The Chicken or the Egg Trap: Hiring and Marketing for Auto Repair Shops [THA 466]

Thanks to our Partners, Shop Dog Marketing, NAPA TRACS, Today's Class, KUKUI, and Pit Crew Loyalty Watch Full Video Episode

Recorded Live at AAPEX 2025, this episode tackles the classic “chicken or the egg” challenge for auto repair shop owners: should the focus be on marketing to generate work or recruiting technicians to handle it? The answer is simple—both. Sustainable growth requires managing two throttles at once: marketing and recruitment. Neither can be set and forgotten.

Key takeaways include reframing the role as a high tech career with clear advancement paths, adopting an “always be recruiting” mindset, and not judging candidates by resumes alone. Many capable technicians want to move but are emotionally stuck due to fear, loyalty, or past instability. Long-term retention depends on engagement and making employees feel like part of the business, not just workers in it.

Consistency is critical, as marketing and recruiting take time to gain traction and lose momentum quickly when stopped. A shop’s website should double as a recruiting tool, confidently showcasing employees, culture, and benefits.

Ultimately, the challenge lies in the demanding nature of shop ownership. Owners tend to protect what’s working instead of continually investing in the systems—marketing and recruiting—that ensure long-term stability and growth.

Lisa Coyle, Co-Founder, Promotive: https://gopromotive.com/

Connor Tracy, KUKUI Thanks to our Partner, Shop Dog Marketing Shop Dog Marketing at Shop Dog Marketing.com. "Want to see your auto repair shop thrive? Let Shop Dog Marketing be your guide. Our customer-first approach, combined with AI-driven creative content, ensures top rankings. Thanks to our Partner, NAPA TRACS NAPA TRACS will move your shop into the SMS fast lane with onsite training and six days a week of support and local representation. Find NAPA TRACS on the Web at http://napatracs.com/ Thanks to our Partner, Today's Class Optimize training with Today's Class: In just 5 minutes daily, boost knowledge retention and improve team performance. Find Today's Class on the web at https://www.todaysclass.com/ Thanks to our Partner, KUKUI Stop juggling multiple marketing tools. KUKUI’s integrated platform delivers 4x better website conversions, automated follow-up, and real-time ROI tracking. Get industry-leading customer support with KUKUI at https://www.kukui.com/ Thanks to our Partner, Pit Crew Loyalty You’re probably tired of chasing new customers who never return. We understand. Pit Crew Loyalty ends the one-and-done cycle, turning first visits into lasting, reliable revenue at https://www.pitcrewloyalty.com/ Connect with the Podcast: - Follow on Facebook: