Marco Zwanenburg, Aftersales Consultant at New Drive Consulting, joins us to be a voice for technicians in this people-first industry. He shares how shops can create a strong first impression from day one, why appreciation has to go beyond pay, and how holding onto the wrong people can quietly damage shop culture.

Watch the video podcast on YouTube

About the Episode

• Host: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, jayg@wrenchway.com
• Guest: Marco Zwanenburg, New Drive Consulting, mzwanenburg@comcast.net

Links & Resources

• Get notified of new episodes --> Join our email list

Join the ASE Connects Community

ASE Connects brings shops, dealerships, and schools together in one structured network to strengthen the technician pipeline. By making it easier to connect, collaborate, and support students through job shadows, internships, and classroom engagement, ASE Connects helps schools build stronger programs and helps shops develop a more consistent, local source of future technicians. Learn more:

• ASE Connects Memberships for Shops & Dealers
• ASE Connects Memberships for Schools (Free!)

Connect with us on social:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• X
• LinkedIn
• YouTube
• TikTok

Tiffany Scherado, Owner of Lifetime Transmissions and Facilitator of Amazing Women in Automotive (AWiA), joins us to share how AWiA is building a powerful community for women in the industry. Tiffany talks about what’s new since her last appearance on the podcast, what makes the AWiA retreat so impactful, and how being part of the group has helped her grow as both a leader and a person.

Watch the video podcast on YouTube

About the Episode

• Host: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, jayg@wrenchway.com
• Guest: Tiffany Scherado, Lifetime Transmissions & Amazing Women in Automotive (AWiA), tiffany@lifetimetransmissions.com

Links & Resources

• Get notified of new episodes --> Join our email list

Join the ASE Connects Community

ASE Connects brings shops, dealerships, and schools together in one structured network to strengthen the technician pipeline. By making it easier to connect, collaborate, and support students through job shadows, internships, and classroom engagement, ASE Connects helps schools build stronger programs and helps shops develop a more consistent, local source of future technicians. Learn more:

• ASE Connects Memberships for Shops & Dealers
• ASE Connects Memberships for Schools (Free!)

Connect with us on social:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• X
• LinkedIn
• YouTube
• TikTok

Jason Kerstetter, Co-Founder of the Gear Her Up Foundation, joins us to share how he’s creating opportunities for young women in automotive. Inspired by his daughter learning to work on her own car, Jason explains how the 12-week program teaches hands-on skills and helps break down barriers in the industry.

Watch the video podcast on YouTube

About the Episode

• Host: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, jayg@wrenchway.com
• Guest: Jason Kerstetter, Gear Her Up Foundation, jason@gearherup.org

Links & Resources

• Get notified of new episodes --> Join our email list

Join the ASE Connects Community

ASE Connects brings shops, dealerships, and schools together in one structured network to strengthen the technician pipeline. By making it easier to connect, collaborate, and support students through job shadows, internships, and classroom engagement, ASE Connects helps schools build stronger programs and helps shops develop a more consistent, local source of future technicians. Learn more:

• ASE Connects Memberships for Shops & Dealers
• ASE Connects Memberships for Schools (Free!)

Connect with us on social:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• X
• LinkedIn
• YouTube
• TikTok

Donald Favors, Auto Tech Instructor at Lowell High School, joins us to talk about the five steps he developed for technician retention in his “Pathway to Retention” program. In the episode, he walks through each step in detail—from connecting with local schools to providing technicians with financial education—and shares his journey from working in the automotive industry to transitioning into education.

Watch the video podcast on YouTube

About the Episode

• Host: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, jayg@wrenchway.com
• Guest: Donald Favors, Lowell High School, dfavors@tricreek.k12.in.us

Links & Resources

• Get notified of new episodes --> Join our email list
• Pathway to Retention: A 5 Step Process to Train and Retain New Technicians

Join the ASE Connects Community

ASE Connects brings shops, dealerships, and schools together in one structured network to strengthen the technician pipeline. By making it easier to connect, collaborate, and support students through job shadows, internships, and classroom engagement, ASE Connects helps schools build stronger programs and helps shops develop a more consistent, local source of future technicians. Learn more:

• ASE Connects Memberships for Shops & Dealers
• ASE Connects Memberships for Schools (Free!)

Connect with us on social:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• X
• LinkedIn
• YouTube
• TikTok

Gerrot Jacobson, Automotive Instructor at Hawkeye Community College, joins us to talk about how he challenges and motivates students in the classroom every day—giving them a safe place to fail so they can learn, grow, and keep moving forward! He also shares his path into the automotive industry and why it’s so important for shops to show up and build relationships with their local schools.

Watch the video podcast on YouTube

About the Episode

• Host: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, jayg@wrenchway.com
• Guest: Gerrot Jacobson, Hawkeye Community College, gerrot.jacobson@hawkeyecollege.edu

Links & Resources

• Get notified of new episodes --> Join our email list

Join the ASE Connects Community

ASE Connects brings shops, dealerships, and schools together in one structured network to strengthen the technician pipeline. By making it easier to connect, collaborate, and support students through job shadows, internships, and classroom engagement, ASE Connects helps schools build stronger programs and helps shops develop a more consistent, local source of future technicians. Learn more:

• ASE Connects Memberships for Shops & Dealers
• ASE Connects Memberships for Schools (Free!)

Connect with us on social:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• X
• LinkedIn
• YouTube
• TikTok

David Kocher, Automotive Instructor at Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation, joins us to explain how he introduced a simulated flat rate pay plan to help students understand how flat rate works early in their careers. David walks us through his background, the ins and outs of the incentive-based system he’s developing for his class, and how students are responding to the experience.

Watch the video podcast on YouTube

About the Episode

• Host: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, jayg@wrenchway.com
• Guest: David Kocher, Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation, dkocher@pasco.k12.fl.us

Links & Resources

• Get notified of new episodes --> Join our email list

Join the ASE Connects Community

ASE Connects brings shops, dealerships, and schools together in one structured network to strengthen the technician pipeline. By making it easier to connect, collaborate, and support students through job shadows, internships, and classroom engagement, ASE Connects helps schools build stronger programs and helps shops develop a more consistent, local source of future technicians. Learn more:

• ASE Connects Memberships for Shops & Dealers
• ASE Connects Memberships for Schools (Free!)

Connect with us on social:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• X
• LinkedIn
• YouTube
• TikTok

Dwayne Myers, CEO of Dynamic Automotive, discusses why mentorship is the foundation of leadership and how his team focuses on growing their own technicians through a structured apprenticeship program. From investing in local schools to intentionally developing and nurturing talent, he explains why this approach is key to addressing the technician shortage.

Watch the video on YouTube here

About the Episode

• Host: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, jayg@wrenchway.com
• Guest: Dwayne Myers, Dynamic Automotive, dmyers@dynamicautomd.com

Links & Resources

• Get notified of new episodes --> Join our email list

About WrenchWay:

• For Technicians & Students: wrenchway.com/solutions/technicians/
• For Shops & Dealerships: wrenchway.com/solutions/shops/
• For Instructors: wrenchway.com/solutions/schools/

Connect with us on social:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• X
• LinkedIn
• YouTube
• TikTok