Welcome to The Brake Room, driven by ShopPros - the podcast that accelerates your automotive shop's success!
If you're an automotive shop owner looking to stay ahead of the curve, you're in the right place.
Each week, we dive into the heart of the automotive
industry with insightful interviews from top industry experts and successful shop owners.
From the latest trends to best practices, we're here to give you the tools and knowledge to drive your business forward.
Hit the brakes on uncertainty and shift into high gear with The Brake Room – where great automotive minds meet.
Join us for our first season launching Monday, October 21st!
Driving Change: Sustainability Practices in the Automotive Repair Industry with Mark Yamauchi
On the season finale of The Brake Room, host Lucinda is joined by Mark Yamauchi, Sustainability Strategy Manager at Toyota Motor North America. The two discuss the importance of sustainability across all industries but in particular the automotive repair industry.
Mark discusses what measures that can be implemented to improve energy efficiency, tips on cost effectiveness,, and the increasingly vital role that water use plays in sustainability. Tune in now!
Show notes:
00:00 - Introduction to Mark Yamauchi
1:10 - Why is sustainability important in the automotive repair industry?
4:10 - What measures can be implemented to improve energy efficiency?
9:45 - Tips from Mark on the cost effectiveness of sustainability
13:25 - How does water use play a role in sustainability moving forward?
19:50 - Final thoughts from Mark
30 Dec 2024
Tuning Up for Success: Taking your Shop from Good to Great with Brian Griffin and Rob Brouwer
On this week’s episode of The Brake Room, host Lucinda Underwood is joined by Brian Griffin of Absolute Air and Auto Repair and Rob Brouwer of Precision Automotive. The three discuss their experience in the auto repair shop industry and what it takes to bring your shop from good to great!
Topics include how to identify and diagnose issues within the shop, leveraging customer feedback to identify opportunities of growth as well as effective cost strategies and lessons learned along the way for Brian and Rob. Tune in now!
Show notes:
00:00 - Introduction
00:40 - How to identify issues within a shop and diagnose the root of the problems
4:45 - What role does customer feedback play in identifying opportunities for growth
8:10 - What steps can be taken to effectively manage costs
16:10 - Success stories, lessons learned, and tips from Brian and Rob
23:30 - Final thought from Brian and Rob
Find Brian on:
Website: https://absoluteairautorepair.com/
Find Rob on:
Website: https://precisionautomotive.ca/
23 Dec 2024
Priced to Perform: Effective Pricing Strategies for Shop Owners with Bogi Lateiner
On today’s episode of The Brake Room, host Lucinda is joined for a second time by Bogi Lateiner, Auto Technician and Owner of Girl Gang Garage.
The two chat about how shop owners can maintain effective pricing strategies, the best ways to track and improve profitability, as well as Bogi’s thoughts on how to properly communicate and justify pricing to customers. Tune in now!
Show notes:
00:00 - Introduction to Bogi Lateiner
00:55 - How to analyze profitability of different areas of the shop and how to improve that profitability
6:20 - How to properly communicate pricing to customers
9:30 - How often should shop owners be reviewing their pricing?
17:05 - How to properly price complex jobs
31:10 - Bogi’s final thoughts on pricing strategies
FIND BOGI LATEINER ON:
Website: https://www.bogisgarage.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bogisgarage/?hl=en
Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/withhertwohands/?hl=en
FIND SHOPPROS ON:
Website: www.shoppros.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/shoppros1
Instagram: www.instagram.com/shopprosco/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/shoppros
16 Dec 2024
Financial Tune-up: Budgeting Tips and Financial Advice for Shop Owners with Hunt Demarest
Hunt Demarest, Senior Accountant at Paar, Melis, & Associates, shares actionable budgeting tips and financial advice to help shop owners improve profitability and mitigate industry risks.
9 Dec 2024
Road to Prosperity: Auto Repair Shop Success Stories with David Anderson and Edgar Leon
Lucinda is joined by David Anderson and Edgar Leon to uncover the key decisions behind the success of Anderson Automotive and Aurora AutoPros.
2 Dec 2024
Digital Drive-Thru: Software Solutions to Keep Your Auto Repair Shop in the Fast Lane with Amber Wright
Amber Wright, Director of Partnerships at AutoLeap, shares software solutions to turbocharge auto repair shops, ensuring seamless integration and optimal business performance.
25 Nov 2024
Driving Loyalty: How Auto Repair Shops Can Excel at Customer Experience with Alex Vaillancourt
Lucinda hosts Alex Vaillancourt, third-generation owner of True Centre Auto Service, to share best practices for auto repair shops to excel at customer experience and boost loyalty.
18 Nov 2024
Accelerate Efficiency: Optimizing Your Shop’s Workflow with Bill Haas
On today’s episode, host Lucinda sits down with Bill Haas, President and Owner of Haas Performance Consulting. Using his over 40 years experience in the automotive service and repair industry, Bill specializes in identifying a shop’s areas of inefficiency and helping shop owners make the necessary adjustments.
The two chat about what Haas Performance Consulting does for their clients, the primary factors that drive efficiency, as well as what he thinks is the leading cause of a shop’s inefficiency. Tune in now!
Show notes:
00:00 - Introduction to Bill Haas and how he started Haas Performance Consulting
3:40 - What does Haas Performance Consulting do for their clients
6:35 - Primary factors that drive efficiency in an auto repair shop
13:00 - How do you manage time efficiently for employees
19:20 - Leveraging technology and innovation to boost efficiency
25:00 - “Every distraction disrupts production”
30:45 - Final thoughts from Bill
Find Haas Performance Consulting on:
Website: https://www.haasperformanceconsulting.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haas_performance/
FIND SHOPPROS ON:
Website: www.shoppros.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/shoppros1
Instagram: www.instagram.com/shopprosco/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/shoppros
11 Nov 2024
Cybersecurity Roadmap: Keeping Your Auto Repair Shop Safe From Hackers with Donny Seyfer
On today’s episode, host Lucinda is joined by Donny Seyfer, Executive Officer at the National Automotive Security Task Force. Donny is an expert in cybersecurity for auto repair shop owners and the two of them discuss some of the current cybersecurity issues that shops face, how Donny got involved in the cybersecurity world, what shop owners need to be aware of and how they can protect themselves, as well as tips for shop owners who feel like their cybersecurity measures may be lacking. Tune in now!
Show notes:
00:00 - Introduction to Donny Seyfer and
1:50 - What are some of the issues we’re currently seeing with cybersecurity and how do they affect auto repair shops?
3:50 - How Donny got involved in cybersecurity for auto repair shops
6:10 - What do shop owners need to be aware of and how do they protect themselves?
15:10 - Using a VPN
17:15 - Top tips for shop owners to get up to speed with their cybersecurity measures
20:20 - Cybersecurity damage control
24:15 - As a shop owner, you need to be aware of the risks!
27:10 - Final thoughts from Donny
Find Donny on:
Website: https://wp.nastf.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donny-seyfer/
FIND SHOPPROS ON:
Website: www.shoppros.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/shoppros1
Instagram: www.instagram.com/shopprosco/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/shoppros
4 Nov 2024
Smart Shops: Changing Trends and Leveraging Technology with Scott & Bruce Eccles
On today’s episode, father and son duo Bruce and Scott Eccles join host Lucinda to discuss the changing trends and new technology in the auto repair shop industry. They chat about the emergence of EVs and whether or not every car on the road will eventually be an EV, as well as how new technology has changed the customer experience, and the importance of educating customers on products and cars that are new to the market. Tune in now!
Show notes:
00:00 - Introduction to Scott and Bruce Eccles
00:55 - What are the key industry trends that shop owners should be aware of?
4:30 - Examples of new technology that’s becoming essential in the industry
7:15 - How have new tools and technology impacted the customer experience?
10:10 - New technology that Scott and Bruce are excited about
13:25 - How do you keep up with the trends and new technologies?
15:30 - The importance of educating customers
23:50 - Example of time when Scott and Bruce’s business had to adapt to a significant change
28:15 - Final thoughts
FIND SCOTT AND BRUCE ON:
Website: https://ecclesautoservice.ca/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eccles_auto/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eccles-auto-service-inc./
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ecclesautoservice.ca/
FIND SHOPPROS ON:
Website: www.shoppros.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/shoppros1
Instagram: www.instagram.com/shopprosco/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/shoppros
28 Oct 2024
Revving Up Success: The Keys to Building a High Performance Team with Bogi Lateiner and Shaun Peet
On today’s episode, host Lucinda is joined by Bogi Lateiner and Shaun Peet. The three chat about what it takes to build a high performance winning team including how to recruit and keep the best talent, how to build trust with your employees, as well as the key factors that every business owner in the auto repair industry should know. Tune in now!
Show notes:
00:00 - Introduction to Bogi and Shaun
00:30 - Strategies to use to recruit the best talent
5:10 - What are the key elements to retaining top talent
11:45 - Building trust and respect through authenticity with your employees
17:45 - Key factors that go into building a winning team
25:10 - Final thoughts from Bogi and Shaun
FIND BOGI LATEINER ON:
Website: https://www.bogisgarage.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bogisgarage/?hl=en
Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/withhertwohands/?hl=en
FIND SHAUN PEET ON:
Website: https://deckleadership.com/the-team/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swpeet/
FIND SHOPPROS ON:
Website: www.shoppros.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/shoppros1
Instagram: www.instagram.com/shopprosco/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/shoppros
21 Oct 2024
Under the Hood: Building a Thriving Culture with Greg Marchand
In the first ever episode of The Brake Room, host Lucinda is joined by Greg Marchand, COO of ShopPros.
The two sit down to discuss all things culture including how to identify when your business has issues with culture, how to properly influence great company culture, creating the best environment for your employees, as well as the foundations of great culture. Tune in now!
Show notes:
00:00 - Introduction to Greg Marchand
1:00 - How to identify issues within your company culture
6:15 - How to properly influence good culture once those issues are identified
11:25 - How do you create an environment where everyone is aware of how they contribute to the company culture?
14:55 - Great culture = great results
18:30 - Addressing small issues before they become larger ones
24:10 - Trusting others with responsibilities outside of your expertise
25:50 - What are the foundations of a great culture?
FIND SHOPPROS ON:
Website: https://shoppros.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shoppros1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shopprosco/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shoppros
11 Oct 2024
Welcome to The Brake Room
Welcome to The Brake Room, driven by ShopPros - the podcast that accelerates your automotive shop's success!
If you’re an automotive shop owner looking to stay ahead of the curve, you’re in the right place.
Each week, we dive into the heart of the automotive
industry with insightful interviews from top industry experts and successful shop owners.
From the latest trends to best practices, we’re here to give you the tools and knowledge to drive your business forward.
Hit the brakes on uncertainty and shift into high gear with The Brake Room – where great automotive minds meet.
Join us for our first season launching Monday, October 21st!
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
21,805
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 73 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
84
Social presence
91
YouTube
76
Engagement
32
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