My marketing before and after signing up with Turnkey Marketing is pretty scary. In a good way. Get your marketing right today HERE

Tekmetric opened my eyes to just how much a good SMS will do for a shop. Their software is top of the line, and with them, so is my shop. Try them for yourself HERE

I was SHOCKED when I saw the things I was missing the first time I used Detect Auto. Simple things, but easy to miss. Detect Auto helped clean that up for me, and they can for you, too. Use them HERE

Jay Huh is the owner Carmedix in Durham, NC. Today, he tells Mike how he figured out how to run a shop the hard way. After years of struggling, he has built an efficient, highly profitable shop that gives him total freedom. They also talk about ShopFix and what the coaching company is doing after the loss of Aaron Stokes.

Timestamps:
00:00 – Jay's confession on not making enough money
02:17 – Why sharing mistakes online changed everything
04:40 – Living on $1,000 net per shop and barely making it
06:07 – Consolidating down, shop tours, and landing in the “anchor” spot
08:19 – Do we really need so many shop owner groups? Breaking down the division
09:35 – Shop culture, coaching, and why too many owners are still broke
10:45 – Shop Fix vs. other coaching: It’s about heart, not just numbers
13:07 – Haters, jealousy, and why everyone thinks their way is best
14:43 – Growing the right way—efficiency before expansion and protecting family time
15:16 – Let’s talk cruises! Why Speaker A rides MSC and the yacht club life
16:46 – Degenerate gambling confessions: Blackjack, craps, and cruise ship casinos
18:01 – Owning a beach house: Boats, depreciation, and gathering your crew
20:00 – The exit plan: Cashing out vs. the freedom of autopilot shops
21:10 – The guardrails: How Speaker A uses daily numbers, not vibes
23:00 – Forget top-line revenue, focus on real margin
25:17 – Shop meetings, keeping techs and advisors rowing together
26:01 – Why the multi-store “dog” life isn’t for everyone
26:30 – The danger of scaling without the cash to back it up
27:59 – Shop size vs. profit: Luke Walker’s $1M store reality check
29:05 – The secret: Hire high skill, pay well, and net more
31:12 – Money loves speed: Adapting shop processes for today’s customers
32:13 – Show & sell: Finding the urgent fix, but always telling the whole story
35:20 – Ethics, shortcuts, and hiring for integrity
36:05 – Losing Aaron: Leadership, legacy, and moving Shop Fix forward
39:14 – What’s next? Shop Fix’s plan and why the mission’s stronger than ever

Register for Tekmetric's Tektonic Conference in Huston April 9-11 and use Code CONFESSIONS500 for $500.00 off. HERE

Turnkey Marketing takes the stress of doing something I'm not good at off my plate. And gives it to someone who is. Click HERE for more.

Elite Worldwide has CHANGED my business and life through their one-on-one coaching. Use them like I do HERE

Seth Thorson and Keith Perkins own shops and are both on the NASTF board. Today, they talk about AI and how shop owners can leverage Chat GPTs and Chrome extensions to streamline operations and keep their customer data protected. Keith weighs in on the future of technician roles, pointing out that while robotics and AI may eventually change the landscape, hands-on skills and adaptability will be critical for years to come.

Timestamps:
00:00 Techs replaced by AI?

06:25 AI and data ownership

09:41 Learning the GTP foundation

10:18 Teaching effective coding practices

13:15 Teaching basic and premium features

17:19 Using AI to access online data

20:20 Circuit City vs. Best Buy insights

25:37 Son considering trade school program

31:28 Starting with the basics

35:48 Putting in extra effort

37:22 Learning through hard work

42:59 Michael Brody-Waite's leadership approach

43:38 Seth's class for shop owners

49:18 Concerns about AI and human thinking

51:12 NAPA's augmented reality training

53:32 Balancing textbook learning and hands-on

56:37 Mike's 90-day check-in

If you're like me and aren't good at marketing, don't do it on your own. Let the experts handle it. Touch HERE for more on Turnkey Marketing.

Tekmetric transformed my shop. Plain and simple. Want that for yours? Touch HERE

When I used the maintenance tool for the fist time with Detect Auto, my mind was blown. My advisors had the same reaction - and then SO MUCH MORE TIME. Learn more about Detect Auto and book a free demo now!

Hunt Demarest is a CPA with Paar, Melis, and Associates. Today, he joins Mike to talk shop financials, tax credits, and private equity. Hunt breaks down why consistent improvement—just 3% better each quarter—is more sustainable than chasing explosive growth. He offers a candid warning about risky investments, sharing his own hard lesson with a too-good-to-be-true real estate scheme. Finally, Hunt dives into the rise of private equity buying up repair shops, explaining how that's driving up valuations and changing the market for owners looking to sell.

Timestamps:
00:00 Incremental improvement beats unrealistic growth—why 3% better every quarter wins
01:10 Teaching personal finance at Vision 2026 (and why accountants don’t read your Social Security statements)
02:07 The truth about R&D tax credits and audit nightmares
03:44 What you must ask before taking any credit—defending yourself at audit time
05:03 Hunt’s background: how he got into auto repair accounting
08:08 Will AI replace your bookkeeper or CPA? Real talk, not hype
10:32 Why shop owners need to understand financial statements & what current ratio means for your cash
12:18 Managing AR, cash flow, and the case for paying vendors weekly
14:43 Shop profitability: 8 months out of 12 is the norm, not the exception
15:43 Trends: The scale and extremes of shop margins have changed MASSIVELY
17:21 Labor rates at $386/hr and what actually drives profit
18:54 The 20% net profit “gold standard”—and who really gets there
19:34 Why comparing owner compensation plus net income tells the real story
21:26 What’s the average net profit for shops? (Spoiler: it’s better than you think)
22:15 Beware public “industry average” surveys—actual profits vs. reported tax returns
23:01 Why working with an industry-specialized CPA beats a generic accountant every time
24:14 The inner circle: who should be on your financial “advisory board”
25:00 The most common (and WRONG) beliefs about shop accounting
29:53 Hunt’s biggest personal mistake: the $25k investment gone wrong (and what to learn from it)
32:10 Private equity: what’s happening, who’s buying, and what it means for YOUR exit
36:10 Should you sell now? How PE offers stack up vs. passing to family
37:06 Why PE doesn’t care about your P&L—sometimes it’s all about your customer count
38:02 Final thoughts, lessons learned, and why even the pros get it wrong sometimes