Strong Shops Need Strong Leaders: Why Culture Fails Without Accountability

In this no filter, full throttle episode of Repair Shop Reckoning, Kevin and Jason tackle the real reason your shop culture sucks — and it starts at the top. Forget the fluff about happy cultures and Google-style perks. This is a masterclass in leadership, accountability, and building a shop that actually works. If you’re a shop owner, manager, or tech tired of excuses, underperformers, or being the bottleneck in your own business, this one hits hard. In this episode:

• Why culture starts with your backbone, not your breakroom perks
• How policies and expectations create alignment and consistency
• Kevin’s 56K sandblaster gamble and how it paid off
• The truth about letting customers bring their own parts
• Flat rate debates, dealership drama, and why your number one tech might be killing morale
• How AI is saving shops time and money and why one furry troll didn’t like it
• Why the me first mindset ruins companies and how to build process around people
• What happens when a shop owner finally says, “I’m the problem.”

From hilarious stories to brutal business truth bombs, this episode lays it all out — culture, leadership, parts profits, tech drama, and the owner mindset that separates the winners from the whiners.