Honest Garage Podcast

About 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!

Publisher

David Laird

Category

business · leisure

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

5 Jan 2026

Latest episode

5 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

56 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   5 Oct 2026

   Hybrid Repair, Human First: Priscilla Vera on Tucson Hybrids, Customer Trust, and Building the EV Tech Pipeline

   Priscilla Vera did not come into automotive through the traditional technician path. She came in as an entrepreneur with a business background, saw a growing need in hybrid and EV repair, and helped turn a side hustle rebuilding hybrid batteries into a specialized shop serving Tucson drivers. In this episode, Priscilla shares how Tucson Hybrids began in 2016 when her husband, David, started rebuilding hybrid batteries as a more affordable option for local customers. After Priscilla joined the business in 2017, they began building it into something bigger, eventually opening a commercial location and growing into a dedicated hybrid and EV repair shop. What makes this conversation different is how much Priscilla focuses on the human side of the business. She talks about creating a "white glove" customer experience, making people feel seen and heard, and building repeatable systems so care is not random. She also shares how that same mindset applies to the team, from hiring for attitude and willingness to learn, to creating career paths, protecting work-life balance, and helping technicians build confidence through support instead of micromanagement. You will also hear why Priscilla believes the technician shortage may also be an education shortage, especially as hybrid and EV systems become more common. Tucson Hybrids works in advanced areas like high voltage batteries, inverters, electric motors, regenerative braking, and complex electrical diagnostics, while also looking for ways to help more technicians get real hands-on exposure to this side of the industry. If you are trying to build a shop that is ready for where vehicles are going, without losing the relationship-first service that customers still need, Priscilla's episode is worth hearing. Links: Honest Mechanic Marketing (HMM): https://honestmechanicmarketing.com/ Tucson Hybrids: https://www.tucsonhybrids.com/

2. 

   28 Sept 2026

   Business First, Bay Smart: Matt May on Numbers, Premium Vehicles, and Rebuilding Village Motor Works

   Matt May did not come into auto repair as a technician. He came in as a businessman with a background in science, manufacturing, and the pharmaceutical industry. That outside perspective changed the way he looked at the shop from day one. Matt is the owner of Village Motor Works in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, operating out of a historic building that dates back to the 1940s. The shop focuses heavily on European and higher end Japanese vehicles, including BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Volkswagen, Volvo, Lexus, Acura, and more. In this episode, Matt shares how retirement at 52 did not last long, how a struggling Midas opportunity turned into a shop turnaround, and how he grew what had been a two-car-a-day operation into a business producing more than one and a half million dollars annually. He also talks about moving away from the franchise model, returning the shop to the Village Motor Works brand, and shifting the customer base toward premium vehicles where the margins, expectations, and relationships made more sense. You will hear Matt's business-first view of the industry, including why every shop owner needs to understand labor costs, parts costs, rent, margins, pay plans, and the real numbers behind profitability. He also gets into technician pay, service advisor incentives, flat rate concerns, and why the wrong compensation model can quietly create pressure to sell the wrong things. Matt also shares a forward-looking take on AI, diagnostics, and the technician shortage. His view is that the next generation of techs may need to be as comfortable with computers as they are with tools, because the cars are not getting simpler. If you want to hear what happens when a numbers-driven operator steps into auto repair, rebuilds the model, and learns how to run a profitable shop without being the person turning the wrench, Matt's episode is worth hearing. Links: Honest Mechanic Marketing (HMM): https://honestmechanicmarketing.com/ Village Motor Works: https://vmwraleigh.com/

3. 

   21 Sept 2026

   Partner for the Next Chapter: Abraham Chavez on Three Shop Growth, Legacy Brands, and Building Leaders Who Think Like Owners

   Abraham Chavez grew up in the family shop, learning the business from the ground up. Sweeping floors, cleaning parts, helping in the shop, moving into sales and service advising, then eventually stepping into ownership. But his story did not stop with one location. Today, Abraham owns Griffin's Auto Repair, Dieter's European Auto Repair, and Joe Jr's in San Diego, California. In this episode, he shares how Griffin's became the starting point, how he acquired and rebuilt Dieter's to preserve a European specialty shop legacy that goes back to 1960, and why his third location became an opportunity to turn one of his strongest managers into a partner instead of losing him to ownership somewhere else. Abraham gets honest about what three shop ownership really feels like. The numbers, the hiring stress, the vendor accountability, the quality expectations, and the fatigue that comes after more than 30 years in the industry. He also explains why the right people, the right procedures, and the right schedule are what give an owner the freedom to step away, spend time with family, and think about the next chapter. You will hear how Abraham identifies constraints by watching sales, gross profit, margins, and productivity, why he prefers quality OEM parts when possible, and how long standing customer trust is protected by one simple rule he learned from his dad: only sell or repair what is actually needed. If you are growing beyond one location, trying to develop leaders inside your shop, or wondering what the business should give back after years of grind, Abraham's episode is worth hearing. Links: Honest Mechanic Marketing (HMM): https://honestmechanicmarketing.com/ Dieter's Motorsports: https://www.dietersmotorsports.com/ Griffin's Auto Repair: https://www.griffinsautorepair.com/ Joe Jr's Auto: https://joejrauto.com/

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Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.