If you’ve spent some time in the tire industry, you’ve probably heard the name John Gamauf, aka Johnny g. In his 50-plus years of service to the industry, he’s busted tires, survived the largest tire recall in history and made a lot of friends along the way. Meet them in Johnny g & Friends, a monthly podcast in which Johnny g and his friends share the secrets to their success and the memories they’ve made along the way in our beloved tire industry.
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Why Matt Boland’s Tire Customers Don’t Ask About the Price
Most family businesses preserve their history in stories and photographs; Matt Boland’s family set part in something that’s a bit more concrete – in an old Firestone 500 sidewall salvaged from his father’s shop. That devotion began with Matt’s dad, Chris, a military veteran who went to work for a Firestone company store in Lansing. When an opportunity emerged in Sturgis, Chris found an empty old gas station, moved the family to southern Michigan and decided to give the tire business a shot with Boland Tire.
Almost 60 years later, Matt has carried that business forward, expanding into six Michigan communities with a strong focus on agricultural customers. Now his son, also named Chris, is learning the relationships and hard-earned lessons that helped sustain it.
In this episode, Matt talks about family legacy, honest service, what “thoughtful” expansion means, and the value of the Best-One network. You’ll learn why customers will spend thousands without asking the price because they trust the people doing the work.
11 Aug 2026
What Gonzales Tire Had to Change to Grow From One Store to Four
Randy Lewis, president of Gonzales Tire & Automotive, joins Johnny g & Friends to explain how his family grew one Louisiana tire shop into a four-location tire and automotive repair business without abandoning the customer-service principles that built its reputation.
Founded by Randy’s father, Roy Lewis, in 1966, Gonzales Tire began primarily as a tire, brake and chassis shop. Randy shares why opening a second location forced the company to expand into total car care, how he learned to delegate while managing multiple stores and why tire dealers must be willing to invest – and remain patient – to keep growing.
The conversation also explores family-business succession, working alongside siblings, preparing the next generation and keeping workplace disagreements from affecting family relationships. Randy explains why personal vehicle walkarounds, direct conversations and earning a customer’s trust remain essential, even as video inspections, AI and automation change the tire and auto repair industry.
14 Jul 2026
How Matlock Tire Went From a Bypassed Gas Station to a String of Legendary Tennessee Tire Shops
A highway nearly killed the family business, and a wrecked truck helped bring the next generation into it. In this episode of the Johnny g & Friends Podcast, Johnny sits down with Jimmy and Joe Matlock of Matlock Tire in Tennessee. It's a conversation about the kind of customer service that turns a tire business into a community institution.
The story starts in the 1960s. Then, Interstate 40 pulled most traffic away from Jimmy’s father’s full-service gas station. Instead of closing the doors, the family adapted. They moved deeper into tires, retreading, and service. They also built the business around relationships rather than transactions. That same mindset guided Jimmy years later. He unexpectedly returned home from college after his father’s sudden passing. He found himself leading a business he never planned to run.
Joe’s path into the business was just as unexpected. A teenage truck wreck led to a next-day work assignment. He eventually moved from pre-law and corporate life toward the family business. There, he found a better fit in people, service, and relationships.
Throughout the conversation, Jimmy and Joe discuss the balance between old-school retail service and modern business tools, including technology, reporting, AI and the value of still walking out to a customer’s vehicle, looking them in the eye and earning trust the traditional way. Jimmy also reflects on his years in public service and the connection between serving customers and serving constituents.
Today, Matlock Tire has grown to five Tennessee locations, more than 100 employees and a rare culture of long-term loyalty, including multiple employees with 20, 30 and even 40-plus years of service. For Jimmy and Joe, the secret is simple: treat employees like family, treat customers like relationships and keep showing up for both. It is a legacy built one handshake, one repair and one team member at a time.
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Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.8 / 5
6 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 27 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
30
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
60
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