Episodes

  • They Ignored the Trades...Now They Have to Pay for It

    They Ignored the Trades...Now They Have to Pay for It
    Mar 20 2026
    Everybody keeps talking about the technician shortage like it just showed up out of nowhere. It didn’t. We built it.

    For the last 30 years, we told kids not to go into the trades. We stripped hands on training out of schools. We pushed college as the only path. Then we built workplaces that burn out the very people we depend on. And now everyone’s asking where all the good techs went.

    Here’s what nobody’s saying… Supply and demand has shifted.

    There aren’t enough skilled people, and the ones who can actually do the work are becoming more valuable by the day. That means something most people still haven’t realized. The trades are no longer the fallback option. They’re the opportunity.

    In this episode of Repair Shop Reckoning, Kevin zooms out and connects the dots. This is not just about mechanics. This is about a system that devalues real skill while depending on it more than ever. Kevin breaks down why the technician shortage was created, not accidental, how schools and culture steered an entire generation away from the trades, what is really happening inside dealerships and larger operations, and why good technicians are leaving while broken systems keep the wrong people in place.

    He also gets into what actually fixes the problem. Leadership. Training. Pay. Standards. Not talk. Not excuses.

    If you are a shop owner trying to build a team, a technician feeling the pressure, or a parent trying to guide your kid down the right path, this is a conversation you need to hear.

    Because at the end of the day, the world still runs on people who can fix things. And the people who can are about to get paid.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/repair-shop-reckoning--6688688/support.
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    1 hr and 24 mins
  • RSR 1st ep remastered

    RSR 1st ep remastered
    Mar 13 2026
    Most people know Kevin Brown as the guy who tells it like it is.

    The shop owner. The operator. The guy calling out the chaos, the excuses, and the bad decisions that quietly kill shops.

    But this episode is different.

    This is the beginning of the story.

    In this remastered episode of Repair Shop Reckoning, Kevin sits down with his mom and dad to talk about where it all started. The learning struggles, the behavior issues, the teachers, the testing, the medication, the farm, the trades, and the moments that shaped the way he sees the world now.

    Before the businesses…
    Before the consulting…
    Before the podcast…

    There was a kid who didn’t fit the system. A kid who struggled in school. Got bored fast. Got in trouble, and was told, directly and indirectly, that he was going to have a hard road.

    This episode explains how that same kid found his way through hands-on work, the farm, the trades, and an obsession with learning and eventually became a master certified technician, business owner, leader, and teacher.

    This is the episode that explains why Kevin is Kevin.

    In this episode
    • Kevin’s parents tell the real story of what he was like growing up
    • The learning struggles and school system battles that shaped him
    • How the farm became the turning point
    • Why hands-on work changed everything
    • The underdog story behind the voice of Repair Shop Reckoning If you’ve ever felt like you didn’t fit the system…

    If you’ve ever been underestimated. If you learn better with your hands than from a book. This episode is for you. Because sometimes the people who look like the biggest problem early on. Become the ones who build the most.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/repair-shop-reckoning--6688688/support.
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    1 hr and 31 mins
  • Why I Switched My Shop From Flat Rate to Hourly

    Why I Switched My Shop From Flat Rate to Hourly
    Mar 6 2026
    Flat rate worked in Kevin’s shop for years. But the world outside the shop has changed.

    Parts backorders. Fleet approval layers. Training the next generation of technicians.

    Jobs sitting in bays waiting on things nobody inside the shop can control. And when that happens, flat rate stops rewarding productivity and starts punishing the wrong people.

    In this episode of Repair Shop Reckoning, Kevin explains why he made the decision to move his entire shop off flat rate and onto hourly and salary pay.

    This isn’t a rant about pay plans. It’s a real conversation about what happens when the system around your shop creates friction you can’t control.

    Kevin breaks down what changed, how the team approached the transition, and why leadership, training, and procedures matter more than the pay plan itself.

    Because the real issue isn’t flat rate.

    In this episode
    • Why flat rate worked for years and why it’s getting harder to make fair
    • How training younger technicians exposes the flaw in the flat rate system
    • The real impact of parts delays and fleet approval layers
    • Why rushing for hours hurts quality and culture
    • The system Kevin put in place to protect production, training, and his team

    If you run a shop, manage a team, or want to understand why technicians are leaving the industry, this is a conversation you need to hear.

    Because at the end of the day, it’s not about pay plans. It’s about running a shop that actually works.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/repair-shop-reckoning--6688688/support.
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    1 hr and 14 mins
  • How To Hire A Marketing Company Without Getting Scammed Like I Did

    How To Hire A Marketing Company Without Getting Scammed Like I Did
    Feb 27 2026
    Marketing can build your shop or quietly bankrupt it.

    In this episode, Kevin breaks down why most marketing promises are smoke and mirrors, and what shop owners should actually measure if they want booked work, not “impressions.”

    What you’ll hear in this episode
    • Why “impressions” are the most abused metric in marketing
    • The tracking question every shop must ask on every customer
    • Why Google Business Profile is the real local gold mine and it’s free
    • How to handle bad reviews without looking weak or corporate
    • How Kevin audits marketing so he can cut spend and increase results

    If you’re paying for marketing and you can’t tie it to booked work, you’re not marketing...You’re donating.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/repair-shop-reckoning--6688688/support.
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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • The Backend Mistakes That Bankrupt Shops

    The Backend Mistakes That Bankrupt Shops
    Feb 20 2026
    If you don’t know your numbers, you don’t control your business!

    In this episode, Kevin sits down with Maria Montie, partner at Shindel Rock and a key resource inside the Repair Shop Reckoning network, to talk about what most shop owners avoid their backend.

    Cash flow. Oversight. Internal controls. Tax structure. And the dangerous assumption that “my accountant has it handled.”

    We break down:
    • Why bookkeeping and real accounting strategy are not the same thing
    • How overstated revenue can quietly create six-figure tax bills
    • The internal control mistakes that lead to embezzlement
    • Why “no surprises” should be your financial standard
    • The difference between delegation and responsibility
    And here’s the part that should get your attention:

    A shop owner we were working with received a six-figure tax bill. After reconstructing the books and filing an amended return, that bill was dissolved.

    Not reduced.

    Dissolved.

    Because when you don’t understand your structure, your revenue classification, and your reporting you can end up paying for mistakes you didn’t even know existed.

    This episode isn’t about accounting theory.

    It’s about control.

    You can delegate tasks.
    You cannot delegate ownership.

    If you’re serious about leading your shop instead of reacting to it, this conversation matters.

    No fluff. No tax hacks. Just the reality of what it takes to run a business the right way.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/repair-shop-reckoning--6688688/support.
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    1 hr and 19 mins
  • If You Don't Run Your Shop Then Your Shop Runs You

    If You Don't Run Your Shop Then Your Shop Runs You
    Feb 13 2026
    Because being good at fixing cars isn’t enough anymore...

    This episode is for shop owners who are tired of chaos, thin margins, and feeling like they’re constantly putting out fires.

    Kevin breaks down what it actually takes to build a disciplined, profitable shop in an industry that’s getting tougher by the day.

    We’re talking real systems. Real structure. Real leadership.

    Inside this episode:

    -Why letting customers bring their own parts kills your margins
    -The difference between ChatGPT and a properly built shop AI system
    -How documentation and process increase close rate
    -Why most shops misunderstand sell-through rate
    -The truth about service advisors vs. technicians
    -How systems protect you from insurance games

    If you want to stop reacting and start running your shop like a business, not a hobby, this one’s for you.

    No corporate script. No sugarcoating. Just what works.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/repair-shop-reckoning--6688688/support.
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    51 mins
  • Where Shops Bleed Money & How To Plug The Leaks

    Where Shops Bleed Money & How To Plug The Leaks
    Feb 6 2026
    In this episode, Kevin breaks down his exact service advising system step by step from the first phone call to after-hours pickup. This isn’t theory. It’s a process built from getting burned, plugging holes, and tightening the operation until the front office actually controls the day.

    We talk about:

    -Why most shops lose trust on the phone in the first 10 seconds
    -How “free estimates” screw your techs and kill customer confidence
    -The check-in process Kevin uses to eliminate wasted time and miscommunication
    -How they use AI to capture the full customer story, write cleaner estimates, and stop details from getting lost
    -The workflow that keeps keys, approvals, parts, and tech time organized
    -Why the customer experience is the difference between getting shopped on price or getting trusted

    If your front office feels chaotic, your estimates sit too long, your techs get stuck waiting, or customers constantly question your value this episode is a blueprint.

    Subscribe on YouTube for the full episode and weekly shop truth.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/repair-shop-reckoning--6688688/support.
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    51 mins
  • The Daily War Between Shops & Insurance...From Someone That Has Been On Both Sides

    The Daily War Between Shops & Insurance...From Someone That Has Been On Both Sides
    Jan 30 2026
    Featuring George Ryan, Body Shop Manager at a Mercedes-Benz dealer in upstate New York, this episode is a straight-up masterclass in why shops are sick of getting jerked around by insurance companies—and what it looks like to push back with facts, laws, and zero fear.

    George’s perspective hits different because he’s lived both sides of the table: he grew up in a body shop, worked as a tech, then spent 20 years inside insurance (including overseeing DRP operations across 13 states and 300+ shops) before coming back to the shop world. Translation? He knows the games. He knows the scripts. And he’s done letting them run the show.

    You’ll hear how New York’s regulations (like the 48-hour supplement window and the 6-day inspection rule) can be used to stop the stall tactics, how insurers try to steer repairs toward cheaper parts and slower processes, and why dealership-level repairs—especially on Mercedes—don’t play nice with “Amazon parts” logic.

    In this episode, we get into:

    -Why “appraisers” are really adjusters (and what that means for your money)

    -The daily war: supplements, desk reviews, delays, and puppet scripts

    -How shops can prep the customer before the insurance company turns it into a circus

    -OEM vs aftermarket battles on high-end vehicles—and why the “policy” excuse is trash

    -The insanity of paint/material audits, pour sheets, and nickel-and-dime fee fights

    -The bigger problem: an industry getting squeezed while techs age out and joy gets sucked dry

    -A call to action to stop fighting alone—and start organizing shops who are done bending over

    If you’ve ever felt that “here we go again” moment when an adjuster walks into your shop… this one’s for you.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/repair-shop-reckoning--6688688/support.
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    1 hr and 8 mins