Recorded Live at ASTA 2025, keynote speaker Jim Knight dives into leadership and organizational culture through his signature “edutainment” style—a high-energy blend of music, education, and hospitality. Knight is a professional speaker, writer, and former Head of Training and Development for over two decades at Hard Rock International, which he calls one of the "greatest cultures in the history of culture."

Jim stresses that the most important responsibility of any leader is hiring the right person. Too often, leaders get distracted by product, pricing, or aesthetics, while the true differentiator is the human element. He recommends evaluating candidates through the Three C’s:

1. Competence – Can they do the job?

2. Character – Are they kind, respectful, and easy to work with?

3. Culture Fit – Do their values align with the organization?

Leaders who fail to make employees feel seen, heard, and appreciated, he warns, will continue to struggle with turnover.

Jim Knight, a renowned keynote speaker, author, and training and development expert, teaches organizations of all sizes how to attain their own “rock star” status. https://www.knightspeaker.com/

The automotive industry faces a growing crisis: as veteran trainers and educators retire, there’s no clear path for the next generation to replace them. Creating quality training is time-intensive — often taking months to develop just one class — and the personal sacrifices required have deterred many from stepping up.

This episode explores the urgent need to evolve automotive education, from rethinking long-form classes to developing shorter, high-impact sessions that better fit today’s learning styles. At the heart of the conversation is a proposed solution: an industry “Trainer Boot Camp” designed to teach aspiring educators not only technical knowledge but also the art of presentation — structure, flow, delivery, and audience engagement.

Another proposed solution is the creation of a Train the Trainers Scholarship to fund legacy educators like John Thornton and Scot Manna to design and lead this new initiative. Modeled after the WWE’s NXT Performance Center, the idea is to proactively cultivate new education “superstars” rather than waiting for them to appear on their own.

This is more than a conversation about teaching — it’s a call to action to preserve and reinvent the future of automotive education before the knowledge gap becomes irreversible.

Matt Fanslow, Riverside Automotive, Red Wing, MN, Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z Podcast

Tanner Brandt, Autodiag Clinic

In this fireside conversation, Joe Hanson of Gordie’s Auto and Tire shares how a clear purpose—“Helping people do life”—guides every part of the business. This mission shapes both the customer experience and the culture within the shop, ensuring the team feels supported, valued, and equipped to build meaningful careers.

Joe walks through the realities of growing the business, from navigating permits and environmental requirements to expanding fleet services and managing tire sales intentionally. Issues such as leadership team dynamics, marketing, and phone call audits are management problems—they are never permanently "fixed," but instead require continuous coaching and management. He also emphasizes the importance of communication, setting clear expectations, and educating customers about the complexity of modern testing and ADAS calibration—not just “plugging in a scanner.”

Joe remains committed to the work for as long as it’s meaningful—and rooted in helping people, not just chasing revenue.

David Boyes, CEO of Today’s Class, and Lola Schmidt, Schmidt Auto Care, explore how short, personalized, and gamified training is transforming team development in the automotive industry.

The discussion centers on how Today’s Class delivers 3–5 minute, mobile-friendly training sessions that fit seamlessly into daily shop routines, often completed right after morning huddles. This consistent “daily drip” of learning minimizes workflow disruption while fostering a culture of continuous growth.

Gamification drives engagement through points, badges, and friendly competition, sparking team conversations and collaboration. Shops like Schmidt Auto Care have seen measurable improvements in technical knowledge, such as increased proficiency in brake systems, wheel alignment, and HVAC performance.

Lola shares how her team’s enthusiasm for competition has built deeper learning habits, while David explains how the platform’s data-driven insights help shop leaders identify knowledge gaps, coach effectively, and make smarter business decisions from equipment investments to targeted, hands-on training.

The takeaway: Small, consistent, and data-informed training can create powerful results, driving engagement, improving technical skills, and strengthening both team and business performance.

David Boyes, President of ‘Today’s Class” David’s previous episodes HERE

Lauralee Schmidt, Schmidt Auto Care, Springboro, OH

• The Automotive Repair Podcast Network:https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/
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Stress is inevitable, but how we respond to it can make or break our leadership. In this episode, Dr. David Weiman, psychologist at Weiman Consulting, dives into the science of stress and practical strategies for managing it, especially in the fast paced world of automotive repair.

What You’ll Learn:

• The fight or flight response and why modern stress feels just as intense as physical danger.

• The three types of stress: Normal, Training (Eustress), and Excessive, and how recognizing them can improve decision-making.

• Simple, powerful tools for recovery: micro breaks, diaphragmatic breathing, and mindful routines.

• How stress affects leadership, team dynamics, and strategic thinking—and what to do about it.

• Practical tips to avoid burnout, maintain energy, and enhance focus.

Dr. Weiman emphasizes that the key isn’t eliminating stress, it’s managing it effectively so you can think clearly, lead confidently, and take action.

Dr. David Weiman is the president of Weiman Consulting, a leadership consulting firm in Philadelphia PA. Listen to David’s previous episodes HERE

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This episode takes a deep dive into the evolution of digital marketing in the automotive repair industry, with a strong focus on Google’s Local Service Ads (LSAs), website performance, and empathetic customer engagement.

Connor Tracy and Jeff Jackson unpack how LSAs are transforming how shops attract and convert customers. They explain Google’s rigorous verification process and how LSAs differ from traditional pay-per-click models by emphasizing verified leads, call monitoring, and actual revenue generation over vanity metrics like clicks.

Beyond advertising, the discussion touches on ways to stand out, like adding live scheduling, using empathetic CRM communication instead of constant sales pitches, and avoiding wasted ad spend that doesn’t deliver results..

• “We don’t have time for feelings right now. We have time for fact and action.”
• “Feelings don’t fix cars. Facts and movement fix cars.”

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Three industry coaches, Chris Cotton, Brian Gillis, and Clint White, are redefining leadership by returning to shop ownership. They chose to re-engage, believing that staying in the trenches keeps their coaching grounded and relevant in a rapidly changing industry. They view ownership as a “learning lab,” testing strategies in marketing, staffing, and technology firsthand, then bringing real-world insights back to their clients. As they plan for the future, each is focused on sustainable growth, exploring private equity opportunities, and developing strong succession plans, all while keeping culture and quality at the core of their mission.

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