone. In this episode of Ratchet+Wrench Radio, Margaret Light, a licensed marriage and family therapist who specializes in supporting automotive professionals explores the critical role of healthy support systems, how to build them, and why vulnerability, connection, ...
As the year winds down, charitable giving becomes more than a goodwill gesture—it can be a powerful tax-saving strategy for shop owners. CPA and automotive financial advisor Nick Papakyrikos returns to Ratchet+Wrench Radio to explain how to make donations the smart way, from gifting appreciated stock to using donor-advised funds, navigating upcoming 2026 rule changes, and choosing the right timing based on your shop’s financial per...
You don’t need lavish parties or big bonuses to make your team feel valued. In this episode, small business expert Nick Papakryikos talks about meaningful, budget-friendly ways to show appreciation during the holiday season. From catered lunches and “12 Days of Appreciation” countdowns to handwritten notes and extra paid time off, learn how small, sincere gestures can boost morale, strengthen loyalty, and help your business start t...
When it comes to auto repair, trust is everything. In this episode, shop owner Gary Hinendes of Gary’s Automotive Repair shares how taking time to educate customers—especially those who feel intimidated walking into a shop—can transform fear into confidence and first-time visitors into lifelong clients. From listening more than talking to training his team on empathy and transparency, Gary reveals why putting people before profits ...
In this fifth episode of our Endeavor to Discover series, Endeavor B2B’s Chris Messer, Executive Vice President of the Transportation Group, sits down with Mike Jones, President and CEO of Discover Leadership, and Randy O’Connor, President of D2D Development — also known as the Chief Outcome Officer.
Together, they explore what it means to focus on the outcome — how defining a shared vision, owning your commitments, and celebrating...
As drivers hold onto their vehicles longer than ever, service complexity continues to rise. In this episode, GM’s Aaron Charbonneau, Director of Dealer Service and Warranty Operations, and Patrick Meissner, Director of Strategic Service Initiatives and Accessories, discuss how technicians and shop owners navigate the growing mix of old and new technologies. From training and parts availability to customer trust and predictive maint...
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