Where can I listen to this podcast?

This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.

Does this podcast accept guests?

Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.

Honest Garage Podcast

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by David Laird

49 episodes

Updated Daily

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Podcast Overview

Welcome to The Honest Garage Podcast — where we talk shop about running a real repair business in the real world. Each week, David Laird sits down with independent shop owners, technicians, and industry experts to unpack what's working (and what's not) in marketing, hiring, leadership, and operations. No buzzwords. No agency jargon. Just honest conversations that help you grow your shop, keep your team steady, and build a business that lasts. Our show is about real shops telling real stories. Where shop owners talk about more than just repairs. They're building people, serving their communities, working on the shop, and not just in it. We are ultimately all shaping the industry that we all love!

Language

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Publishing Since

1/5/2026

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Recent Episodes

July 22, 2026

Think Like an Owner: Marshall Atkinson on GM Accountability, Cleaner Operations, and Modernizing Neal's Garage

Marshall Atkinson's story is a reminder that a great operator does not always start as the owner. Sometimes they grow into the role by caring enough to take ownership before the title ever catches up. Marshall manages Neal's Garage in Durham, North Carolina, a long-standing independent shop that has served the community since 1950. After serving in the Air Force, Marshall came into the business through a friend, started learning the front counter, and eventually became the person trusted to lead the day-to-day operation while the owner stepped further out of the building. In this episode, Marshall breaks down what it really takes to run a shop well when the owner is not there every minute. It is more than answering phones and moving cars. It is watching the numbers, protecting workflow, setting standards, managing people, making equipment decisions, and creating a customer experience that feels consistent every time. You will hear how Neal's Garage has become more intentional about the work it accepts, including narrowing the vehicle mix, reducing big bay-locking jobs, and keeping the shop focused on profitable, manageable work. Marshall also talks about the details that shape reputation, from cleanliness and uniforms to loaner cars, hybrid service, EV charging, and remembering customers by name. If you are an owner trying to step back, a GM trying to step up, or a shop leader who wants the business to run with more clarity and less chaos, Marshall's episode is worth hearing. Links: Honest Mechanic Marketing (HMM): <a href= "https://honestmechanicmarketing.com/">https://honestmechanicmarketing.com/ </a> Neal's Garage: <a href= "http://nealsgarage.com/">http://nealsgarage.com</a>

July 13, 2026

Catch the Opportunity: Jay Power on Call Performance, Advisor Workload, and Using Shop Data Smarter

Most shop owners ask whether their marketing is working. Jay Power wants them to ask a sharper question: is the shop actually catching the opportunity that marketing already created? In this Expert Spotlight episode, David and Paul sit down with Jay Power, CEO of Oktorocket, to talk about one of the most expensive blind spots in auto repair: what happens between the phone ringing, the advisor answering, and the customer actually showing up. Jay brings a deep background in enterprise software, large scale contact centers, shop communication systems, and real automotive experience. In this conversation, he breaks down what Oktorocket is seeing across shop data, including answer rates, missed calls, advisor workload, close ratio, outbound callbacks, customer retention, and the real revenue impact of small operational changes. You will hear why one in five calls may be a brand new customer, why overloaded advisors can make the wrong numbers look good while the shop stays flat, and how a few points of improvement in close rate or answer rate can create major revenue movement. Jay also gets practical about AI, where it belongs today, where it does not, and why customers still expect a real human during normal business hours. If you want to stop guessing, tighten your front counter, and understand the data already sitting inside your shop, this episode is worth hearing. Links: Honest Mechanic Marketing (HMM): <a href= "https://honestmechanicmarketing.com/">https://honestmechanicmarketing.com/ </a> Oktorocket: <a href= "https://oktorocket.com/">https://oktorocket.com/</a>

June 24, 2026

Train Before It Rolls In: Tom Pacheco on EV Readiness, High Voltage Safety, and Building the Next Tech Pipeline

EVs are already showing up in independent repair shops, but Tom Pacheco is not here to scare owners into becoming an EV specialty shop overnight. His message is more practical than that: start with safety, train your people, and build readiness before the wrong vehicle rolls into the bay. In this Expert Spotlight episode, David and Paul sit down with Tom Pacheco, founder of ZEVTech Consulting and executive director of ASA Colorado, to talk about what independent shops really need to know about EVs, hybrids, alternative fuel vehicles, and high voltage systems. Tom breaks down the simple rule every shop should understand first: do not touch anything orange unless you know exactly what it is. From there, he explains why EV readiness starts with low voltage fundamentals, proper disconnect procedures, PPE, gloves, meters, OEM information, and hands-on training that proves a technician can actually do the work safely. This conversation also goes beyond EVs. Tom shares how ASA Colorado is helping shops access training, grants, community college partnerships, internships, and apprenticeship pipelines so the industry can develop the next generation instead of waiting for unicorn techs to appear. If you are a shop owner wondering what EV training is actually worth it, how much you should invest, or how to prepare your team without turning your whole business upside down, this episode is a clear, calm, and practical place to start. Links: Honest Mechanic Marketing (HMM): <a href= "https://honestmechanicmarketing.com/">https://honestmechanicmarketing.com/ </a> ZEVTech Consulting: <a href= "https://electricvehicletechniciantraining.com/">https://electricvehicletechniciantraining.com/</a> Automotive Service Association of Colorado- ASA CO: <a href="https://asacolorado.org/">https://asacolorado.org/</a>

49 total episodes available

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Frequently asked questions

Have a different question and can't find the answer you're looking for? Reach out to our support team by sending us an email and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.

What is Honest Garage Podcast?: Welcome to The Honest Garage Podcast — where we talk shop about running a real repair business in the real world.

Each week, David Laird sits down with independent shop owners, technicians, and industry experts to unpack what's working (and what's not) in marketing, hiring, leadership, and operations.

No buzzwords. No agency jargon. Just honest conversations that help you grow your shop, keep your team steady, and build a business that lasts.

Our show is about real shops telling real stories. Where shop owners talk about more than just repairs. They're building people, serving their communities, working on the shop, and not just in it. We are ultimately all shaping the industry that we all love!
How often does this podcast release new episodes?: This podcast updates daily.
Where can I listen to this podcast?: This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
Does this podcast accept guests?: Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.

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